Chapter 24: The swag partners

Third Person P.O.V The twilight sky with the fading moon and stars makes the outside still chilly. The door of Aiden's room still ajar. The little gap gives him the view of the living room and the shut wooden door at the other side of the living room. Riley bends himself as he peeps through the gap, his feet tapping the floor impatiently. He has not slept in peace, for once he laid on the bed but sat up straight immediately when his alarm of three rang. He waits by the door holding onto the knob, as it's already half past five in the morning; his eyes never leave the door in his sight. The creek of the door in the silent atmosphere energies him, a spontaneous smile forms on his lips when Aiden walks out, and he examines her attire of the blue suit. He stands straight and takes a deep breath, letting it out... He pushes the door open and walks out with slow steps. 'You're leaving?," He asks drowsily as he scratches the back of his neck and let's out a nervous laugh, 'What a coincident?" 'Hmm," she hums as she takes her boots from the shelf, 'You're out at the right time," she blurts wearing the shoes and ties the lace as Riley instructed the other day. 'Yeah," he strolls to the normal sized dining table and lifts the glass 'I'm thirsty," he utters in a low voice and pours the water. 'Okay," Aiden stands 'I'll directly come to the court, Blake will bring Harry over," she opens the door. 'Wait...I," before he completes the sentence, the door shuts. The drive doesn't take long , as it's a few kilometres away from the apartment. Chloe pulls the brake by a high sloppy road; the silent comes to an end when they get off the car and walk up the road. 'You remember that we come here in the morning during exams to feel better," Chloe says, he inserts his hands into his coat's pockets and looks to his left when Aiden speaks. 'Obviously, I do," Aiden grins at the thought of it. The days in schools are best in one's life, the bond of classmates, the punishment from teachers, the naughty behaviour of us, the tension of exams, and the joy of no responsibilities which cannot be regained in life again... It's the best thing in childhood... 'Watching it makes us less stress," she says, as she inhales a deep breath and looks up 'It's nice to create memories so we can get back to that time with the thought of it." 'Yes, and I love the memories with you," Chloe utters his voice low. 'Hmm," she hums, they stop by the short distanced railing by the side of the road. The aurora chorus of melodic birdsong drifts in view of the whole city appealing in height, with light buildings and houses, like blocks of lights. 'We had great time together," she says feeling nostalgic, Chloe fixes his eyes on her observing her side features, the charming smile never leaving her face 'We are on time!," She points straight at the sky where the colour changes. The rising sun hurls a rosy hue across the morning sky, igniting the colour which makes the sky vibrant. The sun moves up in a slow movement, with rays shining upon the earth. Aiden's smile widens when she sees the sight in front of her; it gives her hope. The only thought that crossed her mind now is Riley. She wished him to be present beside her, enjoying the gigantic scene of nature, to give them both hope on the way in which they are going together. The view of this will make any thought of disappointment slip away. As the sunrise is all about the beginning, it reminds you that you have another day or another chance. 'Aiden," Chloe mentions her name softly, his eyes never leaves her 'I wish that you always be by my side every sunrise," he steps back when Aiden turns to him, she furrows her brows baffled. 'I've been having a crush on you since the day we met," he declares, every single word comes in sincerity 'When I moved to Russia, I thought that I can get over you but couldn't...You were always in my mind, the thought of you make me smile no matter what hardship I go through, I can't stop thinking about you even a minute ' he takes out a blue velvet box 'Will you marry me?," He says, his ocean blue eyes waits for the answer 'You don't have to answer me now, you can take your time to think." 'This is too sudden," she blurts dryly, her expression rigid. 'I know that you had a crush on me as well," he lets out a nervous laugh to lighten up the air between them. 'Yes I did," she declares as she looks away and fixes her eyes to the splendid view 'Even I had a crush on you in high school after we got closer than normal friends do but my heart never skipped a beat," she smiles and continues 'But I could get over you when you left, you were not in my mind everyday, maybe what I believed the reason of my feelings was wrong," she looks at him 'I'm sorry, I thought it was love but for me wasn't, I prefer you as a friend," she grins 'A close friend," she adds. 'You can take your time to think," he pressures on every word. 'Chloe," she mentions his name softly 'I don't want to give you expectations it's because this is the answer I will give you even after a month or year," He stays silent for a while as he stares at her, his heart not ready to take rejection from the one whom he loved since high school, his first love, the one whom he had been thinking all day and night. He thought she felt the same way. Tears begin to prick at the back of his eyes, he forms his hands to fist his nails digging into the skin. Licking his lips he forces a smile 'This is embarrassing," he states as he pushes the box back into the pocket. 'You shouldn't be," she steps forward 'I'm always happy to have a friend like you," she pulls him to a hug 'I'm grateful to meet you," she blurts. Chloe lifts his hands to hug her back...Aiden's phone rings. She steps back immediately before he could hold onto her. She answers the call. 'Where are you?," Riley's tense voice comes from the other side. 'I'm with Chloe, Why?," Her eyes widen in horror when she hears the sound of gunshot 'Riley, Riley," she calls out anxiously, her heart begins to pound in fear 'Where are you?," She questions, every second of his silence creeps her 'Where the fuck are you?," She yells, her heavy breath finally relaxes when he answers. 'I don't know," 'Share me your location," she says out loud, a hot wave rise over her neck when she hears the noise of the background in the other side. The message notification buzzes, she checks out the location and moves the phone to the ear. 'There will be a mid constructed building near by, go there and hide," she orders with no more questions because she has no idea what's going on. She is oblivious to why he went to an isolated area, the old railway tunnel which has been closed few years ago where no one is allowed to enter. The second sound of gunshot makes her dread, her brows meet when he lets out a scream. 'Riley, don't hang up, I'll be right there, don't hang up," She faces Chloe, his eyes fixed on her. 'Can I borrow your car?," 'Sure," he gives her the keys as he couldn't say no even though that he knows what has happened on the other side. 'Thanks," she runs down the road and gets in the car, the engine starts and the car races to the location. 'Riley you there?," She continues to question to make sure that he is alright. A wave of subtle relaxation hits her when she pulls the brake on the spot. She hops out from the car and walks ahead, her feet stops when she sees Riley's car by the road. She hurries closer, her eyes examines every single detail, the hole in the tinted window where a bullet got through it, she checks in walks further. 'Riley...?," Her steps fasten when the call beeped off. 'Shit," she grunts under her breath and runs to the building, the one floor unfinished building, the construction of it was stopped due to some reasons, moreover the closed road is surrounded by nature. Her feet pauses when she notices an unknown body laying on the road, she walks closer and squats down, attaching her index and ring finger she places it on the side of the man, her eyes squints when his pulse made no movement. Did Riley kill him? The birds flutter at the sound of gunshot, she turns the body of the man and checks whether he has got any weapons to use but unluckily he doesn't. Letting out a growl she runs to the area, the bricked walls not so high but in the height where a human cannot climb, she walks in, the interior is the walls of separate rooms in different heights, where some are short one wall and some are two, typically like a maze. Cautiously she tramples across the bare land, her eyes catching every corner. Her movements stop, she steps back leaning on to the large wall...The sound of footsteps get closer... She jumps forward when a familiar man comes to her view, the man who murdered Philips's son, she read through the files in Mintz's office to find out whether Mintz had known about it and as expected he did know, he knows everything behind the AIM's company crimes...The murder was changed to suicide. He holds the pistol on position and pulls the trigger, she moves to a side in a flash when the bullet flies in the air...Before his finger gets on the trigger again, Aiden puts him in a fleet headlock and snatches the pistol from his hold easily. She points the gun at his temple and pulls the trigger. Pushing the body she walks ahead. Aiden cocks the pistol and wanders in, her five senses on concentration, her grip on the gun tightens when she hears some noise, she moves near to the other wall, she reloads the gun and hops forward, a wide grin sweeps across her face when Riley freezes, his heart almost caught up to his throat. 'Thank god," she wraps her arms around him to a hug. The brown pupils delate at the warm hug, the tension all over him drowned. He stays motionless at the abrupt action... something which he did not expect... 'I was worried," she whispers as she steps back 'Are you alright?," She asks, her brows furrow when he doesn't answer 'Riley," she calls out softly as she hits his arm which brings him back to reality. 'Uh...Yeah," he nods absent minded. 'The dead man outside, did you do it?," She asks curiously. 'Yes," he answers casually like it was not a big deal. 'Really?," She raises her brows questionably in surprise unable to digest the information, the action of the scene unclear in her imagination. Click! Click! Click! They bend when the bullet hit the wall. 'Here," Aiden tosses the pistol to Riley 'Show me," she smiles. 'But I don't know how to use it," he scowls A yelp leaves his lips when she pushes him, Riley stumbles back out the short wall, she jogs to the side to watch the scene. The man shoots his last bullet but misses, he grunts and throws the pistol. The right corner of Riley's lips twitch up to a smirk when he marches toward him. The man in a swift punches in the air, Riley bends himself and hops behind him, he pushes the man to the wall...blood oozes when his head hit the bricked wall...Riley steps back when the man lets out a loud growl, turning around he pops a pocket knife, grinding his teeth he moves the sharp object furiously, cutting in the air...Riley steps backwards every time his opponent steps forward... In a flash Riley grips his arm and twists behind his back...the man pants. Riley's eyes widen when another man stays in position opposite to him in distant, he pulls the trigger.... Riley flinches when the bullet which was shot for him attacks the person in his hold... before his finger gets another chance to pull the trigger...a bullet gets straight into his head at the mid forehead... The body in Riley's hold falls to the ground, he turns around to see Aiden holding the gun which he dropped. She shows him a thumbs up clicking her tongue 'Why do you act like a coward when you know to fight," she asks. 'My fans find me adorable when I'm weak," he scratches the back of his neck. 'I think you look cool and handsome this way,I like it" 'Really, then I'll just be this way forever," he smiles shyly. 'How many if them are there? The sound of gunshot will bring them all here," 'I saw eight of them but not sure," 'Then only four left, let's go for it," she claps her hands and walks ahead until they run into someone, Riley follows her. They look at each other and nod when the four men appear together. They shoot in unison letting the bullets fly everywhere...Aiden and Riley run on different directions...The four divides into group of two... Click! One gone...She waits behind a wall till the other person makes a move like a lion waiting for it's prey...the man walks to her direction, she kicks him which makes him to drop to the ground...Click!...two gone Click! Aiden scurries to the place where she heard the sound of gunshot, she curls her lips in watching the two body on the floor. 'You're great partner," she comments, her tone dry showing no excitement. 'Lawyers should know to protect themselves," Riley shows a thumbs up as he passes her a wink, the right corner of his lip dragged upwards...he clicks his tongue... 'We should get back, the trial will start soon," Aiden reminds. 'Then what about them," Riley asks. 'I'll take care of it later," Aiden assures as she is an expert to delete evidence.