Chapter 43

Dane cut off the child's words, unable to listen any longer as the story suddenly drifted in an irrelevant direction. When the child closed his mouth, he frowned and spoke again.

"Tell me more about your friend from earlier. So, you say he hasn't been seen for days?"

"Yes."

The child nodded and said.

"I told the adults, but no one cares. You're a firefighter mister, so you're a hero, right? You'll listen to me? You'll find my friend?"

The child asked for help from a 'firefighter' as he had been taught at school.

"...Haa."

Seeing the bright, shining eyes full of trust directed at him, Dane looked up at the sky and let out a deep sigh.

"So."

After blinking a couple of times, he lowered his head. His eyes toward the child had clearly changed from before.

"Where is your friend's house? Lead the way."

"Yes!"

The excited child ran off immediately. Following behind him, Dane asked.

"What's your friend's name? You have to tell me his name!"

The child looked back while still running.

"Santiago! Santiago Domingo!"

"Damn it."

Running at full speed with his long legs, he caught up with the child in just two steps. Without stopping, Dane grabbed the child by the scruff of his neck, lifted him up, tucked him under his arm, and continued running.

"So, where is it?"

"To the right!"

Following the child's directions, Dane immediately changed direction. Before he knew it, dark clouds seemed to be gathering in the sky, and rain began to fall drop by drop.

* * *

A faint sound was heard. Santiago's shoulder, who was lying weakly on the floor, flinched. The child was extremely exhausted from not having had even a glass of water for days. Moreover, he had squeezed out his last remaining strength to ask for help, but the result was devastating. Just when he thought he could finally get out, the man he believed would save him had instead jumped in here.

It was impossible for a child to push the door open. Greyson had no intention of helping him escape. All that remained was despair.

Greyson, who had been lying next to Santiago holding his hand, opened his eyes. He too had heard the sound. The sound, which had been heard sporadically and irregularly, began to increase gradually. It seemed to be raining.

How strange, rain in California.

Come to think of it, there had been a time during some winter when, due to abnormal weather, tremendous rain had fallen for days on end. What season had that been?

After briefly recalling his memories, he soon reached the conclusion that it would get cold soon. Anyway, the temperature would drop, so it was a natural result.

"Santiago."

Greyson called the child's name as he got up.

"Santiago, aren't you cold?"

There was no response from the child. Greyson, who had lightly grabbed and shaken Santiago's shoulder as he lay silently, spoke again.

"Santiago, are you okay? Did you faint?"

After pausing as if waiting for a response, he opened his mouth.

"Is he dead?"

* * *

"It's here!"

The child, hanging at Dane's side, shouted while stretching his hand with all his might. Dane quickly scanned the house the child had pointed to. From the outside, it was just an old, ordinary house. Though there was a somewhat gloomy atmosphere, it might have been his imagination.

"There, you can enter through that door!"

Dane, who had run toward the side door as the child indicated, hesitated for a moment. If he barged in recklessly and got caught for breaking and entering, it would be an even bigger problem. Plus, what if the person had a gun?

The risk was too great to charge in based solely on the child's word. If he got shot for breaking and entering, it would be the worst-case scenario. Getting a hole in his stomach was absolutely not an option.

"You wait here, don't move."

After safely putting the child down, Dane first looked inside the house through a window. There was no sign of life in the dark and quiet interior. Santiago might really be sick and lying in bed. It might just be the child's empty delusion.

If that's the case, this is a waste of time...

Just as he was thinking this and turning his head, the place where he had put the child down was clearly empty. Dane, flustered, stood in place looking around, when suddenly he heard a calling voice.

"Mister, mister!"

Dane immediately turned around at the muffled shout and froze for a moment. The child had already opened the side door and gone in, and was now gesturing with just his head sticking out.

"You little..."

Dane barely managed to hold back a curse that was about to escape unconsciously. The child had quickly hidden inside, so he couldn't catch him. Dane had no choice but to rush through the side door where the child had entered.

"You, I clearly told you not to move..."

Though he scolded in a low voice, the child didn't even pretend to listen. The child, who was jumping in place with urgent gestures, pointed to a large cellar door. The child shouted at Dane, whose gaze moved from the child's face to the door.

"He's here! Santiago is here!"

Dane frowned. He could still turn back. Opening the cellar door and checking inside would be crossing the final line. And if there was nothing there, the child would probably ask to go inside the house next.

"Santi, answer me! Santi, Santiago Domingo! I've come to save you!"

The child's desperate voice reached Dane's ears as he stood with a serious expression. Just as he was about to tell him to stop, another faint voice pierced his ears.

"Alice? ...Is that you, Alice?"

The weak, drooping voice was as fragile as if squeezing the vocal cords. Hearing that voice, the child became even more urgent.

"Santi! It's me, I'm here! I'll save you now! I brought a firefighter..."

"Move aside for a moment."

After lifting the excited child and moving him to the side, Dane grabbed the handle of the cellar door. Whew, after a short sigh, he made up his mind and lifted it.

Creeak, a heavy and ominous sound echoed. At the same time, the surroundings brightened. Lightning struck, illuminating the inside of the cellar as bright as day. And Dane saw it. A child collapsed at the bottom of the stairs, and Greyson Miller looking up at him.

A loud thunder sounded directly overhead, and rain began to pour down.

3

Dane was so bewildered that he just looked at him without saying anything for a few seconds.

What is this?

After blinking a couple of times, he thought blankly.

What am I looking at?

Greyson also seemed to have the same thought, as he was just looking up at Dane.

"What..."

Dane spoke first.

"What are you doing there?"

In a situation he couldn't have imagined, he asked with an unusually dumbfounded expression. That's how incomprehensible the situation was. Could he have been kidnapped and imprisoned? Who could do that to someone of his size? How? No, the door wasn't locked. Couldn't that bastard have opened the door from the basement and come out anytime? Then does that mean he had locked himself in? Why?

But he couldn't take long. Because Alice shouted and jumped inside.

"Santi, Santi! Wake up! I'm here!"

He felt the sensation of cold rain hitting his face. The rain was now pouring in earnest. Dane belatedly came to his senses and hurriedly ran down the stairs to pick up the child who had collapsed on the floor. There was no time to deal with Greyson. Asking him for reasons, pressing him, or even beating him up if necessary could all be done later. For now, the child's safety was the urgent matter.

"Team Leader, it's an emergency. I've found a collapsed child. Yes, it seems like abuse. He's still conscious but in a very weakened state. For now, I'll first take him to the hospital..."

As Dane walked almost at a run, speaking rapidly into the radio, Alice ran with all his might to follow behind. Left alone, Greyson looked up at the wide-open door. Standing there motionless in the pouring rain, he muttered to himself as if sighing.

"Ah..."

Greyson muttered to himself as if sighing.

"I'm going to get scolded."