I felt the hours slowly passing by ever since I left Al-Safar. Netflix was no longer showing good stuff to watch, or at least not to my liking. Capital FM keep repeating the same songs which bored me to death. I don't feel like going out, knowing that Abs was having fun at Bijou Clubhouse at Deansgate without me. Again. And he made live updates via his Instagram without ever think of my feelings. I think he hasn't moved on from that summer party at Bury.

I looked at the time on my IKEA clock and it was a quarter to 2.00 am. Soon, I'll be witnessing the setting back of time to 1.00 am in another 15 minutes. I used to do this with my brother Zahidi when we were little, counting down to the end of daylight-saving time. We'd sit by the mantelpiece looking at the big ass clock above it, making a countdown like it was New Year. When the clock hit 2.00 am, we knew it was 1.00 am again. So, cheered loudly that we woke our parents.

I went to the kitchen to prepare myself a cup of Tetley Tea before returning to my room and Google search 'analogue clock online'. I selected the first link that appeared on the search results and a round shaped analogue clock popped open. I took a sip of my tea and began to count down as the thin needle of the dial moved upwards. Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two...

Ring-ding! The sound of my phone startled me. I flit my eyes on the screen to see Abs caller ID appeared. I looked back to analogue clock on my laptop screen and the hour needle moved a notch backwards to 1.00 am. I missed the transition. Damn it!

"What?" I snapped as I answered the phone. Then, I sensed stressed in his voice that he almost cried in panic.

"ZJ, help. I'm stuck in the basement," he hissed.

Panic transmitted from my brain down to my muscle. "Which basement?"

"Uhh... QPark," he stammered. "I hide myself in this enclosed space and got myself trapped."

"Why can't you call the emergency line?" I grunted.

"Nick is after me," his stressed out.

That name has set my teeth on edge. My thought at that time was to confront Nick for what he had done to me. I wasn't really sure how, but I just want to hurt him.

"Bring a hatchet," Abs demanded. "And take Uber."

               ✨🌟⭐🌟⭐✨

I arrived at the QPark complex in Deansgate 10 minutes later, pulled up the hood of my jacket and my fishing mask to conceal myself from being noticed by Nick and his team. I jogged straight into QPark, scouting every basement for any possible lead that directed me to Abs.

When that didn't work, I dialed his number with my cold fingers and pressed the speaker to my ear.

"I'm here. How to find you?" I spoke when he answered the phone.

The connection wasn't that good, so his voice was breaking in between the muffled tone. I was able to make out, "Let me bang this!"

When I heard a faint sound of banging from afar, I decided to follow it. The sound grew a little bit louder at one point but slower when I turned the other way. And when a few louder knocks coming from one of the doors at B3 platform, I sighed in relief. Jackpot, I found him!

Abs stopped rapping the door after he acknowledged my arrival. Without hesitation, I took out a small hatchet which I kept underneath my jacket and removed its sheath.

"Abs, I'm about to break this door open!" I called out but he didn't answer.

I gave a couple of blows on the doorknob with the hatchet before it split into two. Then, I pried the door open to release Abs. His beaten face turned blue and his white shirt was stained with blood, his blood. Abs was attacked by Nick with his two-man crew at Bijou clubhouse. So, Abs sought sanctuary here and got himself locked.

We didn't exit through the entrance as it was too risky to expose ourselves. Furthermore, it was also too risky to escape on foot. Abs took his iPhone from his jeans and made a call.

"I'm getting back up," he panted while I scanned around for any threats. When the person on the other line answered the call, he began to speak, "Hi. Listen, I've been attacked. (pause) No, I'm fine. But I'm still stuck here at Deansgate. (pause) Can you? (pause) Thank you! (pause) Yeah. I'll find my way out. (pause) I'll do that, yeah."

Abs dropped the call and sent out our current location to whoever our potential rescuer is, while grumbling over how slow the upload speed was.

"I'm asking my friend to meet us in front of Regent service apartment by the Deansgate road outside this plaza. I only saw one service apartment nearby so that's gotta be it. She's on her way, she's also nearby," Abs outline the plan.

"She?" I winced. "Why didn't you ask her to rescue you in the first place? Why dragged me along?"

"Because you're my sidekick, are you not?" Abs snapped. "You wanted to redeem whatever shit you did back in Bury, yeah? So, here's your chance to do so."