Bailey took a moment to organize the teacups in the cupboard. Each one of them had their own unique design, and she bought them just a week ago. She heard a thud and jumped. She was completely on her own now, but she did not want to be out in public either. The phone call rattled her so much that she could not even remember her journey home. All she could think was that laugh.
But she had checked her call logs. There was no number in the log. No one had called her. But she knows for a fact that she wasn't called.
"He won't find me…he's gone, he's gone forever," Bailey lifted a teacup when there was a knock on the door. She jumped and dropped the cup. It shattered on the counter, and a small piece shot up on her cheek. She could feel a trick of blood.
There was another knock on the door, and she jumped back from the cupboard.
"Bailey Bourne? Agent Joe Mason From the LATA,"
Bailey heard of them. The Lutkin Anti-Terrorism Agency. They were good, or so she had heard. Difficult cases were passed to them. But why on earth would they be there? She walked to the door slowly. She jumped slightly as there was another steady knock on the door.
She peaked through the keyhole. "Can you show me your badge?" She noticed the man standing behind the door was tall, and fortunately, not Clay. Blonde hair, bigger build, neat grey suit. Good. That was good.
Joe flashed his badge at the door. Bailey slowly opened the door and peaked out. "Are you alone?"
"Yes, miss," Joe sighed and frowned. "You alright miss? You're bleeding."
"Yes, I am, I dropped a teacup when you knocked," Bailey opened the door. "You want to come in or talk outside? I don't really care which."
Joe walked inside and Bailey closed the door, checking the locks. "I'm not keeping you prisoner, I just…don't want the wrong people getting in."
"Wrong people as in Clay Slater?"
Bailey froze and looked up at Joe. "How do you know his name?"
"I spoke with him today…"
"Please tell me behind bars…"
"In an interrogation room, he is still behind bars," Joe said and took a step inside. "You want to deal with that?" He motioned to her cheek.
"Who cares? It'll heal in a couple of hours, I would know, cause hey, may face was all cut up and bleeding before, the glass was clean and…well, I don't want to be rude to you agent Joe…and leave you unattended…"
"You're real nervous, aren't you? "
"Yeah, it comes with the idea of Clay Slater out of bars…" Bailey said. She glanced at her reflection in the microwave, and picked out the piece of glass. She took a clean napkin and pressed it against her cheek. "Coffee?"
"Sure, black, no sugar,"
"Huh," Bailey started boiling the kettle and placed two cups on the counter.
"I am here to ask some questions about him," Joe said.
"Go ahead, I don't know how much I can answer, cause he's crazy,"
"He's certainly a piece of work," Joe said and took a step closer to Bailey. Bailey scooped the coffee into the cups and turned around. "But he's our only lead to Silva…the mastermind behind those college attacks."
"Well, I can only tell you what I told the cops…majority of students were huddled in the cafeteria when he came in with a gun, waving and laughing. He let loose a few rounds into the ceiling…causing all the students to disperse. We all thought he was the enemy, but then we get attacked by a bunch of men armed with bats, knives and guns…I ran into Clay while running away from a maniac with bat." Bailey grabbed the kettle, but her hand was shaking.
"Allow me," Joe grabbed the handle and poured the water into the cups as Bailey took a step back. "So, I decided my best chances of surviving would be to stick close to Clay."
"Well, obviously you were right,"
"Yeah, I was one of the few survivors, but now he's obsessed with me, something about is being alike," Bailey shook her head. "I just w ant to move on from this. I think you caqn understand."
Before Joe could speak, the door unlocked, and Naomi walked in. "Did you know that some old man farted right in front of me while I was getting fast food. You know I don't mind the sound but man the sme…hahah, you didn't say we had guests Bailey."
"Joe Mason, methane free,"
"Well, Joe…nice to meet you, I am Naomi…the sister…and I must say I like a guy that really cleans up nicely,"
"He's an agent," Bailey said.
"Even better," Naomi smiled. "Don't mind me….I'm gonna go and try and forget what I just said." Naomi walked out of the room into her bedroom, swearing softly.
"Sorry about that, we don't normally have people in here…"
The door opened and Naomi placed the fast food packets on the counter. "You want to eat with us?"
"I'm good, this shouldn't take much longer," Joe said. "I just wanted to ask you…" He turned to Bailey. "You sure you never met Clay before the incident?"
"Unless he is Honky Dora 1010 character online who I exchanged five words to on Discord, then no…I am pretty damn sure I did not meet Clay," Bailey took a step back. "Why do you ask?"
"Just find it really coincidental that this guy just seemed to keep you so safe all that time…how he knew the inside and out of the college, although he had never set foot in that place before, and how he just can't stop talking about you…non stop."
"I told you, he's obsessed…"
"You were also conveniently, in comparison to everyone else, mostly unharmed…"
"Wait, am I hearing this right? You think I had a role to play in the massacres?"
"Well, I didn't say it…you did, so did you?"
"How dare you, many of those friends who died in that MASSACRE.. were MY FRIENDS! Get out!"
"Calm down," Joe said.
"GET OUT!" Bailey screamed. "You are no better than those filth pasted goblins of cops who knocked on my door a year ago. They found nothing because there was nothing. But that didn't stop them from throwing around accusations, getting my car keyed and having neighbours gossip calling me a murderer! Out!"
Joe took a step back when Naomi burst out of the door. "You need to leave. I don't like you anymore. Go."
"Listen,"
"Go, or we will charge you for trespassing. Bailey did not suffer two years of therapy after the trauma to have you trigger a panic attack! Out!" Naomi snapped. She opened the door and Joe walked out.
"Just.."
Naomi slammed the door closed and locked it. "You ok?"
"Yeah, it's..."Bailey sighed as there was a knock on the door.
"Let me deal with him,"
"No, I don't want you in jail," Bailey opened the door. "What?"
"One of your fellow survivors was killed recently. I looked it up. A lot of the survivors have been dying in freak accidents…"
"What's this now?" Bailey asked.
"Silva is still out there…and we believe that Clay is the only one who can find him, or knows who he is…thing is, he won't talk, "
"That sounds like a you problem!" Naomi screamed from the other side of the door.
"Bailey, he insisted that he only speaks to one person,"
"No, no," Bailey could not even move when Naomi jerked her out of the way. And stood in front of Joe. "She is not speaking to that monster."
"She could be in danger," Joe said. "I know you are caring for your sister here…but it's up to her to decide."
"And her decision is no," Naomi said. "Right?" Naomi turned to Bailey.
"How sure are you that he knows who Silva is?" Bailey asked.
"No, Bailey…"
"I'm confident, but I cannot give an absolute guarantee…"
"He needs to be shackled to a table, tree whatever, I don't care. He just needs to be restrained around me…and I am willing to see him one time," Bailey said. "That's it…"
"Am I invisible?" Naomi yelled.
"If Silva is not done…then he's coming for me, he's coming for Nathan, and so many others of us," Bailey said. "I can't ignore it. I'm scared…But it's Silva who tried to have me killed, not Clay."
"I will be with you every step of the way," Joe said.
"WE don't like you," Naomi said.
"I don't care, it's not my job to be liked, it's my job to keep people safe…" Joe said. "See you in the morning? At eight? I can pick you up."
"I'll take her, we'll meet you there…"
"Your choice," Joe said and nodded. He turned and walked away. Naomi closed the door and locked it. She turned around.
"You don't have to do this,"
"I have to," Bailey said. "I know who he is, and I also know what Silva is capable of…I was there. The thought that…that we. I want this to be over… So if that means facing Clay again, then I will."