Chương 8: The Misunderstanding
A young man with long black hair came out of one of the rooms and bumped into the guards who were guarding the place. They only gave each other a couple of glances, but no one stood in the way of the other, therefore, the young man safely left the place.
- Is there no problem in letting him leave just like that? - asked one of the guards as he watched the young man walking away.
- No ... we should just keep the 'guests' inside ... better still is for his 'escorts' to leave. - replied the other guard.
As if trying to reconnoiter his way back, that young man wandered around the place.
Unlike the large main entrance that would lead to the event hall, the young man had entered through a back door of the establishment that would take him through the front part of the mansion.
As he slowly recalled the path, the young man's gaze manifested being immersed in his thoughts.
"Alicia ... what are you getting yourself into?"
This he said, for, from the moment they arrived, the strange presence of men in suits who showed a kind of displeased intent, in addition to the different unfriendly treatment and, even, the sudden appearance of his 'friend' made him think that something, perhaps, worse than he thought was about to happen.
"The guy who was in the room...was he the one Alicia saw earlier?"
Unexpectedly, because he hadn't confessed it to her, Aren knew that the male she was with until a few moments ago was one of the reasons for the sudden change in Alicia, or so he thought.
- Oh ... you look lost, do you need help? - a sudden voice stopped Aren's thoughts.
Along the passageway, in front of him, he saw the figure of a man with long silver hair somewhat disheveled and with a kind smile on his face. That male who appeared only to be a good Samaritan wore black clothes like overlapping tablecloths that could be mourning, but it was inconsistent with that smile.
Aren nodded and followed him to the outskirts of the mansion.
In the gathering where strictly those women were, it was Alicia who was the youngest of them all, but that didn't let her be intimidated, although she didn't know the reason for her presence.
- I apologize for the delay, but I had to attend to some business ... nowadays the crime wave is increasing, especially kidnappings, don't you think? - spoke, the mayoress, while sipping a cup of tea.
- Yes ... it is tragic that these things happen, I understand that most kidnappings have been of young people, isn't it? - added Lois.
For the moment, Alice just stayed on the sidelines of the conversation, as she clearly didn't want to rush into speaking unwisely.
- On the other hand, that dress you have ... it's kind of ... interesting, I think? - Lois commented.
Victoria smiled- Yes ... it's an outfit passed down from generation to generation to show mourning for those who have passed away. - and mentioned with some sadness.
Alicia was a little alarmed and, at the same time, felt how out of the corner of her eye the mayoress did not take her attention off her.
Although the meaningless chatter lasted for several minutes, Lois dared to ask- It is an honor to be here, but ... For what reason have you invited us to your celebration, Miss Victoria?
Silence settled in the room until the mayoress was heard to set her cup down on the table.
- It would seem that Ms. Alicia really didn't know anything, although the news has already spread to the adjacent cities and provinces. - commented Victoria.
- Surely, she already knows, but Alicia has just arrived in Luesia. It's been several years since she hasn't been here ...- replied Lois as if trying to make a defense or an alibi.
Alicia understood less and less what situation the city was in.
- I understand, on the other hand, we have noticed that the Valdelomar group has been hiding certain information about the number of their personnel working in Luesia.
- What ... do you mean? - asked Lois with some inanity.
- The rules state that every company must send monthly reports on the turnover of its staff, but ... it seems that their reports have been missing for a couple of months.
Lois fell silent.
- Three weeks ago, we found something interesting when we went to find out what happened in one of the warehouses east of here.
Victoria pulled from an inside breast pocket a badge representing the Valdelomar group.
Lois was dismayed to see it.
- From what I understand, the Valdelomar trading group hasn't done any hiring near those warehouses, but then why did we find this from here?
- Th-That's...- Lois couldn't answer the question.
Each time the atmosphere became more and more tense.
- Miss Alicia, I must tell you the fact that Luesia is not in a good moment at the moment. And if no one has told you yet, in the last four months there have been cases of serial kidnappings and some of them have ended in murder.
Alicia looked at her without being able to understand well what was going on.
- Currently Luesia is in a state of emergency, although we have not disabled the travel and tourism services, but, as you may have seen, the amount of security is at its maximum.
- I ... see.- was the first thing Alicia said.
- Our Department of Information and Security (DIS) has been trying to find out who or who is responsible for this and, therefore, we have been searching with some emphasis on civilians entering and leaving the city.
Slowly Alicia understood where this conversation was going.
- Do you know anything else? At no time were we able to find hard evidence of who they were at the crime scenes, but, in the last sighting, the team of officers in charge of the matter say they saw the silhouette of a woman who mysteriously disappeared while being chased.
- When did it ... happen? - Alicia asked.
- About three weeks ago at the Wilbur Company warehouses.
This connected with what was said earlier about finding an emblem of the Valdelomar group.
- But surprisingly it has been more than two weeks that no kidnapping has happened ... however, since two days ago that the kidnapping of a young couple and a 29 year old man was reported.
Yes, it was the same date that Alicia and Aren had arrived in Luesia.
- Now, there is one more piece of information that I haven't told you ... according to the last kidnapping report, there is a mention about 'identity falsification'.
Alicia understood, but it was too late. The thoughts coming over her head were "I shouldn't have accepted the invitation! No! I shouldn't have come to Luesia in the first place!"
- Please don't be alarmed; we're not done yet.
Alicia tried to remain calm.
- We have located some records of certain people accused and found guilty of the crime of forgery of identity through the making of false documents ... and your name appears on them from a very young age among other crimes.
Both Lois and Alicia were silent, as there was the thought that there might be a hidden camera somewhere.
- Well, by this point they should know why I quoted them.
The word invitation was transformed into a summons as if it were an interrogation.
- It was quite fortunate to use this celebration as an excuse for you to come, but ... in case you had not come, it could have been worse for you. - commented the mayoress with a smile.
The two guests reacted with some fear, so they tried to leave the room, but remembered that there were guards guarding the doors.
Taking some sheets of paper, Victoria went on to mention- Finally I would like to ask a few things about your 'companions' ... I will start with Miss Alicia's ... Arias D. Aren was her name, wasn't it?
Alicia became even more worried about the fact that he had been named her companion.
That was when, suddenly a man in a suit similar to the guards entered the room a bit agitated.
̶- Miss Victoria, w-we found a group of three dead people near the central square ... they seem to be some of the abductees!
The three women were shocked at what was told.
- P-Possibly we have also caught the criminal!
- What do you mean?! - exclaimed Victoria.
- At the scene we found a man with long hair and traces of blood on his hands!
"Black and long-haired?" was what Alicia thought with great concern.
Immediately, the mayor sent a police and forensic team to the scene, and withdrew from the scene keeping the pair of young men inside the room for the time being.
A few minutes ago, when Aren had left the mansion, having been dropped off by the man who had helped him, he began to walk around the front square in search of food.
However, the scenery being somewhat pleasant to look at because of the unusual orange sunset, and as seeing people strolling and conversing, he was diverted to continue strolling around the place.
"I guess I'll be here for a while, until Alice is done...it's kind of boring just being cooped up." thought Aren.
Walking close to a quieté around the place he began to wander into a narrow passageway that led to an alleyway; the place was nice to look at, as it was well kept. At the end of his walk, he came to what was a neighborhood, but something was strange, there was no one there.
As he walked further in and saw the place, a single thought crossed the young man's mind.
"This ... not good."
The pleasant walk came to an end.
In front of him a grotesque scene was displayed; three inert bodies were bloodied. Two of them were women's bodies lying in pools of blood and the other was of a young man hooded at one end as if he were sitting, but with claw-like wounds on his face.
Aren began to take a closer look at the bodies without his calmness fading, it was as if he was used to seeing such a scene.
He observed the bodies of the two women and, as he approached, his shoes were stained with blood; then, standing in front of the third body, Aren chose to touch the wounds that were on the young man's face.
"How strange?" he thought with some disbelief.
And suddenly, as if it had been planned, the footsteps of some men were heard appearing behind Aren. A group wearing officers' outfits who were horrified to see the scene: three dead bodies and a man with traces of blood next to one of the corpses.
- A-This is the place where we were warned, sir. - spoke one of the men.
- That's the guy they spotted? - replied the chief of the officers.
- Yes, sir ... he matches the description of the civilians who saw him enter the place. - replied another officer.
The meaning of the order was clear.
- GET HIM!
- Search the whole area!
"Hahh... Why me?" thought Aren with annoyance.
Immediately, the young man seen at the scene was grabbed by the officers and taken to the outskirts where he was waiting for a couple of patrol cars.
At no time, Aren dared to defend himself.
One of the officers ordered- Inform the mayor and Mr. Vincent immediately!
Aren was taken in a patrol car to a police station.
Inside the room where that pair of women were locked up, one of them asked- Why didn't you tell me everything at that moment?
Lois looked at how Alicia was with her head down when she had asked her.
- I thought if you didn't know anything, they would understand that ... you had nothing to do with this. - she replied sincerely, but sadly.
Before Alicia could react or say anything, the presence of a male with long silver hair and a 'kind' smile appeared in the room and said- Capture the fugitive.
The two women watched with some concern, as they had only indicated a single one. The one chosen was Alicia, while Lois was left at 'liberty'.
Later, Alicia being taken away, Lois and her bodyguard met and watched as the young woman was placed in handcuffs by the officers in a patrol car.
Lois regretted coming to the scene, but a phrase from the one accompanying her sympathized with her.
- It was better that this happened; otherwise, it would have been worse ... besides, we have the backup plan, don't we?
- Yes ... let's move on to plan C- with determination said Lois.
The day went by and the news were not long in coming where the most heard headline was: FROM KIDNAPPINGS AND MURDER TO BEING PRISONED, THE LUESIA'S KIDNAPPERS ARE CATCHED.
Not in cells, but in different state prisons, but in different state prisons that pair had been placed waiting for the crime scene and evidence to be analyzed.
Things did not wait, because the people demanded more and more: Public Execution. And, on that same day, the trial took place.
The defense, the prosecutor, the judge and the witnesses, without any opportunity for the accused to try to defend themselves, pronounced the sentence by guillotine.
How many centuries had passed since the use of that artifact that now had been invoked to render its services again in order to calm the anger of the citizens as it had been in the past.
Alicia understood at that moment, only three days after coming here, that those smiling and carefree faces she had been seeing in the citizens, in the few walks she had been able to do since she arrived, were only a facade. It was as if the citizens were trying to pass themselves off as sheep in front of the foreigners coming to town.
"What a fool I've been...I didn't notice anything." concluded Alice in her thoughts.
On the other hand, Aren was still silent, unperturbed and serene. That made it so that the young woman beside him could find some peace amidst the slander and false accusations on the trial trail.
But Aren became aware of a presence similar to that of the man who had helped him earlier to leave the mansion and who was now leaning back watching the events unfold in that place.
Yes, it was that man who on this occasion was dressed in officer's attire and, although his disheveled appearance contrasted with the formality, he was next to the witness chair and, just as he had known him, he was still smiling, but this time his smile hid other intentions.
On the other hand, at the same time the trial was taking place, while it was still morning, down a not so crowded street there was a group of young people of about 17 years old chatting.
- Do you think everything is going as Lady Victoria plans? - asked the only woman in the group.
- I don't know ... but what I am sure is that Miss Victoria and Boss Lorenz don't agree very much with the evidence shown by Vicent. - commented another young man.
- And what does it matter ... as long as we don't find anything, we can't do anything. - added yet another young man.
Unexpectedly, as if the answers came to them, an unknown young man wearing a hood and a torn black suit appeared before them.
The group of young men were surprised, but at the same time they were smiling at the sight of that guy.
- Well, they say that the perpetrator always returns to the scene of the crime. - commented one of the young men sarcastically.
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