To Hell and Back // Alex Keller.

Burn it down.

Sheer curtain danced on the waves of the cold wind stream that sneaked into the room through an open window. Endless moods of the weather were changing with each passing day in the blink of an eye. Heat waves were taken overby the cloudy skies and air currents that were full of freshness. While the heat was escaping, large drops of rain fell onto the hot asphalt, finally relieving the burning ground. Puddles were forming into rivers, as the water followed the path down the road. The earthy smell of the rain, mixed with the freshness and musk was knocking on every door and window, as if wishing to take the heat away from every single corner of a town.

The noise of the opening door travelled through the silence of the early morning. Somewhere far away, the sun was trying to fight its way through the dark clouds. The town was empty and dark, as another day was about to start for the locals. Summer was a cocktail of everything at one in Upper New York. Thunderstorms, sunny days, cloudy skies, and air full of wildfire smoke. A new day was just another quiz about the weather. A door quietly shut closed behind a figure in dark clothes. The lightning angrily hit the ground not so far away, letting the thunder groan out loud in the air.

Clear liquid fell onto the wooden floor, just like the drops kept on falling onto the hard asphalt. Slow but heavy steps were silent in the walls of the office, as the fluid splashed around. Rivers followed every unevenness of the floor, getting to the dead end of the corner. Tall bookshelves were showered with the wetness, as the figure walked further into the room. The stranger made sure to give attention to every little detail of the office. Silent drops were falling onto the floor from tall furniture. A dark figure was wrapped in the darkness of the staircase when the light finally entered into the room.

The fire always starts with the spark.

                                                                      * * *

"I need to hurry, it's 8 already!" The wave of panic flew through the kitchen that was bathed in the comforting, artificial yellow light. Kelly's voice echoed from the kitchen to the bedroom, as she took the last bite of a sandwich. Hazel eyes took a glimpse at the clock and started the storm.

"The ride will take you 30 minutes. Here's your coffee, darlin'." Alex leaned against the doorframe, letting his eyes notice the storm as it reached its peak. A redhead was rushing from one side of the room to another. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee travelled through the rooms, following the two step by step as the cup sat in the large hand of the officer. In a hurry, a woman was pulling the pair of jeans up her legs, quietly cursing the top button, as it refused to fall under Miller's charms. Keller's dark t-shirt disappeared out of the tall door of the closet and was now hugging the woman's body.

"Thank you, Alex." She took a few sips of coffee, feeling the warmth of the drink suddenly calming her down. Or maybe, it was the musky aroma of Alex's skin, as he was too close to Kelly, making it complicated for a woman to think straight. Standing on her toes, a redhead reached for the rough lips of the man that were used to shouting out the commands. Keller was used to the harshness and toughness of life and his own work profession. But now, the unexplored softness felt foreign to the officer, yet soothing. Stealing the kiss from his lips in an early hour of the morning, the storm was finally over.

"You'll be late, Kel." Another lightning kissed the ground somewhere far away in the endless green fields when the lips of the two unwantingly found the distance. Alex whispered in the woman's lips, as the soft smile was sitting on the edge of his lips. In one moment, the smile over a successful mission turned into a smile over the presence of another person.

"I'll miss you too." A redhead giggled to herself when the soft touch of her hand fell onto the cheek of the man. Bristles of his facial hair were tickling her skin, as the eye contact between them was unbreakable for a moment.

Just before Miller's legs took her away and out of the house that unexpectedly turned into a home, it felt as if the time stopped just for the two of them.

                                                                      * * *

The long street was more active than usual on that day. Trucks were stopping by the two-story building, while another we leaving. The yellow bright ribbon was wrapped around the main, just like the Christmas gift under the bushy green tree. Gray car stopped at the last open vacant stop on the other side of the street, when Kelly tried to see through the dark frame of the window that once was white.

Every sound turned into an echo, as a woman rushed out of the car into the building. Ignoring the front door, and opening the back door with one of the keys on a bulky keychain that kept all of her memories. One step up after another, the walls of the staircase were covered in darkness of ash but were untouched by the power of fire. With each passing floor, the burned smell was getting closer. Deep inside a woman wanted for someone to burn their lunch or a sandwich in an oven, or be careless with the candle. But, all of her hopes shattered like the thinnest glass on the hard floor when Miller reached the door of her office.

A lump in her throat was slowly suffocating a woman when the steps of the woman echoed in the terrifying silence. The fire touched every little thing in the officer - large furniture, warm chairs, and pages of work that were filed in the long drawers. Nothing survived the date with the heat. Miller walked deeper into the burned officer before her eyes noticed something that was never a part of the interior.

Shadow Company's insignia was the only thing left untouched by the fire. Lying in the pile of ashes, a dark patch of fabric was waiting for Miller to notice it.

K. Miller: 'Should I sue Graves for damages?'

The photograph is attached.

Read: 9:03 am.

John P. 🧢:  'Where did you get that name from, dove?'

Read: 9:07 am.

"Fuck." Kelly cursed out loud into the air, as the message reached the wrong recipient.

At the end of the longest day, Captain Price always finds a way to get information on anything he is interested in. And sometimes, that information is brought to him on a silver platter.

A shortie today, because your girl is having trouble functioning because of her neighbor. Can someone throw a brick at me? Thank you! Have a great rest of your week loves.