Chapter 17: Charted Liar's End I
Reese had been blindly walking around the dungeon, hand pressed on the wall as he walked.
There was no light for him to see where he's going or what is in the dungeon.
He can smell the scent of rotten egg scent lingering in the area. Must be the sewers that's nearby.
Walking in the dark with a broken bone or two from the car accident has made Reese felt weak and harmless.
"Hello?" he called in the dark.
His voice echoed. No one spoke back.
It's even more eerie that there wasn't much of a sound to accompany him.
"It's just me then."
As he walked, following the guidance of the hollow walls around him, he realized he's not in a closed space.
He's been walking in a straight direction for a while now.
'I wasn't locked up?' he wondered.
Reese pressed on forward. His hand sliding from the wall and not letting go so he doesn't get lost.
His eyes laid eyes on a small white glow far away. His body feeling the vibration of something that's reverberating across the empty tunnel.
"Hello?!" he called louder.
It was dark but now there is light. He doesn't let his eyes cut contact with the light.
He walked faster, eventually jogging towards it.
'A phone?'
It was vibrating. A 9am alarm but the phone is in silent mode, only vibrating on the ground.
He picked it up, checking the batteries. It had about 7% remaining. About two bars on the upper right of the screen.
"There's a signal."
What made him felt more relieved than ever is the fact that the phone is not locked. No PIN, no password, just simply swiping it open.
"I can't believe this." it was unbelievable, almost felt too convenient even.
But he is willing to trust in it either way. He browsed the gallery to check who owns it but instead he finds pictures of scientific formulas.
Blueprints of secured locations, marking exits and guard schedules as well.
Reese is in disbelief. 'Is someone giving away information to the enemy?' it was the only answer.
He shakes his head. He has few battery life left. He needs to spend it wisely and pass on the information to someone who could help.
This can't stay with him.
He checked on the contact list to see there are no saved contacts.
Reese managed to find through the recent calls a number he could dial so he hit dial immediately.
"Come on, come on, somebody pick up please."
There was a click and Reese's hope ignited.
"Good morning, this is Gina Milton from ERN, how may I help you?"
"ERN?"
"Everyday Regional News." Gina answers. "Who is this?"
It took a while for Reese to remember why it was familiar. It was the company where Killian's girlfriend worked.
_______________________
The The Battle of the Eclipse is the longest war between humans and zombies.
Ever since the Zombie Evolution began, it was harder to kill them when they have opportunities to outsmart us.
Death count is more productive than the number of fresh recruits sent out for war.
"Adeleine!"
"Yep?" I respond.
Sometimes I get too immersed in my own thoughts that I forget I'm at the office and not at home.
Writing all about history, the Zombie Evolution and how it relates to the recent incidents that has been happening.
My mind is easily immersed in its own little world.
"Your boyfriend is on line 7." she says proudly.
She leans on my desk and starts twirling her hair.
"His voice is deep and with accent. Do you guys... you know... do voicemails?"
I can sense the underlying dirty comment in there but I ignore her.
"Goodbye Gina." I push her away before I pick up the phone.
Gina had always been the best in all sorts of gossip. She knows who's dating who. Who broke up and who said yes to who just yesterday.
Most of the time I am being very careful with the things I say around her.
But all at the same time, she is also my best friend.
"Hello?" I answer expecting to hear Killian over the phone.
"Adeleine? Is this she?" but that voice isn't Killian.
"Uhm..."
I dart my eyes around the office to make sure that Gina isn't around eavesdropping on me.
"Yes. Who is this?"
"This is Reese Kaddius." he said. At the end, he starts coughing and groaning.
Reese. That name sounds so familiar.
I mentally rack my brain to remember. Of course!
It's Killian's team leader!
Oh my word!
"Gosh, yes, yes I remember." I tell him but I kept my voice low to avoid unwanted attention.
"Listen carefully because I don't have much time. Can you write?"
I glance at my desk. All I see is paperwork I am reorganizing. Then I turn to my side where my pen and notebook is.
I stand up in a hurry, my knees hitting the bottom of the desk in the process. I bit my lip to hide the sound of pain.
"Yeah, yeah I can write." I encourage him as I reach the pen and sit back down with a sigh.
"There is a traitor among us."
That landed hard.
"I'm sorry?" I didn't mean to say that, I heard him loud and clear.
But what did he mean by that? A traitor here in the Human Region?
A traitor in the Militia? At my job?
Among him, Hilde, Killian and me?
"2-6-1-5-9-1. Did you get that?"
He just spilled that out of nowhere but I have fast hands and a good memory.
"Yeah, I got it."
"Tell Killian about it." he ordered like I am part of his team.
"I will."
"Crime scene locations have a purpose." his words are so random. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. It has an order."
I have no idea what that means. But it's probably related to their work at the Militia. The complicated stuff they normally don't share with media people.
Like myself.
"Find the right order." sheesh, so demanding.
"Mmhmm, okay." I just acknowledge him and ask questions later.
Then he starts to say more letters and numbers, a formula of the sort.
I had to write it in the doctorate degree to catch up.
"...E-8-K-"
There was static.
"Reese? I didn't pick up on the last part. What is it?"
For some reason the noise just kept getting louder. I couldn't hear him clearly.
"Hello?"
"It's E-8-K-"
The call got cut off.
He wasn't even finished explaining!
I put the phone down slowly, staring at the notebook filled with his random instructions.
If I am going to sum it up, I have a bunch of numbers, an accusation of a traitor among 'us', whoever it refers to.
Great.
The first step now is to call Killian and tell him all about this.
I stand up and I groaned in pain. My knees throbbed. I forgot I hit the desk earlier.
Okay correction, first step find some ice. Second step call on Killian.
_______________________
Reese fell down on the ground. The LED indicator on the phone on his hand blinking red. The bars on the upper right are empty.
"Why didn't I call Ana first? Idiot." he cursed under his breath.
His last hope is passed onto a journalist he barely knew.
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