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Chapter 6

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Genevieve was sitting at her desk, inside the lonely office she has created for herself. She has taken over the task of reviewing assignments and give them to the Freedom fighters. While also training with a gun in her spare time, and running background checks of almost everyone inside the city. She has shadowed people, gone on dangerous assignments for the Freedom fighters together with Mychaell. Hoping that this pulled Justin's attention from the others on to her.

"Hey, Genevieve." Vanessa entered her office. "I have the file of my last mission, and my findings." Genevieve said nothing, she just pointed towards the 'I am done cabinet' inside her office. "Sure got it, no more small talk from you, but do you have another assignment for me?" she asked.

"Yes, I have. Here it is, I am sorry to say that is similar than the one you just finished." Genevieve said, while giving Vanessa the file. Vanessa groaned loudly.

"Another scouting mission, I have done these a lot the last couple of weeks." Vanessa replied, Genevieve nodded but still gave the file to Vanessa, who took it and left the office in a huff. Genevieve took a deep breath and lower her head. She hated this, more than she could say. She opened the drawer inside her desk, where she held Rycharde's old gun. Mychaell came in when she stood up, to practice shouting. Something he has seen her do on multiple occasions, so he didn't question that anymore. What he did know was that she never took it out during the day, unless she was upset.

"Is this really what you want?" he asked her, he has asked her this a few times before. And every time she replied with a simple nod. But this time she shock her head, because there was no point in lying. "But do you really believe that this is needed to keep them safe?" This time she nodded, she really believed that this was the only way to do this.

"Pushing them towards the point that they will talk shit behind my back in public, so that a lot of people can hear them. It is what I believe the best way to go about this, and I hate it." She said, while putting up ear protectors. He did the same thing, she aimed at the target and started to shoot. This gun was a bit on the heavier side, but she had learned how to shoot with it, pretty quickly. She emptied the barrel, and sighed. "I only need a lighter one, one that I can easily hide under my clothes. But I also need to practice with the other weapons, and simple martial arts will not hurt either." She pointed at the whiteboard that was now mounted on her wall, it had grown in the last couple of hours. "Every time I go on a mission, every time I look someone up. That cursed company pops up, and I can't take it." She turned towards him and sighed. "Are you still going out for drinks with the rest of the crew?" He nodded and she smiled softly.

"And you are going on another scouting mission of yours. Gen, please tell me, what do you hope to find?" he asked. She closed her eyes and wrapped her own arms around her.

"A sliver of hope, that I am wrong and that Justin is really dead." she whispered. "A sign to tell me that I can stop." She felt his arms wrap around hers. She leaned into him, absorbing his warmth and love. "That this all is part of my paranoia, another fever dream or episode." Mychaell turned her slowly around and then cupped her face with his hand.

"I have faith in you, to do the right thing. But please, the next time when I ask if you are alright, answer truthfully. Just like you did right now," he said. So he had noticed that she didn't do that before, which means that the knew her so well. She covered his hand with hers, and turned her head slightly and pressed her lips on the palm. She couldn't promise him that at all, but she will do her best. He was the one who has her heart, and this is how she showed him that. "I see," he sounded hurt. And she knew that this would happen.

"I am sorry," she whispered. "I want to promise you, that I would never lie to you again. I want to promise that and so much more. But I can't. All I can tell you is that I am scared out of my mind, and that you bring some calmness into my life." He smiled softly, the hurt expression was gone. He knew that she had spoken from her heart, she knew that he knew that. He placed his finger under her chin, pushed her head slightly up, and kissed her softly on the lips. She gave into the kiss, wrapped her arms around his neck. Hoping that this moment wouldn't stop or fade into oblivion. But a knock on the wooden door frame interrupted them.

"Sorry, to bother the two of you," it was Derick. "But I am here to turn in my paperwork, and I suspect that you have another easy mission in store for me." Genevieve pushed herself off Mychaell and closed her eyes. She didn't want to, but that was not important right now. "Figures, I really hope that this is all worth it in the end." He placed his file in the right cabinet, and walked over to her desk. "But let me make this loud and clear, I know that you have suffered under that monster's hands. But you are doing now the same thing to us, and I consider that as the highest betrayal." He grabbed the file with his name on it. "Again, I hope it was worth it. Mychaell, we will leave in five minutes, with or without you." Derick left the office, and once again she felt empty.

"He is just angry about those assignments, and I have to say. You are really giving them the easy once, and you have given none to Jessica." he said, and she nodded. That was intentional, she was attacked by someone only a couple of weeks ago. And again, she hoped with all her heart that this attack was unrelated to all of this. But then again, she couldn't take that risk.

"It is fine, he already made it clear that he doesn't believe me. So I do not take his comments to heart," she said. That was a lie, and she could see from the way he looked at her that, he knew that as well. "You should go, I will be fine." She placed something in the pocket of his pants, a small recording device. What in the name of the wasteland was she thinking, spying on him and the others like that? She hated herself for doing this, and the words of Derick echoed in her mind.

"I hope it was worth it.

Mychaell left her office and she followed behind him, grabbing some clothing from the locker room. All of it was black with hidden spaces for her to place her weapons in. Hoping that she didn't need them tonight, hoping that the one that she was going to shadow today didn't notice her at all.

"Be careful out there," Mychaell said, she wanted to promise him that she would. But she knew that this might not be a promise that she was able to keep.

"I will try," she promised him instead. Which was the closest thing. He nodded and left the back of the house, through the front door. And she did the same thing, but then at the back.

*******

The streets of Maraud were well light, but gave enough room for the dark. Not like what she was used to in Benevolence, with all the neon lights that light up every corner. If you didn't count the dark alleyways, the place where she loved to roam when she wanted to be alone. The place that she was needed to hide herself for human traffickers, the place where she found a new family. Only this time she wasn't roaming the alleyways for Benevolence, this was Maraud, and she needed to be careful. Because she was not the only one who used these dark streets, she already needed to hide several times in small corners and sideways. Thanking each lucky star that the one that she was ghosting, didn't see her. The man, finally stopped at the end of the alleyway. A place that bled out into an open area, and he was not alone. There were two other man waiting for him.

"Are you sure that you haven't being followed," the man in black with a mask asked. His voice made her blood run cold, it was the same one that hunted her dreams.

"I am pretty sure of it, mister Benevolence." the scumbag, she knew as Mister Dixton, replied. The man in the mask looked over mister Dixton's shoulder and nodded. 

"Good," the man in the mask said. Genevieve made herself as small as possible inside the nook that was close to the open area. It was conveniently light by a single lantern that didn't give much light at all. It was also a night with a new moon, so not much light from that thing either. Which she had used in her advantage, and this guy inside the mask did the same thing. "Report." the man's voice was cool, collected, and once again it made her blood run cold. It was so similar to Justin's voice, and how he loved to speak to someone that disappointed him. Which most of the time it was her on the receiving end. Mister Dixton didn't seem to notice, however, and started to report the latest developments. She was clever enough to have the same recording device with her, as the one she placed into Mychaell's pocket. So that she could analysis what he said later. The man in the mask only nodded from time to time, but his whole posture seemed off in Genevieve's eyes. As if, he pretended to listen, again something that Mister Dixton didn't seem to notice. She now wished that she had taken a video recording device, but that one was much bigger and easier to notice. "Well done, Mister Dixton, well done. You have been a valuable asset." the man in the mask stepped forward. Genevieve's heart started to beat faster. She was now able to see the man's eyes, who were resting on her. Cold gray, emotionless, eyes. Justin's eyes, he was alive. He was alive, inside the city, and he had seen her. Justin lay a hand on Mister Dixton's shoulder. "But you were being followed." And with one swoop, slight Mister Dixton's throat. Genevieve got up and started to run away. "Run, Genevieve, run. You know that is useless, because I have you where I wanted." She stopped the voice recorder, and tears welled up in her eyes as she ran away from the man she feared more than live. She kept on running, until she was at home inside the apartment. She closed every lock there was on the front door and let herself slip against it. Knowing full well that those locks wouldn't stop him at all. She kept the recorder close at hand, while the tears streamed freely down her cheeks.

The bar was decently filled when their crew entered, Joshua directly ordered some drinks for the whole table, inside a private booth from which they could shut the door. And they sat down at their regular table, Jessica was flanked between Richard and Jacob. While Vanessa went to help Joshua with the drinks, he sat down with a sigh. It hadn't taken him long before he had found the recording device, he hadn't even come out of the storage room. But he knew that she had her reasons, or he hoped that she had. He hated to see her so worked up like this, although he might not believe her fully. He knows one thing for sure, she was genuinely scared. And not for her own safety, but that of the people that were currently sitting at this table. Derick took place next to him, and groaned.

"Man, I have being waiting for a nice drink all day. That whole assignment thing is bumming me out, to be honest." Joshua, who entered, shot the door behind him. When he heard what Derick had said. "I really can't stand that I am getting assignments that are too easy. Where is all the fun stuff?" Derick took a sip of his drink. Vanessa sighed.

"I have to agree with you there," she said. But then quickly looked up. "I am so sorry, Mychaell. I know that she is dealing with a lot. But giving us these easy assignments, or in Jessica's case not giving her assignments at all. And this all because she believes that Justin is still alive."

"Which, I will say it again, is not possible." Derick said.

"And how do you know that for sure," Mychaell snapped back. He was done with Derick's attitude. "I know that this is not an easy thing to swallow, and that there is no proof saying otherwise. But do you know what Genevieve has being doing all this time." Derick shook his head, so did the others. "Looking in every nook and cranny, in the hope that you are right and Justin is indeed dead. But up until now, she hasn't found anything to prove to her otherwise. Even now, she is looking for clues." He then looked at Jessica. "Although she hasn't said anything, I believe she suspects that your resent attack has something to do with it as well. That is why she is not given you any assignments." Jessica gasped for air and he lowered his head. "She is scared out of her mind that, if she believes it is true, that something might happen to us. She has told us this when this all started, she is keeping you all at arms length. She even tries her best to push me and Rycharde away." Rycharde nodded in agreement. Derick growled.

"You are only saying that because you are banging her," he said, Joshua quickly jumped towards Mychaell to hold him back. Otherwise, he had punched Derick. Which he deserves.

"You know what Derick, for a smart guy you are acting rather stupid." Mychaell said, he drank up his drink and stood up. "I am leaving." He tossed some cash upon the table. Jessica narrowed her eyes to Derick. But he simply shrugged, Mychaell didn't hear anything else that was said because he stormed out. He was quickly followed by Rycharde. "Why did you leave?" Mychaell asked, and Rycharde sighed.

"Because you are right, she has being doing nothing but looking for proof. And everywhere she turns she comes up empty-handed, if this is not Justin, then there is another person like him at large inside our city. And I do not know what is worse." Rycharde said, and Mychaell agreed with him there. The entered the apartment complex, but when they tried to open the door, it wouldn't butch. "Genevieve, are you home?" Rycharde asked, and the door swung open. Genevieve rushed out into the hallway into first Rycharde's arms and then his. She was shaking, her hands were bleeding, so was her lip. Her cheeks and pants were wet from her tears, what in the world had happened to her. But he already knew, she had found the proof she was looking for and from her reaction it was as she had feared all along. Justin was alive, and inside this city, pulling the strings. Mychaell couldn't describe the powerless he was feeling at the moment, all he could do right now was wrap her into a tight huge. And sharing a brief glance with Rycharde, who nodded he knew what this meant too. He started to curse, while he looked at Genevieve in defeat.

"Alright, let us take this inside. And you can share with us what you have found." Rycharde said. Genevieve nodded and let go of Mychaell, she looked like she could break at any moment. Which was not comforting at all. Still she walked into the apartment, a laptop was sitting on the dining table, it had a small recording device linked to it. How many did she have? That was not important right now, he just put his hand inside his pocket and handed it to her.

"I believe that this one is also yours," he said. She nodded, took it, but walked towards the laptop. She pressed onto a button, and the voice of Mister Dixton made it over the speakers. Telling someone about a bunch of illegal stuff. But then there was a second voice, and that made all the color in Rycharde's face vanish. Justin's voice, telling Mister Dixton how valuable he was. But that he was indeed followed. Then there was Genevieve's frantic gasping, she was running away from the scene. 

"Run, Genevieve, run. You know that is useless, because I have you where I wanted."

Then the audio was cut off. Rycharde let out a stream of curses, and Mychaell once again wrapped Genevieve into a tight hug. No wonder that she was scared, he was not only alive, he had seen her.

"I have you where I wanted."

That alone sent shivers down his spine. He was paying attention to their every move, he was still playing with her, like a cat would play with a mouse. He probably also had men inside that bar, waiting to see what would go on in there. And he hoped with all his being that they didn't disappoint.

"Uhm, do not listen to the other recording tonight." He said. "Derick was being a dick, and I do not want you to hear what he had said. At least, not now. Maybe tomorrow." She nodded and leaned into him. Seeking for some kind of comfort. Mychaell only hoped that he was able to provide it for her. "Lets, get you under the shower and into bed." he slowly guided her away from the laptop and the still softly raging Rycharde. Mychaell slowly helped her undress, and he also undressed himself. He wanted to be close to her, just in case she breaks down and needed him. The water was calming, and washed away all the blood from her skin. She indeed broke down, and sobbed all the way through the shower. He embraced her and didn't let go of her, the entire time that she sobbed. After that, he dried her and himself off with a towel. Helped her into a night gown, while he put on some sweatpants. She fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow, still in her sleep she snuggled against him. Once again, holding on to him tight. He didn't mind it, he will never mind it. Not from her. Rycharde entered the room and softly walked over to them.

"Is she asleep?" he asked, Mychaell replied with a simple nod. "Good, I am glad that she feels safe with you. But when did you figure out that she placed a recording device on you?"

"Before we left for the bar," Mychaell replied. "I just figured that she had a very good reason for it. Maybe to see what the others really thought of her, and boy if that is the case they didn't disappoint. Not that I can blame them, I barely believed it myself. But I knew one thing for sure, and that was that she was scared out of her mind." Rycharde pressed his lips tight, clearly not happy that she felt the need to eavesdrop onto their conversation. But he didn't say anything about it. "How do you feel? About Justin being still alive and such."

"I honestly do not know, he is my son. But I do not recognize the man that he has become." Rycharde said. "He killed my sister, my sweet sister. He did hurt Genevieve, in more ways than I thought humanly possible. He destroyed the city I entrusted him with." Mychaell indeed could understand the anger, but also the confusion. Because no matter how he looked at it, this man was still Rycharde's son. "I need to sleep on it, rest well, Mychaell. The wasteland knows you are going to need it in the morning."  He left after that. Mychaell then looked at the sleeping Genevieve, he indeed needed all the rest that he was able to get. She needed him after all, with this in mind he drifted off. 


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