Corrupted

Chapter 8

When we arrived to our destination, Lars briskly let go of my hand and ran towards the well. He kept pointing inside the well and jumping.

-"Someone is going to have to go inside that well," I said.

-"Why?" replied Brenn, still not understanding what was going on.

-"That kid knows something, and he is damn sure of it. You said yourself that we're going to have to extract the clues out of him, and here it is, your first clue."

I was surprised when I heard Kroos' voice since I did not notice that he had been following us. He eagerly volunteered. I admired Kroos' courage and observed how Brenn shifted uncomfortably in his place. Obviously, Kroos' presence did not appeal to him. I guess the couragious act that Kroos was about to administer marred his manliness and degraded his ego. 

Kroos went down that well with each foot carefully placed after the other. It took a while for him to climb back up, but it was worth it because, in his hand, was a rope that obviously was important to the inquest.

Lars screamed with terror when he caught a glimpse of that rope, and his little fingers clung on the hem of my skirt, and he hid his face behind my legs. 

I looked over at Brenn who seemed uncomfortable rather than excited with the break-through, and I immediately knew that this feeling was caused by the fact that Lars had his face fully stuffed between my legs. He's just a little kid. What is it with that guy?

Over at the station, Kroos and I waited impatiently in Brenn's office hoping he would get back as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Lars was resting in an opposite room. According to what he had told us, he took over the piece of evidence to some experts in the department for it to be analyzed.

Brenn flung the door open, and it made me wonder how long will it take for this door to break?

-"We found him," he said with every bit of excitement.

He then corrected, "well at least we half-found him. We crossed references with our connections in the U.S army, and they were able to identify the nature of the rope. It is a special kind of wire rope that only Nazi soldiers had acces to."

Almost instantly, my mind wrapped around the idea of Lars witnessing the brutal murder of his sister. How else could he have known? Brenn looked at me, distress swallowing his eyes. We knew. We knew the real reason behind this boy's autism, and I couldn't help but shed a little tear in recognition of this boy's suffering. It was a reminder for me that some people have it worse than others.

With a calm voice, Kroos brought us back to the bitter reality.

-"Aren't they an extinct species now?"

-"Some of them are still out there. They have cunningly managed to hide," answered Brenn

-"Can we call this a night? I'm exhausted, and I can't take anymore of this, at least not for now," I huffed with desperation.

-"Fine, I'll grab your coat and accompany you home," replied Brenn.

-"You don't have to because I'm taking Lars and Kroos with me."

-"We have already delt with this; they are staying here."

-"I'm not leaving Lars alone after what he had been through today. He obviously needs my presence, and there's no point in Kroos staying here either," I said with a weak, drained voice. What I wanted was just one moment of peace, and Brenn noticed that.

With one final attempt, he said, "what about your parents?"

-"Father is barely home, and mother is barely awake."

He knew he had no other deffense. There was no logical reason for him to disapprove anymore. Case closed. I've won.

With a voice of defeat, he sighed, "I'll get you your coat. Go get Lars from the other room."

All three of us waited for Brenn outside the big doors. He came back with my coat, hung it on my fragile shoulders and leaned in to implant a kiss on my cheek, but I hastly moved away. Stubborn Brenn made sure we all arrived safely.

We got home in a short time, I pointed to where the barn was so that Kroos could settle in after dropping off Lars at the house.

I turned around to leave aswell when I felt a numbing pain in my forearm. I yelped, "Brenn! You're hurting me."

He lightened his grip, but still held me in my place afraid that I would escape.

-"What's wrong? Tell me," he ordered.

-"You're hurting me. That's what's wrong," I shouted back at him.

-"I'm barely touching you!" He screamed.

-"I.. I didn't mean it like that." 

I lowered my gaze to the ground. I couldn't face him. It was not fair of me to confuse him like that regardless of my own confusion.

-"Then tell me what do you mean? Reading your mind is not a skill I have developped yet!"

-"It's okay, reading my mind isn't included in your job description!"

-"What does that have to do with your attitude? How is it even relevant," he exclaimed flustered.

-"Brenn, you're only here because you're required to be here." My lips moved dolefully.

-"Did I ever say that? No one can make me do something I wans't willing to do in the first place, and please for future references do not try to interpret my words twisting them for your own convenience."

-"Convenience? Do you think I'm enjoying this?"

-"Well it certainly looks like it, or we wouldn't be having this fight."

-"Oh, so now we're fighting?"

-"I swear to God I'm about to spank you."

-"So now you want to spank me?"

-"Yes! YES! I want to spank you so hard your ass will turn to a very dark shade of red, and the swelling won't go for two weeks!"

-"That's very unrealistic," I replied impassively, though the image of what he had just said made my body tingle with new sensations I have yet to experience.

-"I take it that you're not objecting?" He said while shooting me a deadly smirk.

It took me a couple of seconds before I realised what he had implied too, and instantaneously my cheeks were highlighted by a coppery shadow.

-"What! Don't. I'm mad at you!"

-"You're mad at me?! I'm the one who should be upset after I caught you nuzzled up to that guy!"

-"No, NO. Don't you dare go there," I threatened. "You know how I think about Kroos! Why do you even care, or is it also your job that requires you to care about my interactions with other breathing humans?" 

-"So that's what it's all about! You think this is normal police treatment? You think I kiss every girl that stumbles into my office?

-"How should I know?" I said while secretly hoping that he didn't.

-"You're being totally illogical here. I told you I was going to be here for you, and as you've noticed, I do keep my promises." Brenn added relactantly.