Flashback
One week ago
21st June , 2011

Max's Pov
I knew that if I had to get closer to the depth of this matter , I needed to make the person connected with this an ally . Granted! I wasn't sure that she was an ally right now of them or even recuirted but it was not hard to find the facial match up . 

I had sketched detective Bakers from my previous timeline. It was quite clear that even if she was part of operation to led me into false direction , you can't just delete a person or add them which means they exist . Once I entered it , I saw that there was only one person matching it .

It seems she was really a detective . So perhaps there was a touch of truth mixed with lie . Well! It was good trick .In order to make a believable lie , you had to add pinch of truth .

Immediaetly I called the police directory there. I was able to figure out when she was generally out on duty and not . Either way , there was only way to be sure.

"Hello! This is detective Carta Jones speaking."  Alright! She is on the phone.

"You do realise that Vincent Rodger didn't kill those couple right." I stated.

"Huh!  What is your business ?"  She replied back in montonic voice.

"No! I am simply saying that even while you are hiding in plain sight , economic transactions going in those shadows are something you can't just relish, can you ."

"What are you talking about ?"

"Alright! If that is how it is . I know rhat you know about the shadow organization working in Britain. You know what is in Wonavilla . You know what is going on but you are doing nothing and waiting for opportune moment so you can be scouted by them because you couldn't care less about ethics. You just want a good sum ."

"Well! If you know about it , then so what ." She pointed out . She was probably trying to figure out what my objective was in telling her all this.

"Of course, I also have a certain interest in telling this but I think in terms of economics, if you are actually able to catch and get your hands on their commodities , wouldn't that be more financially beneficial than sitting for long and then possibly getting recuirted at very low position in organization? " It was all a bluff. Everything had been from the moment it started . I didn't know that I would be able to find her .I was not even sure that three years ago that she would know this but now I had delved too deep into this venture . There was no turning back . Whatever happens ! I can accept it . I have to accept it .

"Well! I suppose you do have a point.  But you sound like a kid . How do you know all this information and about me ? And how would I even..." She began . It was quite alright. After all , it would only make sense for her to be suspicious. Someone randomly calls you and tells you that there is a better deal that you could be part of.  Would you really just be blinded by avarice and not see things through?

"What can I do to convince you? To be frank , nothing would be enough . I am just going to say that I have a plan to get you the location of one of the hideout of this organisation . I am not sure of the plan myself because it is all a gamble . It is up to you what you want to do . I am not without feets of clay just like any other . But I would tell you one thing.

I will be as much as in danger in this as you ,even more so . But as it stands now , isn't your financial situation hanging fire ? I will send you message by evening. Please give me your number" I sighed. This was it . I had nothing in my sleeve . I was just a simple guy trying to do as best as I could. In this timeline, I had no cool technology or money to throw around or brilliant access to all the information in world or some superpower. Considering all things , it was all I could do at this point.

"Well! I will see but here is my number.." With that , she put down the phone .

June 28 ,2011

My uncle has already called Claude . I am sure of it but I need to keep up an unaware front . I must act like myself after all . I do need to call her so as to provide verification to those people that I am indeed calling her first time so they will come and pick me up .

Detective Carta Jones had already recieved her instructions

"Bring one police backup with you but call them 15 minutes after you have reached the destination where I am being taken . My existence there needs to be completely concealed . It must be like I was never there . In order to do that , you have to keep following me from the tracker I will put on the car . I have already shared it's bypass code and all to you . After the car stops and I am taken inside some building, wait for 5 minutes and then start barging in. I would tap with my feet three times . That will be your signal to come and shoot through the door in middle   And oh yes! Do remember to call Claude's number that I have shared with you but only after  passing of couple of minutes since my abduction. I would need someone to pick me up . After all , you would have to be present at the scene as a detective ."

Now

"Who was Caroline Bakers? Sounds  cringy for a name." She replied . Well! Great! You just called yourself cringy .

"No one . Just a random pop in head. So what happened to the Isla ..I mean girl ?"

"I took care of everyone that was present . She must have gotten out before I came ."

"Sure ." I was still skeptical.

"So when will your Claude come to pick you up ?" She asked in frolic mood . Well she certainly wasn't very pereturbed by shooting a bad guy in head. Granted! He killed a lot of people too but still...I was just indifferent after dying myself.

"Maybe in..." I began before there was a bang in the air and blood splattered on my face and clothes. As I looked up paralyzed by what just happened, I saw Carta in pool of blood straight through her head .

"Well! Now that certainly ruins a day , doesn't it ! Getting drenched in someone's blood and then washing it off my hair takes forever . I could see you having trouble with it in near future too "words rang through my head as I saw blurry figure of Isla  through red blood tinting my eyes .

"Oh ! You must be wondering why I was not incapacitated. Yeah! Funny thing . I am really good at hiding . Plus the plan worked, didn't it ?" She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes as she stared at me .

"W-what plan?" I uttered. Me stuttering . I didn't flinch when the man died . Why would I be affected at all when someone else died?  Was it because of how much value I dispose to people or how I see them in different shades?

"Aw! You are trembling , you poor thing. I mean if you can't even figure this out yourself , then really you would just not be worth my time. So Max! I give you 2 minutes. If you don't manage to satisfy my perception about you , I would also dispose of you . So better start thinking. Tick tock . "  She pointed her gun at my head as her cold glare peered through me like a dagger.

I get it .I understand what happened now.  Isla! You are truly above me . She broke into a thin grin seeing my eyes widen putting down her gun back in pocket .

"No need to say , Max . A genius like me already knows everything by single glance. Better hurry. " As she leaned closer to me exhaling. "You never know when world starts to antagonize you"

I quickly scampered from the scene . I can't go out in this blood drenched state . I need to get rid of everything . I searched frantically as I saw a lighter in one man's pocket . I quickly took out my shirt and alighted it . Thankfully the blood was now only on my face and hair .

Where would i find water? Think fast . In few minutes, police will be here . What do you do ?  I quickly looked out from the door . There was no one in surrounding. Alright ! The car . They must have had water in it as I quickly washed my face . There were definitely no keys in it . I can't possibly hope to walk in East . I would come across the police which means I need to go to West .

I quickened my pace with each second until I was running full throttle . How many minutes... It had been. I checked the time . Twenty minutes . I could see people in crowded area bustling and tumbling . There it is !  The telephone box .

"Hello! Who is it ?" My uncle's voice came through..

"I need help." I gulped . I failed. I failed utterly. I have to ask him again . No matter what.. with anything...

Thoth's POV

Claude had reached the place five minutes after Max had gone away.  There was no sign of life anywhere. She hesitated to go alone in the shady warehouse . It almost felt like a bait so she quickly started to return . Maybe she should have called for more backup . But Max would have already taken care of it if he wanted so she was not exactly up to the idea.

But barely had she left there , that she saw police cars going towards the place from where she had been coming.

She was in a fix until she decided to follow them and hear what they were saying. She was shook to her core when two bodies came out . One of a man and one of a woman . Other were just incapicated.

"Detective Carta was here . Just why the hell did she go without backup ? Really rookie these days ." One officer muttered seeing a bloodied woman . Well! It was certainly a right question to ask which must mean that she must have been involved in investigating them but out of all days , she couldn't possibly be here by coincidence.

If Max"s plan was to come here with idea of finding their location , obviously he would need help so this detective must have been on his side. But the fact that all other goons were knocked out means that she must have been very capable . The man must have been a casualty or unavoidable damage in operation .

Which also means that whoever killed Detective was still free . Max is also nowhere . Something went wrong in the plan they had .

If Max had been returning after scene by himself , then it must mean he went west because she would have seen him on her way else .

There is fifteen minute distance from here where a telephone box can be found where he can contact someone to ask for help because these people would have taken his mobile. The fact that Max was able to escape was no luck . No ! Rather the one who let him go was the perpetrator behind killing of detective Carta .

It also means there was some hidden motive that this person had . It rather likes to keep things interesting or why would a muscle head goons not just kill him like they always do to people? " Claude sighed to herself mentally. So who was this person and how the hell did they escape ?

I didn't see anyone in East and neither would that person go to West with Max which means the person must have went North i.e. river . So that person must be out of reach now.

She probably needs to go back to Max's now in order to find out more about this. As she retraced her steps looking at the scene , her feet suddenly hit something as she fell down twisting her ankle .

She bit her lip to stop wincing from pain . She looked up to see a girl standing before her with wavy dark hair and piercing hazel mist eyes . No ! That wad simply an illusion as Claude found by rubbing her eyes . The girl looked at her with questionable look on her face . She was certainly same age as her . Who was she . What was she doing here ? Was she also just by coincidence ..

"Come with me " The girl finally said after momentary pause of silence .

Max's Pov

I was sitting in my home again . Everything had gone as Isla planned. She knew I was coming and about detective. Of course she knew . How could I forget that she would not listen to my conversation with the detective if I was counting on those men to hear my conversation with Claude .

Isla completely managed to listen to my talk with detective one week before I made any move . She was a predator . She had no interest in fate of those men . If she simply left , it would have lead to instigation of violence between her and those men causing police to be involved . But if she let me delude myself into thinking that I am trapping them all while she can get rid of all those people along with the detective who knew about them, it would lead to total elimination of all people personally connected with her past .

Another perfect cover up crime . By trapping me there , she made sure that I would take measures to erase all evidence of existence there and detective would simply be regarded as hot headed rookie who died while fighting bunch of drug lords which she obviously planted there .  I could see the packet already lying there when I  Ieft .

If I had done anything to tamper with it , obviously I would have left my fingerprints plus the fact that she already resolved the issue of the man behind detective's death by simply implanting it on one of the guys knocked out by drug . The man would be so intoxicated that he would barely testify to what really happened .

In the end , I was just a pawn she used to make things easier for her . In the end , I did nothing and gained nothing . I can't even go to police because those men would probably give away sign of recognition towards me. Those two guys left beside one dead man and one intoxicated man would probably keep their mouth shut knowing what the consequences might be if they don't do so .

So what is the real plan ? What is your goal in the end , Isla? Because there are still several branches of this organisation operating and they would still be looking for you when police reveals that the suspect caught didn't include you .

Oh right! You also took care of that . Now I remember from the conversation . A shadow within Shadow.  So only this branch knew about her even in shadowy organization . The situation  ubiquitous to me is quite lucid . You have won , Isla. This time...at least.

No one's Pov

Atop a lone tower , a girl with icy gaze stands as her hair fawns by latenting face. Her steel gray gaze  conflicting with braid of dark hair , seemingly innocent concealing as her heart basks in the epitome of darkness.

"So is this the contender you chose for me. I would immensely take pleasure in destroying him through and through . Max Ryder...I look forward to breaking you ."

Au revoir readers! Keep posted for the next chapter.