45

45
Chapter 45 

Fiona stepped out of the house, her arms wrapped around a small sized black bag. She walked briskly to the car parked in the driveway. 

Without saying a word, she opened the boot and carefully placed the bag inside. She adjusted it, making sure it sat properly before shutting the boot. 

Lyon and Martins were already making their way to the car. 

“Is that everything?” Martins asked, walking over the car. 

“Yeah, everything’s in the boot,” Fiona said, standing by the car, wiping her hands on her apron. Her eyes darted toward Lyon, hoping he’d say something. 

“Thank you, Fiona,” Lyon's voice came from behind as Fiona turned, a smile creeping to her face. 

Lyon climbed into the driver's seat without looking back. 

“Lyon…?” Martins called trying to get his attention. 

“Don't worry, I'm driving….” Lyon said, Martins stood for a while before joining in the front sit. 

Suddenly, a beep came to Lyon's phone making him stare down at it. 

“Uhmm… I think you should come drive it Martins, I have to keep in touch with this.” Lyon said, stepping down from the driver's seat as they both exchanged seat. 

Martins slid into the driver’s seat, keys in hand. He glanced at Lyon briefly before starting the engine. The low hum of the car filled the atmosphere as the vehicle came to life. 

After a while, Martins glanced sideways at Lyon. He looked like a man lost in thought, his jaw tight, his eyes locked on the road ahead but not really seeing it. His hands rested on his lap, fingers loosely held. 

Martins cleared his throat, hoping to break the tension. “You sure about this, boss?” 

Lyon didn’t respond immediately. He blinked once, as if being pulled back to the present. “Drive,” he said simply, his voice low. 

Martins sighed inwardly, gripping the wheel a little more tighter. “Alright.” 

The car moved through the streets, the city gradually fading behind them as they went. 

Lyon leaned back slightly in his seat, his face betraying nothing. 

He stared out of the window, watching the scenery rush by, but his thoughts traveled far. 

Kathryn. 

The name echoed in his head, over and over, like a whisper he couldn’t escape. He didn’t say it out loud, but Martins could tell by the look on his face exactly where his thoughts were. 

Neither of them spoke after that. 

Martins noticed Lyon's fingers tapping rhythmically on his knee, he's fond of it and always do that whenever he's unsettled. 

After a while, Martins glanced at the clock on the dashboard. 

Lyon knew they hadn't eaten for more than six hours of driving. He stared at Martins who was still focused and wasn't saying anything. 

“We should stop somewhere to grab something to eat. We’ve been driving for hours.” 

Martins smiled faintly, moving the car onto the next exit. A few minutes later, they pulled up at a small roadside restaurant. It wasn’t fancy, but it was clean and quiet, with a handful of tables. 

They both stepped out of the car, stretching slightly as they headed toward the entrance. 

Inside, the scent of fried food and freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Martins chose a table by the window while Lyon simply nodded to the waitress before sitting down opposite him. 

The waitress approached with a notepad, a smile creeping to her face. “What can I get for you?” 

“Just coffee for me,” Lyon said, his tone clipped. 

Martins frowned. “You’re not eating anything?” 

“I’m fine,” Lyon muttered. 

Martins rolled his eyes slightly, then turned to the waitress. “Alright, I’ll have a plate of rice and chicken. And bring him a bottle of water too,” he added, gesturing toward Lyon. 

The waitress nodded and motioned towards the counter. 

Lyon leaned back in his chair, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number. He brought it to his ear, his voice steady when the call connected. 

“I need the map and the address now!” Lyon commanded. His tone left no room for negotiation. He waited for a brief response on the other end, nodded once, and ended the call without another word. 

As he set the phone down on the table, he picked up the glass of water the waitress had brought and took a sip. 

Across the table, Martins watched him with a faint smile. 

Lyon raised an eyebrow, seeing his expression. “What’s funny?” he asked, his voice calm. 

Martins quickly wiped the smile from his face, sitting straighter. “Nothing… nothing at all,” he replied, shaking his head. 

Lyon stared at him for a moment, his brows slightly furrowed, before muttering, “You’re a terrible liar, Martins.” 

Martins couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “I just think it’s funny how determined you are when you set your mind to something.” He paused, glancing out the window. “You’re so sure you’ll find her.” 

“I will find her,” Lyon said firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt. 

Martins looked back at him, his smile fading slightly. “And then what, boss? What are you going to say when you see her?” 

Lyon’s face hardened. He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he picked up the water bottle and took another sip, his gaze fixed on the table as though the answers were hidden somewhere on its surface. 

“I don’t know,” he admitted quietly after a while. “But I’ll figure it out when I get there.” 

Martins studied him for a second, as if trying to measure the depth of what Lyon was really feeling, but he decided not to push. 

The waitress returned with Martins’ food, setting the steaming plate in front of him with a smile. “Enjoy your meal.” 

“Thanks,” Martins replied, grabbing his fork immediately. 

Lyon watched him dig into the food with little interest, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. Martins noticed the look and shook his head as he took a bite. 

“You’re going to starve if you keep this up,” Martins said his mouth filled with food. 

Lyon didn’t respond. He glanced at his phone again, tapping the screen absentmindedly before slipping it back into his pocket. 

“Just eat, Martins,” he said calmly, his eyes fixed on the map they've sent to his phone before he finally raised them. 

"We should be there in the next three hours," Lyon said, his eyes fixed on the ticking clock on the restaurant wall. 

Martins, finishing the last bite of his meal, wiped his hands on a napkin and gave him a nod. “Alright then, let’s hit the road.” 

Lyon didn’t wait for another word. He was already halfway to the door. 

Martins stood up, tossed a few coins on the table and they both zoomed off. 

“You know,” Martins began, his voice relaxed, “you should probably get some rest once we get there.” 

Lyon didn’t turn to look at him. “Rest can wait,” he replied calmly. 

Martins sighed, gripping the wheel tighter. “It’s been hours, boss. You’ve barely eaten, barely slept... You think Kathryn would want to see you like this?” 

Lyon’s gaze shifted, narrowing slightly. “It doesn’t matter how I look,” he muttered. “What matters is finding her.” 

Martins knew better than to argue further, so he nodded and focused on the road. The highway stretched endlessly before them. 

After a while, the silence became heavier, almost suffocating, so Martins turned on the radio to fill the void. A slow, quiet tune crackled through the speakers. He glanced at Lyon again, who was staring ahead, unmoving. 

“You’re really sure she’s there?” Martins asked calmly pointing at a house ahead of them. 

Lyon didn’t answer immediately. He let out a long breath, finally breaking his gaze from the window to look at Martins. “I’ve had people watching... keeping track. I wouldn’t be on this road if I wasn’t sure.” 

Martins nodded and motioned towards the house some miles from where they were. 

Martins glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “We’ve made a good time..” 

Lyon nodded silently. He pulled out his phone, staring at the screen for a moment before placing it back in his lap, unread. 

“You know, when you do find her... you’ve got to talk to her,” Martins said carefully. “Not fight. Not argue. Just talk.” 

Lyon didn’t respond, but Martins caught the subtle clenching his jaw, like the words hit him so hard. 

“You owe that to her,” Martins added softly. 

“I know,” Lyon finally said, his voice low and barely audible. 

After about thirty more minutes, the car finally came to a stop outside a modest house in a quiet corner of the neighborhood. Lyon and Martins stared at each other, before climbing down. 

The house was just as the contact had described, a small, well-kept home with a neat little garden and a small light glowing faintly in it. 

Lyon sat up straighter, his eyes narrowing. "This is it," he muttered, as though speaking to himself. "This is the house they said she might be in." 

“Might? Are you unsure?” Martins asked looking straight at Lyon whose gaze was now on him. 

Lyon raised a brow, his two hands on his waist, “do you know you're supposed to do this as my personal assistant?” 

“Oh.. didn't know this was part of my contract..” Martins teased as Lyon pushed him, martins dragged him along making them both fall with a tud. 

They stood up, dusting themselves up as they motioned towards the door, without uttering a word to themselves. 

They reached the door and Lyon knocked, his knuckles hitting the wood so hard. 

A voice came from inside that seemed rushing, “ who wants to break my door for goodness sake!” 

At this, Martins stared at Lyon shaking his head, there was no way that'd be Kathryn or maybe she was living with a semi mad individual. 

The door flung open in no time, making them both shift back a little. A woman, in her fifties stood holding the door apart, her face filled with fury, “yes?” She questioned looking both left and right at Lyon and martins who were standing opposite each other. 

Her stern look made them forget what they were there for. 

Did Lyon really forget himself? 

Of course not, he has face more intimidations than this. 

“Excuse me miss…” Martins started but was cut off short by the woman. 

“Mrs!” She corrected pointing her long stained fingers at him. 

Lyon cleared his throat, putting up a smile, “Sorry, Mrs…” he began, pulling out a picture from his back pocket, “do you in anyway know or have seen this lady anywhere?” Lyon showed her the picture. 

She drew the picture from his hand, putting it up to her nose as though she had an impaired vision, “are you officers?” She asked. 

“No..” 

The ‘no’ sounded more like a planned answer. 

“Thought as much,” she breathed making Lyon and Martins exchange glances. 

“Check the next street..” she said. 

Lyon nodded. 

“Wait,” she called. 

“Why are you looking for her?” She asked coming a bit closer to them. 

“Nothing bad, I just missed her so much,” Lyon said, a smile creeping to his cheeks. 

The woman smiled and nodded, “ I think I've seen a lady like that in the next street, I don't know exactly…” she said. 

“Thank you so much,” Lyon appreciated as the lady went back inside. 

Lyon and Martins exchanged glances and started going. 

“The map said here, why are these guys so incompetent!” Lyon barked staring back at the house. 

“I think, we should follow the woman's description, maybe…” Martins suggested. 

Lyon brought out his phone, anger written all over his face. 

He dialed a number and it ranged for a couple of minutes before it got picked. 

“Mr Lyon…” the voice came. 

“The map is wrong!” Lyon barked. 

“I'm sorry, Mr Lyon, I'll send the correct one now. There must have been a mix up somewhere.” 

Lyon hung up, clearly angry. 

“Where are we headed to now?” Martins asked staring at him as they both motioned towards the car. 

“The next street,” Lyon stated, now calm.