What began as a light shower, turned into a heavy downpour, the large raindrops hammering the world outside.

Thunder growled far away, echoing across the empty halls. The warmth of the study fireplace couldn't reach Maya. Not after what she had read.

The fat file sat open on the desk before her, and her gaze was fixed on one name, in heavy print: HAROLD DAVEN Her finger trembled slightly as she drew her fingers along the edge of the paper, as if bringing her finger to his name would make him materialize in the room.

Rickey sat across from her, expression grave, elbows on the arms of his leather chair.

“You've been on his case for a while now," Maya muttered as her gaze traveled to the date stamped beside the name. It dated back to the last three years. Rickey nodded slowly as he grabbed the file, turning it to his side.

"Yeah… too long, to be honest," he said with a soft sigh. Maya eyes narrowed.

"So why am I hearing about it now?" He leaned forward, folding his arms across his chest as he shrugged.

"Because up until now, I didn't believe Harold was connected to you in any way,” he said. Maya closed the file and pushed it aside.

"But he is, isn't he? He's very much connected." Rickey sighed for the upteenth time, massaging the back of his neck as he turned his gaze from Maya's.

"I… actually started tracking Harold three years back. He was keeping a low profile back then and no one actually even knew of his existence. He actually operated his shady businesses under the cold name, Viper.

“It wasn't in my position to interfere with his deals but then I noticed some names suddenly began disappearing-high-profile ones, that is. Diplomats, tycoons, ex-intelligence officers. all linked somehow to Harold. Or at least they had connections to our businesses.”

He paused, turning to meet Maya's gaze.

"Your mother was actually one of them." Maya's breath caught in her throat as she frowned. Lightening flashed and thunder boomed in the distance, as though on cue with the revelation.

"What… what did you say?" Rickey leaned back, resting against the shelf behind him.

"Harold and I actually had a deal with your mother,” he continued.

“We both were bargaining with Harold about a secret energy deal. A couple months later, before the conditions on the deal were met, she suddenly vanished. There was no warning or trails. Not a single clue. I didn't get the money I put in or the stuff that we agreed on. And as for Harold? He just went underground."

Maya's heart raced, beating hard against her chest as she stumbled backwards and plopped down on a stool.

“You… knew that my mother was kidnapped," she sneered through gritted teeth.

"And you didn't say a word?"

"I didn't know she was related to you in any way until now," Rickey replied, his voice as cold as ever.

"And back then, even up till now, all my thoughts were nothing but allegations. I know the kind of man Viper is. I can't just bring up these… allegations against him without any proof. The whole mafia lords would see me as a liar and that could cost me my position in the election race I'm having.”

"So your freaking position was more important than her life?" she sneered, slamming her hands down on the table the sound resonated through the room even above the thundering rain outside.

"No," Rickey simply answered.

"Don't try to turn this around, Maya. I still have my case against Harold. I just couldn't risk it then. And still, I never knew you two were related.”

Grunting, Maya quickly stood up from her sit and walked to the window. Her own reflection glared back from the rain-streaked pane as she ran a hand through her hair.

Tears threatened to fall but she blinked them back.

“So… all this time I thought my mum had disappeared for no reason, and that she had got in over her head. But in reality, she was targeted on purpose."

"Yeah," Rickey admitted softly. She spun around to him, her eyes blazing with anger.

"So what do you do now?" she asked, her voice shaking as she walked back to where Rickey stood.

“Do you have your hired goons attack Harold? Or ask him nicely if he can tell us where my mother is buried?"

Rickey inhaled slowly. "For one, Maya, we don't know if she's dead,” he said, arching a brow.

"And you need not worry. I’ll send a man where we last heard from him. I have men working in three cities. I can tell them to also be on the lookout. He won't be able to hide this time."

"No," Maya muttered under her breath. Rickey's face darkened.

"What?"

"I'm going myself," she said, crossing over to the desk. She reached for the file and shuffled through it, tearing out the page with locations Harold was last seen at written in the corner.

She folded it in half and shoved it into her coat.

"Maya, I can't let you go on this alone," Rickey said as he walked up to her, reaching to grab the paper from her coat.

"Harold is a very dangerous man. If he gets word that you're after him, he won't hesitate to kill you."

"I don't care,” she said through clenched teeth, her voice quivering. Rickey could tell they weren't shaking from fear but pent up rage.

"I have to look him in the eye when I ask him about her. I have to make him–”

"Maya, stop being stupid," Rickey yelled at her. "This isn't just about receiving answers now. You're walking into a pack of wolves."

Maya slapped Rickey's hand away before walking towards the door without a word. She paused at the door, her hands on the doorknob before turning to look over her shoulder.

"Harold hasn't met me." And with that, she walked out the room before disappearing down the hall.

Maya pulled the hood of her hoodie sweater over her head, shoving her hands into its pockets as she walked down the street.

Her eyes scanned the buildings standing in front of her for a name, one she had seen in the paper that she had torn from Rickey's file last night.

The sun had begun peeping out of the clouds and the streets were still wet from the torrential downpour the other night. The entire place was scarce of people as it was just clocking six in the morning. Cars were pulling out of garages and the homeless were crawling out of the benches and towards the community center for food.

Maya had not eaten since morning. Her eyes were heavy and she could tell from the puffiness she felt above her cheeks that she already had eyebags on her.

She had tried sleeping last night but the d*mn thing couldn't come no matter how hard she tried. She ended up spending her entire time working, searching for more clues that could help lead her to Harold.

She found a newsletter that spoke about the shady dealings centered around Blackwater, a secluded waterfront harbor that even fishermen despised going to, but not Maya.

That was going to be her next destination-but only after she finds out where that goddamn building was.

“Sh*t," Maya cursed under her breath, a warm mist spewing out of her mouth as she stopped in front of a mart.

She searched inside her pockets for a few seconds before pulling out a folded paper. After unfolding it, she scanned the words written on it, mumbling to herself before looking back up.

“It is meant to be here…” she whispered as she searched her surroundings for the upteenth time.

" Raygun Pharmaceuticals and… Co."

She paused as her eyes landed on a sign pinned to the floor in front of a large building on the other side of the street. Soot and dust covered the face, making the words engraved on it hard to read and if Maya hadn't looked carefully, she would have missed it.

“Okay," she breathed, folding the paper and shoving it back into her pocket.

“Let's do this." Maya looked around, ensuring that no attention was on her before crossing the road. A car pulling out of a driveway honked at her as she had gotten in the driver's way but Maya merely walked by.

She wanted as much as she could not to engage with anyone that morning.

“Go to hell," the driver yelled after seeing that Maya wasn't going to answer his honks before driving away down the road. Glancing at the car, she muttered a curse word under her breath before increasing her walking pace.

Maya stepped through the front gate of the abandoned building. She looked up, biting her lips as she stared at the blackened windows and ash stained walls.

The building was the home company to a pharmaceutical industry but had burned down after a fire mishap. Rumor had it that a gang led by Viper were the ones who set the building in flames for refusing to pay some money.

After then, it had been used as a meet center for shady deals and illegal activities. The community knew all about it but did nothing for fear of the gangs holding the building. Reaching for the fanny pack wrapped around her waist, Maya felt the outline of the Glock that she had brought with her.

She didn't know what or who she was going to meet there so she had decided to come prepared. All she wanted to do was check it out and see if she could come up with any clues but if there was one thing Maya knew, it was that things never always goes as planned in an operation like this. Maya arrived at the building's front door, a large set of double swing doors.

The glass pane of the door was shattered and its pieces were scattered all over the ground. Looking around, Maya stepped cautiously into the building, trying as much as she could to avoid making any sound.

Glasses crunched under feet as she made her way deeper into the building. She walked down a small corridor with a width of about eight feet that opened up at the end onto a wide platform that jutted out stage ledge, suspended above a massive open chamber down below.

Carefully, she walked down the steps, trying her best to avoid the broken tiles for fear of slipping and falling down. Some of the steps were missing and Maya had to jump past them carefully.

After a few seconds, she finally arrived at the open space, landing on the ground with a soft thud. Dust and ash rose into the air, causing her to cough and sneeze.

“This place is really old," she whispered as she waved her hands in the air, trying to clear the dust. Her voice, though small, still echoed across the large space, hinting at its vastness and emptiness.

Not wanting to waste too much time, she brought out a small torch from her fanny pack, clicking it on before pointing it to the ground. But suddenly, just as she was about starting her investigations, a large voice suddenly boomed from the front door.

“What the hell do you mean by that, Jon?” the voice shouted as the sound of boot crunching against glass resonated through the building.

Maya gasped, pulling out her Glock from her bag before slipping under a rubble of metal rods. Her eyes scanned the corridor leading to the doorway as she cocked her gun.

“I want you to get me those numbers, pronto," the voice came again. Maya laid still, holding her breath as she watched the owner walk out of the corridor. Her eyes lit up as she immediately recognized the face. Harold.