Rule number sixteen; Progress, not perfection.
I sit close to the game table. My actions eager and curious, my mind fully focused on the match being played and the man beside me.
At least that's what anyone looking at me sees.
I subtly dip my hand into the clutch on my lap and grasp the handful of chips, letting them slip between my fingers in boredom. The fake chips knock against each other in my palm as I wait for my moment to strike.
A yell echoes out within the room and faces turn to the commotion. The elite and addicted alike all eager to grasp a bit of gossip.
Seems I don't have to wait long before a commotion starts.
I almost roll my eyes when I see one of the women that was previously on Liam's arm now pushed behind another man. The two standing off against each other, the man's shoulders tense and face murderous.
Liam only winks back, taking a sip of the amber liquid occupying the crystal glass. His grin only widening after the man spits something at him.
I turn back to the table, ignoring the impending fight and start on my plan.
I lean against the game table, tilting my head curiously. Bits of blonde hair falling to linger against my exposed shoulder.
I glance up lazily and see no one paying attention to the game. Lifting my hand from my purse, I let the pile of chips fall to meet the pile on the table. Looking around for witnesses as I do, but I see only one pair of eyes staring at me and I'd rather they weren't. His hazel eyes watch me curiously, a trail of molten lava running from my eyes to my hand.
And no, it was not pleasurable.
Murmurs break out as security guards push their way through the growing crowd. They interrupt the fight between Liam and the other guy. They pull them apart and escort them towards the elevator, most likely taking them to the top to face punishment for being disorderly in the prestigious establishment.
I glance back to Archer and raise a brow at his smirk, his grin only widens as he winks back at me and turns away.
Touché.
I watch from the corner of my eyes as the guard takes Liam and his opponent closer to the elevator, yet walks past it, bypassing it all together.
I turn back to Archer and tip my chin with a smirk as his slowly disappears.
The challenge in his gaze brightens as he stares back at me. I ignore him, turning back to the table as the interest is lost, and everyone resumes in the game.
Chips are set on the green carpeted table and bets are placed. Jewellery and worthy items scattered among them.
I sit seemingly uninterested in the game as I lean towards my target. I clutch his bicep and squeeze gently. The pretty blonde girl more interested in her date than the money gained.
The colour of my hair helps in the disguise since people only see what they want to see. The stupid blonde girl has helped in many disguises over my career. I'll despise the day people realise one isn't defined by what they look like.
Out of the corner of my eyes I watch the chips that don't belong, the ones I'd placed there.
And soon, I won't be the only one who knows.
See these aren't just any chips, these chips don't belong to this casino, and they will know. As soon as chips not belonging to this casino are placed onto the table, an alarm is tripped. A light glowing under the dealers' side of the table. The worker then sounds an alarm for security.
And my plan will begin.
There is a tracking device placed in each individual chip, a calling card for casinos to know which belong to them and which do not. Resulting in them finding out which person is trying to swindle money out of them. My target is that person.
I force a yawn from the back of my throat as the game continues with no action.
Seriously, how long does it take for them to realise?
A flick of the wrist is the only indicator that someone has noticed. That person being the box dealer. His wrist flicking down under the table and hastily moving back to its position resting on the table.
The alarm has been activated.
I sit up straighter in excitement and lean into my target.
"I'll be back, I'm getting a drink. Do you need anything?"
A shake of the head and brief glance are the only response I receive before I'm up out of my chair and striding away.
A hand is clasped around my bicep, pulling me into their body. I stumble, catching myself before I crash into Archer.
I look down at him, my hands resting on his chest. His palm settles on my waist, an inch above my hip, his touch scorching.
His face lightens, a taunt filling his gaze as he leans into me. His lips brush my cheek as he whispers in my ear.
"What did you just give him?"
"Poison." I whisper seductively bringing my face close to his, dragging my hand up his chest to rest at his neck.
His hand tightens on my waist, pulling me further into his body. I stumble forward, standing between his legs. His thighs touching my hips. A whispered breath leaves my lips on an exhale, my grip tightening on his collar.
I vaguely see four bodies pass me by, inches from touching me. I move forward to avoid alerting them of my presence, my body now one inch from Archers.
I look back down at him, my fingers delving into his hair. The thick pieces clutched between my fingers.
Archer stands suddenly, his chest flush against mine. The sudden move jolting me before I catch myself and stare up at him.
In seconds, my body is dragged behind his and I roll my eyes, moving in-front of him when he moves us beside the wall. I fold my hands behind my back and lean against the wall, staring up at him lazily.
He cages me against the wall and leans down, whispering.
"Sarge?"
I blink at the sensation coursing through my body before replying.
"Just something to relax him, so he doesn't give away my plan too quickly." I push away from him, needing him as far away from me as I can get right now.
My eyes move to the four men and Lucien, being led around by them to the elevator. I make to move around Archer, to intercept the group.
No doubt they'll take me with them once they realise Lucien and I were together.
My mouth pops open when he blocks me once more, his eyes burning with amusement.
I narrow my eyes, stepping forward but he only tuts, leaning down, the grin on his face positively villainous.
"And where do you think you're going?"
"You're cheating."
"Is it really cheating if I'm already winning?"
My pulse jumps but I ignore it, dragging my chin up defiantly before answering. My back lifting from the wall slightly. "You aren't winning." I remind him, "Liam wasn't taken upstairs."
"Doesn't mean he won't find his way there." He murmurs back, lowly.
I narrow my eyes but he only grins.
"Did you want to reschedule this mission so you two can go have hot sweaty sex in the coat closet?" My eyes flash to Cleo, my pulse pounding incessantly.
Archer clears his throat, pushing me back before he stands, turning away from me.
I turn from all them, my focus jumping to the elevator, making sure my skin brushes his as I pass.
I turn back when I reach the sliding doors, raising a brow at the three people behind me.
"Shall we?" I ask gesturing to the elevator.
"Well since we won, we'll let the ladies go first." Clay jokes and Cleo scoffs, calling him a name under her breathe which only causes his eyes to darken.
I turn my back to the display, pressing the button for the top floor.
"First we have to see if your plan worked." I mutter, stepping into the small space once the door slides open.
Three bodies follow me in as we ascend.
Warm breath hits my neck and the hairs on my arms stand on end at the feeling.
Shaking my head slightly, I exhale and watch the doors as the elevator dings.
The metallic doors slide open, revealing a long narrow hallway and only one door at the end. Ivory tiles line the floor, the sound of my heels echoing in the narrow hallway.
A crash sounds from the other side of the door. I walk towards it, grasping the handle in my hand, twisting it.
The sight that greets me, wasn't what I was expecting.
"In my defence, I was left unsupervised."
"What the hell happened in here?" Clay murmurs, stalking past me to stare at the bodies littered on the ground.
"There's a few more dead bodies than I was expecting." Liam murmurs, adding onto the question and not answering anything.
My eyes take in the scene of the numerous dead bodies, bullets pierced through their skulls but it's the sight of Vincenzo Deluca and Lucien Eilish that answer a few question, yet creates more.
'See No Evil' is etched into their foreheads, blood still pouring from the fresh wounds.
They're escalating.
"But why only carve into two of them?" I ask, shutting the door softly behind me as I analyse the scene, cataloguing everything in sight.
"We'll have to notify Director." Archer says, looking to Clay, who pulls his phone out.
"Have they been watching us, is that why they targeted them?" Cleo asks the silence.
I look to the words scarred into their flesh, "No, this is personal."
"I think we've stumbled into something much bigger than we think." Archer says, "That's Vincenzo Deluca, his family own half the city."
"Wasn't his son just murdered?" Cleo asks, "Him and his Fiancé?"
"Turf war?" Liam asks.
"No, this is too angry." Clay answers, hanging up. His eyes narrowed on those words carved into their flesh. "This is about revenge."
"What did Director say?" I ask looking into Clays face, his green eyes running with thoughts.
"He's on his way, told me not to call anyone in until he has a look at the scene himself."
Archer nods his head and shrugs off his suit jacket, laying it over the desk. Bending down he stares at the wounds inflicted on one of the bodies.
Narrowing his eyes, he leans forward, prying something from Vincenzo's mouth.
Petals spill forth, fluttering delicately against Vincenzo's neck, the crimson stark against his still tan skin.
"Are they rose petals?" I ask, crouching down beside him.
"Yeah." He says slowly, brow furrowed.
Clay moves, checking Lucien's mouth.
"Nothing." His eyes come up to rest on Vincenzo, "Why'd he get the petals and not Lucien?"
"Maybe he had more to do with why this person wants revenge?" Cleo asks.
My eyes go back to the words, "Then why mark both of them?"
"I guess that's something only they know." Clay murmurs before his ringtone cuts through the stillness.
"What?" He asks sharply to the voice on the other end, his face tight with tension. "Are you fucking kidding?"
His eyes gradually become darker and darker with tension before he slams his phone down and says through clenched teeth.
"Director wants us to leave the building, says he's sending people up who will take over for this part of the case."
"What?" I ask at the same time Archer growls the word. "What do you mean he wants us to leave?"
Clay shakes his head, fists tight. "Said it was a sensitive situation with the head of a major crime organisation dead and we're the only one to witness anything happen, which was nothing."
"So, he just wants us to leave?' Cleo asks.
"He's sorting it with the Deluca family, to smooth it over with them so they don't come after the Division."
"You're kidding me." Archer murmurs, standing and reaching for his jacket angrily. Ripping it from the desk and slipping it on, the slight glimpse of something catching my attention.
I narrow my eyes and step forward, reaching for the front pocket.
Archer watches me questioningly but doesn't move to stop me as I slip my fingers into the pocket and retrieve the object I saw briefly when he put the jacket on.
I pull the small piles of rose petals from the jacket, letting them linger in my palm.
"Where did these come from?"
Archer swear softly under his breathe, "The woman from the game table. Jennifer."
"Do you think she's still there?" Clay asks.
"No, she was leaving when she slipped them in my pocket, I thought it was her number."
I narrow my eyes, noticing something on a petal, picking it up between my fingers. The number four stares back at me, the number seven beside it. I flip the rest of the petals over, eyes slimming the rest of the numbers.
"There are numbers on them," I say, laying the petals down. And spreading them out, "But it's not enough for a phone number."
4, 7, 8, 2, 7, 2, O.
Archer leans beside me, moving a few of the petals around, "It make no sense."
The sound of feet hit our ears from outside and I swipe the petals back up, placing them in Archer pocket once more.
He raises a brow at me.
"It might help in our case, beside they weren't part of the crime scene here."
Clay walks past me, smirking. "I didn't see any more petals besides the one on Vinnie's chest."
"Yeah what petals?" Cleo says, walking for the door.
She opens it, staring at the men who stand on the other end.
"Hello, boys. You're late for the party."
Clay takes her hand in his, leading her out while Liam, Archer and I follow. Leaving the two men to do as they please.
• • •
The car ride back to the house is silent, all of us too lost in our thoughts to talk.
I glance towards Archer, noticing him smoothing the petals between his thumb and forefinger, face contemplative before his brow furrows.
"There's a letter on the back of this one." He holds up one of the petals so we can see the letter 'H' written on the back.
"What number?"
"Four."
He flips over the others but only one other has a letter written, 'R' for the number seven.
"It's a puzzle."
"But what does it mean."
Clay clears his throat, "I don't know but we should figure it out before it's too late."
"Seven numbers, Seven letters." Cleo muses, "It has to be a clue, maybe a name?"
"But what does it begin with? There is several possibilities."
"H." Liam says, grabbing the petal from where it rests on Archer's knee.
He holds the petal up, showing the side with the letter engraved and a small one in the top left corner. "Seems our serial killer thinks we need their assistance."
A smile stretches my lips, "Okay, so a word beginning with H, includes the letter R, and numerous numbers that we have to figure out what number they stand for."
"I hate algebra." Liam groans from where he sits, scrunching his nose at the petal.
I lean forward from my spot to see the other petals, narrowing my eyes on them.
A ringing cuts through the silence, Clay answering the chirping phone with a grunt.
"What do you mean?" His eyes flash up to meet mine before finding Archer's, "Then who was it?"
There's chatter on the other line, too quiet to distinguish.
"Send her information through." He says quietly, hanging up before rubbing his temples.
"What did he want?" Archer breaks the tense quiet, asking what we're all wondering.
"The body found that we thought was Sebastian's is not, It's another Agent that had gone on a classified assignment, so his disappearance wasn't noticed."
"So, Sebastian is still alive?"
Clay breathes out, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's hope."
"Whose files?" I ask the question itching at me.
"Samael thinks he has figured out who the next target is, but he needs to do some digging first,"
"Who does he think is next?"
"Some Doctor." Clay says, "He will let us know if we're needed."