POW!
POW!
POW!
Straight shots. The shooting range echoed in an applaud as the tanned, young woman that wielded the gun, put it all aside and walked to the corner of the hall.
A proud smug sat on her lips as a man of similar rank to her, walked over,
"Tell me Cathy, how do you do it?" he asked.
"You see Nick, I'd tell you" She paused, "-for 5 grand" she added crossing her arms into a fold.
He chuckled, "Have you always been this expensive?"
"Have I ever been cheap?"
…
The shooting range buzzed with a small crowd. This was one of those training days headed by Catalina Perez.
Rumor had it that she was an early retired ring boxer back in her 20's and only after a short span of years, she became a Captain-in-training, now overseeing many young talents for the agency.
"Perez!" a thunderous voice echoed.
Captain Luciano. No one flinched, it was the usual.
Quickly, she patted Nick on the small of his shoulder before jogging across the room and over to the exit.
…
Stepping into a sturdy office, she shut the door behind her and stood, waiting.
"Captain?" she called, announcing her presence.
By a row of cabinets stood a tall, dark skinned, hairy looking man. His tattooed arms sat with large muscles which enhanced every ink against his skin.
She had constantly found herself curious over his exotic tattoos that on a closer look, felt lesser and lesser like plain art and more like inscriptions. Codes.
"Sit" he said without taking a slight glance at her.
She did just that.
He went through a few files before taking a seat and tossing a packaged file on the table towards her.
"You've got a job?"
With a short glance from him to the file, she held unto it and checked its contents.
"It's simple" he said and she looked at him, "Protect a rich man".
As she checked the papers in the file, Luciano tossed over a plain white envelope with elegant carvings at its edges,
"This year's payment has been given up front with an accommodation for the whole team"
Her brows twisted, she was never one to jump head into a dazzling deal, without weighing the odds,
"It can't be that simple, what are the odds?"
Luciano scoffed, swiveling his chair "Come on Perez, this is a bloody great deal and you're being skeptical?"
"I need to know how much danger we're talking, who we're dealing with -What we're dealing with, how much supplies are available for access and how best we can come out of this -Alive & well"
Luciano nodded quietly for a while.
"Well," he began, "Not much was told but we do know that we are to protect a Yehezkel Fionn who…" Luciano shrugged "Made some enemies and is now a hot topic & so… -Needs help with physical contact with the press, certain crowded, outdoor events, travelling situations and basically, just hang out with him".
Catalina nodded,
"When do we start?"
"Right -Fucking -Now"
"What?" she exclaimed.
"Get your team and move out" Luciano sat back, "Get settled in the accommodation and report for duty at the address on the fancy envelope"
Stretching forward, Catalina lifted up the white envelope and flipped it over to see an address in carved Italic,
"Can't see shit" she shook her head in defeat, squinting her eyes.
"Yeh, you'll be fine, you've got Nick"
They both burst into a shared laughter. They both knew Nick, he was the brains to her fists but could be wimpy and nerdy at times.
"I'll see you around"
He shot her a thumbs up, "Monthly evaluation reports alright"
She nodded about to leave with the file and envelope,
"Hey" Luciano called out and he watched her turn, "I almost forgot but they said something really funny while being all strict and mysterious".
She turned fully to him, "What's that?"
"Make sure" he began, "Don't touch him and Don't let anything or anyone touch him"
She scoffed at how ridiculous what she had just heard was,
"And so how exactly are we supposed to do our job well if we can't touch him?"
Luciano shrugged nonchalantly and watched Catalina walk out the door knowing fully well she was no way in hell going to obey that 1 rule.
…
2 months prior.
As Yehezkel worked on projects, balancing between work and his doctor's appointments, he began to sense a change about his sister Athena.
Truly she was one to rave over fashion and trends but this time, it was somewhat different. New jewelries on the clock, girls night out by the weekends and even worse, she began caring so much for how her lipstick sat, how neat her hair looked or if she grew fat -maybe thinner.
All this began and he said nothing until he caught her, a clear afternoon as he came over to her office for a visit during lunch break. She sat back on her chair behind her desk, facing the transparent glass wall to her side, overviewing skylines and rooftops with a warm smile, her focus in a drifted daze.
'What the hell is that face?' Yehezkel thought to himself before knocking on her door, catching her attention as he stepped into her office.
"Afternoon love "he greeted.
"Hello my big ugly brother" she stood, walked over to him and leaned in for an embrace.
He scoffed and held unto her, "How've you been?"
She smiled with a failed attempt to seem nonchalant, "I'm alright" she paused, "But I will be better when I see plants in your home"
His brows twisted in question, 'How does this have to do with my house?'
She smiled as quickly as she understood his face,
"I've been thinking" Athena began, "Plants" she shrugged while gesticulating with her fingers, going on to explain, "What your house needs to feel more alive instead of calculative like its owner" she turned her eyes to him in a mocking gaze "Are plants, flowers and the lot of them"
Yehezkel nodded lightly,
"Did you ever bother to ask why there are no plants?"
"No"
He nodded, "Exactly, -don't ask and don't bother about plants"
"But whyyyy?" she persisted and he watched her pout in anticipation. He smiled, tucked her hair behind her ears,
"Cuz, I want it that way" he rubbed the sides of her arms, "Yh?"
She sighed then gave a nod, before looking away,
"I'm leaving"
She nodded.
"Anything you need?"
… "Plants"
He chuckled, "No flowers?"
She tacked her tongue in refusal, "I have too many"
'Hmm', he thought as he nodded.
"Plants" he said
"Plants" she replied and watched him walk away.
…
Stepping into his car, he sat back calmly,
"Lyon"
"Sir?"
"Get me all details of whoever is seeing my sister before the end of today"
"But that's a few hours away"
Yehezkel turned to him, Lyon grew quiet.
"I'll try my best"
Athena wasn't one to hide things. Not like she didn't want to, she just couldn't.
It was simple,
She liked something, she would rave over it.
She didn't like something, she'd gossip over it.
She loved someone, now that's a different story.
It was clear as day. The signs he had been seeing, her prominent self-consciousness, even with the littlest of things.
'Plants? …Really?'
But all that didn't matter, what he couldn't really fathom was why she hadn't said anything to him yet.
They only had each other, besides their parents, so spilling exciting news wasn't strange or off putting. It came naturally.
Unless, it wasn't something she could easily rave over.
…
Dusk came.
Yehezkel welcomed himself into his spacious home and took a seat on the long couch, files in his hand.
Gently, loosening his tie, he looked through the files and his brows furrowed in distress.
The pictures were unclear and pixelated but he could make out his sister from any angle and blur. But really, the issue was the man in question with a build that resembled one of their shareholders and a familiar face in board meetings, he didn't want to believe it.
Theodore Lanes.
A family man almost as old as their mother who's spent his life privately.
If this was to get out, her name would be stained as a homewrecker, the family and the business would suffer losses and much worse, the society would tend to her emotional heart cruelly.
That was the reality.
Yehezkel placed the papers and files aside. He couldn't tell how to feel.
Athena wasn't dumb, but to be this naïve was concerning. He finally understood the subtle signs and attempts to remain unfazed but why him, why Theodore? he asked himself, unsure if she was a part of some agenda he hadn't yet seen.
This was their world, no act was without cause and no love was without agenda.
Everything was a game, from Families, to their Business to Love and Marriages to hosted Parties and Events and these were a few and many more reasons why he chose his part of celibacy.
He thought hard as he tried to remain calm. Stood to his feet and paced about before deriving a conclusion,
'Avert the scandal to himself so she could walk away unannounced, leave the country and never come back'.
This was the best he could do for her, even if his health and status, maybe even the business would be put at risk.