THE ELITE AGENT

59. A FLAME

Elena's POV:

It's been four days since I met Alex. There are times when he is unbound, in front of a mirror, showing thumbs up, his gesture saying that he is alright. But that's not the thing I noticed. All I could see is how difficult it was for him to pull up a smile. How his eyes don't carry the same shining radiance of the sea anymore. And how tired and worn out he looks.

Those were the only moments I saw him through the photographic lens. We have been watching through his eyes for the past four days but we haven't got anything on what Meghan is up to. With the lip sync, Jennifer's laptop has been deciphering the words of Meghan and Antonio. On so many occasions I almost lost my cool hearing their words.

One word, son. I can have her assassinated and six feet under the ground like her mother.

I clench my fist so I don't make a move to grab the laptop and throw it on the floor. Dad glared at the laptop to see those words print out. His eyes changed colours at the mention of his wife. He slammed his fist on the nearby table, cracking the glass. The agents around him flinched and retracted in fear. Ben who was passed out with his head on the table got startled as he sat straight, looking around with his hazy eyes. He looked up at dad and then at the huge screen which displays Alex's eyesight.

"What happened?" Ben asked, rubbing his eyes as he fetched his hearing aids. Dad shook his head and walked away.

Ben turned his eyes on me, waiting for me to fill in the details. "Antonio was being hyperverbal."

He nods his head and then pulls his hearing aids away to place them back on the table. I pat his shoulder, gesturing to my ears. He puts the hearing aids on once again.

"Why do you remove them? Does it hurt or something?" I ask. Ben's ears have healed very well. He got his hearing aids yesterday but he hasn't been wearing them quite often. He is trying his best to rather stay without those hearing aids. It might be new for him but there is no other option for now than to use them.

"No, they are fine. I just don't prefer wearing them."

"Why?"

He gives a sharp look weighing his next words carefully. "I don't like it."

"Don't like what?"

"To be a slave. To be dependent on this device. I hate it," He chuckles to himself as he shakes his head. "This is exactly what Meghan wanted. She wants me to be vulnerable. Defective. She knew that I am observative. You know what she said? She wants to take away my prized possession. She thinks that by breaking my body, she would fracture my soul."

Ben looks up his eyes dangerous and menacing. "Little does she know that by breaking my body she has set my soul free." Ben turned towards the screen where Alex seems to be looking at Meghan. "I am a flame, sister dearest. Uncontainable and destructive. And I can't wait to get my hands on her."

"I never knew you were bloodthirsty?"

"I am not. But for Meghan, the rules are different."

I noticed how changed Ben is ever since he returned. Though it has made him powerful, it has left some major damage to his behaviour. I hate Meghan but ever since I got to know what she has made my brother go through, my hate has amplified. And so has my thirst for vengeance.

"I am sorry that you have to go through it all alone."

Ben turns his eyes on me, grabbing hold of my hand. "You did save me though." I smile at him, tightening my hold on his hand.

"Ever since I returned, I have been wanting to ask you something."

"Yes?" I ask.

"What happened on the rooftop? Did Alex—"