Elias blinked wearily at the computer screen, a new notification popping up. He had been about to call it a day and catch up with his bed, but he was stopped. His eyes scanned over the message and he stared at the monitor for a while. It took a few moments to register what was going on and when it did, he let out a loud, foul curse. He pulled himself to his keyboard, his fingers typing away at the speed of light. He grumbled under his breath, wishing that he didn't have such a reckless partner. He clenched his jaw, refraining from cursing at Azrai from the spot that he was sitting in. Here he thought that everything was going to plan, but no, Azrai always seemed to find himself in some trouble.
He hacked into the hotel's security system, quickly finding the fourth floor monitor. He played back the footage before he let out another curse. This was bad. Just how the hell did Azrai manage to get himself into these predicaments? Another thought popped in his mind, just how the hell did no one notice all that commotion? Were they the only ones staying that hotel or on that floor? He didn't have time to question the meaning of life and he began trying to erase the fight footage and replacing it with a damn near perfect replica of Shizu and Azrai simply heading back to the room. It would take some time but he was confident that he could make the change go unnoticeable. As for the bodies, he was sure that Azrai had contacted Ivan by now.
He frowned a bit, wondering if Ivan could be of any use though Azrai wouldn't have contacted Ivan if he weren't. Sighing, he took a few seconds to reply back to Azrai. 'Leave the footage to me. It's best you both leave the area and lay low.' He knew that it wasn't necessary for the last sentence, but it would let Azrai know that he was more than annoyed with the situation that he was in. If that man got arrested, along with the objective, he would raise hell. 'I'll try to get in touch with a few contacts and see if I can get you two on a RV-10 to Tel Aviv as soon as possible. Try not to get in any more trouble.' He was madder than a bat out of hell but he was simply relieved that the male was alright. He would hate to think of all the worse case scenarios that could've played out. To make sure no one else got to the fourth floor, he short-circuited the elevator, hopefully that would hold long enough for Ivan to get there.
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He grunted from the current ministrations that he was doing. He dropped the body that he had been holding against the wall and pulled out his phone. A frown tugged at the corner of his lips as he read the message he received. Running a hand over his face, he slung his boot into the head of the man he had been interrogating. There was a pained groan that left the helpless male's body and he was sure that he had caused some internal bleeding, just another body that he had to clean up, wonderful. Clenching his jaw, he glanced around the alleyway, it was littered with two bodies and he shook his head. He was sure that there were more at the hotel. The message explained why he had been attacked upon trying to clean up after Azrai. The man was seriously slacking in the disposing of corpses department.
It was a good thing that he had second opinions on the mission than Azrai had. The fool went along with it, unable to turn down the mission. For what reason? That sure beat the hell out of him but he wouldn't question his companion's motives. Moving around the sleek black car he had rented, he pulled out two opaque body bags, whistling slightly. He would clean and dispose of the bodies later; he didn't have time for that tedious and meticulous task right now. He grunted a bit as he lugged the bodies into the open back before slamming it shut. Azrai better thank God for him being in Japan. Well, he'd probably be **** that he decided to follow him, but he was worried. Not necessarily over Azrai but over the mission in general. He liked to have a full set of details before accepting any mission, no matter how simple it was. Something about the mission had made him feel uncomfortable and Azrai was a fool for not listening to him in the beginning.
Just look at where that got him.
He hopped into the driver side, starting the engine. He pulled out his phone, shooting back a reply before peeling out of the area he was at. 'Get out of there, I'm on my way. I'll take care of the bodies and I'll find you afterwards. Stay low.' He slowly could feel himself slip into the cold demeanor that his job required. Hopefully, no one would see the bodies before he got there, or else that would be a hassle to deal with. They didn't need any more complications as of now.
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She smiled meekly at the grin that left him as he told her that she was not thought of as trouble. That was a relief. However, she kept looking at his bloody nose and she felt guilty. If not for her need to feed, he could've managed to get out of the shootout unharmed. She would remember to be of more help later on. She understood that his task had not been easy and she truly appreciated all the effort he put into protecting her, as well as how he catered to her needs. It was probably because he didn't want her to attack him, but nonetheless the gesture was kind. She was not used to such things. She couldn't help up laugh lightly at the grin, because in all honesty he looked ridiculous. His nose was still oozing blood and he looked a bit roughed up yet he had the strength the grin. She wondered what kind of strength it took to be able to smile through that kind of pain.
Their conversation took a turn towards more serious matters and she listened intently. She nodded her head as he told her about the flight. She was more than prepared physically to endure such things, however mentally, she was unsure about it. She would just have to wait until the time came. She let out a slow breath as he went into the bathroom. She took looked around for things to bring, not like she had much. She took hold of the kimono she placed on the bed. She didn't want to leave it here, even though it held too many horrible memories, she wanted Azrai to sell it. She was determined to have it sold and far away from the possession of anyone who had seen her in it. If those men took that back to her stepfather, he would keep it until they dragged her back kicking and screaming. She wouldn't allow that but then again she could be paranoid.
She watched him drag the body out of the bathroom and into the hallway, placing it in front of another door. She watched with hesitance, sensing that Azrai was more on edge than usual. They were in quite the predicament at this point, she could understand his frustration. Things had definitely escalated to a point where he could no longer control it and she assumed that Azrai was a man who liked to be in control. She exited the room, stepping around the bodies that lay scattered on the carpet. Crimson eyes flickered over to this fire escape he mentioned before she looked down at the bodies. "I...I understand," she said in a heavy tone. It seemed like it was now hitting her how bad the situation had become and all because of her. When she had thought of freedom, she never expected things to turn out like this. But she wasn't in control of the fates, Kami-sama was and she trusted him enough to put her life in the hands of Azrai.
"Then...we should make haste," she said quickly, before she turned to take the fire escape. She pushed open the door and glanced down the stairwell. She inhaled deeply, trying to pick up on anyone else. She sensed no one and as soon as her foot hit the first step towards the lower level, she was moving fast. She made sure that she wasn't going too fast, knowing that she had the ability to be downstairs within that matter of seconds. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Azrai was behind her, she worried that he would be in a lot of pain, though he wouldn't stop moving until they were in a hidden place. Her footsteps were light as she moved down the steps, her heart racing. It was almost...exciting to be on the run like this, even though their lives were in danger. She was enjoying the thrill that ran through her veins. They reached the bottom of the fire escape, before she cautiously pushed open the door, sticking her head out into the empty lobby. She slipped out and moved to the back exit of the hotel, she silently opened the door and turned around to see another alleyway.
She exhaled a heavy breath from the physical exertion; she turned to look at a black Sedan sitting idly at one of the open ends of the alley. She recognized danger when she saw it and she cursed under her breath. She glanced at Azrai, knowing that he probably wanted to avoid another shoot out, especially if they were supposed to lay low. "Azrai, this way," she said gently, motioning for him to follow her before they were spotted. She jumped as a bullet ricocheted against the brick wall beside her and she let out an audible curse, looking behind them. They didn't need this right now, she held out her hand towards Azrai, expecting him to take it. Her eyes changed to a saffron color once more, this time anger swirling in her eyes. They softened when she looked at Azrai, to reassure him that she was in control. "I need you to trust me for a few moments." She took hold of his hand anyways, before she could get a solid answer. "This will feel...weird, I apologize in advance, but this is the…fastest way."
She had only done this a few times, like when she was trying to rescue an injured animal or a reckless child who was about to fall off a steep cliff. She inhaled deeply before she began to run however, it wouldn't feel like running for Azrai, just merely floating, standing still while everything around him was moving at the speed of light. The streets began to blur and the faces around them blended into one another. She moved them nearly all the way across town before she grew weary. Azrai was certainly heavier than the last thing that she had carried in that state. She slowed them down, easing into a complete stop, hoping she hadn't made him queasy, it happened sometimes. She let go of his hand once they stopped, she glanced around at the desolate buildings around them. She couldn't have picked a more convenient place to stop. She looked at him. "Are you feeling well? I know that was very sudden...ah...forgive me." She had to make that decision fast and she was sure no one else saw them; she blinked a few times before her eyes changed back to normal and the world was still once more.
"Does this location suffice for staying low? I can always move us to another place," she said with a smile, knowing that many people didn't like going that fast, though it amused her slightly. She found odd things amusing. She placed her hand on a broken door, pushing it open and glancing around inside. It seemed decent enough. “Perhaps we should rest for now and do something about that nose of yours,†she said raising a slender brow while she looked at him.
_________________ A Taste of Series with Sounds_of_Silence: Freedom (complete) Hope (work in progress) It has been amazing to work with Sounds! She is an amazing writer and I absolutely love working on this series with her <3
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