Mayhem

Ch7

After Ronald had left, I went back to my desk and decided to rest for a little in my chair while I thought back over everything that happened. The force of the wind probably only felt so strong because of how fast I'd been running away in the first place. Having jumped into the air only worsened how far I'd go, I practically threw myself into that column after all. He and I both are strategists, it would be a long shot to assume he'd know where I'd run toward. Pulling out the note that I seem to still have managed not to turn in to evidence, I tried to read over what he wrote once more. He usually left me a clue to what he was up to next, but it feels like I'm playing blindly into where we go next.

"You doing alright?" Asked Seth, I could hear the worry he tried to hide from his facial expression. It touched my heart to know he cared for me. We never really met eye to eye, and I never really thought he counted me as anything more than someone who worked in the same building as him.

"Good as ever." I said, sitting up and wincing slightly at the change in position.

"No, you're not. I can see how you wince with every change, you're hiding your pain. You flew into that wall pretty hard, so what's the damage? Chief Quick wouldn't let us read the hospital file you apparently stole after discharging from the hospital. I don't believe they'd just let you out either, so what is it?" Commanded Adrian, leaning onto his knuckles as they pressed into my desk. Glaring back at him, I found his eyes staring lower than my sight and found my right arm resting unconsciously across my lap as if to hold my side at a moments notice. "Your ribs." He commented, getting the guys to look up.

"You weren't supposed to sustain anymore damage to them I thought?" Questioned Drew, as though I purposefully aimed the damage to go to them.

"It obviously wasn't by choice Drew. I bruised the left side this time, it's not the right. I can manage, I've been through worse." Annoyed that they knew I was hurt, I decided to throw it behind me. I needed to figure out what I was missing.

"What are you pondering over?" Questioned Seth this time, noticing my annoyance with the card.

"Last time, he would always leave a clue as to where he was headed next. Why not this time, why is he changing the rules?" Speaking out loud, it was Drew who answered.

"Because you broke the rules first." His tone shocked me for a moment, but I knew I was just out of it with the pain and frustration.

"What do you mean?" I asked, but Seth seemed to have caught on.

"You added new people to his game. He thought it was just the two of you left, he never considered Drew and I a part of it. Either that, or because Detective Amour is now partnered beside you." Relating his thoughts on the matter, I could partially see what they were saying.

"Yet he said that he was going to come for you all, while still stating that he and I were the only two players." Sighing in annoyance, nothing seemed to click into place for me at the moment. Something seemed odd about the whole thing, it would bug me until I was sure of exactly what it was.

"Your boss is looking to install security cameras all around the building soon, you shouldn't have to worry about getting attacked here again." Randomly stated Adrian, getting a surprised look from the three of us.

"What?" Shocked, I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"No way." Huffed Drew in disbelief.

"No, we can't do that." I began, cutting off Seth who seemed relieved to hear the news. Everyone then looked to me confused. "We don't have funding for this city as it is, we need to be pushing that toward the educational systems and recreational programs. It's things like this that help us keep the kids off the streets, or from falling into the wrong hands!"