Phase Three [Part 1]
I woke up to a loud and shrill wailing. My eyes flickered open where I was greeted by unfamiliar surroundings. As I tried to get up from where I was lying down a horrific ache ran throughout my entire body and I winced in pain.
"Don't sit up right away you're pretty banged up", Adrian's voice uttered from above the couch where my body was unceremoniously sprawled out on.
He had a toddler in his arms and the child was crying so loud I had to cover my ears with my hands.
"Adrian?", My voice came off groggy and weak.
I sat upright in the couch as my best friend sat down beside me with his daughter in his arms. The child was staring at me with wide eyes and had now only been reduced to muffled sobs.
"Hey little one", I tried my best to put on a believable smile for the baby, "did you miss uncle Blake?".
"Yeah right", Adrian snorted as he placed Adrianna on the couch with her toys and gestured for me to follow him into the next room.
We were barely inside of the kitchen when he shoved one of my shoulders hard.
"What the hell man?", he hissed and I could sense the anger in his voice, "you show up on my doorstep at four o'clock in the morning beaten and bleeding out and then you just collapse on my couch and pass out for five hours? What the hell happened to you last night?".
As if on cue a blast of pain erupted across my ribs and I gripped onto the hurting area hard.
Adrian was immediately by myself helping me to one of the chairs in the room.
"Are you alright?", he rushed out, sounding more panicked than I was.
My breath caught in my throat as I forced air into my lungs, "I'll be fine in a few minutes".
"I don't think so dude", he said sounding even more concerned, "you look like you should be in the emergency room right now".
I took a deep breath as the pain began to get bearable then I fixed my position on the chair as I turned to my best friend to explain.
"Adrian I shouldn't have come here late night. You're right it was late, but you saw how messed up I was", I gestured to my body for effect, "I couldn't have gone back home. Look bro, you're my best friend but you also have a kid man, and I don't want to drag you into my world. The people who did this to me they wouldn't hesitate to hurt you, or your daughter".
Adrian's eyes hardened as he listened to my explanation but he must've sensed the seriousness in my voice because he didn't question me further.
"I would tell you more, but once you know you'll be in danger".
He sighed, shaking his head and I could feel his concern for me as his parental instinct began to take over.
After a few breaths he finally asked, "So what are you going to do now?".
I met his gaze as I stood from my chairs, "Now I go home. There's some things I have to take care of".
He cleared his throat as I began to walk away and smiled wickedly at me. "You might wanna clean up first. There's blood sticking to your body and clothes".
I couldn't help but to shake my head at my friend because as usual he was right.
He didn't try to persuade me to tell him any further and I was glad for that because after what happened to Wayne earlier I was more than determined to keep Adrian out of it.
************
Four hours later I was sitting in Conner's car outside a new St. Patrick building that was under construction. My two other friends in the car with me.
"Are you briefed on the new plan", Conner asked me again.
My eyes narrowed at his from the passenger seat. "Why do you keep asking that when I've said yes the last three times".
"Probably because you went AWOL all night when we were actually supposed to get this done and then this morning when we actually came up with a new plan you still weren't there. You know, since you ran off last night and abandoned us", Alana answered for him.
"That's enough Alana!", Conner reprimanded her but I stopped him.
"No Conner let her continue I wanna hear all she has to say".
"You won't even tell us what happened to you. You just show up with bruises and all and expect us to let it go?".
Okay this is enough. "That's not really your business though", I looked out the window, "I told you that it's nothing so just drop it".
After this she huffed and looked outside the door refusing to meet my eyes.
I couldn't have sat there another minute under their interrogation. Luckily Calder showed up a few minutes earlier than agreed and we could proceed with our plan.
Phase three the final phase: Ensnare and eliminate the target.
"Is Kai ready?", I asked Alana who was still pouting in the back seat. She typed something into her phone then nodded at me still refusing to meet my eyes.
Sighing I just left the car and began walking to the building. After all I couldn't blame them for being worried about me. We had all planned to finish phase three last night but then I just left without telling them and showed up this morning all battered and bruised. Luckily for me not much damage was done to my face just a bruised cheek. All the rest I could successfully cover up with clothes.
Currently I was dressed like Raymond St. Patrick I had traded my platinum blonde hair for a brown wig and green eye contacts. And clothes only the biggest douchebag would wear.
Taking a deep breath I walked into the building. Okay let's do this.
"Raymond", Calder smiles broadly when he sees me, "I was starting to think that you weren't going to show up".
Groaning inwardly I made my way over towards him, "Come on dude you basically got here ten minutes too early".
He slipped his hands into his slacks and began to survey the building around him, sounding quite distracted when he said, "There's no such thing as being too early".
Yeah maybe for you.
"Anyways", I clamped my hands together, "about why you're here".
He spun around to face me immediately. His eyes sparkling with beaming curiosity.
"As you might have heard. My father just bought a new stock company and as it so happens he decided to put me in charge of scouting new business partners".
"And you thought of me?". He points to himself.
I smirked, "Naturally. After all we are friends and you know better than anyone else that in any deal with the St. Patrick's you never lose... Well, I guess you wouldn't know personally but you must've heard about the tycoon that my father is. Now is your chance to get in on some of that business".
In less than three wide steps he was halfway across the room engulfing my hand in his in a rather enthusiastic handshake.
"You don't know how long I have been waiting for an opportunity like this Ray", his grip on my hand finally loosened, "I'm so happy I could kiss you right now".
What?
For a minute I forgot about my cover and visibly cringed back away from him, "Don't, there's no need. Let's keep this strictly professional".
His laugh boomed through the empty room filled with nothing but construction equipment.
"I was kidding", he laughed some more and I hesitantly joined in with him.
Finally he stopped but he still had that overly excited look in his eyes.
Too bad I was seconds away from bursting his bubble.
"I'm looking forward to doing business with the St. Patrick's".
He moved to shake my hand again and I raised a brow at him eyeing him strangely.
"You don't even know what the deal is yet. Besides there is something I have to show to you first before-" My words are interrupted by the opening and closing of the doors behind us.
"It's show time", Alana muttered into my earpiece sounding utterly amused.
A fiery looking red head barrels in through the door looking impeccable. Her white button-down blouse is so snug it hugs all the curves of her body. Her dark skirt doesn't do much to conceal those endless legs and for a second I forget that I'm not supposed to be full on staring at this green-eyed beauty in front of me.
Focus!
"Uh Blake. Let's get this over with". Alana whispers into my earpiece that was shoved so deep down my ear canal no one could possibility see it.
That's right. "Calder who is this? Did you tell anyone about our meeting", my voice sounds even and controlled but has just enough contempt to get Calder all fired up".
"Kai", he hisses in disbelief, "babe what are you doing here?".