ILL-STARRED LEISURE

CHAPTER-2

'And this is going to be our only way out!’ a voice cheered, steps thudded against the stairs coming around the Dusty rostrum and paused in centre. An identified man showed up in gothic fashion with a bucket hat tilted slightly on one side. His demeanor resembled that of a covert entity, lurking in the shadows, or a silent enigma positioned in the midst of it all. Encircling his wrist, a wrap bracelet crafted with crystals displayed the intricate addition of cyan pearls. 'But isn’t this necessary first to make a copy of that…? I think you are underestimating this. This is what we're after.' A red beard chap said while stretching his arms wide, moving his lanky-lean body closer to the person in all black. 'Is this the long-awaited solution we've been seeking?' said he fastening his frayed black hat. 'But the process is stretching out for an unacceptable duration, and we don't have the vital component that should take precedence.' Blurted out Joey. Signaling at the the fragmented- feeble accent table where all other ID's and manifold of files were laid. 'Initially, we need to attach the ID tags to our collars and proceed forward.' There was some faint vestige of self reflection in Joey's voice which made that guy in disguise to come upon dashingly.

He sauntered close to an old console table where newfangled up to the minute laptop was laid. Promptly, he retrieved a security flash drive from his pocket and connected it to the laptop. It forthwith went to standby. A blackout flashed on the screen. What in the blazes did you just do? Nicholas hollered, his drink held in his hand, his actions showing recklessness towards the table. Joey took a stance in front of him, endeavoring to bring about a sense of calm. But he kept bellowing into joey's shoulder. 'Time is slipping away. It's not a matter to be taken lightly, sir. This will be uncovered soon.' He raised his voice. During this time, the black hat guy remains unruffled, his fingers swiftly pressing the keys on the keypad. Triggering the ENTER command, the laptop unfolded a file exhibiting a concoction of characters, along with an encrypted voice narration.'Welcome Headman to the 0XCG13, I am N.OX.U.S. your assistant and I will be guiding you to U1rI. Please enter the passcode to proceed further'. Overwhelmed by the situation, he closed the laptop and advanced towards Nicholas, who continued to raise his voice. 'Hey, red-headed! Maintain your pace. We need something of utmost importance before it slips through our grasp.'

( Los Angeles Police Department, California)