"Chéri's a nasty, conceited little bitch!" Spangna said, with her face in her hands. "How could I ever have liked that little snake! I wanna kill him myself!"
Marcel placed his hand on her shoulder. "Now do you understand what an unbalanced and manipulative liar he is? And what I have had to put up with?"
She looked back up to him. "How can you be silent about this?" She said through tears. "You've been cheated, Marce! I can't believe his bravado! Haven't you gone to Madam Dolores over this?!"
"She sought me out when this whole thing erupted. She begged me to stay, she promised me anything I wanted in return for staying, and my silence. I was so incensed I wanted nothing to do with either of them. Chéri had killed the girl I thought I loved and the betrayal was too much to bear. If we were not separated by bodyguards, I would have killed him."
Spangna grabbed Marcel's hands. "Let's get out of here. Leave now! Take what you can pack in a bag and just go, as far as we can! I have you, that's all I ever wanted from the start. You're the only reason I'm here."
"Ohh no. No, mon petit. I want revenge and I will have it. I will use his latest game against him. I shall stay on a term just good enough, as not to arouse Chéri's suspicion and vengeance, especially with you here."
"Why?! You're the innocent here! You're the victim! And..." Spangna stopped mid sentence and looked up at Marcel. "Oh my God, he's got Lennon. He's got Lennon! He's got him on the other side of the world! Lennon doesn't know, does he?"
"Chéri and Lennon deserve each other. Lennon is a tasteless, revolting creature, and he is seriously, seriously, mentally unbalanced. I've seen it before, he shows traits and markers of paranoia, schizophrenia and other personality disorders. I tried to save him but..." Marcel said.
"You're wrong!" Spangna snapped back.
"I am correct!"
"NO! Lennon's a beautiful soul. A kind and giving man. He's protective over people he loves, and that's precisely why the poor man is in danger every single moment he spends with Chéri!" Spangna answered.
☆
There was a knock on Suzanne's B&B door. She was nervous to answer but she walked to the door and looked through the spyhole and saw It was the person from the front desk. An impatient and unkempt, older Spanish woman.
Suzanne answered the door expecting to be told to leave, but Suzanne understood, and spoke, enough Spanish to understand that the woman was saying that she had received an international phone call. It was an American speaking Latin American Spanish, and paying for the room for another six days and she wanted to give her the receipts. Lennon had come through for her again.
Suzanne finished the conversation and after closing the door, she could feel her legs shaking beneath her. She sat on the bed, and tears started to fall silently down her face as she stared at the floor.
☆
Kenzo walked up to Marcel, who was standing right next to Spangna, talking quietly. "Boss, Javier didn't report for work today."
"Yes, I am aware. Has someone gone to his apartment to pull him out of bed?" Marcel said as Ignacio walked up.
"Yes. That was the first thing I did. He wasn't there." He answered before he turned to his colleague. "Hey Ignacio, you're his best friend. Is he in an asset's bed?" Kenzo asked.
Ignacio turned to Kenzo. "No way! You have to be kidding! But, his security armband, wallet and everything were still in his room. I checked with all assets anyway from all groups and he wasn't with any of them. So now, it's become a security issue, so I checked in with all security teams. It turns out that he just walked out at six this morning. The three waves of security let him through because...why wouldn't they."
Spangna looked concerned. "That's not like him, Marce! He hasn't been himself recently! And I think he's fallen into depression from the way he was speaking to me."
Kenzo turned to Spangna. "What way?"
Spangna turned to Kenzo. "He was saying that...his life is going nowhere and he's disillusioned."
Ignacio nodded, "That's true. I mean, I was surprised he came round to yours Span. He's been declining all hangouts."
Kenzo turned to Marcel. "I've heard about things like this. People just go and commit suicide."
"Don't say that!" Spangna said before she grabbed Marcel's arm. "We have to find him!"
"I can call him again as he seems to have his phone on him." Kenzo said.
"No. Let me." Marcel said as he got his phone out.
"You don't call grunts, boss." Kenzo said, shocked.
Marcel just shook his head in a disgusted manner at Kenzo as he held the phone up to his ear. After a moment he re-called. Then turned to Spangna. "It does just go to voice mail." Marcel said, looking almost concerned.
"I don't like this. There's something wrong!" Spangna said.
Marcel turned to Spangna. "Of what temperament was he, when he went to yours?"
"He seemed okay, but nervous, and he said he was under a lot of stress. He confided in me, a lot." Spangna said.
"Look..." Ignacio started. "I think we should trawl the local bars. I mean, he's had historical issues with alcohol, depression and prescription drug addiction."
"What?!" Spangna said loudly, making Marcel wince.
"Yeah. At one point in his old life, he was an alcoholic because of something or the other, and if you know anything about them ...they can never have just one drink. In fact, many know they can never touch alcohol ever again." Ignacio explained.
"Is this true, Marce?" Spangna asked.
"Oui, mon petite." Marcel nodded.
Spangna covered her face a moment. "I offered him wine at mine! And he didn't want to drink, at first. I never knew he had a problem!"
Ignacio pat her back, "Yes but that was a couple of days ago. Totally unrelated to his vanishing. Marcel, I think I should head out and check some local bars."
Marcel rolled his eyes but then saw Spangna fold her arms and stare at him. "You have three hours, no more. I can not risk having less security on shift. Bring that idiot back for his disciplinary."
"I'm going out there too! I don't have another web show until eight tonight." Spangna said.
"I would focus on the Silver Star first. It is the usual destination of the desperate, and it is where I found him first, all those years ago. Both of you, bring Javier back, or do not bother returning." Marcel said to Ignacio, somewhat noticing that he and Kenzo were staring at the floor, trying to stifle smiles.
Spangna was grinning back at Marcel, confusing him further until he looked her up and down. "And you, are going nowhere dressed like that!" He added as he pointed at Spangna who was in her usual work wear of neon lime green underpants with black suspenders, large holed and ripped fishnet stockings, and neon hot pink bra. All of this under a large, thick netted fishnet dress, matched with fluffy black and lime green boot covers.
"Got it. Span, I'll meet you outside after you've changed." Ignacio said before he and Kenzo walked off speaking to each other.
"Whatever is the root cause of their stupidity." Marcel said as he shook his head.
Spangna covered her mouth in a girlish fashion and giggled. "Its you, Marce. There's a joke going around about you. You mispronounce the word 'focus', and you say 'fuckus' and everyone finds that funny... cause you do say it a lot." She said, noticing everyone eating in the canteen had suddenly stopped talking and were staring down at their plates listening, probably in total disbelief that she had told him that.
"Do they think being beaten up is funny? Because that, is the next episode for them." Marcel said frustrated, but almost with a smile.
Spangna swayed slightly on the spot. "Okay, stop because even that's funny."
They started to make their way to the canteen doors and Marcel turned to Spangna. "Also, Kenzo has some nerve in ridicule me when his accent is the most ridiculous!"
But Spangna just worried about Javier as they walked. "Marce! What if something happens to him!" Spangna asked as they walked out of the canteen.
Once in the corridor, Marcel turned to Spangna. "Mercy! He is not a puppy, or a child! He is a grown man learned in enforcement, violence and responsible for his own poor judgements! I think he can take care of himself, and face me for his insubordination when he is hauled back, as every second that he is AWOL, someone has to do double the workload."
"Have some compassion, Marce! I think he looks up to you! You're like a hero to him!" Spangna said.
"I called him twice! Did I not?!" Marcel replied.
"Yes but, he really thinks you're a great leader and he also thinks you are invulnerable to bullets, as do other members of your team." Spangna said.
"Then they are misguided and have not the most basic grasp of physics or biology. One day, they will be proved wrong! Shame I will not be there to enjoy the moment." Marcel said, while feeling somewhat ridiculous for having to state the obvious.
"I've seen you step out calmly Into gunfire, with your arm outstretched, aiming carefully. Because you know they can't hit you."
"You all miss the point! Of course I do not invite death, but I do not fear it. I have had a long and eventful life. I am at peace with my mortality. When it is time to go, I will be taken. No amount of money or success can purchase you, even one more second, on this earth." Marcel stated plainly.
Spangna looked up and down the hallway before she slipped her arms around his waist. "You have to stay here on this Earth Marce, and give us many, many happy years together. I'd never find anyone as bad tempered as you."
With his gloved hand he touched her chin and gave her a quick kiss after looking around. "You are a sweet girl, one of which takes terrible advantage of me." He said back to her before patting her on the backside.
"And you love it." Spangna said in her adorable Mancunian accent.
"Oh yes, I do. When this is all over though. You will cease your work, and be simply my wife." Marcel said.
"What will you be, babe?" Spangna asked.
"Your husband of course." Marcel said.
Spangna smiled back as she reached their apartment, "I'll get changed, then look for Javier. I'm so worried! I love him like a brother."
Marcel nodded, "I know my love."
"What if they don't find him?!"
"Then, I will go out and find him myself. He will return back to us, safe." Marcel said before he kissed her again.
"Marce...? You won't be tough on him, will you?" Spangna asked.
"Of course not." Marcel said back with a small smile as he had to pull himself away from her to get back to work.