𝖇𝖗𝖚𝖙𝖆𝖑 _↱LOUIS PARTRIDGE

root beer

The sunlight peaked inside the room, dressed in purple, through the curtains as the brunette stirred in her sleep. The alarm ringed, louder than ever, causing Navya to fall down from her bed. Groaning, she sat up, rubbing her elbow.

"Morning, Navs!" Millie's voice filled the room as she entered with two mugs of coffee.

"Morning!" Navya smiled and took the coffee mug.

"How are you feeling?"

"Dont ask. My head is spinning as fuck. I aint getting drunk again."

"Well, do you remember... what you did last night?"

"I signed the contract."

"You remember!"

"I wasnt drunk enough then. Just took a few shot to held the courage and sign the fucking contract. Oh Mils! What did I do?"

"Are you regretting?" Millie looked at her friend.

"Of course not! Lets get ready!"

"I like the energy."

"I dont wanna be late on my first day again."

✧

"Are you sure that I will be able to do this?" Navya asked as she walked in the lift with Millie.

"You will do great."

"Mils, I read the case file. Its a serial killing case. I never worked on anything like this."

"Dont worry. Neither did we. And oh.. here we come!"
Millie almost dragged Navya out off the lift and walked in the agency kicking the door open.

"The hell of an entry that was Millie!" one of the agents said. "Who is this?"

"Mike, that's our new agent," Millie said.

"Hi! Navya Flick," the brunette extended her hand.

"Mike Davis. Pleasure to meet you, Navya!" Mike took her hand and shook gently.

"Same here."

"Navs, come, I will show you your cabin."

Millie took her to a spacious cabin adjacent to Louis' one. While passing by his cabin, Navya didn't hesitate to peek inside, only to see Louis holding a glass of alcohol. Navya looked away from his side and concentrated on what Millie was saying.

"You can settle down for a bit. We will have a team meeting in a few minutes."

"Sure Mils. Hey can I get something to drink?"

"We got amazing root beer. Wanna drink?"

"Bring it on babe!" Navya flicked the pen from her desk and grinned.

"Coming in a minute then."

Millie left the room, closing the door causing Navya to walk around her new cabin. It was good, actually better that her previous one.

I will do amazing here!─ she thought to herself.

She opened the case file and turned the pages, reading every line carefully, until someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"Hey Navya! Root beer?" Mike said holding up two bottles.

"Thank you!"
Navya took the bottle and without wasting a minute, she brought the bottle to her lips taking a sip.

"No one likes root beer much," Mike mumbled.

"I love all kinds of drinks. Alcoholic or not"

"Oh, they are waiting for you in Louis' cabin."

"Why?" Navya scrunched her nose.

"Team meeting."

"Oh yeah. Yes, I am coming."

Navya almost jumped from her chair and rushed to Louis' cabin.

"Sorry, I am late." Navya mumbled.

"Its alright. We didn't start yet."

Louis' voice made her look at him. And the look turned in a stare and she looked down when realised he was looking too.

"Recently we found no body," William said.

"Six murders occurred. You want some more?" Navya said calmly.

"Actually... what I meant is the killer must be... well I dont even know what I meant."

"I think we should start from the beginning. From the first murder," Millie said.

"We did that thrice. And we got nothing," Louis said, almost yelled.
"It will be a waste of time."

"It wont be." Navya stood up.

"What made you think that?" Louis looked at her.

"Because you guys didnt have me then."
Navya smiled at Louis, causing Millie and William to look at each other.

"And what exactly you wanna do?"

"I wanna see the bodies. They all are here, right?"

"Yes. In the freezer room."

"Then lets go and yeah I need all the files from the first murder."

"You will get all of them."

The four walked out off Louis' cabin and headed towards the freezer room.

"Hey Mike, send all the L files in Agent Flick's cabin,"
Louis said, causing Navya to look at him.

Agent Flick, she liked how it sounded from him.

"Will do."

"L files?" Navya looked at Louis.

"You will get to know soon."

"Navya, this is our lab, and the freezer room is inside. You can go in." William spoke.

"Aren't you guys coming?"

"Not want to see the bodies again," Millie mumbled.

"I will come with you."
Louis said and walked in the room, but stood by the curtains as Navya walked to see the bodies.

"Louis is behaving odd..." William started.

"..Ever since he met Navya," Millie grinned.

"He is so in love."

"Hell yeah."

"Shut the fuck up you two."

Louis said removing the curtain. He gave them a odd look and walked in the room.

"Uh.. Agent Partridge, wasn't expecting you?" the young man stood up seeing the two walking in. "And is this?"

"I am Navya Flick. New recruit."

"I think I have seen you before."

"Maybe. I was on a break from six months."

"Agent Flick, this is Dr James. He does all the autopsies and medicals of the victims, criminals or even us." Louis introduced as Navya nodded.

"Dr James, can I see the bodies, please? All six."

"Yes. This way."

Navya and Louis followed James to the inside of the freezer room. Cold air making Navya shiver a bit. James opened the chambers showing six bodies placed according to numbers.

Louis stood at a distance as Navya looked closely at the bodies. Among the six bodies, four were male and two were females. And all the murders had a same pattern with an odd label on all the bodies' left ankle.

"Louis?" Navya called, causing Louis to walk over her side.

"Yes?"

"Is this the reason for L files?"
Navya said, pointing to the labels on the feet of the bodies.

All the six bodies' left ankle had a similar letter with different numbers. The six numbers of those bodies were like; L1, L3, L4, L5, L7 L8.

"Yes. What do you think?"

"Well, it says many things."