Chapter 8
Caroline was walking through the exhibitions of the Art Institute of Chicago. She had to say it appealed to her academic mind, she'd always loved learning. Absorbed in her observation of the arts displayed she did not react when someone stood beside her before the painting.
"Are you in position ?"
"Yes Sir." She quietly responded without turning to her superior.
"Anything to report ?"
"Not yet. I've only been there a month and am working on gaining the trust of the people's around me. I've only glimpsed the Mikaelsons a few times at the Mystic, my shift generally end before they arrive at night and I deemed it would be suspicious to ask for a later shift yet."
"Yes. I trust your judgement on this, going too fast too soon could be detrimental to the whole operation. Anything else ?"
"The tensions are mounting in the streets, the Italians have begun to be more bold in the Mikaelsons territory, word out is to keep our heads down."
"Hmm." The Inspector nodded thoughtfully. "Your father was the finest Inspector I knew, he would be very proud of you Caroline." He left those words behind as he walked away.
She glanced at his retreating back from the corner of her eye before moving on to the next exhibit.
Steven Coleman had been her father's good friend as she grew up until he'd died years before, gunned down by criminals in the street. She hadn't known him well or seen much of him after the fact, but last year her mom had finaly died from an illness that had plagued her for a couple of years before, and soon after her boyfriend Tyler had been killed too by gangsters.
That was when Coleman had reappeared before her just as she was beginning to slip into depression and given her a chance to get her revenge from those who took her father and love, by helping cleaning up the streets from those thugs, all she had to do was passing information and how she got it was her business. Well, it hadn't been that hard, though at first she was nervous to be discovered, she quickly learned no one watched their mouth next to the pretty blonde looking like she was drowning her sorrow in alcohol, not that she didn't get some attention, unwanted, while playing her part, a drunk pretty girl. But she was clever enough to get out of those sticky situations herself, and in the end contributed to cleaning Virginia of the criminal plaguing it.
When all was over she'd felt like she had a purpose in life for the first time in months. Then Inspector Coleman had once again made her a proposition, to come help him in Chicago. She hadn't hesitated, she'd said yes and there she was now.
Coming out of her musings she left the Art Institute, she couldn't be late for her shift at the Mystic.
-O-
Doors of a warehouse opened, letting outside light filter in the dark space as five men stepped in.
Klaus Mikaelson was at the head of the group, no expression on his face besides the tightly controlled fury radiating from his cold blue eyes. His brothers flanked him, one in a pristine suit his usual bored expression crinkled as if he'd smelled something bad as he took in the sprawled form on the floor. The other however sported an easy smile that could have passed as innocent if it wasn't in expectation of the pain to come. Behind the Mikaelsons, Marcel stood with a neutral expression, arms crossed over his chest, the result of betraying the Mikaelsons, and in particular Klaus, was obvious, and if you were too stupid to understand that, then it was your own fault. Enzo closed the doors behind him, plunging them in the dark once again, only lighted by the feeble warehouse lamps.
Klaus took in the pathetic unconscious form before him, stopping some distance away, even from there he could smell the booze.
"Sold us to the coppers for drinking money. Well, actually sold us to the Italians who sold us to the coppers, but all the same here's our leak. Didn't even try to escape after from what I could tell from the hole he call his home, found him drunk out of his ass, barely even awakened for a bit when I dragged him here. It was no fun. But he should have sobered up by now, or at least be coherent enough to get what kind of trouble he's in." Kol told him as he hadn't said much on the way beside that he got the leak and who it was.
And wasn't that galling to have been betrayed by a small time thug in the lower ranks of his organisation, who sold out for some dollars worth of alcohol, when he'd costed them a much bigger price and setback. His temper already volatile over the whole affair flared up. He wouldn't give him an easy end.
"Wake him up." He ordered the two men guarding their guest against escaping.
Taking a bucket filled with water, one of them throw it over the man on the dirty floor, while the other retreated out of the way of the splash. The drunkard came to with a jolt as he sputtered, soaked from the head down.
"Welcome back to reality."
Blinking stupidly he raised his eyes to look at the figure of Klaus Mikaelson standing before him. He blinked a few times more before realisation seemed to hit him as he paled rapidly and shifting his eyes around took in the situation he was in, at which point he began to open and close his mouth like a fish though no sound came out.
"What, nothing to say ? And here I'd heard you love talking."
"I di'n't do nothin' !" He suddenly exclaimed nervously.
Klaus heard Kol snorting somewhere behind him, but his attention stayed on the cowering man before him, a flash of amusement held on his face, but anyone knowing him, would be aware it was deadly.
"Really Paddy. I actually value honesty very much. It seems that besides being a drunk and a rat you're a liar as well, how disappointing." Catching his two men's eyes with his own, he gestured with his head toward Paddy and they quickly went to hold him down to the mounting panic of the traitor as he began to try struggling without success.
Linking his hands behind his back Klaus began to leisurely walk toward a few stacked up crates.
"When you came at our doors begging for work a few years ago, we gave you some. Have we treated you badly all this time ?" He stopped before a crate, looking inside. "Well, did we ?"
"N... No." Trembling, Paddy choked out.
"Then could you explain why you felt the need to betray us ?" He continued to speak without letting the other man time to answer this time. "Ah, yes, because of this." He pulled out a bottle of scotch from the crate, his tone deceptively mild.
Bottle in hand, he walked back toward Paddy, crouching before him, he dangled the bottle under his nose and watched him swallow.
"I understand it's become hard to get your hand on bottles recently, it's been quite the lucrative product in our business after all. But besides honesty, I value another thing, loyalty." His expression hardened as he looked into the drunkard eyes.
"Please fo'give me M'ster Mikaeson sir ! I swear, I'll neva' do it gain ! Please M'ster Mikaelson !"
"Yes, I know you'll never do it again." He spoke softly, though his words were heard by everyone in the warehouse. Then he smashed the scotch bottle on the hard floor, avoiding cutting himself before picking one of the biggest pieces of cut glass. "The Mikaelsons have no need of a big mouth like you, and death is the only reward awaiting those who would betray our family." As he spoke, he tightly gripped the man's jaw as his eyes widened in terror, not minding it Klaus began to cut two deep bloody lines from the corners of the traitor's mouth to his cheeks as Paddy screamed in agony.
Finished Klaus let the glass fall from his fingers before smoothly rising up again, turning his back on the whimpering mess. Elijah was already waiting with a handkerchief he took to methodically wipe his hands of blood and dirt before throwing it aside.
"Kol, you and Enzo finish up here. Don't give him an easy passing. I want him to be made an example of what will happen to anyone who'd think of betraying us."
"My pleasure." Kol smiled. Enzo simply nodded, not a hint of feelings in his expression as if he wasn't ordered to torture a man to death, but told the weather instead.
Klaus strode out of the warehouse with Elijah and Marcel in toe. He had plans to salvage and contingencies to put in place.
-O-
The sound of heels hitting the pavement reverberated under the dank bridge. Rebekah Mikaelson haughty air cleared when she spotted her lover waiting for her farther in the shadows and she smiled.
"Hey princess." He flashed a charming smile full of white teeth.
"I'm not doing it here. Last time I got mud and dirt everywhere on my clothes." She narrowed her eyes, but closed the distance between them to nearly touch.
"Nobody saw you coming ?"
"Of course not, and in any case no one important or who'd dare spread rumors about the Mikaelsons little sister." She said dismissively.
"Yeah, well, be careful. I just saw Klaus deal with a traitor and I don't fancy myself in that position."
He gave her a pointed look.
"That's different ! He betrayed our family and business. We just love each other." She indignantly replied.
"Klaus might not see it that way if he learns we're together behind his back."
Rebekah pursed her lips before hesitantly confessing, "Freya knows about us."
Marcel straightened out of his casual leaning position and grabbed her shoulder in alarm.
"I didn't tell her, but she knew. She promised not to tell anyone, she said it wasn't her secret to tell, we can trust her, you know Freya, she wouldn't do anything that could hurt me."
Marcel nodded tensely and minutely relaxed.
"She still think we should tell Klaus."
"The problem is finding the right time to tell him and trying not to have him kill me after. Now isn't the right time with the leak problem only resolved and Klaus still pissed about it."
"But we will eventually, right ?" Rebekah insisted. "I'm with you because you're the only one not bloody afraid of my brothers, well that and your pretty face." She gave him a cheeky smile.
"Oh, I'm afraid alright." He smiled back but with an underlining of seriousness.
"But you love me more." She stated victoriously.
"Well would the princess deign give me a kiss now ?" He gently pulled her to him as she smiled before sealing their lips.
-O-
Caroline was working behind the bar of the Mystic getting patrons their drinks. It was packed tonight. Gloria was behind the bar as well, and Caroline glanced at her in concern. Though she was her usual vibrant sultry self, the blonde had caught her coughing a couple of times and she wasn't drinking a peep of alcohol tonight, rather warm water with honey. Caroline had seen her mixing it.
Still, as it looked like she wasn't too sick, Caroline didn't say anything. It wasn't her place.
"Caroline." Gloria called her, her voice more gravelly than it's usual velvet.
"Yeah ?"
"I need you to go on stage and sing a song instead of me. I have a sore throat and can't sing myself tonight."
"What ? But..." Caroline was gobsmacked at her boss demand.
"You're the only one who can sing beside me. Tonight's packed, they're waiting for a song, and I need you to do this for me. I'll give you a small bonus at the end of the night."
"I... I don't know your songs." She finally managed out. She always had a hard time refusing people she liked when they asked favors.
"Don't worry about it, you can sing the song you like to sing when you do your chores. I gave the musicians the heads up."
"Did you set this up ?" She asked Gloria filled with suspicions.
"It never hurt to have a backup plan sugar."
Caroline bit her lip before sighing, giving up. Gloria smiled and motioned toward the stage with her head. Caroline walked to it, a knot in her stomach. I can do it. I can do it. She repeated in her head until she was standing next to the stage. She took a deep breath and stepped on it, the musicians nodded their head at her as she walked to the microphone.
She heard the first note of music in the background and closed her eyes before beginning to sing.
Close your eyes, give me your hand, darlin'
Do you feel my heart beating, do you understand ?
Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming ?
Is this burning an eternal flame ?
I believe it's meant to be, darling
I watch when you are sleeping, you belong with me
Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming
Or is this burning an eternal flame ?
Say my name, sun shines through the rain
A whole life so lonely, and then you come and ease the pain
I don't want to lose this feeling
Caroline let herself relax as she let the music sway her.
Say my name, sun shines through the rain
A whole life so lonely, and then you come and ease the pain
I don't want to lose this feeling
Close your eyes and give me your hand
Do you feel my heart beating, do you understand ?
Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming ?
Is this burning an eternal flame ?
She opened her eyes ready to face the crowd before her and began to sing the chorus.
She didn't stop singing, but was surprised to see most conversations had stopped and the people listening to her sing. They probably were surprised Gloria wasn't the singer today, or that anyone else was, really. Gloria was sporting a satisfied expression on her face from behind the bar. But what captured her attention was the fact that unknowingly to her Klaus Mikaelson had entered the Mystic sometime when she had her eyes closed and he was leaning against the bar, looking straight at her.
She finished the song and got down the stage as people applauded and she headed to Gloria to whom she said she was taking a break, without asking, and the older woman nodded and didn't say anything more than a 'well done sugar' before letting her disappear in the stock room.
From stepping down the stage to entering the back room, Klaus eyes hadn't left her, she could still feel them on her. She took a big calming breath.
A little bit later when she went back to help behind the bar Klaus had already gone up to the booth.
Here's an Easter treat!
The song is Eternal Flame by Bangles. I chose to have Caroline sing the same song as in the show because none of the lyrics were too modern-ish, just imagine it with a more jazzy/20's arrangement.