His Immortal

12

He stepped closer to him, his hand reaching out almost involuntarily, ready to snatch the files from him if need be. He still wasn't sure who he could trust, and the fact that someone had taken the files in the first place made him paranoid and distrustful.

He glanced quickly over his shoulder at me, still sleeping peacefully in the bed, unaware of the tension in the room. Turning his attention back to Andrew, he tried to keep his voice low and controlled. "Where did you find them?" he repeated, his eyes narrowing.

"I took them when you were asleep to see what was happening," Andrew recalled.

As Andrew spoke, Marcus's eyes darkened with anger and frustration. He couldn't believe that one of his own colleagues would take the files without his knowledge or permission. He took a step closer, his voice hardening. "You shouldn't have touched those files. They're confidential and highly sensitive. You had no right to take them without my permission."

He reached out and snatched the files from Andrew's grasp, his grip on them firm and possessive. He could feel the anger and frustration coursing through him, his trust in his fellow colleague shaken by this breach of protocol.

As Andrew stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him, Marcus exhaled deeply. He was angry and frustrated, but he couldn't afford to let his emotions cloud his judgment right now. He turned back towards the bed and sat down in the chair, his gaze flicking down to the files in his lap.

Marcus looked up as he saw me stirring on the bed, my eyelids fluttering as I slowly came back to consciousness. "Hey," he said quietly, his voice gentle and soothing. "You're awake."

I stretched my body and put my hand on my head "Ouch- forgotten about that injury-" I mumbled as I sat up.

"Careful," he said gently, his voice filled with concern. "You need to take it easy and rest. That head injury is serious."

He leaned forward in his chair, his gaze studying me closely. He could see the tiredness in my eyes, the lingering traces of pain etched on my face. He wanted to do something to make me feel better, but he knew that the only way to truly help me was to find whoever was behind the threats against me.

"When am I allowed to go home?" I asked gently.

Marcus thought about my question for a moment, his expression solemn. He knew that I wanted to go home, to get back to my normal life and routine. But the threats against me still posed a very real danger, and he couldn't let me leave until he was sure that I was safe. He leaned back in his chair and looked at me, his voice quiet and serious. "I'm afraid you can't go home yet. Not until I can guarantee your safety."

"I am not sitting in this place anymore, it's not like the person behind this is going to come after me again when police are involved,".

Marcus frowned as I spoke, my words defiant and determined. He could see the frustration and impatience in my eyes, and he understood where I was coming from. But he also knew that the situation was more serious than I realized.

He leant forward, his voice firm yet gentle. "I know you're tired of being here, but you need to understand. Whoever is behind this is dangerous and they're not just going to stop because there are police involved. They've already proven that they have no regard for the law or your safety."

"I'm an adult, I can go home anyway," I replied.

Marcus sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his frustration mounting. He knew that I was an adult, but he also knew that I was not fully aware of the danger I was in. He looked at me, his eyes meeting mine, his expression intense. "You need to listen to me, if you go home now, it will only put you in more danger. I can't let you leave this facility until I know you'll be safe."

"Then let me stay with someone," I sighed.

He thought for a moment, his mind racing with possibilities. Then he spoke, his voice quiet and thoughtful. "Okay, I'll talk to my superiors. Maybe we can arrange for you to stay with someone who can offer you a place to stay until this is over."

Marcus walked out of the room and headed towards the courtyard to have a much-needed smoke break. He needed a moment to clear his mind and gather his thoughts. As he stepped outside, he saw one of his fellow Agents, Agent Thompson, walking towards him. He considered Thompson a colleague he trusted, and he was relieved to see him.

He nodded in greeting as Thompson approached, his expression serious and weary. "Thompson, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Thompson nodded, his expression reflecting the same exhaustion and worry that was etched on Marcus's face. "Yeah, what's up?"

Marcus took a deep drag on his cigarette, exhaling a plume of smoke as he spoke. He didn't waste any time getting straight to the point. "I need a favour and I need it to stay between us."

Thompson raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued at the hint of secrecy in Marcus's tone. He nodded, his gaze steady. "Okay, I'm listening. What kind of favour?"

Marcus exhaled another cloud of smoke, his eyes scanning the area to ensure that no one else was close enough to overhear their conversation. "I need a place for the target to stay," he said quietly, his voice low and serious. "Somewhere safe, somewhere no one knows about."

"Why doesn't she stay with you?" Thompson said.

Marcus let out a mirthless chuckle, his gaze flickering over to Thompson. "Are you kidding? I'm already on thin ice with my superiors for how involved I've gotten in this case. You think they'd be okay with me having the target stay with me?"

He took another drag on his cigarette, shaking his head. He knew that allowing me to stay with him would be seen as a major breach of protocol, and he wasn't willing to risk jeopardizing the case—or his career—by going against his superiors' orders.