Chapter twenty
Lexie's POV
"Lexie!" Riley whispered furiously bouncing on the bed, "Lexie!"
I rolled over stuffing my face into the pillow.
"What?" I groaned, "I'm sleeping go away…"
Riley bounced some more.
"You remember that weird old lady who knew your name in the street?" she asked.
I rolled onto my back.
"Yes" I sighed with my eyes still closed, "what about her?" I asked.
"She came to me today" I opened one eye, "she was looking for you" I sat up and Riley held a note in her hand. "She wanted me to give this to you but no one is allowed to know-"
I snatched the piece of paper from her hand.
"Who are you meeting?" she asked.
It said Bradley mansion.
"Im not quite sure" I muttered stumbling out of bed, "but I need to go, cover for me and don't follow me, this is different from what happened last night" I stated.
"Yesterday night" she corrected.
I frowned.
"How long have I been asleep?" I asked.
"A while"
I waved her off pulling my pants and my jacket on.
"Cover for me" I said pulling some money out of my pocket, "and buy yourself something nice."
Riley smiled snatching the money from my hand.
"Yes sir!" She saluted shoving the money in her pocket, I ignored her walking out of my bedroom.
Downstairs Duke was standing outside Victor's office guarding it which meant there was something important going on in there.
Duke watched me.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Out, I need some fresh air" I lied, "I don't feel well."
Duke scrunched his face up at me.
"You better not be sick when we have to leave tomorrow" he grunted, "I don't want to put up with your sick ass" I stuck my finger up at him and he did it in return. "And hurry up and get over it because Victor wants to talk to us soon about how everything is going down."
I waved him off.
"I'm serious Alexis, don't fuck this up"
I stopped and glanced over my shoulder.
"The only one who could fuck this up is you doing something stupid" I shut the door behind me before he managed to reply, I loved insulting him but now wasn't the time, I didn't have time to fight him. I had to see who was waiting for me and what they wanted.
I put my hood up and stuck my hands in my pockets walking down the street, I took the back streets and kept an eye out for anyone following me but it seemed Victor had more trust in me at the moment. No one seemed to be following me.
I didn't know why he wanted to meet at King Bradley's mansion, maybe it was to show me that he was still in charge of this operation but it felt like an ambush especially in the middle of the day. I made my way to the mansion wishing I had prepared myself a little better, I was still half asleep without any protection but my dads jacket.
I walked the perimeter of the mansion watching each solider and memorising their routine every five minutes. I stopped at the end of the drive way recognising the tall slender solider standing at the front door, it had to be the guy I had met up with to give my update to a few weeks ago.
I walked towards him watching my surroundings making sure no one else saw me. When I reached the tall blonde soldier he opened the front door.
He looked me up and down.
"I hope you don't have any weapons on you" he said looking me over once more, I wasn't stupid enough to bring weapons to a meeting like this not unless I wanted to look suspicious.
"You can search me if you want" I said holding my arms out, "its been a while since I've had a boy feel me up" he didn't find me funny especially not being called a boy.
"Go up stairs and it's the third door on your left" he said letting me through, "and you're missing out if you're only letting boys feel you up" he shot back. He closed the door before I had time to retaliate.
"Smart ass" I laughed to myself. Servants were rushing around the place but they took no notice to me.
I wondered up the stairs in front of me keeping to myself and making sure I went unnoticed, I turned left down the narrow hallway hoping to god I was going the right way.
"Who are you?" I froze in my spot, "you don't look like a servant or a solider" I slowly turned around to face the young voice behind me.
I clenched my jaw shut from actually screaming and froze all my muscles from punching Selim Bradley in the face. Last time I had seen him, he had tried to kill me. Several times. And here he stood looking at me curiously and innocently.
I looked at the shadows around us waiting for them to move but they didn't, they stayed still like normal shadows.
"Master Selim" A woman said rushing towards us and scooping him into her arms, "I told you up here was out of bounds today" the woman didn't even glance my way.
She walked off with Selim while he watched me over her shoulder.
I finally exhaled not realising I was holding my breath.
I spun on my heels and walked down the hallway breathing steadily and calming myself down. Once I found the room I needed to be in I rushed in slamming the door behind me.
"I nearly hit the kid" I said quickly, "I can't believe this is the place you decide to do this and then I run into Selim fucking Bradley and I swear to god I nearly hit the kid" I had my eyes squeezed shut. Selim wasn't my only bone I had to pick, "also can we discuss the fact I got kidnapped because I don't take being kidnaped lightly!"
I opened my eyes to glare at Grumman.
"Alexis" Grumman spoke up.
"No no" I said pointing at him, "you either tell them or I will, I've been attacked on the street and kidnapped for gods sakes Grumman" it had been a year since I had last seen him. "I can't keep it up, I have no idea what they're going to do next and I can't tell them that I'm bloody undercover for you because you don't trust them…" my voice trailed off when I realised it wasn't just us in the room.
Guns were pointed my way.
"Don't shoot!" I exclaimed putting my hands up. I was unarmed and not expecting an audience. Maybe this really was an ambush.
I glanced around the room in shock, I had only just woken up and had no idea how to react to the other shocked faces around me. I could see the amusement on Grumman's face, not so much on everyone else's by my sudden appearance.
"Roy get your subordinates to lower their guns, I'm with him" I growled pointing at the Fuhrer, no one moved and I glared at Grumman who had a smile on his face.
"Guns are not necessary" Grumman finally spoke up before I actually got a bullet in my head, everyones guns were lowered cautiously. "Come here" Grumman gestured me to come closer.
I walked quickly over to him. I bent down next to him.
"Please don't tell me that I just ruined three years of undercover work because you didn't give any indication we had company" I whispered furiously at him.
Grumman chuckled slightly.
"No, I thought it was time to tell them"
I stared at him.
"And you couldn't have told me that before they decided to kidnap me" I growled at him, "I could have avoided the whole problem if I was allowed to tell them."
Grumman leaned back in his chair behind the desk.
"It was the kidnapping that I suddenly realised I was going to have to tell them, they were really starting to pull one over on you" I stared at him in disbelief, the only way he would have known is if he had someone watching me.
"Have you had people watching me?" I asked.
"You seemed to have been quite unsettled lately, I'm assuming you have more to report than shooting the Emperor of Xing"
I stared at him.
"You have been having me watched" I threw my hands in the air, "I can't win with anyone, no one seems to trust me!" I exclaimed, "every move I make I'm always being watched by someone!"
"I had to make sure you weren't over using your privileges" that was his way of saying he didn't really trust me.
"What privileges?" I asked, "oh the ones of you can kill someone if need be to keep your cover but don't over do it?" I asked repeating one of his rules.
"Can someone please explain what is going on?" Roy spoke up.
I turned around facing him.
"Incase you haven't been listening" I pointed out distastefully, "I've been working-" I paused mid sentence staring at him, finally getting a good look at me. "What the hell is on your face?" I asked.
I looked over at Danny who had been very quiet yet staring at me with Ed and Al.
"You let him grow that thing?" I asked changing the subject entirely.
"Whats wrong with my moustache?" Roy asked.
Danny shook his head.
"I disapproved but I don't have the same persuasive skills you have" Danny admitted, "he said I wouldn't understand until I could grow my own" Danny frowned, "which I was quite offended by…"
I glanced at Hawkeye.
"Come on you honestly let him grow that thing, its terrible" I saw her hold back the smile that was trying to spread across her face.
"I told you sir" she muttered to him.
Roy's face hardened.
"How about we stay on topic" Roy growled.
"Of what?" I asked, "of that hideous thing on your face that you call moustache?" there were slight snickers through the room.
"Well you haven't changed" Roy growled.
"Changed?!" I snapped, "ill change when you shave that thing, I don't want to be related to you while you have that thing on your face-"
Roy snapped his fingers and flames burst around my head.
I ducked out the way.
"And my appearance is suddenly your concern?!" Roy snapped back getting to his feet.
My mouth fell open.
"What the hell?!" I snapped back, "you nearly burnt my hair off!"
I took a step towards him.
"Well someone had to do something about it, have you even looked in a mirror today!" I should have seen that one coming.
"No I haven't" I muttered patting my hair down, "I just kinda woke up, I was still recovering from that shit that you shot me with" I said pointing at Danny. "How could you let him have a tranquilliser gun?" I asked Roy, "he shot me, I thought the goal was to make sure he doesn't turn out like me!"
I pointed at Ed.
"And I can't believe you let him do it then kidnap me!" I added.
Ed held his hands up.
"Im not getting into this family reunion, this is between you three" he said gesturing to me, Danny and Roy.
I looked at Roy.
"So I get my ass kicked for stealing your guns but Danny just gets a tranquilliser gun" now we were going off topic but this needed to be discussed.
"He found it in your room and I didn't give it to him" Roy said pointing at me, "I put it in the no Lexie cupboard yet he went ahead and broke the lock!"
I sighed.
"Danny you don't break the lock because then its noticeable, you pick the lock-"
"Alexis!" Roy scolded me.
I threw my hands in the air.
"Well if he's going to do it he might as well do it right anyway I can't believe you still have that damn cupboard, even I used to still get into it and it was named the no Lexie cupboard!"
Grumman cleared his throat.
"You should have warned me they were all going to be here" I said turning back to him, "maybe then I would have been prepared for this and his moustache" the moustache was a very big shock. It wasn't a good look for Roy, it made him look old.
"There is nothing wrong with my moustache" Roy muttered under his breath, there were grumbles of agreements with me but no one actually spoke up.
"So you're actually working for the Fuhrer?" Al asked, and finally someone had the sense to ask.
"Yes" I said turning back around, "I couldn't tell you guys that I was undercover because that went against our agreement" I said pointing at Grumman. "I had to keep our agreement otherwise I would be right back in that cell I was in three years ago" I wish Grumman had warned me about this, I didn't have time to explain all this. The longer I was the more suspicious Victor and Duke would get.
"So wait, you actually didn't break out of Central Prison?" Ed asked.
I raised my eyebrows surprised he'd actually believed it.
"I knew it was too good to be true" he pointed at me.
I crossed my arms.
"You believed it as much as everyone else" I shot back, of course the whole thing was staged. Victor had to believe I had broke out and come crawling back to him so he would believe I honestly wanted nothing to do with the military. Well I didn't want to be working for them but I needed the back up to take Victor down, it worked for both me and Grumman. And Central prison was kind of impossible to escape from.
"I still don't trust the kid" I heard Breda grumble from the corner of the room.
I glanced over at him.
Him, Havoc, Fury and Falman were staring at me… well everyone was staring at me. I was the centre of attention and I actually wasn't enjoying it.
"I knew she wasn't all that bad" Havoc spoke up.
I smiled at them.
"Woof" was all I said in return, Havoc knew what I meant by that and he frowned at me.
"She's still irritating though" he grumbled crossing his arms.
"And a brat" Breda added, I rolled my eyes at them. They could be just as childish as me at least I wasn't one of Roy's puppies unlike them.
"So let me get this straight" Roy spoke up getting over my appalled reaction to his ridiculous moustache and sitting back down, he took no notice to my insult at his subordinates. "You're not actually a wanted criminal but you are working for the Fuhrer pretending to work for the biggest drug lord in Amestris and for what?" he asked, "to get yourself killed?"
I knew Roy wouldn't agree to this, thats why I agreed with Grumman to not tell Roy. It was easier to make him believe I had really been lost but it was Danny, Ed and Al I had a hard time convincing.
"She's the only one who can earn this mans trust the quickest and help me take him down" Grumman stepped in for me, "we don't even know what the man looks like, he's just a name that everyone seems to be afraid of" of course I knew what he looked like but the military couldn't take my word for it. I was someone they wouldn't trust even if the Fuhrer believed me, he'd have a hard time convincing everyone else, he needed hard proof and thats what I was here to get.
"Sir she's just a kid"
I gritted my teeth.
"I am not, did I get tried as a kid when I got put in prison?" I asked, "no I got done as an adult!"
I threw my hands in the air.
"I don't have time for this" I looked back at Grumman, "look I don't have all the names yet but I have to go, I can't be sitting around here all day trying to explain myself-"
"Why you?" Roy asked, "why do you always get yourself into situations like this?"
I gritted my teeth turning back to him.
"You go and send someone else to do the job and see how far you get" I snapped in frustration, "none of you know what the man looks like but me, I've dealt with him personally and no one can gain his trust quicker" I paused taking in a deep breath.
"The only reason why I can get so close to him is because before I came along he had a wife and daughter but they died, how ill never know but for some reason he saw them in me" I tugged on my hair. "Maybe it's the way I look but the deadliest man alive right now here in this country has a soft spot for me, I can tell you it wasn't easy crawling back up that chain to gain his trust, I got my head kicked in and other things you couldn't imagine because I had to prove I really did escape prison. That I'm up there on the wanted criminals list because everyone believes I'm a psychopathic killer and I'm sorry your name went down with me but while this man still sits on his throne of drugs and dead bodies while wearing a mask over his face, how good of a Fuhrer do you think you will be in the future?" I asked him.
Roy was climbing the ladder to the Fuhrer very quickly and the moment Grumman retired there is a very large chance Roy would take his place but until then, he had to sit back and wait.
"She's not taking him down because I asked her to or to be able to escape prison, she's doing it because she knew that if anyone could take him down before you took my place as Fuhrer it was her" Grumman spoke up. "She didn't have to take my deal that I offered but she did, in all honesty sitting in prison would have been easier instead going back to the lifestyle she's gone back to" Grumman admitted.
I regretted all the hardship I had put Roy through as a kid, I hadn't understood that he had given up parts of his life for me and Danny but now I could see it. The times I had gotten him demoted for causing trouble simply because I could, I owed everything to my uncle and the only way I could think of to repay him is taking the man down who could make Roy's life hell, of course it is a bonus for me to take down the man who had destroyed me in the first place.
"Although you didn't have to arrest me" I pointed out to Grumman, "I was the least of your problems back then but you knew id take your offer instead of being stuck in a cell for three years" Grumman smiled but didn't say anything. He knew id feel bad about being arrested and taking Roy's name down with me, Roy could still recover from that but I could also do something for him that would help in the long run.
"But even if you take down the infamous Victor Sinclair someone will just rise up and take his place" Roy added, "you might be able to cut off the head of the snake but it will just grow another head."
I pulled out the little note book full of names.
"Maybe so but I didn't spend three years working for that man to be taken down and have someone else take his place, every name that is in here works under Victor except I'm not done, I don't have them all" I felt Grumman eyeing the book in my hands. "And you're not getting it from me until you hold up your end of the bargain" I pointed at Grumman.
"I said I would if you could give me what I wanted"
I put the little book away, the deal was if I helped take Victor down all charges would be dropped against me.
Arms wrapped around me and I nearly fell over.
"I knew there was more to this" Danny whispered hugging me tighter, this was the first time I had been up close to him in three years and I couldn't believe how much he had grown. He wasn't my little brother anymore, he was as big as me, "I knew you wouldn't have left without a good reason" he stuffed his head into my neck hunching over slightly.
What was I kidding, my sixteen year old brother was bigger than me and I had missed him more than anything even if he did get on my nerves a lot.
I wrapped my arms around his chest squeezing him tightly.
"You've grown" I whispered against him, "you've grown so much and I missed it" I felt a lump in the back of my throat holding my tears back.
"But you're back now, that's all that matters" I let go of him and pulled back. I wasn't back yet, I wasn't finished. I couldn't come back until I had finished what I was set out to do. Ruin Victor Sinclair.
Danny frowned at me for letting go.
"You're coming back, right?" He asked.
I opened my mouth to reply but I was quickly squished up against Danny again by a new pair of arms.
"Yes hug time!" Al exclaimed hugging me and Danny tightly.
I sighed smiling.
"No Al" I laughed slightly looking up at him, he had a huge grin that showed his relief. I guess Danny wasn't the only one glad that I actually wasn't working for Victor. "I don't have time for this, I have to go" neither of them let go of me.
"There is always times for hugs" Al insisted.
I looked at Ed.
"Please come get your brother before he breaks me"
Ed held his hands up.
"Im not getting involved, thats all on you" well Ed wasn't going to be any help.
I managed to escape and stepped away from them.
"I seriously have to go" I paused, "actually I do have something id like to ask" I said turning back to Grumman. "There's something thats got Victor's heckles up, he wants me and his other psychopathic dog to go after one of your men you've hidden in the East to question him about the syndicate" I explained. "Do you know what the syndicate is?" I asked.
Grumman went deadly quiet staring at me.
"Okay… thats not a good response, what is it?" I asked.
"You can't let him find out anything, how does he even know about that?!" Grumman snapped, that response put everyone on edge.
"Rene Parsons is the name I have, what is the syndicate?" I asked, "and you can't tell me that he can't find out, I leave tomorrow with one of his guys to probably go torture this guy to get information out of him and I could blow my cover trying to stop whatever information we find out to give to Victor. Im so close to getting him that I can't afford to let one guy ruin this" I insisted.
"If he gets his hands on the Syndicate then your mission will officially be over, no one will be able to catch him"
I raised my eyebrows.
"Then what is it Grumman, what is this Syndicate?" I asked.
"The syndicate is a program to recruit former officers from this country, supply them with a new identity and use them to surgically remove enemies at home and abroad. Its operating budget, which is a ledger, is hidden somewhere in Amestris that only one man knows the location which is Rene Parsons and thats why we hid him, the syndicate would make whoever had the information judge, jury and executioner with zero accountability, I rejected it the moment I came into this position and informed the whole thing was shut down but I guess not if someone else has got wind of it…"
We all stared at Grumman.
"Something like that exists?" Roy asked, "why would someone create that?"
"For more power" Grumman muttered, "when Bradley was in power he had created this for whatever reason was necessary so when he was killed and I went into to power the idea was brought to me, I wanted it shut down effectively but it seems it hasn't been."
I put my hand to my head.
"And what would happen if Victor got ahold of this ledger?" I asked.
"He could do a lot of damage to this country and the countries surrounding us, he would have as much power as me with a lot of unregistered bank accounts with a lot of money"
I shook my head. This just complicated things.
"Look I can't stop him because ill blow my cover and I'm not about to blow three years of cover for something that wasn't my fault but I leave tomorrow for the East, get someone to beat me there. I don't care who but make it someone good because Victor is sending his best after it but I have to go-"
There was a knock at the door and the guy who had let me in stuck his head in the door.
"Theres some kid scouting out the perimeter"
Everyone looked at me.
"I wasn't followed, I checked like several-" I stopped mid sentence, "is it a girl with short blonde hair?" I asked.
The guy nodded.
It was Riley.
"Im actually going to give that child brain damage" I growled.
"So you were followed?" Roy asked.
"No she already knew where I was going, she's not a threat, ill deal with her since I've got to go now anyway" I growled, "and get someone to beat me to Rene Parsons if you don't want the information getting out" I told Grumman. "I didn't sign up for that shit, thats on you because you didn't shut down the whole thing properly" I said walking towards the door.
"Alexis" Roy spoke up quickly.
I spun around ready to snap at him for whatever he had to say to me.
"don't die, your loss would break my heart…"
I choked on air nearly tripping over nothing. I froze for a second then looked at him stunned. I was not expecting that at all.
Roy wasn't looking at me, instead he was staring out the window and by everyone else's expression I wasn't the only one stunned by his sudden reaction. Except for Hawkeye and Grumman, they had oddly the same expression of their face... It was a smug look of satisfaction.
"What the hell am I supposed to say to that?" I finally said breaking the tension in the room.
Roy sighed.
"Just don't die" he muttered.
Roy glanced at me.
"Well go on, you've got a job to do" he said waving me off.
I scowled at him turning away and shoved the guy who was standing at the door out the way leaving the room. I couldn't believe Roy pulling something like that on me, how was I supposed to respond to something like that especially when he said it so out of the blue catching me off guard.
"Wait Lexie"
I turned around and arms wrapped around me.
"I don't take back anything but I'm sorry I didn't trust you in the first place" with all this hugging I couldn't help but hug Ed back.
"So you don't take back the kidnapping?" I asked.
He shook his head.
"Nope you deserved it but I am sorry" he muttered hugging me tighter, "I really thought you had betrayed us but now it makes sense even if I don't agree with it" I wanted to explain myself that this was the only way I thought I could repay Roy but I didn't have time, I had to go. The longer he hugged me the harder it was going to be for me to leave.
"Ed I have to go" I said softly, I know if my brother hadn't been so persistent Ed would have given up because that was what I wanted even if it hurt.
"I know I know" he still didn't let go, "just becarful and for gods sake don't die… Yeah?" finally he let go of me and I had to force myself to step back.
"You as well?" I asked rolling my eyes, "why does everyone think I'm going to die?"
He raised his eyebrows and I smiled slightly.
"Of course I'm not going to die, both you and Roy need to have a little more faith in me" I said winking at him.
Ed rolled his eyes.
"Smart ass" he muttered.
"Somethings never change" I said waving him off.
I rushed out of the house before I bumped into Selim Bradley again. Riley was creeping around the side of the mansion.
"Girl I'm going to give you brain damage, I paid you not to come after me as well, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" I snapped.
Riley jumped at my voice then smiled.
"Oh hey there you are" she smiled at me, "I couldn't help myself, I had to show you what I actually bought."
I held out my hand.
"Give me the money back" I insisted.
"But I used it to buy something"
I glared at her.
"No you didn't, whatever you got you stole now give me my money back"
Riley dug out the money from her pocket.
"Fine" she huffed, "but I'm not showing you anymore" she grumbled.
I whacked her across the head.
"I wish you'd do as your told sometimes!" I snapped at her.
She crossed her arms and stared at the ground stubbornly walking beside me.
"Hypocrite" she muttered to me, well I couldn't argue back there.