Undeniable (MxM)

Broken Bonds

Everyone watched as Ant marked, calculated and jotted down several things on the map and a paper. After what felt like some thirty minutes, he leans up with a sigh.

Ant: "So, this is it"

Robbie frowns at the different streaks on the map "What is?"

Ant: "Okay look, these are the two points that Andrew identified and as much as we have reasons to believe it's true, it could possibly be another decoy by Nick. I mean there are like five properties on his nan's name in the whole of north and there is no way we can reach them all"

Stephen: "That man is bloody rich!"

Andrew: "His nan is. Told you, how she doesn't give anything to him or his father. So, what shall we do now?"

Ant: "Well, because these are all some miles away from each other, the only way is to figure out which place is plausible for Nick to go incognito"

David: "The what?"

Ant: "Him to hide, and hide without a trace"

Everyone nods a that as Ant pointed to a dot.

Ant: "Now look at this house. This is the most secluded property they have and as far as Andrew's judgment is correct, a place where Nick is sure to seek refuge when things get dodgy"

Andrew: "He told me about that place when we talked about his father. He didn't give much away but just that if he could have gotten his father there on time, nobody would have found him"

Robbie: "But this is a rich neighborhood, right?"

Ant: "It is. People use the houses as their summer cottages. Many of these houses are occupied by old pensioners and abandoned parents but most of them are vacant as the people who brought those houses live somewhere else. Nevertheless, this looks like a perfect, peaceful neighborhood that it's easy to lie low with right disguises"

Simons: "Sounds like a Nick thing to do?"

Ant nods at that "Possibly"

Johnny: "If we can't involve the cops, then what should we do?"

Ant: "We split and survey the places around. I don't think Nick will expect us to do that. He knows I will come straight to him if I ever found the place and he will do everything he can to avoid that. So we stay low, roam around and try to find some concrete proof on where he is and then inform the cops in person and not a second earlier. We cannot repeat the same mistake again!"

Simon: "When would we start then?"

Ant: "Tomorrow. I don't think reaching there late at night would give us anything. And be careful when you ask around,  we cannot drive any suspicious on ourselves"

Robbie: "Right, then. So how are we splitting up?"

Ant: "Me, Si, Gary,  Stephen, and Andrew will take the spot we talked about earlier while Rob, Gary, Johnny, David, and Dannie can take the other. We can inform the girls and if they want to come they can, but smaller the crowd, easier to stay concealed I would say"

Robbie: "Try explaining that to them!"

He rolls his eyes and Ant chuckles lightly, surprising everyone in the room.

Ant: "I will inform dad and Martin too. See whether they would like to come. Err...Dec's mam wants to come here...I..I don't know what to say"

Robbie: "Let her"

Ant: "I..err..I am worried. I don't know how Dec will be once we rescue him from them and...I don't want to hurt her. She pampers him rotten!"

Johnny: "Look who is talking" he laughs, making Ant blush deep.