Page 17 of Breaking the Code

Jesus fucking Christ! Owen and his lackeys are idiots. Why the fuck do they have cameras in a place where they do business dealings?

I make a note to do a search when I’m back in front of my computer. It shouldn’t be too hard to find. I just have to pinpoint the location of the building a bit better than I have already.

I flick my gaze back around the room so I can look at the person hiding in the shadows. I don’t know why they’re hiding. If they were with the authorities, they would’ve raided the place already.

Are they a member spying on Lionel and Samuel?

“Boy! Are you deaf?”

I jerk my head back toward Samuel and respond as I know I better, “No, sir.”

His hand wraps around my upper arm. The blunt nails bite into my flesh through the fabric of my clothing, pinching me. Samuel squeezes my arm as he drags me out of the building. Just as we step through the exit, I glance back over my shoulder at the ghost lurking in the shadows.

CHAPTER FIVE

DRAVEN

Two years ago - Age 33

Rainbows glisten on the pavement where the rain-dampened oil spots catch the light. Darkness descended hours ago, but still, I wait.

For what?

Evil.

And nae, the kind that goes bump in the night.

No.

What I’m waiting for is the kind o' evil that hides in plain view. It walks among us. It looks like a savior, like a friend, when really it’s yer downfall. Yer enemy. So insidious and devious, no one would ever think to warn ye away.

This evil is cloaked in goodness, disguising itself in the hallowed halls o’ the world’s most prestigious institutions. It wears the robes o’ selflessness. It is our helpers, our leaders, our do-gooders.

They are anything but. Instead, it takes and destroys. Ruining everything it touches.

So why am I standing here waiting for evil to arrive?

For vengeance. I will clean the world o’ the evil that took everything from me.

As I wait and watch, time passes. The hours since twilight increase, stretching out like a cat after a long nap in the sun. Unlike the cat, I remain motionless.

Stiffness invades my body from the stillness. The hoodie I’m wearing is damp from the misty drizzle that fell earlier, reminding me o' home. The thick fabric is heavy and uncomfortable. I’ve been here since before the sun came up—nearly twenty-four hours, and I’ve barely twitched a muscle, only moving when I have nae other choice.

I shift my weight slowly, moving at a snail’s pace so as nae to attract attention. Blood rushes through me as I settle into a new position. My limbs tingle and burn, but I ignore them.

People pass by—scurrying about the city, going about their business. Some glance toward where I’m hidden, their gaze darting around for whatever caused that sinister feeling that crept up their spine. But most o' them hurry by, unaware o' what lurks in the shadows.

The average person looking between me and the evil I hunt wouldn’t choose me as the protector o' the innocent, vulnerable, and less fortunate. I don’t look the part. That’s okay. I’m nae doing this for them—at least nae entirely.

The sounds o' the city surround me, echoing off the buildings towering above as I stand in their shadows. Hidden from view. Cloaked in darkness.

Finally, after hours, what I’ve been waiting for has arrived. The purr o' the luxury sedan cuts through every other sound. A smile graces my face. If the info is right, I’ll be a verra happy man tonight.

These last few moments are torture. Waiting to see if the one I seek steps out o' the vehicle has me coiled tight as a spring. When the driver exits the car, I know I’ve found my man.

Rupert Fisher is big, broad, and a bastard through and through. He is the only man allowed to drive to my target. Rupert checks the area twice before opening the rear passenger door o' the sleek, back penis replacement. That car in this neighborhood stands out like a sore thumb.

Moments later, the man I’ve been tracking stands up out o' the car. His head pops up between the door and the roof.

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