Calling To The Night

Chapter Four: Murky

"Good morning, Washington DC! It's your friendly neighborhood weatherman, Bob Wilson, and I'm here to tell you to be cautious when you're out on your commute this morning. We have reports of heavy fog rolling in; as well as some midday showers." The chipper weatherman went on about the following forecast before turning back to his fellow news anchor. "Back to you Robert!"

"Thank you, Bob, and what a muggy day it'll be. New information has been given about the jewelry store robbery that took place in the heart of DC last week. Police have released footage of the robbery and it has been confirmed that it was in fact the notorious Payday Gang that quietly made it past security and emptied out the store. As of right now, officials are unable to obtain clues as to the whereabouts to the perpetrators and the investigation is still ongoing."
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The safehouse stood quiet in the early morning hours. Cold, hesitant light streams in through a cracked window from the neon lights flashing outside, casting eerie shadows on the walls. There is an inherit calmness filling the room and to all who inhabit it.

In a small room adjacent to the main foyer, bundled up in a mess of blankets, lays a bearded man deep in slumber. Opposite of him sits a young Irish woman in her cot silently reading The Spinning Heart. She lifted her gaze from the book and shifted it over to the alarm clock sitting on the stand between the two. Nearly eight already?

The woman removed her reading glasses and sat her book next to several graphic Walking Dead novels then stood to stretch. She quietly crept  past the sleeping man and made her way to the kitchen to brew up some coffee. She leaned against the counter and rubbed her eyes. Gotta stop staying up so late, she thought.

She looked around the safehouse and couldn't get over how much of a rundown dump it looks with all these boxes stacked around. When the hell are we gonna fix this place up? She  quickly turned her attention towards the shifting sounds coming from the couch.

A head of blue hair rose up and groggily looked around the room. As she stood, she stomped her feet down hard and gave a loud groan as she stretched. The woman shambled her way in the kitchen and sat on a barstool.

"Do you have to be so bloody loud, you obnoxious fecker?" Said the woman leaning on the counter. The blue haired woman stared blankly at her and shrugged. "You try sleeping on a shitty sofa for a few nights then come back to me."

"Aww, poor lassie had to sleep on a couch for two nights, let me call the wambulance." The Irish woman said mockingly. "Fuck off! First I have to share my earnings with him, and now I'm giving him my bed?"

Before the two could continue their back and forth, the coffee machine rang out; signaling the completion of the brew. Clover grabbed two mugs and poured a healthy cup full of coffee in each. "Quit your bellyaching and drink up."

Sydney mumbled and slowly sipped the steaming hot drink. "Yeah, well, as soon as we get our pay I'm gonna drop some subtle hints about, ya know, getting the fuck out of my cot."

Clover just sighed at Sydneys stubbornness. "If it's such a big deal why don't you just take your earnings and rent an apartment?"

Sydney blew on her coffee. "Well, for starters, I actually enjoy living here. And it's the principle of the matter. You don't give a whiny brat everything they cry for, do you?" Clover arched an eyebrow at the rather ironic statement Sydney gave. "The feck are you talking about? Ever since Jake arrived you've been complaining more than usual. Who's the whiny brat here?"

Sydney just hunched over the countertop in annoyance. "Shut up..." Clover lightly chuckled at the defeated Australian and looked back to the small makeshift bedroom where Jake was still quietly sleeping. "Don't really see why you're complaining about him so much. So far, he's been pretty helpful around the place, and he's isn't an obnoxious twit."