Chapter Two – Into The Shadows
It takes the teenager around five minutes to make it from one end of the house to the other, but soon, he finds himself back at his boss's office once more. He stands before the man, and though he appears to be calm and collected, his following words are far from that.
"You extended your break by ten minutes. I don't know where you got the balls to do that, but you definitely should not make a habit of such poor behaviour." William's tone is cold and serious. He stands behind his desk, digging his sharp glare into his apprentice.
Eric rubs at the back of his neck, racking his brain for an appropriate response. He genuinely had no idea that he spent so much time away from his duties. "Ah… sorry?"
The man grits his teeth together, frustration beginning to take over already. He stares down to the teenager, sending an intimidating, narrow glare his way. "I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself."
"Ahhh…" Eric mutters under his breath, wondering if he should tell the truth about what he's been doing during his time off. He moves his hand from rubbing awkwardly at his neck. "Well, I kinda walked in on your kid playing piano."
William's expression grows less tense, as he raises an eyebrow. Whether he's humouring the teenager or not isn't clear. "Oh… I see… And so, you spent some quality time with him?"
"I… guess?"
"Huh…" William lets out a mocking laugh in a low hiss, shaking his head. In the blink of an eye, he swiftly pulls his hands from behind his back to slam his palms onto his desk, projecting a loud, echoing thud through the room.
Eric almost jumps out of his skin at the sudden fury-filled action. "Jesus…!" He instinctively shifts a foot behind him, exhaling sharply to try and calm down.
Not even a couple of seconds after this, William raises his voice to demonstrate authority over the male. "I'm not paying you to take leisurely strolls across my house, and I'm certainly not paying you to babysit MY children! If you screw me over and make me wait like this again, I will have you taken care of so fast, you'll wish you never set foot in this house. Understood?"
Eric's eyes grow wide as he hears William's tone grow more irritated and even more terrifying with each word. For the first time in months, Eric's heart is pounding wildly in his chest, and even his legs are trembling. After all, he's never been on the receiving end of his boss's ranting before. He enjoys seeing so-called 'enemies' shiver in fear and beg for mercy, but in this moment, he understands exactly how they feel against the wrath of Mr Anderson.
The teenager silently gulps, wasting no time in answering. "Yes, Sir. Promise, it won't be happening again."
William takes in a deep breath, attempting to compose himself once more. He has no regrets whatsoever regarding his actions – so he's certainly not going to start empathising after ripping into his own apprentice. He slowly pulls his hands from his desk, straightening himself out to stand up tall and fearsome as always.
Eric watches his boss's movements closely now, being sure to stay attentive and more focused than ever before. He knows he'll have to make this mistake up in his work later. "What's our next move?"
The man gives a heavy sigh, running his fingers through his hair, in what appears to be distress. "I have been informed of a new, small gang uprising. They're nothing but amateurs for sure, however, they're still bad news. Quite literally, as well. They're claiming one of our attacks as their doing."
"Tch. Some people sure do like to try it on, don't they?" the teenager remarks, folding his arms over his chest. "So lemme guess, we gotta find 'em and take away their five minutes of fame?"
"Yes, that is the plan." The man gives a nod. "I have some of my men gathering information on them, and trying to track down any hideouts. All we have so far is that they're under orders of a Mr Fletcher."
"Well, if they're small…"
Before Eric can continue, there is an abrupt loud knock on the office door from behind. The teen turns his head to look over his shoulder, while the boss allows access.
The door swings open, revealing one of William's research assistants. "Very sorry to disturb you both, but we've made a breakthrough regarding the Fletchers."
William lifts his arm, gesturing his assistant to come in. "Alex. Tell us everything you have."
Compared to the boss, this woman named Alex is rather short, and also rather young. No older than 20, at the least. Her heels click softly against the floor as she walks forward, and her long light brown hair bounces slightly behind her, stopping at Eric's side. She's currently in casual wear, as she's been stuck in the office for many hours at a time, to extensively gather anything she can on their new rivals.
She coughs lightly, glancing down to the rather thick pile of paper cradled in her arms. "One of our workers in the outside research team had managed to catch a glimpse of the Fletcher boss himself. It was late, probably around 3 or 4am, but our hard scouting work payed off. He followed Fletcher discreetly for maybe half an hour, and ended up outside what appears to be the man's family home."
Both William and Eric listen carefully to Alex's information, taking in every word. Though Eric needn't think and analyse this information as much as the boss, he still finds it rather exciting. It's been a while since a new rival has popped up, so now is Eric's chance to regain his passion for the job.
"James has the exact locations, though, so it would be best to check it out with him. Oh, but also, after doing some digging, I found a couple of profiles that match the name Fletcher based on his home's location."
"Go on…" William says, giving a nod. He's proud of his workers for such dedication, but he knows they'd never fail him.
"One of the men is Malcolm Fletcher – this seems to be the father. The other is Oliver, who is quite clearly the son. I found a few pictures of Malcolm himself, and based on James's description of the man he tracked not so long ago, this would indeed be the leader of the new gang."
The boss lets out a deep sigh in relief. "That's great news, Alex. Thank you for all your hard work."
"So, ah… what do we do with this information?" Eric curiously pipes up, looking between Alex and William.
"Well, logically, our next step is to gather information on gang members, or even family members. We'll get on it right away," Alex promptly responds.
"I'd say it's best to get on that right away," William says, coming to a decision. "Come, Eric. Alex, allow us to join you so we can get those locations."
"Yes, Sir."
In all his time here, Eric can't recall ever setting foot in any special offices. So now, this is an important moment for him – he's excited, but ever so slightly nervous, due to the responsibilities that will come with such a task. He follows closely behind Alex, as she heads down to the end of a fairly short hall, where there is a lift.
The teenager simply watches in awe as he passes through these new areas. Within a few minutes, the three are near the top floor of the mansion, standing inside a dimly lit office room. Eric's eyes grow slightly wide in admiration, as he scans the surrounding area. It's only a small space, yet it's still impressive. The lights give off a soft glow, which have been adjusted to remain easy on the eyes of workers who stare at computer screens for many hours. There are around six different employees scattered across the office, some sitting in front of double screens, and the others sifting through worksheets and taking down notes.
"James." Not long after arriving, William speaks up in a relatively loud voice, to gain the attention of a certain worker.
A man with short, curly hair spins around swiftly on his chair, upon hearing the familiar voice of his boss. His eyes are heavy, yet he remains as positive as always. He seems to be the same age as William, so it's clear he is used to working long hours. "Ah, William. There you are. I take it Alex filled you in on everything."
"More or less, yes," the boss replies, before moving towards James and beginning a conversation.
While this takes place, Eric can only blink, left feeling confused and lost. There's so much to this job that he hasn't seen yet, and now he's been thrown in the deep end so suddenly, it's only inevitable he feels this way. There are so many unfamiliar faces, as well. He notes this research department is mainly filled with men in their thirties or forties; this, too, leaves him feeling a complete lack of experience.
Alex, noticing that Eric is lost in thought, coughs softly before speaking up to him. "I can probably guess what you're thinking right now."
"Eh?" The teenager quickly shakes his head, snapping out of deep thought as he hears a soft voice. He is also quick to turn his glance to the woman at his side. "Ah… Is that so?"
A sweet, sympathetic smile spreads across her features. It's only now that Eric realises just how angelic this young woman is, after getting an actual look at her. "Mhm. I was in your position, just a couple years ago myself."
The teenager is caught completely off guard by this sudden warm feeling within him, especially after seeing her lovely smile. He finds himself unable to take her eyes from her entire being; he takes in every last feature of hers. From her slightly curvy hourglass figure - which suits her rather well - to her plump lips, small button nose, long fluttering eyelashes, and mesmerising deep brown eyes. This is indeed the definition of infatuation. In fact, he almost forgets to answer her. "A-Ah…" He hesitantly scratches at his cheek, before giving a nervous response. "A-A couple years ago, huh? You're…pretty impressive… I, I mean…! It's pretty impressive! How you've stayed here so long."
Tongue-tied? Check. Staring in admiration? Check. This is sure to be a recipe for disaster.
Alex blinks a few times, out of confusion. She can see the way this male is staring at her, and while it makes her feel a bit uncomfortable at first, she quickly finds herself fighting back the urge to laugh – even more so when he begins stuttering and messing up his words. She gently bites down onto her lower lip, looking the male up and down for a couple moments. "…How old did you say you were, again?"
"Um… ah… S-Seventeen. Almost eighteen though." He is quick to add that he's going to be a year older rather soon, perhaps to impress her.
"Mm…" she thoughtfully hums in response. She decides to feel flattered that he's taken an interest in her – though this one enjoys playing hard to get.
Just as the two begin to talk a bit more, William's voice can be heard beckoning them over. "Come take a look at these locations, you two."
The pair exchange glances for a split second, before looking away and following their boss's request. Alex walks forward first, with Eric hanging behind a bit. He knows he has to focus now, so he tries his best to take his eyes from the back of his new crush.
Both William and James turn away from the computer screens. "James has found a few different locations which could be near Fletcher's hideout. It seems as though this sneaky rat has multiple safehouses," the boss explains. "Eric. Tonight, you and I will scope out one of these safehouses. I will gather a few more men to infiltrate the other two locations. Tonight is not an attack, however. We'll just be gathering more information. We have no idea how much of a threat this group poses."
The teenager gives a nod in understanding. "Got it, boss."
"Alex. James." The Anderson man looks between the two now. "If you would, please try to gather profiles on Fletcher's family. You may take a break once my team and I leave tonight. As for you, Eric, make sure you're back at my office at 10pm sharp. We don't want a repeat of earlier."
Alex raises a brow slightly in curiosity, upon hearing these words from her boss. She holds back a giggle, immediately knowing what type of person Eric is – and she likes it. Eric, on the other hand, gives a sheepish nod, before mumbling an 'okay'.
"Now, if you'll excuse me. I wish to spend the rest of the day with my family." And with that, the man turns on his heels and heads towards the lift.
Eric lets out a quiet sigh in relief, feeling much less tense once the boss is gone. The amount of stress and pressure he feels has been doubled by today's events. He is pulled from thought when he feels a gentle hand being placed upon his shoulder. He lifts his glance up, looking to the side, seeing that it's Alex. He forgets about the stress practically straight away once he feels her delicate touch.
"Hey, wanna see how things work around here?" she offers, a smile pulling at her lips. "It's way more fun than it looks."
"Uh… y…yeah, sure." He mentally slaps himself, scolding himself for constantly stuttering like a fool in front of her. He coughs, attempting to play it cool. "I mean, that'd be pretty neat."
Seeing the two obviously flirting, James rolls his eyes and spins back around on his chair to face the computer screens once more.
"Great," Alex grins in response.
…
William moves his way through the house, looking forward to sitting down to a nice meal after such a long, stress-filled day. He's grateful that his wife Monica always prepares wonderful, delicious meals – but part of him subconsciously takes her dedication for granted. Glancing down to his watch, he makes sure he's right on time for the meal being served.
The true Anderson 'home' lies on the ground floor of the mansion; every essential room for a house is found across this space. Almost every other room, with some exceptions, is dedicated to their business. Letting out a soft yawn, William finally approaches the dining hall, where he finds Monica and his two children just about to tuck into dinner.
Upon hearing the door open, the family all turn to look, to see who it is. Out of the three of them, each seem to have a different reaction to seeing the boss himself, which says a lot about how the family works. Layla's eyes brighten up when she sees her father; whereas Ryan only has a quick glance before staring down to his plate. Monica is physically exhausted, but she puts on a soft, welcoming smile.
"Daddy! You were almost late!" Layla lets out an excited giggle, lightly bouncing on her chair.
"Sorry, princess. I had a lot of work to do," William sincerely responds, before moving towards the seat next to his wife.
Ryan keeps his glance low, impatiently prodding his fork against his food, wanting to get the meal over with already.
"That's okay, darling," Monica says, a hint of exhaustion in her voice. Once her husband sits down, she reaches over to plant a kiss on his cheek. "I wouldn't let these two touch their food until their father arrived."
"Ah, you're too sweet, my love," William laughs.
"So, we can eat now?" Ryan only speaks up to ask this very question, and it ends up coming out in a rather rude, blunt tone. Monica sends her glance toward Ryan, as if to silently tell him to be less rude to his father.
William can only let out a laugh. Though at times he appreciates his son's strange manner, today, he's not in the right mood at all. "Ryan… Don't talk in such a way, please," he says in his best stern, warning tone, while remaining calm.
"I only asked a question…" the boy mutters, bitterly.
"Ugh, Ry, knock it off," Layla scoffs, fed up as always of her brother's attitude.
"Children…" Monica impatiently coughs.
"No, don't worry, dear," William says, giving a sigh. "Go on, let's all tuck in, shall we?"
Giving a huff in defeat, Ryan is the first to begin eating – soon followed by the rest of the family, moments later. As the family starts to eat, a deafening silence falls upon them. Already, there is a bit of a tense atmosphere between the four. Though this is the norm for the family now; something always goes wrong during a meal.
William swallows his first few bites, before deciding to make some small talk. "Wow. This is delicious, dear," he says, referring to the food his wife has prepared. She spent quite some time, preparing medium-sized fillets of fish, minted potatoes and a variety of vegetables.
"Oh…" Monica swallows her current bite, before sending a slight smile to the man. "Thank you. Although it's a bit hard by myself." The woman can't help but add in that sly remark, referring to how she's left to manage everything single-handedly. And some people wonder where Ryan gets his sass from.
William is clearly oblivious to the meaning behind her remark, however. "Oh, I'm sure it is. But you're so good at keeping it together."
"Yes…" Monica says, in a slight irritated tone, but it doesn't come through much.
Silence falls again. Only quiet clacks and other noises from cutlery can be heard. After a minute or so, Layla can't take the silence for much longer – so, she decides to pipe up with her endless curiosity. "What were you doing today, daddy?"
Upon hearing this question, William finishes off the food he's chewing, and sets his knife and fork down for a few moments. "Today, I made a very important discovery, princess."
"Ooh, dis…discovery…" She struggles a bit to repeat that word, having not heard it enough before. "Important! What was it?"
Monica is quick to cut in, giving a cough. "Let's not discuss your father's work at the dinner table, love."
"Yeah, please," Ryan says, piping in to agree.
"Actually, Monica, it's as important as I say it is. I think we all deserve to hear this, as it poses a threat to our prestigious name."
Ryan rolls his eyes at his father's dramatic statement, before leaning back against his chair in a slump.
"Yes, but I'm sure it can wait," the woman tries to argue.
"No! I wanna hear it now, Mom!" Layla loudly protests, lightly slamming the bottom of her knife and fork against the edge of the table.
"Layla, please," Monica sighs, growing more impatient with each moment that passes.
"We have discovered there is a new group rising up," William starts, going ahead and ignoring Monica. As always, he believes he has the authority to speak over others, whether they want him to or not. "They know about us, which is what makes them so different from any other groups that come forward."
"Are the children safe?" Monica's irritation fades as she hears this; instead, she begins to grow worried for the family's safety.
"The sooner we find them, the safer they'll be."
Ryan simply shakes his head, unable to stay silent at this moment. "If we weren't dragged into this, then we wouldn't be in any danger now…!"
"Sweetheart, please don't say that," Monica requests, though her thoughts are the exact same as his.
"Ryan…" The man's patience is starting to grow thin now.
"It's true! Why do we have to be part of this? Why can't we just live normally, and safely?" the boy protests.
Finally having enough, William uncontrollably lashes out at his son. "Stop being so ungrateful for once in your life, you cowardly brat!" He raises his voice like he's never done before.
Monica lowers her head in shame, while Ryan and Layla stare at their father with wide eyes. Even the little girl who usually admires her father is now scared. Ryan falls silent, unable to think of any smart comebacks, as tears sting his small eyes.
"I'm sick of being so unappreciated in this family – I'm sick of the utter disrespect, especially from my own son! Well, today I'm putting my foot down. Ryan, you need to learn some respect, and you're going to learn very soon."
The young boy squeezes his eyes shut, tears beginning to trickle down his cheeks slowly. Already being at breaking point, it seems as though he can't put on a brave face this time.
"I work hard every single day to support all of you, and this is how I'm treated in return? You two kids are beginning compulsory training starting tomorrow morning, end of discussion." William speaks harshly, sending his cold glare to the two children.
"No, you can't do that!" Monica suddenly speaks up, wanting to protect her children. "You're putting them both in serious danger."
"I'm not raising my children to be defenceless cowards, unlike you, Monica," William remarks, hissing his possessive words out through gritted teeth.
The woman is shocked to hear such words. She bites down on her lower lip, fighting back tears in front of her children. "This business is far too much for them. I refuse to let you turn them into mindless killing machines!" With fear and distress in her voice, she swiftly pushes herself up to her feet, holding her arm out to act as a shield for the children.
"Mom, Daddy… Please, stop…" Layla quietly begs, wrapping an arm around her brother to try and comfort him, while he sobs quietly. "Shh… it's okay, Ry…"
William quietly scoffs to himself. "My word is final. Cry all you want; you'll learn it won't get you what you want, son."
Finally snapping completely, Ryan rips himself free of his sister's comforting grip and pushes himself onto his feet – the chair he once sat on topples backwards and crashes to the dining hall floor. And then, he lets out an anger-filled scream through hot tears, staring straight at his father. "I hate you!" Without waiting for any reactions, he spins on his heels and swiftly sprints straight out of the room.
"Ryan, wait!" Monica calls out, trying to get him to stop. But this is to no avail. The young boy doesn't look back.
"Ryan…" Layla quietly sighs, lowering her arm back to her side.
"This is all your fault, you stupid woman." William growls in a low tone, turning to look right back at his wife.
"Don't you dare call me that. And how dare you shout at our son like that!" Monica swallows her pride, making sure to reprimand her husband for shouting at their son first. "Do you really think he understands the severity of this? Of anything? He's seven years old, for crying out loud."
The man takes in a deep breath, steadying his shaking hands. Putting on a fake-sweet tone, he sends his glance to his daughter. "Layla, princess. Go to your room."
"But, Daddy…"
"Go to your room!" He ends up snapping at her, losing his temper again.
"I, I'm sorry…!" Layla quickly stands up, running out of the dining hall without another word.
Monica glares sharply at her husband, unable to believe everything that's just happened. "Now you're shouting at our other child? What on earth has gotten into you? You may act all tough, but you're just a lowly, terrified little boy who can't bear having his precious authority questioned." She speaks in a mocking, patronising tone, ranting right in the man's face unafraid.
William slowly pulls himself up to his feet, his palms clenching into fists. As he stands tall, he towers over his wife who is significantly shorter in comparison, staring down at her with a dark expression. The woman stares back up to him, suddenly feeling tiny and terrified. She breathes shakily, regretting her choice of words. "I wouldn't say that again if I were you, Monica."
She takes in a deep breath, choosing not to cower in fear before the man – to protect her children, she must remain brave. "If you touch me, I'll be out of this house with our children before you can blink," she hisses, in a threatening tone.
"Who said it would be me touching you…?" He lets out a quiet laugh, sending a chill down the woman's spine. "Please. Don't think you'll be getting anywhere with my children."
Monica's eyes grow wide in fear, her breath catching in her throat. She feels utterly powerless against her husband. She's never quite seen this dark, fear-inducing side of the man before. "You… you really are evil…!"
"Funny how you changed your tune once our children started to grow up fast…" William responds, snickering in a contemptuous tone.
"W…what…?" Her face grows pale at such an accusation – it catches her off guard.
"Don't act so shocked. Admit it, dear. You never wanted strings attached, did you? No commitment to me or my business… You only wanted my money," he continues, a devious smirk pulling at his lips.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Monica scoffs, shaking her head. She grits her teeth together in frustration, trying to hide her once dark past. "I love those children more than anything else in the world. Anything! And I will not let you or anyone come between us!"
"Oh, I bet your favourite little Ryan would love to hear stories about how his mother used to act," the man subtly threatens, giving a laugh. "I distinctly remember you saying something about wishing you could go back in time… just so you wouldn't have to go through the hassle of having a second child."
Monica gulps hard, fighting back the tears forming in her eyes. "That was different… that was before I knew just how bad this business could get…" she weakly whispers.
"Your secret will be safe with me, as long as you don't try to come between my children and I," William says, giving a casual shrug, backing away from his wife now. "I suggest you spend one last night with them, while they still have their innocence." Straightening out his jacket, the man turns on his heels and begins to exit the dining hall, leaving Monica all by herself.
She narrows her eyes, staring at the back of her husband as he slowly walks away, victorious. The moment he's gone, the tears begin to fall. The broken, defeated woman lifts her hand up, clamping her palm over her mouth. She takes in a deep breath, before letting go and sobbing quietly.
…
After many long, painful hours, the sun starts to set and night finally falls. After the Anderson boss walked away from his family meal, he spent the rest of his spare hours gathering a team of workers and prepping them for the long night ahead. At around 9:45pm, the group of four men and the boss gather in the main office.
"Now, remember, men…" William decides to run through the plan one more time, just to triple-check they've memorised every last detail. "You must be as careful as possible. We need to use tonight as an opportunity to see exactly who we're against. Remain in the shadows, and watch for any activity from afar."
As Mr Anderson wraps up his explanation, the office door swings open. Eric casually struts into the room, being around ten minutes early. Though he seems to be casual and calm enough, there's a bit of a flushed look on his face.
William looks up to the teenager slightly confused, then down to his watch before speaking. "Eric? I'm surprised you're here… so early."
"W…Well, what can I say?" He stutters for a moment, before regaining confidence. He walks forward, stopping at a colleague's side. Gulping quietly, the teen tries his best to pull his mind from the events that happened only minutes ago.
"Indeed. Well, listen up," the boss orders. He begins to run through the plan for tonight to Eric, repeating the same details as his previous explanations. He finishes talking a couple minutes after the clock strikes ten, indicating it's time to begin.
…
The mafia men leave the mansion together, before splitting up into their pairs and going their own way. They all make sure they're dressed for the task before leaving, each member wearing dark clothes to blend into the shadows. William watches as his men take off before him, only gesturing Eric to follow once they are gone.
Eric takes in a breath, feeling the sharp cold air penetrate his skin once he starts to move. An icy shiver crawls down his spine, and he wraps his arms around himself to try and stay warm. "So. This place is far away?"
"It's supposedly some cabin hidden away within a forest, which is approximately a twenty-minute walk," the man responds, appearing to be unfazed by the cold air surrounding him. He's only wearing a thin jacket and a pair of gloves. Noticing this, Eric can only wonder how his boss does it.
"Got it…" the teen responds, trying to block out the cold. He focuses on his thoughts, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.
This is the first time in near enough five months that he's been out scouting like this; their last enemy group was dealt with swiftly. He has no doubt that this new group will fall defeated to the same fate. Even though he has some worries in his mind, he drowns them out with the gentle voice of Alex. Not long before Eric went to meet with the boss, he and the young woman shared an inevitable intimate moment together.
Meanwhile, William is trying to block out every thought he can now. He clenches a palm into a fist, pretty much uncontrollably, keeping his mind focused on the job for tonight. His mind isn't filled with thoughts of regret, however. They're filled with anger, screaming at him, 'how dare they disrespect you like this?'.
The road ahead is a long and hard one. The two must make sure they watch their backs upon entering the forest near the Fletchers' cabin. Eric narrows his eyes a bit, trying to see if they're any closer to a house – however, the darkness makes it rather difficult to tell what is up ahead. Not even the moonlight can guide the two tonight; dark clouds have covered the once bright moon and twinkling stars. Needless to say, this may not have been the best night to carry out such a mission.
A little while later, the two find themselves coming up to a dead end of sorts. William stops in his tracks, noticing a barrier and a barbed wire fence blocking the way. He holds his arm out to the side, making sure Eric doesn't go any further.
"Eh…" the teenager quietly sighs, squinting his eyes to try and see exactly how much it's blocking. There are trees blocking any alternative route on both sides. "What the hell is this supposed to be?"
The boss gives a light shrug, closely examining its height and other features. "…looks manmade, if I'm not mistaken," he says, after a couple moments.
"And you never usually are," Eric adds, sneaking in a compliment. "Ahem. So, that means the Fletchers are near here?"
"It's either them or their goons," William responds. He takes a couple cautious steps towards the barricade, giving a sigh in frustration. "We'll have to return with more men. This won't be budging with just the two of us."
"Ahhh… seriously?" Eric lets out a deep sigh, the mere thought of another long walk in the dark making him feel exhausted.
"Seriously. Come on, let's get…" William abruptly stops speaking, thinking he just heard a branch snapping nearby.
Eric raises a brow, looking to his boss in confusion. He hasn't heard anything else at all. He opens his mouth to question this, but William lets out a demanding 'shh'.
William sends his glance around the area, but of course, with such a restricted view it's almost impossible to tell if someone is around. Still, he remains deadly silent, the only other sounds being the cold wind whistling.
As Eric stands there in confusion, he hesitantly takes a quick look around. He's not one to usually feel fear, but the icy air and dead silence makes him feel a bit on edge. He takes in a sharp breath, steadying his trembling lower body. Although they stand there, alert, for two minutes or so, no other sounds follow.
William slowly releases his breath, deciding to let his guard down. "I thought I heard a branch snapping or something… No, I know I heard it."
"Shit…" Eric mumbles, this explanation only worrying him even more. "You think… someone's watching us?"
"It's possible," the man reluctantly admits. "I know many things about stealth late at night. Just watch your back. Let's move out." With those orders, the two begin to make their way out of the forest, the same way they entered. The hairs on the back of Eric's neck are sticking up, but he can't tell if it's the cold air or the tense atmosphere surrounding the area. Either way, he's glad to get away from such a place. Something tells him that he shouldn't be so confident about a victory right now.
…
After a long night that eventually crumbled into failure, each of the men decide to call it a night. William dismisses his workers, allowing them to do as they please for the rest of the night. Though really, there's not much else the men can do, considering how late it is now. Once Mr Anderson is finished giving out his last orders of the day, he mutters something inaudible to himself before trailing towards his office and locking himself in.
Eric rubs at the back of his neck slightly, wondering why his boss is acting so distant at such a crucial point in time. He gives a light shrug of his shoulders, eventually realising it has nothing to do with him, and so he makes his way to his own room. As he approaches his bedroom door, dragging himself sleepily through the dimly lit hall, he notices a figure up ahead, as if they are waiting for someone.
His sleepiness fades in almost an instant, as he recognises the figure once he gets closer. "Ah… Alex…?" he calls out, his cheeks darkening at the sudden memory of the moment they shared earlier. It was nothing more than a few words of encouragement and a warm embrace, but to Eric, that moment meant the world to him. And now, he can only wonder why she would be here so late. It's at least past midnight, after all.
The female lifts her head up, upon hearing the familiar voice of Eric call her name. She smiles softly, pushing herself up from leaning against the wall. "Hey…"
Eric comes to a stop, a few steps away from the female. The atmosphere between the two begins to feel rather intense once more. He lets out a shaky sigh, pushing himself to talk to her – and not just small talk. "So… Why are you… y'know, here?" Eric tries to show an ounce of confidence in front of the girl he's obviously crushing on. However, his voice ultimately comes out as no more than a quiet, awkward question.
Alex notices Eric's rather charming cuteness, and she stifles an amused giggle. She decides she doesn't want to play hard to get anymore. She's decided that she wants Eric… And she's not going to mess around any longer. Alex is the type of young woman who makes up her mind in an instant, and she's obstinate as all hell. She innocently flutters her eyelashes, getting straight to the point. "I was wondering if I could come in?"
Eric almost chokes. He's stunned into silence for a couple of seconds, wondering if he heard right. He didn't expect Alex to be so straightforward, especially since they only met earlier today. "Y-Yeah, s-sure, of course you can…!" He mentally slaps himself, scolding himself harshly. Play it cool. He doesn't want to be laughed at. He moves past the female, moving towards the door and pushing it open. He gives a slight smile, entering first and allowing Alex to make herself comfortable.
Alex's plan is simple. She'll get the male all relaxed, maybe blabber on about work for a while. Then, she'll make her move. Humming lightly to herself, in a casual manner, she slowly trails herself towards the teenager's bed. Bending over with her back turned, she starts to smooth out the bedsheets delicately with her palms.
As Eric turns around, after flicking the light switch on, he's greeted by the godly sight of Alex being bent over. He tries his hardest not to stare at a certain part of her body, though it's taking an incredible amount of willpower just to remember to breathe.
In a matter of a couple moments, the female is done. She stands up straight, twirling around gracefully on her heels, before plopping herself down onto the edge of the bed. She stretches her arm out a bit, gently patting a space beside her, inviting him to sit down as well. She softly bites down on her lower lip in silence, watching as Eric almost stumbles over his own feet while approaching. 'Ah, he's perfect… The perfect boy to dominate… Yes, this will be so much fun!' she thinks to herself, before taking in a breath.
Eric sits an acceptable distance away from Alex on the bed, completely losing his previous cocky nature. "So… what did you want to do…?" He curses himself almost immediately, realising how utterly stupid that line is – and how truly blatant it is.
Alex gives a teasing giggle, locking her eyes with his. "Ahah… Is that really all men think about?"
"N-No, I…" He struggles to get the words out.
"…don't worry," the female says, in a soft, reassuring tone. "Ah, well, it's not much. I just wanted to hear about the mission tonight. Boss didn't really say much, ya know?"
"Oh, of course," Eric replies, giving a nod. He takes in a breath to try and regain his composure. If they're only talking, then he has no reason to get so worked up. "Well, I mean, it came down to a whole lot of nothing. There was a barbwire fence surrounding the area, and we could only assume it ended up being the same for the others. So, for now, we need to rethink our strategy. I suppose that's all there is to it right now."
"Mm, I see…" Alex thoughtfully hums, nodding while listening. "It truly is a fascinating situation. Usually, small groups don't go to such great lengths to protect themselves… They're always so amateur-ish, you know? But these guys seem like a big deal."
Eric sighs at this. He knew it would come down to something like that. "I think it's really pissed the boss off," he says, after a short pause. He remembers the way William weakly dismissed his men, as though the failure really got to him. "It's like he expected to take these guys out in one night."
"Huh…" Alex also noticed how distant Mr Anderson appeared to be earlier. "Well, the boss gets sulky a lot. You should be used to that by now."
"Eh… is there a reason for him being like that?" The teenager speaks with a tone of curiosity now, wondering if there's a deeper meaning behind the man's emotions.
Alex can only give a shrug in return. "It's just a rumour, but… Apparently things are real bad between him and his wife. You've seen how James is kinda close with the boss, right? I heard it from him."
"Hmm…" Hearing this seems to trouble Eric quite a bit. His mind focuses on the young Anderson boy, Ryan. It's no wonder that kid is always so cold and never lets his emotions show, unless he's around his mother. It must really be getting to him, Eric concludes.
"Anyway… enough about all that…" Alex suddenly says, shuffling herself closer to Eric. She decides she can't wait any longer. She gently places her hand on top of Eric's, where he has been casually resting it against the edge of the bed. She looks up to him with an expectant expression, with a hint of innocence.
"Alex…?" Eric quietly stutters, getting all flustered again. He didn't expect the female to jump into this again. "L-Look, we only just met and… uh…" As he speaks, he notices the female inching closer and closer towards his face. He awkwardly leans back in a subtle manner, though if he moves any further, he'll be lying on his back.
"Eric… I can't take it anymore, okay…? You should know that I make up my mind really fast. I won't regret this, and neither will you. I promise," Alex whispers in a soft voice.
Although he really has no complaints, he doesn't want Alex to jump into this and end up regretting it later. He convinces himself pretty quickly, however, that if she really wants this… Who is he to reject such a beautiful young woman? He allows himself to give in, slipping his eyes shut and taking in a quick breath to calm his nerves.
No more than a couple seconds later, Alex has taken the lead and locked lips with the male. She immediately receives a feeling of bliss, which makes her want more already. Eric, on the other hand, is at a loss for words. Literally. It feels nice, this being his first kiss and all, but for some reason… He can't feel much of a spark. Perhaps this is normal – he tries to tell himself it's okay. That it'll get better.
Alex, feeling that Eric isn't putting much effort into the kiss in return, slowly pulls away after a few seconds. A look of disappointment spreads across her features. "Eric… What's wrong…? Don't you want me?" she pouts.
This puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on the teenager, who's still trying to figure out all his emotions. He frantically shakes his head, wanting to reassure her. "No, no. Of course, I want you." He mentally adds a 'but' onto that statement. He can't quite wrap his head around this unsatisfactory feeling. Of course, it's clear that his body is telling him he absolutely doesn't want this. But he overrides that irrational feeling, by telling himself he simply can't let down such a gorgeous young woman, who's eager for his entire being.
"So, show me," Alex quietly orders, wanting the male in front of her to prove himself.
Fighting with himself internally for a few more moments, Eric dismisses such ridiculous thoughts, and pushes himself to make Alex happy. He shifts his hand, placing it on top of hers to grasp it close, while looking deeply into her eyes. He tries to clarify his feelings for her. He definitely felt something when they met. But the instant their lips touched… It disappeared. Breathing in, the male tilts his head to the side slightly and attempts to passionately lock lips with her again.
Alex immediately feels overwhelmed with desire once more, and so she begins to trace her free hand up to rest her palm against Eric's cheek. She lightly holds onto him, overcome with a strong feeling of breathlessness and such.
Eric can feel all the effort Alex is putting into this. Even though he's pretty much forcing himself at this point to be as passionate as possible, he still can't feel anything. He feels empty – and this entire situation is somehow wrong. This is only his subconscious telling him such things, however. These thoughts are buried away at the back of his mind. He's choosing to ignore these thoughts, losing himself in a steamy embrace with a member of the opposite sex. After all, this is every teenage male's dream, is it not?
And so, Eric decides in the end, to just have a good time without any worries. After everything he's done, after all the heartless crimes he's gladly participated in… He deserves a break and some affection.
…
As morning comes, Eric finds himself slowly waking up in his bed as always. But this time, he can feel some weight pressing against his chest. Is it his conscience…? He blinks a couple times, before shifting his glance to the side. Ah, of course not. Alex is sleeping peacefully with her head resting against the male's chest.
But that can only mean one thing, right?
Eric tries not to jump up in panic. Surely, he hadn't lost control of himself that much? He hurriedly shifts the blanket off himself, though still being careful to not wake the female. He lets out a deep sigh of relief, seeing that his jeans are still on his legs. Only his chest is bare. He looks to Alex again, a blush staining his cheeks as he realises that her chest is bare, too. It's more of a natural embarrassment thing, rather than a 'she's hot' kind of thing.
Even so, seeing the female sleeping so soundly on his chest… And knowing she's in nothing but her bra and panties… It stirs no kind of special feelings within him. He sighs softly, wondering what on earth is wrong with him. He's always been very sure of his sexuality, so he knows it couldn't possibly be that. Once he starts to think about it so much, it begins to give him a bit of a headache.
"Eric…"
Only Alex's still sleepy, gentle voice snaps him back to reality.
"A-Ah… Morning," the teenager greets, with the best smile he can muster right now.
The female gives a warm smile in return, snuggling up close to Eric once more with a happy little mumble. "You really do know how to treat a woman… I'm impressed…"
Eric can feel himself growing pale and cold. He had been so tired after whatever they did together, that he crashed almost instantly. And of course, now his memory is all fuzzy. He really hopes he didn't go all the way, and only hit the base before that one.
"I'll never be able to use my fingers again," Alex cheekily remarks, snickering quietly as she buries her face against his chest. "I never expected you to use your tongue like that, too…"
Eric resists the urge to dash out of bed right then and there. He has no idea why the thought of giving a woman such pleasure terrifies him so much. As if he's done something incredibly wrong, and as if he can never forgive himself. His subconscious is currently screaming 'I told you so' at him.
Before anything more can be said, the situation is saved by the bell. Or rather, by the clicking sound coming from the two-way radio placed on the bedside table. Eric tries not to sigh too audibly in relief. William's voice is quick to come through the radio. "Eric, you need to get your ass over here NOW. If you see Alex, get her to move it over here as well."
Eric gulps, exchanging glances with the female right next to him. He reaches his free arm over to the bedside table, grabbing the two-way radio swiftly to respond. "Got it, I'm on my way." By the serious, panicked tone in the boss's voice, the two can only assume the worst. Worry crosses their own features, and they're both out of bed straight away.
Once the two teenagers have pulled their clothes on, and once Alex has had a chance to straighten out her hair without a brush, they're on their way to meet with their boss. They stay in silence as they leave, all sorts of things crossing their thoughts. Perhaps the boss has managed to find one of the Fletcher members? Or perhaps they dared to make a direct attack? Whatever it is, it seems urgent.
Without waiting for approval, Eric swings open the door to Mr Anderson's office, with Alex timidly following behind. As soon as they enter, William can be seen frantically pacing up and down the room in front of his desk. When he hears the door being swung open, he halts in his tracks, clearly appearing distressed. "Took you long enough. Where the hell were you?" He directs his sharp glare to the female behind Eric.
"Sorry, I, uh…"
While she stumbles over her words, to try and think of an excuse, William just shakes his head. "Forget it. I don't have time for this." He digs a hand into one of his pockets, rummaging around for a short moment, and then pulling out a note of crumpled, worn paper.
Eric looks over his shoulder to Alex for a split second, exchanging glances of confusion.
William stares down at the note, as if he were reading over it for the hundredth time. It looks like he can't make any sense of such a note. He stares down at it for quite some time, slowly scanning his eyes over the contents of such a note. Just as Eric opens his mouth to ask what's going on, William finally speaks. "We need to make a plan, right now…"
"Boss…" Alex attempts to speak in a soothing voice.
"Those fuckers…!" the man hisses, seething with rage.
Eric takes a step forward, knowing he has a better chance than Alex to try and get an answer out of him.
William screws his eyes shut, his grip tightening on the paper, almost ripping it in half from the amount of force and also due to his trembling hands. He opens his eyes, a lost, yet dark and piercing look in his eyes. A fearful one; that of a true leader, a man not to be taken lightly.
"They've kidnapped my daughter."
…
