Hold Me

Chapter 8

Silas

Mr. B's been acting really strangely. It's like he is human again. Don't get me wrong, I know he loves us- his brothers- to death, but his steel facade has never broken. Now, he's running his fingers through his brown hair and mumbling under his breath, but I can't hear what he's saying over the chopping noise of the helicopter we're in.

He asked me, Kota, and Dr. Green to join him in his helicopter while North, Luke, and Gabriel are in the other one. Victor and Nathan are at the penthouse running background checks and being our mission control.

It took Mr. B a second to realize that we have helicopters and didn't need to take a subway or a car.

My younger brothers and I have a separate group chat about Mr. B's strange behavior.

Luke: Did you see Mr. B? He was about to make us take the subway... at this hour... paparazzi and people...

Gabriel: HIS MOTHER FUCKING HAIR. IN THE 10 YEARS I'VE KNOWN THE MAN HIS HAIR HAS NEVER BEEN NOT PERFECT.

Nathan: Isn't never not perfect a double negative?

North: Why is he freaking out about this dog.

I swear, North, you need to be smoother with the ladies. She's a bird.

I look over at the other helicopter about 20 yards away from us and see Gabriel furiously hitting North with a newspaper- like a dog. Oh the irony. You deserve it brother, for calling Aggele that.

Aggele? Where did that come from?

Stop thinking about her, Silas.

So instead, I think about what the moving company told us. I called them before we got on the helicopters and Victor checked their systems, but there is no mention about why she hung up so abruptly on Mr. B. It's extremely strange that Mr. B is making all of us dive head first into a situation we don't know anything about- it goes against all Academy codes. But, trust your family, and I trust all my brothers.

My thoughts are interrupted by the pilot announcing we are about to land.

A quick glance around our helicopter and the ones next to us show that even before meeting her, all my brothers have their hands on their seat buckles, ready to rescue her.

Those boys don't have a chance. I'm going to get to her first.

Kota

The minute Mr. Blackbourne told us he was getting a personal assistant, I knew something was up. Our leader is not someone who lets anyone in easily, and I could see his desperation for her when he was beginning to move her in without vetting her first. I was shocked- Mr. B is the most cautious person in this galaxy and he never acts without looking at an issue from every facet first. And now he didn't vet someone, neglected to discuss his decision with us (his family!), and is currently freaking out.

The world must be ending. I can feel the impending doom looming above us like a cloud of locusts.

I don't think I've ever seen him this out of his mind. He even asked us to board a subway. A subway.

In the past few years, Blackbourne Holdings Incorporation has grown at an exponential rate- largely because of the efforts of our team the last few years. Active Academy work has had to take a seat on the back burner these last few years, but we are able to provide internships for younger Academy members who possibly want to enter the business field and we also donate large sums of money to Academy backed charities. We have to be a little more cautious about our contact with the Academy so the press doesn't get ahold of it and have a field day exposing its operations. Not that the Academy is bad, but there are some questionable actions when trying to achieve what is right.

When Owen Young became Owen Blackbourne, cold Owen Blackbourne was born. Back in Charleston, he was very in control, but the two years that we spent apart from him while he trained to take over a Fortune 500 company changed him. When our team relocated to New York two years ago, we were all met by a powerful man- not the same man that we grew up with in South Carolina. Sean is the only one who can really get to him now.

The helicopter pilot announces that we are about to land. I look out the window and am blown away.

She lives here?

I'm starting to be even more skeptical about her. The Brooklyn neighborhood we are landing in isn't very nice, and our shiny helicopters stand out like new toys. I'm concerned that the building will crumble from the weight of the helicopters.

My hand is on my seatbelt ready to rescue the little beauty that has Owen tied up in knots.

"Everyone out! We need to locate Ms. Sorenson ASAP!" Mr. Young- I mean Blackbourne- shouts, "Apartment 1052 A!"

Sean, Owen, Silas, and I scramble down from the helicopter and hop out of the helicopter before it even touches the roof, and out of the corner of my eye I can see North, Gabriel, and Luke doing the same thing. Silas, the big Greek giant, is barreling ahead of us with determination in every step. I want to cry out and warn him from barging into a situation without fully knowing what is happening and without Victor fully ready to guide us through our ear pieces.

"Silas! What are you doing! We need to group and formulate a plan!" I call out after his shrinking figure.

"I'm getting Aggele!" he cries back over his shoulder.

That statement has us all pausing and staring at each other in confusion. Did he just call Mr. B's assistant 'angel' in Greek?

"Oi that means angel in fucking Greek right?" Gabriel asks North. North just nods his head as he stares in the direction we saw Silas run.

"Why would he-", Gabriel tries to continue but Luke cuts him off.

"You guys! Silas is in there alone! What if its a gang and he's already dead and they are stealing his organs to be shipped to Ecuador in the organ market and someone else is going to have a Silas heart!" Luke rushes out.

Yes. Of course. C'mon Kota, get it together man.

I was so thrown off by the sudden change of events, I let my Team Lead role slip.

"Victor, do you have eyes on the ground," I ask, getting back into leader mode.

"Yes, I have the security cameras pulled up for all the surrounding intersections and in the halls," he reports.

Then, I turn to what remains of my team on the roof. Mr. B is in too much of a daze to lead right now, so I take control of the situation.

"North, you and Luke need to find where Silas is. Dr. Green, you and Gabe are with me and we need to locate Sang Sorenson and check for possible injuries. Remember, we do not know who these men are and need to proceed with extreme caution. Do not be afraid to call for back up and remember to trust your team. Now go!" I command.

We rush into the building to save our little Miss Sorenson who has our leader tied up in knots and living in a haze.

Sang

I can hear voices. Soothing voices. They make me feel safe, like I'm finally home. A place to call home, not just an empty building where people coexist, but a place were love overwhelms you and calls you theirs.