C3

Jason.

I arrived at Club Athena faster than I could even process.

"Where is he?" Toni, a scouter from my first team bowed before speaking.

"He escaped my Lord, he had help from an insider, probably someone he was working with"

"Any traces of his family?"

"Yes sir. We've found them"

"Collect his baby girl, leave the woman"

"Yes my Lord"

Chris stepped out from a black and orange McLaren, he handed me the keys.

"Sir, we've found him. Train station cams saw him take a train to downtown" Toni came back holding a bus route map.

"Downtown"

"I did a study of the maps and I realized buses plying that road at this time are always going to the Ozone"

"The Ozone"

What was he looking for there? That girl? Were they really involved together, she must have made a run for it, damn.

"Let's go"

I entered my car and gunned the engine.

The girl was easy to spot beside her was the enemy and someone I didn't want to see, she should at least hide if she didn't want to be found.

Benjamin had a fearful look on his face, the woman had a glare, Troy looked impassive.

"What do we have here, two partners in crime"

I turned to Benjamin and smiled wickedly.

"Benjamin Odysseus Parker. What an honor to meet the man who has such brazenness to steal from me and live for two days after it"

"How did you know he was here? Word couldn't have gotten to you that fast" she looked at me.

I turned to her.

"I have methods that your measly pebble of a brain can't think of"

"How smart of you, we should proceed then to give you an award" her snide reply was refreshing, it was something I didn't see everyday, something I wanted to see before her blood would be spilt.

I turned to Troy.

"Well, Troy. Seems like you were also hiding, I'm taking you home with me"

"I'm not going anywhere and you can't make me"

"I can't, but Grandma can"

Troy growled at me.

"You're related" she asked staring at the two of us and trying to find some similarities.

"Sadly, he's my stepbrother" Troy looked like he was ready to murder someone.

"We are brothers, stop confusing yourself. Your so called mother implanted my mom's egg into herself. See, brothers"

"Don't talk about her like that!"

I scoffed.

"You two look nothing alike"

"Why the pink hair and contact lens"

Troy glared at Jason.

"You're going back, whether you like it or not. I'm sure Grandma will see to that"

"He's not going with you" she said firmly and squared her shoulders.

I moved towards her and grabbed her chin.

"Don't you put your mouth where it doesn't belong, Shrimp"

Troy pushed my hand away from her chin.

"Leave her out of this Jason. What you want is with me"

"That's true" just to annoy Troy I shoved her roughly but Troy caught her in time.

"Where are the files? I know Cordero wants them and he paid you to steal them"

Now I was dealing with the enemy.

"He has it already, I've delivered it" people didn't know I was good at reading body language, spending my teenage years in the business world taught me so.

"I know you're lying. I'm not a patient man and you know it. Where are the files?"

Benjamin remained silent and stared back at me fearfully.

"I have your daughter with me, it would do you good to talk if you don't want her to die" I pulled out a phone and threw it to Ben.

Ben shook as he watched his twelve year old daughter being hit.

"Stop, I'll bring you to the files. Please stop"

I raised a hand and a man scurried off with a phone in his ear yelling instructions to the person on the other side.

"If you please, Mr Parker" I indicated to the vehicle that was being held open.

Benjamin hesitated before he waved at the girl then he entered the vehicle.

I turned to her.

"Now, what should I do with you?"

"Leave her out of this" Troy bit back at me.

"It's hard to see you stand up for a skank like her or any woman at all. I'm amused"

"No words on your last day on Earth?"

No response from her.

I raised an eyebrow.

"For a woman that talks to much, you sure know how and when to keep your mouth shut"

I signalled to a man and he pulled out a dagger.

Troy pulled her closer to himself and placed her behind him, shielding the girl from an incoming harm, why was today full of surprises.

"Take her"

Troy and the man engaged in a fist battle and Troy was winning until the man I signalled him to use a sedative.

Troy slumped to the floor.

The man grabbed her roughly by her hair and pressed the cold dagger to her neck, it was such a pity she had nice hair.

"So tell me, what do I do to you?"

The silence was all he got.

This time my eyebrow twitched double tempo, I was running out id patience.

"Fine, dispose of her. She has seen too much and known too much"

The man raised the dagger and she shut her eyes without flinching, I raised a finger to stop him. Someone who wasn't afraid of death must have gone through many life challenging situations.

She kept her eyes closed for long before peeling them open gently, she looked around and touched her neck.

I leaned on my car watching.

"Are you done closing your eyes?"

She refused to say anything.

"I'm going to give you a job. You'll infiltrate Cordero's circle and distract Cordero for the whole evening. I'm sure you have some skills in seduction, never seen Troy defend a woman before" she could put that body into good use.

"No thank you. I already have a job, I don't need another" she raised her nose in scorn.

"I didn't ask, you'll do it. No questions asked" I turned and gripped his door handle knowing she didn't have a choice but to agree.

"And what makes you so sure I'll show up and do so willingly what you asked"

I turned to glare at her, nobody challenged my authority but this woman had already stepped past the line.

"You wouldn't dare disobey. Nobody dares disobey me"

She took a deep breath and raised her chin proudly. Intriguing.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not nobody. I'm Selene and I can disobey if I want, you're not my dad or mom"

I tsked angrily.

"You don't know the extent of my capabilities. Do you know what I can do to you by just snapping my fingers"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure. I'm guessing you're Thanos. It's just that I don't see your stones but if I was to say, I'll say they filled your head not only with a mountainous ego but with plenty bullshit. You're not a God, you're human like us so could you spare me your nonsense for at least five minutes" I spoke angrily.

Now she really was clawing at my temper.

"My nonsense? Fifteen, dress her up. She'll act the part we need"

A blonde gripped her arm and pulled her roughly towards a van.

She twisted towards him and kicked him in the groin.

He groaned failing to protect his sensitive area and let her go.

She stuck her tongue out at me cheekingly and sprinted towards Dusty's Doughnuts.

I entered my car and drove, stopping before the Café, I alighted and waited for her.

She rammed into me and fell on her behind.

"How the hell?" She looked back confused and then back at me.

I surveyed her coldly from above.

With a yank, I pulled her to her feet.

"I don't have patience for scrawny women like yourself" I flung her towards fifteen.

She twisted out of his grip and glared at him.

"I'm not going anywhere with you"she crossed her arms acting rebellious.

"You have to do as he says, if you still want your life"

"That's the thing. I don't trust you or him or him or any of you. You are trying to use my life as a bargain for some stupid files"

"It's not stupid. Shut it"

"You shut it" she snapped back angrily.

I felt the monsters I usually hid, crawl to the surface.

"What is the worth of some files for that of a human life? It's not worth much" this time she was yelling.

"If you know what those files contain, you'll know that a human life cannot be compared. The income gained is not something your tiny hands can hold"

"I couldn't care less. I'm not putting my life on the line for some nonsense"

"All you need to do is distract Cordero for fifteen minutes, don't take anything from him, don't drink anything he gives you, just distract him. It's not that hard"

"No, I'm not willing"

"Fine, you need a hard shove to get you going and I'm going to give it to you" I passed a phone to her.

She gasped.

She stretched to attack me but fifteen grabbed her.

"You...you're shameless. How can you use a small innocent girl for your game"

"She's the daughter of the criminal, she's tainted"

"You wouldn't say that if you had a sister, you demon"

A fist connected with her face and she stumbled backwards blood dripping from her mouth.

Warren and his temper, at least he saved her from being hit by me.

"Don't you dare talk about the young Miss like that!" He sneered at her.

"What? Can't handle the truth? You said an innocent girl is tainted, isn't your sister also tainted, seeing that you paint your hands with people's blood" she also sneered back.

"I can see you've chosen to be a thorn in my—"

"Ass? I'm just beginning to get started, pissy"

"Fine. Since you refuse to toast to obedience, you'll drink to penance"

Two of my men grabbed her hands and one pulled out a needle filled with fluid.

"What is that?"

"A little gift for your disobedience"

She fought back, so much strength for such a thin looking girl.

Before she could get far, I grabbed her.

"I don't care what you say, I'm not working for you" she wore an arrogant smile.

"We'll see"

I collected the needle and pierced it into her neck before releasing her.

She muttered something to herself and continued to work towards the Café.

I watched amused.

"This woman is really a pest. How can a woman look so weak yet be so strong"

Fifteen just shrugged.

"Ok, that's enough. You two, go grab her"

Her phone rang, she shook her head.

"Kel? Kel, I need saving. I'm being attacked" she said into the phone.

Who was this Kel? A cop, CSI, FBI, it would be trouble if the police caught me in the act.

"Dusty. Outside Dusty, but I'm not going to be here for long" she continued to talk slowly trying hard not to sleep.

"Find me Kel" two men grabbed her and pulled her towards the SUV.

I plucked the phone from her hand and threw it to the floor before stepping on it.

"Now what can you do? No-one is coming to save you. You will work for your freedom"

"I'm never going to work for you, Demon" that was her last words before she let herself sink into a deep sleep, they placed her on the chair of the SUV.

"That was exhausting"

I entered my car and sped off to my house, what I needed was a cold shower.