The moon was bright as the dark tried to devour it, but its powerful light emitted luminescence. Cade stared deep into the sky, wishing it wasn't an omen, dreading the moment he let Elsie off his eyes. Cade took a cab towards the train station. He lowered the tip of his white cap and looked at the GPS on his phone.
The kidnapper took Elsie to a far-flung area. Cade had two reasons for the abduction in mind: they kidnapped her for ransom money, or they plan to sell her organs. They assumed she came from a rich family because Elsie studied in Mchalmmond High School and she owned an expensive motorcycle. About the selling of organs, it was all over the news. Some men kidnapped healthy-looking teenagers, took them somewhere far, and sold their organs—heart, brain, kidneys, eyes, and everything useful to their clients.
Cade hopped on the train. Some passengers were already sleeping, a few were reading books, and some were chatting with their fellow travelers. Cade sat across from an old man with a thick black beard, humongous body, toned muscles, and fierce-looking eyes. He looked away when the man caught him staring at his physique. Cade presumed he was a wrestler or a bodybuilder.
The man got a bottle of energy drink. As Cade watched him drink the red substance, his mind was playing tricks on him. Every gulp made him think of a masculine dude chopping off Elsie's body, slicing her organs, and blood smeared on his face. He could hear her screaming and calling his name.
"Hey." Cade came to his senses when the man called him. He blinked a few times before responding to him.
"Y-Yes?"
"Do you want some?" the man asked while lending the bottle to him.
"Oh, no. Thanks."
"What were you thinking, boy?"
"Just a nightmare," Cade replied with a hesitant expression on his face.
"I get that look most of the time. Kids are afraid of me," the man said in a low tone. Cade had a hint of pity in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, sir."
"It's alright. Are you in the ninth grade?"
"Tenth."
"My son is in the same age group as you are. His classmates think I'm a bad guy. It made me sad for a bit. But one of the perks of being colossal is scaring off his bullies." The man chuckled. "So I'm glad I have this asset," he said while flexing his biceps.
"You're a cool father," Cade said. "But don't you think your son should deal with his bullies alone? I mean he has to face them by himself to be strong."
"I know he's having a hard time when I'm not there. I grab every chance to be at school and talk to his bullies. Get some crap off their heads and threaten them a little. When I do those things, I feel proud of myself. An accomplishment as a father."
"That's... awesome."
After a while, Cade plugged in his earphones and scanned some music when a notification popped out. It was entertainment news, an interview with his father.
"You are one of the most handsome and amazing actors at present. You are also a brilliant businessman. I'm curious. What is your greatest accomplishment, Mr. Robertson?" the host asked.
"That's too much for a compliment. But thank you. I guess my greatest accomplishment is being consistent in everything I do. I think that is the key to being successful in life."
Cade sighed and looked through the window, beholding the serenity of the empty street.
An hour passed, and the train dropped him at a small waiting shed. He had to walk half a kilometer from where he was, searching for the unknown area. Cade had a tiny flashlight with him to see the road. He couldn't waste a single minute waiting for the sunrise before looking for her. Besides, nighttime was perfect for sneaking around. Unfortunately, the full moon could make the enemies see him clearly if he's not too cautious of his actions.
Cade found a wide area surrounded by fences as he hid behind a tree. Inside it was a laboratory. There were four CCTV cameras around the fences. Cade crept closer and threw a twig to the fence to confirm his suspicion. The twig vibrated, and the fence sparked, indicating an electric charge.
Cade hid behind the tall grasses when a person in a white hooded disposable coveralls went roaming around the area.
"Psst," Cade sounded. The person paused and followed the sound.
"Psst." He unlocked the gate and went out. When he had gotten closer, Cade knocked him down with his iron rod folding stick. He undressed him and wore the coveralls. Cade quietly unlatched the gate. Everything was plain white inside the laboratory. He wondered what the place was for.
Cade passed by five rooms, and he took a glimpse of every window. All he could see were jars with colourful liquid in them, some containers with dead animals, and a few staff like him. Cade saw a room with signage above named 'Interrogation Room.' He placed his finger on the sensor to open the door, but it beeped and flashed red lights. Cade got nervous and hurried outside. He thought for a moment and came back to the unconscious worker.
Cade looked at his thumb for a second before he concluded the last choice he had. He pulled out his pocket knife, held the man's thumb, closed his eyes, and slowly cut it. Cade averted his gaze while closing his eyes.
"Gross," Cade whispered when he finally made it. He wiped the man's inner shirt on his thumb to stop the bleeding. Cade then ripped off the man's shirt and wrapped it around the cut piece of thumb and put it inside his pocket.
He proceeded to the laboratory. When he was about to approach the door, two tall men in black suits came out. Cade immediately turned to the nearest room and pressed the thumb to open it. The sensor flashed green lights, and the door slid open. Cade held his chest anxiously as soon as he entered safely.
At that moment, he realized he wasn't dealing with ordinary goons or a typical abduction. The area was so secured, and the personnel looked expensive. Everything seemed complex and important.
As he tried to analyze the situation, he observed the room he was in. From the looks of it, he was inside a stockroom. There was a huge freezer filled with frozen goods and ice cream. Cade held the glass and felt the cold in his hands. He realized he had eaten no dinner. Cade slowly slid his hand inside when he heard footsteps coming.
Cade darted his eyes on some already opened canned goods on the table. He grabbed one and crouched on the floor, hiding beside the freezer.
The men entered.
"How are the subjects?"
"They are showing signs of improvements."
Cade dipped his finger into the can and ate every single bit of what was inside. The food tasted weird and awful, but he had no time to critique and gather some options. He digested all he could regardless of his sophisticated palate. It wasn't much, but he had learned to feel full from the little food he could eat. Having to eat less than what he used to in the mansion was better than nothing at all.
"How about the girl?"
"She's holding on."
Cade paused and listened attentively to their conversation.
"Are they going to keep her here?"
"She's a lot of work. But no one knows but the boss."
A lot of work? The boss? What are they doing to Elsie? Who's the boss?
While Cade was putting the pieces of information together, he looked at the wall and found one significant piece of the puzzle. A symbol. There was a symbol painted on the wall. A snake wrapping its body around a skull. As far as he could remember, that was the symbol of the most powerful mafia group in existence in London.
The Doom Association.
His proper mission had begun. Everything suddenly sank in his mind. Elsie was the only daughter of the deadliest mafia group in London before The Doom Association murdered her clan and took over. They finally found her.
This task is too heavy for me. This is not something a teenager like me could handle. Why did I even agree to this?
Cade looked at his food with weary eyes. Right. I was so determined to study at Mchalmmond High School. I threw away my privileges for it.
A tear escaped from his right eye. My misery, my hardships... everything was my choice. I did all this shit to myself. I'm sure they have guns and ammunition. They can kill me anytime. I didn't think this through. I thought it was fun and games. Yet I have blood in my hands.
His hands were shaking. Secret agent? I am no secret agent.
He lay his head against the freezer. I have nothing. No backup. No everything. I can't turn back now. But I can't do this alone.