Through the flames *MMG REVISION-COMPLETED✔️*

Chapter Twelve: Leo

Footsteps echoed off the black marble floor, reflecting the polished shoe of the young man who walked the halls.
Guards in sharp suits paced in pairs, nodding to him as they passed.

The young man paused before an unmarked black door at the end of the hallway. He flexed his fingers before glancing at his reflection in the gleaming black walls.

Leo grinned at his reflection and smoothed down his hair, licking his thumb and rubbing at the remnants of eyeliner he had applied before the club.
Adjusting his suit jacket over the bulge of his gun, Leo took a breath before swinging open the door.

Only to come face to face with the barrel of a rifle.
"You're early," barked the massive guard holding said rifle.

Leo lifted an eyebrow. "Nice to see you too, Chuck." He jerked his head behind him, gesturing wordlessly.

With a scoff, Chuck shouldered his rifle and lumbered past, slamming the door behind him. Leo took a moment to look around the near pitch-black room. Two smaller guards stood on either side of the door, gripping their rifles with trembling fingers. He gave one a secretive wink and internally chuckled when the young man blanched.

Shaking his head, Leo slowly spun on his heel to face the desk. It was basked with darkness, the man sitting behind it completely covered in shadows. All Leo could see was a faint outline of broad shoulders and a head.

"She was right where you said she'd be," Leo murmured. Almost carelessly, he tossed a small polaroid on the desk.

A hand emerged from the shadows and slapped down on the polaroid, holding it in place. It was dark in the picture. Bright, colorful lights streamed down onto the figure of a young woman, her blonde curls flying in the air as she danced. The picture was too blurred to see her face clearly, but her smile was bright enough to fill up the whole room.

A low voice spoke from the darkness. "She's so grown up," the man crooned. He picked up the polaroid, examining it closely. "And looks just like her mother." His voice dropped to a cold snarl. The two guards by the door quickly averted their gazes.

Leo remained stoic, eyeing the little bit of his employer that he could see through the shadows. "She's not alone anymore," Leo began slowly. He pulled a phone from his jacket pocket and held it out for the man to see. The glow from the screen illuminated a sharp jawline and an unshaven face. A pair of cracked lips curled to a smirk as the man beheld the picture of Hanna standing between two teenage girls, her eyes wide and panicked as she yelled. "My sources say the girl on the left is Rachel Durman, a childhood friend. We're still running identification on the girl on the right." Leo said, his grip tightening on the phone for just a moment.

The man hummed and started to drum his fingers against the desk. "Anything else?"

Leo hesitated. "During the fight, she was pulled away by a man named Mark Lomen. He sedated her but she was saved by..." Leo glanced at the phone and swiped a few times before holding it out to show a blurry image of a young man with ink black hair, rushing around a corner with Rachel at his heels. "This man. My men are running their databases for identification as we speak, but we suspect he attends her high school."

A low grunt of approval. "And you've had Mr. Lomen disposed of, I expect?"

"Naturally." Leo adjusted his jacket and put away the phone. "He won't be missed."

The man let loose a loud bark of laughter and the two guards visibly flinched. "This is why you're the man for the job, Leo," he pointed at Leo and leaned forward just enough for the dim light to fall across his smirking lips and chin. "You think like me. Your looks don't hurt the job either, of course." The man chuckled, gesturing to Leo's lean figure.

Leo smiled thinly. "Thank you, sir." He quickly cleared his throat and clasped his hands at his front. "But back to business. I've had my men send you a list of possible assets and weaknesses. Attached will be the video I first found her in."

The man made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat. Leo hesitated before licking his lips, the steely silence of his employer finally getting to him.
"I ran identification on the riders, but they've masked their true identities so well that even my men are having a hard time picking them up."

"Then what makes them so important?" The man suddenly growled. Leo gritted his teeth to stop from flinching. Behind him, one of the guards let out a small whimper. "If they have no influence over her, then why waste our resources over dead ends and nobodies?"

Despite the dark room, Leo's eyes gleamed as a small smirk tugged at his lips. "On the contrary, sir. I believe that if we play our cards right, the Flame Riders can lead her right into your hands."

The silence that followed his words was heavy and thoughtful. Then from the silence and darkness, the man spoke again, his words laced with dark promises of no mercy.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

A/N: *throws hands in air and cackles* IT BEGINS!