Chapter 62 - Black Ride

One Week Earlier 

Two Building's Away From the Mall

"Ghost," she said.

He halts turning slightly.

"Liam, what's he gonna do?" Iris asked with shaky eyes.

"Finish your mission" Ghost said as his black wings spread out waving and then flying out.

Rory groans walking towards Iris, his stomach practically empties from the hurling, but that wasn't his concern, but rather the impossible thing that happened right in front of him.

"Ghost can talk and more importantly understand us," Rory said still finding it hard to believe, they never knew Claws could do that, Claws were only their predatory organs, a part of them but talking?

Something like that has never happened.

"He said Liam will finish the mission," Iris said still staring at the building a distance away.

"You mean like-"

"Kill the leader of the V-ghouls" she cut him off facing him.

"That will lessen some load right?" he shrugs.

"I hope so," Iris said, she wasn't so sure that just killing their leader would stop the V-ghouls from striking again.

They heard the roof door open, they turned at the sound, as an average height lady walks towards them.

"Who are you?" Iris demands seeing the strange face.

She smiled as the wind careless her dark red long hair packed in a high ponytail, she adjusts her glasses.

"Kayla Gibbs at your service," she said smiling, clicking on her earplug.

Rory and Iris looked at each other briefly before facing her.

***

A Few Hours Later 

A black car drove along the long road with nothing but bushes beside it, even further ahead.

Iris looked out the window, seeing the sun almost setting up, watching the trees moving fast in her vision, but that wasn't her concern. 'I hope Liam is okay, it's been hours now'. Iris thought worried for his sake.

Kayla clicks on a button as a mini-computer came up in-between the driver seat and the other, a news video came up.

"Here we are at the mall where the incident happened, a lot of losses, deaths of agents and hostages we thought might make it out alive but yet again the ghouls are rendered a big threat to humanity. And more importantly, we are stuck with an unexpected return of-" the newscaster paused for a minute gulping hard, her hand tightens around her mic.

"The black ghoul" she adds shaky.

"Now they are pinning everything on boss and the V-ghouls, why are humans such dummies," Kayla said frustrated, offing the news. She didn't wanna hear more about false news of her boss, it was the v-ghouls that started the ruckus, not Liam.

"Hey, you said your name was Kayla right?" Rory asked the red-haired young lady.

Rory was seated in the front, Iris in the back. Kayla turned the wheel to the next lane.

"Where are you taking us?" Rory demands, bored and tired from the long ride, they have left the city outpost for hours now, he was beginning to feel worried.

"To the Silver-lining manor, boss orders," she said blowing a gum she chewed on.

"The Silver-lining? Aren't you taking us back to the black lotus," Rory asked puzzled.

She rolled her eyes unnoticed but then turns to him smiling cutely.

"It was boss orders to take you to the Silver-lining and not the black lotus, am pretty sure I heard him right," she said with a thought as she faced the road, hoping he wouldn't ask any more questions, she preferred her drive to be peaceful, which is why she loved riding with boss every chance she got.

"Unbelievable" Rory said groaning, rubbing his forehead. It was either boss said this or boss didn't do this from her mouth ever since, he couldn't help but wonder what Liam was to her, the weird girl held him up in pretty much high regard, he could tell from her actions.

"Why would Liam take us to his organization?" Iris asked puzzled at why Liam would do that.

"I have no idea and more funny Liam is called boss, it's all I have been hearing from this red-haired chick," Rory said rolling his eyes, he simply called her a chick, which she was, she was endowed in all areas, which he noticed all the way.

Kayla pressed on the car brakes halting the car all of a sudden, the impact made Rory hit his head on the front.

"Oops! Sorry we are here" Kayla said shrugging, practically pay back for him calling her a red-haired chick, she smirks deviously.

"Fuck" Rory cursed holding his forehead as he shot Kayla a death glance.

"Oh really?! We are right in the middle of nowhere" Rory states looking around.

Iris looked around, Rory was right, they were nowhere like they were lost deep in the upstate of New York.

"I wouldn't say that," Kayla said moving half her body out her door window to reach for a tree. That action made Rory take a good look at her round ass. 'Dammnnnn' he mentally thought, his body reacting to the view in all sought of ways. He shook his head breaking himself out of his trance, he shouldn't be having nasty thoughts right now, he faced front clearing his throat.

Iris rolled her eyes at his action.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked composing himself.

Ignorant to Rory, Kayla opened the tree branch like a small mini door you wouldn't know was there, to begin with. She typed in a password and took her seatback.

"Opening the gates" she motioned.

As the path beside them that showed endless bushes slide open like a camouflage.

Rory and Iris's eyes widen at the action, Kayla revised the car and then drove in

"Welcome to the Silver-lining manor," she said as the car drove along a newfound road made of concrete, garden tall trees beside it.

"How..." Iris was lost for words, she didn't know a place like this existed, it was like they were in a whole new countryside.

"It took three years to build this place, here is what you guys would call our headquarters, other branches are way smaller but cool, but this is our operating base" Kayla explained, amused by their shock expressions, it always gave her the thrills whenever she invited someone in.

They came in view of a building in modern style, part of it made of glass, it was wide and big, small other buildings in a few distances, the area-wide with evergreen grasses.

"Liam is fucking rich!" Rory said astonished, it was a whole new ghoul hideout, this was breathtaking, he couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of money Liam spent on this site, let alone the buildings.

Kayla just chuckled at his antics.

"Something like that" Kayla said as she pulled up at the garage separate from the building, they got down heading towards the building. 

Inside was way better, few ghouls walked around doing other things, inside was massive and painted mostly in black and white.

"Here is also like a sanctuary not all of us operate on missions, mostly it's just the boss and few of us that does most of the work around here" Kayla explained.

Iris and Rory just observed the inside like it was too big for them, this was nothing compared to the black lotus.

"KAYLA!" they turned when they heard her name.

Rory and Iris froze, as they watch a young man coming down the stairs in a hurry, wearing a white loose shirt, grey pants and white sneakers, he held a wide transparent iPad.

"Where have you been I have been--" Sean Carlos said but froze when he saw them. 

"Sean!" Rory and Iris said in shock with shaky eyes.

Sean was just as surprised to see them, here.

"Kayla, why are they here?" Sean asked confused, bringing them in soon wasn't part of what he and Liam discussed.

"It was boss orders, I still have no idea why" Kayla shrugs folding her arms.

Sean nods his head making a hmm sound knowing why they were here earlier than they talked about, but still he had to wait for the right time to tell them.

"Rory, Iris, it's good to see you guys again," Sean said smiling.

Rory and Iris just stared at Sean in awe, he looked completely different like a new man with a new resolution, he didn't look tacky or angry like he was before he left, he looked calm with positive vibes, he had changed over the past three years.

"You left the city, you said you weren't coming back," Iris said softly.

Sean just smirks about saying something but he got a call from the Bluetooth earplug he was wearing.

"Kayla, Liam is still out there, to the control room," Sean said walking back upstairs.

"I hope boss is okay," Kayla said worried as she follows behind.

Rory and Iris looked at each other briefly in confusion, before turning to face them, following behind, they believed the questions were for later, right now something was up.