The Disparate One

Chapter 20

Oxford barged into their room where he saw the same horrifying sight of one of the windows wide open. He shut the door, stomped to the window, and then looked menacingly at Ray. He quickly stepped back when Oxford shoved him against the wall with a thud.

Oxford, teeth-greeting, gripped Ray's neck, but before he could choke him to death, he quickly let go when Ray defended himself, claiming that he was in the shower when he heard something.

Oxford spat curses when he moved around the living room, rubbing his face, stretching it, as if he was going to rip himself to pieces. The noises of the outside world poured through the window, reminding the two about the problem. Ray, after catching his breath, causally closed it shut at the exact time when Oxford stormed out.

Ray swallowed, glancing at the window, scratching the back of his head.

"Goddammit, Fier!"

Why here and why now? Couldn't Fier wait a little bit longer for them to return to New York to escape? It would definitely be easier for them to find him. Especially after recalling his story. Ray's eyes grew larger instantly while snapping his fingers. He remained somewhat calm when Oxford returned, also in a relaxed state.

"Let's not panic..." he said, which made Ray secretly roll his eyes.

"Can't you just track him?" Ray crossed his arms, remembering how Oxford found Fier in his first escape.

Oxford looked at Ray. He's right! He hurriedly brought out his phone and opened the tracking app. He grunted with relief when Fier's location appeared on the screen. He was crossing a street, not too far from the hotel. They had no idea where he was heading, but they insisted on catching up before losing him. With that, they hastily grabbed their jackets and rushed out to the hall where they stumbled on Oxford's family, all dressed up extravagantly.

"Oh! Where are you boys heading?" the wife asked.

"W-we're just heading out. What about you, girls?" Oxford returned.

"We're going shopping! You boys should come with us!" said Azalea with a gleaming smile.

Oxford glanced at Ray behind him.

"Oh. It's alright. But we can walk you there."

They walked through the busy streets of London where Ray was fascinated by the different styles of architecture, double-decker buses, and old-fashioned taxis running around. He wanted to spend more time admiring this city, but they still had a problem to deal with. Unfortunately, the girls' destination was in the opposite direction of Fier's location. This made Oxford worry.

Finally, when the girls turned to the shop, Oxford stopped Ray at the entrance where he handed him his phone.

"Just in case..." he said, glancing at the girls skipping through rows of items of clothing, he brought out another phone, his backup, "...wait here."

Ray kept his eyes on the screen, seeing the animated, translucent wave coming from Fier's moving circle. He pinched in, marking the street names and other landmarks. When Oxford returned from telling his family that they would be heading someplace else, they began their pursuit.

They speed-walked through the city streets, carefully forcing their way into the afternoon rush hour. Both kept their phones in their grasp as their location approached Fier's. His circle remained in a park. He noticed it wasn't moving anymore. He didn't know whether he should be glad or worried. Oxford was definitely worried.

A few minutes later, their pace had gotten slower when Oxford began gasping for air. He should've listened to his predecessor when it comes to endurance. Ray tried to lead the way until Oxford clung on to a pole. His body limped and his knees became jelly.