Three Hearts Left Intact

Chapter 4: Level What

Slowly morning progressed and breakfast was finished and cleaned. The small group disbursed back into their own rooms washing up for the day. Each of them going through their own emotional turmoil.

Up in Zander's room, he walked out of the bathroom dressed in his casual khakis and sports top. He tidied his bed, and breathed in fresh air as he opened his windows. The morning ray of light entered his room. He had a wide smile across his face until he turned around. Clothes were spewed everywhere, many of his belongings were thrown onto the floor, and piles of trash began developing around the room. Immediately his smile disappeared when he stepped over his clothes on the floor pushing them into his closest before shutting the door. Getting one task out of the way he sighed irritated looking at the mess still around his room.

Groaning he bent down to pick up some of the empty soda cans from off the floor when a knock on his door echoed through. "Come in." He stood up with seven cans stacked in his arms.

Turning around he saw Alex in a suit looking wide eyed at the entire room. "You seriously haven't changed a bit since high school." He laughed with a cringed face at the amount of filth that engulfed his room.

"Nope, not really. The only difference is that I have a job now." Zander laughed throwing the cans in his arms into the bin in the corner and going back to get more trash.

"And at least your making an effort to clean, I swear remember that time you, M, and I were spending the night at your place and your room was so filthy we had to sleep on top of your dirty laundry cause you wouldn't put them away." Alex shook his head trying to get the memory out of his current thoughts.

"Hey don't make like the filth was all my fault. I have a very clear memory of you and Mallix throwing your trash on my floor too. I wasn't the only one to blame." Zander stood up throwing his hands around in defense.

"We only threw it around because you told us to just throw it on your floor so we wouldn't have to get up and leave while we were playing video games."

Zander tried to say something but found himself only stuttering in response. "Uh huh, see. Same Zander from high school." Alex laughed winning the argument.

"Whatever fine, what'd you want?" Zander went back to tidying up his room.

"Oh yeah," Alex came in completely shutting the door behind him. "It's about Kaila and Lain." He spoke softer. Suddenly Zander's face tensed, Alex's voice was scarily stern and serious.

"What about them?" He took a seat on his neatly made bed inviting Alex to sit besides him. Leaning in, Alex sat down and rubbed his temples with his arm as all his previous thoughts came rushing back into his head.

"There in some serious trouble. I thought they were just going to be like held in a cell or something, but I just got a call this morning from one of my sources. It's not good, not at all."

"Seriously could you not be anymore of the Riddler, just spit it out! What's going on?!"

"I thought they were only going to be in there as like a ransom, just a quick way to collect the Michael's debt. But that's not what there in for at all! Lain's in one department and Kaila's in another, he wasn't able to tell me what department but he did tell me there ranked level four and five departments."

"What's a level four or five department?" Zander had to keep asking as a reminder to Alex that he wasn't familiar with all these terms he knew.

"Each department at the Fendly's is ranked one through five. One being the simplest like just holding hostages, which is where I thought they were at. Stage two is for those who have to do manual labor, three is for people who need to be interrogated, four is for torture, and five has auctions."

Zander's eyes popped wide out of his eye socket upon hearing the different levels. "But you said four and five!"

"I know! And I don't know who's in which?! I can't tell Mallix he'll freak out more than he is now! And knowing Nina, if I told her she'd run straight to Mallix and let him know! You've got to help me here Z." Alex begged of him.

"Help you?! Man, help you how?! I never even knew half of this stuff was possible?!"

"I just need you to go with me to a meeting I have with a source of mines for more information. I can't go alone."

Zander didn't need to have a long pause to debate whether or not to attend, instantly he nodded his head. "Anything to get them out of there."

"Thanks Z, just please keep this to yourself. I don't want them freaking out anymore than they already are, and it's not like I have all the information yet. Once I do I'll tell them, but right now with what I've got it's not looking so hot for them."

"Don't worry Alex, I've got your back. When's this meeting?"

"It's later tonight, we'll leave after they've fallen asleep. Bring a briefcase, you don't have to have anything in it." Alex stood and began walking towards the door. He put his hand on the knob before Zander stood up from his seat.

"What for?"

"Just to be in dress code, if it wasn't obvious you definitely can't wear...that." Alex eyed him up and down. "Put on a suit when we leave, for now you can stay like that."

Nodding his head Alex smiled and left the room, closing the door behind him. Zander fell back to the bed pondering to himself everything that befell upon him. He feared for there lives. 'Level four and five! How could somebody even do that to a person?! It's sick. Being in either is horrible! I hope there alright. Alex you'd better know what your doing.'

Zander shut his eyes tightly taking a deep breathe before getting back to his room. The entire hour he spent throwing things away and hiding away in his closet, his mind kept wandering back to the topic at hand. He was not going to be able to let something to this degree go. A small side of him shameful to have agreed not to tell Mallix or Nina. He knew Alex was right. They would have freaked out, and rightfully so. But in a situation as stressful as this, the last thing anyone wants is to stress anyone out more. That would not be pretty.
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Let me know what you think. Thanks Lexx signing off