Up In Flames ✓

Chapter 27 - Game of Survival

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"Don't you just love this song?"

Everybody wants to rule the world by Tears of Fears, blasted through the speakers of Laurent's, the music drifted in the atmosphere around Jasper, enveloping him.

"So glad we finally made it. So sad they had to face it." Laurent opened his eyes, after singing along,"I was about six years old when that song came out."

Jasper raised an eyebrow,"I'm here, what now?"

Chuckling, Laurent opened his eyes, the late afternoon orange sky reflecting on his blue eyes,"You're just like your mother, always so damn impatient."

"Why'd you pretend that you were blind?" Gone were Laurent's sunglasses he always wore, which helped him because he was blind. All those times Jasper saw him on the television or in magazines he always wore his sunglasses, claiming that he lost his sight in some unfortunate accident which Jasper couldn't remember what happened.

Laurent rose an eyebrow, out of all the questions that were on the tip of Jasper's tongue, that was his first question? He answered nonetheless,"Because it made me more unsuspecting. Who'd suspect a blind man?"

"Before the storm came, you fed the homeless. That's how you did it." Jasper stated,"The perfect cover, when they overdose and they just blame it on the floods. By the time their bodies were recovered the drugs were long gone and out of their systems."

Laurent tapped his own forehead with his pointer finger,"Ah." He exclaimed,"Smart boy, at least you got-"

He cut himself off, clearing his throat. Wiping his face of amusement he leaned back in the chair, looking around the patio his gaze lingered on the olympic size swimming pool before trailing over the various tropical potted plants and settling on the terracotta coloured tiles of the roof.

Jasper watched him cautiously, not moving or speaking. He stood a safe distance away from Laurent, he refused to take the seat offered to him when he first arrived. Making sure to spice the rooms he walked through as Laurent welcomed him into his home, he spotted the extravagant decorations, gold rimmed railing of the staircase coming down on both sides of the room before meeting in the middle. Something Jasper often saw on movies when there was a castle involved.

Multiple rooms led to the roofless patio through the large wooden archways. Jasper was sure to stand near the exit and was glad that he memorized the way back to the front door in case he needed to leave. But he knew he wouldn't leave before he got what he wanted.

"Didn't bring your pets I see." Laurent finally commented, playing with his watch while trying to look like he was very bored when he actually couldn't wait for Jasper's next question.

Crossing his arms, he ignored the term. He couldn't even remember when he uncrossed them, Jasper asked,"Why did you kill Harper while he was still talking to me?"

"Simple." Laurent deadpanned,"He was about to spill his guts to you. Not that he would've been able to answer half of the questions you have. Plus he was starting to become a pest under my feet. The poor bugger got addicted to Ignis you see - I'm sure Samuel already told you about the drug - he kept demanding more and more."

"Why did you kill my parents?" Jasper's body was rigid, his jaw clenched and his eyes dead set on Laurent.

"Finally asking the big questions." Laurent got up from the chair, walking over to the one of pillars supporting the second floor of the mansion, he looked across the city. The mansion was settled in the mountains, giving it a breathtaking view of the city, especially now at sunset. The breeze lifted the blond strands off of Laurent's forehead before falling back into place again.