Hold Me Down (Peterick) ➳ Book 3

Ten

When Hayley left the base she had made a vow to herself that she wouldn't get involves in the chaos that would undoubtedly unfold. But since then her opinion had wavered.

Another set of instructions from her boss gave her clear orders to eliminate Pete in whatever way she could; however, this time a new set of names had been added to the list: Brendon, Ryan, Dallon, Gabe, Andy, Joe, and Taylor.

Hayley was surprised Patrick wasn't on the list, though she knew he was bound to be useful to people like her boss even if it was to pacify the people.

The last form of communication between her and her boss had taken place days ago, and Hayley was still debating on what to do. Could she kill Pete? Ryan or Brendon? Taylor? Any of them?

The answer came to her as she was navigating her way through a possibly deserted city. She blended in with the shadows and hugged the walls to avoid detection on the off chance people were around. It was somewhere near the middle of the city that she saw them. A familiar blonde holding a bundle of faded pink. A tuff of wild, black hair peaked out from the top, causing a smile to form of Hayley's face. She watched as Gabe appeared beside Taylor and began making silly faces at the baby she was holding while rocking another one in his arms.

The answer to her question was clear.

She waited until she was in the next city to type out a message to get boss. The following targets eliminated: Taylor, Gabe, and two children. One appeared to be a newborn, the other was roughly three months. All bodies disposed of. Currently being pursued. Will respond when safe.

Now she had to disappear. If her boss were to ever find out that she'd failed to complete a mission for moral reasons she'd bed facing a life worse than death. But disappearing wasn't as easy as one would think. There were spies and people like her planted all over the world, waiting for instructions. Once Hayley failed to respond there would be search parties looking for her until the winner of this war was declared.

It wasn't something a simple dye job could do, but it was something a knife could do.

Hayley picked a quaint little, one story house near the end of a suburb that was surrounded by trees. The color inside was an awful choice, but she was about to change it. A large gash on the top of her hand was enough to paint the room and furniture red. The handprints were far too large to pretend to be messy children at play, and the metallic smell too pungent. Her communication device went from black to red, a single message waiting to be read.

More red coated the living room, the hall, the kitchen, the glass window of the sliding glass door, the grass outside. All of it slowly disappearing as she pushed deeper into the woods.

The shirt she was wearing had become sticky and drenched. The red wasn't fading as she applied pressure to it, though she wasn't trying too hard to prevent it. Maybe she should've been trying harder to preserve her life in order to warn Pete about everything, but the blue haired girl stealthy trailing behind her would no doubt get her message to the right people.

Hayley had know for days she was being trailed. Being a hunter/assassin as well, she knew the ins and outs of following her prey, making her ensure she hadn't been pursued by any unwanted guests. She'd never seen the blue haired girl before, and since the girl wasn't threatening in any way Hayley decided to pretend she hadn't noticed. If she was being honest she had missed the company.

So in the middle of the woods she came to a stop, listening as the girl behind her did too.

"I know you've been following me, but since I won't be around much longer could you get a message to Pete. I know you know him."

Hayley turned around to see the curious look on the girl's face.

"Tell him there's going to be an attack. And people are going to die if he doesn't do something. There will be no negotiation."

The girl seemed oblivious to what Hayley had jus told her, and instead cautiously approached Hayley. She took the bleeding hand and inspected it while Hayley watched her.

"Don't worry about me," Hayley said. "Worry about getting that message to Pete."

The girl began wrapping Hayley's hand with some bandages she had in a bag before she replied. "It's already been sent to him. So I can worry about you. And you're going to be fine."

"I'm Hayley."

The girl smiled. "Nice to meet you, Hayley. I'm The Hurricane."

*

So maybe sleeping with his husband a few days after surgery wasn't the best idea, but Patrick had been taken by a storm of hormones and it was really Pete's fault for not wearing a shirt.

The two of them were cuddled up under the sheets as Pete softly hummed Patrick to sleep.

"Do you think she'll like pink?" Pete asked suddenly.

Patrick yawned before nuzzling his head into Pete's chest. "Why?"

"Well, I was thinking. We didn't really have a room set up for her, and when she gets home she's gonna need one."

"So you're worried about her opinion on a color when she can't even see yet."

"Uh." Pete scratched the back of his head. "I guess so."

Patrick laughed. "We could do pink. Or some night sky with dozens of stars."

"I like that."

They laid there in silence, tangled in their won web of thoughts when Pete sighed.

"What if she hates me for not being there?"

"Being there for what, Pete?"

"Her birth, her first months of living. What if she has a father figure by the time we get her back?"

"She'll understand."

"But—"

"Pete, just trust me."

"Okay."

Suddenly, the windows downstairs shattered and the loud echo of gunfire pierce the night.