Chapter 006: Death is Calling
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Torchlight in hand, Damien advanced into the dark alley, tracking the muddy footprints that led him deeper into the shadows.

Meanwhile, the dead man was already being transferred to the EMTs' stretcher, and as the police retrieved Christine's phone from the taxi, they noticed something unusual.

Benedict, clad in his bulletproof vest and armed, was about to head towards Damien when his partner stopped him. "Detective Inspector Aldridge!" the policewoman called.

The phone, though cracked, remained functional. Upon opening it, they found a voice recorder still active. They saved the recording and played it, only to be shaken by the voice of a man.

"Towards the abandoned building you will go, young lady. Now is the time you will pay for all your actions," said the man, which was followed by a gunshot and a scream coming from the lady.

"You did well, but I can't trust you enough to let you live," were the final words they heard before Damien and Benedict arrived at the scene.

After a while, Damien stopped in front of a nearby abandoned building. The trail ended there, offering no clue as to whether the footsteps had gone inside or led elsewhere.

"Christine!" he shouted in frustration, halting to catch his breath. As he was about to move again, he felt the cold press of a metal object against his right temple.

"I didn't expect to see you here, too, Mr. Lane," a man's voice said.

He was about to turn around when a powerful blow from the metal struck him, sending him crashing to the ground, unconscious.

When he awoke, a blurry figure came into focus. He squinted until Christine came into view, standing with her arms bound to a wall. A handkerchief gagged her, and tears streamed down her face as she tried to shout.

He found himself tied to a chair beside a window, through which the moonlight cut through the darkness of the room. He attempted to loosen the rope, but with each movement, it only tightened further.

"You're not the first I want to see die tonight, Mr. Lane. But since you're here, I'd be delighted to see you go first before this lady," the voice continued.

From the shadows emerged the man Damien had thought he had imprisoned. He stood before Damien with a device in hand, its small red light flickering on and off every second.

"Why— How—?" Damien gasped, his breath quickening.

"You're so fixated on how you want others to see you that you're oblivious to what's happening around you," the man retorted. "I'm the twin of the one you imprisoned, fool!"

Damien's eyes widened in shock as he recalled the courtroom events when his client won the trial.

"My brother is an idiot; he didn't even finish his job without getting caught. I'm different. I burn everyone who gets in my way," he said with a menacing smile.

Damien was speechless, his mind clouded with chaos and guilt.

"You," he began. "You're the one who bombed the bar near us."

"Indeed," the man replied playfully, brushing Christine's hair aside. "That wasn't meant for you. But this next one is."

Footsteps approached, and the beams of torches illuminated the darkness, drawing nearer. "Oh, they're here now. Why is it that in the movies they always arrive so late?" the man mocked.

From his pocket, he drew his gun and aimed it at Damien, who, gripped by fear, shut his eyes.

"I don't want to end it here," he added. He clicked the gun and, without hesitation, pulled the trigger, grazing Damien's left cheek.

"Police! Hands in the air!" Benedict shouted, but the man had already vanished. A small drop of blood was on Damien's face, while Christine lay unconscious, with signs of having been assaulted.

As they prepared to rescue them, they noticed the man's device on the floor, the screen flashing with a countdown of two minutes and thirty-three seconds. "Hurry up!" Benedict ordered his backup as they rushed to save the hostages.

Minutes later, they finally managed to get the two out of the building. Just as their police cars sped away, a deafening explosion erupted from the building. As they weren't far from the scene, a burning paper flew through the air and landed in front of Benedict's car, causing it to come to an abrupt halt.

He stepped out to inspect the piece, and before it was entirely consumed by flames, the citrus ink revealed a message. Benedict read the words: "You, too, Detective."

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Author's Note:

First of all, the torchlight here is Damien’s phone. Torch is apparently a British term for flashlight.

The characters, though no longer teenagers, still display a youthful spirit reminiscent of their teenage years. This aligns perfectly with the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

My research indicates that the song represents teenage rebellion, disillusionment, and a yearning to break free from societal norms. This is embodied by the mysterious man in this chapter, who clearly exhibits traits of a rebel and could potentially be a psychopath, depending on one's perspective.

Death's call is imminent—have they truly escaped it? The story, imbued with a teenage spirit, suggests a blend of rebellion and vulnerability. Whether they've genuinely evaded Death or merely faced the beginning of its summons remains uncertain. The story hints that their struggle might be far from over.

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖆𝖐𝖊𝖗 𝕾𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖊𝖙 𝕿𝖗𝖎𝖔
~ LORAINEJD ~