Chapter 23 - CH 23 Sleepover.

"Get out of the emergency exits; we'll distract them," Cynthia commanded the crowd as they started panicking.

"How the hell are we supposed to do that?" Sadie whispered, trying to think of a solution.

But Cynthia simply half-turned her face towards the government shipment, eyebrows raised, and an assured smile on her lips, and Sadie understood.

The policemen were positioned in a kneeling stance behind the doors of their cars, pistols pointed towards the building. The chief gave a signal, and a small patrol started trying to enter the premise. However, as they got closer, smoke grenades were hurled at both entry sides, barring their vision and forcing them to take back cover.

"Get out, or we will shoot!" the chief's voice blared over the speaker.

Then, an engine roar reverberated through the smoke, and a small yellow forklift burst forth at breakneck speed, aimed directly at the police car. The officers, caught off guard, unleashed a barrage of gunfire, their firing haphazard and indiscriminate at the moving vehicle, surprised by its sudden appearance. Yet, upon the crash, they discovered the driver seat was empty, and a dozen bombs were strategically strapped to all sides of the machine.

"Careful! It's... Aaargh!"

Before the reality could fully set in, their eyes widened in terror and an infernal explosion erupted, propelling them through the air before they could even sound the alarm, engulfing the scene in chaos and rising flames.

Amidst the chaos, a Porsche-type car soared from the smolder, leaving the fallen corrupt cops behind at great speed.

"We did it!" Cynthia laughed, her hands on the wheel. "Yeahah, screw the police! Woo!" she cheered, high-fiving a less enthusiastic Sadie.

Sadie cast a glance back through the windshield; they were already tearing down an open road, surrounded by a blur of car lights. "Do you think they'll be following us?"

"Are you kidding me? One thing I know about corrupt cops is that their corruption stems from laziness. They've already done the bare minimum to give their boss an excuse for their failure."

"You may be right," Sadie said as she turned back, settling somewhat comfortably in her chair. "But we must get rid of the car regardless. Drive to the nearest pier, and we can dump it in the sea from there."

"Such a waste," Cynthia commented despondently.

When they drove far enough from the dock to be sure they won't be stumbling upon patrols, Cynthia took a turn and drove over the wooden pier called 'Le doigt majeur de poseidon. Night has already set in, but the intense infernal lights of the Serpent d'océan hotel shone as a thousand suns in the vision of the two girls.

"Are you sure this is the best place to flip this car? There's an entire hotel nearby." Sadie said

"You worry too much, the peer is in total darkness while they are blinded with lights. Besides, people have more busy things to be doing in hotels than looking out for anything suspicious if you catch my drift."

When they drove far enough from the dock to ensure they wouldn't stumble upon patrols, Cynthia took a turn and drove over the wooden pier called 'Le doigt majeur de Poséidon.' Night had already set in, but the intense infernal lights of the Serpent d'océan hotel shone like a thousand suns in the vision of the two girls.

"Are you sure this is the best place to flip this car? There's an entire hotel nearby," Sadie said.

"You worry too much. The pier is in total darkness, while they are blinded by lights. Besides, people have more busy things to be doing in hotels than looking out for anything suspicious, if you catch my drift."

Sadie seemed to have no idea what Cynthia was referring to, then realization struck. "Oh... you mean sex?"

Cynthia let out a soft sigh and unlocked her car door, signaling for Sadie to follow suit. "Yes Sadie, sex. Now come on, let's go."

The two girls positioned themselves behind the car, ready to push it off the pier.

"On the count of three," Sadie began. "One, two, thr..." Cynthia pushed it by herself before Sadie could finish the word, leaving Sadie frozen in place, hands in a pushing motion, as if seized by the cold winds of the night.

The car tumbled from the height, creating splashing waves before disappearing into the sea of darkness, leaving a noticeable silence.

"I feel tired," Sadie said. "I'll go sit on the beach for a little while. You've been of great help today; I couldn't have done it without you."

Without waiting for her friend's response, Sadie dragged herself to sit beneath the pier, on the beach sand, positioned just far enough away from the sea to avoid being engulfed by the waves.

The hotel across the pier cast an enchanting, light-orange reflection on the water, yet Sadie couldn't bring herself to raise her eyes; she remained fixated on the waves lapping at her feet.

As she contemplated the dark, serene night, a hand reached out and gently rested on her back. Startled, she swiftly turned, her expression etched with unease.

It was Cynthia, holding her boots in hand, leaving a trail of graceful footsteps on the blue sand leading back to the wooden pier. "Mind if I join?" she asked Sadie.

Without waiting for an answer, Cynthia gracefully settled on bent knees near her friend, the soft murmur of the waves providing a backdrop to their silent presence.

"I failed tonight," Sadie admitted. "The kid is lost."

"You're too hard on yourself," Cynthia said, sliding her legs sideways and resting on her arm for support. "You didn't save THE boy, but you've helped many people tonight. Give yourself some slack."

"No, you don't get it. I was supposed to save HIM, and I felt this deep connection, as if the universe wanted me to rescue the kid. I've seen him near the bakery before he got kidnapped, and then I got all sorts of hints and ways to be able to follow his track. It's like God or whatever gave me this sort of test to realize myself, and I'm not good enough. I just tried so hard and got so close... Now the kid is gonna pay for my weakness."

"You can't save everyone!" Cynthia cried, her voice filled with pain, a pain so terrible that it shocked Sadie into silence.

Cynthia placed both hands on Sadie's shoulders and pulled her close, staring into her amber eyes with a focused frown.

"Listen to me," she began with an intensity that was unusual for Cynthia. "Life doesn't go as planned; it just doesn't. Not every book has a good ending and the universe doesn't care a bit about what you consider your destiny. Embrace whatever comes your way and make the most of it. That's how you build character."

Sadie recognized the origin of Cynthia's pain, having felt the same way when she lost Nun Zahya to a sudden illness.

"Who did you lose?" Sadie asked sympathetically.

"My mother," Cynthia answered, lowering her teary eyes. "When I was nine. She was as beautiful as dawn would seem to us on this cold night. But I saw her colors slowly fade, and her beauty turned into evidence of her impending departure as her illness progressed. She showed great improvement in her last week, positively claiming she was well already, and that it was all because of me. I believed her, i believed that all will be well, but then she coughed blood, and..."

Sadie interrupted her with a hug so warm and tight that it muffled Cynthia's words.

"The universe sure loves mocking us, doesn't it." Sadie said as she felt tears rolling down her bony shoulder.

"That's why we shouldn't give it the satisfaction of seeing us broken," Cynthia replied, forcing a smile on her lips. A light drizzle began to fall, grounding the two girls in the present moment.

"We should head home. Let's have a sleepover tonight; I could use the company. I'll call the butler, and he can come pick us up and drive us to my place." Cynthia said

"Wouldn't that bother him? I don't want to be a burden."

"He deserves it for letting you in despite my protest. And you do owe me your presence, after I saved your life and all."

Sadie smiled, "I suppose it wouldn't be the most terrible thing to happen this night."

"Or we can get a suite at the hotel if you prefer," Cynthia suggested.

"Oh yeah?" Sadie asked, "And do what?"

"I'm not that easy, you know," Cynthia retorted with a smirk. "The rain is getting worse. We should find shelter under the pier before we get wet."

But as Cynthia started trying to get up, a humongous wave crashed onto the shore, fully submerging Sadie and Cynthia, drenching them in salty wetness. As the wave retreated, it left behind two girls laughing hysterically at the consequences of tempting fate.