(2014) Deep Inside

by Jack Parker

  Cuz a look is worth a thousand words

  Suddenly, she felt a harsh vibration in the pocket of her trousers. Her mobile. Lia pulled it out of her pocket and flipped open the cover, all the while walking away from the numerous taunts being fired behind her.

  "Lia, where are you? You should have been here ten minutes ago. The mission will totally mess up if we don't do this in time."

  It was Carmon. He was waiting for her. She should have arrived by now.

  "The chocolate rampage got me sidetracked," she replied quietly.

  It was their code. There was a silence on the phone for a moment.

  "I'll come pick you up. Just carry on walking and I'll get you at the crossroads."

  "Okay. Sorry, Carmon. I'm not deliberately trying to mess this up."

  "Don't worry, babes. I'm on it. See you in five. Bye."

  "Yeah, bye."

  She closed the phone and continued walking, her face heated from embarrassment. What could she have said? Even if had said something witty, it wouldn't matter. She was outnumbered. It would just make the situation worse. All she could do was walk away. That was all she could ever do. At least they hadn't decided to take it any further, though….who knew what would have happened then? They were only a group of teens trying to have fun.

  There were no shouts from behind now. They had probably found some other thing to amuse themselves with. Hopefully they were beating up the evil old lady… no, that was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. It was wrong to think that way.

  Lia finally reached the crossroads. Parked to its side was a dark car, the driver barely visible under the constantly moving windscreen wipers. She made her way to the car, checking her watch as she walked. Carmon was right. They were late. She quickly opened the door and bustled into the front seat beside the driver, his face shadowed by a baseball cap.

  He placed his left hand on the wheel, then turned the key causing the engine to rumble.

  "You ready to rock, babe?"

  Lia leaned against her seat. It was another one of their traditions. She was glad he didn't ask about earlier on. She preferred not to talk about it and just forget. There was no point in dwelling and when she was ready, she'd probably mention it. Carmon would understand. He'd been through just as much shit through his life as she had. If they both had flawless lives neither would be in their current position.

  "Let's do this, dude." She stretched her arms. Her eyes lingered on the seatbelt for a moment.

  "Aren't you going to wear it?" he asked.

  She smirked. "Do I ever?"

  Carmon checked the gear and switched from first to neutral. Then, with the push of the accelerator, they were off.

  * * *

  Lia stepped out of the car to be met with the heavy smell of cigarettes, cheap beer and gas fumes. It had taken twenty minutes to reach their destination and she was not impressed.

  They were in an area which contrasted greatly from where they had just come from. The dirt covered houses were splayed with graffiti and the path littered with broken wine bottles and numerous bits of rubbish. It was a very big area and she could see lots of teens dotted around the area in small huddles.

  Carmon stepped out of the car and stretched his arms, yawning. "Don't you love the smell of the city, Li?"

  Lia arched her eyebrow and firmly closed the door. "Yeah, so much that it urges me to choke in my excitement. So which house?"

  Carmon locked the car, then leaned against its smooth exterior, the cap still shadowing half of his face. He cast his eyes over the row of run down houses. "You got it?" he asked.

  Lia rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance. "I wouldn't be asking if I didn't, would I?" she snapped.

  "Okay, okay. No need to be bitchy. It's number 31. Now help me find it."

  Carmon ran his eyes over the row of houses, his brows furrowed in concentration.

  "Carmon."

  "Yeah?"

  "It's right in front of you."

  Carmon averted his gaze from the other houses. "And that it is. Come on then, lets get this done and over with."

  He got up and sauntered towards the doorway, Lia at his heel. Some of the teens were looking their way, she could feel it. After all, they did stand out. She hadn't had the time to change though.

  And I get enough looks

  Yeah, I get enough looks

  So yours don't shatter me

  You won't get me under your shoe

  Carmon knocked on the splintered door.

  "We've got attention," whispered Lia, her voice just loud enough for him to catch.

  "Remember the lines."

  Carmon scratched his nose. It was the signal. He'd heard her. The door was slid open by a tall, weedy old Elonsican.

  "May I help you?" It was the code. They knew what to say next.

  Lia's face broke into a wide smile as she rummaged through her pocket and pulled out a key. "Heya, Ted. Remember, it's me, Jen, and my boyfriend, Charlie. We're Kate's friends."

  The Elonsican's eyes widened in realization. He looked at the key and quickly returned his attention back to them.

  "Did Kate send you?" he said, smiling.

  "Yeah, she took your spare key by accident," stated Carmon. "And she wanted to return it."

  By now the teens had stopped watching. It was only Ted's daughter's friend and her boyfriend come to give back his key. Nothing interesting about that. Kate had come over yesterday. It was probably from them.

  Those looks, they don't shatter me

  They don't break my barrier of glass

  But there's cracks in my glass

  Like a spiders web

  Like the web of lies I'm feeding you

  Lia slipped the key into Ted's hand.

  "What time?" he whispered, checking quickly to make sure no one was listening.

  "He's at the pub two till three. You'll have to catch him then, we're counting on you so don't mess this up," replied Carmon, in barely a whisper.

  Ted heard. "See you, then!" he exclaimed, jovially.

  "See you, Ted!"

  "Remember to give Kate my regards!"

  "We will."

  Carmon and Lia hurriedly walked to the car as the door shut behind them. There was nothing they could do now. The mission was in Ted's hands. The only thing that Lia regretted was that the whole mission rested on the shoulders of an Elonsican.

  * * *

  It was eleven a.m. by the time they finally arrived at the base, an abandoned three -storey office building which looked as though it had never received a lick of paint through all its years of existence.

  Leaning against the wall, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, was Jude. Carmon parked the car. They both stepped out.

  "Took you long enough," he said.

  "Yeah, way too long," replied Lia.

  "How did it go?"

  Carmon shrugged. "Good on our part, a few minor distractions but successful."

  Lia knew what he was referring to. That meant he would ask, eventually, and she would have to answer. Just perfect.

  Jude looked up, his eyes resting on the gray clouds as they blended into a dull white.

  "It's going to rain," he stated. "The boss wants to see you."

  Lia sighed. "One good thing after another," she said, sarcastically.

  "It's about the mission, nothing serious. I don't think it is at least."

  "Jude, I'm knackered," she whined. "You owe me decent food after this. It's on you and it better not be that salami crap from Dennis'. I want quality."

  Jude rolled his eyes in annoyance. "We'll sort that out later. For now the mission is our first priority. Come on, let's go."

  He entered the building followed by Lia and Carmon.

  "Does he ever joke about anything?" she whispered to Carmon.

  "You've known him for four years, Li. I think you can answer that for yourself."

  Lia grinned as they made their way up the winding staircase. There were no lifts or electric ways of travel, regretfully; th
e few that were in the building were out of order. It would blow their cover if they worked. Lia's legs began to ache and her breath started to come out in sharp pants. Big staircases always did this to her, she seriously needed to get fitter.

  Jude and Carmon were far ahead. She wanted to come up with a name for them…the Fast Brothers. No, that was too lame, even for her. How about the Flaunted Brothers? Was that even a word?…If it was she sure didn't know what it meant. A voice suddenly cut through her train of thoughts.

  "Lia, move it, will you? Four years and you still can't climb a meagre lot of stairs," groaned Jude.

  Lia scowled and tried to quicken her pace. "You have a go at wearing these shoes. Then you can tell me how fast you can go up these stairs."

  Carmon was on the verge of laughter, she could tell. Jude in three inch stiletto's, now that would be funny.

  "No one said that you had to wear those specific shoes, there was always the option of the flats," answered Jude icily.

  "I'm short enough as it is without wearing flats."

  Jude didn't answer, he just continued walking.

  After a few more minutes they finally reached the top, a large dusky landing was laid out before them. They made their way to a tall door. Jude outstretched his hand and did a series of knocks that formed a pattern. There was a clicking sound.

  "Come in," said a voice.

  They slid open the door and stepped inside one by one. Standing in the center of the room were two men, one Cadlian, the other Elonsican. The Cadlian was Michael, the head of their sector. Lia knew that, but she had never seen the Elonsican before. As they entered, both men turned their gaze to face them. Michael smiled as the Elonsican eyed them with distaste.

  I'm fakin' it

  But you won't break me

  Cause you don't know me

  An' you'll never get me

  Under your shoe

  With everything else you've broke

  Lia eyes him with equal distaste. She hadn't even met him and she hated him already.

  "Oh, hello, you three," said Michael. He turned to the Elonsican. "This is Jude, this is Carmon, and this is Lia. You'll be working with them." He turned his attention back to the three figures. "And this, you three, is Cal."

  CHAPTER 3

  No ascending, just descending

  "You three, this is Cal."

  Feeling tension in your wake

  Cal continued to eye them with an overwhelming distaste. He shook Jude's hand, his eyes resting on the contrast as their hands met. Carmon was standing to the side. His arms were folded, his face defiant as he glared at the Elonsican. It was obvious that he was not going to shake any hands.

  Lia stood beside him, defiantly, until Michael sent her a glare. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she stepped forward and their hands. She tightened her grip, as did he. It was like a game, a game to decide who was the most powerful, who had the greatest will. It was as if they were trying to crush each other's bones.

  As we're meeting each other

  You know it's mutual, right?

  Lia retreated, her eyes meeting with those of Cal. Golden brown glared at the hard set green. Noticing the tension, Jude stepped forward and made his way towards them.

  "Carmon and I had better be leaving now," he stated, grabbing his brother’s arm. "You did wish to see Lia alone, after all."

  Michael nodded as they exited through the towering door. Lia narrowed her eyes. Trust Jude to leave her alone in this sort of situation.

  "Have a seat," said Michael, indicating one of the worn wooden chairs snuggled beside the large, dusty desk.

  She made her way to the chair and sat down. She folded her legs and leaned back, causing her long, wavy tresses of hair to get caught on some of the splintered bits of wood residing upon the creaking seat. Michael sat on the other side of the desk opposite her, his arms folded together as he waited for her to begin.

  "This is confidential information." Her voice cut through the silence, a dull blade slicing into water, sending ripples cascading across its surface, cutting through the particles and breaking their formulation.

  'Cause you're condescending Apprehending

  You try to break me bare

  Bit by bit

  Tear me apart

  With that glare

  Cal frowned; they all knew who that had been aimed at. Michael absently flitted his hand to the door.

  "Please excuse us for a moment, Cal. I will call you back once we have discussed the mission."

  He nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

  Once he had left, Michael leaned down and pulled open one of the dust-coated drawers. He eased out two glasses and a large bottle, then placed them in the center of the desk.

  "I expect you are quite famished after such a long mission."

  Lia shook her head. "No thanks, Mike. I'll have a drink later."

  Michael shrugged. "Suit yourself. Anyway, let's cut to the chase. How did it go?"

  "Jude is preparing a report," she replied, her eyes focused on the nails of her left hand as she absently clicked them with her thumbnail.

  "I'm sure he is, but I want a brief account on how it went." His elbows brushed against the dusty surface of the desk as he inclined his head forward, awaiting her response.

  Lia placed her hands on her lap, the overwhelming cold biting through her thin blouse and sending goose pimples creeping over her flesh. Michael's office was quite small and empty, the only objects three wooden chairs which looked as though they would break apart at any moment, a small desk, its edges lined with a few half collapsed drawers, and a large bookcase nestled beside the grimy, shutter-less window, its face encased with a thick layer of dirt. The shelves contained only one tattered book, the cover of which was so worn that Lia could not make heads or tails of what it said.

  "Can't you get heating or something installed in here? It's freezing!" she exclaimed, her teeth chattering vehemently.

  "You know the answer to that. So how did the mission go? Did everything go as planned?" he prompted, his voice holding a faint trace of irritation.

  "We got the key from Fallock, if that's what you mean."

  Michael massaged his temple with his left hand and leaned back into his chair, causing a soft creak to issue through the room.

  "Elaborate," he said, rotating the fingers of his left hand in a gesture as if to say "carry on."

  "There is nothing to elaborate on," she replied, her tone lingering on the edge of annoyance at being interrogated so much.

  Michael frowned. "What basically happened?"

  "Read the report! Why are you hassling me?"

  "As the one in charge of this mission I expect you to give me a straight answer."

  Lia sighed. "We delivered the key to the Elonsican as requested and he should be done by two o'clock. He will then make his way to the pub and replace the key. As soon as he is done, you will receive a phone call regarding our next move." She stopped, her tone of voice changing. "I still don't get why you decided to rely on an Elonsican for a job so risky, though."

  Michael sighed. "Fallock would not go a meter near a non-Elonsican or a non-Gredge, would he? So if we used a Lycani, or a Cadlian, or someone of Devinear roots, they would be unable to get into close enough proximity to execute the plan and replace the key," he explained, frustrated.

  Lia smirked. "Am I annoying you?" she cooed, fluttering her eyelashes.

  Michael sighed. "I still wonder sometimes why I allowed you of all people to join our ranks."

  "Simple, Micky boy," she replied, returning her attention back to her nails. "You could never find anyone half as talented as me in this rundown shack of an Empire. Now, is this all you wanted me for? Or is there something more? I haven't had breakfast yet, you know, so please hurry up."

  Michael furrowed his brows in annoyance.

  Lia focused her attention on the grimy window. A small black spider was barely visible as it ascended over its dirt enshrouded surface.
She shuddered. Spiders were creepy.

  Michael pulled open another drawer, sending a heap of dust flying everywhere.

  "Yes, I did have another reason for calling you. Here's your next mission." Michael tossed her a thin, leathery brown folder. "You will find all of the details in there."

  Lia frowned. Another mission already. She quickly opened the folder and flicked through some of the pages, her eyes skimming over the bold type. Her brows furrowed in concentration. She looked up once again, annoyance plastered over her features.

  "Polly was not too keen on heights," she read. "Michael, you've coded it! You know I'm crap at decoding this sort of stuff."

  Michael smirked triumphantly. "That's why you have Carmon," he replied. "Now get out and get to work. I'll brief you in due course when I wish for you to commence. For now, you just have to be aware of what to do."

  Lia shuffled out of her seat, the folder clutched firmly in her hand. She had to get to the underground and find Carmon; he would know how to work it out. But for now she was famished. She would have to get hold of Lacey seeing as Jude had probably forgotten about buying take away. Lacey would probably be in the underground,too.

  Lia walked towards the door and pushed it open. Her eyes were still focused on the crisp brown folder when she stepped out so she was not prepared for her sudden collision with a hard body. She fell back, her small form hitting the dust-covered floor. Her folder fell to the ground.

  And you know you won't pick the pieces

  'Cause you don't wanna complete the puzzle

  She looked up and was met with Cal's steely gaze. His arms were folded over his torso as a mocking grin quirked the edge of his lips.