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Short chapter, but a bit important nonetheless. Prompts provided by daisymall13
Disclaimer: I do not own CHAOS or its characters
Chapter Two: #21- I See You
The sounds of laughter could be heard even from a distance. The tinkling voices of young children, the booming and hawing of the older and larger gentlemen, even the soft snickers of the women could be made out. A pair of wives sat outside of their trailer, fanning themselves and talking in the hushed tones of Romanian as they watched a group of men throw knives at a target tacked to a tree.
Each hit could be felt under his hand, the sound reverberating through the false tree and echoing through the long dark tunnel. He continued to walk carefully, the dirt beneath his shoes wet and slippery from the moisture in the air. The cool air danced across his skin, raising goosebumps along his arms. The voices grew steadily raucous as the dirt beneath his shoes turned from mud to stone, moving from the outreaches of the woods behind her house closer to the home itself. The individual words were still undistinguishable through the layers of earth above him, but he could make out the different voices. His heart beat steadily despite his excitement.
It had been years since he had last seen her, his chest ached with the memory. He ignored it, continuing on his silent journey. The voices of various members of her family became more and more distinct, before what was just a mesh of sounds was now a hushed conversation of the invitation of the new guest.
He scoffed to himself. She had prided herself in being a Keegan, being apart of a family who had "mastered" the art of sneaking and blending in, yet here he was, in her house. He wished he could see the look on her face when she found out that he was back, that he had never really left in the first place. He walked slower as he reached the steps that lay hidden beneath the staircase, more silent than the shadow attached to his feet.
He stilled when he heard a knock on the door. Everyone became silent as the grave as Alfred grabbed the shot gun above the coat rack next to him. He barely had time to cock it before Keira came into the entry way raging at him. She had little trouble wrestling the gun from his fingers (everyone seemed to forget that despite Keira's size, she was still a firecracker) and hitting him behind the head with the butt.
Alfred looked a little ashamed (he knew the rules of family reunions), but he was always the first to the gun when faced with something unknown. Keira should have let him keep it, but she didn't.
She opened the door with a cheerful greeting, letting in Dorset and his new team. The short Puerto Rican was obviously their newest addition to the team trailing behind Dorset like an uncertain puppy that as still wet behind the ears. The young man was startled by the hug Keira greeted him with, taken aback by her happy chattering.
He knew better though, it was all a façade for her. She was never as happy as she sounded nor as content as she claimed to be. He could see the tension in her shoulders, her body instinctively knowing something was amiss. She was like a coiled spring, waiting for someone to pull the trigger so that she could release the tension that was pent up inside of her. She continued to talk to the Puerto Rican, easing the nerves of the young man. Her hand touched the back of her hair a few times, as if to brush away his stare.
Collins and Malick left to go to the back yard, where most of the entertainment was, but Michael lingered in the entry way. His brown eyes scanned the area, skimming over the rack and the family in the living room next to him. From the way Michael held himself, he could tell he suspected something. Michael glanced up the staircase, writing off the children running around the instant he saw them.
He held his breath when Michael began to stare at the crack in the staircase. The crack he was staring out of. Michael stepped forward, intending to take a closer look no doubt, but Keira called him away. He started to walk away, giving only a backwards glance at the entryway before leaving it in its entirety.
He had forgotten how intuitive Dorset and Keegan could be. No matter to worry over however, he had gotten this far, what was going to stop him from getting further? What could stop him? He had survived against all odds. He would survive again. He would see her reap what she had sown all those years ago. His chest burned with the forgotten pain.
He stayed where he was. He had gotten this far, he reminded himself, he could wait a little longer until he found the perfect opportunity.