For the past several weeks, Robert worked tirelessly on the new given case at hand. The murder that happened on Second Lane at the early hours of the morning. It tickled his brain about the whole conception of the case.
A. There was a murder weapon.
B. There were no witnesses.
C. The murdered (or murdurer) was unknown in the area.
It didn't sound like a robbery gone wrong in Robert's opinion. At exactly two in the morning, his assistant: Cindy finally handed him the autopsy report along with some other legal credentials his resoursfull assistant could pick off. Including birth certificate, passports and I.D and a brief history of the victim that was considered gold in Robert's mind. Why? It's not exactly easy to find out personal information about the dead, especially when it was a foreigner.
While sceeming through the text, Robert's eyes landed on a name of a family. The Kensignton. He furrowed his brows and continued reading on, apparently, the suspect. Jaime was part of a group of mercenarys and an export shipment of some kind that was blocked out for him to read.
Robert sighed, closing his eyes for a second before deciding to stand up and fetch himself a cup of coffee. Unknown that the person who broke his heart was the answer to his case all along. Tom
-
It's been quiet for the past weeks. Not much happened, in Tom's life anyways, except the constant calls from Lisa and Barry who considered they move back to Russia, with the comfort of there family that was somewhat a master in the art of killing. Or something like that.
Tom, by his very well-being, declined. He wasn't going anywhere until Carlton became what he envisioned him to be. Come hell or high water, hypothetically speaking, Hagen was both the hell and the high water.
He wasn't challenging him to come look for him, Tom just wanted enough time to perhaps imbezzle a shit-ton of money and dissapear, just like it's always been. Carlton, he smiled to himself thinking that he actually fell for that man. He hated himself for that.
Carlton was weak, Carlton was needy but Carlton was rich. Dirty, fucking rich. If he had to be called a gold-digger to save his life, then fire away because he wasn't going to end up in the arms of a monster, or man-child with disgusting needy issues.
Typing down the last of his speech, Tom smiled then pressed print. It was only a few days till election day, and my god, Tom could taste victory by his lips. Tasting that victory was not an easy road, after all, no one said this would be easy, It was particularly hard though, It was something in between.
All you needed to win this race was set of balls and cut-throat attitude. And with that in your arsenal, you could do anything. Ask any favor, take any opportunity and seize every fucking game the political world has to offer. Tom was a natural at this type of games, with his kind of mind it was something he secretly enjoyed, how were all like chess pieces and Tom was the creator, moving everyone around and yet, everybody still looks at him like a mere pawn. He loved it, he loved the secrecy of his devious actions that led to Carlton's victory.
And with that settled, there was nothing stopping him. Maybe Hagen, but he'll be ready for that in another time.
"Tom, Are you done with that speech I told you about?" Tanya asked, glancing his way briefly before scrolling down on her cellphone.
Tom collected the numbered paper and placed them in a folder and laid it in Tanya's table before smiling thinly and nodding. He watched as Tanya took the time to read through his made-up speech with an impressed look by her face.
"This...is really good, really good" she sounded off, still reading his speech before stopping briefly and laying flat on her table. "I don't wanna read it all, I wan't surprised when Carlton read it on election day" she said, looking at Tom.
He nodded. "So? What do you think?"
Tanya rolled her eyes. "It's good"
Impressed by his work, Tom sighed and rested his eyes as he closed them and listened to the faint talks of the room, the buzzing of the AC, the constant ping of cellphones and hush voices of the workers from afar.
"How are you two? Any plans with your newly-elected boyfriend?" Tanya said while Tom just gave her a stink-eye.
"Yeah, we decided to do a shotgun wedding in vegas and adopt a kid or two" Tom began. "You know, fairytale stuff" he said humorlessly with a poker expression.
"Stupid" he heard Tanya whisper, smiling lightly.
It's been a good couple weeks since Tom had been playing Carlton by the edge of his fingers, allowing him to breath the same space he occupied. While taking care of his financial transactions in the process, as of today, Tom has officially imbezzled 500,000+ thousand dollars from Carlton. And the best part, Carlton has no clue, not the slightest. It was quite easy actually if you've done it right. Give him a list of local business that has some big product to give, condition his mind into your choosing and voila!
Thousands at your hand and hopefully, more to come. Isn't that all the part of being a grown up? Get your money and die? If so, I hope not the dying part.
-
All eyes were on Robert as he arranged a meeting that consisted of his entire staff of eight. Each with there own expertise to aid him. After all of them settled and there eyes rested on a bunch of case files Robert handed, they glanced at him with a mixture of fear and exitement.
"You want us to find out more about this group, Aren't you?" Robert nodded, looking sternly at his firm. It was a gamble, they were smart and cunning but they weren't train to rum with the big dogs like he has.
"Just where they are settled. Who are they? What are there names? Do they have enemies? Can you do that for me?" He asked though he already knew the answer to his question.
It was a yes, always.
An hour later, each of them went on there respected area and began looking in about The Kensington Family. His tech guys searched aimlessly at there computers and his investigators ran the entire city and interviews just about everyone on the sidelines about mercenaries and bootleg.
Alas, someone came through. Jameson came yelling in his office with a folder by his hand and a prized look of gold on his face. He found something. After Robert motioned him in, Jameson gave him the folder and Robert scanned through it quickly. Holy shit, Robert thought, comparing glances with his employee who had the same expression on his face.
They weren't just going up against a group of petty thieves. No, they were up against a powerful family in Europe that specializes in shipping nuclear weapons and hiring deadly assassins. If he only knew.
Regardless of the shocking information, Robert kept on reading until his eyes landed on a phrase as he read it outloud.
"On 23rd of October, The Kensington Family ended there century long civilized partnership with The Callahan Family that resulted in the demise of both the families leaders: Lucia Callahan & Dominic Kensington, Including many others in the crossfire that left The Kensington Family lost and broken and The Callahan Family extinct-" Robert turned the page but it was empty.
"It was the only thing I could find" Jameson replied, his big, framed glasses loosing it's grip. "I'll look deeper on the dark places of the Internet but for now, that's it"
"It's alright, you did good" Robert said, still expressionless to what he read. His brain yearned for more information about this family. But what's left to offer? The Callahan.
"Do you think you could get me information about The Callahans? With photos, If you can"
Jameson nodded and headed off, leaving Robert alone to wonder in his thoughts again. But at what? The case? No, It was him again for crying out loud. Until now, Robert hated Tom for making him feel this way, even when he broke him, Robert still had his eye out for him, thinking about him, dreaming about him...kissing him. What was it with Tom that made him so fucking irresistable. I wonder why.
-
Things are not what it seems, now he knows.
It was quite unclear what Robert was feeling at the moment. Disgust? Passion? Pity? Or Love? Because there a picture lay, maybe captured decades ago but the resemblance is there. His eyes, the way they lit amidst anything, or how his lips curl when he smiles at the right angle. It was him, It was Tom.
A hundred percent, totally, honestly him. He was a bit younger but his characteristics were already present. Robert took hold of the picture for a while before placing it down. He opened his browser and searched his name. "Tom Garret" on the search engine.
No Matches Found.
Robert tried again, even searching on popular social media sites but all coming empty handed. He felt his blood drain from him face as the screen showed a phrase 'that username doesn't exist' Robert continued to stare at it. Was Tom, whatever his name is, real? Or maybe I'm just loosing my mind from lack of sleep.
But the picture, I'm positive It's him. He thought to himself, with the picture by his hand and a folder in the other containing a short information about 'Nikolaj Callahan'
Without wasting another second, Robert opened the folder and began reading it, finishing in a minute before closing the folder as well as his eyes. His head thumped painfully as he held his temples, contemplating whether or not It was a good idea to maybe have a talk with Tom. But for what? He would'nt show up, Robert needs something to lure him in, something so irresistable it will make him come to him.
But what? He has nothing.
Robert was deep in thought when an unexpected knock came on his door, awakening him. "What?!" He yelled.
In came, Cindy with a plastic envelope by her hand.
"I finally got that footage you asked for on the crime scene" she said, placing it by his table with a questioning look on her face. She was pale as snow with lips red as wine. Gosh. Her eyes were making him cautious.
"What took you so long? I asked for that weeks ago"
She then folded her arms and faced him, eyebrows furrowed. "Well, I'm sorry. It's not easy to steal tapes that's already stolen, It took some time okay?" She protested.
It was stolen?
"What do you mean? 'It was stolen?" Robert asked.
"Someone took the tapes first, It's not the police, I checked but whoever did this" she said. "Doesn't want this to get out" Cindy ended before leaving.
Robert then opened the envelope and took the flash drive and quickly plugged it in his laptop and found a single video inside a folder. He clicked it, waited a few second before a video was shown infront of him. It was dark and raining in the pixelated screen when suddenly a man was being chased with the victim as the suspect. Robert couldn't see the other mans face as the camera was against him, giving a clear view of the victim. He waited for a second before a crash of bright lights blinded the camera a bit before another man stepped out of the vehicle and shot the victim at the back.
Robert eyes widened and the hair on his back rose as the face of the killer was shown. It was Carlton St.Vincent, but what really surprised him, Is the other man was no one else but Tom or should I say, Nikolaj Callahan.
-
His eyes were the only thing Tom saw at the moment. They decided to have lunch that consisted of two: panfried noodles and several spring rolls for dinner. It was quiet in the office, quiet not because they were loosing, quiet because they were being humble and relaxed.
The lights were kept to a minimum and Carlton's regularly overstuffed desk was cleaned out, only chinese food was present and it was lovely.
A spoonfull of spring roll came in Carl's mouth as the two kept stealing glances at each other like a couple of love struck fools. And one of them was a lovestruck fool.
"What about Paris?" He asked, followed by that hint of light in his eyes that indicated much more than he needed to.
Tom nodded his head, disagreeing. "No, too crowded" he said, while taking a bite of his noodle. "And besides, I don't speak french" Tom said.
It was a little game they did everynow and then, they have dinner, Carlton gives choices of beautiful cities around the world and Tom gives his opinion. For Carlton, It was more than a game, he wanted to make it real. It would be diffucult considering where he's standing, but he was sure he would have it one way or the other.
He smiled like a fool, a picture of them somewhere in the world, probably married and fitting in to the new culture and what-not. It was perfect in his opinion.
"Vienna?" Tom sighed, he wasn't in the mood for games.
"No"
"No as in, No? Or because you don't speak the language?" He smiled cheekily, under the low-light, he could see him any way he wanted and still say he was absolutely beautiful.
"No, As in I'm not in the mood for games. I'm tired" Tom said, giving a subtle brush to the pleasing athmosphere Carl had done and replacing it with shear cold wind.
"Oh" Carlton said, a little hurt as his reply. He blinked, a few times before finally giving up to whatever he had in mind and just ate his food, all while keeping a warm look at Tom's face. For a second, everything went still. There breathings were synchonized and soft.
"You've been held back for a while" were the words he said to him after looking in his honey-colored eyes that shone with a hint of glitter. His lips were parted as well as his lashes were lowered, It was an involuntary move, years in the making.
I didn't quite understand what he was saying. I was being conservative, not in a sensual way but more of a social kind of experimental way. I wanted to dissapear quietly, I wanted to make my new-found friends question my dissapearance without much bafflement. I wanted to be like a morning dew on frosty petals, everybody sees it but no one ever seems to question it's dissapearance.
"I don't know what your saying" Tom's tone was dissmisive, kind of rude without much serious considerstion. Tom then, turned his gaze away from Carlton. What is it with him right now. He felt guilty all the sudden. As if what he's doing for the past several months was beggining to eat him whole.
As if his eyes had a way of escaping the facade he wished to continue. Did he know? Probably not, never.
"You don't talk much anymore" He began and Tom blocked his voice out the second later. He wasn't in the mood for his speech about there illicit relationship and all. Instead, Tom looked beside Carlton and into the vast open city landscape. It's sparkling lights was contagious to look at, It gave an impression of the whole city was nice and inviting, It is, but not all of it. Because in the end, we are all unknown to the hidden truth of creative deception this city had made us do.
"Well" He started. "I don't know what you want me to say" Tom replied bitterly, wanting to start a fight. Maybe that's just what he needed to fall madly inlove with him. A fight, that's what Robert gave him and look at him now, crying about him and all.
"Do you want me to say everysingle thing that comes into my pretty head? Or do you want me all lipshut like a trophy wife" Tom gritted through his teeth, making an act for it. Carlton, who sat quiety with a glimmer on his eyes failed to see pass through what he was intending him to do.
Oh Carlton, dumb as a fiddle.
"Tom?" He smiled casually, kind of pleasing in a way.
"No, please! Tell me what do to or say, you're an expert to that aren't you?" He tormented, his eyes reflecting the fiery burn of the candle. "Handling things, taking care of it. Taking care of me? You like that don't you? The feeling of superiority and all, It's amazing right?"
Tom then stood up from his seat a forcefull motion, shaking the table in the process. His eyes screamed dirty war and he wasn't kidding as his eyes were wide open, fixated on Carl who composed himself in his seat without a clue in the world of what, Tom was up to.
He wanted a fight, a good, old argument. I mean, let's face it. Tom and Carlton's relationship was stale, boring and a major flaw. It was not the exciting, life-changing and heartbreaking romance tale he hoped, Instead it was nothing for than the mainstream relationship every mediocre person wanted: Normal. And by all means, Tom wasn't normal.
"Let's not be irrational, Tom" By the sound of his calmed voice, Tom's face turned bright red as he shoved the remainder of there dinner down to the floor with one sweep of his arms, hope made him to think this kind of action will get a reaction he wanted out from him.
With broken glassware by his carpet, mixed with a mixture of leftovers. Carlton didn't flinch, not the slightest bit. It was like Carlton was under somekind of spell (or drug) that made him immune to Tom's devious ways. I wonder, If Tom decided to slay an innocent child infront of him, would he stop and hold him from his actions? Or is his love far greater than the act of taking anothers life.
Would his perfect, unstained image of Tom be still unscathe?
"Tom?" This time, Tom decided to flip the table over though failing comically and finally deciding to kick the shit of his antique, mahogany table multiple times. Still, no reaction from him. Oh sure, I'll kick a priceless furniture with decades of history written on it and he won't give a damn.
"Are you finish?" Fuck it, Tom took an award from Carlton's wall and threw it across the room, smashing it to a million pieces. He then took another one and had the same fate earlier. What was wrong with him? Tom was smashing priceless awards and Carl watched him under a confusing gaze.
And from the corner of his eye, Tom saw amidst the darkness, a glowing crystal in a shape of a pen. Perfect, he thought as he grabbed it full force. It was his gift to him, something that would make him believe there illicit relationship he built. And it was something he was going to smash, hard. But as he was just about to throw it, he felt Carl's arms wrap around him, stopping him from behind.
"Let me go so I can destroy this shit" He muttered. "You can't make me, I happen to be very fond of that item. It was given to me by someone I love" He said, feeling his breath against his skin. All hot and bothered. He could only imagine the coy smile on his lips.
That asshole
And at an instant, by some kind of military move, all of a sudden, Tom was facing Carl with cheeks blazing and hands around his forearms and an extinguishable smile on his face.
"What's with the attitude, Tom? You're making a scene out of me" Ha? Is that what you call a scene?
"I want a scene, very much"
"Well then, why didn't you just say so?-" And by surprise, Carl landed his lips towards Tom who stood motionless by the sensual act. His lips was a mixture of wine and chinese food, so laid back and fine.
After a second, Carlton smiled to see Tom with his mouth shut. He hated to admit it, he enjoyed it. Liked it, in a way. Spicy, a new flavor that Tom would learn to hate in a few days, temporary and nothing.
"I hate you so much"
"I love you too" Carlton then released his hold from him and walked out the room, along with the pen that significe his sanity.
Tom breathed heavily after that, looking at his sorroundings and the mess he caused. Fuck He thought. What the actual fuck And he was right, he was so stupid. Closing his eyes, Tom sat on the floor and rested his head on the wall, tired and broken when his phone vibrated on his pocket, he took his phone and his mental state froze momentarily.
It was Robert, he sent a message.
Tom's finger seemed to have a mind of it's own as he slid the screen with his thumb. And only then did he regretted it as his eyes widened and Tom was submerged into a state of catatonia. There was a grainy picture of him and Carlton from the night of the murder, the photo was dimly lit, but it was clear who it was.
Another message was sent, this time, it stated the following words: 7 o'clock, The Plaza and nothing else.
-
A/N : Hey! Lol, I'm a little busy these past few months with school and everything but do not fret, I'm still writing (not as much as I used to though) 😕