~PAXTON~
Have you ever felt so alone that you begin to dig deep into your hippocampus just to hold onto the memories and envision yourself with the person you most desire? You imagine their laughter, that golden smile reserved just for you. And those eyes. The Eyes of the Sun. The first thing you see when you wake up and the ones I live to look forward to every day. I feel its degrees melting me moreover than maple syrup. I fall soft and she consumes my mind. It's only been a few days away from Chrysos, but the guilt of letting her go for that split second has me reeling in sadness, desperation, loneliness, and guilt. I have refused to eat despite my Gramma and mom's attempts. When Precious and Prince want to play with me, I close my eyes and just let them play. Call me pathetic or depressed, but I'm sorry. No matter the dish or the company, I can not feel filled. I am missing my other half. I have no energy, barely any strength to stand, and any hope, courage, and prayers have been superseded by desolation for the past few hours. It has exhausted me.
For now, I am hanging on tightly to the memories and the spindled threads on my wrist. Peace and gold. You and me. I'm not going to give up on you, there is so much more for us to learn and write in our story. This is not the end, this is not our eulogy.
"PAXTON! Asher, I got you just trust me."
"Slow down or you'll... sorry sir, she's in a rush. Nicola!"
I wipe my face of the tears that managed to roll down and prepare myself for Nicky's announcements. Nicky rams through the door with Asher in a wheelchair. His face is lit up in exhilaration as if he fell down Kingda Ka. Joy is trailing behind Nicky and looks about ready to smack the soldier silly.
"Attention, Guardians. That's right, I named us. Now, I know we all have been stressed beyond gray hairs, beaten shmultz that the floor is like our new home, and left frustrated without guidance. Well, so what? That's f*cking life. Life sucks like muck. People are muck. But, we ain't muck and neither is Chrysos. She's alive! You heard me, she is alive," Nicky announces and Asher and I gasp.
Possible, Believable, REAL!
"I can agree, but continue baby angel," Joy affirms.
"After our successful interview with Shard and searching his phone, we have come across a hint to the whereabouts of our beloved friend. Joy, you talk and don't slow down," Nicky passes the baton.
"On the eve of April twenty-fifth, the anonymous kingpin we know as King sends an invitation to all high-ranked members of his elite forces to announce the bounty upon Miss. Chrysos Beaumont. Reward lists immediate promotional status among the inner circle if Miss. Beaumont is brought alive. Take note of the word ALIVE. The location to be brought are coordinates in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean," Joy begins, taking the most masterful short breaths in between not wasting any beats.
"The most recent message in regards to Miss. Beaumont's condition is primarily unknown, but we do have a motive. It is rather obscene, so please hold your buckles, retract your fangs, cotton your fists, oh and please don't kill me," Joy warns and I hold my galloping heart.
"Miss. Beaumont is going to be married. To the King," Joy squeaks out.
Asher and I both leap to our feet, mentally screaming bloody murder. Nicky bear hugs Joy who clutches her shoulder in absolute terror. I need to punch something or I swear someone in this room will not be going home. The pain we had before is now extinct. I only feel the bloodlust. That's my girlfriend! He's taken my girlfriend and now he wants to make her his, against her will. I can't. I can't. She's my love, keeper of my heart, the Sun that gave me light to live. SHE IS MINE!
"I WILL KILL HIM! I WILL SKIN HIM! I WILL BURN HIM! I WILL FLOG HIM! I WILL GORE HIM! I WILL MAIM HIM! LET ME GO!" I squirm and jerk violently as Joy, Nicky and Asher pin me to my bed. They secure me with restraints and safety straps.
"Paxton, stop fighting. Deep breaths, captain. In and out. Follow me, breathe in. Breathe out," Nicky speaks calmly.
I struggle against them and hear other personnel from outside holding me down. Five grown adults are on top of me. I see a nurse making her way toward me with a needle and that enrages me even more.
"Stop! Just let her tire herself. Put that away," Asher commands the doctor.
"It's a sedative, she will be out for maybe a few hours. It's harmless, right now you need to back up sir, and let me do my job," the nurse tells Asher.
"We don't have a few hours. We need her awake. So, don't step any closer with that thing or I swear I will unlock her. Then, you will have me and her to deal with," Asher puffs out his chest over the poor lady who is barely five-foot-three.
And I did eventually calm down enough for them to let me go.
"I'm sorry," I solemnly apologize. My head is throbbing and my entire body is sweating out feverishly.
Asher and Nicky come on each of my sides and wrap me in a comforting embrace, while Joy is reciting for me to take breaths.
"Hey, there ya are. Feeling better?" Nicky asks and I nod, "Yeah, I am so sorry. That was-"
"AWESOME. Beast mode is insane. I mean you were ready to fight against five of us. I would swoon if someone did that for me," Joy chuckles, and I smirk at Nicky, "Yeah, I might know someone who could probably throw double and she's sing-". Smack.
Nicky covers my mouth and I laugh in her hand, "Oh, look. She is back. Let's get back on topic."
"Behold, Exhibit ****. The phone used by Shard to communicate with his employers and where we found our resource," Joy shows a picture of a burner phone and the message for Chrysos to be brought to the Atlantic Ocean. The next photo sends chills down my spine as she shows us a crude wedding invitation that looks to be crafted by a fifth grader using Google Drawing. There is no address, but it says that all information will be granted upon RSVP.
"Well of course we are going to accept the RSVP. We need the information," I said.
"Yes, but we can't rush into it. You are all barely healed and are not in the right headspace to go into a fight," Joy counteracts.
"True, but for all we know, the event can happen tomorrow or next month. We need to act fast. If we at least have a date, then we can take that time to plan and act from there," Asher said.
"I say we think on it and then vote to RSVP or we continue with utilizing the NYPD resources we have at our disposal," Nicky said.
~~~~
~TWENTY MINUTES LATER~
After a period of considering our current status, we all reconvened, ready to cast our votes.
"I say we RSVP," Asher begins.
"I second," Nicky and I chorus in unison.
We look at Joy for her vote.
"Wait, me too?" Joy points at herself.
I pat her on the shoulder, "Yeah, you're a part of our squad. Without you, we would never have gotten this far. I mean if you want. We aren't exactly NYPD, but we are intelligent."
"And stubborn. Don't forget that, but I say yes. If it were someone I really love I would not hesitate to go after them. Damn, be the risks. And what are those risks?" Joy volunteers.
"We are going against an international mafia gang called the SS Tribe, but you already knew that. Risks include getting killed, tortured, held prisoner, and disappearing without any trace. Not unless we have the information, a strategy, definitely weapons, and maybe some collaborative assistance," I brief.
"I still stand beside you guys," Joy reassures.
"I can talk to the FBI," Asher suggests.
"I will obviously need to tell the chief. He already questions my absence and it's time to inform him of the ongoing investigation. Go from there," Joy informs.
"If we need military support, I know a few connections and see of their availability," Nicky said.
"That's brilliant, all of you. I will strategize our next course of action. We can't go into whatever the situation is with a blind eye," I conclude.
"I say we go right now. RSVP and begin right now," Asher said, stretching his limbs. I hop out of bed and wear my leather jacket.
"Are you sure that's okay? You guys still need to heal," Joy said.
We all nod our heads.
"We promise to go home and rest, but it will help us sleep better at night knowing that the wedding has not passed and is not tomorrow," I said.
"Alright. Mr. Bennet, we are going on a ride," Joy motions for Bennet who was dozing off outside to follow us.
Joy drives us to the precinct to retrieve the phone. We all pile out, giddy with exhilaration and anticipation. I say a small prayer to myself in my mind that Chrysos is not married. Once Asher, Nicky, Joy, and I pile into her cubicle, she passes us gloves and files the paperwork for Exhibit ****.
"Is everyone ready?" Joy asks, her finger hovering over the circular OK button on the device.
I hold my wrist and fiddle with the strings on my bracelet. We all nod our heads and she hits the green checkmark. We hold our breaths, watching and waiting for something to be sent back. Ten seconds, thirty-five seconds, a minute, twenty minutes. After an hour of monitoring the screen and making sure it doesn't turn off, Nicky has fallen asleep on Joy's shoulder while Asher sips his water and I pop in my Airpods to drown out any growing anxiety attacks. Please work.
"Dinner is served!" Bennet hops into the space, lifting his arms filled with containers.
"I have steamed broccoli, pan-fried pork chops, Korean rice, and of course ginger chicken soup," Bennet dishes it out for us as we take it in.
We eat contently and fill ourselves with the necessary nutrients. It tastes awesome.
"Do you like it?" Bennet grins.
"YE-."
"NOOOoooooo. NO! No, no, no," Joy lets out a frustrated groan, jumping out of her seat. She runs out of her cubicle before we can ask her what is wrong.
Nicky leaps to her feet and I see her inwardly battling her mind, so I give her the extra push, "Nicky, just go. Make sure she's not going to implode".
"Right, yeah that'd be bad. No, ah. Be right back," Nicky scurries off leaving Asher and me laughing our heads off.
I bet Asher twenty bucks that they will go home together and he bet me double that they will come back after making out. Bennet smacked both of us for being so immature. We didn't have to wait long when Joy returned with a short and stubby cable charger and Nicky balancing a crate filled with other miscellaneous wires.
"Don't just sit there! This is life or death! Help me find the charger for the stupid phone," Joy panics when the cable in her hand didn't match. We scramble to Nicky and dump the contents of the crate all over Joy's cubicle. It looks like an electrician's dumping ground with all these black licorice wires pouring everywhere.
"Hurry up! It can die in literally seconds," someone yells.
"Paxton! That's a shoelace!"
"I'm sorry. You guys are freaking out which is freaking me out and you know that I am easily freaked out," I toss wires everywhere and all these things look the same.
"I GOT IT!" Bennet shouted in triumph, plugging the charger into the phone. We all sigh in relief when the battery flashes green with one percent, but still nothing. We wait a few more hours, but it's still empty. "It's getting late. You four need to rest. Deadly error number eight; asleep on the job. So come on, we come back in the morning."
I really want to fight her, but she's right. Even if a message comes through, I won't have the necessary energy or brain power to come up with a plan or react logically.
"Come on, Paxton," Asher says, offering his arm for me to take.
"Bye guys," I wave to the others and Asher drives us to his apartment.
I freshen up and wear some of the clothes I still had left at his place before completely knocking out on the familiar couch. Hopefully, tomorrow I will be ready. But, can you really prepare for a war against the spawns of Satan?
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