Chapter 52: Please be safe

"Ding dong, ding dong..."

Lucy waited for a while after she rings the door. She was pacing in the corridor, waiting for the door to open.

Her mother was supposed to come down and meet her at the infirmary, but she never came down. She has called both Suzy and her mother, but nobody answered the phone.

Feeling rather impatient, Lucy knocked hard on the door. Her brows knitted together in worry.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

"Mom, Suzy, are you in there?" Lucy bellowed.

"..." Still no answer. Lucy paced through the corridor and she played with her hands. Her mind was thinking about what her mother just told her on the phone.

'There was nothing mentioned about she was going somewhere. She just said that she will be down together with Suzy this morning.'

Looking at the still door, Lucy becoming more anxious.

'Just where are you guys? Mom.. you said you will be down with Suzy this morning... what happened to you guys?'

Lucy pushed aside her feelings and took out her phone again. She checked for any messages from Suzy, Seth, or Jane.

'There were no messages whatsoever. Guys, you are so cruel!'

She drop them a message in anger. "If you are going somewhere, you should have said so to me! Not leave me here all alone and worried about you guys!"

'Great! No one replied... why am I the only one who is left in the dark?!' Lucy banged her fist on the door in frustration.

'That's it! One last call!'

Lucy makes a call to her mom again. It rang a few second then it died.

Still no answer.

Flustered, Lucy went away from her mother's studio and walked towards the suite next door, her sister's.

"Ding dong, ding dong... Suzy? Mom? Are you there?" Lucy rings the doorbell and bellowed from outside.

'Are they inside?'

Feeling something was wrong, Suzy leaned her body closed to the door and she tried to listen for any sound coming from inside the room.

She heard nothing.

Finally the thought of being abandoned by her mother and sister sinks in. Lucy's shoulder drops to hunch and she whispers.

'Come on. Where have you guys been too... Did you guys just left me here?'

'Please, I am sure you all are not that heartless!'

Lucy bit her lips as she speaks.

'Mom would never leave me behind without saying anything if there is no emergency... Right, dad! Something must have happened to dad.'

If anyone were to know something has happened to her father and uncle, that would be Jason.

Lucy suddenly was recharged with the sudden realization.

'Jason should know if anything happens to Seth or Ben.'

"Hello, Jason, have you heard anything from Seth or Ben? I have called them a few times, but the line did not connect."As soon as the line was connected, Lucy quickly asked Jason about her parent's whereabouts. Lucy bit her lips as she waited for Jason's reply.

Jason was startled when he picked up the phone, and to hear Lucy's questions."Hello, yeah, Ben did called me yesterday right after they landed in Hawaii. No, nothing happened, but he said the situation there is not that great. Somehow, the volcanoes keep erupting ashes and the land was experiencing earthquakes much more frequently. The weather was quite bad and Seth also mentioned that he could not come back to Alaska in these few days, as promised. They have to wait until the air clears a bit before the plane can take off." Jason spoke to Lucy cautiously, afraid that Lucy might have any misunderstandings.

Lucy bit her lips and did not reply anything to Jason. "So dad could not come back..."

"What about my mother and sister? Did mom say anything about where has she gone?"

"Your mother? Jane? No, she did not call me or anything... why, what happened?" Jason frowned his eyebrows and took out his tablet, checking for the bunker entry report.

Jason checked thoroughly the report, before he saw Jane Lu name listed on them. "Oh, your mother left the bunker this morning with your sister. But she did not call me before she went out. Probably something came, so she has to go somewhere. Don't worry too much. They should be okay."

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. She felt her throat dry and felt like the blood on her head backflow.

"They left together? How about the selection then? Did they mention when they will be back? Why... why left me here alone?" Lucy's voice was so faint like she was very far away from the receiver. Lucy felt like her world is spinning, and she crouched on the floor.

Jane has never left her before without saying anything to her.

Suzy always depends on her sister to do anything.

Why would they leave in a hurry?

Is there something that happened that she did not know?

Jason sighed. The reason why they left together as stated in the entry report, but after he heard Lucy's voice..., he felt that it is better if Lucy did not know the truth.

Jane has written, 'visiting relatives in China' in the logbook. The CCTV also captures both Jane and Suzy walkout from the gate with a bag pack with them. The reason why they left together but left Jane here in the bunker was unknown.

"Lucy, are you okay? Probably they will be back in a few days. I will try and check with Seth about Jane. You just have to prepare well for the physical health exam this afternoon okay?" Jason spoke softly to Lucy. After he heard a soft hum from Lucy, Jason ends the call.

He knew that Lucy must have felt abandoned when her parents left her in a hurry to go to China.

'Is Jane really abandoning Lucy here? Why would she do that?'

Jason slap his face a few times and said, "Think positive, Jason. They are a family!"

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"Mom, is uncle going to fetch us?" Suzy jogged to catch up with her mother.

Jane looked at Suzy and smiled bitterly. "Yes, he is here at the airport. We should be able to see him soon." Jane looked at her watch and her gaze wandered to the departure gate, in the hope of catching a glimpse of his brother.

'Lu Sheng said he will come and fetch us at 4.30 pm. Now it is only 4 pm.'

Jane slowed down her pace and looked at Suzy. Suzy was rubbing her stomach and pouted. Jane understands the meaning of the pout. Suzy is hungry.

"Suzy, your uncle won't be here till 4.30 pm. Do you want to eat something while we wait?" Jane asked Suzy.

Suzy frowned at her mother and asked, "You were so in a hurry just now that we can't even wait for Lucy, but now you want to eat? Mom, tell me what is going on? what is with the no cell phone, no gadget thingy is all about? Why is it so mysterious?" Suzy is hungry, but she is angrier at Jane for leaving hastily like a criminal.

'Mom is always mysterious! she never shares anything with me!'

Suzy crossed her arms around her body and she froze on the spot. She could not understand her mother. As soon as she got the phone call from uncle Lu Sheng, her mother turned incognito. Without saying anything, Jane just packed her bags and dragged Suzy with her.

They only left a post-it note for Suzy inside her studio. No phones and no other communication device allowed if Suzy wants to go with her mother.

"Its nothing. I have urgent matters to deal with your uncle Lu Sheng, and I need to go back to China soon. Suzy, would you like to go back to China with me? Your dad is in Hawaii, while your sister... your sister is occupied with something right now. I could not let your sister take care of you..." Jane looks at Suzy with teary eyes.

Feeling flustered, Suzy answered in a haste."Mom, you don't have to ask. Of course, I am willing to follow you. As long as you are with me, I am fine with anywhere. It's just, I don't like for us to be disconnected like this. Lucy and dad will be worried." Suzy looked up at her mom and continued. "Don't you think so mom?"

Jane did not say anything in reply. She just nodded her head in silence. Jane knew her actions seem suspicious, but she could not disobey her brother.