Relentless

14- Darren

        I paced back and forth, anger swelling up like a balloon in my chest ready to burst; it would not be pretty when I let it out. They should have called by now. They're late. If they don't have a good reason for being so, their sister will suffer tonight. I stopped and smiled, she might just anyway. The door opened to my room suddenly without my consent. I lunged forward ready to kill whoever it was, freezing mid-step when I came face to face with the last person I expected. He wore a crisp black suit as usual, and even though I stood a couple inches taller, I willed myself to stand firm in his intimidating presence. "Father," I forced calmly. "What brings you here?"

            No one could look at the both of us and say someone switched the babies in the hospital; it was uncanny how much I looked like him. His eyes were a hue paler than my own, studying me with no emotion; trying to find a weakness no doubt. "I came to check on the company." I've never succeeded in reading him in my twenty-seven years of living, he's so unpredictable and ruthless anything could set him off no matter how small it was.

            "Are you receiving your pay?" I will personally strangle the incompetent one who failed to do so.

            "The payment is fine."

He paused, but I refuse to give anything away, "Good, I'll see to it you have a safe flight back."

"Your obsession with this girl needs to stop." I hardened my gaze and remained silent. "It's clouding your judgment and distracting you from what's important. Leave it be. There are plenty other women at your disposal to satisfy your desires."

He doesn't understand; she's the only one I want, I need her. But if he were to ever discover that he would surly write it off as a weakness and dispose of her. "So," I treaded carefully. "You want me to overlook how she escaped and potentially has vital information that can and will be detrimental to the company? Not to mention she killed one of our own, and you just want to 'leave it be'?"

"If she really had the information we would be on our knees by now. The brat's father gave her nothing. One of our bases is compromised, but this inconvenience won't stop us. Your sole focus needs to be on keeping the company from falling off the rails."

I clenched my fists with a sudden confidence, "Has anything been brought to your attention, or have you personally seen any area of the company failing?"

He narrowed his eyes, both of us already full well knowing the answer, but sighed reluctantly, "No."

I allowed a smug smirk to show, "Then I don't see the harm in hunting this one measly girl down."

I turned away from him in triumph, only for it to be squashed as easy as stepping on a bug with your shoe and swirling the guts around for emphasis, "If you insist on finding this girl, do the sensible thing and kill her when you do; pests need to be exterminated."

I was not about to tell him I already know where she is with a plan currently in action to get her back, "I know you don't take me for a fool." I revolved to face him retorting coolly, "Otherwise you wouldn't have left me in charge."

Those frosty orbs flared with a sudden rage, a contradiction to his usual stony shade, "This is bigger than you know, Darren. You either let this go, or kill the scamp on sight."

I have always been one to do as my father says simply because I feared him, but upon closer inspection noticing how his dark hair held a tinge of gray, hints of wrinkles due to his permanent scowl, slight sagging of the skin, I bit back the urge to grin in his face; he was certainly aging. There wasn't any more reason to fear, I could overpower him now. "I understand your concerns, Father. The situation is being handled."