Vindictive (Complete)

IX

    He doesn’t usually get nervous when going on live TV. Today however, he is as nervous as Stephanie was during her training.
    “Twenty. Twenty deaths... in one night. Three vehicles… an entire drug and trafficking operation killed. No money or drugs taken. The women were spared,” Edward mutters under his breath, “It just doesn’t make sense.”
    The lights become brighter and the woman next to him stops fixing her hair. He hates when they have him come in person. They usually don’t ask, but he does as he's told. His coffee is cold, his black tie is uncomfortable and his forehead is sweating. On days like today, he hates his job. This week is never ending.
    “Good morning viewers! Today we have breaking news straight from the police head detective!”
    “G- good morning. An awful accident happened just last night, with a strange mystery. A van crashed into two vehicles at eight thirty last night. Eight people died in this accident, where armed men died from gunshots. The only camera footage we have is as shown.”
    The camera shows a black and white footage from a flower shop across the street. The van drives into the two cars, causing one to roll and the others to smash head on. A man shoots a passenger in the van and picks up his partner off the road can be seen in the far distance.
    “The footage isn’t good enough for solving the why and how it all happened.”
    The woman next to him acts surprised for the TV, turning to him. His shirt has a small patch of sweat around his neck and tie.
    “What else happened last night?” Her voice has an annoying squeak to it.
    “Police were called downtown near the storm drain around midnight. Gunshots where reported and upon arrival. The helicopter could see four women on the roof, having been victims of h- human trafficking. Everyone inside was shot. The drugs and money were left behind, untouched. They fled the area and are currently wanted. We are trying to find a connection between the two incidences last night.”
    They have no leads, nothing to follow. The woman said nothing, and let Charlie remain hidden. No DNA, nothing.
    “Wow! So people are asking, if they are viewed as heroes for what they’ve done?”
    “H- heros? They didn’t hurt the woman… or take the drugs and money. Calling them heroes isn’t something we would call them. Their intentions are unclear, and still have plenty of questions. The only thing we are sure of is it made a big stir among the city.”
    “Thank you, Edward Smith. Now on to other news. This lady reports being sexually harassed when she-” Edward walks out of the broadcasting room, the sound fading out.
    He tugs at his tie, causing it to come off. The sweat drips down the front and back, all over his white button-up shirt. Stephanie comes up to him, with hot coffee.
    “Thank you.” Edward takes the mug, taking a drink.
    Temperature just right.
    “You did well. I watched the whole thing.” She tells him, walking to the elevator.
    He clicks the button for the first floor, ready to leave. She plays with her hair, pulling out hair too long. Edward is trying to wrap his mind around it. It must be a statement. No one wipes out an entire drug and trafficking operation without taking anything for themselves. The elevator beeps, the doors sliding open.
 This is something new. This is something… powerful. This is something Edward fears.

     The glass on the painting is cracked.

    Charlie is looking through his things, after the break-in. Thankfully the police never came and it wasn’t reported. He doesn’t care anymore. The man who did this is already dead, anyway. The picture was of his family, from when he was young. A teardrop falls on the broken glass, as he looks at Markus. He misses him so very much.
    Dante is on his way, helping him move out. Charlie made a deal with the landlord to fix as many damages he could and leave, to avoid being sued. Dante agreed to let Charlie move in, letting him stay in the spare bedroom. Nothing in his house is worth much to him, but the picture. Charlie puts it away in his box, one of the few he has. His furniture he will leave outside, for the neighbors to take. They love free shit.
    Dante pulls up, his red car just washed. He opens the trunk, looking at his house. Charlie takes his box to their cars, having enough to fill the back of his truck and Dante’s trunk.
    “I’m sorry about the house. You will enjoy living with me though! I’ll make sure you aren’t alone!” Dante gives him a big smile, loving the idea.
    Charlie nods, feeling indifferent. He is tired. He is lost.
    “Make sure that box is secure. That’s my favourite.”
    They fill the cars, ready to leave. The furniture is placed on the sidewalk, Niel already leaving his house. He is sad to see Charlie leave, but will gladly take his leftovers. They exit the neighborhood, driving into town. Charlie puts on his music, helping him keep his mind on track.
    They arrive, the yard still having it’s weeds. The sun shines above, warming all around. Charlie pulls into the driveway, grabbing the boxes from the bed of his truck. Dante takes his box, unlocking the front door. The house smells nice, much better than it looks. He had cleaned up the fight from last night, picking up the glass.
    Charlie’s spare bedroom looks nice, not too trashed from Dante’s hoarding habits. The walls are painted white with black curtains. The closet is empty and the bed is perfect for Charlie’s hight. The bed is short.
    “Thank you, Dante.” Charlie hugs him, glad to have him.
    “You can help me, distract me from it all.” Dante exits the room, getting more boxes.
    Charlie sets the picture of Markus on his nightstand, still chipped. They haul the rest of the boxes inside, letting Charlie hang his clothes and fully move in. The room is just right, making Charlie glad. He can even use the spare bathroom, letting them both have their own. Charlie places Robert’s pistol on the table, with a golden grip and extended mags.
    Dante is just glad to have company and someone to help with expenses. Charlie had called his construction boss and explained that his house was broken into. He sent pictures and used it as an excuse for missing three days of work. The boss told him after the weekend to come back, having more work for him.
    Dante begins to take food out of the fridge, preparing lunch. He plans to make sweet and sour chicken with a side of homemade ramen noodles. Dante loves to cook for his hobby. He could have been a cook but chose nursing instead.
    “I can’t believe Robert is really gone. What… what now? Where will you buy… well you know I can’t live without it anymore. Shit is killing me.” Dante pours water in his pot to boil.
    “I have a few friends left, who sell from others. If we need more, we can. I’m just not sure anymore. It isn’t like it used to be. I just can’t live without it. For Markus, I can try to limit myself. For some kind of future. If I will have one.”
    “What do you mean ‘if’?”
    “If. Isaac wants to kill Simon… Robert’s boss.”
    “What? Does he know how powerful Simon is?! You’ve told me! You have heard he’s number one!”
    “Well that's if Isaac can even find him. We have nothing on him. He was way out of my business. I have no idea what he even looks like.”
    Dante tosses the chicken on his pan, starting to sizzle. He adds a little butter and keeps his eye on it.
    “You said he has Robert’s phone?”
    “It’s locked. We don’t have the password.”
    Dante nods, setting the noodles he rolled yesterday into the boiling water. He chops up vegetables, getting ready for the noodles. Charlie sits down on the couch, looking at the TV. He flips through the channels, nothing on.
    “I saved a live broadcast from before I came over. It was about what happened last night, what you guys did.” Dante calls from the kitchen, pouring the vegetables into the noodles.
    Charlie looks and finds Edwrad’s broadcast, seeing the helicopter photos of the women. It goes into depth about the women and how they went back to their families. The red haired woman denied seeing their faces, making Charie feel good. Finally. He did something right. She went on to see her parents, who haven't seen her all year.
    Charlie gives in, fully willing to help Isaac. He knows he can never bring Markus back. He just hopes by saving as many women as he can, that maybe God will forgive him, that he will let him see his brother again. To tell him sorry.
    “Food is ready!” The house smells like perfectly cooked sweet and sour chicken.