Chapter 6

The basement was cold, the stone walls were light with a single bulb in the middle of the room. The light it cast wasn't bright, the bulb was covered with a layer of dirt, the people in the middle sat arguing. Only one was quiet, the one that didn't want to be there in the first place.

"Susan, have you hidden the box?" A surly male asked.

"Yes, Bill. Somewhere no one will see it." Susan, a short, dark colored woman replied.

"And Zyrian?" The surly man known as Bill asked again.

"He's my son, Bill! You can't possibly expect me to do that!" Susan fired up.

"He knows things he shouldn't!" Bill slammed a fist on the table, making everyone jump.

"Bill, honey, please be sensible." A woman with the voice of an angel spoke. She had waist length brown hair and eyes that shone with fierceness no one knows she has.

"Cynthia, this is essential to make the plan go smoothly." Bill turned to his wife, his features softening with one look at her.

"Yes, Bill, it may be." Another man spoke, this one stood in a dark corner. His hair was also waist length and the gray of it shone in the light. "But you can't possibly ask a woman to kill her son, she would be in jail within a day."

"Good point, Jason." Bill spoke, turning to face Alex. "Have you got anything to add, Alex?"

The hissing of his tone insisted he did not like Alex as he did the rest. "No sir, nothing

at all."

"Good, good." Bill licked his lips and placed a hand on his wife's knee. "How are you coming on this Iris woman?"

"Not good, sir." This was not what Bill wanted to hear. "She's acquainted with a cop."

"Well, you should see to that, shouldn't you?" The man in the corner butted in, examining his nails.

"You're right."

Alex stood from his chair, swung his coat over his shoulder and waved before he left. He had never asked to be put into this life, running with a gang whose sole purpose was to wreak havoc for fun, as if it was a sport.

He got in his banged up truck and winced with the scraping sound it made when it started. With his job you would think he'd be able to afford a new one, but that job was only a fake one, it was a cover he told friends to insure his secret stayed secret.

In the solitude of her home Iris stirred, the blankets were piled over her, and the woman she craved was still sitting with her. She smiled up at Arrow in return and pet the cat that leapt onto the bed at the sound of Iris stretching.

"You didn't have to stay." Iris yawned, blinking up at her.

"I wanted to." Arrow sighed then corrected herself. "I needed to."

Iris nodded and looked around before sitting up, she looked at the clock for the time and mentally slapped herself for sleeping the day away. She made a jolting motion, she didn't want to be late for her and Dainellas meet up, but then remembered the events of the day.

"I can go with you."

Iris turned her head sharply, confused as to what Arrow was talking about.

"What? Where?"

"Wherever you planned on going today, that gave you that sad look just now."

"Oh." The memories of what she and Dainella were bound to discuss came rushing back. "I was supposed to meet up with Dainella at Olive Garden, I picked up going with her since Esty disappeared."

"Oh, we can order in if you no longer want to go." Arrow got up and laughed. "Look at me, talking as if I live here."

Iris chuckled, it wasn't genuine but it wasn't fake either, it lay somewhere in between. She got up and moved to the kitchen with Luna slinking by her side, the image of the cat prancing to the kitchen got her tired mind started, she had no food and no litter box for her.

She crouched down and picked Luna up, feeling sorry that she wasn't thinking right at the moment and only grabbed her. She turned to look at Arrow who was looking around the dark kitchen with her hands on the wall, trying to find the light switch.

"I have to go pick up some things at the store, you're free to come with or leave." Iris told her, setting the cat down once more.

"Aha!" Arrow exclaimed, finding the light switch. "What do you need from the store?"

"Cat supplies."

"I already have those, come with me."

They walked out into the dark street, Iris flipped on the porch light and followed Arrow to her patrol car. The walk was slow, Iris was too paranoid to walk any faster and looked around her yard to make sure they were as alone as she felt was safe. Once at the car Arrow jangled her keys and unlocked the trunk, inside was a duffel bag sat inside a plastic box.

"There isn't a dead body in there is there?"

Arrow laughed and shook her head, she grabbed the box and shoved it into Iris's hands.

"No, but we better get back inside. I'm freezing."

"Are you going to stay or leave?"

"Let me think." Arrow paused and put a finger on her chin. "I'm going to leave."

"I thought you'd have wanted to stay."

"Oh, yeah no I'm staying." Arrow opened the front door and helped Iris through. "I don't have a shift tomorrow so I want to go home, change, and get my actual car."

Iris nodded and set the stuff on the table, she unzipped the duffel bag and smiled. Inside was a bag of cat litter, a plastic bag of cat food cans, and toys for Luna, she realized the plastic box was actually for Luna's litter.

"Where'd you get this?"

"Dainellas, I figured since you were taking the cat you'd need her stuff."

"Thank you, I don't know what I would've done without you."

"No need to thank me, your safety is my top priority."

"Right, because you're a cop."

"No, not just because I'm a cop." Arrow pulled out her phone. "You should get all that together for Luna, I'm sure she's hungry."

"Yeah, when are you gonna get your stuff?"

"Now, I'll be back."

Arrow walked forward, put an arm around Iris' waist, and kissed her forehead. The woman that was now gone made her feel safer than anyone else had in years, and she had just met her yesterday. She got everything situated for Luna, water and food by the sliding glass back door, the kitty litter box in the bathroom by the sink.

After about an hour or two the doorbell sounded, then a knock. Iris got up from the couch and approached the door, she heard talking outside and looked through the peephole in order to be sure she was safe. She saw Arrow smiling and a delivery man talking and handing a bag to her.

The door knob rattled and she stepped back, letting Arrow let herself in.

"What was that about?" She asked when Arrow entered, carrying multiple items.

"I ordered take out when I had about thirty minutes left on my drive."

Iris nodded and watched Arrow set things down, she set the food bags on the table, two duffel bags on the floor, two pillows and a blanket on the couch.

"I'm not complaining or anything, but why did you want to stay?"

"It's not a want, it's a need." Arrow said simply, rummaging through the food bags. "I need to make sure you're safe, after Dainella I'm not so sure you should be on your own."

"You barely know me though."

"I'm a cop, and I feel a connection to you. I'm going to make sure you're safe."

"Thank you."