Bullet Train to Murder | ONC novella ✓

17 | unknown territories

Paige looked around to find no light or people around him. He figured he was at the outskirts of the city but why had no one came to find him yet? Had everyone forgotten him and moved on with their lives already?

A deep despair filled his heart, making him feel lonelier. He pulled his knees close to his chin as he cradled himself back and forth in attempts of self comfort.

His stomach grumbled from hunger and his throat was dry to the extent he felt as if he were swallowing rocks.

His mind was a whirlwind of confusion and fear, each passing moment stretching into an eternity of uncertainty. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was terribly wrong, that he was trapped in some kind of nightmare from which he couldn't awaken.

Had it been a week already? A month? Time didn't seem to apply where he was placed. It might as well have been forever since he saw any sunlight or even heard anyone. Why was it so eerily quiet?

He reached out into the darkness with trembling hands, his fingers searching for any sign of escape, any glimmer of hope in the suffocating blackness that surrounded him. But all he found was emptiness, a void so deep and profound that it threatened to swallow him whole.

"Why won't anyone come for me?" he whispered into the darkness, "I am sorry dad. I should've been more careful. I don't know where you are but I need you."

He was greeted with a silence so deafening, it was a haunting reminder of his isolation and abandonment. He felt as if he were adrift in a sea of darkness, lost and alone with no beacon to guide him home.

Paige's thoughts turned to his family and friends, the faces of those he loved flashing before his eyes like fading memories. He longed to see them again, to feel their embrace and hear their voices reassuring him that everything would be alright.

But deep down, he knew that hope was fading fast, swallowed by the relentless tide of despair that threatened to consume him whole. His heart was heavy with fear and longing. He whispered a silent prayer for rescue, for a glimmer of light to pierce the suffocating darkness and lead him home, but the light felt too far away.

-x-x-x-

Present Timeline

The dimly lit conference room buzzes with anticipation as the team gathers around the table, each member wearing a mask of determination and apprehension.

Molly's gaze sweeps over her colleagues, noting the mix of determination and apprehension etched on their faces. They all knew what was at stake – reopening Gary Lane's case was no small task, especially with the shadowy influence of the Eye of the Osiris lurking in the background.

Detective Garcia clears his throat, breaking the uneasy silence that hung over the room. "Alright, let's dive in. We know Lane's history – petty thefts, shoplifting, the works. But what we need to uncover is the why. Why did he suddenly escalate to stealing from MallMatrix? And how does the Eye of the Osiris fit into all of this?"

Molly leans forward, her expression focused and determined. "We need to start by retracing our steps. Look for any missed clues, any overlooked connections that could shed light on Lane's motives. And most importantly, we need to dig deeper into his ties with the Eye of the Osiris. There's more to this than meets the eye."

Detective Ramirez nods in agreement. "I'll pull up Lane's financial records, see if we can trace any unusual activity or transactions that might point to his involvement with the cult."

Lisa chimed in with a steady voice, "And I'll comb through our previous interviews with witnesses and informants. There might be something we missed, some detail that seemed insignificant at the time but could be crucial now."

Sandro Tsiklauri, the newest member of the team spoke up tentatively. "What about Molly's sources? The ones she used to gather information on Lane's connections with the Eye of the Osiris?"

Molly's jaw tightened slightly, a flicker of guilt crossing her features. "We'll have to tread carefully there. The information and the sources weren't as straight-forward but, I can assure you all, that with solid evidence, it would be our ticket to cracking this case wide open."

The team dug deeper into their investigation, The air in the room was filled with tension as they knew they were getting into dangerous waters. The Eye of the Osiris is a formidable adversary, their reach extending far beyond the confines of the law. But, the team wasn't going to give up.

Word Count: 757

Another chapter is up yay! There's a lot of progress here, we see Paige's despair as he's locked up in the cold darkness and then we have Molly's team back on with the Gary Lane's case. 

I hope i am able to reach my goal for the 3rd round of ONC, the time is ticking, fingers crossed, i am able to finish it within time and submit it!

How is your ONC going? I am yet to catch up on so many updates, even outside of ONC books but, again, idk how time flies by through the day for me sometimes.. and- let's hope i can be more productive both in and out of Wattpad.

Hope you're doing well, do leave some thoughtful comments of the story so far, I hope you're liking the story so far, and.. the connections will finally be weaved together one by one, i hope i can do justice to this story and its revelations ;P

Cheers,
Sara <3