Watch Your Back

.:Chapter One:.

   "So, you're telling me he likes to hang out at the park a lot?" Brian asked into his phone, holding it between his ear and his shoulder as he wrote some things down on his special notepad. He wrote down the name of the park that Zacky would be at, and he also wrote down the address, just in case he didn't remember it after he left.
   "Yep. He should be going there today with his friend Matt. Matt's a really big, muscly dude, covered in tattoos. Basically looks like a big oaf. He's protective of Zacky, though, so watch out for him." Eli replied, sounding a bit worried as he described this 'Matt' character. Brian couldn't help wondering if Matt had already put the fear of God into Eli once before..
   "I won't be going anywhere near Zacky at first. For the first few days, I'm just gonna run some basic surveillance. Taking photos, following him to see what he does during the day, that sort of stuff. Just to get a basic idea of his schedule and when would be the best opportunity to, y'know." Brian muttered, setting the pen down on his coffee table and ripping the page with the address off of his notepad. "Alright. I'm heading out now. I'll call you and let you know what I found." He quickly hung up the phone, heaving a loud sigh before he stood up from his couch and pocketed the address for the park. He grabbed his car keys off of the coffee table and then sauntered out of his apartment, locking the door behind him before he made his way to his car. He slid into the driver's seat and then started the vehicle, listening as it roared to life with a smooth growl; he turned up the radio as One by Metallica came on and then pulled out of the parking lot, heading for the park to run the first day of surveillance.

   He's even cuter in person.. Brian thought as he sat in his car, munching on a bag of chips and occasionally taking a few sips of Coke while he watched Zacky talk to his friend Matt. He didn't know how long he'd be there, so he decided to pick up some food on the way. The two men that he was watching were sitting at a picnic table, and apparently, Matt said something funny, because Zacky threw his head back and started laughing. Brian could hear his laugh clear through the air, and it was the most precious thing he'd ever had the privilege of listening to. No, Brian, stop it! He's your target! He reminded himself. Brian sat up a little bit, trying to focus on the conversation that was taking place between Matt and Zacky; he had always been a good lip reader, but since he got into his line of work, he had honed his skills to perfection.
   "Dude, you have to be careful. You know how dangerous Eli is." Matt's lips read.
   "I know, I know.. I just.. I don't think he's anything to worry about right now. I think he's finally calmed down." Zacky said with a smile across his snake-bitten lips. Oh, if only you knew how wrong that was.. The brown-eyed man thought with a soft chuckle to himself. He popped another chip in his mouth, crunching slowly as he watched Matt heave a sigh and then scratch the back of his neck.
   "Well, I'm not gonna tell you what to do.. But I'm gonna tell you that you need to watch your back. He threatened you." Matt warned, seeming to put extra emphasis on the fact that Eli had apparently threatened Zacky. Surely he didn't actually threaten Zacky. Surely that was just something he told Matt so that Eli would look like the bad guy..
   "I know he threatened me, but.. I just don't think he's something to worry about right now." Zacky replied, smiling nervously once more. Matt simply nodded at this, and suddenly, Zacky stood up and stretched. "Well.. I'm gonna head out, okay? I've got some stuff to take care of today."
   "Alright, well," Matt stood up too, giving Zacky a tight hug. He was saying something in the hazel-eyed man's ear, but since his mouth was covered by Zacky's head, Brian couldn't tell what it was. All he could tell was that the hazel-eyed man kept nodding and saying 'I will' every couple of seconds. "I'll see you later, Zacky." Matt's lips read after he pulled away from the hug. Zacky then sauntered away from his taller, more muscular friend, putting his hoodie up before he shoved his hands in his pockets and kept his head low as he walked away.
   "On the move." Brian chuckled, rubbing his hands together before he started his car and pulled up to the entrance of the parking lot. He let a few cars pull out in front of him before he pulled out onto the road, keeping his eyes peeled for the admittedly attractive hazel-eyed man. If he lost sight of him, his surveillance could be ruined, so he couldn't let that happen. He watched as Zacky jogged down the street, and suddenly, he turned right and went into a gas station. Brian raised a brow, deciding that the best way to keep his eye on Zacky while he was there was to get gas; he navigated his car into the parking lot and pulled up to a gas pump, fishing his wallet out of the console as he put the car in park. He hopped out and began to pump his gas, deciding to go inside and pay so maybe he could see if Zacky was saying anything to anyone. He sauntered into the building, watching the hazel-eyed man in his peripherals as he picked up another bottle of cherry Coke and another small bag of chips. Once he had his items, he slowly walked towards the cash register, but Zacky quickly stepped in front of him and placed a few dollars on the counter.
   "Hey, Jimmy. A pack of Marlboros, please." Brian was astounded that the voice that belonged to this shy looking man was as deep as it was. It seemed to rumble as he spoke, almost as though it was rolling out of his lungs.
   "No problem." The blue-eyed cashier smiled, turning around to grab a pack of Marlboro Red 100s, handing them to the hazel-eyed man once he turned back around. "How're you doing today, Zee?" The man, apparently named Jimmy, asked with a sympathetic smile.
   "Pretty good, I guess." Zacky smiled back, taking the cigarettes and putting them in his pocket. Jimmy took the money from the counter and placed it into the cash register, giving the hazel-eyed man a few coins back in change. "Have a good day, Jim."
   "You too, Zee." He watched the hazel-eyed man walk out of the gas station before he turned to Brian, raising his brows. "Hi, how are you?"
   "I'm good. I just pumped gas on pump two, by the way." Brian grinned, setting down his soda and his bag of chips. The cashier nodded, glancing outside towards Zacky, who stood there smoking a cigarette with one of his hands in his pockets. "Is everything okay with him?" The brown-eyed man murmured, gesturing towards the man he was running surveillance on.
   "Hm? Oh, yeah," Jimmy laughed nervously, scanning the two items that Brian had set on the counter. "I'm just really protective over him. He's practically my little brother." He punched in a few things on his keyboard as Brian swiped his credit card, cringing as the total came up to $67.12. Gas was fucking expensive. "Alright, here's your receipt. Have a good day." The blue-eyed cashier smiled, handing Brian his receipt and the plastic bag with his Coke and his chips.
   "You too." The brown-eyed man nodded, taking his receipt and his bag before he sauntered out of the gas station, stopping just outside of the door to pocket his receipt and open his Coke, taking a refreshing drink. His heart began to beat strangely fast, and it was then that he realized the hazel-eyed man was staring at him. "Can I help you?" His voice sounded distant and challenging, causing the other man to jump.
   "N-no, I was just gonna say I-I like your shirt.." Zacky stuttered, his cheeks blooming a faint pink color. Brian glanced down at his chest, noticing that he was wearing a Pantera shirt.
   "O-oh, thanks. I.. I like yours, too." He grinned, giving Zacky a friendly nod and then walking away to his car. He slid into the driver's seat, letting out a hefty amount of breath that he didn't even know he was holding in. What the hell..? I never fucking stutter. What's my deal today?! He thought with a scowl, starting up his car and pulling out of the parking lot. He couldn't continue his surveillance today, not after he'd talked to Zacky. He'd have to go home and hope that the hazel-eyed man would forget what he looked like. As he made the short drive home, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and hit the last call button, putting it to his ear as he waited for Eli to answer.
   "Hello?" Eli asked.
   "It's Syn. Did some surveillance today. Apparently, his friend Matt is worried that you threatened him." Brian replied, holding the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he made a left turn. He heard Eli snort on the other end. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Zacky said he didn't think you were anything to worry about right now."
   "Well, I will be soon. Or rather, you will be." Eli's voice sounded bitter and dangerous, almost like it was dripping with venom. "I've gotta go. Let me know what happens."
   "Yup." The brown-eyed man hung up the phone, making a right turn and pulling into his driveway. He shut off his car, letting his arms fall to his side with a loud sigh. After sitting in his vehicle for a moment and simmering in his own thoughts, he climbed out of the driver's seat and then went into the house, ready to fix himself a microwaveable dinner for the night and kick back to watch some crime shows on Investigation Discovery. What a life.. He thought to himself with a chuckle as he locked the front door, then he wandered into the kitchen, looking forward to that cheap boxed dinner he consumed every night.