Alexander watched as the clan left hurriedly in secret and the alter was covered with strategic boxes and crates. Soon he heard the sounds of a vehicle headed towards them. He had slipped the leather jacket back on and had set her helmet next to her head. He carefully checked her over and found no sign of external injury minus a few small scratches along her legs but none seemed to be serious. He couldn't find anything with her head and she still didn't wake up. However when he looked up to see a Jeep filled with four young men around his age he found himself standing in front of her protectively. Before the Jeep had even stopped one of the men had jumped off with a worried shout, "Effie!" The tall six foot man with broad shoulders and beach blond hair pulled back in a short ponytail plowed by him as if he wasn't important and was instantly on his knees his hands checking over the girl with concern. "Thad! Soren! Jacob! Something is wrong with little sister. She isn't responding.
"She didn't relapse did she, Rio?" One of the other men asked. He had alighted from the vehicle the moment it had pulled into a stop. His hair was a dark black cut close to his head and he was built more like Alexander with a similar height and wiry build. Instead of looking intimidating from size alone there seemed to be something else in his stance that reminded Alexander of a poisonous snake ready to strike. He was followed by a tall but scrawny looking kid who hadn't quiet grown into his body with bright red hair cut short and glasses and another man probably the oldest of them all with shaggy hair in a dull red bordering on brown atop his head. He was 5' 11" or so and seemed to have been the driver. Of everyone the two red heads actually looked alike but if the others were family it couldn't be noticed in physical appearance alone.
"Doesn't look like the usual." The blond pony tail man he was assuming was Rio was checking her over with skills that reminded him of some of the families trained medical personnel. He was speaking softly to the girl but he couldn't make out exactly what the man was saying. The deadly man assessed the scene and seemed to take notice of Alexander. His eyes flashed keenly as he looked Alexander over trying to read him and see if he was going to be useful or was a problem that needed to be dealt with because he had no doubt from the mans aura that he was a problem solver. "Who are you? Did you see what happened to Effie here tonight? Did you call anyone?" his blue eyes stared into his searching him to make sure he was telling the truth.
Alexander cursed himself. He should have called for help.Surely anyone finding an injured person would call an ambulance in. "I wasn't thinking. I will call now." He said quickly real guilt and embarrassment echoing his words. As he pulled the phone from his pocket the man kept forward and gripped his wrist tightly. It took everything he had to keep from responding to the hand grasping him.
"Don't call." The man growled protectively as in the background the two redheads were checking the car and removing it from the wreckage that was once the warehouse wall. "The best thing you can do for her is not to call. Her racing wasn't necessarily legal. Rio's got medical experience so if she needs we take her in, but if not we take her home. She hates hospitals."
"But what if she's hurt where you can't see? Shouldn't we still take her in?" Alexander asked trying to act like a normal person. He made a weak effort to tug his hand and phone away but The grip only tightened.
"Don't worry she's our family. We don't let anything happen to one of our own." The man said it in a tone that was less a threat and slightly sweeter then how he had been speaking. Alexander found himself breathing a sigh of relief. He believed that the man was speaking the truth. He felt that bond of family and the need to protect that reminded him of how his Clan should be.
"I won't go unless she wakes up." Alexander said stubbornly. He really didn't know about following them but he had been tasked to find out who Effie was and what she did. If these men were her brothers then they would have the answers that he needed to bring back to the Elders. Plus he needed to know why this girl had been chosen over him. What made her so special?
"No can do. No outsiders allowed." The man said with a determined shake of his head as the young boy hopping into the car while the Doctor picked up and carried Effie towards the Jeep. The older redhead was already moving towards the drivers set of the Jeep.
"Soren, wrap it up. Time to go." The redhead said as he started the Jeep up as soon as Rio had settled into the back seat with Effie still crawled protectively in his arms. Despite whatever he had tried she remained unresponsive.
He pulled away using an escape move from the clans and held up his phone. "Either I go or I call the cops. Don't think you can catch me before I call either. You might be strong but I'm sure I'm faster." He grinned with his classic playful grin knowing how it usually irritated his opponents. It was a mix of confidence and arrogance while it held in itself a challenge.
As the man sneered at him and looked about to meet his challenge the driver snapped. "Soren no time. Take his ass home. We will deal with him there." The hard look in the drivers eyes told him that his challenge was something that hadn't bothered him at all.
While he watched the driver the purple and black race car pulled up next to them and gave a nod to the other driver. "I'll take the long way. Make sure those cheats don't plan on following to make more trouble." With solid nods around Soren motioned to the Jeep. the race car pulled out and almost immediately you could see a few men on motorcycles start to follow behind. None of the men look surprised. Apparently they had expected this all along.
"You sit in the passenger seat. I don't trust you near Effie." He turned and walked quickly to jump in the back next to Rio. Even as he quickly set himself into the passenger seat he saw that the angry and threatening man had reached out and ran a hand through the girls hair in a tender motion. He noted the sheen or sweat that still coated her forehead and heard the soft whimpering of pain that she let out on occasion.
The driver gave him a hard look before they started off as if warning him not to get too interested in his sister. Maybe that's what it was like to have a sibling around. He wouldn't know he had always been an only child. Not that as a kid he hadn't begged his parents for a brother or sister of his own. But at least he had clan. Cousins were as close as he had but in the chaotic politics of the Clan your cousin also became your rival. He envied those who had siblings they could depend on. And looking at these guys and their obvious affection for their sister he knew he had missed out on something special.
They drove off fast sticking to back roads avoiding the heavily trafficked areas until they made their way towards the edge of the business district. They pulled into an underground parking lot under a large metal and glass tower. They had to swipe an access card to enter the parking itself and again when they entered the elevator. Alexander looked around but so far there was no signs of what exactly this building was.
Soren and the Redhead, Thad or Jacob he wasn't sure yet which redhead was which yet. Kept him between them while Rio lead the way effortlessly carrying Effie seemingly bound for somewhere. In the elevators Soren punches in a code instead of pressing a floor and they started upward. After a few moments the number telling what floor they were on seemed to malfunction and showed no more. When they slowed Alexander had a feeling that they were actually on one of the top floors of the building which apparently wasn't listed nor was it easily accessible since before the doors opened the Redhead had to perform a retinal scan.
When the doors opened Alexander couldn't help but blink In surprise. Before him was a large reception desk in a cherry color with two men in bullet proof vests and headsets behind it. Above the desk In dark letters was the name of even a company that he recognized SREJT. They were a private security company that trained some of the best fighters his Clan had ever come up against.