Chapter 46
A Dead End
Damien
The office was silent as I tried to focus on the documents I was going through, but my mind kept on drifting back to Elena.
It'd been three days.
She hadn't called or come into the office, I'd tried to tell myself that I shouldn't care. I'd wanted calling multiple times but I always chickened out at the last moment. What was I going to tell her? What should I even tell her?
I was her boss, bosses didn't call employees asking when they felt like resuming work.
Bosses didn't also develop feelings for their employees, a voice whispered in my head. The thought made me freeze, my hand holding the pen pausing mid-air.
"Damn it!"I cursed softly under my breath and I dropped the pen with frustration. I had a lot of paperwork to clear up but the thought of Elena just wouldn't leave my mind.
Despite myself I took out my cell phone and thumbed through it, my fingers pausing when I got to her contact.
I stared at her contact details, feeling deeply conflicted. To call or not to call, the choice hung in the air around me and I hesitated.
I was about to make the call when the cell phone buzzed with another call coming in.
Why was he calling me? My eyes narrowed slightly, it was Priest. I hadn't spoken to him for a while since I'd given him the task of watching Elena, my heart skipped a beat suddenly. Was this about Elena?
I picked up the call immediately. "Hello?"
"We have a problem," Priest went straight to the point, his words seemingly justifying the tension I felt.
"What happened?"
"It's Elena," Priest began carefully. "She's being watched, I'm still observing the situation."
"Watched?" I felt my blood run cold and my hands tightened slightly around the cell phone. "Who is it? Do you know their aim? Who do they work for?" I demanded, asking for answers.
"No," Priest answered. "The person's careful, he's not aware of my presence yet. If I make a move I'll alert him, just calling to know our next move."
"Well," I exhaled, trying to calm down even as my mind raced with thoughts. I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to have Elena under observation but it couldn't be good.
"Take him down," it took me only a split second to arrive at a decision, I couldn't take any chances. "I'll come there myself."
"Okay," Priest's voice didn't have any emotion. He rattled off the name of an address before he ended the call.
I rose to my feet and pulled on my suit jacket, not bothering with the paperwork anymore. All my thoughts were on the developing situation, it was just out of the ordinary that someone would have Elena under watch.
Within minutes I'd descended down to the underground parking space via my private elevator and I slid behind the car wheel and drove out, heading to the address Priest had given me.
The address turned out to be a huge sprawling building complex on the outskirts of town, it was an automotive manufacturing company. Before I even got close I could already hear the loud noise from the complex, I spotted Priest waiting by the curb when I got close.
"Where is he?" I had to shout for him to hear me over the loud noise, Priest gestured inside before turning to lead the way. He also gave me a pair of headphones before putting one on himself. I immediately felt better after putting it on as the noise faded away.
"We can talk this way," Priest's voice echoed in my ears and I gave him a thumbs up. I didn't bother asking why we had to meet here, Priest knew how best to do his job and I trusted him.
Priest led me down a hallway and we took a few turns before he led me into a small room. A man was tied to his seat and gagged, his face had a large handprint that Priest had left, I almost smiled.
The noise wasn't as loud here, I noticed, taking off the headphones. I walked up to the man and removed the rag that'd been stuffed into his mouth.
"You—let me go, I don't know—" the man spoke immediately, his eyes filled with fright.
"Shut up," I snapped coldly. "Tell me three things and I'll let you go," I went straight to the point.
The man shook his head, "I really don't know anything."
"Hmph!" My eyes narrowed and I turned and nodded to Priest, I slid on my headset before walking to the window in the corner and stared outside. As for the screams, well, I really didn't care. He deserved it for going after Elena.
Soon Priest was done. When I turned back I couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath, Priest had surely done him in. The man's entire face was bloody and one of his eyes was closed and swollen, his breaths were light as if he was going to die at any second.
"Tell me," I frowned, "Why are you watching Elena?"
"I'm a private investigator, I… I was hired to find her," the man said, his voice very faint.
Investigator? I glanced at Priest who nodded. He handed me an ID card. David Spence, Private investigator it read.
"Who hired you?" I asked, watching him closely.
"I…" David tried to speak but he suddenly spurted a mouthful of blood and he coughed violently.
"Untie him," I snapped, my heart skipping a beat. The man looked like he'd pass out at any moment.
Priest moved over to him, his hands working to untie him, David's eyes suddenly became clear and he struggled to push Priest away. Before I could react he made an action that made me freeze; he bit his collar.
"Damn it!" Priest cursed, his face turning ugly. The next moment David's eyes rolled up and he slumped to the ground, his body was trembling and he foamed at the mouth. He shook for a moment and then was still.
What'd just happened? My eyes narrowed as I stared at him, and I looked to Priest who nodded, confirming my thoughts.
"He's dead, cyanide most likely," he added, "It's a deadly poison, kills within seconds.
I hissed, the implications of priest's words dawning on me. He'd killed himself so he'd not reveal who he worked for, and his target had been Elena.
The thought sent a chill down my spine.
This couldn't be good.