Circumstances

It was a week before I spoke to Cam again.

That kiss had rattled me and I found myself unable to face him.
The day after, I'd been to Rixon and my mum, telling them I thought I was bisexual, and they were both fine with it.

I think mum was just glad she thought she knew everything now. I hope she never had to find out about everything else.

Feeling slightly empowered with support of my loved ones behind me, I called him.

"Hello."

"Hi...it's me?"

"I'm aware of that. Why are you calling?" The coldness in his voice made me flinch and I forced myself to not be a weakling when I replied.

"I thought we had a job to do."

"We've had a job to do this entire week gone past. You don't just drop things like this for personal reasons."

"I know. I just needed time to think things through. I couldn't face you with half-assed feelings."

"It doesn't matter. We have a job to do, that doesn't even come into it."

"Do you want me to meet you-"

"We're pulling up outside. Hurry up." I sighed as he hung up and grabbed my hoodie, running down the 15 flights of stairs and raced out of the building.

"Hi...what are we doing?"

"We're going to meet two FBI case leaders who are in charge of the cases we're helping to investigate. You'll need to look smarter for this.." I fidgeted in my thin, faded clothes uncomfortably and he looked out the window as I replied.

"I don't have anything els-"

"I thought as much. Which is why I gave us a spare hour to go and get you a suit...your hair is fine." I nodded, now feeling even more inferior to Cam than usual.

We pulled into a smaller street and Cam got out, I followed him quickly and soon I was being measured for a suit. Cam sat there, watching, expressionless, the whole time.
"How's that?"

"Go a little tighter on the legs and waist - he can get away with it." The tailor chuckled and nodded, complying with Cam's instructions.

"Francis would you mind if I did his hair in the back?"

"Of course not Cam!! Go for it!" He nodded, not even happy enough to spare the old man one of his polite smiles, and pushed me forwards.

"Is my hair too long-"

"It's fine." He threw a pot of something at me and told me to slick it back slightly. I nodded and looked toward the mirror blankly. Cam exhaled loudly and made me stand up, roughly brushing my hair about. I couldn't help but look up at his face. His eyes stayed focused on my hair, his mouth was set in a firm line and he had a little dent in his forehead where he was frowning slightly.

"I didn't know what to do." He looked down at me, hands still fiddling with my hair.

"What?"

"The other night."

"Will you shut up about that?"

"You're mad at me. I didn't know what to do Cam it just...took me by surprise."

"I don't see why, it was just a kiss."

"Yeah, to you!! Look, I've never kissed anyone and really felt anything before!! Then you did that and...it scared me alright?! I'm not like you, I don't shag a different person every night."

"I don't do that."

"Well you could!! You could get anyone you wanted to, I'm just not...I can't even say what I want to, just forget it." I sighed and looked away. Cam suddenly laughed quietly, I looked up and his lips were on mine again. He started kissing me properly for the second time, and I pushed away from him.

"Your hair is fine without the product. Let's go."

The journey wasn't silent as I had expected. Cam's phone rang and he had a heated conversation which ended in him hanging up, and me a little scared at the look on his face.

When we got to the FBI offices Cam stormed through the building, ignoring anyone who tried to speak or stop us.

"Ah, Mr Gigandet...."

"Mr Cannon. This is Mr Sykes, an esteemed colleague of mine who will help in the case." Mr Cannon nodded and greeted me warmly, although he didn't seem happy that I would be involved in the case.

"You can trust him. At just sixteen he was one of the top participants in the annual challenge you set." Mr Cannon and his colleague Mr Wilson seemed to relax at that and we sat down to discuss the case.

"Cam. I'd like to speak to you for a minute please." He said as we left. Wilson came outside their office with me to wait for them. We chatted casually but I could see Cam and Cannon in the office, gesturing violently and shouting, although we couldn't hear what they were saying.

Cam looked ready to kill when he left the office.
"Cam I'm sorry....I just have to be sure."

"Of course. Goodbye Cannon, Wilson." I almost had to run after him with the pace he had up.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

We were going to his house once again, I was absolutely terrified.

"Cam I have to-"

"I need you to start the case, now." I daren't argue with him, my heart was in my mouth as we pulled up and climbed from the smooth interior of his car.

He instantly picked up the phone which was ringing and started speaking in angry hisses, he shouted for the first time I'd ever heard and it made me jump out of my skin.

He hung up and threw the phone across the apartment....I didn't realise I was shaking with fear until he looked at me. He looked a me for minutes on end, neither of us saying a word, until he looked down at the floor, hands travelling up to his hips.

"I need to go pick up the twins." My voice came out hoarse, I walked across the apartment and flinched violently when he grabbed my wrist. It made sadness travel across his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just have...problems going on at the moment and I-"

"Don't worry. I just need to-"

"Please don't...don't be angry with me." I froze as a vulnerable voice came out of him and his expression turned sad.

"Cam-"

"Don't." He kissed me gently and I tried to push him off me, his grip tightened on my arms as he continued kissing me.

"STOP!!" I shoved him away and tears sprang to my eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Just tell me what to do and don't do anything like that again." I couldn't look at him as he walked away, turning the laptop on and leaving me a code to crack. I couldn't understand the characters in the pictures on the screen.

"Where's this from?"

"Thai traders. They use simple product trade as a front for trafficking of people, drugs, stolen items, all sorts. We think these people have some kind of connection with what has been done to that little girl. Mr Orpington, her father, found out about this organisation, arrested several of it's members and took these pictures himself. For almost exposing them completely....to them it would only be normal to try and make him stop." I swallowed, thinking of the twins leaving school, they must've been the same age as that little girl.

"Right...."

"Focus on the case, not on the ramifications of solving it." I turned to look at him.

"That's what your friend Orpington did, and he lost his daughter. I won't lose anyone from my family, or Rixon. You may be rich, but I have more to lose." His expression was unreadable and he did nothing, so I just turned around and continued working.

Time Lapse - three hours later.

"NOTHING!! Fuck!!" I slammed a fist down on the desk and spun round slightly in the office chair, rubbing my sore neck.

"Take a break. You're jamming your mind up." I didn't realise Cam had walked over until his hands were at the base of my neck, beginning to rub soft circles into my achig muscles. I fidgeted and shook my head.

"Don't worry I'm fine-"

"I'm not trying anything. I'm good at massages. That's all." I sighed but let him continue, biting my lip at the pure heaven I was feeling between my shoulders.

"Ok you win." I sighed after a few minutes and he laughed quietly.

"I'd never get that angry with you."

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about. There are few people in this world who can make me that angry. I'm not a violent person Oliver." His voice was hardly above a whisper and I blinked several times to wipe away the emotion.

"I don't think you are...but I don't know anything about you, Cam. For all I know you could've killed thousands of people. You could be just trying to drag me back in right now. Call me a fool for not believing that, but I don't know anything. And you scared me today."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. Apology accepted. I just..."

"My dad died when I was seven, in a car crash, my mum remarried and he used to abuse me, so I ran away at 16. I got crappy jobs for years until I got in with a drug dealer and dealt for several months until I was rich and in the big leagues. I then moved to helping out on the right side of the law. And here I am." I felt my face droop in sadness and had to stop myself from reaching up to hold one of his hands.

"So you know...about my situation and everything then..."

"Completely. Although it's more difficult for you, you're looking after other people too." I sighed.

"Cam I need to go get the girls from school."

"Ok....yeah sure. Do you want a lift?"

"It's fine. But thanks...I'll come back tonight and carry on with this." He nodded, scratching the back of his head, it was the first time he'd looked awkward, and I walked out.

I didn't know what to do. I was completely out of my depth with this case, seriously in danger, I had the girls, my mum, and Rixon to look after. And my feelings towards Cam were on a roller coaster.

I went back to his house and he rushed towards me when I got in.

"I have it!! I have it!!"

"Have what?"

"Well we know the signs are Thai symbols, but I may have found the key to cracking it. Take a look at this..." We moved over to the computer and he'd arranged book pages to correspond with the characters.

"Amazing...."

"I think they're using books to communicate via this code. So look..." He began translating the symbols and circling the words that they meant.

"See? You don't need me for this." I said quietly, he looked at me and my breath caught in my throat at how close he was.

"You're better at it than me."

"You've just done it in like an hour, I couldn't do it in five." He shook his head.

"Still. Anyway. Carry on." I finished the rest of the code until we'd established a meeting place.

"Fantastic!! We need to get back over to Wilson and Cannon..." His face clouded over slightly.

"What is it?"

"Nothing...if you want to take a break now you can."

"Why don't you want me to go with you.....?" Cam didn't answer and I thought about it for a while.

"He said something to you about me didn't he? What? He doesn't trust me with the case?" Cam shook his head.

"Oh my god...he accused you of being gay and in love with me....is that why he thinks you brought me into the case?" Cam sighed and I shook my head angrily.

"Seriously?! That's why you don't want me coming with you?! You do realise that you're just reinforcing his ideas if you suddenly do that??"

"Oliver for god's sake!! Everyone knows I'm bi!!! But yes he did accuse me of only bringing you into the case because I had a soft spot for you. That's why I got angry. I brought you into this case because you're amazing at what you do." I sighed.

"I won't go. You go talk to him."

"No you should go alone. Go, show him the code and explain how YOU cracked it. Say I had a meeting to go to." I felt myself blanch slightly.

"No!! I can't go in there alone - he thinks I'm a joke!!"

"Prove to him that you're not. Be harsh and rude like me, that always works a charm when you're proving people wrong." I shook my head and he threw my suit jacket at me.

"Go. I'll be here when you get back." I glared at him but snatched up the file and left.

When I reached the office a snooty receptionist told me not to pass through to the offices but I ignored her.
A guard stopped me too when I got up to the head offices floor.
"Hey, kid, what do you think you're doing up here?"

"I'm here to see Cannon and Wilson. I'm working a case with them." I kept my anger pouring through me as opposed to suppressing it and he stepped aside.

"Oh, sorry. You're just a lot younger than most we get through here."

"That's fine." I headed for the office that the two FBI head agents shared and knocked before going in.

"Mr Sykes...nice to see you again so soon." I groaned inwardly but nodded and shook Cannon's hand.

"Likewise. Gigandet had a meeting so I came alone. I've cracked the code, this particular section reveals a meeting place on Friday." Cannon looked surprised and took the file from me.

"They're Thai symbols as you know. Because of the one found in the book at the last crime scene I decided to continue checking books. Each symbol when translated corresponds to a word, a certain number of rows down on a particular page. This gives us the message." I stood back as I explained, as he looked over everything his eyes got wider.

"Impressive work Mr Sykes."

"I know your opinion of me. And don't patronise me, I'm probably at least 15 years your junior-"

"And at least 10 his." I glared at him.

"....and I cracked a code in a few hours that probably would have taken you weeks to decipher. That's why Gigandet hired me. No other reason." He shifted uncomfortably, in my head I wasn't enjoying this, I hated conflict.

"I understand. I apologise for any offence I've obviously caused you-"

"I don't care what you assume about me and Cam. But don't underestimate me or imply that he asked me to help because there's something going on between us. I'm good at what I do. And he knows it." Cannon nodded.

"I do as well, now. Good work. Sorry again."

"Thank you. I'll go now unless there's anything else you need done."

"I don't-" He gestured for me to wait as his phone rang.

"Hello? Yes....what? I can't hear you, you're breaking up. 10 Seabright Ave.? Ok, thanks Peter. Bye." He looked up at me.

"There wasn't anything that needed doing. Now there is. A new body has turned up, there's these signs all over the man's house. Coming?" I nodded, pulling out my phone to call Cam. Cannon put a hand on my arm to stop me.

"I don't need more than two for this." I didn't like leaving Cam out of it but nodded.

Wilson met us and we drove to the victims house.

As we got inside, I went round taking pictures of the signs and they investigated the body.

"Wilson, tell him I've got the symbols. I'll go and find out what they mean." He nodded.

"Thanks Oliver. See you later." I left quickly, I was just glad I hadn't had to be near the body. I wasn't getting any better at that.

I called Cam the second I was out of sight of the house. He answered straight away.

"Oli? Where are you?" I couldn't hide the smile that appeared on my face at the nickname and the hidden tone of worry in his voice which his words gave away.

"I totally handled Cannon!! He apologised and everything-" Cam laughed down the phone.

"That's great."

"He got a call about another victim so he told me to go with him and Wilson. I went to call you and he stopped me - I don't know why." Cam was silent on the other end of the phone.

"Cam?"

"I know why, don't worry. Did you find anything there?"

"Only those symbols sprayed on almost EVERY wall in his house. I took pictures and left. I'm on my way now."

"What?! You have the pictures with you?"

"Well yeah-"

"Get back to the house. Now. Where are you?"

"What? Why?"

"Where are you?!?" I looked around me.

"Near the park. The guy's house is in Seabright Avenue."

"Shit....how far are you from the house?"

"Like 10 minutes."

"Oli go back. Run."

"What- oomf!!" Something slammed into the back of me, sending me sprawling. I quickly turned over to see a guy in a hoodie looming over me.

"Oli?! Run!!" I could faintly hear Cam's voice on the other end of the phone. I snapped myself out of the dizziness that threatened to take over and shoved the guy back, flipping myself back onto my feet. He just stood stock still watching me, I couldn't see his face at all and I buried panic.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Come with me and you don't get hurt." His voice was horrible and rough.

"Sure, like you could hurt me." He laughed.

"Come with me."

"Where?" He got up in my face quickly.

"Come with me. Before I drag you there." I punched him and he quickly snapped back into action, swinging a punch which I managed to dodge, and another. He kicked out and I grabbed his leg, pulling upwards as hard as I could. He tumbled down to the ground, pulling me with him.

We wrestled about for several minutes until he slammed something into the back of my head, sending me into total darkness.