Ben slowed as they reached the old bakery street, his footsteps softer now, like he was scared the wrong sound would alert someone. Ella stayed close beside him, hugging Lucas's torn shirt like she did not want to forget the smell or the warmth it used to hold.
The bakery looked sad and abandoned, the kind of place kids dared each other to enter at night. The windows were cloudy with dust, and the faded sign above the door still read "Sweet Crumbs," even though no sweet thing had come from here in years. Ella stared at it, trying to calm the jitters in her chest.
"Why would she bring him here?" Ella whispered.
Ben huffed, his shoulders tense. "Because no one checks this area anymore. Perfect for someone who wants to disappear."
Ella stepped closer, eyes scanning every corner. The alley beside the bakery was narrow and dark. A trash bin leaned to one side. A broken chair was half buried in leaves.
Then she noticed something.
The bakery door.
Slightly open.
Not wide. Just enough to let a crack of darkness show.
"Ben," she whispered, gripping his arm. "The door is unlocked."
Ben froze. "She's inside."
Ella swallowed hard. "Or she left it like that on purpose."
Ben shook his head. "Rita is messy, but she is not stupid. She would not just leave the door like that unless she wanted us to think something."
Ella breathed slowly, trying to steady her heartbeat. "Then let us not fall for it. We move slow. Quiet."
Ben nodded and reached for the handle, pushing the door open just enough for them to slip in.
The smell hit them first. Dust. Old flour. Something sour, like spoilt milk that had been forgotten years ago. Ella covered her nose for a second. The room was dim, the little sunlight slipping through cracked windows falling on old shelves and broken display cases.
It felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
"Lucas?" Ella called, her voice barely above a whisper.
No answer.
Ben motioned for her to stay behind him as he stepped around the counter. The bakery looked like someone had tried to clean it once, then gave up halfway through. Bags of flour lay torn open on the floor, leaving powdery footprints leading toward the back.
Ella stared at them. "Those are hers."
Ben squatted down, touching the edge of a print. "And these smaller ones… they are his."
Ella felt her stomach twist. "So they were here."
Ben stood and pointed to the hallway in the back. "They went that way."
Ella followed him, her body shaking a little, but she forced herself to keep moving. She had to. Lucas needed her.
The hallway was darker, the air thicker. Ella could almost hear her heartbeat echo off the walls. She stepped around a fallen tray and kept close to Ben, her fingers brushing the wall.
As they reached the end of the hall, they found a door slightly ajar. Light was seeping through the crack.
Ben whispered, "She's in there."
Ella's breath caught. "How do you know?"
Ben did not look away from the door. "Because I can hear breathing."
Ella stopped moving. She listened.
At first, she heard nothing. Just the distant sound of a car passing outside. Then, faintly, she caught it.
A shaky inhale.
Someone inside was afraid.
Ben stepped forward, pushing the door open slowly.
The room inside was lit by one small lamp on a crate. The walls were bare. The air cold.
Lucas sat on the floor.
His hands tied.
His head down.
Ella gasped so loudly it broke the silence. "Lucas!"
Lucas looked up instantly, eyes wide, face pale. "Ella?" His voice cracked like he had not used it in hours.
Ella rushed toward him before Ben could stop her, dropping to her knees. "Are you hurt?"
Lucas shook his head fast. "No. She did not hit me. She just… she panicked. She did not know what to do."
Ella touched his face gently, checking for bruises. "We are here now. It is okay."
Ben was scanning every corner of the room. "Where is she? Lucas, where is Rita?"
Lucas swallowed hard. "She left. About ten minutes ago. She said someone was coming for her. Someone worse."
Ella blinked. "Worse? What does that even mean?"
Lucas looked at Ben with a frightened frown. "Ben… she did not take me just because she wanted to. Someone told her to."
Ben's jaw clenched tight. "Who?"
Lucas lowered his eyes. "A man. A man she called Mister Gray."
Ella felt her skin turn cold. "Mister Gray?"
Lucas nodded. "She said he wanted me alive."
Ben cursed under his breath. "We are dealing with someone new."
Ella swallowed. "So what now?"
Ben walked to the doorway, staring down the hall as if expecting someone to appear. "Now we move. Fast. Because if Rita is running from him…" He looked back at them. "Then he is close."
Ella tightened her grip on Lucas's hands and helped him stand. Her heart beat unevenly, fear mixing with something sharper.
Someone new was stepping into their story.
Someone dangerous.
Someone who wanted Lucas.
And they had no idea why.