"Hello ? Did you find anything ?"
"No. What about you guys ?"
"Noah and Jack went to look for taxi driver. Diego said something was fishy and gave that driver's moving location. Well, Ted and I are doing quick camera check around the area and asking some people, you know... compelling them if required".
"Thank you Sophie and about my apology before ? I really meant it. Travis forgave me ...
"I am listening" . She had a relieved smile hearing them being friendly again.
"We are looking around the area. Diego wouldn't say anything about what you guys upto so, do update if anything okey ? We are doing everything here, hope we find something ".
"Yea Matt. I am sorry too and I already forgave you. I gotta go Ted's calling me. Bye".
~tut-tut~
[Call Ended]
"What did she say ?" Travis asked walking and analyzing around the empty road. They had parked their car on the side.
Matt put his phone inside his Balmain suit pocket, "They are searching for cab driver from last night who dropped August, uh around here ?" He made circle with his index finger gesturing then added, "Sophie said she forgave me".
"Good for you. My tactic worked".
Matt scoffed at Travis shaking his head and continued talking.
[murr-murr]
The wind from the ocean about three miles away swept the area. Travis's nose was hit with very faint familiar smell but couldn't separate between if it was or not. The place already had strong scents from the woods and hills. He moved forward on narrow sidewalk focused in detective mode.
One or two vehicles passed since they arrived about half an hour ago. The night was so clear and blue. The light pillars were very far to each other. He walked until Matt was about an size of a little finger.
Diego went off saying it was the last location from August's cellphone and will return back to line shortly. Matt and Travis had been trying to find clues not knowing what else to do.
After walking around for a while, something shined little far away in the open field. Travis's eyes narrowed with it, focusing and ignoring but he finally wanted to check it out. It shined from the thick short grass field about ten meters away from the road.
~beep~
The sudden horn from the car pulled over almost tripped Travis.
"WHAT THE HELL ? What's wrong with you Matthew ? I almost pissed my pants. And why is your headlight turned off ? Ugh..." he rolled his eyes.
Matt got out of the car almost laughing and shut the door. "Found anything ?"
"Nothing but I think I smelled something or maybe not ?" Travis tilted his head, "Wait here" . He motioned Matt to stay and walked towards the flash he felt earlier.
"Fuck me" he said reaching there.
"WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT IS IT ?" Matt almost got off the road but Travis joined him.
"Look. Isn't it August's cell phone ? It shined with the reflection" .He flipped it.
Matt's eyes frowned. "TURN IT ON".
"Yea I am trying but it won't. Maybe battery is down"
"Here" Matt took the phone and walked towards the driver's side of his yellow Lamborghini S.p.A to charge it while Travis again started walking to find more. Matt anxiously waited to turn it on.
[After a while]
"You need to see this " Travis gasped after running towards the car's window. Matt was trying to unlock the phone with passcode when Touch ID failed.
They both hopped inside and took off to two hundred meters front, rushing out together. It was the place where August was shot in the head, the open road in middle of the small hills. Travis showed what he saw to Matt, who wheeled around both of his arms tight around his head, his brown eyes squeezed shut.
"Hello Diego ? It's Travis. We found something, it's August's phone and his blood strain on the pebbles beside the road. We don't know what happened here. Can you check if possible ? Man, we are so worried and Matthew here is almost going crazy".
"Yea. I am looking and I came offline to find about that particular area you are standing at. There's only one camera in that place and it look privet. I couldn't dig in. I am sorry".
"Uh...". Matt snatched the phone away from Travis before he could say something.
"HEY HEY Diego por favor, ayùdame. I don't know what's going on ? I am shaking right now. For our old time sake, can you do your best ? por favor ?".
"OKEY OKEY. Stop. iChi*gada m*dre! I will do my best. Stop asking like a child. And your friends already found the cab driver. For old time sake ? Now hang up b*tch" he scoffed and yelled cutting the line.
"Burn" Travis whispered. "I heard that". Matt raised his arm forward to return his phone. "Let's go, we will come here tomorrow. They found the driver. If that person's into it, I will eat him alive". He flipped his lossed dreads backwards. They both returned back.
~~~
[After days]
"Why are you tide up there ?"
[murr-murr]
..
..
..
[Hours later]
"Mommy is he okey ?"
"Yes sweetie, he is. Don't worry he will wake up".
"But why are we here ? Are they bad people mommy ?"
"I don't know baby. Your uncle with come for our rescue. He did pinky promise to protect you on your birthday last month remember ? ", she pecked on her daughter's forehead.
"YES" , the little girl jumped from her mother's lap smiling.
"Shh.. we have to talk slowly sweetie or they might come back before uncle does". She put her index finger on her mouth gesturing.
"o.k.e.y" , the little girl whispered with her big emerald green eyes fixed on her mother's.
~aghhh~
August's voice echoed making the little girl finch and she tightly hugged her mother. His heavily hanging head slowly rised and his gaze were disturbed by his messy hair strands falling forward.
"Aghh... what happened ? " he groaned in his hoarse voice. His body was almost hanging, fully supported by the chains from his wrists while his knees were fighting against the hard floor. His black orbs were swinging everywhere with redish dark circles around the eyes. His mouth super dry with face and lips turned pale, paler than he already was.
All he wanted was to drink blood. He wanted to feel them inside his mouth. It was too hard for him to stay that way becoming thirsty and whole different person. The memories of his past life and the memories of his moments associated with blood was intersecting with each other inside his mind. He unconsciously was licking his lips countless time just remembering the texture and taste of blood, finally realizing 'throbs' inside the place.
August's eyes were fixed and it was on them. The women and her child pushed inside before he passed out. The women was watching him intensely with her daughter doing the same from her mother's embrace. His breathing wasn't normal like usual days and his eyes zoomed focusing on tiny veins around their necks rhyming with their heartbeats.
August's backbone straightened, force forming against the chains. The more he gazed at them the more their heartbeats became clear. His tongue were moving around his teeths where fangs would return. His Irish slowly started to turn red followed by pupil when,
"Are you okey uncle ?" The little girl asked in baby talk with worried expression forming on her tiny little face. Her mother stopped her whispering about not to talk with strangers and he heard it all.
August's every senses returned back just in seconds. He felt as if, he was dreaming everything he had experienced a moment ago. It wasn't him at all. It was his monster self trying to overpower him. He quickly looked the other way distracting himself from the humans in front of his eyes. He couldn't answer the little girl before he fully controlled his hunger. After convincing himself and fighting with his inner demon for who he was and what he shouldn't do no matter what, August was back. The August with humanity was back but he still looked sick.
"Yes, I am okey. Thankyou for asking", he replied with warm cracking voice when her mother's eyes became wide. The little girl smiled at him and back at her mother.
"I am sorry sir. She have her uncle around your age so....she may have called you in that way", the women muttered trying to convince.
"It's fine, I like it. Oh and I am August. uh, uh... Barman ?". She nodded. August could see her little relieved sad smile after having the conversation. Looking at them, they weren't clean and might have been kidnapped for about a week or less. He never thought Lil. Hunter would go upto feeding him directly with humans and a child to be specific. From such decision, one would know what kind of monster Lil. Hunter was, the merciless inside out. Maybe he was trying to test August ?
"I am Alicia and my mother's name is Peach" little girl chuckled turning her tiny body towards him. Then, her smile dropped right after seeing August again,
"Aren't you hurt ?"
August's eyebrows knitted together, "It's okey. Look? I am strong".
"Yes. And my uncle will save all of us". August nodded at her.
~tang~
All of their eyes turned towards the sound at the metal gate attached to the bar. A small plate with glass of water and a piece of bread was slided inside making the women immediately stand on her feet. After the small lower area of gate was closed, she rushed towards the food leaving her daughter at corner and returned back, picking everything up. August was watching them with small smile forming on his thin pale lips.
First, the women let her little girl to drink the water then after that, she drank herself heavily almost finishing up but got stopped by two little hands.
"Mommy uncle is thirsty too".
The women almost crying nodded and gave her bread tearing it to half. She then again did same to other half of that half bread for August and herself. Picking the little water left on her glass with other hand, she walked towards him.
"No" she became halt at August's voice and signed before moving forward,
"NO. DON'T COME NEAR ME. I MIGHT HURT YOU. PLEASE. I AM NOT HUNGRY" he said loudly.
The women was confused standing at the middle and went back to her daughter who was confused as well.
"I am sorry " he added.
~~~
"What is happening sir ?" Tony asked removing his eyes from monitor.
Lil. Hunter was sitting in the arm chair crossing both his legs and his fingers at each other supported by his elbows. He and Tony was watching the live fottage from the room where August was tied to. Tony could see Lil. Hunter's gaze tensed for a seconds and returned to smirking.
"He is indeed special but not until .....". Lil. Hunter walked out from control room filled with monitors. It showed all the live fottage from different rooms where many people were confined and the security cameras around the base, even from the road where August was shot in the head.
Tony couldn't understand what he said but followed out anyway, gesturing security team standing beside the door to continue their work.