"Well that should be all the devices."
Aesop stared at the small case of black-emerald devices, his heart hammering away.
Exactly how many did they plant?!
Eli was also visibly shocked at the amount they'd uncovered. They were silent as they checked to make sure each one of the devices had been shut off just as Eli had told the others to do before heaving a loud sigh. Aesop sat at his desk, holding his head in his hands. Eli was already thinking of the possible ways this could end up. The Abyss either give up or they advance further.
The chances of the Abyss giving up were pretty damned slim.
Aesop stood up.
"I'll go have a talk with the twins, please excuse me. You can stay if you want, I'll be back later."
Eli nodded, worried when he saw the stress behind Aesop's eyes. The door shut with a soft click, leaving him in the silence. It felt unsettling to be sitting there with so many listening devices in one place. Even if he knew they were all shut off, it didn't feel safe. He stared out the window panes.
Freddy Riley had been told to not come to work, informed that he deserved a break after all his 'hard work'. Three people were watching his home to make sure he didn't leave to go anywhere, and a device was planted in a corner of his home to listen to whatever phone conversations he may have. They would get the report in before midnight, which was a very long time to go.
Sifting through the tiny spheres, he wondered what the Mafia would do when time came. He shuddered. Never had he imagined being in this sort of situation, but he would be prepared. Aesop had already gone to inform the Requiem twins and Joseph to keep watch on the people who enter the building. Sure Joseph is an airhead, but if he would take his job seriously he has the potential to be the best employee of the month.
Security would definitely need to be heightened after this. They were taking no chances now. Not only was it for the security of the building, but also the safety of their employees. Aesop considered sending them away in a discussion, but what would happen to them, would they just be left jobless? He'd also considered sending them home should that day ever come, but how would he know? They could only rely on their own ability to protect their own employees.
"Eli?"
Aesop had returned from the armoury. He seemed more tired than ever. Eli had never seen him like this before. He put away the box, deciding it would be better if Aesop didn't see them. The male sat at the desk and pulled out his laptop, typing a long mail that would soon be sent to all the executives. A mail that would make sure this hidden threat is at once acknowledged.
That night, Eli lay awake. He was too worried to sleep, and was starting to wonder if he would be more at ease if he slept in his office. It would be easier to keep watch, after all. Sure it would be risky, but he could alert Aesop if anyone would come in, right? It would be better not to tell Aesop though, the man would definitely disagree with safety as his reason. Eventually he fell asleep from thinking too much.
He didn't speak at work. They went on with their days, neither speaking of the Abyss. Eli was busy trying to think of an excuse to stay back late. Recently after they got together Aesop had been insisting to drive Eli home, if not his own mansion. He hoped the excuse of needing to sort out more files was enough to fool Aesop. With that, he set to busy himself in his work once more.
Once his shift ended, he remained in his office, nervously waiting for Aesop to knock on his door as usual. Just as he thought Aesop would never came, a small knock sounded on his door. He jolted as the door creaked open. Aesop raised his eyebrow when he noticed Eli wasn't waiting for him as usual, but was too tired to ask. Eli felt guilty, but he had to do it.
"Oh I uh...I won't be joining you today. I um, I have some more files to sort out."
"Hm..."
Aesop found it a little suspicious, but he was too tired to ask further. He nodded and left, shutting the door gently. Eli heaved a sigh and leaned back in his chair. And there went his promise to never lie to Aesop. Eventually he'd tell Aesop, but for now it was better to not stress out the other male more. The night would be long, but he would be alright.
A couple hours later the building was empty. Only a few that had been ordered to watch in secret stayed, but neither knew Eli was also in his office with them. The executive simply worked as usual, keeping watch of the area outside. There were no footsteps, and Eli assumed it would be safe to run to the secretary's office to place some files.
His footsteps echoed down the empty hallway. Maybe it would be a better idea to tell the night shift that he would stay in the building before one of them springs out on him. As he got out of the elevator, he heard someone shift behind a door. He considered going on, but he didn't want to startle the night shift inside, so he simply announced.
"It's just me, Eli. You don't need to worry, I'm dropping off files."
There was no reply, just more shifting. He assumed they moved back to their position and continued down the hallway. When he reached the office, he turned the doorknob, surprised when it didn't open. He tried again before it gave away. Normally the staff didn't bother locking the doors after their shift, but maybe this time it was for security measures to keep outsiders away.
The bodies in the office seemed to speak more of keeping insiders inside though. All the night shift were drugged and bound in the office, none of them showed signs of movement. The only thing showing that they were actually alive was the slow rise and fall of their chests. Eli's hand moved to his belt where he kept his gun, but a painful sting at his neck and a blow behind his legs brought him to his knees, wincing.
"Move, and all your buddies including you die..."
