Alliance || 1 || ✔️ mature

23 | Eleven

Turn the pain into power.

I walk down the stairs, my fingers curled around the bannister as I descend, hair pulled up into a high ponytail.

I can hear chatter from the kitchen, the sounds becoming louder as I walk closer, hesitating just slightly at the bend.

I wonder if Archer has told the rest of his team about what he'd found, if he told them his thoughts about me infiltrating them.

Of course, he'd be right, I just couldn't let them know that. Getting close to this team was turning out to be more trouble than it was worth.

I shake my head, rounding the slight bend and entering under the archway.

Liam lifts his head up when he notices me, mouth in a wide grin.

"Is my ship sailing?"

I blink at the question. "What?"

"Is Elecher sailing? A captain needs to know." He flicks a piece of strawberry blonde hair out of his eye. "I'm working on the name."

I look to the three other faces staring at me, one in exasperation, one in confusion and the last in accusation.

"Hey!" Cleo says, "I called that relationship starting first. Don't try and captain my ship when you weren't even a passenger to begin with."

Liam narrows his eyes. "That's not how I remember it."

Cleo opens her mouth to reply when an alarm cuts through their bickering, Clay retrieving his phone from the bench, checking it.

I look to Archer to find his eyes already on me, hazel depths dark with things I don't want to feel.

Guess that answers that question, he hasn't told them what he found. I don't know whether to be relieved or suspicious.

Clays voice cuts through the silence, causing me to tear my eyes from Archers. "Sebastian's phone just pinged."

My eyebrows rise, "Where?"

"It didn't hold long enough for it to register a location."

"But that means he's alive." Liam says.

"Or someone has his phone." Cleo replies.

"Well, whoever it is, it's someone we need to know." Archer says, "Keep an eye on it in case it pings again, we need all the information we can get. If that means chasing a dead end then so be it."

Clay nods, fiddling with something on his phone before he looks up at all of us, "Are we ready to go?"

• • •

"Glad you all could make it."

I roll my eyes at the holier-than-thou voice and take a spot beside the desk, drumming my fingers along the inside of my elbow in boredom.

"Couldn't see myself anywhere better." I reply sarcastically while he glares back.

I only blink back at him.

Director sits behind his desk, fingers intertwined as he rests his arms on the surface. Papers are strewn over the mahogany, the words written catching my attention.

I narrow my eyes, trying to see clearer.

Classified - Subject #0-

His hand moves, the paper I was reading slipping under his palm.

My gaze snaps up, disinterest showing in the dark depths.

I blow out an agitated breath, swiping the dagger from my thigh and throwing it between my hands.

"Have you moved forward with finding out who is behind the killings?"

Clay steps forward, "The only information we have is the woman that was handed over."

"She's not talking." Director rubs his temples, breathing out. "I need this killer brought to justice. I have almost fourteen dead, I can't afford anymore."

"Fourteen?" Archer questions, "When you gave us this case, it was four. Five was our mystery man, Vincenzo, and Lucien and the four men with them? The Doctor?"

Directors hard gaze fixes on Archer, "Two of my business partners were targeted, they're dead."

"When?"

Samaels gaze snaps to mine, "Pardon?"

"When were they killed?" I repeat.

"I don't see how this is pertinent to your current case, but one died before you came back. The second was a few weeks ago."

"You didn't think to mention this?" Clay asks gruffly.

"I didn't know it was connected until Daphne."

"Who were they?"

"That is not important."

"It is." I reply, crossing my arms and feeling two pairs of eyes on me.

I ignore Archer and Clay, raising my brow at the man opposite me.

He swallows, breathing out roughly. "Joey Deluca was the first-"

"Vincenzo's son?" Archer mutters, narrowing his eyes on Director too.

"He worked for me." Directors' eyes flicker to Clay, "He was an informant for the Division. Nobody knew. Do you know how much trouble we would be in if that family knew we had one of their heirs on our side?"

"What about the second guy?"

"He was just a business partner, we had mutual interests. His name was Leroy Anderson."

Samael slouches in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck before he stands from his chair, hand sweeping along the desk, papers moving under his fingertips.

Subject #002632 – Notes and Discussions.

"Keep me updated on anything you come past, and I will update you."

My head snaps up, boredom encompassing my features even as my brain runs with possibilities.

I follow the team out of the room, my steps eat up the distance down the hallway quickly, my mind buzzing with thoughts.