Fractured

Chapter 17 - The Broken Peacock

"Alexandria! Why are you so relaxed about opening the door! We could have been anyone and you just opened the door and stepped aside!" Brandon yelled at me. He looked furious.

Stepping past him and into the hall, without saying anything, I motioned to four different areas in the hall, including just above my door. All eyes followed my hand as I indicated the areas, before they followed me back into the apartment.

"Those cameras are linked back to my phone, so I made sure there was no one else lingering and that I knew who was at the door before opening it. Besides, If you were here to hurt me, you wouldn't have knocked." I said.

"She has a point" Marc said, finally speaking up. "Plus she does have a gun in her hand. I am sure if we posed a threat, either her or Raven would have shot the two of us. But Brandon also has a point. What made you so sure it was us?"

"You were both as nervous as Raven was about what was happening around you. You shifted views toward the cameras at each end of the hall without even knowing they were there. You were uncomfortable being that exposed and that is how I knew it was you. It was an added bonus that you both have such unique eyes. Even if someone had been able to replicate your appearances, the second that door opened, their eyes would have given them away." I stated.

"Mark's eyes are pretty unique, but mine are nothing special." Brandon countered.

"I beg to differ. They are a brilliant shade of cerulean blue, masking just enough sadness to dull their shine. There is still some light in there, though. Just enough to let me know that you will be alright, there is still hope buried somewhere inside." Seeing how uncomfortable Brandon was starting to look, I decided to change the subject. "Raven cooked dinner. I assume you are both here for a reason so why not stay to eat?"

"Actually, after we eat, Raven will need to go. Both Phil and Axel have decided it is time for him to resurface and play the part of panicked husband searching for his wife. We also managed to get hold of an aeroplane hangar set for demolition that he can blow up. The paperwork has been done to have it transferred into both of your names. Speaking of, we have a set of documents here for you. Phil said these were the ones to work with for now." Marc grinned like he was part of some monumental inside joke the rest of us were waiting to hear.

Taking the documents from him, along with the bottle of vodka they brought with them, I looked at the documents that Phil had sent over. My new documents had me listed as Stephanie Anne Ravenstahl. In my hand I held a birth certificate, driver's licence, passport and a marriage certificate suggesting a union between Raven and myself - the only thing missing from it was our signatures. Grabbing a pen, I signed the certificate and handed it to Raven.

"Technically this isn't legally binding, but it is handy to have all bases covered if someone wants to dig." I said while watching his expression change. He seemed to go from surprised to confused, before finally settling on content.

The meal went by quickly and Raven was soon out the door with a supply of weapons and a plan in mind, while Marc, Brandon and I stayed in the apartment. We decided that we would be leaving first thing in the morning and moving on to a new safehouse.

I was up early the next morning to straighten my hair, making it easier to braid on top of my head. Having it up like that made it easier to wear the short, jet black wig that would complete the pant suit ensemble I had planned to wear. I was playing the part of a successful international business woman travelling with bodyguards. Once I was dressed and ready, I woke a very confused looking Marc and Brandon. Through my fits of laughter, I managed to tell them to get up and get ready.