nottheboss | (no subject)

It's late at night. The corridors aren't quiet; they're full of men and women restlessly trying to sleep in their quarters. Bossie should be one of them. But instead he slips barefoot down the hallway to Carver's room, where he knocks.

"Hey, man, you up?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

nottheboss

"What? No, Riley, you can't," he tucks his shoulder like he can shield the kitten from him. "Don't do that to Brandon. Please."

From:

fortitudosalutis

"You can't have it both ways, Bossie. Either I'm free to leave or I'm not."

He rolls his shoulders, hoping to God he doesn't have to fight this kid.

"Just give me the kitten. I wanna go home."

From:

nottheboss

"You're free but you will die if you leave now," he says, and he's genuinely afraid now that Riley will go.

From:

fortitudosalutis

"Why? Because some enemy you won't name is gonna get me while I'm sleeping?"

They're afraid of something. He believes that. He's never doubted it for a second. But they keep expecting him to take on faith, on their creed that's never been his own, and there's a time when patience turns into something else - something worse. And that time's right about now, Riley's thinking. Maybe there's an enemy or maybe there's just a creed. Maybe they're the ones hurting each other and justifying it as operational security. Is the threat going to come from a stranger, or one of these kids?

He doesn't know. And that's the whole problem.

"Let me tell you something: I find one of you following me in the dark with a silencer, I will not making it fucking easy on any of you. I'll make it so goddamn ugly you'll have nightmares about it until the end of days."

From:

nottheboss

He sets the kitten on the bed, watching Riley warily. "You've seen Carver. You've seen what's happened to him since they got to him. He doesn't want that for you. I'm here to protect you, and you're accusing me of trying to take you out?"

From:

fortitudosalutis

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

He doesn't bother modulating his tone, not this time.

"You're keeping a woman and a toddler isolated in the middle of fucking nowhere, with no privacy, and telling us it's for our own good because they'll get us if you don't. And I can't tell my sister where I am because."

Riley's eyes narrow dangerously.

"Yes or no: Are you gonna stop me if I walk out right now?"

From:

nottheboss

"I'm going to take you to Carver and he can make that call," he says, falling back on the fact this is Carver's friend, that Carver outranks him.

From:

fortitudosalutis

Riley's jaw works, the scar and his jaw aching with a sudden, sharp pain. Stress makes it worse, makes him ache and pinch and remember the sensation of falling like the wounds are still fresh. Then he breathes out sharply and he's still holding the satellite phone so he fucking dials his sister's number.

No, he decides then and there. No, they don't get to have this easy and pretend everything's fine. He'll force them into action, no more disguises or dodging.

From:

nottheboss

Bossie hovers nearby, tense and wary and now angry. He won't let Riley put them in danger just because Carver used to love him. No, fuck that.

From:

fortitudosalutis

He dials and the line rings, and rings, and rings. And it occurs to Riley as it does that this could go really fucking wrong. That they could target his sister, too.

His jaw works. He hangs up the phone when the voicemail clicks on.

"I'm leaving," he says flatly, tossing the phone back to Bossie. "And that's just happening. You stop me, we're gonna have more than words."

From:

nottheboss

He catches it but he shakes his head. "Not without saying goodbye to Brandon. He deserves that much."

From:

fortitudosalutis

"Kid, get out of my way," Riley states flatly. He moves to the bed, eyes never leaving Bossie once, and he tucks the kitten into his pocket. Like hell is he leaving her. He'll carry her through the woods if he has to. "You gonna move?"

From:

nottheboss

"The kitchen first. Don't make this harder than it has to be." He doesn't move.

From:

fortitudosalutis

There's a small duffle bag by the bed, half packed already. He zips it closed and swings it over his shoulder, stepping into his boots. "Fine," Riley snaps, temper flaring. "I'll say goodbye. But you are not stopping me unless you can give me a really good reason."

From:

nottheboss

It almost came to blows. He doesn't know how he'd explain that to Carver, but for now, God be praised, he doesn't have to fight.

"Come on," he mutters. "Maybe we can tell you the reason."

From:

fortitudosalutis

Riley just exhales through his teeth. This is a goddamn mess, is what it is. It's too early and his jaw hurts. He wants to go home.

"Show me," he snaps, too frustrated to bother modulating his tone.

From:

nottheboss

Another Reaper--Turner, even Austin--would take that tone as a challenge. But maybe that's why Carver sent Bossie; Bossie is more moderate. Bossie is mostly only violent when his brothers are.

He sighs and leads the way to the kitchen, wishing he could warn Carver ahead of time. All he can do is blurt out, "He wants to leave, sir. Unless we can tell him why he shouldn't."

From:

fortitudosalutis

The door swings open. Carver's in the middle of prepping trays of food, ready to be served out to the hungry masses. Knowing their brothers and sisters, it'll be devoured, nothing but crumbs left behind. He glances up, expecting to see Bossie or another brother, and just freezes.

Riley's jaw is set, his gaze cold and furious.

Carver swallows hard. "Riley -"

"I'm leaving. Right fucking now. Unless you tell me what's really going on. No bullshit, Brandon. No bullshit."

Oh, God. Carver stares at him, stricken.

"No?" Riley nods just once, jerkily. "Okay, then."

"Wait!" Carver steps forward, reaching for him before he pulls back. "Just - just wait a second, please."

From:

nottheboss

"We can explain," Bossie says, desperate to give this much to Carver. Desperate for Carver not to lose one more person to the demons. "Just...just stay here."

He looks at Carver. "I can get Fifty. He can show him."

From:

fortitudosalutis

Carver breathes in through his nose, out through his mouth. He counts to four once, twice, again. It doesn't help.

"Get him," he murmurs. "Please."

Riley just crosses his arms.

From:

nottheboss

"Don't go anywhere," Bossie tells Riley. "Just- just don't."

And then he rushes through the hallways, up the stairs, to Fifty's room first, praying he's there.

From:

fortitudosalutis

Gabe, thankfully, is both there and awake, though not dressed. But back in the kitchen, Carver and Riley just stare at each other. The room almost hums with tension, too loud.

"You want some more coffee?" Carver tries hopefully.

"No."

From:

nottheboss

"Gabe," he says, a little out of breath even though the run is nothing to him. "I need you to come convince Riley to stay. You need to- to teleport him. Prove to him we're not crazy. Or else he's going to leave."

Or Pope will order them to confine him and that's even worse.

From:

minuteofangle

Well, this wasn't how he'd planned to start the morning. Gabe lowers his arm, tilting his head toward the door. He's bare ass naked, for one thing. It's also early as hell, for another.

"Okay," he says slowly, and if he's tired he pushes past that. He sits his ass up and he dresses himself matter of factly. "How much time do I have?"

Minutes, seconds? The three minutes he'll need to get himself dressed?