Shadows of Deception

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Is he alive…

He's alive…

I couldn't get that Enigma out of my head. I couldn't get that possibility out of my mind.

All these years I thought my brother was dead. I tried to suppress the uncontrollable urge to just jump to a crazy level. It couldn't be possible that he was still alive, he met with an accident back home in Florida. He died three years ago. Didn't he?

Yet, the solid piece of evidence in my hand staring right at me said otherwise. I gave the little card another glance to ensure I wasn't tripping off my sanity. It was real. The writing was his and it was addressed to someone Called 'B,883.' The card had my brother's very own signature, last week's date, and a request to meet at an apartment building with the number in it.

Honesty, I found the card by accident At the bank when someone pushed me by mistake and I dropped my bag. Lo and behold, the card was staring right at me on the floor. It seemed as though someone had accidentally dropped it.

Maybe it was planted for me?

Is that even possible?

I mean, things like that only happen in books and movies right?

Well, whatever. I could handle myself.

I'm not some sort of Barbie doll who needed a Ken, or a Disney princess who needed her Prince Charming.

Plus, I kinda have a white belt in the martial art that I mastered through online classes. It counts right?

Alright. Fine I agree, I have a police friend on speed dial. Not that I needed to use it that much.

I nervously made my way through the stinking building to the address room on the card. What the hell kind of place was this? No respectable lady should even set foot here.

Men crawled around this place like ants on sugar.

They were probably on the heaviest stuff, I figured.

The place reeked of disgusting smells and sweat. I seriously wanted to puke.

What was Daniel even doing in a place like this in the first place if he was alive?

The looks and glares I got from these men were to another level. Look at seduction and abduction. Like they were thirsty for something.

Talk about thirst, these men needed some water. Holy water.

I pushed my brown lock around my ear as I tried to walk in the most modest way possible to avoid more piercing eyes. No way was I throwing candy for these dogs. I came here to find my lost brother and so help me God. I will.

Stepping at the room door, I felt my heart clench harder and I couldn't breathe properly. I was about to knock on the door but I noticed it was already opened. Gently giving it a knock, I pushed it open to reveal an empty room inside. Taking careful steps inside, I took notice of the surroundings inside the room. It was dull, and it was as if someone was here some time back.

Was.

The apartment was cleaned out, empty, as if someone had just recently moved out. I made my way to the kitchen when I stepped on something solid on the ground.

It was a phone that looked like it was smashed on purpose. There was another kind of writing on a card on the ground. Exactly like the one I got in the bank. My heart was suddenly skipping beats I swore I needed to go see my doctor on my way home. Although the writing on the card seemed to be completely useless items such as a grocery list, I was shocked that it was my brother's writing. The very one I've come to master right when we grew up together.

My brother was really alive. This was his apartment and now he's not here anymore.

God no!

I sunk into a state of panic. Why would he do this? So many questions I needed answers to but my grieving heart was preventing me from even thinking about them.

No. I needed to find him now. I had to.

Looking at the phone again, I realized that it was a form of hope. It could be fixed if I spoke to the right person, no?

I had to do this!

I dipped the phone safely inside my bag and took one final look around the room when something caught my eye.

If I wasn't this observant of a person, I wouldn't have noticed the bent picture frame on the wall. Moving to take the frame out I saw a box behind it. like a safe box but it was opened. It was as if someone was rambling through the box's contents before. I dropped the frame and started going through the files inside the box. I needed something, anything to pin me to my brother's location.

I was on the verge of tears already.

A strange folder caught my eye. Opening it I saw some peculiar kinds of stuff. Drug trade transactions? Italian Mafia reports?

What the heck!?

There was another folder that hooked my eyes. It was the draft of a partnership with some guy named Alberto Del Rio, and Daniel Grey…?

My…. Brother?

God no!

Daniel?

The door creaked and I shot my eyes to it. The voices downstairs were getting much like an activity or something was happening.

I needed to be quick. I dragged the file containing my brother's name and dipped it in my bag. The voices downstairs were getting closer as if they were moving to the room I was in.

I needed to hide. God I don't want to be caught now, Not after seeing these illegal folders. I dashed towards to bathroom and twisted the lock.

The voices became audible as a few steps rushed inside the room. They began rambling everything, as though they were searching for something.

" vrado, It seems as though he has been gone for long."A voice was heard. A male voice.

"He wouldn't have been able to take the files, he left in haste." Another male voice.

From the hearing of things, I could tell they were familiar with the person living here before.

The first voice shot out again." So you believe their words now, don't you think they are working for him?"

"I don't care, take everything in the box." The second voice ordered and they began shuffling again.

I was trying so hard to suppress my voice, my heart was beating too fast and I couldn't see properly. Some minutes passed and when I didn't hear the voices again. I moved from the bathroom into the room. It was in a mess now, the box wasn't there anymore and the door was open.

God no.

What has Daniel gotten into now?

On my way out I stopped at the receptionist at the apartment to enquire if my brother Daniel Grey had booked a room there. The answer honestly, screwed with my head.

She said no.

This discovery made me more than just anxious about what was happening.

What the actual heck was going on?

Taking a frustrated breath, I decided to calm myself down. There was no need to get all flustered about something I wasn't so sure of. I still had that cell phone and the document and it was my only hope. I had to get it repaired no matter what, maybe it would help me about my brother's whereabouts.

The cold night breeze laced through my hair as I walked outside. Yet the chilling feeling of unease never left me. It was almost as if I could feel myself being watched.

Haha!

Who knows me? I practically came to this town just to find my brother.

I felt stares creeping on me as I took a turn towards the hotel I rented. For some odd reason, it felt like I couldn't move faster.

I gripped my bag and brought it close to me.

Was I walking too slow? I only do that when I feel unsettled.

Abruptly, I felt a hand snake around my waist and muffled my mouth from behind. For some reason, I didn't drop my bag, maybe because of fright. I bit the person's hands to let go of me and surprisingly, he did. But another man stood in front of me. Around five other individuals approached me as well.

They were all men dressed in black.

God. This was not good.

"Give me the folders girl." One of the men said.