The Turn: Chapter Twenty-Eight

The Turn

Chapter Twenty-Eight

~Someone’s Out There Watching~

Two Years Before The Turn

Chaud stood outside of the hotel where Fang and the others were staying. He smiled as the little smoke bomb that he sent up to one of the rooms, via room service, made its way safely. Chaud watched as the hotel was evacuated. He saw the one named Alister ranting about how it wasn’t his fault and that the food just exploded. The others didn’t seem to believe him. Chaud sighed with relief that he managed to send it to the right room. He had made an educated guess that Fang would have his own room from what he remembered reading about the man. He also did a little digging on the house that they lived in together. Apparently the boys were separated from the girls. After hacking into the hotel’s system he was able to find the three most recent rooms that were occupied. From there he made a reasonable guess.

He watched them carefully and how they interacted with each other. He noticed the youngest and the one with blue hair, Arisa and Lumin if his memory served him, talking to each other. Correction: the girl was doing most of the talking. Alister, he knew, was well known for blowing things up. Chaud looked carefully at the girl with the broken glasses. He would remember to tell Naru about Penelope. Raven and Shadow stood around Fang as he visibly tried to keep his emotions in check.

“Chaud,” Zara said through the earpiece in his ear.

“Yeah, what?” Chaud’s lips barely moved, “I’m a little busy.

“Oh sorry, Mr. I’ve-got-better-things-to-do-than-help-out,” Zara muttered, “I won’t bother you again.”

Zara walked from one thing to another. At one moment she looked over Naru’s shoulder trying to understand the computer code that scrolled across the screen. The next, she was instructing the others on their tasks.

Deontay was collecting any weapons and supplies they would need while Vicky pulled out any duffel bags she found to store them in. Hina sat beside her brother and tried to help out when she could.

Zara was in a hurry to get going. From what Chaud had told her, her team was being pursued by one of the best Black teams used by the Tower. Sirius wanted them back pretty badly and Zara was determined not to get caught before they had to be.

“I am helping out,” Chaud sighed, “I’m just doing some field research. I’ll be back soon. You want me to pick up groceries while I’m out?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cellphone and started recording. His eyes dropped from the scene in front of him to the screen.

 “No, Mr. Smarty-pants,” Zara said, “Just don’t blow your cover!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chaud answered.

“Naru, what do you have?” Zara asked.

“Something about a thing called the Metamor,” He said casually as he typed at the computer.

Hina looked over her shoulder at Zara, “Apparently, it’s on some island somewhere. It never says.”

“Try to find a general location,” Chaud commented, “We can figure it out when we get in the air.”

Zara looked back at Deontay, “How is the packing?”

“Getting only what we need and can carry,” Deontay answered.

“It’s kind of weird,” Vicky stated, “We’re fighting against the people who really stopped Zero.”

Deontay nodded, “Pretty crazy, right? How did Chaud find out?”

“Who knows how he knows things,” Hina shrugged, “Frankly I don’t really care all that much. As long as he’s on our side, I’m good.”

“You do know I’m still listening right?” Chaud said as the others were talking about him.

“So how do you do it, man?” Deontay asked, “Where do you get all this info?”

“You know the saying ‘Curiosity killed the cat?’” Chaud glanced up from the camera.

Deontay walked with a back over his shoulder, “Yeah. What about it?”

“Don’t be the cat. I’d hate to have to kill you,” Chaud said with an eerie seriousness.

“Let’s not go killing each other just yet,” Zara jumped in.

“I was just giving fair warning,” Chaud said.

Zara looked at the computer screen, “Just get back here without getting spotted.”

“Roger,” Chaud turned off his earpiece so he could concentrate.

He looked at the screen. The fire department was at the scene now and had entered the building. They instructed people to stand back. Fang guided his group to the other side of the road. Chaud pulled down his hat so it covered more of his white hair. He took a mental note to dye it sometime.

Though the Black team members were no longer the subject of the recording, Chaud continued to record just like any teenager would do with a cell phone. He looked at the group through the corner of his eye.

“Alister!” Penelope groaned, “My computer was in there! Now it’s probably wet and shorted out! I was so close to finding their inside source too!”

Chaud raised an eyebrow. It would be safer to deter communication with Miwa from then on.

“But I didn’t do it! I swear!” Alister insisted.

“I leave you alone for two minutes and you manage to blow the place up,” Shadow sighed. He looked at Fang, “Oh, and those papers you wanted me to read. I was so frightened and startled that in the commotion I dropped them. Too bad they might be soaking wet by now…”

“Not now, Shadow,” Fang sounded dangerously angry, “Did you see anything, Lumin?”

Lumin shook his head.

Arisa raised her hand, “Lumin was with me in the hallway at the soda machine. The thing wouldn’t give me my quarter back!”

“What are we going to do?” Raven asked, “All our things are in there.”

“I could get it!” Penelope raised her hand, “I can pop in and pop out in no time flat!”

“No,” Fang sighed, “We’ll stay out here for now.”

Fang had and itch that he couldn’t quite scratch. There was something he felt he was missing. He looked around and saw a boy not too far away looking at the goings on. Fang narrowed his eyes. For a moment, the scene in front of him disappeared and the kid was walking down another street. This time his hat was off revealing his white hair and blue eyes. Fang came back and looked at the boy with a new light.

“Shoot,” Chaud put away his cell phone and made his exit.

He walked down the street. Chaud turned the corner and was lost from Fang’s direct sight. Fang looked at Shadow.

“Follow me,” he said to Shadow.

Shadow followed. The others stayed and looked curiously as Fang and Shadow walked off.

Chaud walked down a street and crossed to the other side to an alleyway. He needed a place to lie low before he could go back to where he and the others were hiding out. Shadow suddenly appeared from the alley wall. He smiled slyly.

“So, your Chaud, I presume,” Shadow said.

Chaud stopped and said nothing.

Fang stood in the mouth of the alley way, “Nice to finally meet you, Chaud.”

Chaud took a glance behind him. He said nothing. Chaud took off his hat and tossed it on to the ground.

Fang narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t read Chaud’s future actions though he tried. Fang walked closer to Chaud.

“Your father would very much like you home,” Fang stated.

“I don’t think I’m quite ready to head back just yet,” Chaud’s eyes turned gold as he shot his arm out at Shadow.

A bolt of electricity shot from his hand. Shadow managed to barely dodge the attack. He threw three daggers in Chaud’s direction. Chaud crouched and avoided the attack. Two wings grew from Chaud’s back and he jumped into the sky. Shadow disappeared into the wall and appeared on to the building roof. He looked around but saw no sight of the boy.

“Do you see him?” Fang asked from the alley.

“No,” Shadow responded, “It’s like he just disappeared.”

“We need to find them,” Fang stated, “Now.”