The heart of Cleopatra

Shared fate

Chapter twenty three

Lola was venturing on her own mission of digging into the people who seemed to take particular interest in the group.

"Whiskey really does curve the sting." Jax smirked taking a sip of the bourbon Zeus so graciously poured him as they arrived back at the base.

Cleo rolled her eyes at their drinking excuse, she's not much of a drinker. "You could really use some training." She told Kai as she wiped her hands clean.

He laughed while leaning on the wall next to her. "I do just fine."

"Considering I took two people out for you, I beg to differ." She said patting his shoulder. He gasped at her patronising action.

"Guys, screen." Lola shouted pointing to the lit tv's. As they gathered around pictures slowly loaded. Mostly mugshots.

"Ex-cons. Clever." Zeus said.

"Whoever's behind this knows how to cover a crime up." Cleo continued. If they use criminals the case is closed, it's just another evil act at their hands. An organization wouldn't cross anyone's mind.

"So a mafia or gang is after us?" Jax asked.

Lola shook her head. "Not necessarily. This is becoming irritatingly hard to crack. I'm going to need more time if I'm going to find anything even the tiniest bit useful."

"How much time?" Kai asked sternly.

Cleo glared at him, his harsh tone was not welcome here. "As much time as she needs. If anyone is going to crack this, it's Lola Garcia."

***

Cleo waited for her best friend to text or call but it was already time for school. Lola had never been so frustrated with research before, but they all knew this wasn't going to be easy. Cleo figured the weaker ones were after them first, it's uphill now, especially when they find out the Valencia's are right behind them.

"Guess who." A voice said behind Cleo as she stood facing her car. She immediately reach her arm out behind her pulling the mystery forward and crashing them against the driver side roof. She recognised the groan as soon as he hit the solid black Audi.

"Shit. My bad Ivy league." Cleo apologised innocently letting her tight grasp go and helping him face her.

He rubbed his forehead with a small grin. "I'll remember never to sneak up on you again." Charlie said casually as if it didn't bother him in the slightest that a girl just kicked his ass in a matter of seconds.

"Learn something new every day." Cleo said wanting to get off the subject entirely.

"Long weekend?" He questioned.

Cleo sighed pushing her hair back. "Intense, but it's won't be for long." She lied, this is not going to be a sprint.

"Well, just focus on today." He smiled pulling her closer. She eased into his hold he had around her waist, she looped her arms around his neck making him feel warm inside. With no communication through the weekend he was left questioning a lot of things. "I am surprised you didn't bring your bike though, Francesca actually kept her word." Cleo looked to her usual corner, a small sign saying 'Bikes permitted' stood in front of the spot.

"Yeah well, I didn't take it to Arcane with me." She replied. Cleo could sense his slight hostility at the mention of Arcane, but she got the feeling it was more the people who were in Arcane. Specifically one.

"We should probably go." He said pushing off Cleo's car. She nodded while he threw his arm around her shoulder keeping her close.

***

Cleo and Oli stood happily laughing about the escape room. Oli was stuck in the medium room when the two record holders blew the small minds of the school.

"I can't believe I missed it." He sighed.

Cleo gave him a smile. "I'm sure there will be something soon, this school is always throwing something." He nodded, even he was getting tired of the constant socials.

"There she is." An extra cheery voice said joining the conversation. Cleo glanced over to see Charlie's wide grin.

"What am I chopped liver?" Oli sarcastically asked making Cleo laugh, his timid personality is slowly disappearing, she likes the playful version of him.

"No." Charlie said narrowing his sparkling brown eyes. "You're just upstaged by this beauty." He smirked as his attention was fixed looking Cleo up and down.

"Have you been drinking Ivy league?" Cleo asked shocked by his flirty confidence.

"What would make you assume I would need to be under the influence to say that to you?" Before Cleo had chance to reply with her witty reasoning her phone buzzed. Without a second to hesitate she retrieved her phone and read the lit screen.

Lola: The base!

Cleo wasn't surprised by the sudden meeting but what was to come made her cheerful mood curve.

"Cleo!" Charlie's voice said snapping her out of her daze. She looked up to see him staring. "Are we on for tonight?"

"Tonight?" She asked, not knowing they had plans. Asterin was supposed to be her hide out, hibernation was her aim and yet she's nearly equally as busy as when she's in Arcane.

"I may have to rain check." She replied staring back at her phone. "I need to go." Ignoring the worried looks on both Charlie's and Oli's face she headed for the exit not caring about missing half a day of school in the slightest.

***

Three cars were parked perfectly in the basement when Cleo arrived. She climbed the stairs preparing for her unknown future. The nervous yet slightly exhilarating feeling made her body tingle. Danger is like an addiction to her, but it comes with big consequences.

"How much shit are we in?" Cleo asked as she stepped foot into the already painfully tense room. To her surprise Kai was sat with a poker face waiting to hear his shared fate.

"We don't know. Lola wouldn't tell us until you arrived." Zeus sighed, Cleo flashed her best friend a smile before working her way next to Kai.

"It's not like you to be on time Malakai." Cleo muttered.

"When it concerns my life I tend to take an interest." He replied not moving his gaze that was fixed on the black screen. Cleo rolled her eyes, of course he was only here for himself.

"Remember these guys?" Lola asked pointing to the screen with the mug shots displayed. They nodded answering her question.

"Apart from ex- cons what did you find? Who are they working for?" Cleo asked.

Lola sighed. "Here's the thing, I can't find any link. Their addresses aren't even remotely close, no overlap in prison time or location. No family relation, some were in foster care but never crossed, no school or hospital records."

Kai scoffed. "Then you didn't look hard enough."

"Hey, watch your mouth." Jax sternly warned pausing from flicking his blade. Jax doesn't react well when Lola is spoken ill off. Lola smiled at him, slowly calming him down.

"Lola can find anything, this may just take a little longer." Cleo told Kai containing her anger towards him for his harsh accusation of her lame effort.

"And I will keep trying but I did find something." Lola continued becoming noticeably solemn. "Turns out you aren't the only ones they want."

"How so?" Zeus asked as she walked back to her desk.

She pulled out the eight phones they stole from the threat and laid them out on the table. The screens lit up with different names and numbers.

"What are we looking at?" Kai questioned.

Cleo took one look and closed her eyes with a heavy sigh. It only took one second for this to become so much realer than before.

"It's a dead pool."