alive

fifteen

I jump when I feel my brother squeeze my shoulder. "We're here." I felt my stomach turn in knots when I looked around. It looked similar to St. George, Utah. The dirt was an orangish color, and rocks everywhere. It was hard to believe this was a part of Idaho. I step out of Ace's truck and walk over to mine. "Just a couple minutes until the guys get here," Ace says.

Once the four men arrived, we stood next to my truck, parked next to big bushes. "Kai. Felix, Arden, and I will all go inside and look around for the guy. Kate and Gus will stay by the front door with Adam and Alex. Manny and Sam will keep watch at the back doors," Ace explains, everyone seemed very interested, but I couldn't stop thinking about Vivian. When she said she thought my dad was alive, and Jaesuk said his name, it's not a coincidence. "Kai," Kate's voice breaks my train of thought.

She handed me a black cloth face mask, everyone put one on. I adjust my hat and sigh. "Hey," Kate says, grabbing my hand. "It's going to be okay." I could tell by the look on her face that she didn't believe that any more than I did. I nodded silently and pulled her into a hug. "If anything goes wrong, please just take my truck and leave," I whisper, she tries to face me, but I hold her head on my shoulder. "Please, Kate." She took a moment, but then she finally said, "Okay." I take her head off my shoulder and push my lips into hers, giving my entire soul to her with that simple kiss.

The large building, three floors high, was only a few meters away. I didn't dare let go of Kate's hand until we reached the front door. Manny and Sam walked to the back of the building, careful to avoid windows. Adam stood in a bodyguard pose on one side of the front door, Alex standing awkwardly on the other. I brought Kate into one last hug before Ace was insisting 'now or never.' "Kai," Ace says. "I love you," I hold Kate's face, trying to admire every inch of it. "I love you too, now go."

My heart began to race the moment we walked inside, Ace said that it should be empty, most of the workers are usually gone on Friday's. It was dark in the dirty hallway. I had a ring dagger attached to my finger just in case. Ace was holding his gun up. Arden and Felix followed closely behind us. I heard the floor creak around the corner. A man appeared, a sandwich in his hands, holding his hands up to Ace's gun. "You yell, I shoot," Ace says when the man opened his mouth to call for help. "Where is Alec Gregory?" He asks, the man didn't seem like he was going to answer.

I really wanted to torture him until he spilled, but I knew Ace wouldn't let me. Ace cocks the gun, the man swallows hard and points down the hall. I couldn't help but smirk at his patheticness. "Take him to Adam and Alex," Ace tells Arden and he nods, quickly running with the man down the hall. Returning only a minute later. "You ready?" Ace asks, I nod silently. We walked slowly to the door the man pointed at. I could hear two male voices inside. Ace let out a quiet sigh before opening the door, his gun aimed at the man sitting at the table. The room looked like a kitchen. "Aleksandar James," the man scratches his stubble with a smile. The same man that gave me the water bottle in town.

"Ah it's okay," Alec says to the bulky white man about to go after Ace. "It took you long enough," he continues. "Ah, where are my manners? Take a seat, please," He motions toward the chair in front of him. I was so angry at him that it took me a moment to realize he had a strong British accent. 'Take a seat' I mock his accent in my head. "You must be Malakai, pretty little thing, aren't ya?" The more he talked, the more my blood boiled. "Why did you kill-" Ace starts, but Alec quickly cuts him off, "I didn't." Ace looks back at me with furrowed brows. "Y- yes you did," Ace says awkwardly.

"I almost did." I walk closer to the table and set my hands on it, not bothering to hide my dagger. "What do you mean?" I ask, growing more and more tired of his vagueness. "You might want to take a seat," Alec says, sitting up straight. "Do you remember when your father worked with gun dealers?" He asks, I nod silently, sitting down in the wooden chair. "Well, we met and I told him about what I do-"