65 CHAPTER 64-RESCUE

The rain drizzles through the petal of the leaves, with roars of thunder and lightning, cracking the dark cloud, disturbing what should have been a peaceful night. It was a miracle that the cold which swipes through the ceiling of the forest, walking down the alley, to the dried leaves on the bed of the floor, was not frigid enough to turn the rain into ice balls.

Alexander mops his face with his hands and licks the water droplet that strode towards his lips. He was drenched from the crown of his head to the soul of his feet, but the adrenaline that urges his young feet forward seemed to heat his body. Despite the coldness of the forest, he just could not bring himself to head back. Not now, not when he had come this far. He would complete his mission for the night and hopefully, it might just pay off.

Another flare of lightning brightened the road ahead, and with that Alex ran forward, towards the hill of grasses. He rounded the large stone and was saluted by the sight of a muddy path. It was a pleasing sight. At least it showed that he was on the right path and had not lost his way. 

Save for his instincts and the flashes of lightning, he could have wandered the forest aimlessly. Even though he had the light of his Sol-K, he preferred not to use it—not now at least. He wanted to keep his little mission as simple as possible. Using the light might just give him away.

Swallowing hard, he hurried onto the path. He had been here before, twice if he was correct, but he still can't shake off that strange feeling that always drives his heart into his stomach. 

He hated this forest and everything it stood for. Vanessa should have chosen a better place, anywhere with more metals on it than woods and without trees. Well, the place suited the darkness that was purging her now. It was hard to admit it but that's the naked truth. Vanessa was a replica of the Regent, if not worse. She always claims to see what others can't, aiming to achieve a purpose that inclines the lives of others in jeopardy. 

Alexander swallowed again as sadness fringe his body. This time he shivered out of hopelessness than cold. Ever since they lost their parent to the HT (happy-tech), Vanessa had always been his solace. The shoulder he leans on when everything was tough and messy. But now…now she was going haywire. He was afraid he would lose her too to the happy-tech. Living life without Vanessa would be too much of a burden to bear, especially since he had no friends or other siblings.

The edges of the warehouse house flickered with the thunder that brooded over the starless heaven. From this point, he could make out the features. Vanessa had been wise enough not to keep guards here. That would have to raise unwanted hunches, and sooner or later the Keepers would have been flooding here. 

Alex walked towards the door, looking over his shoulders to make sure he had had not been followed. He forced the Sol-K through the hole, turning it until it clicked. The Sol-K remained on the door until a green light flared. With that, Alex removed the Sol-K and turned the knob of the metallic door. 

Despite the noise of the rain on the tree leaves and the voice of the thunder that cried in the dark sky, the noise of the metallic door seemed to echo through the night as Alex pushed them in.

Darkness stretched, but not so thick that it could be cut with knives. He walked in, shaking off the rain from his jacket. The shelter and the warmth of the dark house made him shiver. If he had not been in a hurry, perhaps he would have come with his sweater or Vanessa's rainproof jacket. 

The lights came on—giving brilliance to the void room—when Alex pushed a button on his Sol-K. His eyes seemed to hurt for the sudden light, but they adjusted after a while.

The warehouse was empty, but large enough to accommodate about three to four air Tripler. Glass windows lined each side of the wall, high on the block that they were almost touching the ceiling. The two doors that were present, each standing at the far side of the room, were facing each other in an opposite direction. Whoever designed this place clearly was a metal trader or someone who was not involved in illegal business. Most traders who engage themselves with illegal products often had a door or no doors at all in their warehouse. It was one way obvious way in which the Keepers were using to apprehend the corrupt traders.

Something crawled on the concrete floor, and Alex jumped with fright. He relaxed however when he noticed the rattling of chains. It had come from the right end of the room, right next to some containers which had been packed and forgotten for years. 

He swallowed uneasily and hurried his wet feet to the other side of the container, just where a body lay, cuddling himself like a ball on the icy floor.

"Jeff" Alex called, not able to hold back the horror in his voice. You are a devil, Vanessa. He mumbled to himself before stooping over the body and cupping his hands on the hairy face. 

Jeff's eyes were closed, even in his sleep his handsome features spread across every corner of his jawbone. The long dark hair made him look like a baby elf, waiting for its mother to cover its body from the frosty hands of the concrete floor.

"Look what she has done to you" Alex sobbed as the first tears dropped from his cheeks. It was a mixture of guilt and sadness. He was the one that had told Vanessa about Jeff's powers. If he had kept the secret to himself, perhaps Jeff would not be going through this agony of hell. But the deed has been done. There was no going back. Before now, if someone told him that Vanessa was capable of such malevolence, he wouldn't have believed. 

"Let's get this out of you. Hold on buddy, it might sting a bit"

The chains clattered as Alex turned Jeff to the side. He lowered the collar of the older boy's cloth and at the nape, just under his hair, he saw the circular ring and on it was the word 'Heureaux'.

Alex pulled out a syringe from his wet pocket. The mouth of the string had a ring attached to it and was held to the plunder by some three straight pins. He wasn't a professional, but he had seen his sister doing this long enough to learn from visual observation. 

Without further ado, he buried the circular edge of the syringe into Jeff's neck. He waited for some time and when he got no reaction from Jeff; he pulled the plunger. 

Jeff suddenly held his hands and tried to force them away. His screaming also followed his agitation, echoing through the night and spreading through the metallic wall. It took forever to get every last of the fluid out. The struggle of Jeff made the procedure much slower and difficult. If his hands had not been chained, Alex doubts if the chances of getting out the bug would have been fruitful.

Something jumped into the plunger and immediately, Alex pulled out the syringe from Jeff's neck.

"It okay buddy, it's done, you are free now" Alex assured the older boy who rubbed his neck, shooting him an angry glare.

"Lex, that's painful man," Jeff shouted.

Alex smiled despite himself. His mission was fruitful. The coldness in Jeff's voice was no longer there. His normal tenor tone had returned, with life and health to go with.

"Why did you do that and…why on earth am I in chains?" 

The surprise that spread Jeff's eyes made Lex that sadness in Alex's stomach to tighten all the more. He wished he could tell him that it wasn't his sister who was responsible. He wished he could take away all the pains Jeff had suffered. The older boy had trusted his sister, but she ended up betraying him, turning him into a puppet, and directed the path of his life with a string. 

"I will explain, but first we need to get out of here?" Lex said. With his Sol-K, he broke the key lock and unshackled Jeff.

"What's that thing" Jeff pointed at the content that danced in the plunger. It was greenish, about two centimeters long. Its small head had two red eyes and contrasted with the greenish yellowtail which was much bigger than the head. 

"That's the happy-tech"

"What, I thought, it's some kind of technology?"

"It is, I will explain later, we have to get going." Alex picked up the plunger and put it inside his pocket. "It is raining outside, which is perfect, but I know a place where we can hide from them. You can ask your questions later, right now, please follow me." Alex said.

Jeff nodded and followed him towards the exit, into the arms of the chilly rain.