"I'm utterly perplexed by what you're trying to convey, Mrs. Maxwell!" a distorted voice bellowed through the telephone receiver, its irate tone unmistakable. "What precisely do you mean by 'the boy has vanished'?"
Mrs. Maxwell, one of the hospital's esteemed directors, hesitated momentarily before responding, her gaze fixed intently on the monitor displaying the security footage. "He overpowered four of our agents and... "
The distorted voice cut in, its anger and frustration palpable. "And what? Don't leave me in suspense!"
"He disappeared, sir. Furthermore, the CCTV recording of the incident appears to have been intentionally compromised, rendering it unusable," Mrs. Maxwell replied, her voice remained composed, yet laced with a hint of trepidation.
The voice on the telephone erupted in a furious outburst. "What utter nonsense is this? I demand to know what transpired!"
Mrs. Maxwell's response was laced with a hint of deference. "I understand your concerns, Dr. Idris. Rest assured, we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to locate the boy and ascertain the full extent of his capabilities, including the circumstances surrounding his defeat of your agents."
The distorted voice continued to seethe with discontent. "I expect nothing but the utmost dedication to this task. Utilize every resource at our disposal to ensure the boy's prompt recapture. Is that unequivocally clear?"
"Absolutely, Dr. Idris," Mrs. Maxwell replied, her affirmation was prompt and resolute.
Upon concluding the telephone conversation, Mrs. Maxwell turned her attention to the security room personnel. "I want you to exhaust every avenue in attempting to restore the corrupted files. It is imperative that we gain insight into the boy's abilities and the circumstances surrounding his overpowering of the NPS agents."
"Yes, ma'am!" The employees acknowledged her directive with a unified chorus and set to work with renewed determination.
*****
Rachael and Stefan were apprehended and presented before the captain of the NPS agents, who gazed at them with an air of authority.
"Release me at once, you brutes!" Rachael exclaimed as she struggled against her restraint, her eyes flashing with defiance and her voice, tinged with indignation.
The captain knelt beside her, his tone conciliatory. "Calm down, young lady. We mean you no harm. Simply inform us of your friend's whereabouts, and we'll set you free. I assure you, no harm will come to him."
"You're genuinely asking me? Are you truly this obtuse, or do your eyes fail to convey messages to your brain? Can't you see we're also searching for him?" Rachael responded, her tone laced with sarcasm.
The captain's expression turned skeptical. "How can we trust that you're not involved in his disappearance?"
"And how can we trust your benevolent intentions when you're hunting a defenseless blind boy with loaded guns and ammunition?" Rachael's retort was swift and astute.
The captain was taken aback, his eyes locked on Rachael in a mixture of surprise and admiration.
"She's indeed a perceptive and articulate young girl," one of the armed men remarked, chuckling.
The captain silenced him with a glare. "Sometimes, the mouth can be deadlier than any bullet. Learn to keep your gob shut when appropriate," he said.
Turning back to Rachael and Stefan, the captain's expression turned grave. "Your friend is no longer the person he once was. He's become a danger to himself and others. We initially intended to help him, but he overpowered four of my men. We urgently require your cooperation now. Help us find him; he desperately needs help."
"Are you genuinely attempting to assist him?" Stefan asked, seemingly entranced by the captain's fervent pleas.
Rachael's response was immediate and vehement. "Stefan, have you lost your mind?!" She turned to the captain, her eyes blazing with indignation. "As you witnessed earlier, we were alone on the stairs, searching for him just like you. And even if we knew his location, do you think we'd divulge that information to you? Check the CCTV records if you're curious about his whereabouts. Unless, of course, you're trying to shift the blame for your own negligence."
"Hey, little girl, don't you think you're being too impertinent?" One of the men rebuked her, but the captain silenced him with a raised hand.
"Let's not forget, they're just children," the captain whispered to his men. "It's only natural for her to be protective of her brother. Our best approach is to persuade them to share some information."
Rachael whispered to Stefan, "You almost fell for his ruse, 'help him'? Don't make me laugh! Do you think they'll be asking us his whereabouts if the CCTV camera was functioning properly? They are poor at their job and that's why they're trying to blame us for their carelessness."
Her voice was barely audible, but the captain's keen ears picked up on her words. "Contrary to your claims, we're not blaming you for anything, kids," the captain interjected, his expression serene. "We truly want to assist him."
"We don't require your assistance, nor does he. Leave us be, and let us proceed to school before we're late - a consequence of your doing!" Rachael declared, her tone firm and resolute.
The captain exhaled a deep sigh and ordered their immediate release. Without any delay Rachael and Stefan rose up and scurried out of the hospital.
"But, sir, are you certain you want to let them go? Isn't that a bit...lenient?" One of the men asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Can't you discern the determination etched on their faces? They're unaware of his whereabouts, and even if they were, coercing information from them would be futile. You'd do the same to protect your loved ones - go to great lengths, even sacrifice your own lives if necessary." The captain's response was curt and insightful.
He turned to two of his agents. "Agent One and Agent Four, I want you to survey his residence and school around the clock, submitting regular reports directly to me. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the agents replied in unison.
"Given his day-blindness, it shouldn't be challenging to identify a lone individual heading in the wrong direction." The captain added and the room erupted in laughter, a brief moment of levity amidst the tension.
*****
"Oh my goodness, that was a harrowingly close call!" Stefan exclaimed, squirming as they emerged from the hospital, still visibly shaken by their encounter with the NPS agents. "You were incredibly composed back there, Rachael. What's the secret behind your unflappable confidence?"
Rachael's gaze narrowed. "Protecting my brother, of course. And I'll stop at nothing to keep him safe from harm. I won't let them turn him into a mere test subject, a guinea pig for their experimentation," she replied, her eyes flashing with determination. "Do you even have siblings?"
Stefan nodded thoughtfully, his eyes wide with understanding. "Of course I have younger siblings - a boy and a girl. I think I grasp the depth of your emotions. But do you genuinely believe those agents were trying to harm Mike?"
Rachael's expression turned skeptical, her eyes flashing with incredulity. "You fell for the captain's trick, didn't you? He was trying to manipulate us into revealing sensitive information. It's all a facade, Stefan. They're not interested in helping Mike; they want to exploit him for their own purposes," she replied. "And where the hell is he now? Where is Mike?"
Just then, a voice called out from a short distance away, as if listening to the whole conversation. "I'm right over here!" Mike replied, and emerged from the crowd, a nonchalant smile on his face, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Rachael and Stefan rushed towards him, their faces etched with concern and curiosity. "How on earth did you manage to escape the hospital without getting caught?" Rachael asked, her voice conveying her amazement and relief.
"Now that I think about it, it's quite unbelievable. I slipped out of the room when the two were distracted, their attention caught up in their own amusement," Mike thought to himself. "I remember feeling annoyed, a surge of indignation coursing through my veins, as I emerged from the large room where the doctors typically convene. Two armed men approached me from the corridor, ordering me to return to my room.
What do they mean? Are they looking down on me?
But something strange happened as one of them kept pushing me back. I felt a sudden, intense energy flowing through my body, as if a dormant power was awakening within me. The next thing I knew, I was overpowering those agents, my strength and agility heightened to supernatural levels.
As I grasped the man's hand, my grip tightened like a vice, crushing his fingers with a sickening crunch that echoed through the corridor. The man's anguished groan was abruptly silenced by a swift punch, sending him crashing into his companion, both men slumping against the wall, unconscious.
Two more agents appeared, their eyes wide with shock, but one of them charged forward, fist clenched, only to be intercepted by my unyielding grip. Our hands locked in a fierce struggle, but I overpowered him, slamming him into the fire extinguisher, which hung like a sentinel on the wall. He crumpled to the ground, writhing in agony, until my leg delivered a decisive blow, rendering him motionless.
The last agent stood frozen, his gun trembling in his hand as he stuttered into his walkie-talkie, alerting his captain to the chaos unfolding before him.
But I felt an inexplicable surge of energy coursing through my veins, as if an unseen force had awakened within me. A searing pain erupted across my back, but I remained upright, buoyed by this mysterious power. And then, I saw them – wings, majestic and menacing, unfolding from my back like a dark, feathered cloak.
The agent's eyes widened in terror as he beheld the impossible sight, his words dying on his lips. Fear consumed him, and he collapsed, unable to comprehend the wonder before him.
Without hesitation, I spread my wings and soared out of the open window at the end of the corridor, leaving the chaos behind."
"Mike! Can't you hear me?" Rachael's piercing voice shattered the reverie, and Mike's blank eyes refocused.
"What were you saying?" Mike asked, struggling to maintain his composure.
"How did you escape the hospital without being caught?" Rachael repeated, her eyes fixed intently on him.
"I flew!" Mike blurted, his words tumbling out like a confession.
"What!?" Rachael and Stefan exclaimed in unison, their voices laced with incredulity.