Malice

Chapter Five

Dagen came back to base looking pretty shaken. When questioned he asked us to wait until we were all in the Boss man's presence. Ten minutes later all of the people who were close to Al assembled in the meeting room. Dagen took his phone out and connected it to the projector. He turned off the lights and showed us photos that he took of her. I sucked in a sharp breath. She was stunning. Everything about her, except her longing looks towards the food table, was noble and dignified. Her eyes seemed more cold and calculating than I had ever seen before.

Oh god. What did she have to go through to look like that.

After a brief report from Dagen, where he was reproached for trying to talk her into coming back, Nicholas, Irene and Gray seemed sure that she had changed. Seraphina still stubbornly refused to accept any of this. Alec and I discussed her behavior and noted that she had been like this a few times before, mostly when any friends of hers were in trouble. And Leander. I still couldn't get a read on him. He seemed empty and lost ever since my sister left.

Back in my room, I went through the pictures Dagen took and the security camera footage and noted that she seemed comfortable around two guys- the one she went to the ball with and the guy who asked her to dance. On further observation, I noticed her giving her number to the second guy. I zoomed in and was about to give the footage some more clarity when someone knocked on the door. It was Dagen.

He looked more disheveled than when they first came to base after all those days in the wild. He stood there in the doorway looking all but ready to pass out at any given second. "Can I come in Ivan?" he asked, his voice all scratchy.

"Sure thing. Just give me a sec. I'll clear some things up." I quickly minimized the tabs monitoring the security footage. It wasn't particularly wrong or anything, it's just that I hacked into the security system without anyone's knowledge. I removed the huge pile of books and papers from my bed and motioned to Dagen to sit.

He thanked me and sat with a thump. "You here for a reason?" I asked.

"Yeah. Aleysha actually."

"What about her?"

"It's something she said 'Tell Ivan I asked if he remembers Scenario 777, the one where I killed every last one of you.' Do you know anything about – Ivan what's wrong?"

As soon as he had mentioned that scenario, I became numb. I'm pretty sure that all the color drained from my face. Scenario 777. The worst-case scenario that we talked about.

"Scenario 777 was the worst-case scenario we'd ever talked about. It was one where she was changed and completely controlled, mindlessly I must add, to do terrible things. I'd prefer not to get into the details but just know this, if scenario 777 ever comes to pass, which is a highly unlikely event in and of itself, all of us will die terrible gruesome deaths after suffering through torture for days on end."

"Why are you so sure that it won't happen?"

"That's because I know her better than anyone. She won't let herself be controlled that easily. And hurting her nakama, her friends, is something she'd never do if she could help it."

"But based on her recent behavior and activities, don't you say that there is a high amount of chances that she is being changed?"

"....... There is a slight possibility but I doubt it. We'll just have to wait and watch."

"About Scenario 777," my blood ran cold as the details we discussed wormed their way into my head, "why do you think she mentioned it to you?"

"Probably a hint or a clue. Are you absolutely certain she said scenario and nothing else?"

"She didn't say anything else."

"Thanks for the info. I'll see whether I can get something out of it." I turned around to my laptop.

"Ivan......"

"What?"

"What if Aleysha really does go bad."

"She won't. I'll always be there for her. We'll always be there for her. She just needs to look up and remember that."

"I'll take your word for it then." He said grudgingly and left.

I cracked my knuckles "It's time to make a phone call."

I pulled up Aleysha's number from the security camera and called her up. It rang twice before she picked up.

"Hello?" Her voice. Gods her voice. It sounded like her three years ago.

"Hey sis."

"Ivan...... Where'd you get my number?"

"Wanna take a guess?"

"You know I won't get it right anyways."

"Take a guess."

"Alastair."

"Who?"

"The guy I gave my number to at the ball."

"Close but not quite. I pulled up the security footage from that day and zoomed in on his phone after pausing at the moment he fed your number. I then removed the blurriness and voila!" Talking to her normally like this brought back memories.

"What do you want?" she asked sighing.

"I want to know the truth."

"Great Navi. You just asked me the one thing I can't tell you."

"Why'd you go back then?"

Her voice hardened. "I've already explained everything to Dagen. Ask him."

"Sis I know you a bit too well to believe that. You got Gray and Nicholas. Maybe even Dagen. The others ... not so much."

"What about Leander?" she asked with too much hope in her voice.

"You still care about him don't you."

"I do not."She sounded defensive and slightly indignant.

"I can't get a read on him. You broke his heart when you left like that Al. I don't think it'll ever work out between you two."

"It figures." She said nonchalantly. She would've fooled anyone else but I caught the heartbreak and disappointment that were behind those two words. There's only one person other than me and Lee who she cared about that much.........

Holy- That's it. That's her reason for leaving.

"I think I figured you out sis."

"You did now, did you?" She sounded amused.

I bristled "In case you're wondering, I won't tell anyone what I know."

"Thanks Navi. I....... I miss you."

"Only me?"

"Only you."

"Aren't you going to get in trouble for this phone call though?"

"Not really. I'm alone in my room in the Zane estate. And just to be safe I entered the bathroom and turned on the exhaust as soon as I heard your voice."

"That sounds like something you would do." We lapsed into a comfortable silence just reveling in the fact that we were there for each other.

"About Scenario 777" she started "did you figure it out yet?"

"Not really. Are you going to tell me?"

"Nope. You'll get it soon enough." I heard a soft knocking sound. "Shit it's Keir. Gotta run. Bye."

"Who's –" she cut the call before I could ask my question.

I turned to my laptop again. Time to do a background check of a certain Alastair and Keir.