The rain returned that night, harder this time, drumming on rooftops and soaking my hoodie. Eastbridge was quiet, but the streets didn't feel empty — the shadows moved just out of sight. I checked my phone again: dead battery. Typical. I shoved it in my pocket and headed for the skate park. That's where Ben always went when he needed space. Or trouble.
The park was deserted, except for the litter clinging to puddles and the half-pipes slick with rain. Then I saw it — a dark shape under one of the ramps. Ben's rucksack.
I froze. My heartbeat slammed in my chest. Hands shaking, I lifted it. Inside, his cracked phone, a folded map marked with red circles, and the photo. The photo — Ella, with a red cross drawn over her face. My stomach twisted. Who would do this? And why?
Footsteps behind me made me spin around. Nothing. Just the wind, or someone smart enough to stay hidden.
I took a deep breath and examined the map. Locations highlighted in red weren't random — the canals, the abandoned warehouse near Eastbridge's edge, the alley behind the off-licence. Someone wanted me to find something, or avoid it.
Meanwhile, Ella wasn't sleeping either. From her flat, she watched the street below, noting every shadow, every strange movement. The photo in Ben's rucksack made sense now — someone was trying to send a message. Maybe to Ben, maybe to me. Either way, she realized she was now caught in whatever game was unfolding.
I spent hours wandering Eastbridge, flashlight slicing through the mist. Each alleyway, each shadow felt like a clue. And the deeper I went, the more I felt eyes on me. Someone, somewhere, didn't want me digging.
By midnight, I finally had a plan. The map pointed to a warehouse near the canal. If Ben was being held anywhere, that was the place. My hands shook as I approached, heart hammering. But fear didn't stop me — it never had. Not for Ben, and not for the girl in the photo.
I paused, looking up at the warehouse. Lights flickered inside, shadows moving past broken windows. I didn't know what awaited me, but one thing was clear: the first clue was only the beginning.