Chapter 3 Eyes and Ears

Ten minutes.

They were late for just ten minutes, and the Nightcrawlers managed to keep Mr. Boller’s mouth shut, forever.

“Hey,” Iris nudged Max who was staring outside Mr. Boller’s window. The police came in after they received his call and the forensics have already moved Mr. Boller’s body out of the building.

“You okay?” Iris asked, trying hard to sound worried. Max faced her and gave a forced smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m sorry, you must have been scared.”

“Don’t get me started,” Iris responded, resting her back against the wall beside the window.

“If only,” Max’s voice was full of frustration. “If only we came earlier, we could have saved him and catch those bastards.” He sighed sharply.

Sorry, Detective. Not on my watch.

“Don’t beat yourself up, we will catch them. Okay?” she assures him. Max looked at her, his expression softens.

“Of course.”

“Maximus.” The Chief entered the crime scene and approached them.

“Chief.”

“Don’t lose hope, we are securing all CCTV footage around the vicinity. Let’s get back to the station and review them,” he announced. Iris looked unhappy.

“Who’s taking them?” she asked, thinking of retrieving it herself.

“The police, they are probably on it right now.”

“Great, we’ll just grab some food before heading back, Iris hasn’t eaten anything since morning,” Max said and looked at Iris who immediately panicked.

“Oh, no no my tummy can wait, I’m fine,” she said while waving her hand.

“No actually it’s fine, we’ve got plenty of time I’m sure Max would not mind working overtime.” The Chief winked at him and left.

“So, what do you want to eat?”

“Actually, isn’t best if we could secure the CCTV footage ourselves? You know, just to make sure they won’t land on wrong hands,” she suggested, trying to come up with a plan.

“You’re right, we should get it by ourselves. Let’s just uhh..quickly get it from the police and go eat, sounds okay?”

“Perfect.” Iris smiled widely.

“Don’t smile at me like that,” Max smirked while they are leaving the crime scene. Iris looked at him confused.

“Why?”

“Just don’t. You’re scaring me.” Max laughed.

“Come again? My smile scares you?” Iris scoffed, she cannot believe what she was hearing.

“Just kidding, I just see my little sister on you when you smile at me like that.”

Iris got even more irritated. “Am I supposed to get offended?”

Max just smiled and taps her shoulder and walked faster, getting away from the pissed lady.

Watch me make you commit incest then. Iris thought and flipped her hair.

When they retrieved the flash drive containing the footage of the streets surrounding the building, they went to a nearby restaurant that serves cold noodles. Iris purposely dragged Max in that restaurant because one of the servers there is a member of their gang.

“You sure you don’t want full meal?” Max asked her after choosing the perfect table, beside the counter.

Right when they entered the restaurant, Iris eyed the server, motioned their hand signal by putting her middle finger over her index finger and sliding the middle finger downwards, it is their signal that the target have something they need. He immediately understood what she wants to happen.

“Yes, I don’t really eat much, I’m on diet,” she lied. She knows she can eat like a baboon.

“Oh right, sure you do,” Max said and let his eyes wander on her body.

“Excuse me? Don’t stare at your sister like that.”

Max laughed so hard. Iris can’t help but to admire him, he looked carefree but she knows he’s still frustrated about Mr. Boller.

Well, we share the frustration just because of that stupid flash drive.

She was waiting for an opportunity for Max to bring the flash drive out from his pocket but he has not even brought the topic up even after they finished their meal. Iris knows she had to do something. He had given her no choice.

Iris locked eyes with her co-gang member and he quickly approached their table bringing a pitcher of water.

“Water, Sir.” The server was about to place the pitcher on the table but he purposedly let is slip through his hand.

“Oh shi-!” Max immediately stood up when the water splashed over his pants, he immediately fished for his pockets and brought out everything inside of them, including the flash drive and placed them on the table

Iris quickly lifted the flash drive using her mind and letting it fall off the table to which the server caught swiftly, unnoticed.

“Oh my goodness! Are you okay?” Iris stood up and reached for the towel to help Max.

“Yeah yeah it’s fine, don’t worry.” Max was busy wiping his pants, unaware of the missing flash drive.

“I’m so sorry, Sir my hand slipped, I’m deeply sorry.”

“It’s okay, I got it,” Max assured the waiter. “I’ll just go to the restroom.” Max left the table and went on his way.

“Check it, and if there’s a shadow of an idiot Nightcrawler caught on tape, burn it,” she mumbled on the server.

Max came back to the table stating that the Chief is already requesting for them to go back to the station.

When they came back to the office, it was a total mess.

“Chief,” Max approached their Chief who was busy on the phone. He held one finger telling him to wait. When he dropped the call, the flash drive was his first concern.

“Let’s get in to that flash drive,”

“Oh right,” Max reached for his pockets and fished inside of it. His face went pale when he can’t feel anything. He searched for his back pockets but still, nothing. Iris was just silently watching him panic.

“No, no! Wait, where did I put it?”

“What do you mean where did you put it?”

Max turned around on Iris. His face was asking what is happening. Iris just shrugged.

“Don’t tell me you lost it,”

“I can’t tell myself neither.” Max closed his eyes. He can’t believe that the only evidence they’ve got is now gone. He punched his desk out of anger.

Iris felt bad, seeing Max so frustrated, but it’s her job.

“Hey, we’ll get another chance,” she said to Max and patted his back.

“I don’t know, we’ve lost too many chances already.” He stormed out of the office, leaving the Chief all stressed and Iris feeling bad.

“Well done, how’s your first day on work?”

Iris rolled her eyes, she just got home from work and the first thing she saw when she entered her place is William sitting crossed-leg on her couch playing with a knife. Aside from his grimly appearance, his scar on his left cheek made him look intimidating. His fresh clean cut hair is slicked back, but did not helped him towards having a good look.

“How did you even got in here?” Iris was clearly annoyed. She was exhausted. She kicked her boots off of her feet and slumped on the couch keeping distance from their leader.

William waved his spare key.

“You must punish those idiots who almost ruined us. I can’t believe you had to kill an old man because someone did not do their job well.” Iris was talking about Mr. Boller. She knew that his death was not intentional but they are left with no choice. The police will offer everything for information.

“I have them taken care of already.”

“You didn’t kill them did you?” Iris looked at him, William is all comfortable with eyes closed, he did not responded. Iris knew the answer.

“I need you to do something.”

“Does it fit on my job description?”

William stood up, his back facing Iris.

“I need you to install our eyes and ears.”

Iris frowned. “I admit I can move and control things but it’s not to be used for something so petty.”

“How you do it is all up to you. Besides, I am not the one to be jailed if you mess up.” William walked towards the door and left Iris.

“Like I can’t escape,” she muttered to herself. It has not been long since she joined their gang. Her life from then on was all about hunting people mostly their rivals and betrayers. It’s not that she wants any of this, but she needs it to get her revenge. A sweet painful revenge to the policemen who took away something very important from her. Iris thinks that they are all filthy and she wants to expose them.

Everything about her is fake, except her personality, it’s something that she wants to preserve at least.

“Good morning!” Iris entered their office with a wide smile. Compared to their office situation from yesterday, today is definitely worse. It’s like she just entered a cage of zombies. Almost all of them have dark circles under their tired eyes, hairs are messy, and their collective smell made Iris nauseous.

“Good morning, Detective Anderson,” a familiar voice came from behind her. Max passed by her with a coffee on his hand, all fresh. Iris felt relieved that Max did not let her first impression of him down.

She walked to her desk which was just in front of Max’s.

“Oh wow, I didn’t know you were a plant lover.” The Chief smiled at her when he saw her place a pot of peace lily on her desk.

“Well yeah, actually I am. I wanted to bring life to this office at least.” She chuckled. The pot actually contains a hidden spy recorder buried on the soil just enough for the Nightcrawlers to hear them clearly. Iris thought her desk is a safe and unsuspicious spot.

Her only problem now is to install hidden cameras. She looked around to see for blind spots to place them around the office.

“What are you doing?”

“What?? What am I doing?” she was startled when Max popped in front of her.

Max laughed at her. He handed her a pile of papers.

“Scan through those, those are the information of the tenants on Mr. Boller’s building. If any name seems suspicious or familiar, report to me, okay?”

“Yes Sir!” She answered with enthusiasm which made Max smile.

Iris found her opportunity to do her job about the cameras, Max seemed to be so engrossed in his computer digging for all the whereabouts of their two victims.

She slowly left her desk and proceeded to the right end corner of the office where the coffee counter is placed. This is the place that will give a perfect overview of the whole office. She pretended to make her coffee and swiftly tried to put the camera on top of the wall cabinet but it was too high.

Iris was struggling to reach the cabinet, she regretted not wearing her five-inch stilettos. She was cursing in her mind, it’s not going to be long until someone wonders what the hell is she doing.

“Need a help?”

Iris froze. She closed her eyes and slowly kept the tiny camera back on her hand. She looked at her side to see who caught her.

“Max.”