Storm Brew

"I should warn you though," I gave Aric a pointed glance as he sunk relaxingly into the chair. "Chicago is The Order's city of origin, this was where it all started—actually, I used to live here." I was gob-smacked. Was this really Aric? Why was he sharing so much today...?

"Why don't you live here anymore?"

I side-glanced Anna, that seemed to be the most meaningless thing at play right now. Aric's fingers swept a few bangs of black hair, styling them to the side.

"I got bored and decided to save kangaroos and koalas in Australia." Anna scowled at his disdainful sarcasm. "What I was getting at," he looked at me. "Is that this city's crime is mostly under siege—the big guns are controlled by The Order, my Father." At my slight astonishment Aric blew out a sigh. "The Order isn't only about killing, not since Vincent took over. It smuggles anything from weapons to... well anything. Drugs, animals, people."

"Human traffic?" my heard pounded harder, thinking of innocent people being ripped from their homes, tricked into trusting some random Joe who promised them a better life...

Aric shrugged.

Anna got up strolling over to Aric's chair, the gaze she threw down at him was dingy and hard.

"That's all very nice, but how's that supposed to get us into the Chicago Police Department? In case you haven't noticed the place is huge. We'd have to get hold of its plant just to find out where their blind spots are, and where the room is. If Chicago is under The Order's influence like you say it is, then we're in the lion's den—if anything it makes matters worse."

"Are you done hearing yourself talk? Not to hurt your feelings or anything of the sort, luv, but your voice gets all shrilly when you're nervous." His smug face didn't help her.

"It does not! And I'm not..." she quieted down catching my stiff, careful nod. "Nervous," Anna finished looking away.

"All done are you?" huffing Anna took a seat beside me, Aric stood a tad straighter. "We're at a disadvantage, but I can pull my strings."

I frowned, "Your strings?"

He nodded confidently.

"Some of the highest ranking law officers aren't all they're cut out to be, if you know what I mean."

"Are you saying they're... corrupt?"

"Plain and simple, yes, I am." Anna didn't say a word, I didn't think she was too surprised by it, I shouldn't be either. I was aware corruption existed, but among people who were supposed to keep us safe... it was a little hard to accept that I put my life in their hands. "If it weren't for most corrupt agents the deals and shipments here would've been found out long, long ago. My Father makes sure it doesn't happen, though. He helps them go up the ladder sometimes by giving them a tip about an important crime, other times by paying them, or by using blackmail—whatever gets them to fall into his hands, anything that will grant him control. Once they do, their only option is to turn a blind eye, draw the attention away from the real culprits. It's a vicious cycle that has been going on for years."

Anna scratched her head lightly, tilting her head.

"Call me stupid... but I still don't see how that helps in anything?"

Aric wasn't one for interruptions and Anna was doing it very often, I could see it scratching the surface of his usual vital calmness.

I gripped her arm in the most discrete manner I could.

"How about you let him finish?" she landed her forest pools on me, looking like she would argue about it, in the end my stern mood won out. Hurray for me, I had to enjoy have little thing, every little victory while I could—who knew if my next days were going to be behind bars? Just because I could defend myself now it didn't mean I'd outrun the police and become a wanted criminal. There were enough things on my plate as it was.

"I know one the guys under The Order's influence." Hello useful information. "He's a Lieutenant he could easily gets us in—all it takes is a little background story if anyone asks questions and..." he waved his hand at me with a scrunch of his eyes. "A little disguise for you, maybe for me—wouldn't want anyone ratting me out."

"Ah... I'd ask why but you wouldn't tell me." Aric smiled satisfactorily. "But won't this... huh, Lieutenant write us off to your Dad or another Order member?"

"Sure," Aric rolled his eyes. "That's why we have to pay him a little visit first. Preferably alone, I prefer intimate gatherings." He didn't tell me what he was going to say to the man, I could read the implied threat though, it was all over his emerald irises, it gave me a sense that Aric would say anything—do anything to get what he wanted.

It was a little disorienting.

"And what about me?" Anna pipped after her two-minute quiet streak.

"You'll wait here."

"What? No, no way—do you honestly believe I'm letting you take her? If Chicago really is controlled by The Order what's to say you're not just taking her to your boss, or Father—whatever?" Anna shot. "I don't trust you."

His black eyebrows rose with snide humor.

"You don't trust me with Melissa, but you trust me enough to have sex with me, and share a bed for approximately twelve hours? Weren't you worried I'd kill you in your sleep?"

"I sleep with one eye open." She threw heatedly.

I glanced between them, back and forth—eyes darting so fast I was getting dizzy. Taking a palm to my forehead I mumbled under my breath.

"You guys have weird chemistry..." After two simultaneous 'what's', I lifted my head breathing quietly. "It's my choice, Anna. Frankly, it's the only choice here. You stay and we go, I've been with Aric for two months and nothing happened."

"There's no guarantee it's not gonna happen now."

She didn't like this. I understood her. If the situation was reversed I'd be hell bent on keeping Aric away from her—I just wouldn't have slept with him.

I had to do this, "There's no guarantee the sky won't fall, it doesn't stop us from walking outside." I shrugged meekly. "It's a chance I have to take, I've come this far..." I ran my finger over an eyebrow sorting it.

Anna exchanged a meaningful glance with me. Then hung her head with some discretion. Her jade gaze froze on Aric.

"We need to talk alone, you can go." She waved the tips of her fingers over to him. "Now," she gritted when he showed no signs of budging.

Drawing a sigh, Aric made himself disappear from the motel bedroom with only five strides.

"I don't have to tell you how much I hate this idea..." She began moving the dagger-like gaze towards me, easing up on the glare.

"He has a point about the sex part, you know." I mused hoping to avoid talking about my choices, since they were disastrous in Anna's opinion.

"Don't," Ann flicked her hair behind her slim shoulders. "Just don't. He's under the impression that because we slept together my feelings for him changed, he's wrong." She sighed wrinkling her nose. "I don't like this one bit—if he back stabs us—"

"He won't," I forced out of nowhere. "I just know he won't." I muttered looking towards the door from the corner of my eye.

"Right, whatever—I know you'll go through with it no matter what I tell you..." Anna flung her hair back to get a better view of me. She leaned forward, shoulders partially hunched. "There's one thing though—and I know you don't want to talk about him, but I need to ask this once." She took a breath. "What about Nate?"

My eyes flickered at his name. I swallowed softly.

"What about him?"

"You're going to do this without him knowing? He's going to hate it." Anna's eyebrow perked expectantly.

I sighed tilting my head.

"I don't care what he thinks. Nathaniel didn't care about what I'd feel when he went behind my back and killed that person in Roswell. He was planning on hiding it forever if possible. Well, here's to paying him with the same coin." I strolled to my duffel bag reaching for another top.

Anna's gaze never left my back and I couldn't help but feel my soul scorch under it.

***

I fiddled with some golden locks from my wig. It was so... well, blond. I didn't like it one bit. If I had ever wondered how I'd look as one, now I knew. I hated it. Why did Anna have to pick a blond wig? Why not a really dark haired one?

I huffed silently, trailing behind Aric, glad that the contact lens didn't bother me as much as I'd thought. Aric ceased climbing up the fire escape. I'd lost count of how many levels had gone by since we started down on the ally.

Aric's black head was ducked just below an ample window, big enough for him to get through without much hassle. I watched his gloved fingers tracking the window curb. When he slid to the nearest rail and stood to full height I assumed there was no one home and went to do the same. I was sick of squatting.

"Stay still," Aric whispered before any of my muscles had the smallest chance of unlatching.

My exhale was short, I would've given a snide remark along with it, but I didn't want to blow our quiet break in—

With a shatter my head whipped towards him, Aric had just broken the window's upper right corner, now he was in the midst of unlocking it.

"No alarm," I heard him commenting as he got in. "No one's stupid enough to mess with a Order's worker, lucky us."

"Or stupid us..." I muttered placing my hands on Aric's forearms as he helped me through. "Doesn't it bother you that we're stupid enough to do it?"

Apparently not, since he didn't reward me with an answer, instead, he went off into the apartment telling me not to touch anything. I leaned on the wall behind me and took in what I could. It was a bedroom. There was a couple bed, a modern dresser as well as a closet and this huge TV set. Aric wasn't joking when he said The Order paid well.

Over by the headboard shelves, was a picture. I walked closer, bending a little, to get a nice glimpse of it—Aric snatched it.

"Leverage," by the sound of his voice I'd say he'd won the lottery. At the rising of my eyebrow, he pointed one finger at the girl. "When you want someone to do something for you, something they usually wouldn't do because they're too scared or just being stubborn—you threaten their loved ones. Do try to keep up, luv." Aric placed the frame back in place.

I crossed my arms to keep from striking his golden face. I didn't think it was right to threaten people who had nothing to do with corrupt business—she probably didn't know the guy she was with was being paid by a group of assassin's and whatnot.

"There's nothing else you can use against him? Like his own life?"

"Sure, but that's so boring. Besides, I know Tommy better than The Order—we have history."

History? And stop the presses! Was Aric sharing again? God, a meteor was about to fall to the Earth. I pressed my lips together, the line thinning turning almost white.

"He was your friend?"

Aric turned over a letter in his hands, we'd walked into the hall/living room, I hadn't even noticed.

"Not so much a friend, more like a... gang buddy."

I whirled from the painting I'd been inspecting, looking him straight in the eye.

"You were in a gang?" I knew someone who would love to know that... "Why am I still surprised, your parents were both assassin's." I wiped the blond strands from my shoulders. "But if you were buddies in a gang... wouldn't he do you a favor? Why would we need leverage?"

He looked like the cat who got the cream.

"We didn't really leave off on good terms."

Of course, it shouldn't surprise me that Aric had problems with people from his past. It was like Sam and Nathaniel all over again.

"How long is this guy going to be, anyways?" I leaned my head against his arm tired of waiting.

"Not long, I'd wager." Aric glanced down at my fake hair, I could sense him holding in a laugh. "Blond's not your color at all." He ran a hand threw it making a face.

I hit his hand away, not wanting the fabricated hair to slip from its place.

"You shouldn't have told Anna she could pick whatever color she wanted. I don't even see why I need a wig and lenses. He doesn't know who I am."

The explanation he gave next made me feel like I was back in kindergarten, and they were telling me not to paint the walls.

"If some Order member sees us, or if Tommy describes you to any of them they'll at least think I'm with some other girl. They'll still try to come after me, though." He shrugged like it truly didn't matter, as if he was used to running. He probably was.

The sunset was coming up and my head kept bobbing, hitting Aric's shoulder. My legs were beginning to numb, I really didn't know what the expression 'not long' meant to Aric, 'cuz it had been about one hour. We were standing—

A click and turn later the door was being pushed open. Aric was gone from my side standing right behind the opening piece of wood, standing in its shadow. I did my best to slid to his side in the darkness, praying not to step on a squeaking board.

I saw a grocery bag colliding with the carpet. A man not much older than Aric pressed into a wall, his neck being cramped by a firm hold.

"Hey Tommy, remember me?" Aric's voice sounded with glee.

I stuck where I'd been, not wanting the fair skinned man to see my face that well. My shoulder leaned on the wall, my face and body relaxed knowing Aric was a professional at this sort of thing. With hooded eyes I studied Tommy's own light ones, they closed before going into wide-alert. His Adam's apple jumped nervously.

"Aric..." He rasped.

I couldn't see it, but I felt a smirk creeping onto his sensual lips.

"Nice to see I leave an impression."

Tommy was thrown with harsh force onto the couch's direction, nearly toppling into it. It was hard to think this guy was a Lieutenant, they were supposed to be older weren't they? Then again, when you had outside help you could climb easily.

Aric's former gang-buddy rubbed the red spot on his neck, glaring at the dark haired boy all the time.

"You burned my car—there were three pounds of cocaine inside, you bastard. That's not something you forget." Three pounds of... of cocaine? God almighty...

Aric face darkened, "Yes, well, I could defend myself but then I'd go to that less happier place and frankly, somethings are better left buried." From the back of his jeans Aric pulled out a pitch black gun, smaller than Nate's not much, though. When my eyes darted to Tommy I saw he'd done it too, but he'd missed a beat. "Don't even try it, you'll be dead before you pull that trigger. Put it down, mate." Tommy snorted idly, before lifting his gun a tad more. "If I wanted you dead you'd be dead already, you bloke. I could have simply twisted your neck when you stepped in. You're no use to me dead, so, put the gun away before I lose control and shoot a few members you don't need." He sounded serious, very serious. The glare snapped anyone in two, I had to hand to Tommy, he was holding his own.

"What do you want here, Aric? Your Dad's got this city hooked around his finger, I thought you wanted to keep away as much as you could—"

"I know why I left, no reminders necessary. What I need from you is something completely different. Now, lower your gun, it's making my friend antsy, she doesn't like guns all that much." Tommy's eyes wavered from Aric's gun to me, I knew he hadn't spotted me until now. "She's more of a kicker," Aric smiled mischievously.

"Drawing people to your web of problems?" again his eyes deviated to me. A deeper look was thrown my way. "You should pick your companies better—" those words made a rush of memories swoop in. Memories of a truly tall boy with dark hair, meaty muscles and a crazed glee in his pupils—Sam.

"Oh for Pete's sake, I've heard this speech before. Aric get this over with, I'm sick of being here." I grumbled. Recalling the time Nate swept into the factory to save me and the need I'd felt to protect him wasn't making me feel warm and fuzzy—it was making me feel hurt, sad and guilty.

Those feelings weren't welcome due the faze we were going through, not even remotely.

"Looks like you didn't catch her on a good day." Aric's crooked smile made Tommy's eyes fixate on him. "I'll make this quick and simple so you'll understand. Lower the weapon, mate." He neared as Tommy lowered the gun, the set of his jaw cement-like. "Great, let's get to the point then. I need you to get us into the Police Department, the room where they keep the cold cases, to be precise."

The fair skinned boy did a short double-take, gawking at his former friend.

"I'm not doing that." Tommy bared a laugh. "If anyone found out I'd be—"

"Please, like that would be the worst thing you've ever done, especially to get your position. So many promotions in so little time, not mention your clean slate since you were seventeen. My Father invested quite a bit on you."

A little sneer was sent Aric's way, "Exactly, and you know what happens if I help you, especially you—in anything." He said the last words with acid.

My insides were clawing all the way to my brain, I wanted to know what the heck was Aric's problem with his Father—

Aric pressed the barrel of his gun to the bottom of Tommy's chin. The boy's posture was sharp, tense with each second Aric stayed near.

"Whatever you think my Father's lapdogs will do to you, I'll do worse. I'll kill your girlfriend while making you watch and then I'll torture you in the worst imaginable way possible 'till you beg me for death. Is that understood?" he flung his ex-gang-friend to the ground.

"...yes..." Tommy huffed.

A bright smirk made my mentor's face lit like a candle from Christmas.

"Then it's settled then, you'll get us in."

"Come around tomorrow—"

"Today. You're getting us in now." Aric allowed Tommy to regain his steadiness, watching as he climbed to his feet. He never put the gun away. "And Tom? We both know you didn't get to be a Lieutenant by being a wanker, so be smart and do as I say."

Tommy's fear was a running like water from a tap now.

We didn't need that long to get to the Police Department and Anna had been correct, the thing was huge. Not at all like a little police station down the street where you walked in and reported a robbery. It was big, extremely well lit.

When we had to get past a few security officers Tommy said I was his cousin visiting from Canada, since he had family there, and Aric was my boyfriend. I twisted my nose at the thought, it sounded so wrong. When we walked into an elevator and descended at least three levels, I inched closer to the double doors, but at the same time I wanted to stay close to Aric. I didn't like some of the fleeting glances Tommy was giving me, like he wanted to figure me out or memorize my face. Aric noticed me inching constantly into him, his side. A little while after, an arm wrapped my shoulders steadily. I nodded up at Aric, he let go. It didn't mean Tommy's eyes stopped rolling over me like lasers. Cut out the inspection, I wanted to yell. I think I would've if the elevator hadn't clicked announcing we'd arrived.

Aric kept a close pace with Tom's, never allowing him more than one foot of distance.

"It's here," he jerked his head to a door in front of us, it was silver and COLD CASES was written on it.

He opened it the lights went on.

"After you." Aric nodded into the division.

With a tight jaw, Tommy did as told. I was the last one to step inside, closing the door.

"Go look for it," I heard Aric bark with no edge. "Hurry."

I blinked, nodding. Before scampering off to check dates, I took a good look at what awaited me. They were lots and lots of boxes with names and dates... Swallowing thickly, I prepared for my long search.

***

About two hours later I'd found the file. I'd found it.

My heart was beating fast—faster than ever, even faster then when I shot Drew.

God...

I wanted to walk for miles, never stop, never hear anything else. I just wanted to shut everything out, make the world fade into the blackness of existence. I wanted to escape—from everyone. I couldn't believe this was happening to me, why did it have to … Hadn't I been through enough pain and disappointment?

And the worst of it all... I was disappointed at myself, I couldn't have known, I couldn't have changed anything even if I had known about it—about... Jesus, it was horrible. I was horrible, I was product of a... of a...

My lungs collapsed into themselves, the tissues felt glued together—compressing my airways. I couldn't feel anything but horror, sadness. All I wanted to do was stop being here, in the world. Because now... now it felt wrong. I felt wrong.

There was nowhere for me to go, no one for me to run to. Not this time.

Aric was... I couldn't stay with him, and I didn't want to face Anna, I'd have to explain what I found and I couldn't. There was no way I was able to speak. To talk.

I kept my back against the motel's wall ignoring the screams for me—for my name. I was thinking how long it would take for my lip to bleed, glancing into the full moon above me.

Until I heard...

"What happened?" my chest constructed as I spun heaving a shaky breath.

Hair pale under the infinite moonlight skyline, eyes dark in the deep midnight. I steadied myself on the wall for a while, blinking away silver stray tears cascading down my chin.

Swallowing hard I did what I wanted to do, I ran. Only instead of running away from him, I ran towards him like I'd been dying to do since I saw him in the shed. My face buried into the taut chest I knew so well, my arms wrapped around his torso like two iron bars. I didn't have time to notice any chills, because those strong, steady arms surrounded my body making me feel secure.

I pressed as much as myself as I could into him, never feeling like it was enough. My hiccups didn't stop, not even when he rubbed my shoulders and back. I never let him go.

"Melissa? Princess, what's going on? I got here and Anna said you ran out—"

I cut him off with a louder wail, that was actually me trying to say his name, trying to tell him I was wrong.

I was... Oh God.

I braced my face harder into his chest.

"Calm down, please, please." He whispered brushing my hair. "If it was Aric I'm going to gawk his eyes out."

I didn't answer, I didn't try and say it wasn't Aric's fault. It wasn't, not really, but there was something about Aric—something I knew now...

What I knew in this minute—in this moment—we stood here, me in his embrace and me crying like there was no tomorrow, was that Nate was the only thing, the only person I knew was true. He could lie, he could kill an entire family—I knew that one sounded horrible, and he'd never do it—but he was all I needed. He was my stronghold no matter what happened between us. I couldn't explain what, but something between us... we were magnets. He always ran back to me, and I always ran back to him.

"Just..." I managed my first word in a whole hour. Nathaniel leaned down and I realized how low my voice had gotten. "H-hold me... don't let g-go..." I cried harder feeling warmth flowing into myself—heat pummeled into my skin, muscles and bones. His hands ran over me smoothly, trying to heal an invisible ache. The devotion each touch of his fingers delivered me was astronomical—it filled my empty heart, the spaces in between—and I allowed Nate's solicitude to overflow my veins until I drowned in it.

"Whatever it is," he hushed into my ear. "I'll make it better. I promise, princess." He was already acting on his promised just by holding me into the night.

My black hole of emotions didn't pipe down for long. How could I tell him? It finally made sense in my head what Aric had said about seeing the evidence to understand him, see eye-to-eye with him. I hated that I'd read it.
Despised it. And it was why I needed it—Nate and his love. I didn't want to try running from him or the feelings he brought out in me. I wanted him—needed him, no matter how selfish it sounded.