4522 {The Number Series}

39

Hallway after hallway we followed Macallister to an office that I had met him in one other time when I had left the confines of my hospital bed after Archer had accidentally hit me too hard during training. I never got the chance to finish the training but I had a feeling, due to the death of Harold, I would be forced to pick it back up again soon. I knew now that I needed it. Gina had been trusted fully with his life and, yet, been the one to truly end it with a final shot. I could still hear the bang of her gun just as clearly as I had heard it only  a few minutes more as she died by Aaron's hand.  

Macallister took the seat behind the desk with ease. Despite being a grown man he had the agility of a cat and the movements he made, he made gracefully. I could tell his father's death was the main point on his mind as he met my gaze with red rimmed, dark eyes. 

"So, Aaron," Macallister entwined his fingers as he leaned on the desk. He looked as though he could squeeze the life from Aaron's neck which I knew was a tactic to intimidate his unwelcome arrival; but, for the first time since meeting Macallister, I saw that he would actually be capable of committing such a horrible act. "Why did you finally come to terms with needing me?"

Aaron's hands clamped tightly to the armrests on the chair. Clearly he did not want to need Macallister.  He replied through clenched teeth. "It's not a need."

"The Officer's followed the tracks and rubble from when we stole the truck," Jericho spoke up before the two could start arguing. 

"That was a while ago and I prefer the term borrowed." Macallister said. "Why are you here now?"

"They found us." Aaron answered. "Of course, with that being said, we could not just let them go and uncover our homes location. We captured them, found out what they knew."

The assumption of torture came to the front of my mind. They had tortured the Officer's until they gave away everything they knew. The images in my head were too gruesome for me and I pushed them out as best I could. Archer gripped my hand to give me comfort as if he could tell what I had been thinking.

"If the threat was controlled that still does not explain why you are here." Macallister's voice was flat.

"We covered up  their tracks, and yours, as best we could but I am worried that because we took lives," Aaron leaned forward. "They will not give up anytime soon as to trying to find their missing Officer's."

"There have been several search parties looking for the previous group according to the lookouts stationed around in the forest." Jericho sighed. "I was caught by a group on my way back but the lookouts recognized me and they saved me."

"So more are dead." Macallister said bluntly. Jericho shrugged her shoulders and looked away. "And you think that you will be discovered and you need more man power."

"Power that you now have and continue to grow." Aaron looked at me. My stomach flipped around and I wanted nothing more than for him to look away. I refused to allow him to see that he made me uncomfortable; I starred back without breaking contact which made him smirk. There was an attitude about him that made him seem untrustworthy. I would have rather teamed up with Jericho than with the man before me. "You have secret weapons that will make tipping the scale easier." 

"It seems that you hold me highly," Macallister said to him which made Aaron turn red in the face. "If you want my help then I suggest you keep it that way."

Even though the words had not come out of my mouth they did make me feel triumphant. The creep Aaron needed to be kept in his place and I was perfectly fine with backing up constant reminders for him. Macallister was in charge. Gina's last few words came to mind then. She had said, now that his farther was dead, he could make the plan the way he had always wanted. I did not know what that had meant and I did not want to ask him in front of Jericho or Aaron. The less the two knew, the better. 

"With that being said," Jericho interrupted. "What can we do?"

I could not help but think that what they could do was leave.

"Together?" Macallister leaned back. "I will need time to process. In the meantime, you two will be under constant surveillance until I make up my mind. I also think I will be keeping your weapons for a time since you clearly have no qualms about using them."

Macallister pressed a button on his desk, causing four people to enter and grab Jericho and Aaron by their arms, forcing them out of their chairs. 

"We came here willingly to help you," Aaron sputtered. 

"No, you came here for me to help you and in the process you would help me. In theory." Macallister's smile was cold. "We will see."

With narrowed eyes and clamped mouths they were led out of his office. Archer watched Jericho closely as if he could not decide if he agreed or disagreed with the decision. Either way I felt something boil up inside me as their eyes met. 

"With them out of the room, there is information I would like to share with you as far as future plans." Macallister let his guard down, relaxed, and looked us in the eyes. "First of all, thank you for the information, you two managed to come back with more than I could have imagined which means it was successful regardless of the circumstances."

"I am sorry for your father," Archer said solemnly. "I was supposed to protect him too."

Macallister shook his head. "No, you are not responsible for that. You took care of Remi like you had been given the order to do. My father and I just happened to trust the wrong person at the wrong time. Though I have a feeling Gina did not think she truly did wrong."

"She was worried about a blood trail," I said as I reached up and touched my chin, a reminder that I could have suffered the same fate for the same reason.

"Do you need something for that?" Macallister asked. 

I shook my head. "Not at the moment."

He thought for a minute before agreeing. "Let's move forward then."

With his father gone Macallister had moved up to the leader of the Third Party and, despite the recent lose, wanted to waste no time taking action. The two of them had disagreed often on how to carry out the rebellion against the City while trying to reach the same outcome. Harold had believed his was more reasonable while Macallister was set on believing his was more strategic. Either way both men had thought their way would complete the goals they both shared. Macallister decided to adopt some of his father's planning but now had control to fulfill his own. 

There were many steps to the process, he had explained. The more he spoke the crazier the mission sounded but the better all of the dots connected. Hearing what I was actually going to do made me nervous but I had already agreed to complete what was asked of me. The most important part was being able to cause the uproar we were all wanting. Archer asked few questions but seemed to be in agreement meanwhile I needed to know everything. By the end of it I was shaking both with anticipation and from nerves. 

"Do you understand what needs to be done?" He asked us. 

"Yes." Archer said with little emotion. I could only nod. 

"Good. Now let's eat."