The Dark (DEVON) // ✔️ // [NEWADULT]

|| Chapter Thirty-Seven - Dragons Den||

The car came to a smooth halt in front of a large field, practically desolate. Meghan and Parker looked equally confused but quickly plastered masks of indifference on their faces as soon as the driver opened the door.

We stood in a three, me strategically (I realised) places between the both of them. They stood with their feet shoulder width apart, arms clutched in front of them, waiting.

The driver, middle aged, grey-haired and wrinkled; leant into the car and fiddled with a keypad before pressing a button that emitted a loud bleeping noise.
Meghan and Parker were on edge, their heads snapped towards the "empty" field as a whooshing sound followed by a click sounded. A small, shed like building appeared from the ground.

"Oh please." Meghan muttered, "what a fucking princess." She clicked her tongue and began sauntering towards the building that had just appeared.
Parker didn't hesitate and fell into stride beside her. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that this is what they're trained to do. They're all experts in their field.

"Ma'am?" The driver said, I turned to face him and was met with a sweet smile, he hadn't aged well in his line of work - unsurprisingly. I've seen the wear-and-tear the stress of this work has on Devon.
I can't even imagine how long he's been dealing with their shit.

"Sorry..." I waited for a name but he simply shook his head once.

"I am not allowed to converse with you ma'am, Isaac Kingsley's orders. Please, follow your friends." He motioned to the door and I began to slowly slug myself away.

   "They aren't my friends." I said weakly, unsure as to whether he was trying to wheedle me out.
   Eventually, I fell into step behind Parker and Meghan, they were talking very silently to themselves - not to themselves really, I realised - but to someone on the other line.
   Pairing them up together was a smart move. They'd never leave each other's side, and so would never look suspicious when talking to the serpents back home...
   Devon is smart.
   I masked my smirk.

   Before we could reach the door, it flew open and Isaac came cruising out. Clad in a loose navy blue t-shirt and blue skinny jeans.
   It has been years since I'd seen him look so casual.

   He widened his arms and grinned, "Hey..." his smile fell when he realised there were three of us, he pointed his index fingers at both of them and cocked his head to the side.
   "You two?" He huffed, "Are you those new guys Victoria was supposed to be training up for me?" He furrowed his brow.

   Meghan and Parker nodded in unison, "Abby and Matthew." Parker said calmly, "you can call me Matt." He held out his hand and Isaac took it, exchanging a cool glance before nodding to "Abby" - or Meghan.

   "Yeah... you guys can just go straight in and meet one of my men at the bottom of the stairs. Say you're the trainees and they should take you directly to where you gotta' be." They moved towards the door without hesitation and disappeared down the staircase.

   Isaac then focused his attention on me, "Aria." He said by way of greeting, "Its an unsavoury method of getting to spend some time with you - I'll accept that - but it'll take us right back to the good old days! Me and you." He stepped closer to me and grasped my shoulders, "a team again."

   "I'm here to find my mom." I snapped, "not for a rendezvous." With a quick step away, I managed to get out of his grasp and walked around him and down the stairs.
   Isaac didn't say anything. Simply followed after me, shutting the door behind him.
   The whirring of the compound disappearing into the field came on and sent me slipping down the stairs. I squeaked and grabbed hold of the railings and managed to keep torso upright. Isaac chuckled, "You haven't changed." He sighed as he walked past me and lead me out into a long corridor.

   I idly followed him around what was very much just a concrete compound underground, "it doesn't feel like home but... it's safe, it's deep underground so it disrupts any foreign phone signal or ATCD devices." He looked at me briefly - seeing the confusion on my face - he expanded, "ATCD are advanced technological communication devices. Moles will use them to find out inside information on us or communicate with rival gangs and such." He continued on but the panic ringing in my ears drowned him out.

   Disrupts the devices...
   Will this mean Meghan and Parker can't communicate with Devon? Surely they'd prepare for this eventuality?
   But even Meghan and Parker were surprised upon realising that we were going to be residing in a war bunker for however long.

   I briefly shut my eyes against the thought and cleared my head, there is no time to panic now. We will do that later in the own security of my room.
   "Does that sound okay?" Isaac turned around to face me and I stared blankly into his face, "you weren't listening were you?" I shook my head and blinked a few times at him.

   Isaac groaned and threw his head back, "I forget sometimes why I dislike women." He grinned, "teasing. I tease. I love women." Isaac winked at me and clapped his hands together before saying, "The new trainees, I'll do their brief initiation and then they can cover you. I know you don't much like strangers so... may as well throw all the newbies in together right? Are you okay with that?" He scanned my face, checking for a reaction I suppose.

   I have to keep my wits about me here. Me seeming too eager to spend time with them would be a dead giveaway.

   So I made a show of seeming uncomfortable, "Can I not... just go it alone?" I asked hopefully, but Isaac's face soured.

   "I'm fond of you Aria, but I do not fucking trust you." His tone held a dangerously sinister note, "Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes, one thing I wish for you to know during your stay here is that you are expendable. I wouldn't hesitate to end your life, provided you give me pause to do so. Devon is ruthless... but there aren't enough serpents to us dragons. It'd be suicide." I was struck, but not surprised, by his harsh words.

   Simply; don't screw up or you're dead.

   I squared my jaw and spared him a pointed look; "I'll hide my blueprints."
   Isaac fought a smirk - there is one benefit to me having known him so intimately, I know how to get around him.
   Uncomfortable as it is to say; I know what he likes.

   We stared at each other for another few empty seconds before a man came strolling around the corner, Meghan and Parker in tow.

   "Ah! Isaac." He bellowed, clapping Isaac on the shoulder, "The trainees are initiated. They're ready to work in your service." He smiled at me, showing a mouth full to the brim with gold and silver teeth.

   "Thanks." Isaac said simply, "Aria, this is Jonas - we also call him Jewel, it's the teeth." Jonas chuckled and held out his hand.

   I took it and shook it tentatively, "Please, don't call me Jewel, people will think we run a brothel down here not a fuckin' gang amirite?" The Australian accent took me by surprise.

   "I think it's quite charming." I let myself laugh slightly. The man was jovial. It was infectious.

   Isaac huffed, "Okay, you two, less of the flirting more of the exploring." He said sarcastically, "Abby, Matthew, I assume Victoria showed you the ropes of this place upon initial application so, you show Aria around and me and Jewel will catch up with you at around..." he flattened his hands and waved it from side to side, "two hours minimum." He winked at me before strolling past me.
   Jonas clicked his tongue twice and smiled before jogging after Isaac.

   We waited until Isaac and Jonas were far enough down the corridor before conversing, I looked to both of them hoping for good news following Isaac's ATCD bombshell.

   Meghan grimaced, nothing unusual there, and spat out the words I was most fearing.

   "We've lost the signal to Devon."

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This story is nearly as tragic as a Shakespeare play.

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