They Who Slaughtered Hope 🌈| 1-2 Updates a Month

Chapter 20

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𝚁𝚎𝚗

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𝘖𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳 31𝘴𝘵, 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨

Ren's finger circled the edge of his plastic cup, burner phone held against his ear. His legs mimicked the 'X' of the collapsible metal chair he sat upon.

The wafting of coffees and teas floated throughout the cafe, the waves bouncing like little will-o-wisps. The sniper waited for a call from Mitsan, glancing around at the coffee shop that was nestled next to the florist's shop. It lacked the hum of conversation that would have settled on shops like this one, had he visited prior to the war.

Lennox's steaming coffee lay in a paper cup adjacent to Ren's, growing colder with each extra minute the sniper was forced to sit idly.

The customers around him were quick to grab their drinks and leave, some of the diner chairs were so neglected by their patrons that Ren spied dust in the corners and crooks of the seats that would be difficult to clean quickly.

These people knew not to linger. Luckily, Ren had never been the fondest of following the crowd.

First, the uneven vibrations of the phone interrupted his observations, and then the cell erupted with sound, disturbing those around Ren. They stared, shamelessly, as Ren picked up the receiver.

"Hey, Mitsan."

His boss didn't return his greeting. "I'm going to have to reschedule the meeting we had set for December, Eris," they stated, their tone leaving no room for argument.

"Any particular reason why?" Ren asked, attempting to keep his voice neutral.

"I have other matters to attend to around that date. And you will too, if everything goes as planned. In theory, you shouldn't even need that meeting." Their words hinted at some unspoken plan.

A plan that hadn't been disclosed to the sniper.

"Yes sir." Ren's response was automatic, a conditioned reply to his boss's orders. The reminders of his duties kept piling up, much like Lennox's paperwork. He found himself recalling their earlier interaction, a smile tugging at his lips as he remembered how adorably flustered the florist had looked when he fell across his assemblage of papers.

A sudden realisation hit him. He had to get the florist his coffee.

He visibly shook off his previous musings. "I'll see you next month then, sir?" he prompted, hoping to end the call quickly.

Mitsan scoffed, a sound that conveyed both amusement and annoyance. "I didn't know you were in a rush, Eris. Yes, I will speak to you then."

With that, his boss hung up, leaving Ren alone with his thoughts.

Once he departed from the coffeehouse, Ren disposed of the burner phone, a necessary precaution in his line of work. He downed gulps of his iced coffee as he hurried down the pavement, his mind already on his next task.

He slipped inside the flower shop, the old basement stairs creaking under the thundering of Ren's downward tread. The familiar scent of flowers filled his senses, a hint of the normalcy he craved.

"Flower boy!" he sang out, spinning to face Lennox with a grin. "I have a present for you!"

"About bloody time," Lennox retorted, his tone dry.