Chapter 2: Punishment for incompetence is death.

Chapter 2

~Lucas’s POV~

Adrian’s men were following me again.

Other than the fact that my lover was a killer, I think this was the one thing we argued about the most. He’d set them on me  a few weeks after we’d started seeing each other; he called them ‘backup’ if I ever found myself in trouble, well I called them a pain in my ass.

I was a grown man, why the hell would I need two bodyguards following me around day in and day out? Adrian’s exact words when I’d told him to get rid of them was; ‘you won’t even know they’re there’.

I wasn’t sure if it is that the two men actually believed that I couldn’t spot them from a mile away, but if they did then I couldn’t help but feel insulted. It’s like they weren’t even trying to keep hidden. They would only do me more harm than good and in the end I’d probably find myself trying to save their asses rather than the other way around.

I sighed as I crossed the street to get over to my apartment. There was no point trying to talk to Adrian about it because after months of arguing he still hadn’t let up.

I suppose I should feel grateful that he cared enough to hire two men to ‘keep me alive’ but come on, I’d taken down bigger men that these two brutes without so much as a scratch on my person so I’d say they were wasting their time and Adrian was wasting his money keeping them in his employ.

I turned the key in the lock and pushed open my front door, then kicked it shut making my way quickly up the stairs and into my makeshift office.

It was about time I got started on that job my friend over at the agency had sent me, play time with Adrian was over, it was time to get back to my responsibilities. I went over to the only book stand in the room, shifted the stack of books on the top shelf to the side which hid the stainless steel in-wall safe behind them. I punched in the code and it clicked open giving me the view of the contents inside.

For jobs like this I liked to first observe my target, get a feel of his or her habits and lifestyle, the people they associated  themselves with. That way when I finally caught up with them I could use my findings as leverage over them; blackmail I suppose you could call it. That usually tipped the scale in my favor and if that didn’t work then I’d do the part of the job they hired me for: torture.

After all I never said I was a law abiding citizen, just that I liked to do good. My kind of torture was subtle- if you could ever call torture subtle- I pushed just enough to get them talking and sometimes I didn’t even have to go that far; a simple stern expression and the threat of physical pain could often times get even the most feared goons to spew their guts to me and that was fine.

I pulled out the binoculars and my glock, sticking them both in a small pouch. I hated guns, always have and simply because I carried one around certainly didn’t mean I was in the habit of shooting people. It was for safety purposes only, after all I wasn’t a killer.

I pushed back the books in place and closed the office door behind me when I left. As I was passing through the kitchen I grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter and sunk my teeth into it, the juice oozing out and rolling down my chin as I pulled the door open and walked out into the street.

……………………………….

It was hours later before I finally caught a glimpse of the alleged rapist and murderer, he went by the name Alfred O’Grady and from what I could see, he lived alone. A very ordinary looking guy in my estimation, about 5’7”, a little on the pudgy side. I thought he could do with a shave and his small beady eyes weren’t much to look at either, like I said; ordinary.

I watched him from where I was parked across the street, binoculars in hand, as he exited his flat, a donut trapped between his teeth as he fought to pull on his windbreaker. I started up my car the moment he entered his vehicle and when he pulled out onto the street I wasn’t far behind him.

An hour later he pulled up outside what looked to be a deserted warehouse and got out of the vehicle. I pulled to a stop, far enough away that he wouldn’t suspect a thing but close enough that I didn’t have to use binoculars. I watched as he looked around, most likely to make sure no one had followed him.

As he approached the building I took a moment to look around and I had to wonder why my little rapist friend would find the need to visit a rundown place like this, with its dirty surroundings, graffiti covered walls and overall lugubrious atmosphere.

I glanced at my watch; just a little past 7pm; it couldn’t be anything good. He was more than a little jumpy and he kept looking around as if he expected somebody to jump out at him. I sat forward in my seat, eyes narrowed as I watched his progress.

Whatever it was that he was doing here clearly had him spooked and I knew that as risky as it might be, as soon as he entered the building as I suspected he would, I’d have to find a way in as well.

I pulled my gun from the pouch, checked the clip then stuffed it into the waist band of my jeans. He walked up to the door in the centre and knocked exactly three times then waited. The door opened to a Caucasian male, muscular, heavily tattooed and bald.

He appeared to be carrying a firearm. This definitely wasn’t going to be a casual tea party out with friends. My target was involved in something big.

I shifted in my seat then leaned closer to the window, curiosity getting the better of me and what happened next would probably piss me off for the next century or two. Just as my target was about to set foot into the warehouse a familiar jeep drove right by me and pulled to a stop a few meters in front of my car, bringing it directly into the line of sight of the tattooed fellow and my target.

I watched in disbelief as my two bodyguards got out making their way over to my vehicle and my eyes flashed to the two men still frozen at the door watching what was taking place.

In the silence of the deserted street I heard the tattooed guy shout; “You brought the cops?” and then all hell broke loose. I watched in horror as my target backed up, hands raised as if in surrender, his face contorted in fear as the other guy raised his gun and shot him twice in the head. He went down like a log and then Mr. Tattoo turned and fired a few shots in my direction.

I saw one of my body guards go down after being hit in the leg. I didn’t even try to reach for my own weapon; I just dropped further into my seat keeping my head down as I tried to start up the vehicle. The window over on the passenger side of my car shattered against the spray of bullets, leaving me to assume that there was now more than one shooter.

Just as I started up the vehicle another window shattered and I put my hands up to shield my face as I felt the shards cutting into my skin. Jesus if I made it out of this alive I was going to kill somebody!

………………………………………….

~Adrian’s POV~

“You’re going soft Adrian.” My twin brother’s voice reverberated around the room and I would have rolled my eyes if I didn’t find the act so childish.

Instead, I picked up the decanter and poured the scotch into both our glasses then picked them up before turning to face him.

“Yes Marcus you’ve mentioned that quite a few times already.” I said walking over to him and holding out the drink to him. He took it with a grunt and put it to his lips.

“And you have yet to take me seriously.” Marcus continued, his tone serious, “You have no time to be playing house with that kid, more important things are at stake here and we need you focused.” He finished, talking another sip of his drink.

“Like I’ve told you, I’m completely focused. Lucas’ presence in my life hasn’t changed that and it won’t, now shut up you’re giving me a headache.” I said before plopping down into the leather seat at the far corner of the room.

“He does service to the cops, doesn’t that mean anything to you? He could destroy everything we’ve worked for.” Marcus said through gritted teeth and I sighed, looking up at him.

“Lucas isn’t going to turn against me-”I started but he cut me off.

“He might not turn now, but what happens when you guys start having problems? Or when you do something that pisses him off? What happens then?”

“If it wasn’t for the fact that we look so much alike I’d think you were adopted, you’re absolutely nothing like me, you need to calm down Marcus, we’re safe and even if Lucas were to turn against me, which he won’t-” I added for emphasis, “We don’t leave paper trails or evidence plus we have men in the force, we have judges in our pockets and politicians eating out of our hands, we’re fine.” I said, my voice calm.

I watched as he slammed down the glass causing the liquid inside to brim over the top and splash onto the wooden surface of my desk.

“It’s that overconfidence that’s going to get you into trouble. Get rid of that kid he’s making you delusional.”

“He’s in love Marcus, why can’t you be happy for him?”  my little brother Scottie said from where he sat around my desk. He usually never interrupted our arguments but I was thankful that he was so quick to defend me.

“He’s not in love, Adrian doesn’t fall in love, he falls into lust and when he gets his fill he’s going to discard Lucas just like the rest of them” he said to Scottie then turned to me “And I’d appreciate it if while you’re fucking your latest poster boy you not divulge our secrets.” He said harshly and just as I opened my mouth ready for my own retort Scottie spoke up in a bored tone.

“You’re right Adrian, he has to be adopted.” He said glancing absently at the computer screen  and I laughed.

That was my heartbeat right there; my little brother Scottie. I couldn’t really couldn’t call him little though considering the fact that he was only five years my junior making him 23 just like Lucas, but to me he’d always be little Scottie, the cute little boy who used to run to me with all his problems or beg me to play with him, back then I was his hero and I guess in some ways he still thought of me as such.

We’d become especially closer when our parents died in a house fire when I was eighteen. After that we’d learned to look out for each other. I remembered a time when Marcus was like that too but years in a business like ours could change a man and the cold hard man standing before me now was certainly a product of the business.

It was the fear of Scottie facing that same fate that had me deciding I didn’t want him to join the business but when he’d dropped out of college adamant on following in my footsteps that had pretty much decided itself.

“We’re twenty-eight years old and already head one of the largest drug rings in the world. We didn’t get that way by romancing every street trash we came across. Get rid of him or I will!” Marcus said, his voice rising on the last word and I rose from my seat, placing the glass on the coffee table before I made my way over to my twin.

“Last time I checked, I don’t answer to you.” I started and when it looked like he was about to say more I put up a hand to silence him. “I’m the one who got us where we are today, I’m the one who took the risks while you were safe in your own little world. The fact that you’re here with me now doesn’t change the fact that you work for me and not the other way around.”

As I spoke to him I watched as his jaw clenched but his eyes stayed locked onto mine and I continued in a cold voice, my anger barely concealed. “Lucas deserves respect and if you do anything to make him feel unwelcome you’ll have me to deal with, is that understood?” I asked and after a moment’s hesitation he nodded and I backed down.

I loved Marcus but sometimes he really pissed me off. I dragged my hand through my hair and let my gaze travel around the room, stopping on Scottie when I noticed that he was looking anxiously between us. I sighed.

Scottie had this insane idea that one day Marcus would piss me off to the point where I’d just put a bullet in his head and no amount of assurances could lead him to believe otherwise.

So to set him at ease I offered him a small smile then reached over to pat Marcus good-naturedly on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I won’t lose focus.” I told my twin, letting some of the warmth creep back into my voice as I spoke, then before I turned to have a seat I added with feeling; “ And despite what you might think, I do love Lucas.” I said and I meant it.

It was true that I’d gone through my fair share of lovers without even a backward glance when I got my fill of them but as cliché as it probably sounded; it was different with Lucas. Though if anyone was to really sit me down and ask exactly what it was about Lucas that was different I wasn’t sure I’d be able to tell them.

How did you explain a feeling like this? You had to feel it for yourself to know what I meant I suppose. Lucas was like a breath of fresh air in my usually poorly ventilated life. To say that it was his innocence that drew me in would be a lie because Lucas was anything but innocent and he wasn’t exactly what you would call ‘good’ either.

After all, when I met him it was on one of his operations when he’d been trying to torture one of my top men for information leading to a murder which my guy had confessed to by the way. A fault that had led him to his ultimate demise at the bottom of the ocean but that was another story.

So back then I had been intrigued by the thought that someone had cracked my top ranking informant and so I had orchestrated Lucas’ capture and after our first conversation/insult-exchange/argument, whatever you wanted to call our first meeting, I was hooked.

He had shown no fear even after being told who I was, he’d held up through threats of even worse torture than he had dealt my informant and he’d had the audacity to insult Marcus; Marcus who I’d heard was even more intimidating than I was and that was saying something.

So we’d talked one on one without the threat of guns being held over his head and through observance alone- since he hadn’t been much of o talker then- I’d learned a lot about him. The fact that he was a shape shifter had been icing on the cake and I don’t know how I did it but as time passed I’d gotten him to trust me and we had been together ever since.

He was to date my longest relationship and my first love and I wasn’t about to tolerate him being disrespected.

I moved away from Marcus to go see what Scottie was up to online. He’d been charged with the task of hacking into the security system of an acquaintance of mine’s company. He claimed it was foolproof, I was about to prove him wrong and get a load of cash out of it at the same time.

It wasn’t really stealing if he owed me money anyway and if it was then it wasn’t as if I have a shit anyway.

I was standing behind his chair, staring down at the computer screen when I heard the commotion outside and not a second later, before we could act, the double doors of my study burst open and the sight that greeted me had me moving quickly from around the desk toward my lover.

He looked like hell, the front of his shirt was bloodied and there was a gash on his cheek from which blood was cascading down his face. I could see other nicks and cuts on his arms as well but other than that and his fuming expression he seemed to be fine.

I couldn’t say the same for the guy Lucas’ bodyguard dragged in however. He had clearly been shot and his breaths came in shallow pained gasps.

“What the hell happened to you three?” I questioned, looking them all over.

I heard Scottie push away from his chair to come stand by my side and Marcus drifted closer taking in the scene in silence.

“Your men fucked up my operation, that’s what happened!” Lucas shouted, his jaw clenched and his eyes blazing as he looked at me and I raised an eyebrow.

“What so you mean? Tell me what happened.” I said again, my gaze going back to the guy who was bleeding all over my floor.

“I told you I didn’t want them following me around, they’re idiots and now they’ve blown my entire operation, they got my target killed!” he said pointing to the men. Then he pulled his hand through his already mussed hair and walked past me to go sit in the closet chair he could find. Spotting my drink on the coffee table, he took it up and downed it in one gulp and I frowned in concern.

“Maybe you should tell me everything from the beginning.” I pushed, moving to sit on the table directly in front of him.

“Maybe you should check on your guy first, he’s losing blood fast. I offered to take him to the hospital but he refused.” Lucas told me, dragging a hand over his face.

I didn’t even spare the bleeding man another glance. “No I think I’d rather hear what you have to say first.” I told him.

He looked tired and worn and if I was the touchy feely kinda guy, I would have given him a hug. Instead I reached over and took his chin in hand, turning his face so I could get a better look at his wound but he batted my hand away and finally began his tale.

When he was finished I was made to understand that he had been on a stakeout when my guys had dropped by right in the middle of it and were spotted by not only Lucas but the men the target had been meeting with.

When questioned as to why they had interrupted, the body guard who was unhurt told me that they had had no idea he was on a stakeout and when they had seen him park in the deserted street they believed he’d had some sort of problem.

“How could you not know he was doing a job, you’ve been assigned to him for months now, you should have some idea what one of his stakeouts look like.” I said to the guard in disbelief but Lucas snorted.

“They wouldn’t have known, I’ve managed to slip them often enough that they wouldn’t have known what I was up to, but in any case, if you had just listened to me and gotten rid of them like I told you to I wouldn’t have to now go back to the man who hired me and tell them that the man who was to be made to suffer in prison for raping and murdering a defenseless woman is now dead.” He said with malice and I gave him a patient look.

“Well he’s dead anyway, isn’t that a better punishment than prison?” I asked and he glared at me.

He was right of course my men had fucked up, big time.

“Please, sir he needs a doctor.” The guard who was holding up his shot partner said and I pushed up from my perch on the table, walked over to my desk and extracted my weapon. When I walked back over to the two men, they hadn’t even realized what I was about to do. I raised the gun and shot the already bleeding bodyguard once in the head, it was a clean shot. He felt no pain.

“There, now he doesn’t have to worry about a doctor.” I said  ignoring the horrified look I was getting from the dead man’s partner.

“Jesus, Adrian!” Lucas shouted in surprise and I shook my head.

“He wouldn’t have made it anyway.” I said then turned to my main guards who were standing by the door. “Clean this up.” I told them and they were quick to do my bidding. When they had pulled the man’s crumpled body from the room I turned to his still horrorstruck partner.

“You’re fired, get out.” And in an instant he was out of my sight, leaving me with my brothers and my lover who now had his head cushioned in his hands.

I walked over to him and lowered myself into the chair beside him. He didn’t move.

“I’m sorry my men were so incompetent.” I told him as a sort of apology but rather than acknowledge my words he straightened up and pushed up from the chair.

“I’m going home.” he said. Not in anger or frustration but in a tired voice that was evidence of how much he’d gone through tonight.

I got up as well, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder “I’ll take you home.” I told him but he shook his head.

“Forget it I’m capable of driving myself home.” was all he said and crossed the room, pulled the door open and disappeared from sight.

I looked at Scottie who nodded at me, knowing exactly what it was that I wanted him to do without me having to voice it.

“I’ll make sure he’s okay.” He said and I watched as he melted down to size, shifting into a large grey wolf. I shook my head.

“I’m pretty sure humans wouldn’t take too kindly to seeing a wolf prowling the streets late at night Scottie.” Marcus said and Scottie looked up at him with what I could only take to be an annoyed expression before he shifted once more into a easily overlooked stray dog, then he ran out the door on his four skinny legs to follow my lover home.

As I passed by him to go over to my desk Marcus gave me the ‘I told you so look’ but I chose to ignore it, instead sinking down into my chair before the computer. It was time I did some research. I figured there had to be something I could do to get back in my lover’s good graces, maybe help solve one of his cases or dig up evidence against his recently deceased target.

Even though the guy was dead I figured giving the authorities evidence against him may help give some form of closure to the grieving family. I’d just call up a few of my guys; see if they could find anything.

And as I sat there looking for a way to somehow get Lucas to stop being mad at me a thought entered my mind.

Maybe Marcus was right. Maybe I really was going soft.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

I DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH TO SAY EXCEPT.HAVE A HAPPY EASTER!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited