ENDURING {Sequel to Everlasting}

Chapter 2 - Part A

"Good morning." I greet as I head into the kitchen for breakfast.

"Morning." The men greet, too focused on their food to care much.

Helping myself to the freshly cooked sausages and bacon, I fill a plate until it resembles a full English breakfast. My stomach growls quietly with hunger, something that I don't get often anymore.

We eat in silence, a familiar thing that even after all this time I find a little disturbing.

*

I was about to leave the kitchen and head off to get Apollo when Luther calls me back.

"Yeah?" I ask, raising my eyebrow a little in curiosity.

"The Christmas ball is in three weeks-"

"Nope." I purposely pop the 'p', exiting the kitchen without a response.

May seem rude, but they know where I stand on attending such things. The last thing I want is publicity, the whole world knowing I'm alive and well. Hardin knows, and although I don't think he's told anyone, I also know he doesn't care anymore.

As I head out to Apollo, my phone vibrates.

"Kali speaking." I greet.

"His name is James Thorpe, I'll email you all the information we have. Call me back once you've found something." A voice says, and the line goes dead.

I didn't take offence, these people want a job done, they're not friends.

Sliding the phone back into my pocket, I approach Apollo with a smile. He snorts a breath, doing that familiar nod with his large head.

"Looks like we're going to be working today." I say, stroking his forehead and cheeks before grabbing his bridle and reigns.

Like yesterday I saddle him up and jump up, settling in the leather saddle and clicking my tongue. The signal makes his ears prick up, and Apollo walks.

The reigns in my left hand, I pull out my phone and open up the email. The information on James Thorpe is almost nothing to go by, his identity isn't the issue, it's finding him. The people that want him found have been searching for over a year, but the few traces they've had have been for nothing.

So instead of hiring another investigator, they've hired me. I suppose they don't exactly know what I am, or who I am, I presume they don't care to know. For these kinds of jobs, I do require payment. It takes more of my time, and I know they're not looking for this guy to throw him a parade. I presume they want him dead.

The background of James Thorpe isn't good, he's spent years in and out of prison for larceny, armed robbery, and animal cruelty. I'm not talking a beating or whatever, no, he took dogs from shelters and butchered them. His last prison sentence was six years, he got out last year and he hasn't been seen since.

Where do you start looking for something like that?

You follow the crumbs.

I ride Apollo to the Elders old dungeons, it's above ground and hasn't been used in years due to them building a new one since. Now it's kind of like a office for me, far enough from headquarters that no one will bother me. The best part, Apollo can come inside because it's not underground, and it's quite large.

"Good boy." I praise, patting his thick neck firmly as I jump off of him.

Grabbing the reigns, I lead him inside and wrap the reigns around one of the bars of the cells. My footsteps echo faintly, and the sound of water dripping reminds me that there's a leak, multiple actually.

I set up a large board and a desk, to keep track of each job and be able to see any progress I make. James Thorpe isn't my only job right now, so I have to space out my time properly.

For a while I work on the board, using the email with contacts numbers of friends and family to call and check if they've heard from James. I mark out of the places he was spotted in the past year on a map, as well as places he's visited before and talked about visiting. If he's ever mentioned a place he wants to go to, I ask the family and write it down.

Every cafe, every hotel, every city and beach, every single detail that they're willing to offer. It doesn't matter if they know where he is, I don't need them to betray him and tell me.

This is what I do.

I hunt.