Barbed Lives ☑️

53. Rat-traps

"Hey asshole!"
He was too happy to meet me after so many years.

"Yeah. Hi, Tail."
I was happy too, but exhausted.
Back to back Missions, non stop tracing of suspects for months, planning their traps and finding all the escapes - it drained me. I have no clue how Neil used to successfully manage all this AND be fucking drunk.
Definitely he had more birds outside Red Sparrows. And may be I'm unlucky that Charles's wisdom was not in my fate.

"You don't seem fine."
"That's because I'm not. I need a break. Have you gotten the book I told you at KMA to give me once you finish? You're such a slow reader, tail."
I tried to keep the conversation casual. The last thing I wanted was someone to eavesdrop on us and bust my plan before I even start.

"Yeah yeah. Keep it! It's boring anyways. Who reads murder mysteries now!"
"I get a lot of ideas to kill."
I reply winking taking the book from him and feeling for something between the pages.

There!
He's done a fine job.

"So? How are you doing Red sparrow's new Boss?"
He mocked me.

"Barely holding up. I miss Chief though."
I said sulking.
I really did miss Neil.

"Where's he?"
Tally asked and I was about to let it slip down my tongue.

"As if you don't know. Fucker ran away right after killing Zahra. Didn't even give me a chance to ask him why. I really want to punch him."
I saved it just in time.

Warren really took care of Neil's matter once he left CCTC. Nobody - means nobody - except him, Dan, me and my team knew where he went - not a single man other than us.
Even if someone came to know that he was seen at CCTC after that mission, we all stuck to this same story and didn't let anyone know the truth.

Because one becomes two and that becomes four in no time. We tell one person and before you know it, the whole army knows what happened. There was no scope for slip ups. So we promised each other that we'll never tell anyone anything no matter how trustworthy the listener is.
I, for that matter, didn't even tell Boss, Dog or even Merlen.

"I hope he turns up and apologises for his deeds. You guys went through a lot because of him."
Stuart said spitefully and I just swallowed the truth quietly.

What he said hurt but was true.
We have not been the same, though we try our best.
Me as the Chief - looking after all my men, working extra hard to keep the results top notch, trying new men and getting a few additions to our team, staying in our best shape thanks to Kelly - it required more efforts than I had imagined. It gets tougher each day and the only thing that gives me some solace was results. It was a hard lesson to learn as a leader, but an important one.

"Yeah he's gone for good. Anyways how's Hannah doing? When is she due?"
"Three more months. Man she has become so much more beautiful! Either it's double the female hormones combined or I've been away from her for far too long."
He replied still swooning.

"You're talking like the teenager who just proposed and got accepted. Which reminds me that you're this close to breaking the promise you made to me and I'm equally close to telling Hannah what a chicken-liver she married."
I pull his tail.

"I'm not coward okay."
He flushed in a moment. He turned all red and I was suddenly scared for him.

"Hey hey. I'm just joking, man. I didn't mean to make you sweat over it. Calm down."
I apologised in my way.

"I know. But.. these days I'm not taking such jokes well. Let's just say I'm pretty serious when it comes to Hannah and our baby. I just.. I won't-"
"Tell me clearly you don't want to name her James you rascal."
I tried to lighten the mood.