Caleb
Chapter 13
Jordan escorted me to the training room in the house. There was gym equipment everywhere, along with other members of the house working out. The men were tall and beefy, and the worst part was the expression on their faces when they saw me.
"They don't like me do they?" I asked her.
"You're the newbie."
On the soccer team, as the captain I remember giving a hard time to the freshman team mates. Me being the new guy is completely understandable.
"But they don't even know me yet."
"Oh trust me, they know you." I gave her a quick glance in confusion. "You're one of the first people who've caught the attention of Callum Bell in a long time. I was surprised too."
"Why is that so important if I caught the old man's attention-"
"-Shh," Jordan hushed me in urgence. "We don't talk about him or the other's like that. Besides, new recruits are supposed to meet with the lower members. Rarely does any of the higher ranks acknowledge us."
"Why can't we talk about him like that?" I pushed. "Why is he so special anyway?"
"You know nothing," Jordan exasperated, her pretty mouth sighing at me. "He's one of Sebastian King's right hand men. The other is Mason Walker, the guy who is going to help you track down your sister."
I stopped in my tracks, and tensed. "Is he here?"
"No. You'll see him when you see him though." We walked up to a punching bag, and Jordan passed me a pair of boxing gloves."
"You ever boxed before?"
"No, but I guess I can always give it a shot." Jordan smiled at my statement, and the expression made her look more approachable. She slightly blushed and looked away when I realized that I was staring for too long. I quickly changed the subject.
We began punching at the punching bags while making conversation in between the hits.
"So, this Sebastian King. He runs this place?"
"Yes, he's the gang leader-"
"-Gang?" I nearly shouted. All of the other people stopped at their exercises and glared at me. "This is a fucking gang?"
"Kaleb..." Jordan whispered. "You're making a scene."
A hysterical laugh left my lips. "You lead me to a fucking gang?"
Never in my eighteen years of living have I ever been so pissed in my life. Yet, there was another thrilling side to this happening that made me laugh. I never thought I would have ended up here.
And it's all thanks to Cara.
"Kaleb," she grew serious. "Stop."
"No, you didn't tell me anything!" I shouted. I walked towards her menacingly, angry that she could have kept something this important from me.
"Kaleb!" She didn't back down, but instead put her palms against my chest to try to calm me. "Calm down!"
I was going to. I knew that I was reacting out of anger, so I felt apologetic. However, that brief second didn't give me enough time to dodge the punch that connected to my cheek.
"Shit!" Jordan shouted. "Back off, Chris. He's with me."
I looked up to meet eyes with the man who punched me. The cocky gleam in his eyes, and the wife beater drenched in sweat jogged my memory. There was a familiarity to the piercings on this brows, the shaved head, and the tattooes.
He's the bitch I beat up in the street before Jordan found me.
"You..." I didn't finish my sentence to shocked to say anything more.
"That's for what happened yesterday. Now you come here talking shit on our gang."
"Chris-"
"-Why don't you back off, Jordan and let me handle him?" he took a step towards me, bringing up a leg getting ready to kick my head.
I'm not going to let that happen.
I quickly grabbed hold of his ankle, and tackled him in the gut, bringing him to the ground. That skinny twig of a man fell down like timber. When I gained on him, I was able to pin him and down, and punch him straight in the eye returning the favor.
This all took a matter of seconds before Jordan ripped me away from him.
"I said stop! Didn't any of you hear me say stop?" I stared at her shocked. I didn't hear anything, but the blood rushing to my head. It was an adrenaline rush.
We both looked down on Chris who was lying on the floor, his eye bruising and his forehead bleeding from one of the piercings that managed to detach from his skin due to the punch.
One punch fucked him up real badly.
"So he can fight," someone muttered in the group. "Not bad."
Jordan pulled my arm, hinting that she wanted to leave. I wasn't going to stick around either, so we left together.
"You hurt him pretty badly," Jordan mumbled as we exited the room.
"Is he your friend, then?" I couldn't help the mix of anger and jealousy for her concern.
"No. Not exactly..."
"You two had a thing?" I asked a little too shocked for my own liking. I didn't want her to think that I cared.
Jordan is a pretty girl. It shouldn't surprise me whether or not she had hook ups before.
"No," she said more seriously. "He's not my type. Why are you getting so worked up about it anyways?"
"Because that jackass attacked me before I ran into you that night."
"I know."
"You know?"
"I saw him lying there behind you knocked out on the ground. Your fighting skills is the reason why I brought you here."
We were still walking through the halls. Only our footsteps were echoing.
"Why didn't you tell me this was a gang?"
"Would you have come if I did?" she asked. "I didn't think it mattered. You were so caught on with finding your sister. You would have done anything to get her back."
I still would do anything to get my sister back. We aren't supposed to be here.
"Who taught you to fight anyway? Was it your father? You're really good at it." Her voice softened, and she was being nicer to me.
"I never had a dad."
Jordan paused slightly. Guilt evident in her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. You'll find that a lot of us here have been through similar situations. Please don't think that all of us are horrible just cause we are a gang."
I smiled softly. "Thanks, I won't."
"Besides," she pulled in closer around my arm. "We've got you now. It's okay if you never knew your father. His loss."
She was being really nice to me. I guess Jordan wasn't all that I put her out to be in the first place.
"It is. Besides, it's my mother who taught my sister and I how to be tough."
"You're mother?" she grinned. I smiled brighter at her.
"Yeah. When we find my sister, you should meet her. I think my mom would like you a lot. You act like her."
"I'd like to meet her too," she agreed. "Meet the woman who raised you."
Maybe staying here won't be as bad...as long as I have Jordan.
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I walked out of the shower and put on a clean pair of clothes. After the fight with Chris I wanted to so badly wash his blood of my hands.
There was a knock at the door not too suddenly.
I went towards it, putting on my shirt after my pants.
"Jordan?"
"Good, you're all dressed." I looked at her and realized she had changed clothes too.
"Are we going somewhere?"
"Yes," she breathed. "You're first gang meeting."
She took hold of my hand once again - a habit of hers now it seems - and walked down stairs with me, leading the way.
We entered a large office, crowded with other members in the gang. All of their attention was fixated in the center towards three men who I assumed to be Callum, Mason, and Sebastian.
"What is going on?" I whispered to Jordan.
"The meetings are usually to fill the rest of the gang up on things we need to know, things we need to get done, and things we have accomplished. But since there are more people here than usual, I think something big might be going on."
Something big? Kaleb thought to himself.
"Everybody listen," a stern voice sounded. "As you all know there will be another big job for us to do."
Some men around me nodded their heads in response, others mumbled. I looked around at how focused everyone was, until my eyes met with Callums. He was staring dead straight at me.
Damn old man.
"It should be easy. Another drug cartel job and I expect that all of you take the same measures as we always do for these things. The only thing is, I expect the amount of dope to be doubled for this one is huge. Not to mention, it is run by another gang. Their name has been getting more infamous around London, but they are not as strong as ours. Still, I want you to take the same precautions."
The crowd nodded their heads in agreement again.
It felt exactly like it did in the movies. The intensity and the dark environment surrounding the room was real. This is definitely dangerous, and deep down I know that it is out of my league.
I gulped.
I felt a small hand grab mine. "You'll be fine, Kaleb. They're not that bad."
There was a sense of relief and dependency that was growing on me. What would I do without Jordan here?
Well to be honest, I wouldn't have been here anyway if she didn't take me here either.
I wonder how my mother would feel if she saw me here doing this with a gang... Oh I would have my ass mounted on a wall for the rest of my life.
"There is a slight change in this job though," a different voice announced. It was Callum's voice. "As you all know we have a new recruit."
The crowd parted like the red sea, and everyone stared straight at me.
Thanks Callum.
"Everyone this is Kaleb. So far he has shown some pretty unique fighting skills and rational behavior...."
I furrowed a brow. What was he getting at?
"Which is why Sebastian has decided to let him lead on this one in my place."
The crowd broke out into whispers, and faces of jealousy and disdain were fired towards me.
"What?" Jordan murmured.
In the corner of my eyes I knew that she looked at me with worry. I knew her concern. Why would they let the new recruit be in charge of a big raid? Especially in place of one of the top three gang members.
I felt nervous. My hands were growing clammy and I felt as though I couldn't breathe. The inside of me felt hollow, and I didn't want to react.
"You may leave," Sebastian waved us away with his hand.
But I didn't move.
The other members shuffled out the door, each throwing me a look of either pity or hate. I waited for the last of the few people to leave.
"C'mon Kaleb," Jordan whispered.
"No," I said sternly. "I need to talk to him."
Jordan widened her eyes in fear. "No, Kaleb you can't-"
"-He can stay if he wishes," Mason broke in. I turned to look at him. That guy hasn't spoken throughout the entire meeting, but his voice was much more gentler than Sebastian's or Callum.
Jordan glanced at me again, and I nodded for her to leave. "I'll wait for you outside."
When she left, I turned around to meet with the three men behind me.
"What is it you wanted to talk about?" Callum asked.
I built up whatever courage I had left in me. These men were more than twice my age, but they appeared capable.
"Why am I replacing you for this job? I've only been one day, you don't even know me."
Callum faked an expression. He appeared taken aback. "Are you saying we shouldn't trust you?"
I was shocked. "No. That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm just confused on what you are trying to do-"
"-You don't question me, son," he snapped. I didn't want to let him be in charge of me, but I instinctively listened.
"I don't think I have the experience to do what you want me to do. I wouldn't know where to start."
"Jordan will help you." Can she really though?
"But what if I can't?"
"Then..." Callum trailed off. "I guess we can't find your sister."
Rage coursed through my blood and I tightened my fists. So they are going to test me? This is the thing that they wanted me to help them out on?
Callum saw my fury.
"You said you promised that you can do anything. If you can't then you've already lied to us."
"You said you'd find my sister first."
"We made no such promises. You came to us remember?"
My chest grew tight, and I took bigger breaths. Coming here was my first mistake.
"I won't do it then," I said defiantly.
Click.
The sound of a gun reloading made my blood run cold. It was Sebastian who held the pistol in his palm.
"Don't make another mistake, boy," Sebastian spat. "Be happy we are giving you chances. You could be dead right now."
A shiver ran down my spine. Something told me that these three could have been more sinister. Maybe this is just them being nice.
So much for that.
How did they change it on me? I came here for help, offering them assistance only to have it backfire. The King's have me in their palms.
"I take it that you agree?" Sebastian asked. He put his gun back down on the table.
"Yes," I admitted through clenched teeth.
"Leave," Callum said calmly, as if nothing ever happened. "This talk is finished."
I was anxious to get away from them, and walked straight to the door. Jordan sat outside on one of the chairs in the hallway and stood up immediately when she saw me.
"Is everything okay? What happened?"
I continued walking to the stairs, still shocked by my near-death experience with Sebastian and Callum.
"You said you've done these all the time?" I asked her.
"Y-yes, why?" she asked still concerned.
"Good. Cause I'm going to need all the help I can get."
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Callum
Callum watched as Kaleb left the room. There was a lot of fight in that boy - he could tell. He betted that Kaleb would have done anything within those seconds to try to beat his skull against the floor.
"Are you sure about this, Callum?" Mason asked. "You're really going to let him take your place in this one?"
"Yes," he responded. "It's the only way to find out how capable it is. Every new recruit must prove themselves in a job anyways."
"Not like this. Not ever like this before."
Sebastian leaned back in his leather cushioned chair. "You saw him fight today?"
Callum relaxed against the edge of Sebastian's desk. "He started a scene in the gym. I was watching. He got one of the other members good, and very fast."
Sebastian looked amused. "Let's hope he's got those reflexes in hand on the job. If he survives, we can use him. If he dies... than I guess that's why in chess we always start with the pawns."
Callum grew a little uneasy. If Kaleb dies, which he shouldn't, than what would happen?
"We see a resemblance, you know?"
"You do?" This surprised Callum. He didn't expect any of his friends to remember who Kira was, his former lover.
"Yeah. We read all about his missing sister too."
Callum didn't know that they were also paying attention to this. "It's been on my mind for a while."
"Ever since Kaleb got here you've been more distant than usual. It might be a good thing that you sit this one out, mate."
He wanted to relax with the support of his friends, but knowing that he was the one putting his possible kin in danger made him feel responsible.
Sink or swim.
That's how it is in this gang.
"Your son will be fine. If he's anything like you that is."
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Wow so this chapter was very fun to write! I even got the chills while writing it!! I hope you all love this chapter, and accept this as an additional apology for being gone for so long.
I love all of you. Remember that my dears.
Also, I have a question. Would you rather be Kaleb or Cara? Cause I would definitely choose Kaleb. :DDD
Please, Vomment.