SILAS
He did what he thought was best for her, but she had always had the thrill of pushing boundaries and limits within her and it was time for her to face the consequences. As he stood on the other side of one of the busy streets, he moved his camera up to zoom into the scene displayed. He looked around snapping shots of her cuffed against the car and being hauled away into the vehicle. He could see the hurt and betrayal in her eyes from where he stood. The look of disgust on her face from afar swallowed pains of guilt. He felt horrible for putting her in such a position, but she had left him no choice, looking at it, she had brought it on herself as he had told her to stay away from Zander from the very beginning. Moving his camera down, he readjusted the camera on his neck, sliding his hands down into his pockets as he leaned against a dirty pole, legs crossed to relax himself. He waited for the cruiser to leave before he took his phone out of his back pocket. Scanning the area, he tilted his head around to ensure he was alone.
"Pendragon." The voice on the other end was distorted, something he was still trying to grow into; only being around for a short time.
"She's in custody now. As much as I hate to admit what I had to do to get her there," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.
"Very good. It happened a lot faster than expected. Nice work, Pendragon. Didn't think you'd have it in you. Have you located Zander yet?"
Silence.
He gulped before answering. "I know where he is but we don't need him. I, especially don't."
"You find him and get him to agree to rejoin or both of you will suffer the consequences. Boss is getting impatient with this; you have until the end of the day. Call if you find something else."
On the outside, he nodded, but on the inside, he was screaming. "Yes, Sir."
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ZANDER
The morning appeared above the other side of Silvergrove Valley, and for the moment, there was a semblance of morning peace coursing through his mind. Grey sweats tightly clung to his waist as his hairless and chiseled chest reflected the sun's rays in a glistening undertone. A quick stretch pushed the restless night from his rearview, even for a brief moment, all was quiet and peaceful. His hand slid into his pocket while the other grasped a cup of coffee with a slow lean as he perched up on the window and he tilted his head from side to side for the cracks of relief to wake him just a little more. His gaze shifted from the steam coming from his coffee and back to the view outside his motel room window. His intrusive thoughts crept up, and a groan escaped his morning-chapped lips. He hated this small-town bullshit. It wasn't as if he did not enjoy the atmosphere; the people were all too nice and content with their lives as he was never one to settle down in places like Silvergrove. As for him, he grew up in a home full of chaos, yelling, screaming, and slapping. Being in the Military, he was taught to be a man and the manly thing to do, to get away from his chaotic family. Taking sip of his coffee, he closed his eyes and reminisced on the times he spent with many beautiful women and his favorite bottle of whiskey. If it weren't for such things, he'd always be stuck in his head; weak and vulnerable. After downing his first cup of warm coffee, the ringing of his phone on his nightstand pulled him from the window. Picking it up, he groaned again annoyed someone could be calling at such an hour. It was labeled UNKNOWN. He never normally answered those but decided to anyway.
"Zander."
"Hello. This a collect call from Juniper Haven at Silvergrove County Jail. To accept these charges, say accept. To decline this call, say decline and you will not be charged."
Shaking his head in frustration, he spoke directly into the phone. "I'll accept."
"Zander? I'm sorry to call so early in the morning. I need your help." He missed her voice, but could hear the sliver of fear in her voice.
"No worries, love. I am just having my morning coffee. I just woke up, myself. What's going on? What are you doing in County?"
She paused a moment before breathing heavily on her end, "I need you to get me out of here. I was set up and they took me in front of a bunch of people. Have you not seen the news yet? Have you heard or seen what people are saying about me? I was framed. I didn't do-"
He cut her off. "Slow down. What happened?"
"Lieutenant Cooper was killed last night. My fingerprints were found all over the crime scene. These officers are fucking with me. I have an alibi! I was at home!"
He moved to his laptop and began typing into the search bar. She was right, but could also be very wrong. Although he was trying to find the right words to say to her, to calm her down, he could only say a few words, "Don't worry. I'll be there soon." He hung up the phone before she could say another word.