Little Red Wulf In The Big Bad H.O.O.D

Chapter 14 ~Reds New Roommate~

Strykers POV

Three Weeks Later…~

Rhedella Wulf, Aka Lil’Red, Known as Red to most, Wulf to others. She was brought onto my team on the anniversary of my joining and the death of my fiancée Jassey. The mystery surrounding Red confused me and irritated me, that was until her mask cracked. Now after seeing inside the dark shadows that she has shrouded herself in, I understand a little more.

Red was more than just a stubborn, aggressive, headstrong, idiot. She had amazing skills behind the wheel and when pushed into a corner she adapted with awe inspiring speed. She was an ace if I ever met one, her one flaw, was the mask she wore. Three weeks ago I witnessed that mask shattering, and in the wake of it shattering something in Red broke. Or so Webb said in his very brief description of events that occurred in the Alley and in the Med room.

I owed her my life now, I owed her more than that and I hadn’t seen or heard from or of Red since I woke up. Helios tiptoed around us, almost afraid to mention her name. Like it would break us, Fate had just wandered the compound aimlessly passing from room to room like a ghost his arm bandaged up. Webb had destroyed three heavy bags, and monopolized the gym spending every waking hour training.

Being the pitiful man I was at the moment I sat outside her door hoping she would walk out and make some smart ass remark to me. Or tell me to get lost, I had never felt this lost before. It was a new level that I had never even heard of, she had shaken the team badly. That entire incident had shaken us deeply. My hands clenched together into fists and I closed my eyes trying to reign myself back in. We still had a job to do, Just because we were down one member we couldn’t negate from the mission.

I pushed to my feet forcing myself away from the door, instantly my head began to pound making my forehead crease in pain. These migraines would kill me eventually. Maybe I had a concussion or something from the Alley incident. I rubbed the back of my neck heaving a heavy sigh. The door into the war room slid open and I stepped through looking up at the computers lining the walls with the oval table settled off to the right of me.

Webb and Fate were sitting tensely in their seats, I dropped my hand to my side and stared at them. Instantly the friction in the room sparked, Webb glared down at his hands which were folded on the table in front of him. Fate looked hollow, dark shadows under his eyes as he stared endlessly into space.

“Stryker, Take a seat son” I looked up at Helios as he entered the room with his ebony cane and his white suit.

His black eyes were determined, he had something up his sleeve. Grudgingly I pulled on of the office chairs out and dropped into the soft leather seat crossing my arms over my chest. Helios sighed heavily shaking his balding head as he walked over taking his own seat without the attitude. I rolled my eyes glancing at Webb who still glared at his tightening hands.

“Listen, Boys. This has to stop, its been three weeks. We haven’t made any progress in finding the Don, or any of the bosses. Hell none of you have even left the compound.” Helios sighed rubbing his forehead closing his eyes, “Just because Lil’Red is out of the game for the moment doesn’t mean you all should drop out. We have a mission with an over all goal to achieve”

“Does that mean we should forget the fact that she saved our asses? That she’s being held somewhere alone, and hurt?” Fate asked looking up at Helios his eyes darkening with anger.

“No, What she did was her job-” He was interrupted by the sound of metal scraping against the floor.

We all turned to the door leading out into the hallway, the noise was getting louder. The closer it came the more it sounded like heavy chains being dragged across stone. I pushed to my feet moving out in front of the door. What was that? The door opened and my eyes went wide, she walked through in ripped black skinny jeans and a burnt and torn red blouse. Her hair had grown longer and wavier, she walking in unwrapping heavy metal chains from around her neck and arms. Dropping them to the floor where they laid coiled, they shone like silver in the light.

“Damn that wasn’t fun at all” She muttered dusting her arms off.

Slowly she looked up at us her grey eyes widening, a weak smile slipped across her face and she turned glancing over her shoulder.

“Red” Fate whispered.

She turned around sweeping her gaze across all of us waving shyly, she walked over behind Helios and dropped something in his lap. She glanced over at me and stood up taller her eyes scanning over me from underneath the sheet of brown wavy hair. She nodded her head and looked back at everybody.

“Miss me?” she laughed running her hand through her hair pushing it off from her face.

“Your alright?” Webb asked pushing to his feet.

“When have I ever been alright?” she hissed.

“Red-” I took a step forward and stopped.

She turned to look at me and smiled, “For a first date, it wasn’t half bad.”

“Are you sure you’re ok?” I asked her.

She blinked a couple times and smirked dryly at me rolling her eyes, “You worrying about me Stryker?”

I didn’t subconsciously understand what I was doing until I had her wrapped in my arms, the tight fear finally subsiding and I could breath easily again.

“You scared the crap ‘outta us Red, Don’t you ever fucking do that” I snapped at her.

“Stryker?” She sounded confused.

I stepped back from her holding her shoulder steady as her grey eyes watched me with a spark of fear.

“You cant just vanish like that. You’re part of this damn team” Fate shouted running around the table.

Red turned out of my hold catching Fate’s open arms holding him tightly, “I didn’t think you would-”

“Care? Red we all lost somebody close to us to the Mafias, Losing you to them as well. I don’t think- I know we wouldn’t be able to bounce back”

“Speak for yourself” I grumbled realizing what I had just done.

“Since you’re all here, and getting along so well” Helios said standing up and tapping his cane off the tiled floor.

We all turned to look at him, he cast a sweeping glance over everybody before giving a small devilish smile.

“The announcement I was going to make. I realized that part of what happened at the Dinner was due to your lack of skills cooperating and reading your partner. Webb and Fate didn’t control the situation or even discuss the fact that something was wrong. You two circulated the room like waiters working on your own agendas.” Helios took a deep breath and settled his eyes on Red and I, “And you two, Stryker you weren’t watching Reds reaction when the Don entered the room. If you saw her react and the body language when she saw him you would have known there was a direct danger and gotten out of there before it escalated to that degree”

I began to grind my teeth together, what the hell did he expect from us. Its not that I hadn’t read her body language, I could see plainly that something was wrong, even more so than she let on. But I wasn’t going to pull us out when the threat seemed so mild. It could also be blamed on the fact that I had gotten caught up in the date atmosphere, maybe to much than I should have.

“The plan is to strengthen those pairs”

“What is this couples therapy? Helios we don’t need to go in depth, We worked perfectly fine. It just wasn’t fair that we were faced with that Don” Red snapped her hands curling into fists.

“It doesn’t matter, what if you meet him again. Will you freeze? Will you follow him? What? From this moment on you will be bunking with Stryker. Webb and Fate will be bunking together as well” He shouted turning and walking towards the door.

“Bunking? You mean I’m supposed to share a room with Red!” I hissed.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Until I can see that you two can work together as one, you will spend every moment together learning your habits and daily schedules” Helios said walking out the door in his usual fashion.

My jaw tightened and I glared at him what the hell was he getting at, making me share a room with Red. She was a girl! I was a guy how was that ok.

“Damn, This is going to be awkward” She muttered.