LARKSPUR

15 years ago...

In the city of Yorkshire, a man in his late thirties, is talking to his wife at their home in the hill county. His wife has been pushing him to go out on a date with her but he's a bit sceptical about it. Morrison Bullock is that man; a fair, 5'11, British man. He has a mustache that ran across the bridge between his nose and his lips but had shaved his beard recently. Morrison looks up some fancy restaurants available for reservations. He finds one and tells Camilla what she thinks about it. Camilla finds out it's a Royal Restaurant and beams. She decides to get her best dress for It.

In the restaurant, Morrison and Camilla are having the time of their life, chatting, eating, laughing. Camilla decides to take a call at the restroom to check on their child. Meanwhile Morrison sits down and waits for his wife while texting his assistant, Angelina on the next project. He notices another man come in with his wife. The man, Donald Thorne, was his business rival. Both men were tech moguls, although Donald had gone through some shady business to get to the place he was. Morrison couldn't shake off the feeling that something is wrong somewhere.

Once Morrison notices that Camilla has not returned from the restroom, he decides to check up on her. He sees that many people were gathering the restroom. The sound of sirens screeches through the window. Donald and his wife leaves the restaurant in the commotion as someone calls up Donald.

Morrison shouts and cries as he sees Camilla collapsed on the floor with two stab wounds bleeding. The emergency workers soon arrives and one holds him down while two others carries Camilla in a stretcher and rolls it out of the restaurant with people looking in pity and remorse.

________

"Hmm"

Connor exhales heavily. He was staring at his computer, anxiously anticipating something to pop up on his screen. He has been applying to different colleges for scholarship due to his good grades and yet has not been called back for an interview for any. He tries his luck at Oxford, Cambridge and many more. No response from any of them.

"Connor! Don't forget Richard's" His mother's s voice screeches from downstairs. Connor checks his watch and sees it was half past six. He ignores his mother and checks his admission portal and yet it was empty. He closes the portal and closes his eyes; thinking deeply.

Connor decides to log into his journal. He sees the front page and the date. 2/2/20. The last time he saw John. The day he started this journal. The day he closed himself to the world.

"John. Hmmm... I just hope you're somewhere safe." He begs silently as he continues to write about his problems. Today was titled 'ANOTHER DAY OF NOT GETTING A RESPONSE FROM HIS DREAM COLLEGE OR THE POLICE ON HIS BROTHER'. A bit long but Connor doesn't mind. He fills in the context, ranting and lamenting about his life and his parents' increasing conflicts. Some noises can be heard in the background. Glass shattering. They are arguing again.

Connor slams the laptop down and picks up his smartphone. He decides to text Richard to tell him that he's coming over and he's eating dinner at his place. Richard texts back: Why not home? Connor texts Richard back: There's war at home.

Connor picks up some papers from the desk. He folds them and shoves them down his pockets. He walks out of the room and closes the door.

He walks past his room towards the stairs, then he sees another door. It has been locked for a while. Connor stares at the door and went blank for some seconds. There were some graffiti on the door. He then begins to feel some surge of pain in his chest and his eyes becomes a bit watery. He pulls his eyes away from the door and walks down the stairs.

" What the hell is this?! Carolyn!" His father shouts as he talks a spoon from the plate.

" It's food! David!" Carolyn fires back " You would have known if you weren't busy horsing around with other women!"

David's eyes become red. He rushes at Carolyn, grabbing her by the hand. His grip was so strong that Carolyn couldn't let go. She screams and she shouts.

"Keep quiet. Or I'll-"

David cuts himself short as Connor walks down the stairs. David pushes Carolyn off. Connor looks at them with disappointment before plugging in his earphones and walking out of the door. David glares at Carolyn.

"See what you've caused! Making me look like a monster in front of him."

"When you don't even care about how he feels!" Carolyn whispers. She knows that attacking David now is a death sentence. She has been going through a lot since John went missing.

David leaves her and walks into the room. Carolyn sinks down and weeps. She couldn't take It anymore.

--------

It's 5:43pm. They should be here by now.

Natalie is seen standing at the rooftop of an apartment complex, staring with her binoculars at an abandoned warehouse opposite the complex.

She seems tensed, like she was waiting for something or someone to show up. But all she could see, are children playing by the streets with their ball and some old man shouting at them.

Five years of my life should not waste. I don't want another roadblock.

As she was soliloquizing, a truck pulled by the warehouse and some men pulled out. They were six in number. One of them was a fat man who seemed to be the leader of the group. He turned to the truck driver who was still in the driver's seat.

"Hey, Jaden!" The man said to the truck driver. "Stay here and be on the watch out!"

"Yes, Craig!" Jaden said with a shrug.

Craig tosses some bunch of keys to Jaden. "We are locking ourselves inside. In case of any shit going on, you know what to do." Jaden was very dismissive as he nods. Craig sensing something was going on in Jaden's mind.

"Don't try anything funny" He said before leaving.

Natalie focuses the binoculars on the keys. "Bingo!" Now all she has to do, is find a way to collect the key without them noticing it's missing. Luckily her key collections will help her with that. Her uncle had told her that replacing real with counterfeit is a Spy's Trade. She searches her bag and finds a replica.

One question is left. How will she get the keys from the man in the first place? She remembers something. She focuses the ball to the house near the warehouse. The children were still playing there, this time with a ball. An idea struck her mind.

The six men leaves and walks towards the building. Craig opens the warehouse door and they all walked in. Craig locks the door behind them.

Natalie seeing this open opportunity, walks out of the apartment rooftop and as she comes out of the main complex, her outfit has changed to a brightly coloured shirt and a deep blue skirt, and she was holding a key and carrying a small purse. She'd left her bag at the rooftop.

--------

The door bells rings. A woman in a mid 40s is cleaning the living room with a vacuum cleaner. She turns it off as she hears Connor's voice. She was about to reach for the door when a boy barely 16 years, comes dashing out of the stairs.

"Don't worry, mama. I got the door!" He says as he reached for the door

She looks at him with a smile itched on her face. Richard dashes to the door and flings the door open. There stood Connor, trying to bring out something from his bag.

"Connor!!!" Richard shouts with excitement. Connor finally dragging out the paper, looks at him and laughs.

"Bro! Richard! How are you doing?" Connor asks, walking in. They gave each other a handshake, followed by a dab and some shoulder exchange.

"I'm good! Bro!" Richard gives him a feel-good reply. Connor looks over Richard's shoulder. Rose had left the living room and has gone inside to get some dessert for them. She is coming in with a tray. On it, a plate filled with cookies and two cups of milk. She lays it on the table.

"Good evening, Madam Rose. You look stunning!" Connor compliments her, even though she was just dressed in housewear.

"Ohh Connor! I'm not wearing anything special. But thank you!" Rose says beaming. She was in a very elated mood that day. "How are you doing too?"

Connor has grabbed one cookie. He is munching on it already. "I'm going fine, Ma'm." He manages to respond through his muffled voice.

Richard is hyper and energetic. He is ready to play some video games with Connor. Connor wasn't actually a fan of it as he was more athletic than video game type. Anyways He has to do it because Richard's his best friend.

"Hey! Let's continue the story level of Doktor II." Richard said. "I am ready to beat you once again!"

Connor wasn't interested from the look of his face. "Richard! I came here for something else!" He says with all seriousness.

Richard's face changed. He is a bit disappointed but more curious. "What's it, bro? Updates on John?" He asks.

"Not exactly!" Connor says in disappointment, but he continued. " You know yesterday night, we scouted the last area around his trail from our school to my house..."

Connor pauses. Richard looks at Connor. He is silent but he stares deeply into Connor before raising eyebrow. Connor seeing this, continue speaking.

" We are going to check the only area we haven't. The one that is very inaccessible!"

Richard's eyebrow furrows in confusion. " The new University?"

Connor looks at him with determination. "Yes! The new University."

--------

Jaden had just insert the ignition key and turned the van on. He tunes in to some country music. He grabs a bottle of beer from his counter. He has time now to relax before he continues with his job. At least Craig and the others are going to stay in for about 45 minutes. He sighs. He pops open the cap from the bottle. He gulps a large portion of the drink before placing it in the bottle holder by his side. He drops his key on his chest and raises his leg above the airbag.

Soon a ball at a high speed, hits his car and then bounces off. He jerks forward at the sound, hitting the key off his chest into the floor. The beer falls back and pours on the floor. He looks at the mess and he tries to clean the mess. He stops and peeks through the window.

"Yo! Kids. Take hold of your ball or it will never roll again!"

"I was saying the EXACT SAME THING!" The old man about his late sixties laments.

Natalie is by the side of the gate, watching the events unfold. She realises that the distraction was not enough to get him out of the car. She needs to think of another thing. Another strategy. She takes a peep at the inside of the van and she spots the beer. She has another idea.

Jaden looks into his van. His beer was almost wasted and there was a lot of mess on the car. He was trying to clean up. He comes out of the car and was looking for a rag, when a woman in a bright pink shirt and a blue skirt walks up to him. She seems like a jolly fellow. Jaden looks at her with a glare

"Hi, I'm Marley. I can see you have an issue with your van." Natalie-now-Marley comments. She places her right hand on his left shoulder. Jaden shrugs her hand off his shoulder.

"No thanks." He says coldly

Marley is a bit okay with his response and leaves. Soon some of the children starts to shout. Jaden seeing this, is a bit worried. He leaves his position to see what was going wrong. Marley hides behind the van and watches him walk to the back of the van. She comes out of her hiding. She searches the car for something and there it is. The key!

Jaden sees the kids all staring at the back of his van. Yep! It was dent and the ball had somehow rolled under his van. He wanted to ask how but he was already tired. He looks at them.

"Please help us, kind sir!" One of the boys looks at him with a worried face. Jaden sighs a bit annoying and dismissive. He bends down and reaches out for the ball.

Marley decides it is best to clean the stain first. She takes out a piece of cloth and damps It on the liquid for some time before tossing it in the trash. She then takes the bunch of keys, picks one of it and replaces it with her replica.

Meanwhile the old man could see Marley searching through the van. "HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THAT YOUNG LAD'S VAN?"

Ohhh Shit! Marley whispers to herself. She had just gotten the keys. That man had seen her. She has seconds.

Jaden has just gotten the ball out when he heard the noise from the old man. Other people turns to see why the old man was shouting through his window. Jaden rushes towards the van but sees no one.

"SHE'S GETTING AWAY! SHE'S GETTING AWAY!"

The crowd, as well as Jaden scans around the van together but no one was there. They begin to suspect that the man might be suffering from some brain issues or was mad.

Jaden checks to see that his van was still as he left it. His mind goes to the keys. He searches for It but finds it on the floor. He counts and checks the keys and is relieved. He looks around for Marley who was nowhere to be found. There was no sign of her. He shrugs it off and enters the car. He also noticed the stain was a bit cleaner. Marley's an angel. Wish I could thank her. He continues what he was doing but this time, he pulled out a cigarette and grabs his lighter.

Natalie was back on the apartment complex. That was a close call. She walks back up to the rooftop. Some birds and raccoons were running around her bag. They were trying to look for something. She realised she had left some food there. She walks up to the bag, opens It and toss the food out. The animals went after it.

At least she got the keys. That's the important thing than food right now.

She looks into her binoculars at the van. The men had finished what they were doing and had come out. Craig could be seen talking to Jaden. Natalie didn't know what they were saying but from the look of things, Jaden's expression and hand movement made her believe he doesn't suspect the Spy's Trade she pulled off.

The men later entered into the van and it sped off. Natalie seeing that she had done what she wanted, decides it's best she goes and comes another day to search the warehouse. It was very risky for her to be seen opening a warehouse minutes after that van left and also minutes after they suspected a thief in the area. She picks her bag and decides to head back to her house.