1: The Day Chance Inverted

I only have one chance to prove myself wrong, yet time has never been on my side.

“but…what if…”

What if today was different.

Outside of the cabin, London's streets were wet with the rain of previous days. In the car Johnny sat opposite me reading a Manga. He looked up and smiled.

The heavy lights at the top of the hotel we were to storm flashed in front of us.

“Michiga'ah Hotel, uh? Johnny said.

The car pulled over. I tapped his shoulders as I came out of the cab.

Behind us a long series of trucks followed us carrying operatives from the Royal Guard. Johnny slapped the body of the truck.

“Cmon lads boots on the ground, move it, move it.”

My hand rested in my right pocket as I massaged the antique pocket watch that my father had given me. Behind me the files of soldiers drew long.

My white hair lit up at the thundering in the still that sky, I nodded.

“Its time”

The doors opened before us, and before any could be alarmed we made our way to the stairs, pivoting downwards.

The lower we went the darker it became.

Johnny kept pace behind me with a wide grin, “Piero his time we will get our hands on the big one and will without fail propose you as lieutenant in the Royal Guards”

My eyes fell to the ground, a cold sweat tricking down my spine.

I'm just nineteen, there is no way I can actually…

My foot skidded, eyes catching the signboard.

“Floor 23/11W, we've arrived”

Johnny cracked his fist, “pretty greyish isn't it?”

The sound ripple in what seemed to be swirls across the corridor, endless doors lined up. The ending? Never insight.

I gulped down hard. We moved in, my coat flapping hard.

This time I will not waste my chance.

…

TWO MONTHS AGO

In the office of the Royal Guard, I and Jonny received a letter from our Boss: Frederick Arnold, of the royal house of Brightham.

“Piero, Johnny, the Post War Alliance, have fielded a request to investigate the crime scenes in the Easter shores of Blackburn, I trust I will find you well. If not, be well and deliver the results expected of you. This is way too important for us to miss.”

Johnny shoved his hand beneath my armpit collecting the paper.

“Uhm this is interesting…Piero look at this…”

Firstly though, I shoved his hand off me, sipped a coffee as I read, it was unpalatable, disgusting. The report read.

17 CHILDREN MISSING IN JUST A DAY.

WHAT?!

….

In the Michiga'ah Hotel the air was damp, humid and the rug on the ground felt like moss. My feet slid skidding here and there.

“Tch!”

Why must we always have the shortest stick of it all.

“Pst, Piero we have BUT a little window of time to get our hands on those fellas?”

My brows shot up as I tried not to lash at him, “seriously Johnny, fellas, we are in England”

Johnny continued ahead without reply. I followed suit. We moved with care until we found apartment number 33.

On the walls several petals and floral motifs were painted on unsaturated cardboard, insects infesting the wall fabric itself.

I turned around looking at the building floor. A door was half opened and empty with several crates arranged within it. Probably it was scheduled for maintenance, in the room something struck my attention.

A safety hanger turned upside down. I squinted my eyes, before crossing sight with one of the soldiers at attention.

I turned back to room 33.

Here we go-

I took a step to the door, at both sides of the door two soldiers in masks, gripping their weapons. Johnny massaged my shoulders. I cracked my bones. Exhaling deeply. I raised my palm.

My vision narrowed. A sense of turning flooded my body, soon after I was no longer there.

I blinked and I was inside the apartment, the window opened, and several children held to the corner and guarded by the criminals.

I took a step forward and saw a tiny fingerlike metal object grazing my ear.

GRAB

A bullet was in my hand.

I had to clean out my eyes at the sight of what I saw before me.

Am I dreaming, or…

That was amazing, behind the projectiles several gunmen firing without stopping. A particular one knelt in front of a door, his motion had stopped in the moment of the exit of the fire.

My hand waved at the smock. It was like a sponge

Wait…no no no, if this were fired here… then…

I slowly took my steps back, until my leg got caught on a boot. I turned.

The blood flowed from his chest staining his light brown checkers coat. Johnny and all them that followed me, laid on the ground

They are all dead…this can't be happening.

“Pie–

My eyes bedded wet.

“Piero-”

A hand grabbed my shoulders and shook me back, my heart skipped a bit. I turned and it was Johnny.

He leaned in “sir shall I give the go ahead instead…”

My eyes darted from side to side, I gulped hard and shook my head.

“Negative.”

I inhaled deeply. It was just a dream.

A pang of cold, a little shaking of the bones to quake and I pushed Johnny slightly aside as I walked over to the other room.

ROOM 34.

“Open this, all of you go through here.”

Our mass moved, and it was as though the corridor had tilted downwards.

I took one step closer to the door of the room.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

A voice from the inside asked “Who's that?”

“The good cop.”

I answered, Johnny laughed silently, his head rocking back, as they walked in.

Still the door in front of me opened. My boots calmly led the way, my hands refusing to hold my commissioned pistol.

The criminals looked at each other, some peeked out of the room. Then shot looks at themselves. The children cuddled tight together, my eyes bedding in slow tears, my face reddening unable to contain the thousand leaps of joy.

Thank goodness.

I had twisted chance in my favour. All that was left for me was to drop my hands.

In one sweep, the inner door opened.

FIRE.

Precision shots pierced the rouges. And in one surge all of them were subdued. The Royal Guard quickly brought the children out of the room.

Lavrov the logistics guy got in touch with me.

“We are seeing them” he said.

“I leave them up to you Lav,”

“Sure thing, you did well Piero go get one sleep.”

“Hahah, you too”

The line broke.

Johnny had a big smile as he dapped me. “That's my man! Man, look at the time it's morning already.”

I was all smiles.

Yes, and we did it. Finally my first successful coordinate mission ended in victory.

The two of us were left alone in the room, the last soldier rushing up the stairs. Johnny came out of room 33 skipping up and down. Happy.

I smiled holding the watch in hand. We walked and walked and walked.

I looked at my side and I was in front of the door again, this time it was the door that was half open and on it the number 33, and below it, the Safety hanger

SNAP

It began falling.

What's the meaning of this?

Johnny rushed from one side of the wall to the other, peeping.

"Johnny, if you keep running around, you will disturb the people. By the way haven't we passed by this–."

Johnny stopped. No movement. I moved closer.

"Johnny." No response.

Before my eyes, his knees gave way, his body arching backwards. He hit the ground like rock. His shirt was stained with blood. My hands quickly touched his neck pulse.

"Johnny!" I shouted.

My forehead was a bed of sweat. I pressed my handmade handkerchief on the wound. My left hand speed dialled the ambulance.

"Emergency, my friend suffered an injury, he is bleeding, we are at Michiga'ah Hotel.”

On the other side of the line the operator reassured, "we are on our way."

The line hung up. I looked around. Then the mist rose within the hotel.

My eyes swayed from left to right. The doors, ever the same, and they repeated in loop, the numbers 33 and 34.

Johnny coughed, "P-Piero..." He exhaled heavily. He lifted his hand, I grabbed it with my free hand. He swallowed hard.

"B-behind y-you..."

A katana rested on my neck, cold, swirls of mist enveloped us.

"You are coming with us."

Everything went upside down.

Before I could realise that we had fallen into a trap. But well it was too late now. From the door behind me voices and boots were approaching.

BANG

A jab to the neck, and I was gone.