In It For the Money

XXV

It was a decision that Leon and Jill both had to sleep on. Now that the two woke up they found the other male in the kitchen, quietly drinking a cup of straight black coffee. (He's in a strange mood today) "I've been thinking about yesterday..." He had begun, blinking as he lowered the cup to the table.

"And?" Leon asked him gently, walking cautiously to sit beside him.

"I'm sorry for how I acted, I just... That was my team... my family? Good I don't know... my heads splitting apart just thinking about it. I went in with at least thirty people and came out alone... but if there's a chance they might be alive... He trailed seeing Jill's remorseful face. "W-What?"

"That thing dragging them... had them by their legs. All of them in its grasp to drag them to the woods. I'm sorry... we couldn't find them, but we tried. There's no sign of them, even now as we search thag area tenfold... it's been a while...." The way she gently says his name makes his heart ache with agony. "Maybe it's time for you to let it go..."

"I..." He couldn't think of a word to say, chest racing in his ears. He covered his mouth with his right hand, deep in thought suddenly. "Maybe you're right... It would be a fools errand to go in vain..." He closes his eyes and slightly hangs his head. Leon frowns and lovingly kisses his lover's neck, wrapping his arms firmly around the male's body.

Several heavy knocks sounded all at once on the front door, which sent Leon into a fit of fight or flight. He sent Jill a glance and beckoned for them to remain in the kitchen, only to turn and see none other than his boyfriend opening the door with curiosity. There was nothing but a small letter resting at his feet, which he picked up diligently and closed the door. His brow knitted together as he tried to piece together the chicken scratch handwriting. Then he realized it wasn't words. It was pictures. Whatever or whoever sent the strange letter tried, fairly poorly, to draw a portrait of himself.

Leon sighed and pinched the bridge if his nose. "Really? What do you have to go and open the door to strangers who knock like that for? Don't you use your head?"

"When have you ever used your head." The male bit back, rolling his eyes as he went to sit on the couch. By now Jill entered the smaller room and sat next to him, examining the poorly drawn portrait as the male took the paper from inside the envelope.

(If it stopped making sense here's a slight explanation. It's a letter sealed for him with the picture drawn on the front. The letter wasn't drawn on.)

He read every single word carefully, heart beating faster and faster. It was a detailed explanation of the mission he had been on. The whole thing he and the small team he had at the end before he was separated. God he hates thinking about it. And closer to the end he found smudges of blood, which made his blood run cold. Underneath the thick layer of blood on the right bottom corner was signed.

Second in Command, Parker Miller

His words caught in his throat as his hands began to shake violently. Leon cupped his hands around the males to steady him, but watched anxiously as his lover ripped away from his grasp and paced around the room. "This is Parker's handwriting... the drawing is worse than he could do... so that part wasn't him... Alex draws half decent, that's why he takes the notes he does... that leaves Maggie Tharn... but she's smart and would write my name and last known address... so then..." His brow narrowed. "Maybe that poor boy we saved?"

"Is everything okay?" Jill asked, watching the man's face go through each stage of grief.

"That poor boy was murdered in the most gruesome way... and I..." He felt choked up, eyes watering slightly before he shook his head. "I couldn't do a thing about it." He looked back over the letter a thousand times, trying to piece everything together before something hit him in the brain. There was a location. His location.

He raised his head and looked at the others. "What?" Leon asked, suddenly feeling goosebumps run through his veins at his boyfriends hard stare.

"They know where I am..."

"That's good?"

"I haven't seen them... in years..." He began, seeing Jill piece everything together. Her eyes grew wide and she stood up.

"Who did you work for? Do you remember?"

He purses his lips and thought for a moment. "I think it was some kind of mercenary thing. Maybe big organization? I can't remember..." He mumbled, shaking his head. "But they know my current location and there's blood at the bottom of this paper."

"But none on the envelope..." Jill looked it over more carefully, but found nothing other than the drawing in the front. "So these were made at separate times. Or finished differently."

Leon felt like he was drowning in a sea, unable to figure anything out on his own. The two made eye contact before Jill stood up and grabbed the man by his biceps. "That means they're alive!"

"Or someone is. Has to be." She explained.

"Wait wait wait... but the letter doesn't have a send or address on it..." Leon added, which caused the joy to suddenly die down.

"What?"

"Oh that's right!" Jill exclaimed suddenly, grabbing it. "Just your face can't send a letter. Gotta know where it goes."

"So then... who knew enough to send the letter?"

That's when it hit him like a semi-truck barreling it's way in the damp dark rainy night to a city infested with zombies. He knew. His eyes widened as lights surrounded the windows and tranquilizers hitting each of them in the neck. Jill was the first to black out, followed by the male she previously had grabbed. And the last thing Leon was able to get out was an emergency location send to Hunnigan, who received it with pure fear in her eyes as she sent it to Chris directly.