'Why do I even exist anymore?'
She thought as she saw him out of the corner of her eye. "Oh, you're still alive." She said once he made his way over to his desk. Right next to hers.
"Don't sound so disappointed, I might think you don't like me," James said, moving his chair over to her. "What did I mess up this early in the morning?" She asked, turning to him.
"Why do you say that?" He asked, looking at her. "Did you get fired? What are you doing here?", "Wow, do you hate me that much? If anything, I should be the one to hate you. You could get me fired or even killed.", "Just tell me what you're doing here?" She asked as he moved over to his desk. "Working. I'm a good worker, believe it or not. And your boss wanted you to have a partner to work with.", "I can work just fine alone.", "Yeah, like yesterday?" He asked, laughing. "So do you still work for Nickolas?" She asked, facing away from him. "Technically I do. But, technically, I don't.", "That doesn't -" Before she asked him anything else, she got a message on her computer. The message said she had gotten a letter in the mail. It has been sent to her job directly. She could easily guess what it was. "Going somewhere, Mallory?" She didn't respond to him as she got up and walked off.
"Ten years of friendship, and this is the treatment I get?" He shouted behind her.
"I met you yesterday!" She shouted back.
"Good morning, Ms. Prescott"
A worker at the front of the building said. "No," Desiree said with a grumpy tone. "I believe the proper response is good morning." He said, handing her a letter. "No." She responded, looking at it. "Yes, but -"No. We do this every day, get over it.", "Alright then, what's your exit today?" He said, giving her a cold look, as he does every day. "I'm going to pretend I got a super important text and go somewhere that isn't here, so…bye" As she walked away, she got pulled back by the arm. "Wow, I see you don't have many friends, Ree,' James said, grabbing onto her arm. "I apologize for her!" He shouted to the man walking out. "Don't you have work? Let go." She said, pulling her arm back. But he kept holding onto it. "What? Do you have a secret admirer or something?" He asked, taking the letter from her.
Before he could open it, he got a call from Harrison. He had told him that he needed him and Desiree in his office. He mentioned an assignment they had to complete, with the work of another person.
"Can someone explain to me, in small words, why
I'm being assigned to this mission?" Desiree barged in asking. "Especially with him," She said, pointing to James. "Hey, you should be more concerned about the new kid," He said, pointing to a guy sitting at the center table. "I'm not new or a kid.", "So then since when do you work here?" Desiree asked as she and James sat down at the table as well.
"Ms. Prescott, Mr. Cullen, this is Robbert Pierce. He used to work here until he moved."
"Oh hey, your Julie's irritating brother," James said, sitting across from Robbert. "If anything, she's the irritating one." He mumbled to himself.
"Focus over here, will you?" Harrison said, seeming annoyed. "Sigh. What did Nickolas do this time?" Desiree asked.
"What?" James whispered next to her. "He's always mad at Marques," she whispered back. "We're not sure this is what he is doing. But it seems he took hold of an old abandoned house far from here." Harrison said, sitting down. "And this matters because?" Robbert asked, already seeming tired. "Multiple murders have occurred there. But it is your guy's job to figure out if that's Nickolas's fault or not. As well as find out why he wants or may need that house."
"That's not our job," Desiree said, confused by his orders. "It is out of the ordinary, I agree. But it's necessary."
"And why?" James asked. "Well, if anything, this is for Desiree's sake," Harrison responded.
"How?" She asked, confused about why she had to be part of any of this. "Do you want to be kidnapped again and sent to that house to get murdered?"
"I haven't been murdered yet. And why don't you just find a way to not get me kidnapped? It's getting old.", "That's exactly why I need you three down at that house. To find out what to do with Nickolas."
"Bu-"
"Enough, Robbert. Get ready. I'll send you the address. You're going to that house today. And any other day, you might need to." Harrison said as he kicked them out of his office and into the hall.
"Who of you jerks is going to do the hard work?" Robbert asked. "Excuse me?" Desiree asked, "What are you talking about?", "What? Do you expect me to do everything?" He asked. "We're supposed to be a team. We all do the work." James replied. "Where's the fun in that? It'll make it harder to end up with one of us dead. One of you two, to be correct, " Robbert said, walking ahead.
"Can I-"
"No."
"Maybe I can -"
"No."
"Are you completely sure I can't punch him in the face?"
"Oh, just that? Yeah, sure. "
"Really?"
"No."
"What if I just break his nose a little?"
"No."
"Then break it a lot?"
"No."
"I-"
"Desiree, stop," James said as they reached the gym area.
"Do you need something?" She asked as he unlocked one.
"We have an assignment, don't you need to get something?" He asked her as he took a bag out. "My stuff is at my desk," "Why exactly," "Cause I take the same stuff with me mostly everywhere," and "What do you take?" He asked her as he took more stuff out.
"Daggers, a gun, bullets obviously, maybe a grenade or two. And a first aid kit, of course."
"I'm surprised you don't carry around more grenades," He said, laughing at her.
"They cost money, I'm not trying to go broke. The hotel is already taking care of that." She said as she took her phone out to look for the address Harrison sent them.
"About that. When do you plan on leaving?" James asked her.
"Today, most likely." She responded. "Are you going to your apartment, or are you trying to get another hotel to spend money at?" He asked her again. "If you'll tell me my address.", "I'll take you later then." He said as he took something large out of his locker.
"You keep a bulletproof vest in your gym locker?" Desiree asked as she saw him take out a black vest out of his locker. "Yeah. But it takes up space. Where do you keep yours?" James asked, turning to her. Putting his vest inside his locker again. "I don't have one…" Who in the right mind would-", "A gym locker? Everyone has a gym locker." He said, walking away with his backpack. "Wait. Don't avoid the question!" She said, shouting behind him as they got back to their desks.
"So, do we have a plan?" Robert asked, already at their desks. "Based on our conversation earlier, it's safer to just wing it," James said, already mad at him. "You say that like we wouldn't have done that either way," Desiree said. Taking a backpack out of a large drawer from her desk.
"Anyways, do you feel like cooperating?", "Prescott. Let's be honest, I don't"
"Look," James said. Ignoring Robbert, he walked off with Desiree. "If we're going to do this, we're going to need-", "A plan?" Robert asked. Moving closer to them. "No! Codenames, cool ones!", "Absolutely not." Both Robert and Desiree said at the same time.
~~~~~~🗡~~~~~~
"What did he say it was?"
Desiree asked, sitting in the front seat. While James drove their car. "Large, old, abandoned house." Robbert, from the backseat of the car, read from his phone. "That's all?" James asked, watching Robbert from his mirror. "Not surprising, coming from Charles," Desiree said, looking at the messages that Charles had sent them. "We're here," James said, parking by the street. "I'd bet," Robert said, getting out of the car.
In front of them was a mansion-like house. There were multiple floors, with small broken windows. With numerous vines growing all over the house. Countless vines were already making their way into the house. The walls and roof seemed rustic and dirty. Grass and other plants around the house were lifeless and extremely colorless.
"Can someone turn the sun off, please?" Desirer complained as she covered her face, walking away from the car. "Unfortunately, no," James said, walking along with her. "Don't complain," Robbert said, walking ahead. "It's charming!" James said. Ignoring Robbert again.
"It's probably haunted, and we're all going to die."
"Wow, you think?"