by Delmire Hart
It had been shut down so many times only to re-open somewhere else that even the police had given up on trying to police it, too dangerous and too time-consuming. Daniel wasn’t stupid and would be giving the place a wide berth, instead making use of his excellent zoom on his new lens and scoping out the deal from a nearby abandoned building. For all that this scoop would get him a decent cash bonus and recognition, it wasn’t worth losing his head over. His thoughts flicked to William and what he would think about his location. It would be safer if William never found out where he ran off to tonight. He winced before pushing the thought away; he needed to keep his head clear and stop thinking about his soulmate.
He parked his scooter in an alley just off of a side street, manoeuvring it so lay hidden behind a few boxes and a dumpster. Hopefully no one would notice it and steal his ride home, which was always his biggest concern when he had jobs in the shadier part of town. Once he was happy that it was safe, Daniel made his way over to the abandoned building he had been scoping out earlier in the week. It was beside the club with a ledge Daniel was sure he could climb up to that would offer decent cover from eyes below. Even better, it also looked as though he would have a view through a few windows into the club.
From the information he had gathered throughout the week, the windows connected to two of the private rooms, but whether Barrett would be in those rooms was uncertain and even more important was if he would be arrogant enough to leave the windows open. Daniel was counting on his luck tonight and that was never the best thing but maybe he wouldn’t have to camp out in the cold for nothing.
Camera bag securely strapped across his chest, Daniel looked around to make sure the coast was clear before taking a running start at the wall. He used his momentum to kick off the wall and grab onto the ledge of the building before hauling himself up. Once up, he confirmed that there was still no movement in the immediate vicinity. Satisfied that he was safe, Daniel got to work digging out his camera and attaching his long-range lens. He hefted it up and peered through the finder, zooming in on the two windows. One was covered while the other sat open to show the back of an older, balding male getting a hands-on lap dance. He frowned, at least one window was open, maybe he would have some good luck tonight and that would be the room Barrett would have.
Daniel waited nearly two hours while watching various lap dances, dubious looking trades, and a few people shooting up before the other window was unshuttered. He couldn’t see too much initially as the person who opened it stood in the way for a while but when they moved Daniel saw a few people in cheap looking suits but no faces. Snapping off a few photos, he made sure to snag even more as they moved around. He watched as a briefcase was held out for inspection but unfortunately, he couldn’t see inside. He was still busily snapping pictures when a hand waved at the case and it disappeared from view.
He waited for a few more minutes before a girl stumbled into view. She looked too young to be there and Daniel chewed on his lip worriedly. He had a bad feeling about this. He hissed when hands reached out and yanked her top down so that her breasts were bared to view and she cringed away from someone out of sight, arms coming up to cover herself protectively. She shook her head in denial to something and he felt his blood run cold when he noticed her crying. He clenched his teeth and continued to snap off photos, desperately wishing for them to stop, wishing to jump in and help but he knew he couldn’t.
There were far too many people in there and he would probably be shot before he could do anything to help. Daniel could only hope that whoever she faced would step forward enough to show themselves to his camera, since then he might be able to take them down. He wished he could hear what was being said but the throbbing beat of the music from the main section of the club drowned out any chance of that. His patience was rewarded as suddenly a hand flashed out to strike the girl across the face and the man who did so stepped into full view.
James Barrett.
The rage built inside of him as the girl was struck again but this time with enough force to knock her to the ground. His fingers continued to snap away photographs but he felt detached from his body, looking out through a red fog at the proceedings. He would bring him down. So many of the politicians were dirty one way or another once you looked close enough but somehow this felt personal now. He couldn’t sit back and watch this take place and do nothing.
It left a bitter taste in his mouth that the only thing he could do for now was observe and hand in the evidence in the morning. He paused in his clicking and looked around to see if there was any way he could help, maybe create a diversion so they left for now. He couldn’t stop fidgeting, unable to sit still as he needed to do something, anything to help. Snapping off one last picture of Barrett holding up the sobbing girl by the hair, Daniel stashed his lens away in his camera case. He threw the case strap over his shoulder and carefully climbed down the building. Crouched opposite the club, concealed from view in the shadows cast off the abandoned building, he checked to make sure the camera flash was on.
He raised it up to his face and paused for a few seconds. Daniel took a deep breath trying to calm his frantically beating heart and snapped off a picture. The flash lit up the alley with a blinding light and he immediately raced away. He heard a shout as he dashed around the corner, aiming away from his scooter for now, not wanting to give away his vehicle’s position in case they lay in wait for him there when he went to retrieve it.
Daniel strained his ears trying to hear anything else over his thundering heartbeat and his steps pounding on the pavement. Suddenly there was a shout and a gunshot rang out somewhere over to his left. Shit. He thought there might be guns but he was hoping his good fortune would hold out and make this a far less dangerous chase. Footsteps rang out from afar and he scanned the buildings for a ledge or a broken window up on a second story he could make his way up to.
Another shot rang out, a little further away this time.
Who the hell where they shooting at? Were they taking pot shots at anyone in the area at this time of night and hoping to get the right person? He hoped no one had been injured. He didn’t have time to dwell on that as exactly what he had been scanning for appeared. A broken window on the second floor of a large building off to his right. Nearly all of the glass was missing and he thought he could make that with his current running start. He kicked off the building much the same way he did earlier at the club and flung his hands out to catch the window.
He bit down on his lip to muffle a cry of pain when he felt some remaining glass in the window frame dig into one of his hands. Ignoring it, he hauled himself up and was relieved to see a floor instead of a long drop on the other side. He pulled himself up the last little bit and rolled inside to land panting on his back. He covered his mouth with his sleeve to muffle the sounds of his heavy breathing and lay frozen, listening for any sign of pursuit. A minute or so later he heard footsteps thud past outside but soon they faded away into the distance.
Breathing more under control, Daniel sat up with a wince. In the dim light through the broken window he could see blood dripping down his right hand. He pulled out the cleaning cloth he used for his lenses and pressed it into the wound to stem the flow. He would have to wait here for a while to make sure they had given up before he would make his way back to pick up his ride and head home. Settling himself so he sat with his back to the wall, he let his head fall back with a soft thud and closed his eyes.
Daniel desperately hoped that they were scared enough by the prospect of being caught red-handed by an unknown photographer to make a hasty exit and leave the poor girl behind. No guarantees, but it was the only thing that might work that he could have done to help. Daniel sent out his thoughts to the girl; hopefully the diversion worked and she was left alone for now. He would stop by the police station first thing in the morning and see if he had captured enough for them to make a move on Barrett. If not then he would start gathering more info because Barrett was going down.
Chapter Thir
teen: Trouble
By the time Daniel deemed it safe to head back to his scooter and head home, he only had time for a few hours’ sleep before he wanted to be up and off to the police station to see his contact. He carefully cleaned out the wound on his hand; it wasn’t too deep to need stitches but it hurt like hell. The cut ran across the top of his palm, under the joints of his last three fingers on his right hand. He patched it up as best as he could but he’d keep an eye on it in case of infection. He couldn’t exactly afford a trip to the doctor right now.
The trip to the police station had been uneventful. The photos were enough evidence to issue a search warrant on Barrett’s properties to try get enough concrete proof to put him away for good. The officer at the station warned him to lie low for a while, as Barrett would not be happy about being caught and Daniel was inclined to agree with him. He mentally promised not to lose his guards for a while and take a few safer commissions until it all blew over. His editor was exceptionally pleased with the photos he had taken, the ones that the police cleared to go to press, and promised him a big bonus for such a scandalous scoop.
He now sat outside a hospital taking photos for a magazine commission. He had worked with this particular magazine for a while now as their main photographer; it was a small-scale magazine with a focus on soulmates. They included any new scientific research in the field, lots of speculation, and many personal stories both heart-warming and heart-wrenching. Once again, he was working on a much sadder story.
Now he had his own soulmate, these stories struck a much deeper chord with him. It made him aware just how lucky he was to have even met William and that they can see each other regularly. He fidgeted with his camera, the wound on his hand pressing against it in a painful way. The poor girl in front of him was crying already, barely having begun her story and he snapped off one last picture before lowering the camera, not wanting to be rude. No doubt the photo with the tears would be used for maximum heart-wrench though.
“I work here in the emergency room as a nurse. He was in a car accident and was brought in by ambulance.” She paused to take a shuddering breath before bravely ploughing on, “He was barely conscious and there was so much blood. The doctors desperately tried to hook him up to fluid and oxygen and I just reached out and grabbed his hand, trying to offer some comfort, you know? He was so scared. That’s when it happened.”
She stopped for a few minutes to get herself back under control. Daniel reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently, offering what wordless support he could.
“Our c-chests lit up and like, flashed. He seemed to be less scared while I held his hand. It was like time stood still for those few seconds and I heard him whisper ‘thank you’. After that time suddenly went so fast and he was taken away to the operating room. H-he… He d-died on the table.” Her sobs renewed and the interviewer sat down beside her, gently gathering the girl into her arms to rock her while she cried.
The interviewer was an older lady, May, whose ultimate goal in life was to find her own soulmate and record the joys and sorrows of other people’s soulmate stories. She was the owner and head editor of the monthly magazine. It was just her and Daniel for most of the interviews and while she was always incredibly comforting to the criers, he always felt awkward. The girl finally quieted down and sat back up, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, May always came with a pack handy as people were as likely to break down in tears of happiness as they were sadness.
“Do either of you have soulmates?”
May shook her head sadly. “I’m still searching. Maybe one day I’ll find my other half.”
Daniel hesitated before answering with a soft affirmative. May looked at him in surprise, as he had forgotten to tell her since it happened after their last shoot. “I only just found him, it’s been a few weeks now.”
“What’s it like?”
He sat down on the girl’s other side. “Uhh, well…it’s been kinda crazy. It’s like nothing’s changed and yet everything’s changed. The first week was like a dream. I think if something had happened to him then, I would have just laughed it off as one big, crazy dream and been fine. But now…it’s only been like what, three weeks? Yet it feels like months already. I feel like I’m in too deep and it’s terrifying and yet somehow I don’t feel scared.” Daniel paused for a minute and tried to gather his thoughts. “We are very different. I don’t know him that well yet but he’s very possessive and controlling and filthy rich. I’m the complete opposite.” He barked out a laugh. “I’m rebellious and reckless and I care more about my freedom than any amount of money in the world. We’ve just started butting heads and I’m pretty sure I’m in trouble after disobeying him yesterday.” May looked at him with raised eyebrows and he ducked his head in embarrassment, mumbling, “I don’t like being told what to do.”
The girl pulled at the hem of her t-shirt, not looking at either of them as she spoke, “I’m a little jealous but…do you believe you get a soulmate for a reason?” She didn’t give them a chance to answer. “I do. I think that I was able to ease his passing. It still hurts. Oh, it hurts so, so much but there was no fear in his eyes after that. He seemed almost peaceful, like his life was complete so it was okay for him to move on. I don’t know what that means for me. In some ways, I wish it hadn’t happened so that even if I didn’t find my soulmate, I could still have hope. I could still believe that one day I might find that person. Now though…now I don’t know what I have left.”
“You’ll just have to live and find out.” May gave the girl another quick, comforting squeeze. “Now you aren’t just living for yourself, you’re living for him too. You have to live for all the things he never could. There’s still lots of people out there for you to find a special someone, and you can love them for your lost soulmate too.”
They talked more after that, Daniel snapping off a few less teary photos before they parted ways, interview complete. He didn’t escape getting scolded by May for not telling her about his newfound soulmate and promised to fill her in with the whole story another day over coffee. She had to head back to the office to help another editor, otherwise he was sure he would have been dragged away and forced to spill the beans then and there.
Daniel promised to edit a few of the photos and send over the best candidates as soon as he got home. He headed toward his scooter, thoughts swirling around his head once again. He was becomingly annoyingly familiar with this feeling of uncertainty and confusion. He still wasn’t entirely sure what to make of his new soulmate and their relationship.
***
Photos sent off and feeling rather peckish, Daniel decided to go for a walk in search of food. It was mid-afternoon and he had been so busy that he had forgotten lunch. Daniel felt a little guilty as the phone in his pocket buzzed again but he didn’t make a move to pick it up. William had been trying to call him all morning and he had been avoiding his calls. He knew he was in trouble and he knew he was making it worse by not picking up, but he couldn’t bring himself to answer. Daniel knew the guards followed him at a discreet distance and honestly, he was surprised that they hadn’t been ordered to drag him back to his soulmate. He could only assume the older man was busy and would come get him himself once he had the chance.
The phone stopped buzzing and he let out a little sigh of relief. Communication was relationship 101, his mother had drilled that into his head all throughout his teens and he was wilfully ignoring the lesson. But he was conflicted. He had been told in very uncertain terms not to test William’s patience and being told what to do still rankled but at the same time he couldn’t ignore the older man without consequence. He knew this. Daniel didn’t know what would happen but he wasn’t about to back down. He valued his freedom and loved his job, he wasn’t about to let William walk all over him and try to take it away.
But he wanted to know more about the other man. He wanted to watch as the cold mask slipped off while he spoke with him, as he could be surprisingly open in his affections. He wanted to see that rare
smile, not a smirk, the real smile that he gifted him occasionally. He was already falling hard for William. All week he lost his guards but he knew last night was different. Last night William told him point blank his patience was wearing thin with his games. Last night’s scoop had been dangerous, he wouldn’t be able to hide the injury on his hand and that would make it all the worse.
His head was still in the clouds and Daniel walked aimlessly, hands in his pockets and not paying attention to his surroundings at all. His neighbourhood was quiet and it took him by surprise when he found himself being thrown to the ground. He hit the footpath with a heavy thud as his breath left him in a rush. Looking up, Daniel found five men surrounding him only to be surprised once again when all three of his guards barrelled into them. He sat up and watched with no small amount of awe as Ueda personally took out three of the brutes with terrifying precision and the remaining two guards that took longer to arrive dispatched the other two until all five thugs were on the ground groaning in pain.
“Are you alright, Mr Miller?”
Daniel groaned as he took the offered hand and let himself be pulled to his feet. “Not you too. Can we stop with the Mr Miller thing? Daniel is fine.”
Ueda looked genuinely surprised at his protest. “I’m afraid that would be disrespectful of me, Mr Miller. But are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. You guys are really quick, you know.” Ueda gave him a small nod and pulled out his phone. Daniel groaned again.
“Can we not tell William?” The guard paused and stared at Daniel incredulously. “Please? He really doesn’t need to know.”