The war beneath the stars

SPAIN,

[ Radio speaking]

" First missing case in Antarctica. Antarctica's atmospheric scientist, Liam Hawke who is native of New Zealand gone missing from yesterday night. A research team is searching for him around his office. His nearest neighbor have reported that he had received a suspicious call yesterday night before he had gone missing..."

[ The radio turns off ]

" What a boring news. Wish i had telekinesis."

[ Mobile ringing ]

[ Jack lifts the call ]

" Good morning sir ! How was your journey been? "

" Come on Henry.... Everything's been bad these days and it's 5 PM now!"

" Oh! It's 8 AM here. It's better to talk in a mobile rather than that old walkie talkie Sir Jack."

" Don't mock me you bastard! I don't kind of like these mobile phones. These were just crap." Replied jack.

[ Jack regrets lifting the call. ]

[ Henry sniggers.]

" That is why you haven't hit any girls until now sir."

Jack's eyebrow raised, " Huh? Can you repeat it? I haven't heard you."

[ Henry quickly quits the call ]

[ Henry Calls again. ]

" I got last question before i go... How do you got your visa so quickly? "

Jack relplied with an exhausted look on his face, " Fake visa!"

Henry shouted out of excitement, " You have gone to Spain with a fake identity? But why do you have to do all this? "

" I don't why, but i think it's too dangerous to let the murderers away. This is crisis. I think the killers are of large scale and scattered around the world.I want to kill them with my own hands. Let's see if we can get some clues."

[ Jack quits the call ]

" So this is Ainsa.", Jack speaks to himself.

[ Jack arrives at Ness Henderson's house.]

Jack tightened his scarf against the crisp Spanish breeze as he walked up the cobbled path leading to the Hendersons' house.

He knocked firmly on the heavy wooden door. Moments later, Timothy Henderson opened it, his rugged face shadowed with fatigue.

"Mr. Henderson," Jack began, flashing his credentials. "I'm Jack, the investigator hired to look into Ness's disappearance. May I come in?"

Timothy hesitated, his eyes narrowing slightly, before stepping aside. The interior of the house was warm but subdued. Sunlight filtered through thick curtains, casting long shadows across the tiled floor. Margaret Henderson, Ness's mother, sat on a loveseat near the fireplace, clutching a photo of her son.

"We've told the local police everything," Timothy said curtly, his arms crossed as he leaned against the doorway.

"I'm sure you have, but I'd like to revisit a few points," Jack replied, taking a seat opposite Margaret. He noted her red-rimmed eyes and trembling hands. Timothy, by contrast, exuded a defensive energy, his jaw set tight.

"When was the last time you saw Ness?" Jack asked, pulling out a small notebook.

Margaret spoke first, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was the afternoon before he disappeared. She said she was going to meet some friends And play with them. He looked happy, but…"

Timothy interrupted. "He was restless. Distracted. I asked him who he was meeting, but he brushed me off."

Jack noted the disparity in their accounts. "Didn't he mention where he was going or who he'd be with?"

"Not specifically," Margaret said, dabbing her eyes. "he left in a hurry after getting a phone call. I asked him about it, but he just smiled and said he'd be back soon."

Timothy grunted. "he didn't come back. And those so-called friends of him? They're behind this, I'm sure of it."

"Friends?" Jack pressed, leaning forward.

"There's this boy, Fabio," Timothy spat. "Always hanging around, filling his head with nonsense. And Andrew, that troublemaker. They're a bad influence."

Margaret shook her head. "Fabio and Andrew cared about him. They wouldn't hurt him. Moreover, Andrew is dead!"

Jack observed their exchange, sensing a rift between the couple. "Has Ness ever expressed feeling unsafe or mentioned anything unusual happening recently?"

Margaret hesitated, her brow furrowing. "he did seem on edge a few weeks ago. he stopped using his phone as much and seemed to avoid certain places in the town."

Timothy scoffed. "If he was avoiding anything, it was probably because of his own choices. he was headstrong, always getting involved in things he shouldn't."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

Timothy's expression darkened. "I don't know. But I've seen him sneaking out late at night. He'd come back looking shaken, like he'd seen a ghost."

Margaret interjected, her voice pleading. "Tim, he was just a teenager. You're making him sound like a criminal."

Jack cleared his throat, redirecting the conversation. "You mentioned a phone call before he left. Did you check his phone records or try to trace it?"

Margaret glanced at Timothy, who looked away. "We didn't think of it," she admitted.

"I'll need access to his phone and a list of his friend's contacts," Jack said firmly. "Did anything else stand out about the night he disappeared?"

Timothy hesitated, his eyes darting to the window. " Nothing"

Margaret nodded. "He wouldn't tell us about it, but he seemed scared."

Jack's mind raced, piecing together the fragmented narrative. "I'll also need to speak to Fabio . Can you arrange that?"

Margaret nodded reluctantly. Timothy, however, looked agitated. "This is a waste of time," he muttered. "The answers aren't here."

Jack stood, his gaze steady on Timothy. "Maybe not, but they're somewhere close. And I'll find them."

As Jack stepped out into the golden Spanish evening, he felt the weight of the mystery deepen. Timothy's defensiveness wasn't just grief,it was guilt. And Jack was determined to uncover why.