Sequel: Ascension ›
Till Deceived Do We Part
Contract
With the factor of Dane being out of the way, for the time being, we were still left with Boris. Jake had managed to subtly make it to the folder, but there was no way he could look at it without tipping Boris off, and when he did open it, that resulted in many loud voices. Most of it going along the lines of “how can you believe a backstabbing whore over me?! Twenty stupid years, and I get put in the dog house on one whore’s opinion?! This is idiotic, stupid an-” in which point Jake would interrupt him and calmly state that there was no harm in seeing what was in the folder. To put it shortly, many rounds of Boris swearing, cursing and all of the works, and many rounds of Jake being calm, and we now had one Boris laying on the ground bloody, and one happy myself.
I suppose when Boris was shifting, it could have been a twitch, or he could have been going for the door, ready to bulldoze Hunter. However, I chose the latter. In which I took action and knocked him on the ground, in under five seconds. I didn’t do serious harm, but I accidentally smashed his face against the ground. Total accident, but you didn’t hear me sprouting apologies... or offering help. Plus, it helped me relieve stress, and after what had just happened, I needed it.
Flint was now standing on the other side of Boris, not even looking fully at me. I knew his peripherals were on me, but he didn’t seem to have the power to look directly at me. It would have bothered me more if it was Zane, but it wasn’t, so I let it slide. There were more important things to deal with.
First, if Boris was the one behind the betrayal, what did he want from Jake? Who were his allies? Did he order the hit on me?
Boris’s eyes were seething, and staring directly into mine. I didn’t care, I revelled in it, actually. I loved being the cause of his distress, the cause of his annoyance, and in some ways, pain.
“You,” he growled, but turning away from me. His eyes were now on Hunter who was still against the door. I snapped my eyes back to Boris. Please try for it. I wanted him to take a swing at Hunter, I wished he would. For if he did, I could hit him, I could kick him, I could cause him pain. Oh please let him. I mentally crossed my fingers and waited. “I taught you everything you know! And how do you repay me?! You side with that whor-“ I kicked him in the stomach. That earned me a stutter from him, then many curses. Hunter wouldn’t look at Boris, not that I blamed him. If Jake ever betrayed the base, if he ever backstabbed me, I would be hurt. I wouldn’t be able to look upon the man who taught me what I know, and see anything but pure hatred. I could only imagine what Hunter was going through, but there was nothing I could do. Nothing I would do.
“Play nice, Andrayka.” I spared a glance at Jake before turning my eyes back to Boris. Jake was still reading the folder, his eyes enthralled in the text. I just wished he would go back to calling me Drake. It sounded so odd to be called anything else.
“Sure.” I replied, earning a glance from Jake, and from my peripherals, I was sure I saw a small quirk of his lips. Good. Maybe I wasn’t so far gone, maybe there was still a chance that I wouldn’t lose what I had with Jake. It would never be the same, and for that I have only myself to blame. I wouldn’t re-do it. Even if I do end up losing Jake, I wouldn’t re-do it. As much as having Jake distrust me hurts, I couldn’t even begin to imagine my life without Dane. He was already part of my life, and the fact that I only met him a little while ago, frightened me. How was I falling for fast? How was it that I, the feared assassin, was falling for a man who knew next to nothing other than a smile?
“Did Zane know?” I glanced at Flint who had his eyes fixed on me now; emotionless.
“Yes.” Flint muttered a profanity under his breath before turning his attention back to me.
“And his thoughts?” I frowned, but answered.
“That Jake should know.” I paused. “And that I was sitting in a tree...” I trailed off, a small smile on my face. Zane may be a pain in the ass and the most annoying man at times, but he was family. He was mine. And I wanted him back. Flint smiled, as did Jake. But they were half smiles. Half happiness for Zane’s behaviour, half sadness for the fact he was gone.
“They’re going to pay.” Flint murmured, more to himself than anything. I whole heartedly agreed. “I don’t care if he’s alive or dead. He’s not in a good condition, and they’re going to feel hell for it. I will make sure of it.” His words were a snarl, showing the assassin side of Flint, something he didn’t show often. Usually he was composed, showing that he could kill in any form. Usually he held himself and only showed this side to his victims, to the ones dying at his hands, but now, in talk of avenging Zane, his true assassin self came out.
“Between us, they will regret it,” I said. Flint met my eyes, not as a challenge, but as a contract. With that one mere look, we put aside all difference, agreeing to work together to cause Zane’s captors hell. I may not like Flint, or enjoy his company, I may wish to kill him and dismember him piece by piece at times, but I admire him as an assassin. He was talented and he and I both knew it. He could shoot someone without so much as a second thought, a second moment. Some may say that made him a maniac, a sadist, and I had to agree. Many would run away screaming, me? I revel in the thought that I’m not the only messed up mind.
As Flint turned, my attention drifted back to Boris who was glaring at me and Hunter, taking turns. I ignored the glare, my eyes turning to Jake. He was no longer staring at the folder, but his eyes were distant; unseeing, almost. A frown marred his usual calm face, and his usual composed posture was now tense.
I should have been happy that he finally figured it out, but I wasn’t. Seeing Jake in distress wasn’t something I would ever enjoy, and judging by Flint’s expression, he was thinking the same thing. My throat cleared, and Jake turned, not even bothering to hide the sense of betrayal no his face.
“What do you want us to do with,” I kicked Boris, “this?”
“Put him in a cell,” I bent down, “Flint. Andrayka, I want you to stay away from him for now. We need him in one piece.” I shot Boris a grin that resembled a snarl more than anything, before backing off. Flint took my position and shoved a gun to Boris’s head.
“I may not be able to kill you, but move, and I’ll show you how much damage I can create with the barrel of my gun.” At times like this, I found myself almost proud of Flint.
Boris spit out profanities before turning his gaze to Jake. “Are you jus-“
”Flint, now.” I couldn’t contain my grin as Flint dragged away a yelling, screaming, swearing, flustered, angry Boris. This moment couldn’t get any better.
I suppose when Boris was shifting, it could have been a twitch, or he could have been going for the door, ready to bulldoze Hunter. However, I chose the latter. In which I took action and knocked him on the ground, in under five seconds. I didn’t do serious harm, but I accidentally smashed his face against the ground. Total accident, but you didn’t hear me sprouting apologies... or offering help. Plus, it helped me relieve stress, and after what had just happened, I needed it.
Flint was now standing on the other side of Boris, not even looking fully at me. I knew his peripherals were on me, but he didn’t seem to have the power to look directly at me. It would have bothered me more if it was Zane, but it wasn’t, so I let it slide. There were more important things to deal with.
First, if Boris was the one behind the betrayal, what did he want from Jake? Who were his allies? Did he order the hit on me?
Boris’s eyes were seething, and staring directly into mine. I didn’t care, I revelled in it, actually. I loved being the cause of his distress, the cause of his annoyance, and in some ways, pain.
“You,” he growled, but turning away from me. His eyes were now on Hunter who was still against the door. I snapped my eyes back to Boris. Please try for it. I wanted him to take a swing at Hunter, I wished he would. For if he did, I could hit him, I could kick him, I could cause him pain. Oh please let him. I mentally crossed my fingers and waited. “I taught you everything you know! And how do you repay me?! You side with that whor-“ I kicked him in the stomach. That earned me a stutter from him, then many curses. Hunter wouldn’t look at Boris, not that I blamed him. If Jake ever betrayed the base, if he ever backstabbed me, I would be hurt. I wouldn’t be able to look upon the man who taught me what I know, and see anything but pure hatred. I could only imagine what Hunter was going through, but there was nothing I could do. Nothing I would do.
“Play nice, Andrayka.” I spared a glance at Jake before turning my eyes back to Boris. Jake was still reading the folder, his eyes enthralled in the text. I just wished he would go back to calling me Drake. It sounded so odd to be called anything else.
“Sure.” I replied, earning a glance from Jake, and from my peripherals, I was sure I saw a small quirk of his lips. Good. Maybe I wasn’t so far gone, maybe there was still a chance that I wouldn’t lose what I had with Jake. It would never be the same, and for that I have only myself to blame. I wouldn’t re-do it. Even if I do end up losing Jake, I wouldn’t re-do it. As much as having Jake distrust me hurts, I couldn’t even begin to imagine my life without Dane. He was already part of my life, and the fact that I only met him a little while ago, frightened me. How was I falling for fast? How was it that I, the feared assassin, was falling for a man who knew next to nothing other than a smile?
“Did Zane know?” I glanced at Flint who had his eyes fixed on me now; emotionless.
“Yes.” Flint muttered a profanity under his breath before turning his attention back to me.
“And his thoughts?” I frowned, but answered.
“That Jake should know.” I paused. “And that I was sitting in a tree...” I trailed off, a small smile on my face. Zane may be a pain in the ass and the most annoying man at times, but he was family. He was mine. And I wanted him back. Flint smiled, as did Jake. But they were half smiles. Half happiness for Zane’s behaviour, half sadness for the fact he was gone.
“They’re going to pay.” Flint murmured, more to himself than anything. I whole heartedly agreed. “I don’t care if he’s alive or dead. He’s not in a good condition, and they’re going to feel hell for it. I will make sure of it.” His words were a snarl, showing the assassin side of Flint, something he didn’t show often. Usually he was composed, showing that he could kill in any form. Usually he held himself and only showed this side to his victims, to the ones dying at his hands, but now, in talk of avenging Zane, his true assassin self came out.
“Between us, they will regret it,” I said. Flint met my eyes, not as a challenge, but as a contract. With that one mere look, we put aside all difference, agreeing to work together to cause Zane’s captors hell. I may not like Flint, or enjoy his company, I may wish to kill him and dismember him piece by piece at times, but I admire him as an assassin. He was talented and he and I both knew it. He could shoot someone without so much as a second thought, a second moment. Some may say that made him a maniac, a sadist, and I had to agree. Many would run away screaming, me? I revel in the thought that I’m not the only messed up mind.
As Flint turned, my attention drifted back to Boris who was glaring at me and Hunter, taking turns. I ignored the glare, my eyes turning to Jake. He was no longer staring at the folder, but his eyes were distant; unseeing, almost. A frown marred his usual calm face, and his usual composed posture was now tense.
I should have been happy that he finally figured it out, but I wasn’t. Seeing Jake in distress wasn’t something I would ever enjoy, and judging by Flint’s expression, he was thinking the same thing. My throat cleared, and Jake turned, not even bothering to hide the sense of betrayal no his face.
“What do you want us to do with,” I kicked Boris, “this?”
“Put him in a cell,” I bent down, “Flint. Andrayka, I want you to stay away from him for now. We need him in one piece.” I shot Boris a grin that resembled a snarl more than anything, before backing off. Flint took my position and shoved a gun to Boris’s head.
“I may not be able to kill you, but move, and I’ll show you how much damage I can create with the barrel of my gun.” At times like this, I found myself almost proud of Flint.
Boris spit out profanities before turning his gaze to Jake. “Are you jus-“
”Flint, now.” I couldn’t contain my grin as Flint dragged away a yelling, screaming, swearing, flustered, angry Boris. This moment couldn’t get any better.