Chapter Fourteen

 A little before the sun would rise, Ramon led Adira to his apartment upstairs, with only one reason : enough drama had occurred in Sibyl's apartment.

Now it was a question of keeping safe.

Adira didn't argue. Couldn't anymore. She was terrified, exhausted and for the first time in months, she was sleepy.

As soon as Ramon opened the door to his apartment, Adira walked in to the couch and plopped down on it. Stacking the cushions, she lay down and turned away from the entrance.

She didn't want to see anything or anyone. The plain white of the sofa in front of her was therapeutic enough.

She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Snuggling closer, she paid little heed to what Ramon was doing. She heard his footsteps going away and right before she sunk into the pit of slumber, she vaguely felt a warm blanket being placed atop her.

Something woke her up with a start, though Adira couldn't understand what it could be.

Sunlight was pouring in through the windows turning the whole interior into a blazing white room. She had to shield her eyes and then swung her legs over and rested her feet on the soft rug.

Still feeling the remnants of sleep, she rubbed her eyes and looked all around her.

The apartment was too quiet and too bright. Yet, it no longer held an alien quality to her. Now it seemed like a place that was familiar and safe.

She was about to stand when she saw a phone and a piece of paper underneath it, on the coffee table.

Adira pulled on the note and brought it close to her nose.

Ramon had told her to go to college and attend her classes. She was to use this phone only. No smartphones that were hackable for her. And he would come see her during his lunchtime.

Adira picked up the phone and went through the contacts to find only one number listed: Ramon's.

She pocketed the phone and exhaled.

Looking around, she decided whether or not to heed Ramon's advice or not. A part of her kept reminding her that she was wasting time. That she should be out there searching for Sibyl. But where?

Her head started to pound and she got up, deciding she didn't have much of a choice but to do as Ramon said.

She heard a rumble in her stomach and realised she hadn't eaten properly since yesterday.

Also, when was the last time I showered?

Scratching her head, she started toward the bathroom and then stopped. She had no more clean clothes. And no matter how comfortable she felt in this apartment, she didn't want to take a shower here. It would feel like she was taking advantage of his kindness. He said she could sleep here, not assume that this was her house. And getting naked in someone else's apartment felt too disconcerting.

Adira walked around the apartment, trying to make up her mind as to what to do, then decided she didn't want to spend another day, without taking a shower. She headed to Ramon's room, and opened up his drawers, briefly noticing that his bed was made. It look untouched and she wondered if he had even slept. She found a key inside a wallet and felt guilty for going through some else's private things. Pocketing the key, she knew it to be for Sibyl's apartment.

She made her way out, making sure the door was properly locked behind her. Ramon had said it was self-locking and when she tested the door handle, she found that it was indeed locked. Without waiting for the elevator, she ran down the stairs and then walked briskly to her sister's apartment.

Once inside, she locked the door, and then pushed a vase right in front of it.

Just in case, she thought to herself. If an intruder entered through the door, the vase falling, would warn her.

She went into her sister's bedroom and opened up her wardrobe. Now that she had decided to shower here, she also needed fresh clothes.

Sibyl had plenty of dresses, not enough jeans and tops. In fact, Adira had to reach behind the last shelf to pull out a pair of light jeans and a floral white shirt.

She also took a towel and headed into the bathroom.

A quick shower and hair wash, Adira wrapped the towel around her and kept her focus on any unusual sounds that would warn her of someone illegally entering.

She dressed quickly, all the time peeking through the doorway to make sure the front door was still closed.

Once she had blowdried her hair and plaited it, she opened up Sibyl's makeup drawer and picked a rose colored lipstick from her makeup box. Her sister wasn’t too frivolous, and had only two more lipsticks in the box, both close to pink. Her eyes swept over the dressing table and saw two perfume bottles- one a dark round bottle, the other pale and rectangular. The label on the latter described it as light floral, so she picked that and sprayed all over her. After that she used her eye pencil and foundation, all the while distracted by the thoughts of who could have taken Sibyl.

What if he's someone dangerous and is torturing my sister?

The thought made her want to throw up. Her stomach churned the acid in it and she took a deep breath. When she had dressed in her sister's clothes, she went into the kitchen and found a box of crackers. In the cabinet next to it, she found jars if jams and peanut butter. She put four crackers on a plate and spooned dollops of at raspberry jam and peanut butter on them.

As she sated her stomach, she thought about Ramon's reaction to the intruder when he had her in his hold.

He had shot him, without caring that she could have been hurt. A part of her told her that he had calculated his shot, but she didn't feel it to be.

He just wants to find Sibyl.

The thought, suddenly made her stomach feel full. She placed the cracker back on the plate and dusted her hands.

Taking one look around the apartment and patting her pocket for the key, she left the apartment and headed to college.

It was when she entered through the gates, that Adira felt the change in the atmosphere, and it had nothing to do with the humidity in the air.

She had been staring at her boots as she walked up the stairs and it was when she was opening the glass doors that she realized she was being watched. By almost everyone.

By now she was used to being looked at and talked behind her back, so she didn't feel that crawling of insecurity in her mind.

It was a bit expected, she thought, especially after what had happened yesterday. The police had come to the college and taken her with them. Of course, everyone thought the worst about her.

All of this didn't matter anymore. What mattered was Sibyl's safety. She headed to her first class, Advertising, and came to a halt when she saw Neil waiting for her outside with Ruby.

Great, she thought. Neil was probably waiting for her to yell at her for pulling him into her mess.

She came to stand before him, ready for his complaints. Instead, Ruby came over to hug her.

"Why didn't you tell us?" she said.

Adira felt like she was doused with cold water. This was certainly not what she was expecting. Okay, maybe a little from Ruby. But definitely not the sympathy evident in Neil's eyes.

"It all makes sense now," he said. "You were a victim and I... Behaved so badly."

Adira didn't reply, only because she wasn't sure how much he was told by the police.

Hadn't Ramon begged the police to keep everything quiet for Sibyl's sake?

"Why didn't you tell us your sister was kidnapped?" Ruby asked, pulling away.

"I didn't even know you had a sister." Neil shook his head sadly. "If I'd known what you were going through... You should have just told me."

"How did you know?" She asked through numb lips.

"The detective explained," Neil replied. "But then I didn't know all the details. Today morning, I read it all online."

"Online?" Adira felt her head spinning.

"Yeah, a news site reported it. The Lion's Den." Ruby stroked her shoulder. "I'm so sorry you're going through this."

Adira felt her breath choking her. "Can I see it? The report?"

Ruby was the first one to fish out her phone from her purse and type type tye site address. "I guess other local news sites are reporting it as well." She handed her the phone and Adira saw that the article had been posted two hours ago. By Keith.

 

'The Police told me to stay quiet.' was the headline. And under it: But the truth should never be concealed. '

 

A quick read told Adira that Keith had written about his fellow reported being kidnapped for telling the truth and how he had taken it upon himself to save her.

He also ended with how the police were inept and had arrested him, wasting time, when they should be looking for the real kidnapper.

Her stomach knotted tight, painfully so and she felt her meager breakfast coming up. Keith had pretty much announced and made public that Sibyl had been kidnapped and inexorably put her life in danger. The kidnapper, would no doubt feel taunted by this article.

She handed the phone back, her fingers shaking. Ruby was saying something, butthey were all jumbled words to Adira whose heartbeat was louder than any other sound. For a brief second, she saw Sibyl laying in the morgue.

She whipped around, running down the corridor. Behind her, Ruby and Neil called out, but she didn’t care. All she knew was that she had to see Ramon.

She ran out of the gates, down the sidewalk, crossed a road when she wasn’t supposed to. The blare of car horns did nothing to falter her. She paused just by the fountain near a restaurant, just so she could catch her breath and make sure she was going the right way. As soon as her breathing was under control, she ran again, unable to help herself even as her legs screamed from fatigue.

The white domed building came into view and she climbed up the stairs quickly. Her lungs were burning when she walked into the foyer and made her way to the reception desk.

The woman, a girl in her early twenties wearing a skirt suit and her hair in a tight ponytail, was on the phone. Adira tapped her hand on the desk to catch her attention.

“I need to speak to Ramon.” she panted.

The woman had a cavalier attitude and returned to her call.

“It’s urgent.” she hoped to sound earnest. The woman finally gave her another glance.

“What is the nature of your visit?” She asked.

“I’m a friend.”

The receptionist pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t think...”

“Call him and tell him I’m here.” Adira now had to use the desk for support. The air entering her body was burning her insides.

The woman must have seen something in her or heard it in her voice. She finished her call politely and put down the phone.

“Look, I’ve been given instructions not to disturb him. Okay? That’s my job. I just started and I can’t disobey my orders.”

Adira wanted to scream then. She wanted to push away all the files and papers on the receptionist’s desk and then shake the girl before her.

A deep breath later, her anger fizzled just a little bit to allow her to talk. “Fine. Okay, so I can’t see him. I want to meet Caesar.”

The receptionist wrinkled her nose. “Caesar Flores? That nerd?” She stared at her, as if silently asking why anyone would want to meet the man in question.

“Yes. There are no strict orders given that I can’t meet him now, right?”

The receptionist gave a short derisive laugh. “Nope. Go right ahead. He has a cubicle on the right, somewhere. Ground floor.”

Adira waited for her to give her further instructions or be asked to wait until someone could show her, but the receptionist turned to her computer. As Adira passed by, she saw that it was a game of cards that the receptionist was playing.

She walked down the corridors, all white, even the tiles. There were several rooms on the right but she chose one that had a name plate with the words ‘IT Department’ written.

She pushed open the door and found herself in a room with rows and rows of desks. Atop each of them were flat panel display monitors, keyboards, mouse and phones. The only color in the otherwise plain white room was the dark blue swivel chairs.

Standing on her toes, Adira tried to look above the monitors. At first glance, the room seemed completely empty, and she figured everyone was out for lunch. But then she heard an audible clicking and finally saw one of the computer screens on, right at the end of the room. She hurried over, and the first person she saw was Ramon, leaning against one of the desks, his ankles crossed and one hand on his chin as he stared ahead at the screen.

Then she saw Caesar, hunched over a desk, typing on the keyboard and pointing on the screen. The two were having a covert discussion and when she closed in, Caesar looked up with wide-eyes before he deflated back into his chair.

“Oh, it’s you.” He glanced at Ramon who hadn’t moved.

She did see him stiffen though, as if he had acknowledged her presence but cared little to address her.

“Ramon, do you know what happened?” She wanted to crumble, to weep and blurt out all the emotional turmoil she had been feeling when she first found out that Sibyl was missing. But at the same time, she knew she had to be strong and relay the information to Ramon who was still too interested in whatever was on the computer screen.

“Neil knows about Sibyl. Keith put it all out online. I thought he would be in jail.” Adira felt her anxiety reach the level of her lungs.

“I know. He was bailed early in the morning. Co-worker.” He dismissed her panicky statements and nodded at Caesar. “Anything else.”

“If it’s out there, then Sibyl may be in danger. Whoever has her, is going to be angry. You said, he didn’t want you to go the police.”

Caesar gave her and Ramon furtive glances and then cleared his throat. “That’s it,” he told Ramon. “All that I could retrieve.”

Ramon nodded slowly.

Realizing that she was being purposely ignored, she came to stand between them. “I’m not being hysterical. This isn’t something that we can just ignore. I want to be sure my sister is safe. You keep saying you know what you’re doing, but all you’ve done so far is mess up everything.”

Ramon closed his eyes and scratched his forehead, as if he was trying to be patient to someone who was losing it or was deeply annoying.

“You should go home.” He exhaled and rubbed his palms together.

“What?”

Caesar turned back to the computer, looking like he didn’t want to get involved in an uncomfortable situation.

“Go home. There isn’t much we can do now,” Ramon said.

“What is with you? You want me to go where? And why? Whose home? Yours, Sibyl’s or…?”

“No,” Ramon replied and finally turned to her. “I mean, go back to your home. Your town. Back to your parents.”

“Without Sibyl?”

“It’s the police’s job to find her. You can’t do anything here, now can you?” Ramon shrugged. “Plus, you being here is just giving the kidnapper an upper-hand. He’s toying with you. He’s having fun playing these stupid little hacking games. The second you’re out of the picture, he has nothing else to do. You’ll be doing everyone- the police and me, a great favor if you go away.”

Adira felt ice cold. Just for a brief, terrible second, she felt as if Ramon was blaming her for Sibyl’s disappearance.

“It’s not my fault.” Her voice felt like it was coming from far away.

“Maybe it is.” Ramon turned away from her again.

“Why are you acting like this?”

“I have my reasons.”

“You’re closing up again.” Adira suddenly felt all alone. The city, the office, this very room, all of it was daunting. The person before her was someone she barely knew for a month or so, but she thought they had something in common- a loneliness, a desperation to find the person they both cared for. Now Ramon was nothing more than a stranger that didn’t have the time to even look at her.

“It would be in your best interest to go back to your parents.” His voice was cold.

“And what do I do there? I will have to tell them about Sibyl and...”

“They know.”

Adira was sure she hadn’t heard right. Or that he meant something else. “What do you mean?”

Ramon gave a frustrated sigh. “It’s all over the news. The police had to inform the family, of course. For investigative reasons.”

The room had filled with water now, and she was trying to stay afloat by kicking. But she was failing. She was drowning and the air had started to get heavier and hot.

“My parents know.”

“Yeah.” Ramon tapped Caesar on the shoulder. “If there’s nothing else, clean it all up. And switch it off.”

He was done talking to her, and she clutched her stomach, certain she was going to scream or throw up. Or worse, show her vulnerability in front of people who were cold-hearted. If she wept now, they would only be annoyed and call security to take away a hysterical woman.

“You know what, I was wrong about you. I thought you were decent, but you’re just like everyone else.” The anger had burst out of her before she was even aware she was angry. “Fine. I’ll do this myself. I don’t need your pathetic advice. Where’s the flash drive?”

Ramon snapped his fingers and Caesar handed him something. Without even looking at her, he held out what she saw was the flash drive she had given him. She snatched it with more force than she needed to.

“Did you find anything?” She didn’t ask. She demanded to know.

“Nothing.” It was Caesar who answered, casting nervous glances at Ramon who remained unmoved. “Uh, there was a lot of code and I couldn’t get through all of it.”

“Well, I knew so all of this was futile.” Adira pocketed the flash drive. “I wasted a lot of time trusting the wrong people. Now I’m going to do things my way.”

“I suggest you go back where you came from.” Ramon did look at her as he said so. “Stop fantasizing about being the hero and return to your little nest.”

Adira’s hand itched to slap, but she decided he wasn’t worth it. From today onward, he was nothing to her.

“Keep your crappy advice to yourself.” She spun on her heels and headed to the door, taking long strides. Halfway down, a hand encircled her wrist and pulled her back.

She gasped as she saw Ramon looking down at her, his eyes dark. “That’s Sibyl’s perfume.”

Adira eased her shoulders and pulled her wrist back. “So?”

He studied her from top to bottom. “Are you wearing her clothes?”

“She’s my sister. I can wear her things if I want to. She never minded before. Unlike you, she is a sweet, decent...”

He cut her off by flicking a hand in the air. “Yeah, yeah. That meant you were in her apartment.”

“I am not answerable to you.” Adira threw him one last look, and then went out the door, promising herself that she would never rely on anyone to help her. She was all alone but that didn’t mean she was weak. If there was a way to find her sister, she would do whatever it took.

***

She had left the HiYou office in a rush, just wanting to create a large distance between her and Ramon. Her anger pulsated in her veins but she was losing the battle inside her that was bringing her dangerously close to a public meltdown.

There weren't a lot of people out but enough of them to crowd her should she start bawling.

Adira hated this city. Hated the streets, hated the apartments, hated the college and hated the people.

All she wanted to do was turn back time to when she and her sister were living a peaceful existence in their little town with their conservative parents.

Sure, they were barely allowed to go outside, if only to the relatives house and that too only if it was a festival.

At least, they were all together. In one house. Among people who though they had little interaction with, weren't as heartless like the people in the city.

"I have no one to help me," she told herself aloud, needed to because she was still holding out hope that someone would miraculously come and solve all her problems. Maybe Ramon would have a change of heart. Neil had changed. Perhaps he would...

"No!" this time she spoke a little louder, catching the attention of a woman carrying a baby in her arms. She gave her a 'this girl is crazy' look and crossed the road.

Adira turned all around her, clutching her stomach, trying to breathe.

Maybe Ruby. She was nice. Except that she too was new in the city and wouldn't know how to help her find Sibyl.

"I have to do this myself." She reminded herself to keep her voice levelled.

She walked briskly, glad for the sun and the blue skies. There were clouds scattered, but it wasn't going to rain during the day.

She came to a stop again, racking her mind for a plan and then coming up with one that was actually the only option left.

For that, she would have to go to Ramon's apartment. Now. Before he came back.

She retraced her steps, crossed the road and headed down the street to the building that was a home to both her sister and her callous friend.

Adira went to Ramon's and was glad he hadn't asked for his key back. Yet. This time she felt no guilt as she went through his things. Opening his drawers, finding only papers and a pen rolling about.

In his bedroom, she found a chest of drawers and shamelessly went through them, patting her hand down and over his clothes, looking for something that belonged to her.

It was in his last drawer, under a pair of gray socks that her hand closed around her phone.

She brought it out, opened the back and found the battery inserted already.

Getting off her knees and looked at it curiously, certain that Ramon had made it clear that he thought it safer if the battery was removed.

"Like he's the expert." She turned on her phone and as the light and logo came on, she walked out of his apartment and slammed the front door shut behind her.

Then she went to her apartment, the one she thought she would never return to because Ramon had told her it wasn't safe.

"I should have never listened to him," she said as she entered through the door.

Her apartment looked as she had left it, still messy and now, dusty.

Her first instinct was to check every room, even under the bed. After a careful look around and finding nothing out of the ordinary, and to her relief, no one, she sat down at her desk and brought the phone close to her.

Taking a deep breath, and realising this plan may not work, she decided she would have to try.

"Hi. I'm Adira," she said to her phone screen. "I don't know if you've still hacked this or you can see me or whatever. I need to get in touch with you. I need to know my sister is safe. Please. I have the flash drive with me. Sibyl's phone... It got destroyed."

She waited, but didn't receive a reply. Sighing, she turned on her laptop and gave the same speech. A quick look at the settings told her that the camera was on.

She waited. Minutes passed, half an hour. No reply.

Adira walked around her apartment. Sleep and hunger had abandoned her again. All that was left in her stomach was fear and anxiety.

She forced herself to drink some water, and almost threw up.

Another walk around, and she glanced at the clock. An hour had passed. She picked up the phone, begged for her sister and then squeezed her eyes shut.

This was stupid. She was wrong. The hacker had probably only access to Sibyl's phone and stupid Ramon had destroyed her only path to her sister.

Another hour passed. The sun was starting to set and the breeze that came through the window was cooler. She stood near it, relishing the breeze and trying to calm herself.

She reached for the phone again.

"Please. I just want my sister back."

No reply, for another hour.

She sat down on her couch and put her hands in her hair. The phone lay on the coffee table before her.

Her phone rang suddenly and she jumped, her heart hammering against her ribcage. She picked up the phone without looking who it was.

"Hello?" Her voice was stretched and thin.

There was a brief pause, but long enough for Adira to imagine that the kidnapper was having fun at her distress.

"Adira?" it was a male voice. Familiar.

"Father." She felt the disappointment sweep through her.

"Why haven't you called? Why is your phobe switched off?" He scolded. "The police called. When they said my daughter was missing, I thought it was you."

"I'm okay." She managed to get in before her father resumed his scolding.

"They said it was Sibyl. She was in the same city? Have you talked to her?"

"No. I found out a week after she disappeared. I'm trying to look for her."

There was a long pause and she heard her mother in the background but couldn't make out what she was wailing about.

"There's no need," her father said finally. "Sibyl chose her own path. Made her own mistake. The day she broke her engagement and ran away was the day we cut all ties with her. She embarrassed two families. I want nothing to do with her. No. Adira, I want you to come back home right now."

"Sibyl was your first born." Adira felt the tears roll down her face.

"You are my only daughter. Whatever happens to Sibyl is the result of her own actions."

The iciness within her heart, grew twofold. Adira had never felt so heartbroken before.

"She's my sister."

But her father hadn't heard. He had resorted to arguing with his wife and then two minutes later, her mother came on.

"Adira, are you okay?"

"Yes, mother."

"Have they found anything related to Sibyl? Who took her? What do they need? We will do whatever it takes."

Adira wiped her tears, finally feeling a bit of relief that someone still cared.

"Don't worry, mother. I'm not coming back without Sibyl. I'll find a way to bring her back. I promise."

"Stay safe, dear," her mother said. "Don't put yourself in any danger. Let the police do their job. Just keep my updated, okay?"

Adira nodded and wished her mother was here, right now, cradling her in her arms.

"I will. I wish you were here."

"Me too," her mother replied. "But your father won't let me come to you."

"I'll find her. I promise."

Adira ended the call and wept into her hands. Hoping she would be able to keep her promises.