Duplus

Chapter 18:

Amaani's POV:

The sound of boots clicking on the marble floor rang in my ears. It was the only noise that filled the silence as we walked towards our destinations. I was feeling a mix of emotions— fear, anger, confusion, and guilt. But mostly I was feeling content and relieved that I was finally able to make the situation somewhat better for Lx16. It was the least I could do.

Every time I would feel my throat tightening the more I thought about what Lx16 was going through. The only way I would comfort myself was by reminding myself that Saira said she didn't harm her. I prayed soundlessly as we turned to an even darker and lifeless hallway. Though the place was in much worse shape than others I had seen, it was surprisingly clean.

"Are we there yet?" I questioned. Saira glanced back at me from the corner of her eye and gave a short nod. "Yes. Look there." Saira pointed towards a corner and I lifted my gaze from the ground to the direction she pointed towards.

I saw a small jail from a short distance. Sure enough, that was Lx16's home for some time. As much as I hated it, I had to accept it as it was. As we came closer, I noticed more details like the small window at the very top of the wall. It strained my neck to look at it as it was so high up. Its cover was lifted and I accidentally looked right into the sun. I blinked on instinct and rubbed my eyes to adjust my sight. Recovering, I leaned in towards the cell to take a peek at Lx16.

Expecting her long and dainty body curled up in a corner, I was a bit confused when my eyes saw nothing but emptiness. My eyes wandered around the cell automatically. A frown appeared on my face and I walked closer, looking in carefully. Instead, I was met by a deserted jail. That was when panic crept in.

"Maybe she went to the washroom or something", the thought rushed to mind.

I instantly twirled on my feet towards her. "Saira, Lx16—" I stopped when I saw Saira frozen. Worry was written all over her face. Judging by her expression, Lx16 probably DIDN'T go to the washroom. I gulped.

Saira stormed towards the cell and looked in carefully. I could see the fear in her eyes. In a hurry, she went past me, bumping into my shoulder along the way. She grabbed the bars and looked around us.

"This doesn't look good," I remarked.

"Good? This is disastrous!" She exclaimed, shaking me a little out of my collected state. Her tone made it clear that Lx16's disappearance wasn't something small. It was a BIG deal.

Saira acted fast. She pulled out a phone from an internal pocket of her cloak and punched in the numbers. Sweat beads trickled down her head as she pushed the phone to her ear. I let go of the shawl that was on my face and went in closer to confirm again. But again, there was no sign of her. It was like she just vanished into thin air.

As I studied the cell from inside, Saira spoke on the phone with Usama. "I don't know, Usama! I just came here and she wasn't there. Just bring Sir Jaber with you. I don't want to be blamed for this." She hung up right after and started pacing here and there with a troubled hand on her head. My gaze followed her.

"I don't believe this. How could she have left this place?" Saira muttered under her breath. Not knowing what to say or how to react, I just kept quiet. "Open up the cell. Maybe she dug up some kind of hole inside. We should check." I suggested when I saw that Saira couldn't calm herself down. I knew I had to do something.

She looked up at me and nodded abruptly. "You're right." She felt into her pocket and took out some keys. She unlocked the door with shaky hands and kicked the door open. Both of us went inside. We went straight to the wall. I checked it carefully from everywhere, looking for anything that could give us a lead on how she escaped.