The monsters of the institute gave me a devilish smile as I passed by them in the hall. They nodded at me as if we were part of the same team. They knew me like we had been fighting for the same cause. A jitter ran down my spine every time one of them winked at me, implying pride in my participation to their misdeeds. I was afraid of what they had done to me.
Maybe they put a tracker in me. I had seen in movies that a green vial was inserted into the body and it worked like a charm to track the one you need. The clothes or shoes would never work as I had immediately disposed off of everything I was wearing when the life-threatening event took place. I checked my body for scars. The mark of the dart gun resembled an insect bite, as if I had had an allergic reaction to it. No other scars embalmed my body. There had to be something and then it hit me, the scent I had smelt during my unconsciousness, I recognized it.
My mother used to tell me that I have a very strong nose. Every time she tried to cook something; I would immediately guess what it was without tasting it. I could smell the fragrance of the delicacies through the walls of my room, as if they were being cooked right in front of me. It drove my sister Jane mad. I would team up with Emilia and get to the food first, knowing just when it was going to be ready. Jane on the other hand always got our left overs. Mother loved Jane wholeheartedly. She always hid extra in the oven. I knew about it, but my love for Jane never let me show it.
I tried to recall everything that happened at the night of the unconsciousness. I remembered having a bouncy ride back, as if I were off-roading. Every time I tried to come to, I was slapped back down by the masked men. I had a blind fold on my eyes, even though I could barely open them. I heard mumbling and dragging. I knew I wasn't the only one there. I heard muffled screams, as if someone was trying to scream through a piece of sock. I had a sock in my mouth too. I could tell by the numbness I felt around my mouth when I woke up.
The state of unconscious is a tricky one. It gives you the memory of things that might not have actually taken place. I wondered if all the clues I was trying to gather from that night were actually conjured up lies. I tried to calm my mind. The professor was staring at me. I speculated his involvement in the institute's scandal. He suddenly spoke, "are you alright? You look a little lost. I fear you might be under the weather. Do you want to take leave from here?" I took the opportunity plated to me even though I was well aware of the reason behind my state. All the drugs the dart gun inserted into me and the empty stomach I had vowed on mixed up into an ugly hangover. I had to put food into my system in order to have the strength I needed to fulfil my investigation.
I walked into the cafeteria. I had never been here during an on-going lecture. To my surprise, all my prime suspects were sitting right there, sipping tea and laughing at my loss. I averted my eyes quickly, acting as if I hadn't seen them. "Neil, join us." A voice I never thought I would hear amongst them spoke. It was Henry. I felt a sense of betrayal punch me in my face as I walked through the chairs towards their table. Had he been playing me all along? He was a pawn. He was the minister himself, the 'wazir'. I felt every single nerve in my body turning hot. Was Anna even real? Did Leslie befriend a cheat? I was terrified of him. He knew all my weaknesses. The scent I smelled on my way back was sitting right in front of me, hand in hand with the kidnappers of my family and friends.
"Good afternoon, sir. Good afternoon, ma'am. Henry what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?" I stood before them, acting completely normal. "It is Henry 'sir' for you. I could ask you the same thing. What could be so important that you are here, skipping your lectures. I am at the end of my journey here at this institute. You on the other hand, have a lot to learn. Maybe, you should focus less on eating, water down the garden of your imagination and start learning what you came here to learn. We were just talking about the progress you were making. Seems as if someone has darted some information into you. Who are your friends here? I can't seem to place them. I believe you have a plan, just like me. Maybe, we could discuss it over some tea?" Henry's play of words confused me. Whose side was he on?
The kidnappers sitting in front of me stood up and nodded at me. They left me there with Henry, leaving a devilish smile behind on their way out. "What have you done Henry? I thought you loved Anna and Leslie. How could you do this to them? You were on their side this whole time? Is that why it was so easy for them to get to my sister and Sammy? Did you sell me out? And to answer your statement, I will never refer to you as 'sir' ever again." I furiously questioned Henry.
"Enough with the questions! Do not speak ill of my intentions for Anna and Leslie, even Emilia and Sammy for that matter. You would be the biggest fool to assume I was actually on their side. I am trying to gain their trust. I have to find them as soon as I can. We have to be in on their crimes if we ever want to see the faces of our loved ones again. Didn't you get my play of words? I thought I nailed it. They left me here with you to watch you suffer the side of betrayal. Don't you dare lose the expression of a scared little puppy you have on your face. They are watching us like a hawk. They probably have greasy hands by now from all the popcorn they brought for this show." Henry tried reassuring me.
I immediately responded, "but you shot me! Why would you shoot me if we were on the same side? Were you the one slapping me as well?" Henry grinned as he continued, "I had to gain their trust and I proved myself when I shot you. Moreover, I really didn't want to share the chocolate pudding your stomach was gurgling for. Your mother is an exceptional cook, Neil. She should be at MasterChef." I groaned at the gurgling remark, as I put two and two together about Henry's plan. I refused the laugh that was trying to peak through my annoyance in order to continue fooling the kidnappers. I took pride in his intelligence and was happy to have a sheep hidden amongst the wolves. We were finally one step ahead of them, and the race had just begun.