Ghost of Theater two: Chapter one, "Six months later"

My breath blew away the small cloud of steam coming from my cup. The hot liquid sent ribbons of white air up until they mingled with cool draft blowing in from the crack in the window I was staring through. It was a pleasant place, with busy students stuffing their faces with pastries and attempting to study with the soft music in the background proving to them that it was indeed another distraction.
"Another distraction..." I mumbled low enough that the auburn haired waitress wiping crumbs from the table nearby couldn't hear me. The student stitting at that table looked irrated and shot the girl a glare before she moved on. Miles had said I had a habit of talking to myself in hushed whispers and he was right. My mind could not focus on a thought before it was suddenly whisked away by another. Distractions, especially in a place like The Cupboard, seemed endless. It was my job though, according to Miles, to wait and watch for the target in sight.

I wasn't watching for a person necessarily, I was waiting for an action. A word or phrase that seemed out of place; a movement that seemed stiff or a character that appeared strangely different than the folks from around here should. It was how our operations worked. We all spoke directly to Rellik Eth's about our involvements in each plan so if the time came for us to be questioned or caught we would never be able to pin each other. At least that was the idea, James was usually easy to spot for me. His job was normally the same as mine as a scout; the person in disguise collecting information. It was the way he walked that gave him away to me every time, the slight limp he'd acquired from a 'sports injury'. He had told me that was where it had come from but we all knew better when one of us lied like that. We had all come from strenuous circumstances; mysteries surrounding our pasts that lead us to the reason we came to the call Rellik gave us. Why we risked everything for a man that I had never seen but only heard about.

Miles had always been the one to supply me with the stories of the man named 'Mr. Eht'. Miles always preferred using his formal name, but Rellik was just a name and a whisper and a god that I submitted too. The others called him differently Elijah cursed and loved Rellik. He had the money that Elijah needed for his guns and weapons. Elijah swore that he would kill to get that kind of money and he had. At least that I'd heard; Elijah had been with Rellik longer than I, but none longer than Miles.

"Miles or Calvin..." I murmured then caught my breath and drank some of the warm hot chocolate to muffle the sound into a strange swallow rather than a name. We each had our own code names as well. Miles had once disclosed with me that his true name was Calvin but I had always known him as Miles so it was odd for me to say it. He knew my true name as well but called me Renee. As everyone else did; including those from the 'real world' the world I should have been a part of. Joining the students studying for mid-terms but I was here in The Cupboard waiting for the signal.

My eyes darted to faces, I looked at the boy sitting closest to me, the one who had seemed mad at the waitress. He was the only one sitting alone. I looked at the other groups on distant tables chatting and then re-focuasing on the task at hand. I looked back at boy sitting by himself and half wondered if I should approch him. He must have felt my stare because he looked at me and then moved his chair further from my gaze and closer to the door. I sighed and looked out the window again.

My first mission had been sloppy but I had learned a lot since then. We'd learned that the now descsed John Fastfier had only temportaily stopped selling to Rellik because the other man promised that Mr. Fastfiers debt would cease to exist. He said that he became aware a garnet ring shaped like a carnation flower. That key needed to be saftly shipped to the man. That was our only lead because after that the mans life was threatened and he took his own and nearly took mine when he threw our car over a bridge.

As far as Mr. Fastifer was concerened that ring was a key. The design wasn't meant for fashion but for a complacated lock. That made Rellik very intrested as to what was inside. Which gave the team a whole new job to do; find the key.

Kota, being the genius that he is, tracked the ring to a city called Lehi. Miles, James, and I had enrolled in school at Lehi High School. Though I had limited communication with Miles there. James and I would work together trying to see if we could slip the name Garnet Carnation into any conversation. Miles had more luck than myself and he told us that if he was right we would know the owner of the ring and how to get it.

I took another sip of the hot liquid. It warmed me from the inside out, I sighed happily. Miles said that someone would be coming here today and if we played our cards right then we would know the wear abouts of the key. I didn't know what was so special about any of this but it was nice to act semi-normal for once. I closed my eyes. I knew I shouldn't have but it was just the perfect day to relax.

“Renee? What are you doing here?” I looked up to see my best friend, well what would be considered a best friend if I was a real high school student.

“Hey Holly, I just thought I would enjoy the sunday air. You know? Hang I guess.” She ploped down next to me. Holly was beautiful in a big-eye-small-face kinda way. She had thick aburn hair that people at school named her 'Ginger' for but she had too much brown in it for me to consider it red. Large sea blue eyes and a heart shaped face.

“Well, I'm glad to see you. Dad's been busy with work and I usally come every Sunday here with him. I was worried about going alone but he insisted, anyway.” She proceeded to ramble about her day and her dad and how much he's changed since her mom died. Holly was a good friend and a nice escape from the pressure I'd been feeling around Miles lately. Since our first mission Miles had been granted his wish to make drugs and injections for people. He set off to work immdetaly creating things that would dissove in liquid or that could be placed in a stick of gum; making my new partner James. Now it was nearly impossiable for me to spot Miles on a mission.

I sighed, “Hey aren't you listening?” Holly snapped her fingers in my face.

I shook my head, “What?” She rolled her eyes.

“I said Michael broke up with Brooke.” She beamed. Behind Holly's face I could see that student again, his nose stuck in the book giving me a glare and then rolling his eyes. Whatever. He could think what he wanted to.

“Oh, Michael, right.” I nodded still looking around. Maybe Holly being here was a bad idea. I couldn't focus on her and the misson at the same time.

“You are so distracted Renee. What wrong with you?” Her lips puckered in disproval.

“I'm not distracted.” I argued.

“Yes, you are very distracted.” She looked me with her large almond eyes.

“It's just I've been busy...” I mumbled, sipping another drink from my glass. I looked at her face, her eye brow raised slightly.

“You know, mid-terms and everything. Its consumed my mind.” I lied. She nodded in agreement.

“Alright. We need to get your mind off of this. Lets find your type.” She stated proudly.

“Oh, Holly, not this again please.”

“Yes, this is perfect for you and this place is swimming with bachlors.” She winked at me. She pointed to a corner, I looked at my cup. I would not partisapte in this.

“How about him? Well maybe he's not your type, or him, Renee the castier is looking at you!” She whispered.

I looked up to see a boy walking this way, he had wavy brown hair and brown eyes. He carried a cup on a tray.

“Hey,” He called, “You're Renee, right?” He asked. How did he know my name? I just stared in confusion. He laughed slighly then his face changed into a smirk.

“Don't worry.” Holly patted my hand, “This is Alex, he always works Sundays.” She winked at me.

“Nice to meet you, Holly talks about you often.” This time I turned to Holly, but she ingored me and looked at Alex. “I bought this for you. You always order it and I noticed you hadn't bothered to come to my register yet.” The kid smirked again. She mearly beamed, he looked at me while he said this occansially glancing to Holly. He placed the cup on the table. Holly gingerly picked it up and blew on some of the steam.

“So where's your dad?” He questioned, “Isn't he usally here?” There was an edge to his voice, it made me feel as though I was missing something. She sipped the liquid and it dribbled down her chin. She wiped it away with the back of her hand.

“Dads busy with work.” She stated, waving her hands as if it were nothing.

“Thats too bad.” He looked at me again. “Well at least your friend was kind enough to meet you here.”

“Hows work been?” She said as she slipped through her cup, the words were muffled. Why had Holly never told me about him before? She was alwways with her dad though. No chance of having a decent conversation with him around.

“Slow. You'd be surprised, with all of these people you would think that we would be in a rush.” Alex and Holly chatted and I looked away. I wouldn't bother with questions for now. I looked out the window again as a bulky man in a large coat walked into The Cuppboard, wind blew in from outside which granted him a few glares from the studoius customers. He walked up the the frount.

“I better get back to work,” Alex shrugged, ending whatever conversation I had missed. “after all I left In.. Indiana Jones or something at the till.”

“Who?” Holly asked, her cup now empty.

“I can't remember his name, he's new.” Alex picked up her cup and nodded to me, “Nice meeting you.”

I watched as Alex walked up to the new kid, he was skinny and blonde and looked frustrated with the customer.

“He's cute, don't you think Renee?” Holly gushed.

“I guess.” I replied a little distracted by the scene at the resitser. The blonde guy at the register looked pale and scared. His body was stiff. Alex opened the drawer and proceeded to pull out money and hand it to the large man. His smile was gone and his face was serious.

“He is so your type. He's super nice to.” Holly began to babble. About Alex as I watched the skinny blonde boy talk urgetly to Alex. Alex just shook his head and the large man started walking away. He walked past the student reading as I stood up.

“Stop him!” I yelled and pointed to the large man. The student shook his head and saw who I was pointing to. He ran and grabbed the mans arm in an attmept to stop him. The man pushed the student off him and the student fell to the ground on his knees. The large man pulled out a gun and pointed it at him.

“He's got a gun!” I heard a girl from the corner scream.

“Nobody move!” The man bellowed. He turned to my table.

“Which one of you yelled? Hmm?” He pointed the gun at me before moving it to Holly.

“Was it you?” He sneered, grabbing the collar of her shirt and picking her up like a rag doll.

“N...no..” She stammered.

“Shut up!” He growled. Tossing her to the ground, she fell on her hands and knees next to the student.

“If anyone moves I'll shoot them. Now, give me your cell phones.” He ordered. No one moved, no one dared to. I inhaled and looked around. My eyes went to Alex at the till but he was gone and the skinny blonde kid was there.

“You!” He pointed to the kid, “Gather up all the phones. Now.” He barked. The skinny kid moved around the room skiddishly, asking for phones. The peoples faces were white and no one knew what to do, it was silant. The large man's eyes rested on every face, stareing them down, some looked at him, others looked at there feet. In the distance I heard sirens. I looked around but everyones faces had turned to stone. Hadn't they heard it too? The wailing became louder and closer. The skinny kid passed another group and with his arms full of devices stumbled and dropped a few. A handfull of people reached there arms out as if to catch them, but they clattered on the floor.

“Sorry.. I'm sorry.” He mumbled, dumping the pile on a nearby table and bending down to pick them up.

“Be more careful.” The large man growled, his gun aimed at the floor now. The scream of the sirens became closer to the street. The large man stragied and looked out the window.

“Who called the police?” He growled.

“I did.” A man chirped, all eyes zeroed in on the student that was pushed to the ground. He held up his phone.

“You've been on speaker this whole time.” He stated. The large man pointed his gun at the student and shot him. The noise echoed off the walls and the puncher of skin that dug into the students leg. He cried out and grabbed at his thigh. The large man looked out the window again as the blue and black police cars drove up the street. He leaned down and grabbed Holly.

“If anyone lets them in shes dead.” He warned, and dragged her limp crying body behind the counter. I jumped up and ran after her. I felt an arm grab me.

“No, its too dangerious.” A voice whispered, it was the student.

“I have to go. She's my friend.” I begged and tried to pull out of his grip.

“Lets get these people out first.”He nodded to them, I shook my head and yanked my arm out of his grip and ran past the counter to Holly. I looked around, on my right was the bathrooms and on my left was the walk-in frigde. I walked over to the bathrooms first and pushed the door open. The door hit the wall with a bang and Miles turned around.

“Miles?” He smiled.

“Well done Richie,” He winked at me. I looked at his clothes, it was a uniform for The Cupboard.

“What are you...” I couldn't finsih my sentence, I couldn't think. I just shook my head. He walked over to me.

“I'm not surprised you didn't recogize me. I've been working at The Cupboard for a while and Kota helped me monitor all the incoming and outgoing phone calls.”

“Wait, you mean,” I couldn't believe what was happening, “You found the key?”

“Well, no. But we discovered the owner. Putting his daughters life in danger might just be our chance to get it.” Holly. Oh no.

“Will she be okay?” He leaned his body on the wall of the bathroom and motioned for me to follow. I just stood there, I couldn't move.

“She'll be fine, I put a drug in her drink that will make her forget most of whats going on.” Of course he would use his injetions on her. My confusion turned to anger.

“What were you thinking? You could have got someone killed.” I almost screamed, my hands balled up into fists. He shook his head and laughed.

“Someone was shot.” I stated, “What if someone died? Who would take the blame for that?”

“Elijah shot James.” He argued, “really Renee, everything is okay.”

“What about all those people?” His eyes narrowed, and he pushed off the wall and stalked twords me.

“Renee,” He reasoned, “Indigo's gathering there phones to distract the cops while we interragte the target.” I shook my head and he grabbed my sholders.

“Renee.” He said stubbornly, “everything is fine.” He kissed the top of my head. “You'll see.”

Then he left the bathroom. I stood motionless, I was fine with sneaking around and pretending to go to a real high school but things had gotten serious today and who knew what would happen to Holly if I didn't do something to stop them. I'd seen what had happened to John Fastfier and I couldn't allow the same to happen to her. I pivoted on my heels and opened the bathroom door. I looked out in the lobby and it was empty. James, the student, was leaning agaist the wall. His arms were crossed and his face looked serious. The blood from his leg seemed to have been completely fake because he was standing just fine.

“James..” I mumbled, he turned and looked at me. My eyes swelled up with tears.

“I know.” He nodded and looked away, “I was as much in the dark as you were.”

“Will Holly be... okay?” He shrugged, we were both friends with her. She was as innocent as any of the people here not too long ago.

“I hope so.” He replied, his eyes narrowed.

“What are you doing exactly?” He nodded to the doors.

“The cops are trying to sort everthing out. It's a mess out there.” He didn't answer my question and I realized that he couldn't say. Kota had planted bugs all over James. But I knew what he meant. He wanted to make sure Holly was safe.

“Where is everyone?” I tried again.

“Gone. They tied Holly up and left her in the walk-in. But Miles is certain that she won't remember anything. No one got a good look at Elijahs face; not that it matters much anyway because he was taller and covered in a butt load of makeup.” A small smile played on his face then quickly disappered.

“I'm leaving, you best do the same.” He nodded to me before walking out the backdoor.

I looked over to where my table was and the now cold drink that had been abandoned. The gun had been abandoned too. It was lying on the counter; I walked over to where Elijah had left it and picked it up. It was heavy but plastic. I aimed it at the ground and nothing came out, only the sound of gunfire.

The doors burst open and I looked up. The police had heard the gunfire and were coming after me.

“Stop!” One yelled and fired at me. I ran into the bathrooms and locked the door. There was pounding and someone shouting. I looked at the window above one of the stalls and climed to it. My body burst with aridine and I yanked the window open and threw my body into it, scraping my sides and causing me to tumble out onto a pile of trash. I rubbed my head and the back door burst open.

“There she is!” One yelled. I jumped to my feet and sprinted as a car pulled up.

“Get in!” Miles shouted, I leaped around the side of the car and pulled the passenger side open and hopped in as he drove away. He shook his head.

“Girl, sometimes I wished you would work with me.” He laughed, “That way you wouldn't come back battered.” He laughed again. I sighed, he had given me a lot to think about. I knew he could get away from the cops easy. His hand grabbed mine and somehow it wasn't as special as it seemed before.

“I told you Renee, everything will be fine.”