Subtle Endearment

28. Letting Off Steam

Ian

"Are you sure you're up for it?" Landon asks handing me a handgun. "You better have a clear mind going into this. I'm not trying to go to the hospital tonight because you fucked up the mission," he says pressing a finger into my chest. "Yeah, I got it," I say dismissing his comment. I slam the car door behind me and walk towards the seemingly deserted warehouse in front of me. When Landon said he had orders to 'take care of some traitors' I immediately decided to tag along. A couple of stragglers recently recruited into Stubborn Elites were revealed to be traitors making their rounds among a low-level gang in New York.

"Don't do anything stupid," Landon reminds me before rushing ahead to the warehouse. I catch up to him outside the warehouse and points his gun inside before venturing in with me close behind. "Where are they," I ask annoyed as we move through the empty warehouse. Landon pushes open a hidden door behind a curtain. "She wants all of them," Landon reminds me gesturing with his hand crossing his throat. I nod. Several heads turn our way at the sound of the door opening. There's at least ten men gathered at a table to the left of us. Even with the dim lights and outdated machinery throughout the warehouse I can spot several familiar faces. Some work at the company and some exclusively within Stubborn Elites headquarters.

Just as fast as they see us, bullets begin flying throughout the warehouse. I duck behind a shelf with Landon. "On three," he says. "Okay," I say my hand on the trigger of the gun. "Three," he says moving out from behind the shelf. I watch as he lands two bullets into two of the guys who'd charged at us. The look on Landon's face shows he's more than satisfied with the blood spewed. He moves forward landing two more bullets perfectly in the heads of two more guys. I move ahead to the opposite side of him shooting bullets towards where I'd seen one of the guys headed. He pops up from behind a corner and I pull the trigger letting the bullet graze his arm before aiming again. He shoots missing just as I let another one off catching his chest. His body collapses to the floor and I strike another one in his head for good measure before stepping over his body to look for the next. I'm not an expert shot like Landon.

I hear several shots go off behind me as Landon lands each shot. "Hey man, there's a couple more over there," he says pointing towards what looks like another shelf covered in plastic wrap. "There's three more," he says walking towards the area he'd pointed to. I watch as he recklessly charges in immediately shooting at one of the guys as he misses his shot. I catch up and shoot the man on his left landing two bullets. "Where's the other guy," I ask Landon. "There," Landon says shooting at the guy who'd managed to sneak up from our right.

Landon and I scan the area taking the files they'd been looking over before we got here then head back in Landon's car. "So are you going to tell me why you decided to tag along this time?" Landon asks taking off the leather gloves he'd been wearing. "I'd rather not," I mumble. "Might as well tell me now. You didn't even get four shots in. You clearly weren't focused," Landon deducts. "It's Kira," I admit. "Isn't it always? How'd she break your heart this time?" Landon asks handing me a towel to wipe my face. I take it and wipe the blood off leaving only stains in my gray shirt. "She left for her grandparents house yesterday and she doesn't intend on staying here," I say.

"You can always go after her. I mean it's not like you don't know where she's going. Madam Melanie already gave you all the details. I have a feeling she wants you guys married more than Kira does," Landon jokes. I glare at him. "I'm kidding," he states. "But really, I went after Violet when she tried to leave the company a couple years back and she stayed," Landon says crossing hi arms. "That's because you embarrassed her during her interview by showing up begging her to stay," remind him. "Whatever, they were paying her way less anyways. There's no way they would get away with offering that pay anyways," Landon says wiping his face off.

"Are we really going to just leave them there?" I ask as Landon drives us back onto the street leaving the bodies behind. "Are you new here? I left one alive, didn't you see him cowering in the corner when we scanned the area? Oh my bad, you probably didn't because you were daydreaming," Landon says sarcastically. "You're saying I should go after her?" I ask ignoring the his remark.

"If it'll get you out of this daze then yeah. You're starting to look the same as you did before your vacation from the company," Landon says his voice drifting off at the end. "Violet said she had plans this week for Christmas but she wouldn't say with who. I'm guessing it's you?" I ask abruptly changing the topic. Silence takes over the car but before I can open my mouth to fill it Landon speaks up again. "Don't do that again," is all he says before turning up the radio. "I won't," I promise. Landon nods in approval and leaves it at that.

"Madam Melanie showed up at the company yesterday," I tell Landon. "Why? She never goes to the company?" Landon questions. "I don't know. She didn't call me and I didn't get the chance to say anything to her," I admit. "Maybe she went to see Kira," Landon suggests. "Why would she do that? It seems like they hate each other," I say. "You never know, maybe there's more to their relationship than what it looks like," Landon states.

"Maybe."