Chapter 7

Reese I enter Rose’s house with my own key and head toward the terrarium, where Jordan, a boa constrictor almost two meters long, is kept. Only my friend would think of naming her pet after a famous Hollywood actor, Jordan Devlin. As I watch the creature devour a small mouse, I bring the phone to my ear and call her again. No signal. She was only supposed to be gone for a week, and almost six months have already passed. She doesn’t answer my calls or messages, and she hasn’t been using her cards either. I got into her email and bank account a couple of weeks after she disappeared, when the lack of news from her started to worry me. There’s no trace of her. It’s as if the earth swallowed her whole. I huff loudly and dial Inspector Ellis’s number, a police officer I’ve worked with on several occasions. They’re supposed to be looking for her, but just like me, they have no idea where she could be. We barely talk for a couple of seconds before he offers to come over to Rose’s apartment so we can talk face-to-face. Less than half an hour later, he knocks on the door, and I walk over to open it. His serious expression doesn’t bode well. “What is it? Have you found her?” I ask worriedly as we head toward the living room. “No. Sit down, Reese,” he asks. I frown and shake my head. “I’d rather stand. What’s going on, Ellis?” The middle-aged man sighs as he looks at me from beneath his thick, dark eyebrows. “I’ve tried to get them to keep the investigation active, however…” “You’re going to stop looking for Rose?!” I exclaim, interrupting him. “Not exactly, but she’s been missing for more than five months. There’s no record of her taking a flight or using any other form of public transportation. The missing persons department is doing what it can, but right now we’ve reached a dead end. There’s no trace of her.” “What about the app? One of her subscribers could be behind all this. I gave you access to her account.” “We’ve investigated it, and there’s nothing in the private messages. The subscribers’ identities are private, and the company refuses to give us any information. We’ve requested a court order, but with these online platforms that aren’t even governed by the laws of our country, it’ll most likely take years for us to gain access to their users’ personal records. We won’t get anything from there anytime soon.” “So you’re just giving up? A girl disappears overnight and you do nothing.” “We’re working with every tool available to us, Reese.” He exhales hard and shakes his head. “You said it yourself in your statement. Rose took too many risks by going out with those guys. Do you know how many missing-person reports we receive in situations similar to hers? Hundreds. Right now, there’s nothing more we can do but wait.” “Wait,” I repeat. “For her body to turn up?! That’s what you’re implying, isn’t it?” “I understand that you’re angry, but…” “You don’t understand s**t!” I hiss through clenched teeth. “I’ve always helped you without asking for anything in return. Now all I want is for you to do your f*****g job and find Rose, damn it!” He takes a deep breath and shakes his head again. “I’m very sorry. The investigation will remain open, but there’s nothing we can do until new leads turn up.” “Get the hell out of here,” I order with my fists clenched. “I’ll find her myself.” “Reese, don’t do anything stupid. It could be dangerous for you.” “Get the f**k out!” I shout. I practically shove him toward the door, and as soon as he steps outside, I slam it shut and head back into the apartment. How is it possible for them to give up so quickly? To them, Rose is just another number on a long list of missing people. To me, however, she’s everything. My only family, everything I have left, and I’m willing to go to hell itself to bring her back if necessary. In a little over half an hour, I manage to tear the entire apartment apart. The police have searched it three times, but there has to be something that can lead me to her whereabouts. She was supposedly going to be away that week for an advertising campaign. I personally spoke to both of her sponsors, and they know nothing about it. So where the hell did Rose go? Who was she going to meet? One of her subscribers, maybe? If so, why didn’t she tell me? I drag furniture around, lift the bed, and even take apart the toilet tank before returning to her bedroom. I open the nightstand drawers and rummage through one of them. I know it’s useless. There’s nothing here, but if I stop now, I’ll fall apart, and I’m not ready for that yet. I find a watch, several lighters, hair ties, and a handful of stacked business cards that I’ve already checked before. I take my phone out of my pocket and, after turning on the flashlight, stick it inside the drawer so I can see the back. I’m about to crouch down to look when the screen lights up with an incoming notification. NFC TAG DETECTED I frown in confusion, but I immediately realize that one of the business cards has a hidden NFC tag. I dismiss the notification and, after taking the cards out of the drawer, bring them one by one close to the phone until the screen lights up again. I feel the card in my hand. It’s black metal with the image of a scorpion in silver. There’s no name or address. The first time I saw it, I assumed it was some kind of VIP pass to one of the exclusive nightclubs Rose usually frequents. I leave the card on the bed and press the screen right above the notification. I’m redirected to some kind of very strange website. The entire screen is black except for the image of a scorpion and a space asking for a password. It only takes me a few seconds to type the word Devlin. It’s her password for everything. Seriously, my friend’s obsession with Jordan Devlin goes beyond normal. It immediately gives me access to whatever the hell I’m entering, and I study the screen carefully. Welcome, R.K. Next Hunt in 03 Days. Do you want to participate? There are two boxes, one with Yes and the other with No. “A hunt? What the f**k is this?” I murmur to myself. After thinking about it for a few seconds, I accept, and the image that appears on the screen leaves me even more confused, if that’s possible. Choose the color of your bracelet. There are three options: yellow, orange, and red. Bracelet color? I roll my eyes. Most likely, I’ve entered some f*****g accessories store. A very weird one, sure, but still. I press a color at random, and a new message pops up. You have chosen the orange bracelet. You will receive instructions within the next few hours. Welcome to the Hunt. The page suddenly closes, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t access it again. After several minutes, I put the phone aside and exhale hard. I’ll receive instructions? What kind of instructions, and for what? Welcome to the Hunt. Since when does Rose like hunting? That doesn’t make any sense. She loves animals. When we were in the correctional facility, she once cried when she saw a few girls kicking a rat that had appeared in the yard. The only reason she feeds her pet rodents is because, if she didn’t, poor Jordan would starve to death. I decide to stop thinking about it and continue turning the apartment upside down, although I keep my phone nearby in case those instructions arrive at some point. Although it’s possible that the number registered on that strange page is Rose’s. In that case, everything with the card will have been for nothing. By the time I’m exhausted and sweaty after spending several hours lifting the wooden floorboards in the living room in search of some clue, I hear someone knock on the door. For an instant, I freeze. Who could it be? Rose. No, she has a key, but maybe she lost it or… I lose my train of thought as I jump to my feet. I run toward the door and yank it open. Still out of breath, I stare at the guy standing on the landing with a black box in his hands. “Are you R.K.?” “What?” I ask after swallowing hard. “I’m looking for someone named R.K. Is that you?” The guy, who I don’t think is more than twenty years old, looks at me with a frown. Welcome, R.K. That was what the strange page said as soon as I accessed it with the password. I clear my throat and tuck a couple of strands of hair behind my ear. “Yes, that’s me,” I state. “I need some identification, miss.” I smile smugly and, after taking my driver’s license out of my wallet, hand it to him. I’ve never been so glad that Rose and I have the same initials. The guy checks that they match and immediately gives me the box. He doesn’t even wait for a tip. He simply turns around and leaves without saying another word. I close the door and sit down on the couch with the box on my knees. I remove the lid and am surprised to see several dark pieces of clothing. First, I take out some kind of hooded waterproof coat, then pants with side pockets and a pair of boots. However, what catches my attention the most is some kind of black face mask. It’s like a mask that goes from the top of the nose down to the chin. At the bottom of the box, there’s also an orange silicone bracelet. I start thinking that maybe all of this is nothing more than a costume for a themed party. I’m about to leave the box on the table when I notice there’s something else inside. It looks like some kind of card or postcard. On one side, there’s only the image of the scorpion in silver. On the other, several lines are written. Rules of the Hunt: 1. Never reveal your identity. 2. Be consistent with your color choice. 3. Don’t let them catch you. Apart from those four lines, there’s only a date, a time, and an address that I quickly locate on the outskirts of the city. I’m very aware that something about all of this doesn’t smell right, and maybe the most sensible thing would be to go to the police. However, what are the chances that they’ll follow the lead? Most likely, they’ll ignore me. I pick up the face mask and put it on. It’s made of stretchy fabric and is very lightweight. I’m sure the clothes will fit me too. Luckily, Rose and I are the same size. Fuck! I don’t know what the hell I’m getting myself into, but it’s my only lead, and I intend to follow it.