"Would you like a drink Miss?" A servant asked politely only to be shut down by Brittany. It wasn't long before Callahan emerged and the two left. "I hope that I didn't keep you waiting for long dear." Callahan stated as the beauty of a car sped down the road heading back home. The night had already started to creep in.
"I didn't mind the wait dad. So what did the two of you talk about?" Callahan checked the stoplight before resuming the conversation. "Just the usual but more importantly about Andrew and the kidnappings. Since it seems he knows about us, it's clear that we could have someone from the inside relating information to the outside."
Brittany half attentive as she stared at her fingers, recalling the taste of Tessa's blood. "Revolting." Her words catching Callahan's ears. "Yes, it is disgusting thus we'll have to be more careful with how we pick out targets. Tessa was someone I wanted to get rid of with how much you kept on talking about her during dinner."
A small evil grin found it's way on Brittany's lips, her tone cheerful. "Thanks dad, you really are the best father a daughter could have." Callahan reciprocated with a smile on his end as well. "But we still have to be careful with Andrew. Killing him wouldn't be optimal right now so you'll have to bear him for now. I'll try to look deeper in my end as well."
Brittany's lips parted wishing to say something before shutting. "But make sure not to convey any odd messages to him or to those around you. After all you are in a relationship with Adrian." Brittany placed her elbow on the window base, her gaze drifting to the world that zoomed past them. "Of course but did I have to be engaged with him? He's pretty lacking in many fields and I'm not talking about just sex."
Callahan let out a sigh, his knuckles tightening on the wheel as the surroundings grew more familiar. "I wouldn't think of him as a fit for you an neither do I but we do need his family." Brittany didn't bother with the conversation and let the rest of the ride go on in silence. "But don't worry, it won't be long before we no longer need them." Callahan's words met with a half-hearted hum of agreement before the two finally arrived back home.
Brittany didn't bother with dinner as she went straight back to her bedroom, her mind recalling Andrew's blood. The sensation she had felt before had worn off and her body was already craving more of it. 'It's a shame that we can't kill him or make any moves on him but his blood. I'm sure he drugged his blood with how my body is reacting.'
Her breathes grew shallower, her eyes frequently darting all over akin to a drug deprived addict and her mind was fixated on drinking Andrew's blood. 'I can't believe he ruined my taste for blood, that bastard! I would have kept him and slowly drained him of his blood before he died.'
. . .
"Andrew, I need to ask you something." Claire approached Andrew who was busy with a match before his victory came to be. "Ask." His figure leaning back into his seat, his opponent letting a defeated sigh out before leaving. "I was wondering whether you knew who my uncle is." Andrew looked straight into Claire's eyes, the two having a silent battle before he spoke. "Yes, detective Connor Hale who is suspicious of me. I know."
Claire's breathe hitched, her jaw tightening. "Are you suspicious of me?" She pressed on. "No." She had thought that Andrew would have ceased talking to her after Connor faced the beating back the restaurant but no, he kept on talking and interacting with her as if nothing had happened which at first calmed Claire before it began to unnerve her.
"Claire!" A voice came from the side, the source a girl with a cheerful smile and an easygoing attitude. In her hand a magazine as she crashed into Claire who wore a light smile. "Pauline, where have you been? I've been trying to reach you but your phone keeps going straight to voice mail and you don't text me back."
Pauline remained oblivious to Andrew, her focus on Claire as she placed the magazine she had on Claire's lap. "I was busy gathering information for m report." Claire grabbed the papers, the main article which touched on the frequent disappearances.
[{The Stillwater Mysterious Kidnappings}]
"Who's this? I don't think I've ever seen him." Pauline's words jolting Claire back to the scene. "Ah, this is Andrew Grayson. He's a student new here." Pauline's face contorted into suspicion before turning into shock. "Wait! You're Andrew Grayson, the kid who disappeared all those years ago, right?!"
Andrew flatly agreed with a nod, his hands clasped. "You wouldn't mind if I had a small interrogation with you, right. It'll be doing me a huge favor. Claire, how could you be so forgetful?" Claire faced Pauline's words with confusion. "Ah! How could I forget something so basic. Andrew, this is Pauline Alvirez and we'll Pauline, it seems you already know who Andrew is."
Pauline took in Andrew's features before the glaring aspect hit her, his silence and the way the air seemed to wrap around him. "So far I can already tell you don't talk much but I hope the same can't be said when we start. Let's go." Andrew didn't refuse, rising to his feet and letting Pauline guide him while Claire tagged along.
Leaving the auditorium, the three ran into another familiar figure. "Eliot, how have you been? I don't have the time for chatter right now since I have to interrogate Andrew." Eliot took in the scene, his face souring the moment he saw Andrew. "Oh, of course but you wouldn't mind if I came with you? I was looking for Claire anyway."
The four of them made their way to the department of journalism and mass communication which was separated from the other blocs. It was quieter here, the four making their way before Pauline urged the two to wait outside. "I only need Andrew but you can watch from the outside." Claire didn't mind as she wore the headphones present as well as Eliot. The two had been to this department numerable times thanks to Pauline.
"I don't have any set questions with me so you'll have to pardon me by going off with my head." Pauline mused as the two took their seats, two microphones in the both and soundproofed. "I don't mind." Pauline let out a chuckle before her questions came. Most of which similar to Connor's, asking about where he was, his experience and such with some parts omitted like the money and such.
As the interview went on, Claire had an idea as she cooed into the microphone reaching Pauline. "Andrew, you said that it was a rather brutal game but my question to you is did you make any friends and if so, did they survive." Andrew had remained still in his chair, his stillness creeping out Eliot who compared him to Pauline who would constantly fidget with her fingers and tapping her foot.
'I doubt that anyone would want to be friends with a person like him. Why does Claire have any form of interest in a guy like him? Is it because he's good at chess?' At first he had thought Andrew and Claire would end contact with each other past the first day but they didn't, not to mention with Claire being the one taking the initiative.
"Maybe Pauline was right about having me tell Claire my feelings for her earlier on." His mutters barely catching Claire. "Did you say something?" Claire inquired as she pushed the headphones to the side of her temple. "No, just rambling about nothing in particular." His nervous smile relieving him of Claire's suspicion before facing the pair. "Yes, there was a friend that I had and managed to escape with him however he's no longer with me, choosing to go back to his place."
"Do you know where he could have gone?" Andrew shook his head before Pauline pressed on. "I hope you don't take offense to this but why are you so silent? Don't you think that it serves as a hindrance when making friends or communication with others?" Andrew paused, his obsidian beads connecting with Pauline's fire eyes. The reporter felt something wrong with his gaze, it was too still to be human and yet it was a human that looked at her in such a way.
No malice, no intrigue, just looked at her with acknowledgement of her existence before his reply came. "It's not a hindrance to those who can read it." As much as Pauline let out a dry cough before concluding the interview. "Thank you Andrew for your time."
*Boom*
The door opened which startled Pauline before a figure emerged that made her teeth gnash. "Brittany, what do you think you're doing barging in like this? I have an interview with Andrew." Her hands gesturing at Andrew who looked at Brittany with apathy. "You, come with me! You have some questions to answer." Without any more explanation, the two stormed out of the department.
"We tried to stop her however she just wouldn't listen, not that she ever does or anything." Claire said as she saw Pauline's figure make her way to the dashboard. "Hope you got all that." Pauline's worry met with a nod. "Good but now I want to know why Eliot told me to ask him why he's silent. Don't you think it would be rather odd for a kidnapping victim to be social with no problem or have you never heard of trauma?"
Eliot rose to his feet, preparing his defense before Claire cut in. "As much as I want to call Eliot inconsiderate with his question, I'm sure you've felt it as well. His gaze and it's unnatural stillness, right?" Pauline's rant on Eliot replaced with silence as she recalled the stare Andrew gave her. "Yeah he's rather odd but still, you can't be asking questions like that. Or do the two of you think that there's more to him?"
Claire let out a sigh, unsure of whether she should say what plagued her mind. "Out with it already." Eliot mused as he crashed back to his seat, Pauline taking a seat next to Claire. "My uncle is going to kill me so you two better promise me that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."
The two glanced at each other nodding in synchrony.
. . .
"What did you do with the blood? I know that you drugged it " Brittany furious as the two were now behind the seats at the tennis court. Andrew reached into his pocket and produced a scalpel and before Brittany could ask him why, he made a light cut on his wrist and letting his blood ooze to the ground. He stretched his hand out, clear that he wanted her to taste it.
At first she was hesitant before she took a light taste. "What?! I guess you didn't drug it but why does your blood taste like this?" His blood was the sweetest thing she had ever tasted, it was a feeling she couldn't put to words. She grew bolder, sucking more and more of it before it clicked and stopped. "Don't tell me that there was something done to you during your captivity for your blood to taste like this."
Andrew shook his head as he reached into bag and revealed a blood bag. "Here, if you need more, my contact." In his hand a small card similar to a business card. "What are you and what is your backing? A secret organization? Military or rogue?" Andrew retracted his scalpel in his back failing to provide any answers. "I simply observe Brittany but if you have the will, I could become whatever you wished."
His words an enigma to Brittany as she remained clutching the blood bag.