ROOM 7
Chapter Sixty-Three: The Hunt
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The morning after Jay came home, the search for Yuri began.
Not the official search—the police were still looking, still following leads, still coming up empty. This was different. This was personal. Keifer made calls. Alex made calls. Even Percy and Aries got involved. The Mariano family had resources. The Watson family had connections. Together, they had reach.
But Yuri had vanished.
His phone was off. His accounts were frozen. His parents hadn't heard from him. His friends hadn't seen him. His apartment was empty—clothes gone, passport gone, laptop gone. It looked like he'd left in a hurry. It looked like he'd planned this.
Keifer stood in the middle of Yuri's empty bedroom. The walls were bare. The closet was empty. The bed was made. The only thing left was a single photograph on the nightstand. Yuri and Jay. From college. From Room 7. She was laughing at something. He was watching her. The way he'd always watched her.
Keifer picked up the photo. Stared at it. His jaw tightened.
"You're not going to get away with this," he said.
No one answered.
He put the photo in his pocket. Walked out.
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Part One: The Warehouse
The warehouse district was searched again.
Every building. Every room. Every corner. Police dogs. Thermal imaging. Drone footage. Nothing.
Yuri had been careful. He'd chosen a building with no cameras, no witnesses, no trace. He'd worn gloves. He'd covered his face. He'd left no fingerprints, no DNA, no evidence.
The only thing they found was the rope. Cut into pieces. Thrown in a dumpster behind the building.
Keifer stood in the room where Jay had been kept. The concrete floor. The high window. The single light bulb. He could still smell her. Fear. Blood. Sweat.
He knelt. Touched the floor. The concrete was cold.
"I'm going to find you," he said.
No one answered.
He stood up. Walked out.
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Part Two: The Ports
The ports were searched next.
Every ship. Every container. Every manifest. Yuri's family had connections in shipping. He could have been anywhere. On a cargo ship to China. On a freighter to Indonesia. On a private boat to nowhere.
Keifer stood at the edge of the pier. The water was dark. The wind was cold. The ships were massive, looming, silent.
Alex stood beside him. "He could be on any of these."
Keifer nodded. "Or none of them."
Alex looked at him. "What do you mean?"
Keifer turned. Walked back to the car. "He's not stupid. He knows we're looking. He knows we're watching the ports, the airports, the bus stations."
Alex followed. "Then where is he?"
Keifer opened the car door. "Somewhere we're not looking."
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Part Three: The Mountains
They searched the mountains next.
Tagaytay. The place where they'd gone as students. The place where Jay and Keifer had first held hands. The place where Lyra and Alex had almost kissed. The place where everything had started.
Yuri had been there too. He'd been in Room 7. He'd been on the rooftop. He'd been in the garden. He knew the places that mattered. He knew the places that held memories.
Keifer drove through the winding roads. The volcano was hidden behind clouds. The lake was gray. The air was cold.
Alex watched the buildings pass. "He could be in any of these houses."
Keifer shook his head. "He's not here."
"How do you know?"
Keifer looked at the road. At the fog. At the emptiness ahead. "Because this place means something to her. He wouldn't bring her here. He wouldn't taint it."
Alex was quiet for a moment. Then: "Where would he go?"
Keifer didn't answer.
They drove back to the city in silence.
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Part Four: The Airports
The airports were the last hope.
International flights. Domestic flights. Private terminals. Yuri had money—or he had before Keifer took it. But he could have stashed cash somewhere. Could have had an account they didn't know about. Could have had help.
Keifer stood in the middle of NAIA Terminal 3. Passengers rushed past. Announcements blared. The lights were too bright.
His phone rang. Percy.
"Anything?"
Percy's voice was tight. "Nothing. We've checked every flight leaving the country in the past week. He's not on any of them."
Keifer's jaw tightened. "What about private charters?"
"Checked. Nothing under his name. Nothing under any name we could trace."
Keifer closed his eyes. "What about domestic?"
"Same. He's not on any flights. He's not on any buses. He's not on any trains."
Keifer opened his eyes. "Then he's still here."
Percy was quiet for a moment. "Maybe."
Keifer hung up. Walked out of the terminal. The sun was setting. The sky was orange. The city was waking up for the night.
Yuri was somewhere. Hiding. Waiting.
Keifer got in his car. Drove home.
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Part Five: The Night
Jay was on the couch when he walked in.
The shark was in her lap. Bruce was beside her. Her wrists were still bandaged. Her ankles were still wrapped. Her face was pale. Her eyes were tired.
She looked up when he walked in. "Any news?"
He sat beside her. Took her hand. "Nothing."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "They'll find him."
He kissed her hair. "I know."
They sat in silence. The apartment was dark. The city was bright. The world was moving.
"Keifer."
"Yeah."
"I'm scared."
He pulled her closer. "Of what?"
She looked at the window. At the city beyond. At the darkness hiding in the corners.
"That he'll come back."
He held her tighter. "He won't."
"How do you know?"
He looked at her face. At her eyes. At the fear behind them.
"Because I won't let him."
She closed her eyes. His heartbeat was under her ear. His hand was in her hair. The shark was in her lap.
"Keifer."
"Yeah."
"I love you."
He kissed her forehead. "I love you too."
They sat on the couch. The night passed. The sun rose. The search continued.
Yuri was still out there.
They would find him.
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End of Chapter Sixty-Three