In the dimly lit confines of the small warehouse, Alexis found herself caught between the mundane and the mysterious. They were indeed sent out to clean, just not the broomstick and mop type of cleaning, which she was, of course, happy about.
Geoffrey had driven them out to a small warehouse almost an hour away from where they resided where both she and Geoffrey kitted themselves up with the overalls and mask that he had packed into their rucksacks. The atmosphere, as well as the get-up, had a very clandestine feel to it and sent a buzz of excitement through Alexis when she caught a glimpse of herself in the window as they passed through the warehouse to retrieve three black bags filled with documents and clothing.
"What are they?" she asked after Geoffrey instructed her on the fact that they were to shred and burn them.
"We don't ask questions, princess," was his reply.
Alexis nodded, that was fair enough. "The less I know the less I can say, ey?" she joked.
"Got it," he said with a wink and handed her a bag of papers to work on while he started on the bag of clothes.
As the shredder hummed and the papers turned into confetti, Alexis couldn't resist stealing a few glances. The contents were a jumble of numbers and names, an enigma which, if she'd had more time she was certain she could decipher. However, remembering Geoffrey's warning, she allowed her focus to dwell elsewhere and not pry too deeply on what didn't concern her. Meanwhile, Geoffrey, with a subtle air of secrecy, attacked the clothing that hinted at a darker narrative than the documents, one marked by bloodstains that Alexis noticed.
Alexis made a small sound as she cleared her throat unable to withhold the curiousity that bit at her.
"Whose blood is it?" she whispered.
Geoffrey gave a nonchalant shrug. "Not any of ours."
"But it was someone bad, right?" she continued.
Geoffrey paused for a moment as he thought.
"Good and bad can have a pretty grey border, do you know that?"
Alexis shook her head. "Good is good and bad is bad."
"That's true," Geoffrey nodded. "But then there's the in-between and in that area, it can be hard to tell."
The in-between? she thought, wondering what kind of issues would fall into an in-between.
"It's like this Alexis," he said as he continued with the clothing. "Our loyalty is to our family, Blackthorn. Sometimes we have to do 'bad' things to protect our family, but that's good. Do you understand?"
Alexis nodded. "I think so," she muttered.
In Alexis' mind, such an explanation made complete sense and encapsulated the essence of the Blackthorn men perfectly. They weren't saints, far from it, but to her, they were her safety, and regardless of whatever 'bad' they did, they were her definition of good.
Without any further questions, she resumed her task of shredding the papers, and then when they were done, the remains were moved to three large burner barrels and set alight.
The two sat and joked for the next thirty minutes as they waited for the items to burn into nothing but ashes, and in a meticulous process, bagged the remnants and disposed of them behind the warehouse in small, inconspicuous holes which Geoffrey himself dug.
"I dug, you can fill," Geoffrey said, throwing the shovel to Alexis, who began shovelling piles of dirt back into the holes.
It was probably the most strenuous part of the whole mission, but easy enough for her to complete without complaining, and as the last shovelfuls of dirt settled, Alexis gave herself a proud smile for having been Geoffrey's faithful accomplice in a mission that blurred the lines between routine and intrigue.
"So, how did I do?" she asked after they had cleaned up and removed their overalls.
"Perfect, I think we should form a permanent partnership," he said, ruffling her head gently. "But you'll need a better name than The Stick."
"Yes, wicked," she cheered jumping slightly in her euphoria. "How do I get a name? Will you choose it or does the gang vote?"
"It depends really. Vincent gave me my name, but sometimes, it just kind of sticks, who knows how. Like Thomas', for example. I take it you know his codename."
Yes. Thomas, The Reaper, she thought before offering a nod as a nonchalant acknowledgment yet, beneath the surface, a curiosity simmered; ultimately, why hadn't Vincent chosen Thomas' codename as he had chosen Geoffrey's, and could she consider the sentiment as more extreme being that it had bestowed upon him by an outsider.
What kind of name was The Reaper anyway?
The name itself provoked a mental image that she instinctively pushed aside, not wanting to let her thoughts wander into the realm of speculation no matter how much it intrigued her. The Reaper – a figure associated with death and darkness which, despite his calm silence, somehow fit Thomas perfectly.
"Anything you'd like to do before we head back?" Geoffrey asked. "I think you deserve a treat for having completed your first mission so well."
"I'm good," she said proudly. "Getting my codename will be treat enough."
"A true professional," Geoffrey laughed. "I like that!"
Alexis felt her cheeks warm as Geoffrey complimented her yet again. Bar Vincent, whom she adored completely, Geoffrey was her favourite of the Blackthorn men, and the one she enjoyed spending time with the most.
"I'll speak to Vincent as soon as we're back," Geoffrey added. "Maybe we can get your codename sorted in time for your party."
"That's in three days' time," Alexis complained. "Why so long?"
"Unless you really want a name like 'The Stick'. I think three days is perfect."
Alexis let out a discontented sigh but refrained from pushing the subject. If she had to wait three days, that was a small price to pay for getting a codename and, she hoped, finally being recognised as a full member of Blackthorn.
* * *
"Are you really not going to wear one of the dresses I bought you?" Vincent asked as they prepared to leave for Alexis' birthday party.
She was wearing a special cut lilac suit, similar to the others she'd had made but more prestige seen as it was a birthday party.
"Blackthorn men don't wear dresses," she said, checking herself out in the mirror.
"You're right, but surely The Blackthorn Princess should, no?"
Alexis scrunched her nose at the codename.
They'd decided on it earlier than suggested, unanimously agreeing that since she was known to them all as 'princess', she should be their official princess. Though not the ideal codename and somewhat lazy of them to simply convert her nickname into a gang name, it did offer her a sense of authority within the gang.
Alexis looked back over at the dresses hanging on the rack and let out a small sigh. If Vincent really wanted her to wear a dress, of course she would – regardless of how much she hated them!
"Could you choose one for me then, please?" she asked, begrudgingly.
"What's your gripe with dresses?" Vincent asked, tilting his head to catch Alexis' gaze. "I always buy the most fashionable ones."
Isn't it obvious? she wondered.
She hated being a girl; she thought she'd made that much clear in their time together. Likewise she hated everything girly. Well, everything aside from the nickname 'princess' which she adored.
Somehow being a princess for the men of Blackthorn held a different level of femininity. It was one higher than that of a mere woman, who she had learnt didn't hold much status in the eyes of the Blackthorn men.
She'd crept into many of Blackthorn's dinner parties, and seen the men with their various women hanging from their necks, laughing and talking in soft coquettish voices. Each woman thinking they were their respective partner's object of desire, while Alexis knew they were merely a plaything for the night and would never be seen again. There were, on occasion, a few exceptions, but even they didn't survive much longer than a few months.
It was all a futile endeavour in Alexis' eyes; why enjoy a simple night as a man's play thing, when you could sit by their side day after day as a brother in arms?
"Alexis," Vincent sang when she didn't answer.
It was something he sometimes did to convey a slight annoyance.
"I think," said Thomas, who was, as usual, at Vincent's side, "what Alexis wants to say is that; although the dresses you buy are always of impeccable taste, she feels a lot more comfortable wearing clothes similar to the men of Blackthorn. Is that right, Alexis?"
That was something she loved about Thomas despite not being particularly close to him - he always saw her.
"They are pretty," Alexis said. "But I ... I want to be like you guys."
"You don't just want to be a girl?" Vincent asked. "Men are different for a reason, you know?"
Alexis slowly shook her head. "I don't want to be different from the men."
"Very well," Vincent said.
There was a hint of disappointment in his voice, but as usual he conceded to whatever Alexis desired and allowed her to dress as she pleased.
The party was to be held in the hall of The Royal Manor, one of the finest hotels in the whole south region of the country. It had originally been planned as Alexis' coming out party where she was to be presented as an official member of the Blackthorn gang. Vincent, at some point, had second thoughts and decided to title it as the birthday party of a friend's child.
Without being told Alexis already knew it was due to concerns for her safety which was the same reason she wasn't allowed to attend school and instead had a private tutor visit her every afternoon. For the same reason, Geoffrey was assigned to be her chaperone for the evening, though in Alexis' mind she played more with the words date and revelled in the idea of having Geoffrey by her side as the women of the party looked on.
Urg, she moaned internally when one said woman came to steal Geoffrey away from her.
She was using all of the usual techniques, a tight side-mouthed smile, fluttering eyelids, and the way they always needed to stroke their necks and tilt their heads back as they laughed.
"Can we dance together?" Alexis asked after rolling her eyes at the woman.
Geoffrey's eyes flickered quickly between Alexis and the woman; his thought process clear in his eyes as he considered his decision. A decision which was made easier when the woman leaned over to him and whispered something in his ear.
"Alexis, babe," Geoffrey said. There was a subtle sweetness in the voice, a deliberate softening that hinted at an impending request. "Why don't you have the first dance with Ben? He looks a little lonely, don't you think?"
Alexis let out a soft puff as she glanced over at Ben. He always looked lonely, if she were honest, but Geoffrey had never seemed concerned about that before.
"You promised me the first dance," she said, annoyed that he was palming her off so he could spend time with the Barbie on his arm.
"I know, I know, and I promise we will dance for the rest of the night. Just give me say ... thirty minutes, okay?"
Alexis glared at the woman and physically bit down on her tongue to constrain the words she wanted to say to the woman as she laughed into Geoffrey's ear about how adorable Alexis was.
"Fine," Alexis muttered, more as a way to hurry the exit of the woman than as an acceptance of Geoffrey's negotiation.
Geoffrey gestured to Ben to come over and instructed him silently to his ear before giving Alexis a nod and leaving with the woman.
Alexis' glare followed the woman as they left, her mind filling with every bad word she'd heard the men use. It was true that, although half of the terms she never understood, she could sense the intentions behind a group of men laughing about the 'wild little ride they'd had last night' were less than favourable, at least not in the way the women hoped. Or did they even mind? The men never seemed to be at a loss for a woman to take up that role of a wild role, or at least try to. And what exactly did being a wild ride entail?
There were, as usual, a whole array of questions running through Alexis' mind, which were put to rest when Ben approached, as any gentleman would, asking for her first dance. Alexis obliged, happy to have a dancing partner even if her favourite choice had been stolen. However, regardless of her enjoyment of dancing, her mind never settled with the array of questions that bombarded it.
So, after sneaking away from the main hall, she sought out where Geoffrey and his woman had gone.