The heart of Cleopatra

A lead

Chapter sixteen

Cleo knew who the text was from. Nobody else can make a simple text seem quite so smug and dramatic at the same time. She quickly typed an address along with an equally stern instruction.

'Wait for me there Malakai'

"Cleo!" Oli said raising his voice to capture her attention. His attempt was successful as she looked up at him. "Everything okay?"

Cleo nodded while locking her phone. "Yep. It's all good." She calmly replied making her strange behaviour seem normal. The loud bell rang which made everyone slam their lockers and rush to their next class, the students here were very punctual. "Don't you have a lesson to go to?" She asked nicely using that as an excuse to break from Oli and leave the school.

"I sure do." He said and parted from her.

Cleo weaved through the huge group of students by the front door, blending into the crowd she finally stepped out into the fresh air. She unlocked her car, making the headlights flash as she came into sight. Cleo wasted no time and sped out the premises.

What she didn't notice was Charlie spotted her as she left. "Hey, Oli. Where's Cleo going?" He asked as he held him back.

Oli shrugged his shoulders. "I have no clue." Charlie's suspicion rose astronomically. He let Oli go and hurried to the door. His long legs made his catch up with Cleo quite sufficiently. He hid behind one of the cars when he saw Cleo sit in her Audi. It was unusual for her to not have her bike, it grew his appetite for answers.

"Where are you going Cleopatra?" He murmured to himself as he snuck to his car. She pulled away and he gave her a small head start.

Cleo's decided location was a huge ground and basement floor building. The inner circle call it 'The base' nobody is aware of what goes on there. Cleo hadn't visited this place in months, it was far to deep into Arcane to go undiscovered.

Just as she crossed the line between Asterin and Arcane she noticed a black car tailing her. The sight nearly made her anxious, but when she adjusted her mirror and spotted the driver that feeling was far gone. A smirk rose on her face as she gripped the leather steering wheel of her beastly car.

"Let's see what you've got Ivy league."

Cleo heavily stepped her foot on the acceleration making her body jolt forward from the power. These roads made her sleek Audi fly at a dangerous yet freeing speed. She weaved in and out of vehicles and Charlie's car was a distant blur. She laughed at how easy it was to lose him. It was unlikely that he spent any time in Arcane to know his way around but she thought he might have tried to chase her a little harder.

She pulled up to the building and drove to one side leading downstairs, opening her window she scanned her hand. The large black garage door opened allowing her to drive in. The base is easily the most protected property Cleo owns, everything is either scan recognition or unlocked by a tiny chip that the group got implanted in their wrists when she first bought it.

Cleo parked and progressed to the ground floor. Scanning herself in. The lights switched on, exposing the biggest room of them all. A smile grew on her face thinking of all the nights she had spent here, whether it be training, planning or just hanging out. The huge table in the centre was spotless, that was a rare sight. The large screens that were mounted on all of the walls were black, waiting for Lola to connect her technology making them come alive again.

She walked into the next room, the training area. Every possible thing needed was here, gym equipment, targets waiting to be shot and punching bags ready to receive their beating. Cleo swiped her hand making a secret door unlock. It possessed countless amount of weapons with the same objective, protection. Guns, blades, bombs hung proudly. Cleo almost forgot how much she owned. It was attached to Lola's secret lair of all things gadget and tech. Ear pieces, computers, tablets, hard drives, mics, surveillance and stuff Cleo had no clue about.

She caught a glimmer of Kai's blue ride, Cleo half expected him to bring his signature red and challenge her to a private race. A strange wave of disappointment washed over at him not thinking about it.

Cleo made her way back to the basement to meet him. There was zero chance of him getting in himself.

"Nice of you to finally join." She said as he opened his door. He narrowed his eyes at her with a sarcastic face.

"How did you beat me here?"

She shrugged. "I know this place like the back of my hand. Back roads included." Kai rolled his eyes at her smugness. "So are you here for a reason or just to waste my precious time?"

His perfect lips curve to a smirk. "I wouldn't call seeing you in a school girl uniform a waste. I would have dressed like a teacher if I knew." Kai said cheekily.

Cleo sighed in frustration and suddenly remembered what she was wearing. She didn't think her Asterin uniform would be a turn on, but then again she didn't know Kai in that way. "Shut it Malakai."

Kai tamed his laughter and held up a flash drive. "I got the footage." Cleo's eyes popped and jaw dropped. She was shocked to say the least. This was impressive on all levels.

"Then why are we still standing here?"

Kai followed her as she led the way to the easily intimidating main room. Every room was intimidating but this one just seemed to pull rank.

"Jesus!" Kai exclaimed as he saw what he walked into.

"Hey! Concentrate!" Cleo snapped. He focused his eyes back on the stunning brunette and held out the small flash drive that contained his end of the deal. Cleo shook her head.

"What?" Kai asked in confusion.

Cleo scowled as if it was obvious. "And let whatever's on that stick corrupt my system?"

He tilted his head agreeing even though he knew everything on there was legitimate. "Luckily." He pulled his phone out his pocket. "I downloaded some of it."

Cleo stepped next to him sharing the viewing space. Kai looked at her suddenly feeling a little nervous. For the past few days the memory of Cleo nearly being blown up has been torturing him, ordinarily he would have been somewhat pleased that the Bain of his existence was gone, but something had changed. "Malakai!" Cleo said making him snap back into reality. "What is with you today?" She sighed while looking back to his screen and pressing play.

The clips showed a minute before and after the explosion. The masked creator caught the exact moment Cleo and Kai flew through the air, Cleo winced at how brutal it looked on camera. The adrenaline must have softened the pain, Kai really did take most of the hit, it was clear to her without him she wouldn't be in one piece.

The last shot sparked her attention. "What the hell!" She muttered leaning closer to the small screen. A drone shot capture the aftermath of the fire revealing something that could be revolutionary. "Holy shit!" Cleo said aloud feeling as if she had finally got somewhere, after months of hiding.

Kai rested his phone on the table when it came to a stop. "I know. And that's not even close to the end. I have at least over thirty minutes worth of uncut footage."

Cleo raised her eyebrows at her rivals achievement. "I'll hand it to you Malakai, you've shocked me. I didn't know you had it in you."

"Oh yeah." He smirked.

Cleo nodded and took her phone out dialling her top number. "Get your asses to the base. We've got a lead."