Until The Trial

Chapter 5

***Chapter 5- Part 2***

Samantha

"You barely ate," Lucas looks at her plate.

"I ate more than I usually do."

"You need more food in you."

"I think I am fine."

"Well, I disagree."

She crosses her arms, "Don't you think I would know if I need more food?"

"No," He answers deadpan.

Samantha grabs her fork and forces one more mouthful of rice into her mouth.

Lucas's eyes narrow, "I'll allow that for tonight, but starting tomorrow you're eating three meals a day. We can't have you starving before the trial."

"Right, I'll starve after it."

"Funny," he says sarcastically.

"I try to be."

Lucas rubs his forehead. Samantha almost feels bad for teasing him so much, but she can't help it. She likes the reaction it gives her.

"I don't appreciate you doing your best to be difficult," he says.

"Oh, trust me, that is not doing my best."

"What is you doing your best?" Marcus speaks up, taking a break from shoving food into his mouth.

"And why don't you do your best?" Julian adds. "It would be fun."

Lucas rolls his eyes so far back, Samantha wonders how they don't get stuck in the back of his head.

"I am going to save that for when he really bothers me."

"He seems to be bothering you enough," Julian says.

"Would you be quiet?" Lucas glares at him, "Both of you."

Marcus points to himself, putting his hands up, "I wasn't talking."

"Ms. Myers," Lucas ignores him, putting his attention back on Samantha. "Whether this is your best or not, you acting this way will not make us getting along any easier."

Samantha points to her nose, "Every freckle on here is a point towards how little I care."

Marcus chuckles and takes the food she left for himself.

"Good night, Mr. Myers," Lucas says dismissively after staring at her for a couple of seconds.

****

Samantha waits a good thirty minutes before creeping down the stairs again. She stands by the door entrance so she can listen to their conversation unseen.

"She described a 166 on his arm, so we know for sure he is part of the gang. This further support the reporter's theory," Lucas says, "all the other victims thought to be related to the case have the same MO. I want to erase any possibility that the 166ers have switched to a bullet to the head as their main killing method." Samantha feels another pang of pain in her heart. Why couldn't it have been some other murder method? Like strangling. She has long since come to terms with her mother's death, but first seeing and then hearing of victims killed the same way she was murdered keeps taking her to that night.

She hears the rustling of paper, "No, this is not the case. We have investigated several other murders by the gang with no shots to the head or at least none made specifically to the head," Julian replies.

"So whoever this man is, we know he is or was in the gang and gets his orders from the governor. I wonder if the headshots are truly his MO or if the Governor request them so the victims don't suffer long," Lucas says, "we are also assuming that he is the main murderer due to witnesses all saying they remember someone with messy blond hair. Frustratingly so that's the only feature they can see he has. Most include a white mask. None of those witnesses' statements are concrete."

"The 166 gang has been relatively silent lately. Usually, they are constantly involving themselves in attacks against other gangs trying to gain a rep since they are so small and are always on the move because of the leader's paranoia of people knowing where the base is. However, our inside guy said there haven't been rumors of the base moving. He says the gang isn't acting like a gang at all."

"Then what is it? Does he know where it is?"

"No, he's been trying to find it out, but the location is kept a secret even to most gang members. I told him to stand down for a while because he was sensing someone was unto him."

"Why does he say it's not a gang?"

"He says it's not normal. The people in it don't act normal."

Julian scoffs, "He saying they aliens?"

"Cultish I guess. We need to figure out if the murderer is still in the gang or whatever it is and if he was a previous member. Only then will we know if he is seeking shelter with them and if the gang is working with the Governor," Lucas thumps the table, "If the damn reporter would have come to us from the start instead of doing her own investigation, we might have already all we need?"

"Do you already know how your evidence disappeared?" Julian asks.

"No. He's got to have someone in the office. That's the only way. It's why I brought Samantha here, I don't trust her location to others." Samantha frowns. So he uses her first name behind her back.

"How do you plan in managing that by the way?"

"She's a witness. I need her if I want to complete this case," Lucas says, "the way to do that is to keep her alive."

"Until the trial is over," Julian jokes.

Lucas chuckles, "I swear that woman-"

"Samantha?" Vaughn appears in front of her. Samantha groans when the men stop talking. She wanted to hear what he was going to say. She gives Marcus a look. He smiles apologetically. She steps into view her cover blown.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Julian asks a smile in his tone.

"Yes," she replies not seeing the point in lying.

"For how long?"

She just shrugs.

"For as long as I've been in the bathroom taking a dump probably," Vaughn says.

"I thought you were in there with them."

"So that makes it okay to listen in?"

"Clearly. I mean you wouldn't have found out," she says, "but please continue. Don't stop on my account."

"Nice try," Lucas says.

"I might be able to help. I am quite smart. Don't let my gloom and doom convince you otherwise."

"You, as I have said before, are supposed to be resting."

"I did," Samantha rolls her eyes, "I will be fine for your trial. I swear."

Lucas's jaw gets tight and he walks up to her, "You whether you like it or not are sick and you have stitches on your head. And you are pregnant, a fact I shouldn't need to remind you of. You need to rest so you can get better."

Samantha opens her mouth to talk back, not appreciating his tone but decides she has already done enough.

"Fine. Good night boys, for real this time."

"Cheers mate," Julian jokes. As she leaves she hears Julian speak.

"Interesting woman that is."

"Trouble is what she is."

****

This part is a bit shorter than the others since it is part of the previous chapter

I made Samantha's thinking a bit like mine, so I admit to often committing the act of eavesdropping 😂

Don't we all do a little?

Like and Comment plz <3