Chapter 52
Caden was sitting at his desk drinking his coffee. It was his day to buy Amari's morning coffee but she has not shown up for work yet. Caden would be lying if he said he was not at least a little worried about her. Within the year he has worked with her he could never remember her being late, unlike him.
Being an ARRO agent and worrying about people is not a good combination. It means his mind made up the most ridiculous scenarios about what could be wrong. He then heard the squeaking of his office door and he looked up to see his partner standing there. He smiled and his mind was put to ease.
"Sorry I'm late. My morning has been kind of strange." She admitted taking a seat.
Amari did not seem as focused as normal and something just felt wrong to Caden. She was quiet and not that Amari was necessarily loud she just was not normally this quiet. He frowned because this bothered him.
"You ok?" He questioned.
She looked up at him as if her mind had been some where else for awhile. She smiled for him, that smile he will always love.
"I'm fine. Like I said just having a 'different' morning." She said, but this time she seemed to be focused again.
"No one has bothered you have they?" Caden asked as he handed her the coffee he bought for her.
She smiled at his protectiveness and accepted the coffee.
"No, I'm fine, Caden." She assured him.
Caden pressed a key on his keyboard to make his monitor sleep. He turned his chair and focused more on Amari.
"Well why don't you tell me about your morning?" Caden offered to listen.
Truthfully it was not just being kind. He was sorta suspicious about what had his partner so out of sorts today. Amari shifted in her seat getting comfortable.
"My alarm was set earlier than normal this morning so I woke up at five o'clock in the morning. The thing is I don't remember setting my alarm any different. I suppose maybe my memory is just bad or James messed with my phone some time when I was with him." Amari began her story.
Amari was smart enough to try to play off her alarm being set different. Though Caden was not like her. That was just weird to him and he was to much of a paranoid person to just assume a reasoning. He would get to the bottom of it if that was him.
"So believe it or not I got here extra early. I went to my office and checked my Email. I had one from Rivers saying he wanted me to see him in his office. So of course I walked to his office to see what he wanted. The thing was he was not even here yet." Amari explained still confused.
That odd feeling Caden had when she first showed up was back.
"So I waited around till he showed up. When he did he said he was not expecting to see me, so I figured he meant he was not expecting to see me so early. He told me someone else sent something to ARRO for me. I don't find that odd or anything and neither did Rivers but when I confronted him about the Email he said he never sent one." Amari shook her head and looked away.
She was quiet and thinking for a minute. She then looked back at Caden.
"I know that Email was sent through his address so maybe he was just pranking me by saying he never sent it." Amari said with a shrug.
There was something that struck him as odd about that whole story. Caden would know better than anyone Anderson can be a prankster. Who do you think he pulled the pranks on? Yet that was something only him and Anderson did to each other. He felt Anderson would not prank her.
"What did they send you Amari?" Caden had to ask.
Amari reached in her pocket to get it. She put her closed fist closer to Caden and over the desk. She opened her hand to reveal a ring. An emerald ring and I think we call knows who's ring it resembled.
"I think it's pretty and all but it looks really expensive." Amari told him.
Caden was silent and continued to stare. He glanced over at his drawer thinking about checking to see if Tammy's ring was still there but he knew good and well it was. Amari was no lier and she was no thief.
Now Caden would not play it off, now he was not going to risk calling it a coincidence. Someone has copied both Victoria's necklace and Tammy's ring and have given them to his new partner. Then at that moment Caden was reminded of that stranger who knew his name.
*Take a warning.* His words were still so clear in Caden's mind. Now he was questioning if this was his warning.
"Caden are you ok?" Amari's voice made him realize he was still just staring at the ring.
She closed her hand and put the ring back in her pocket. He looked up into her soft amber eyes. He just stared at her for a minute. Caden's heart hurt to think someone might try to kill Amari. It scared him more than anything he could ever remember.
"Caden?" She asked again, with more concern.
That just made his heart ache more. She cared about him and trusted him. He would kill anyone who tired to hurt her. He knew he better speak before he worried her anymore.
"Um, I'm fine, I just need to go speak with Anderson." He told her.
She honestly still knew something was up. She could tell that by his expression. He offered a smile that just came across as nervous which only made her wonder more. Before she could question him he stood from his desk and basically dashed for the door. Amari just stood their trying to grasp what just happened. She crossed her arms, left as confused as ever.
*This is one weird day.* Amari thought.
Caden had pretty much ran all the way to Anderson's office not bothering to knock on his door.
"Come in." Anderson sarcastically told him.
"I demand to know who has been sending Amari things in the mail!" He told him, getting straight to the point.
This reminded Anderson of when he came to his office a year ago complaining about Amari. Ironic it's the exact opposite problem now.
"Why does it matter? I don't know." Anderson told him honestly.
Caden walked up to his desk till his feet touched the bottom of it.
"I think these gifts are really threats at her and I need to know who this person is!" Caden explained to him.
He might have been like a brother to him but Anderson looked at him as if he was crazy.
"There just gifts Caden." He assured him.
"You don't know that! Anderson please." Caden begged, truly knowing more about the situation than he did.
"I told you, I don't know, now sit down and explain yourself." Anderson ordered.
Caden listened, trying to calm himself down.
"Tammy and Victoria had a necklace and ring just like the ones someone has been sending Amari." Caden explained.
"Maybe it's just ironic? I'm sorry if it bothers you. You should just tell her it bothers you." Anderson suggested.
That was not going to fix the problem though. Anderson was catching onto his worried expression though and he can't say he has seen that look on Caden many times.
"I know something isn't right about it."
Anderson just stared at him confused still.
"How are you so sure?" Anderson asked.
Caden looked away and fell silent. He was not so sure he should tell anyone about the man warning him. Not even his best friend. If anything he just did not want him involved and getting hurt too. He would tell Anderson the truth. Just not the truth about the man.
"I've been having this strange feeling lately Anderson. The same feeling I had right before I went on my last mission with Victoria, Tammy, and Samantha. That scares me." Caden admitted to him.
Anderson's expression turned from serious to sorrowful. He really felt bad for his friend. It also was not many times Caden admitted to being scared. Anderson really had no proof someone was after her but even if he wanted to help he still could not. Though Anderson was slowly considering it a possibility. Anyone could make enemies in this job but he also knew Caden could be paranoid at times. If anything he wished he could just say something to ease his friend's mind.
"I'm sorry Caden. I really can't help though. I really don't know. There is no return address or anything that could tell me who's sending the gifts." Anderson admitted.
Caden sighed and nodded.
"Thanks anyway Anderson." Then it was silent. Caden stood from his seat and left.
If he could not find the person threatening her then Caden would wait for them. He will just have to watch Amari like a hawk until then. He still would not tell her someones after her though. He does not want to worry her.
Which do you think it is? Is Caden being paranoid and it's all a coincidence, or is someone really trying to threaten Amari's safety? Comment to let me know your thoughts and I'll try to reply! Votes are always noticed!