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Chapter Sixteen:Vulnerable

Robert had arrived just in time to pick the kid, as all of the workers in the Kings Mansion called him. Elliot would always be just a kid. Robert had worked for his father before, and he considered himself honored that he would be in the kid's life too. Elijah King had been a very strong, tough businessman, but his heart was big and golden. Even when the businesses he managed weren't the right ones, he always had had a way to turn them to the right way. Elliot was quite like him, maybe colder. But hard to understand. Robert hadn't understood why Elliot had dropped that girl in middle of nowhere and gone back to pick her up in middle of the night.

"Will we leave her there on her own, Sir?" He had asked Elliot as they left her behind in the Gas Station. Elliot had half smiled.

"'The devil looks after his own', they say." And that had been the end of the conversation.

Something interrupted his thoughts. Maybe he hadn't heard well. He turned the radio off. He was sure, it had been a scream. Frowning, he walked out of the black Alpha Romeo. He couldn't see anything beyond the Royal's block for all the light it irradiated, and all the noise of the people inside. Then, every hair of his body straightened up.

Two screams. One of a girl. The other, of a man.

"Bobby,"

Elliot came down the few stairs from the entrance of the Royal. Several photographers were at the distance, probably because he had scared them all away, but it wouldn't take long for the journalists to arrive if Elliot remained in one place much time.

"Bobby, you don't have to open the door of the car for me, just drive." Elliot rolled his eyes. Robert was frozen. The boy tried to catch his eyes. "Robert?"

"Elliot!" Fred walked to his friend and Robert. "Hi, Bobby. Ellie, how about some pool at my place?"

"Robert?" Elliot noticed Robert was staring into a direction. With a bad feeling, he turned around. He narrowed his eyes. He couldn't see anything beyond the Royal lights either.

"I heard a scream, call the police!" Robert reacted and rushed to the darkness of the streets ahead. The boy was going to shrug and get inside the car until a horrible suspicion frightened him. He and Fred exchanged quick glances and ran behind the driver. The photographers, surprised, rushed behind them as well, taking photos of something that seemed to be interesting.

"Robert! What scream?!"

Elliot wasn't much perceptive, but this time he felt something bad at the pit of his stomach. Was Robert in his full senses?

A girl screamed.

"Jesus!!" Robert cried and froze in his place. Elliot's eyes got used to the darkness. Fred, in guard position, stood behind Elliot.

"You heard that, mate?"

"It comes from there!" Elliot whispered and ran. It looked like a nocturn marathon as Robert, Elliot and Fred were the first three, and the photographers, not knowing where to go, followed them. The screams were over, but now all they could hear was a strong sobbing and cries. They followed the sound, it lead them to an apparent dead end alley.

And there was a dim light that was enough for them to see.

There was a man standing up with a bag in his hand, desperately seeing its content, and something on the floor, against the wall. No, it was someone, a girl whose head was bent down. She was crying, her sweater and blouse had been torn up. As they approximated, Robert glanced at Fred and both nodded. Fred was skilled in boxing and all that sort of things that included fighting an opponent. Then, Elliot began to think about the photographers and the woman on the floor, and took off his coat to cover her face when he got any closer, though luckily someone else was trying to stop them too.