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"Now we follow his scent. He is your beloved, so even at its weakest, you will still be able to identify his trail and track him through town or wherever it is he has gone. Come on, let's follow him." They trailed the scent out the door and down another hall to a door that led into a storeroom. "He was trying to find a way out of the building."
“Something startled him in this room.” Enzo stopped and flipped on the lights. “Someone else was here.”
“Maintenance?”
"Maybe, probably." Enzo found no reason to be suspicious of the presence of someone else, but still, his beloved's scent was a mixture of surprise and fright. Why would a maintenance man scare him? His only concern was the guard seen in the bathroom. He was running from the guard. He wasn't aware that everyone was after him until he reached the lobby.
“What is it?” Noori picked up on his uneasiness.
"We should find out who was in this room. Foster's reaction was unusual." Enzo decided to leave it there.
"I'll text Zac and have him check on it." They continued out the double doors that brought them to the lobby where Enzo first laid eyes on Foster Rhodes. At the time, he found him entertaining and marveled at his skill at evading capture. Now, he knew that part of that skill came from the fact he was a beloved. Fate protects beloveds from being controlled or influenced by others, so any mind games the guards tried to use on him fell flat. The moves, though, were all his, and he had some fine moves.
They left the lobby by the main doors following Foster's scent. Enzo was amazed by how easy it was to track him through the plaza and out onto the street. "He went into this shop," Enzo stated, but it was closed at this hour. They circled around to the back, assuming he had gone out the back door to the alley. Enzo picked up his scent again immediately.
"He was trying to get to his car parked in E-Lot a couple blocks away," Noori commented. "They already had it covered by the time he would have arrived."
They stopped at the partial hedge delineating the edge of the lot from the alley. "He stood there and then moved over to the truck there for a better view of his vehicle, no doubt." Enzo and Noori walked over to the truck and saw the guard still standing watch over the car. They decided to approach him.
"Patrick," Noori announced his presence, and the guard gave him his immediate attention.
“Commander Noori.” He responded and stood at attention.
“Any sign of the young man?”
"No, sir." Enzo and Noori walked over to Foster's car, a standard, older, dark blue sedan with a few dents and scratches. A glance inside showed that he maintained a clean and orderly car. Even though it was an older model and a bit beat up, he treated it with respect.
"Stay sharp, I doubt he will show, but you never know when dealing with humans," Noori told him, and with a nod, they continued following Foster's trail. "He followed the hedge until it ran out, and then he moved from car to car using them as cover until he reached the main road."
"His scent has gotten very weak," Enzo said and then glanced down at the large puddle of water by the curb and noticed how it had been sprayed across the sidewalk. "He was drenched in water, and that's probably why no one has been able to follow him."
"Very likely, but that won't keep you from following him," Noori added.
"He went south from here," Enzo announced with a grin. "There are cash pay motels and less scrutiny among the businesses to the south." He speculated on Foster's thought process.
"He's familiar with the town and not afraid to venture into this neighborhood after dark," Noori added.
"Self-reliant," Enzo interjected somewhat proudly. "According to the report sent out, he grew up in care. Been on his own since the age of four and has learned how to take care of himself."
"I believe you have yourself a multifaceted young man, Enzo. Fate is always generous to us when she makes her matches." Noori patted Enzo's shoulder. "Your future awaits you, my friend."
"I saw him briefly in the lobby, and I can't wait to get a good look at him. Will he know me?" Enzo asked.
“He will be drawn to you, but he won’t recognize you in the way that we recognize our beloveds. He will definitely know that you are important, but it may take him a moment or two to figure it all out.” Noori shot him a subtle grin. “It takes a little longer when dealing with humans.”
"I can be patient when absolutely necessary." Enzo quipped. "Honestly, I just want to meet him and get things started."
“The Sunset Motel is straight ahead on the left. If he truly knows this end of town, he would know that the Sunset has a less deplorable reputation than the other choices further on. My guess is that he is held up at the Sunset." Noori finished with a bit of a flourish. He was clearly enjoying searching out Enzo's beloved.
"His scent indicates that you are correct. He is in unit seven." Enzo felt a sudden wave of exhilaration overtake him at the thought of being so close to his Fated beloved. He paused and looked across the parking area to number seven, silently thinking about the man behind that door and what lay ahead for them both.
"Exciting, isn't it." Noori was smiling now and watching Enzo. "So, what is your plan from here?" After a moment of thought, Enzo laid it out.
“I’d like for you to report our findings to Master Hadden and let him know that I will be surveilling Foster Rhodes for the rest of the evening. I will approach him in the morning.” Enzo thought it was a good beginning.
"I'll have someone drop off a vehicle for you." Noori patted him on the shoulder. "Good luck, my friend." He said and started back toward town and the Hadden Center.
“Thank you.” Enzo moved to a darkened corner of the lot where he could hide in the shadows but would also have a clear view of number seven.
