Right Here At The Ridges
That show of strength really had its desired effect as those paparazzi were left pallid and gasping in relief. Rokan Hill's a perilous place with dangerous roads and a frequent haunt of street racers. Out of considerations of safety, it might be better to not come back here again.
While they were engaged in discussion, the roaring of beasts reverberated from within the wilderness, and several eagles started to circle in the air as well. That spooked them enough to jump into their cars and scoot off.
"Bunch of sickening cowards, " Freda cussed as she drove.
Carla stared at the skies beyond the windows at those soaring eagles. "Did you hear that just now?"
"Could be some wild animals, " replied Freda, seemingly unbothered. "You'll get that here sometimes. They probably came out in protest after being alarmed by these people."
Quietly lost in thought, Carla merely teared up a little.
A while later, she picked up the phone and called Charles to ask about his progress on Zayn.
"We were working on some leads yesterday, but nothing came of them." Charles sounded a little disappointed when he spoke. "Goddammit. I've never felt this defeated in years."
"I really have to hand it to this Derelo. With so many people tracking her, she could still manage to vanish without a trace with an unconscious man in tow. Now I can see why Harrison has been telling me that she's a monster and the one person in this world apart from Mr. Lierger that you don't want to mess with!"
"Uh…" Rarely had Carla heard Charles having so much to say in one sitting, and also communicate with this much emotion. Even more unexpected, was for him to encounter someone who had impressed him for the very first time.
"Several of my men had been knocked out by her gas and hasn't come to yet, " Charles continued to cuss away. "Of course, the Gold family are doing comparatively worse off on their end as nobody they sent after Derelo managed to get back in one piece. I think they might have been scared off, seeing how they seemed to have reined it in a little today."
"Where are you now?" Carla asked.
"Following the leads from before had brought me to Baykeep. Right now, I'm combing through an abandoned warehouse, " Charles replied. "How are you doing over on your end, Ms. Lierger? Are you short of manpower? Shall I send some people over?"
"It won't be necessary. All of you should stop looking, " Carla declared. "Send your wounded personnel for treatment, and have the rest meet me back at Northridge."
"Huh? Are we forgoing the search?" Charles sounded a little surprised. "Although the Gold family has eased it off today, that doesn't mean that they've given up on finding Mr. Giblo. He and Derelo could still be in danger should they get to them first."
"I know what I'm doing, " came Carla's bland reply. "You guys must be worn out having been at it for the past two days. Wrap things up and reconvene with me back here."
"All right." Seeing that Carla had her mind made up, Charles desisted from pressing further and went on to make the necessary arrangements.
"Why have you suddenly decided to discontinue the search, Ms. Lierger?" Freda asked.
"I suspect that Derelo is right here at the ridges." Carla narrowed her eyes and gazed at the wild eagles fading further and further into the horizon. "Perhaps, she's holed up somewhere inconspicuous and secretly administering treatment to Zayn…"
"Huh?" Freda stared with eyes gawking. "What led you to such a conclusion? There isn't—"
"Aside from Daemon, she's the only one who can summon beasts." Carla's lips curled into a smile. "I suppose she must have been annoyed by those journalists, and that's why she sent out those animals to chase them off the ridges."
"I see, " replied the enlightened Freda.
Elsewhere, over at the backyard loft.
Derelo scanned the skies and whistled at those eagles that promptly flew off and away from Southridge.
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