Dust ✔️

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Retrogress

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Retrogress

Adrenaline. What a fascinating drug. A response to something dangerous, yet exciting. Your body betrays you sometimes when you've spiked yourself with a hormone so strong that you feel it acts for you, against you. Do you fight or flight? I was trained for the obvious answer.

"Oh Ex, you've made it one hell of a challenge to find you," The humor in his voice was sickening. Satisfaction. It sounded the exact same as I remembered it to be.

    "How did you find me?" I asked, still turned away from him, still smoking my cigarette. Show no fear. Because I don't fear.

    "How did you know it was me?" He countered.

    "A cop is dead."

Nash's sinister laughter escaped his lips.

    I turned around and stared at him straight in the face. His gun was pointed a few inches away from my forehead but it didn't bother me. He still had the same face, it was as if he hadn't aged at all. His skin was still clear as day and his cheekbones were prominent like mine were. His hair was light blonde as usual, and his eyes held the same charm as mine did as did his smile. Everyone fell for it. If we weren't so different, people would think we were brothers.

    His smile widened when he saw my face. "Eli, Eli. You're packing a punch, huh?" He eyed my muscles. "Grown up since you've been gone."

    "You going to kill me or not?" I snapped.

    Nash dropped his arm and put the gun back into the front of his pants. Then laughed. "Eli, I'm not going to kill you. You'd be worthless to me if I did. Oh no, but I need you," His voice was warm, but it held a cool tone behind it. "We go way back, Ex, I believe in second chances."

    "Last I remember, you barely gave anyone a first chance," I muttered.

    "I've given you plenty. I always made exceptions for you."

    I felt a vibrate in my pocket.

    "So where are we going?" I cut right to the chase and threw the butt of my smoke to the side.

    "Since when did you start planning out your day?" He laughed and kicked the crumbles on the ground. There was a subtle threat on his face just by the way he smiled. "Oh, that'll change quick."

Nash motioned for me to follow but I felt dead in my tracks. I stared at him, challenging him with stubbornness.

He didn't have to pull his gun back out for me to know the stakes behind this. I had no choice in the matter - I wasn't an idiot and I haven't forgotten.

Still though, my shoes turned into cement blocks rather quickly.

I felt an ache in my chest while nodding. "I need to make a phone call first." I muttered, eying his expressions to observe his behaviour.

He didn't break his stare with me until I spoke again. I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a rat, Nash, you should know that more than anyone. I don't think it'd be wise for my sudden absence to go unrecorded, don't you?"

    He laughed again, then nodded. "One minute, Ex."

    I walked away from him, away from hearing distance, but I knew he was watching my every move. Normally I'd never turn my back on him, but I knew he couldn't do anything. Not yet.

I reached in my back pocket and retrieved my phone and called the first person on my call list.

    It didn't take more than two rings for her to pick up. "Eli, where are you?" Her voice was so pure, it killed me. "You must be nervous, huh?" She spoke softly, slight humour for all she could muster on a day like today.