Once Zain finally returned to his dwellings, there was a peaceful quiet within his dormroom. However, he could not quite enjoy this silence as his mind was racing.
What had he done?! Who were those people?!
SHIIITSHITSHIIIIT!!
Right now he was pacing in the living room; Brayden was fully asleep, but Zain seriously considered waking him just to talk about everything he had witnessed.
As he was wrestling with this idea, however, the static in his ear finally steadied itself in frequency.
“We need to discuss privately, return to your holdings”
The informant commanded him, the sternness in their voice was apparent.
Zain couldn’t really wake up Brayden right now and staying in the living room might make him come face to face with Navin again, so returning to his room was probably the right call for now.
He did as instructed, going to his room and flopping onto his bed whilst covering himself with his sheets. This way, any discussion would be muffled somewhat and he wouldn’t have to worry too much about Navin hearing him when he finally returned to his room.
The static hushed again, then the construct reformed again. The fish rippled as the informant spoke again.
“Give your account. In detail.”
Zain gave a heavy, weary sigh, then recounted the events which occurred mere hours before. All the things regarding the elaborate entry, the labyrinth-like city, and all of the suspicious activities he had participated in.
“I-I don’t know what we were transporting…so please…” He couldn’t finish his sentence, scared that he would be convicted of something serious.
“Your involvement will not result in criminal charges, given your status as an undercover informant.”
This assurance let Zain breathe a sigh of relief, though, in the back of his mind, he realized that Navin would probably not be given the same kindness. Dude was a jerk, but still a kid; this realization left a bad taste in his mouth.
His thoughts could not linger for long as the informant spoke again.
“What was transported was likely Deadan. This discovery is unsurprising as it was already hypothesized that it was being distributed using the underground halls.”
“How do you know which of the two drugs it was? Couldn’t it have been both?”
“No…the description that you gave does not match. They are packaged differently, the other material is not transported in such large quantities.”
It was good to know that he wasn’t in the extreme danger scenario they had warned him about in his initial briefing…with what little difference it probably made.
“So…does that mean you guys are going to be able to infiltrate now? Now that you know where the entrance is?”
The informant hesitated for an uncomfortable amount of time, before replying to his question.
“No…a warrant is required…and we would like to receive proof of Abel Chatelain’s involvement. Right now, evidence is circumstantial.”
This new information made Zain’s heart drop.
Circumstantial?! The damn drug trade was happening beneath his own establishment! How was that not enough!
As if they could hear his internal anger, the informant spoke again.
“We have tried to move based on similar evidence before, but Chatelain was able to hide anything tying him to the drug trade. Unless we have concrete proof, we cannot convict him, and he will continue his deals.”
So they only really wanted to tie this Chatelain dude to the syndicate.
“Additionally, it is likely that there is a two way factor for entering, based on the fact that that boy needed to ask for permission for entry, leading us to believe that unauthorized entry will lead to possible collapse of the structure beneath.”
Apparently, this Chatelain guy was pretty smart, and he had studied labyrinthian technology in college. So it was likely he knew how to manipulate the rooms they entered or rig the place before they entered. It was too dangerous for them to break their way in.
“So why did y'all make me find the passage?! What was the point?!” He slightly raised his hushed voice, but in all honesty, he felt one hundred percent in the right. What was this bullshit?! Was he being lied to? Why did they tell him to look for the passageway during the briefing?
“Knowing the entrance allows us to maneuver towards where business is conducted, without using that particular entrance…”
The underground city was not something Abel Chatelain had built himself; the ancient ruins extended throughout all of Merverre, so there were multiple entryways to get into the city. But because of its archaic design and dangerous flooding, many had been sealed, and entry was largely prohibited.
The police had already explored the underground, but it was like finding a needle in a haystack. Without insider information for where they needed to go, during specific times the dealings were taking place, it was unlikely that they would find what they were looking for.
“Next time you descend, there will be scouts within the area, trying to meet your location. This way, we can navigate to where dealings take place and collect physical evidence at the scene.”
This was still dangerous. If they were discovered, both Zain and the scouts could be at the whims of Chatelain’s labyrinth magic.
However, since the magic had to be manipulated manually, and the scope was limited based on the user’s own magical capacity, they just needed to find where the labyrinth started and where it ended. Determining that, would allow the police to triangulate Chatelain’s location and tie him to the dealings.
“Inform us if Navin invites you out once again. We shall make preparations for your next visit…” The informant hesitated again, before they continued with a frightening warning “There have been movements above, and the leader of the Tarrare organization is currently docked at an island nearby. We have reason to believe he is waiting for a new shipment if he is coming personally nearby. Be wary if there is any mention of Amberbleu.”
“...Got it..” He didn’t need to be told twice. Zain had already been straining his ears for any mention of the aforementioned substance, but they really hadn’t said anything that would allude to it. “How will I know if they have some?”
“You will know…trust me…”
And with that cryptic statement, the informant tuned out of frequency, and Zain was left alone on his bed, in silence.
That morning, Zain didn’t get the chance to speak to Brayden about what he had seen the night before. Without someone to vent to, he was just stewing in his own anxiety and paranoia.
On desk duty again, he was tapping leg and fidgeting like mad as his own thoughts plagued him.
Who am I involved with now?! How is my life going to go back to normal?! Is it ever gonna go back to normal?! SHIIIITTTT!!!!
Navin was sleeping again on the couch, slightly hungover after a bit of over indulgence on the cold beer he was given. Whenever Zain made any noise above a certain noise level, he would let out small grunts of displeasure, tossing over a bit before resuming his sleep.
It was annoying, but there wasn’t really anything Zain could do about it. He just kept internalizing his problems, trying to work out how he would deal with the fallout of dealing with sketchy people.
What would they do when they discovered he ratted them out? Would he or Brayden be safe? He had not been here for long, but he wasn’t certain that he could trust the police with his protection.
As he sat there, dying a little inside, a knock on the door brought him back to attention. Turning around to see who had entered the office, it was Kaden. Zain gave a passing glance, then just turned back to the front, assuming that he was there to speak with Navin again. However, he was a bit startled to see the boy with glasses stand next to him, peering down at him with his emotionless eyes.
“Come, someone wants to talk to you.” He spoke with his usual stoic voice, however, the underlying tone signalled that it was a stern command from someone important.
With his gut telling him that he couldn’t argue with this, he got up, casting a side glance to Navin who was, for lack of a better term, indisposed.
The boy also gave a small cursory glance, then silently approached the door leading to the outside. He flipped a sign which stated that they were on break and they would be back soon, then he returned Zain, motioning with his chin towards the door he came from.
Now that he didn’t have to worry about Navin, Zain promptly left with Kaden leading the way.
When they passed the meeting room that they had met in last time, Zain didn’t feel too much concern, thinking that they would just use one of the other meeting rooms he had seen.
However, they kept walking, passing all of the appropriately labeled meeting rooms. As they walked further and further into the warehouse, something in the pit of his stomach began to well up, as if his gut was telling him to run.
Of course he couldn’t, but the feeling wouldn’t subside. They approached a part of the warehouse he had never been in before, in the far back corners.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Why they had to go so far for a simple meeting was beyond him, but the reason soon revealed itself as Kaden opened a door. Zain saw a stairway which led downwards, making his heart sink and his whole body sweat. He tried his best not to let it show, but he started to have ragged breathing as he felt as if he might puke.
As soon as they began to descend, the earpiece once again emitted static fuzz, signalling that he was by himself again.
This wasn’t good.
Of course this had to do with the events of last night! How could he be so stupid as to not figure it out?! All of this right now was firing all of the alarm bells in his head, but he couldn’t turn now. He had to see it through…he was too deep to turn back now.
The two boys remained in silence, with Zain not raising a single question and Kaden not offering any answers. The only sound which resounded in the stairway was the reverberation of their shoes hitting the concrete steps.
They descended further and further, causing the static in his ear to shift to tinnitus, making him wish he could take it out discretely, but he felt as if doing so would be too suspicious.
As he was considering whether or not he should chance it, they had reached the end of the stairway. There were no other doors, just a single black wooden door with a mysterious blue light emanating from it.
Kaden stepped in front, tapping on a key pad that was on the door and twisting a key into its handle. As soon as it unlocked, he opened it then stepped to the side, looking at Zain to continue forward. Zain reluctantly stepped through the door, and to his dismay, Kaden locked the door behind him, leaving him alone in the room.
Upon first glance, the room did not feel like a meeting room, more like a lounge room. The floor tiling was an obsidian black, with flicks of gold blended in to give a feel of modern wealth; In the center of the room was a circular couch which surrounded a rounded coffee table. The couch was leather and had a modern looking design as well, with the table being carved from some sort of dark wood. Both looked rather expensive.
A giant fish tank, however, was the centerpiece of the room as it displayed a quiet magnificence given its sheer size taking up the entire wall of the room. It was likely it extended to other rooms as well as Zain could not see the end from where he stood. Inside, there were small fishes, but they were not of any significant species nor were they appealing to look at. They were just normal, generic silver fishes, that were maybe just a little bug-eyed. Right when he was thinking that it was a waste to use a fish tank to display such uninteresting fishes, a flash of red and white zipped into view. Within moments, the small school that was peacefully swimming prior, was now circled upon by new predators. A pack of man sized squids laid waste to the small fishes, mercilessly eating almost all of the fishes. The water stirred and bubbled as they hunted, with the squids not even holding back against their own kind as they would fight amongst themselves over their prey. Then, just as soon as they had entered, they quickly left, leaving an empty blue void in their wake.
Brutal…
This just added to the unsettling atmosphere of the room. Zain looked around, getting more and more anxious by the minute. His attention was drawn to some lights that were displayed on either side of the room. They were the source of the ambient blue lighting and their appearance kind of reminded him of salt lamps, except for them being blue and all. As he stared at them, the anxiety inside of him welled up; attempting to walk close to one, he immediately felt his pulse and his body heat increase, and his mind began to race and focus simultaneously. Because of this, he returned to the center of the room, equal distance away from either lamp. Something deep inside of him told him there was something wrong with these lamps and he should under no circumstance touch them or go near them.
Now, what was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to sit down? No…that probably wasn’t a good idea because he wasn’t sure which side of the room someone would come from. There were two other doors on the opposite side of the room, so it was possible that whoever was waiting for him would come from one of these doors, and the couch was facing away from those doors. So, he decided to stay standing unless someone told him otherwise.
It was some time before it sounded like someone was coming into the room again. The steps echoed through the hall, as if the acoustics of the hall were modeled to intimidate those who waited on the other side.
The heeled shoed stranger took their time, making their way to him, walking at a leisurely pace. As the door opened, finally, it revealed a familiar face.
Of course, it was Abel Chatelain who wore his usual welcoming smile, slowly ambulating to the couch; he sat in the middle, sitting casually, like someone ready to watch TV and enjoy his afternoon. He looked up at Zain, his smile unbreaking, however, Zain could see that the smile did not reach his eyes.
“How ya doing, man? It’s been awhile since I seen ya.”
“Ummm…good I guess. Been settling in well…”
“Mmmm, that’s good, that’s good.” Abel tapped the table, and from a small cubby in the center popped out a glass filled with presumably liquor. He took the drink, and took a small sip, sighing in satisfaction. He swirled the glass, causing the ice inside to clink slightly. “Y’know, I didn’t bring you here just for small talk.”
Zain gulped. Of course he knew, but he kinda wanted to play dumb for as long as he could. The main objective in his mind was figuring out what this man wanted from him. “Yes…I know…”
“So, I know that you’ve been sneaking out past curfew. I’m not going to punish you since you’re still new, but I need to know: Who taught you how to sneak out?” He stopped circling his drink, now staring Zain dead in the eye. The kind smile was still placed on his lips, but still, kindness did not show in his eyes. This fact unsettled Zain and made him suspicious of this man’s words.
Though he had been told that he wouldn’t be punished, Zain didn’t believe him. And just what was he planning when he found out who was helping him sneak out? Even though Brayden speculated that Navin had special privileges because of the work he was doing, and it was speculated that Abel was at the center of all this, it wasn’t a guarantee. It was entirely possible that Abel was unrelated to what was being investigated and there was some other mastermind. What Zain was sure of was that he needed to return to the underground again to aid the police operation with the sting. Right now, Zain wasn’t sure if the kid would be cast out or punished, so throwing away his only way in would ruin all of the work he had put into this.
So, against his better judgement, he decided to play dumb.
“I just figured out how to sneak out on my own. After you told me that someone was sneaking out, I decided to try and do it myself. I thought that maybe I had gone undetected, but I guess I was wrong.”
Abel’s smile did not disappear, but his eyes narrowed just the smallest amount. It was if he was studying what Zain was saying and also if he could tell that he was lying. “You were able to figure out how to get down from the fourth floor through guesses alone?”
“Yup! It really hurt because I had to use trial and error, but after a bit, I got it down.” He maintained his air of dismissal, trying to be as confident as he could in order to shake off any suspicion the man had.
The man simply looked at Zain for an uncomfortable amount of time, as if contemplating on what he would say next. Then, after a minute of silence, he placed his glass down on the table, then turned away from Zain, casting his gaze at the fish tank.
“Y’know Corey. I don’t really like liars…I don’t treat them nicely” He held his hands behind his back as he continued to talk. He pressed a button on his watch, which caused a small click to sound in the adjoining room. Then, Zain’s attention was called to the fishtank as a black trash bag descended in the water. As soon as it began to fall, something inside began to move and struggle inside.
Just as soon as the bag began to move, some of the red squids entered view, taking what was presumably hunting position. Right before they attacked the bag, the lights for the fishtank blacked out, leaving what was happening within the water a mystery. All that could be heard were sounds of struggle and banging beyond the glass.
The aquarium light had been what was illuminating the room, now that it was out, all that was left to light the room were the stones on either side of the room. With the low light within the room, Abel turned back around, however his expression could not be seen clearly in the darkness.
“I will ask you again. And if you don’t tell me, then maybe punishment will be needed.” The man continued, in a slightly lower voice.
A chill ran down Zain’s spine, and a deep feeling of foreboding crept into the pit of his stomach; a terrible pressure pressed all around him. It felt as if a disgusting, clinging liquid was threatening to drown him in its pressure, making him sweat and tremble in place. It felt like the time he was dealing with Devante’s wife, but more dense, nefarious, and harrowing.
The initial response his body had was to run, but he felt as if he was planted in place. Every cell in his body was telling him to give in and tell the truth, but he bit his lips to silence himself. He had to hold firm, something inside him told him that he couldn’t give in no matter what.
“I…I don’t know what to tell you…I snuck out alone, so I can’t in good conscience point the finger to anyone else. I’m the only one who deserves to be punished…if you have to punish someone…” Zain managed to eke out a response, a small tremor in his voice was noticeable.
The man said nothing, presumably staring at Zain who still would not give him the response he wanted. He pressed something on the table again, then a compartment opened up to reveal another blue light from its center.
As soon as the blue crystal looking light was uncovered, Zain began to pant; Sweat dripped from all of his orifices and panic and fear clouded his mind. It was as if paranoia set it, and his heart began to race, almost inducing a panic attack from him. His breath was now ragged, and he clutched at his chest, finding it difficult to parse out coherent thoughts in his mind.
In his extreme distress, he had not noticed that Abel had walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. The man firmly held his shoulder, then spoke calmly next to him “Are you sure?”
This almost broke Zain, who was being pushed to the edge of sanity. He felt as if his knees would buckle beneath him from the fear. It took all of the strength in his mind to not vomit right there and then. Still, he managed to stay composed enough to utter a meek response. “I…was…alone…I’m sorry….I don’t know…”
Just as the shadows around him began to dance and hallucinations were appearing in the peripherals of his eyes, the stone was put away.
It took what seemed like an eternity for him to feel as if things were normal again.
Feeling in his fingers returned, and he realized that his body had unnoticeably turned numb. He looked at his hand and was a bit startled to see that he had dug his nails into his palm, causing blood to spill out. Now he was shaken, and he was unable to stop himself from trembling.
The light for the aquarium flickered back on and there were only a few pieces of unrecognizable debris floating downward. A few of the squids floated downward as well, seemingly chasing something that had sunk below.
Abel had returned to his spot on the couch, sipping his drink leisurely as if nothing had happened. It made Zain question if he had hallucinated the entire encounter.
The man played a little more with the ice in his cup, clinking it against the glass as he continued to talk. “I guess Navin was right about you. I guess you’ve earned some of my trust.”
That name made Zain’s heart drop - So they were involved with one another?!
Then what had this been? Just a test?! The thought confused him as to what would be the point, but one word forced his attention: ‘trust’.
“Most kids give into the pressure and rat, but you didn’t. You’re either super loyal or super dumb. Right now, I’m not sure which.”
Zain knew which of the two he was, but kept silent.
Abel flashed an eerie smile, bearing his teeth which were sharp and cutting, a genuine mirth crinkling his eyes as he giggled to himself. “Either way, I guess you’ll do, for now.”
Had they always been sharp?
No, now that he thought about it, Abel hadn’t shown a toothy, real smile until then, his teeth hardly shown in full in their brief conversations with one another.
The man placed his glass down on the table again, interlacing his fingers as he brought up the next point of conversation. “I have a big job coming up, and it requires at least two ethys to transport the packages. The job will be done by you and Navin two days from now. That’s all you need to know for now.”
“R-Right!” Zain straightened his back and agreed to the job. At least now he knew when the next job would take place, though he still didn’t know what would make this job bigger than the last. Perhaps they were just shipping more products?
Abel snickered again, shaking his head as if something was amusing to him. “You don’t ask questions. Ha! That’s good! You’re not completely stupid then! Well, now that you know, you can go back up. I’ll send Kaden to escort you.”
He waved Zain away as the door opened, with Kaden standing to the side. Zain began walking reluctantly when Abel called out to him again, “Oh yeah, one more thing…” The still grinning man cocked his head slightly to the side as he added one more ominous warning. “I shouldn’t have to say what happens to those who betray me, now do I.”
Behind him was the grand looking fish tank, with some squids swimming in and out of view, greedily searching for their next meal. Abel’s glasses glinted the disturbing blue hue from the lamps on his sides, adding to his hellish undertones.
Fighting back the queasiness of the unease he felt, Zain responded in resignation to his fate. “Yes, sir…”
Abel smiled fiendishly once more, before saying his last remarks as the door closed slowly, “Good boy.”
