Siege

5 | The not-so-grand entrance

- VIPERS -

Lennox Carter drove haphazardly down the streets to the address Cass had given her. It was a rather lavish neighborhood, the house she stopped at was quite modern looking with its large glass windows and white marble floors.

She rung the doorbell. A man answered it, though he didn't look that much older than her - somewhere in his 20s. He had the same raven dark hair as hers and soul-sucking black eyes. He didn't seem surprised to see her there but, to Lennox's horror, she could not read him at all. Inwardly, she shivered.

"You must be Lennox," He stated, emotionlessly. She wondered who he was. He must be someone important in The Skulls. She was pretty sure she knew what roles the other guys had in the gang - except for Rowan, she was still confused about that. Lennox was certain Ferris was a hacker of some sort and that Cassius was the gang leader's son surprisingly enough. She figured Rowan was an unsuspecting spy or something. 

"I am, who are you?" She questioned cautiously. He tilted his head slightly as he stared at her contemplatively. Eventually, he slowly responded, "Santi," it was as If he had to think about his answer. 

She waited for him to continue, hoping to learn what his relation to the guys was - alas, they remained in silence. 

"Cassius is in the living room," Santi abruptly stated before swiftly pivoting and leaving, his steps echoing away. 

"Okay?" She murmured. What was that about?

Walking into the house, she inspected everything she could see. Yet, it looked empty. No photos, no personality, this was a house that had no sentimental value - no information for her to gather.

Through the front door, she was led into a small room with a table and a shoe rack. Walking past, she stepped into a corridor with floor-length glass windows and dim lighting which cast shadows on the slither of walls she walked past. 

Emerging from the dark shadows of the corridor, she squinted at the bright blinding light which infiltrated her eyes. The light at the end of the tunnel. 

"So, what exactly does this project entail?" Cassius spoke as soon as she walked into the living room, his eyes not leaving his phone.

Lennox wasn't exactly sure either. "Something about a historical figure?"

"That clears it up so much," Cass retorted sarcastically, looking at her.

Lennox snorted. "It's not like you have any idea,"

Cassius looked back at his phone.

"A timeline of a historical figure's impact on society through their life and how he or she has changed the course of time," Cassius read from his phone before facing her questioning gaze, "I, unlike someone, helpfully emailed Miss Spencer."

Lennox rolled her eyes as she took a seat beside him. "Sure, so who should we choose?"

Cassius shrugged, throwing out some random historical figures. "Martin Luther King Jr.?"

Lennox wrinkled her nose. "Infidelity. Fun fact, he actually spent the last night of his life with a woman who was certainly not his wife. "

"How is that a fun fact?" Cassius waved a hand dismissively. "Nevermind, don't answer that, Thomas Jefferson?"

Lennox shrugged. "He pursued a relationship with a 14-year-old when he was 44,"

Cassius threw his hands up. "You choose one then,"

Suddenly, they were interrupted by Cassius's phone ringing obnoxiously loud. Hurridly, he accepted the call and walked out of the room but not before Lennox saw who he was calling. Father. Harrison King. 

With a reputation that portrayed him as being worst than the devil himself, he was the worst of the worst. A menace to society. The monster that hid under your bed - but he may equally have been the one in your closet. The nightmare you had while curled up in a ball because you were too afraid to approach the edge of your bed for fear the monster - Harrison King - would drag your little child limbs to hell with him. He was everywhere. And yet he was nowhere at all.

Because nobody had ever seen him in public - no one alive. His name was whispered in fear in the dark of night. There were no records, no photos. He was a phantom. A deadly one at that.

And here he was just having a phone call with his son. She'd have to listen. 

About to follow and eavesdrop on his phone call, Lennox stood up, only to freeze at the sight of the man who had answered the door sitting on the dining table on the other side of the room. He had been doing something on his phone but at the sight of movement, he had promptly looked up.

"Where's the bathroom?" She asked innocently, hastily recovering.

"Down the hall," He spoke, nodding his head to the right as he eyed her suspiciously.

"Thanks," She said awkwardly, nodding her head and turning right. That was close. Too close for comfort, Lennox thought. She'd have to be careful around whoever he was. He was too alert, too quiet - she hadn't even known he was there.

She went to the bathroom. When washing her hands, she heard muffled voices. Cassius. Leaning her head against the door, she listened intently. It was rather hard to make out, but she could tell Cassius was agitated. He was almost shouting. Something about a shipment and money. She had a vague understanding of what was happening.

Quickly, she dried her hands and left. As soon as Cassius saw her he spoke, "You have to go."

"What? But we haven't even chosen a historical figure yet." Lennox fake whined, suppressing her curiosity.

"We can do that next time," He was pushing her to the door, "I've got something urgent I completely forgot about,"

His eyes were dark as he led her out of his house. Then, abruptly, he slammed the door in her face.

Rude.

Lennox scoffed as she walked over to her car. She sat there for a while, comprehending what had happened. Something was about to go down tonight and she'd have to see it. It was an absolute must.

She hid her car behind some bushes and waited for Cassius to drive out. Eventually, he did, and Lennox noticed how the other man - Santi - was in the car as well.

She waited a few seconds before pursuing them.

To hell with the project, she'd pay some freshman to do it for them.