Chereads / The colorful death / Chapter 14 - Fire and ashes

Chapter 14 - Fire and ashes

I was sitting on my bed, waiting. Waiting for a call from Ethan, waiting for the time to pass, just waiting. My parents obviously didn't let me go anywhere by myself, which I understood. I talked to them. I told them how scared I truly was, how much I missed them, but I just couldn't bring myself to tell them anything about the mine. I was too scared that the attacks would start again. So, I was sitting on my bed, going through my CDs and looking blankly at the posters that were hung above my bed. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't sleep, because then I'd be back in the mine again, I couldn't read or watch a movie. I didn't know why. I somehow just couldn't find the energy in myself to do it. I felt powerless and weak. But at least I was back home and hopefully Ethan was too. My parents said I could go and visit Tim in the hospital the next day, I was waiting for that as well. My mom walked in my room a few times, asking me if I needed anything. I just wanted to see my friends. She said that if I wanted to, Harry could come over and visit. When I heard that, I felt lighter in a way. I could finally see at least one of my friends, one of the people that I have missed so much while being locked away. I closed my eyes and willed my mind to think about nature. If I let my mind wander, I'd see my nightmares again, I'd see Eztli and I'd see Tim cut open on that table, all of it would come rushing back into my mind and I wasn't sure that I could get rid of it. I thought of school, it would be ending soon and I didn't have to go back until the end, since I had finished all of my tests already and both my parents and teachers agreed that it would be better if I just stayed at home until everything passed over at least a bit.

I was just thinking of maybe walking around the house, turn on the radio, to do something, anything, to occupy myself with, when I heard the doorbell and then a second later I heard steps coming up the stairs to our apartment. I walked out of my bedroom to the living room and as soon as I opened the door I was being swept up into a hug by Harry. Finally, he was here, and I hugged him back as well. I quickly regretted it however, when I could feel the sharp pain below my ribs. I totally forgot about Eztli's beatings and my bruises as soon as I saw him. He's always had a calming effect on me, now even more, considering all that's happened. I winced slightly and he quickly let go and started apologizing. 'Oh my god, I am so so sorry, I completely forgot about that, I…' 'Hey, it's ok, aright? C'mon, let's go to my room, we've got a lot to catch up on.' He nodded then and followed me to my room where he sat on my bad and I sat down on my beanbag chair. I looked at him and smiled softly. I really have missed him so much, and for once, I knew for sure that the future was going to be brighter just with him being by my side. He looked at me, ran a hand through his hair and then spoke up. 'So, I'm not going to ask you if you're alright, because I'm sure that a lot of people have asked you that already, and you must not be feeling the best, but… what're you thinking of? You don't have to tell me what went on when you were gone, I know that those kinds of memories don't exactly light a spark of happiness in someone.' I nodded and smiled gratefully at him. 'Yeah, I mean, it definitely has not been ideal. I mean, I am not going to talk about what happened in the mine, but… mostly at the minute I'm worried. Tim still hasn't woken up from his coma, Ethan hasn't called me either to tell me whether they found Rachel yet or not, and I'm just so scared that something is going to go wrong and even more people are going to get hurt and that is the last thing that I want. Too many people has gotten hurt as it is, I do not want that number to rise even more.' Harry nodded understandingly and then sat next to me and pulled me into a hug. 'I'm not going to say that everything's going to be ok, because no one knows what's going to happen in the future, we don't even know what's going to happen an hour from now. But I am going to say this. I am always going to be by your side, anytime. And Juliet? You are amazing, you are a badass and you got this. And please don't worry this much. I know it seems impossible not to worry about it, but worrying about stuff? It doesn't take away any of tomorrow's worries, it just takes away today's peace, alright? So, until Ethan calls… wait, who is Ethan anyways?' I rolled my eyes and quickly told him about how I met Ethan, Noah and Rose. Harry just nodded, though he did seem to be a little out of it. But then again, it isn't exactly everyday your best friend tells you about being kidnapped and making friends in the process. After that we just sat next to each other for about half an hour eating cookies. It was nice, we didn't have to talk, we just sat in silence next to each other. We did that often. Though right then, the comfortable silence was suddenly being broken by the sound of the landline phone ringing in the hallway.

I looked at Harry who shrugged but got up nevertheless and then pulled me up as well. We walked to the out of my room and I picked up the phone. 'Hello?' 'Yeah, hi. Jules?' a voice cracked up through the phone. It was Ethan. Finally. 'Hey! How are you? Did you get home safely? Did Noah call you about Rachel yet?' I heard him sigh on the other end and could almost hear him roll his eyes. 'Ok, first of all, calm down, I'm fine. I can usually take care of myself ok. Noah drove me home after Rose and him questioned Eztli. My foster parents just came home about 30 minutes ago as well and after a whole lot of catching up, they let me go to my room to take a minute to breathe.' I was happy to hear that. Happy to hear that Ethan was once again with his foster parents, with the people he trusted and happy that seeing Eztli didn't affect him as much as we all worried it would. Or at least I hoped he was ok. 'How are you? I mean after… everything?' 'Seeing Eztli again you mean? I'm relatively ok I guess, I mean, Noah and Rose were both there with me, so I was alright. Now, onto the reason of why I called you. Noah just called, he said that Rose got a lead on Rachel and the two of them are currently tracking her. So… Yeah. I thought I'd give you a call, see how you were doing and all.' I nodded and Harry meanwhile brought the beanbag chair from my room and we both collapsed on it. 'I'm alright. I mean as alright as I'll ever be I guess. My friend, Harry, he's here now, he came over to visit me, to see how I'm doing after all that's happened. My parents aren't letting me go out of the house, which is understandable considering, well, everything really. I'm a bit better than I was in the hospital and my parents are letting me go and see Tim tomorrow, so that's good too. Anyways, what did Noah say about Rachel and all that? Any idea where they both are at the minute?' in the meanwhile Harry stood up and brought both us a glass of orange juice that I thankfully took and continued the conversation after Harry sat down next to me again. Ethan then started talking again, 'Yeah, so. Apparently, Rachel is in some sort of an abandoned warehouse. I don't know where exactly, but I think it can't be further than 30 minutes from here. Noah just said that he'd call me as soon as they get her and that was basically it. So right now, we can't do anything else but wait. I- I'm worried about them Juliet. I mean what if something goes wrong or if one of them gets hurt or…' I cut him off. 'Listen to me Ethan. I know you are worried about them and I understand that, really, I do. But Noah and Rose? They've been in this for some time. They know there are dangers to it, just like with every job they take. There are possibilities of things going wrong, there always will be, but right now I just need you to be believe that they are going to be okay. And even if something will happen to either of them, they will get through it, you know that. We may have not known Noah and Rose for a long time, but for as long as we have, we've both noticed that they're tough. They could go through anything, as long as they have each other. I would tell you to lay down and rest for a bit, but if you're even a bit like me, you'll just end up having nightmares, so I don't know. Talk to your foster parents maybe, invite a friend over, research that college you want to go to. And before you know it, you'll see Noah again and everything will be alright.' I heard some scuffling at the other end of the line and then Ethan's voice was back. 'I know, I know it will be alright, I just want all of this to be over already.' 'I know. I do too.' Ethan then said that his foster mom was calling him, and he needed to go. Apparently he was going to help her work on some flowers in their garden and I smiled. I was truly happy that he had such an amazing family now and I was pretty sure that he was too. I then hung up and turned towards Harry again. 'So? Now what? Wanna watch a movie?' 'Sure, you got any in mind?' I grinned as his eyes widened, 'oh no, no, no, Juliet, don't say it, please, I don't wanna watch it…' I kept grinning 'You're a wizard Harry.' 'Oh, come on!' I just laughed and we walked to my room again searching for a good movie to watch. I was truly hoping that whatever Noah and Rose were up to at the moment, they were ok.

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Noah was sitting in his car, driving towards the spot where Rose said she'd meet him at. He only had a minute or so to drive to the meeting place, so he leaned back in his seat and started looking around himself, trying to spot Rose. When he arrived at the spot, she was already there, standing by her motorbike, looking for something in her duffel bag. As she heard the Noah shutting his car off and parking next to her, she zipped up the bag and walked towards him with the bag slung across her shoulders. Noah stepped out of his car and greeted her with hug then stepped towards the back of his car and opened the trunk. Rose dropped her duffel bag in, and Noah took out his gun from the front seat along with a flashlight and some batteries. He then walked next to Rose and they both checked their weapons in silence. Rose zipped down her jacket and took some bullets from her pocket and she loaded them into one of her guns which she then dropped into the gun holster that she draped along her waist and was hanging down her thigh. When they were both ready Noah locked his car and they started walking towards the supposedly abandoned warehouse that Rose figured out Rachel was currently living in. The warehouse was built at the side of a lonely street, there were a few apartment blocks and other warehouses built around it, but they all seemed to be abandoned as well. The sun was setting, and it was another time, Noah would look at the sunset as he often did and just think about nothing for some time. It usually made him feel forget life's problems and just relax for some time. At the minute however, Noah's mind was far away from beautiful sunsets and relaxing moments spent at his apartment. He was thinking of the best possible strategy to go in the building, to secure it, to capture Rachel Davis and to just get the whole case over it. To say he didn't like the case would be an understatement, he loathed it. He did meet Ethan because of it and help some other people along the way as well, but he always wished that he could meet people under more pleasant circumstances and not when they were on the brink of death. Noah just shook his head to get himself rid of thoughts that were troubling him and decided to focus on the present moment. Rose sent him a few blueprints of the warehouse, so he knew what to expect in general. But still, they both knew they had to be careful, Rachel was dangerous and much more unpredictable than Eztli.

When they neared the warehouse, Rose signed to Noah to go around to the backdoor of the warehouse and enter it from there, while she enters from the front. Noah quietly walked around the warehouse, his gun in his hand, arms outstretched and slightly bent at the elbows. He slowly tried the back door and surprise, surprise, it was locked. Of course it was, is it ever not? Noah quickly took the lock pick out of his back pocket and got to work. He never would have thought that he would be working for the police and know how to pick locks at the same time, but that was what Rose thought him a long time ago, and he had to admit, it did come in pretty handy sometimes. The lock gave in pretty soon and Noah put the lockpick back into his pocket and then slowly opened the door. He didn't actually know what he expected to find after he opened it, after all, what does one expect to see after he opens the door to an abandoned warehouse? Noah turned on his flashlight and slowly walked through the door. The first thing he could see in front of him was a wall. It was about 3 meters long and high about the same. The edge of it was broken and Noah could see that it wasn't made of brick or iron, but from wood. He lighted the space around himself and saw that pretty much the whole space was made of wooden walls. It probably used to be a storage facility for some factory, but then got left behind but no body had the money or energy to rebuild it or at least clean it out. Noah turned the flashlight towards the ceiling and saw that there was actually another floor up there, though it looked newer and not as badly damaged and ragged as the walls on the floor level were. He just rolled his eyes, it's gonna take quite some time to find Rachel in this maze of a place, but Rose said that she was in the warehouse at the moment, so they were going to give it their best to try and find her.

Noah walked on through the wooden halls, stocked with empty shelves, trying to find a sign of Rachel somewhere, anywhere. He just thought about going left at a section of two halls but heard a noise above. He quickly but quietly made his way towards the staircase that was set about 20 meters in front of him. Once he got there, he outstretched his hands and held his gun even more firmly in his hands. He started stepping up the stairs and winced when he heard the first step creek slightly but continued on, nevertheless. Once he got to the top of the stairs he looked around quickly and started walking to his left, his eyes darting from one side to the other all the time. He tried to navigate his way through the wooden walls again, some of them covered with old newspapers, some with plastic sheets. He thought about walking to the end of the floor when he heard gun shots coming from the floor below. He ran as quickly as he could back towards the stairs, trying not to trip on anything laying on the floor. He rushed down the stairs and saw Rose a few metres in front of him, laying on the floor, but before he could run towards her, an unmistakable smell came wafting through the air and Noah felt his blood run cold. it was he smell of burning wood and plastic and he ran the last few meters that were separating him from Rose, grabbed her hand and pulled her up and they both started running towards the doors that Noah came through when he entered the building. He was opening the door and as he stepped through it he looked back again, just to make sure that Rose was still behind him. He saw her from the corner of his eyes and then in the next moment he didn't. He turned around and saw the reason, which filled him with dread. She was trapped under a big wooden board, which luckily wasn't on fire, but it was quickly going to be, considering that another part fell on one end of it and it was quickly catching on fire.

Noah had absolutely no idea what to do, he was panicking and tried to think of something, anything to do. The board looked heavy, built from strong wood and it was about 5 metres long and 3 metres wide, not to even mention the other piece that fell down on top of it. There was no way he could lift that by himself. What if he can't manage to save her in time? What if… Rose's words came flowing back into his mind, 'In this job, we can't allow our feelings to get the best of us.' Noah shook his head and looked at Rose again. 'This is probably going to hurt a bit, but I need you to stay with me, ok?' Rose nodded 'Ok, here's what I need you to do. Can you move your hands?' he asked her and after seeing some fidgeting under the board, she nodded slightly. 'Alright. I need you to try to lift the board up and hold it with your hands as strongly as you can when I tell you to.' She nodded again, but Noah could see that she was scared and probably in pain as well. he pulled out his gun and checked that he had bullets in it and then got ready. With sweaty hands he raised his gun and aimed it at the wooden board, about a meter away from Rose. He then pulled the trigger and fired. Once he fired almost every bullet he had at the board, there was a straight line running down the wood. He looked at Rose again. 'Alright, do it now.' Rose held the board up with her hand and Noah brought his foot down on the line formed by his bullets. He soon heard the wood cracking and he continued with his work, until he got all the way, and the board was broken in two pieces completely. He quickly kneeled down and pushed the board off of Rose, even though it was in two pieces it was still pretty heavy. He reached down and pulled Rose to her feet when she suddenly screamed in pain. 'My leg! It hurts so badly! I don't know what it is, but I can't even step on it…It hurts so much!' Noah picked her up and quickly carried her outside and shut the doors of the building. He gently laid her down at the side of the street next to the back door and then got to calling the police, ambulance and the firefighters, seeing as how the fire was still going on. A few minutes later, the firefighters arrived and started putting out the fire. The ambulance arrived with them as well and they quickly carried Rose into it, Noah climbing in as well, with a few police officers staying at the scene, just to make sure that if Rachel were to get out of the building they could catch her.

Noah sat down on the bench next to Rose. 'Hey, can you look at me Rose?' she slowly raised her head and looked him in the eyes. 'Yeah?' 'Did you see Rachel in the building? When I heard you shooting, were you shooting at her?' she looked away and down at her leg. 'It was her. I almost didn't see her at first, she was waiting in hiding, probably looking for a good chance to escape after we got there, but as soon as I got in I barricaded the door so she wouldn't be able to leave through there even if she wanted to. When I was walking around the warehouse, I came to a desk. It was filled with bills and cut out paper articles of people looking for organ donors. They were circled in red, but that wasn't all. The walls around her desk, there were photos tapped on them.' Noah looked at her in confusion. 'Photos? Of what?' Rose shook her head. 'Not what Noah, who. The photos on the walls, they included all of the girls that went missing in the last couple of months, including Charlotte and Juliet. Every girl that her and Eztli killed was crossed out with a red x. But there were so many pictures on those walls. About at least 20 more, unmarked. They were planning to kidnap and kill so many more people than they already did… I don't know when they were going to stop if they even would. I wanted to take the documents with me, as many as I could, but that was when she appeared. I guess she figured out that she couldn't escape, so her next best tactic was killing us. At first, we fought hands on, because she surprised me, I didn't even have a chance to pull my gun on her. But when I finally did, she ducked and somehow managed to escape the bullets. She then pulled some string, I have no idea how the hell she had that place wired Noah, but I guess the string was connected to something that started the fire. I tried to run after her, but that's when she pulled her own gun out and tried to shoot me instead. I had to drop to the floor, and she ran away and then you came rushing down the stairs. But I know she didn't make it out of the building. I went through every possible blueprint of the place, there ne other doors than the two we came through and she didn't go through the back ones, because in that case, she would have to pass you. And… oh, fuck, that really hurts!' she rubbed her leg again and winced in pain. James Milles, the paramedic that was also present when they found Ethan, Juliet and Tim was in the ambulance and was currently in contact with the hospital, trying to get everything ready for when they would arrive. He then handed the phone to another paramedic and got to work on Rose's leg. He touched it in a few places and Rose had to say which movements hurt the most and which one she could or couldn't do. After that James looked up at them. 'It's most probably broken. We can't know for sure yet, but that's my best guess for now, especially considering what happened. It's also possible that your leg is broken in more places than one, so you have to be prepared for that.' Rose just nodded quietly at his diagnosis and then James got started on immobilizing her leg. Rose winced quite a lot at that part and even almost yelled out in pain, but apart from that, there seemed to be no other injuries that either of them had suffered.

When they finally got to the hospital they quickly took Rose to the emergency room and told Noah to wait in the waiting room. He had to wait there for two hours and it felt like an eternity. After a little over two hours, he was finally allowed to go into the room where Rose was put at the moment. He walked in and she was lying on her bed, still looking a bit drowsy, probably because they put her under anaesthesia, so she wouldn't feel the pain while the doctors operated on her. Noah sat down next to her on the bed and was just about to ask how she was doing, when his phone rang. He sighed deeply and pulled his phone out of his pocket, a bit surprise when he saw that Lieutenant Stone was calling him. He answered the phone and put him on speaker. 'Hey, I'm at the hospital with Rose, what's going on?' he could hear the Lieutenant take a deep breath on the other side of the phone.

'I'm afraid I've got some bad news. The firemen searched the warehouse after they put out the fire. Our men were with them as well. They searched that place top to bottom, but… they couldn't find the Doctor's body. Anywhere.'