Xavier

by Miranda P. Charles

  “Because they probably have no idea where he is. That’s one thing Barker’s very good at. Hiding. He’s got plenty of cronies to help him with that—people you wouldn’t believe are crooked.”

  “Just like you back in the day, hey, Ross?” he couldn’t help saying.

  Ross ignored his comment. “The Indie Rebels actively call for people to message them, so most likely, they were contacted by Barker’s victims, asking for their help. They do state they can only respond to a very select few, so I guess your case has to be interesting enough for them to pay attention to. But I bet Barker is one of their most wanted.”

  Xavier took a deep sigh. He’d check out the website, and he had a feeling it would confirm what Ross had just said. That was good, because with Barker’s net closing in on him and his dad, he was desperate enough to try contacting the Indie Rebels.

  Chapter 9

  Xavier closed his laptop, disappointed that he hadn’t had any response from the Indie Rebels in the five days since he’d sent them a message. Perhaps he should have included more details of his and his father’s situations rather than simply stating he believed Eugene Barker was setting him and his family up for a fall. Maybe they got so many prank messages that his appeared to be one.

  But if they indeed kept a close eye on high-profile criminals, then they would have heard about Ross Anton and his connection with Gerald and Adele Stirling. Even if Xavier hadn’t mentioned his parents by name, he hoped his surname would have at least triggered something.

  He was desperate for their help.

  Things were going from bad to worse for him. While Detective Swanson had intimated they were considering the possibility that Barker might be trying to set him up, the police’s actions showed they still clearly suspected him of wrongdoing. They’d been around a couple of times, bothering his clients and staff. Detective Harris had even personally seen to it that the security camera by the gym’s entrance had been properly fixed.

  Xavier had noticed that some regular clients hadn’t been back since the police had interviewed them. The cops appeared to have scared them off with their questioning, which no doubt had included asking if they’d seen the infamous Eugene Barker in A to X Fitness.

  But what else could Xavier do? To mitigate the disruption, he’d been trying to act normal, assuring his staff that the cops were simply investigating all angles regarding Ross Anton’s case, and that they had nothing to worry about.

  Luckily, the police hadn’t gotten a sniff of his father’s predicament yet. That would bring the worst to his family.

  He stood from his seat, checking his watch. Jaxon was late. The man was never late.

  He looked around the main floor and found Jaxon chatting with none other than Detective Harris. Ah, hell.

  Thankfully, the interview appeared to be wrapping up.

  He went out his office and smiled as Jaxon walked towards him. “Hey. Hope you didn’t mind the detective asking you some questions.”

  “No. Not at all. So what was that about?”

  “Just the police doing some investigating on what somebody said they saw. Mind if I ask what Detective Harris asked you?”

  “He wanted to know if I’ve seen any suspicious people in the gym. Showed me a few pictures on his phone, a couple of whom I recognised not because I’ve seen them here, but because I’ve seen them on TV or in the papers.”

  Xavier simply nodded.

  “We’re not likely to get interrupted in there, are we?” Jaxon pointed to his office.

  “No. Why?”

  “Let’s have a chat in there.”

  Xavier repressed a sigh. Was he about to lose another client? Damn the police—Detective Harris in particular.

  He settled on a visitor’s chair opposite Jaxon. “What’s up?”

  “Well, one of the photos I recognised from Detective Harris’s phone was of Eugene Barker. He specifically asked if I’d seen Barker in this gym.”

  Xavier nodded. “I think they think Barker’s been here.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugged casually. “Apparently, someone claimed they saw Barker here early one morning. I’m sure the police just need to make sure they follow it up, but Barker was never here. In fact, the gym wasn’t even open yet at the time he was supposed to have come. Anyway, it’ll all be sorted out soon, I’m sure.”

  “Someone lied to get you in trouble?”

  He stood, hoping to end this conversation. “I’m sure whoever reported it just made a mistake. Ready to start?” He walked towards the door.

  “Xavier,” Jaxon called out. “The Indie Rebels got your message.”

  Xavier’s heart jumped. He turned around and walked slowly back to his seat, staring at Jaxon with wide, stunned eyes. “You’re with them?”

  “Yes. I’ve been asked to talk to you about your problems. I’m still only an initiate, though, mind you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s like I’m on probation,” Jaxon said with a laugh. “I’m still proving myself to the chiefs. There are things about the Indie Rebels I won’t be privy to until I become a full agent.”

  “Wow. I can’t believe you’re one of them. What made you decide to join?”

  Jaxon smiled grimly. “Short answer, I asked for their help.”

  “Long answer?”

  “About a year ago, I was approached by a man who wanted to buy a tax agent franchise. From our conversation, I could tell he knew nothing at all about running a tax or accounting business, so I personally refused his submission. He wasn’t happy, to say the least, even after I explained I simply didn’t want him to lose money.

  “Two weeks later, my office got broken into and everything was destroyed. Luckily, all client information couldn’t be accessed without passwords, and we had complete backups of all data. A few days after that, the offices of two of my top franchisees also got broken into. I mentioned to the police my suspicion that the guy I rejected might be on a revenge spree against me, but they couldn’t find him. He’d submitted false information in the franchisee application.

  “Then another one of my franchisees got broken into. The police had no concrete leads, and my other franchisees were starting to panic. One night, out of desperation, I started Googling about psychos on the loose, tax agents cooking the books, known vandals and scammers—anything that might bring up a picture of that guy so we could identify him. That was when I stumbled upon the Indie Rebels’ website.

  “I liked what I read so I asked for their help. They did some investigating and pieced together a big picture. Long story short, they found the guy. Apparently, he’s a known accomplice of Eugene Barker. They tipped off the police, who finally caught him. My case is is one of many that the Indie Rebels helped the police solve, but it’s their third win against Barker, in particular.”

  Xavier grinned. Indie Rebels 3, Puppet Master 0. “That’s impressive.”

  “Yup. The IR—Indie Rebels—is so well-organised, well-funded, well-everything. I was blown away.”

  “So you were so impressed you decided to join?”

  Jaxon stared at him for a beat before answering. “Not exactly. If you want the Indie Rebels’ help, you have to become one yourself.”

  Xavier’s brows rose. “Why?”

  “Them’s the rules, as they say. It’s your payment for the help they give you.”

  “What about a monetary payment?”

  “Nope. Not an option. Like I said, the IR team is very well-funded. Our founder is apparently a billionaire and, before you ask, I don’t know his name and I haven’t met him yet.”

  Xavier let Jaxon’s words sink in. “So I need to become one of you to get some help?”

  “Yes.”

  He blinked. This was totally unexpected.

  “Xavier, the Indie Rebels is no ordinary team. We need agents who can keep our secrets and are loyal to our cause. With that big a mission, only those of us victimised by world-class villains and who’ve also directly experienced the
help of the Indie Rebels would have the passion and loyalty needed to become its agents.

  “But not everyone who asks for help from the IR gets their call answered. Yes, we are well-resourced, but our resources are not unlimited. So our chiefs pick and choose the biggest cases involving the most notorious criminals whose victims are like you—who could potentially have an Indie Rebel heart.”

  “So I could possibly have an Indie Rebel heart, huh?” Xavier said with a smirk. “I don’t even know if you guys can help me.”

  Jaxon leaned back on his seat. “We already know that someone’s trying to set you up by saying you’ve been meeting with Barker. Our chiefs think they know why. It’s been known to them for a while that Ross Anton was one of Barker’s minions, even if the police are at pains to keep this under wraps. And Barker’s probably not buying the story they want him to buy—that Ross hasn’t ratted him out. Because of Ross’s previous close connection with your parents, Barker might be thinking Ross has told them some of his secrets. So now he’s after your family to scare all of you into keeping your mouths shut.”

  Xavier scowled. “How did you know about that? I didn’t tell you any details.”

  “We’re talking about the Indie Rebels here, Xavier. They had to monitor your family after Ross Anton’s arrest, and they continue to do so every now and again to ensure Barker hasn’t gotten to any of you.”

  “Monitored without our knowledge,” Xavier said in a low voice. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

  “It’s nothing sinister. They wouldn’t have done it if they didn’t believe Barker and his men have their eye on you. It’s nothing worse than what the police have been doing, except that the chiefs believe that you and your family are innocent.”

  Xavier let out a harsh breath. Okay, he’d accept that explanation. “It’s a big ask to be an Indie Rebel, though, when I know next to nothing about what that entails.”

  “Simply, it’s to fight as a team against the crooks wanting to make life hell for a lot of people. You don’t have to be an Indie Rebel, Xavier. No one is forcing you. But we can’t give you any assistance if you decline. Of course, you still have the police. They’re also very capable. Right now, though, they still consider you a person of interest.”

  Xavier pressed his lips. That was a major problem. “What if I join, but decide later it’s no longer for me?”

  “Once you’ve done enough assignments to cover the assistance that’s been given to you, you can be an inactive agent, meaning you’re still considered an IR, but you won’t be given new assignments to work on. You’ll still be bound by the contract, which you’ll sign upon joining. It’s because you would have known and seen things only an Indie Rebel can know and see. That can’t be undone.”

  Xavier looked into the distance, mulling over Jaxon’s words. “I need some time to think about this.”

  “Sure. If you ask me, there’s really only one question you need to ask to help you make your decision.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Can you achieve what you want to achieve without the Indie Rebels? If so, then I wouldn’t advise you to join. It’s not a walk in the park. But if you believe that we’re your only hope, then the answer’s ultra clear.”

  Xavier rubbed his face. Could he trust the police to get Barker off his and his dad’s backs before their livelihoods were ruined or someone ended up dead?

  He did trust that the police would come to the conclusion that he wasn’t involved with Barker.

  Eventually.

  And he did trust that the police would discover the people threatening his dad and free him from his fears.

  Eventually.

  But what if they were too late, like they’d been with Gail?

  His heart thumped. He wasn’t entirely sure if he could trust the IR but hell, who else could he trust, especially when his need was immediate?

  He went back to sit next to Jaxon. “Okay, I’m in. So what next?”

  Jaxon reached for his gym bag, took out an iPad, and opened a document. “You have to sign this contract. It states what I’ve already explained to you, plus a few other critical matters.”

  Xavier took the device and started reading. When he flipped the page, Jaxon pointed to a section of a document.

  “I have to point out a few things of particular importance,” Jaxon said. “You cannot reveal to an outsider anything at all, and I mean anything, about the Indie Rebels, including the identity of its agents, unless the chiefs have unanimously agreed that you can do so. Every underworld syndicate, not just Barker’s, has us at the top of their hit list. So for our own safety and that of each person in our team, the identities of Indie Rebels have to be our best-kept secret.”

  Xavier nodded, reading the relevant lines.

  “Breaking this rule would mean immediate termination from the Indie Rebels Team,” Jaxon warned. “That would also mean you’ll stop receiving assistance from the IR, and will never receive future assistance. Once you’re out, you’re out.”

  “Okay.”

  Jaxon pointed to another entry. “The other important thing is to obey your orders regarding the assignments allocated to you. You cannot pick and choose. There’s a reason why you’re chosen for certain things. If you have a problem with what you’ve been assigned, you can raise it with the leadership team. Just know, though, that continually refusing to work on something could lead to being thrown out of the group. Sometimes, some people just don’t fit. Unfortunately, that would mean the Indie Rebels will also stop helping you. Okay?”

  “Yes.” That sounded fair. Getting assistance to deal with Eugene Barker’s threats was enormous in itself. He couldn’t think of an assignment he’d have a problem with, when what he was getting in return was so significant.

  “Next, you’ll remain an initiate until the Indie Rebels chiefs, whom you won’t meet until you pass initiation, decide to make you a full agent at a time of their choosing. As an initiate, you accept that you won’t be privy to certain information about the Indie Rebels, including the identity of other agents.”

  “Secretive bunch, aren’t they?” Xavier quipped.

  “Yeah. I guess they need to be confident of our trustworthiness before giving us the keys to their best-kept secrets.”

  “How many assignments have they given you?”

  “Only two, so far. I most definitely have not yet repaid the team for the help they’ve given me. I’m keen to do more to speed up the initiation phase, but I still have a busy business to run. I think you’ll be a bit more flexible with your time than me.”

  “Yes. I can always delegate some of my one-on-one clients to my other trainers.”

  “Just make sure you keep me,” Jaxon said with a laugh.

  “Absolutely, dude.”

  “So here’s the last item I need to highlight. You acknowledge that this job is fraught with danger. The Indie Rebels are not an organisation sanctioned by any law enforcement agency. The police cannot be seen as condoning our team as they wouldn’t want vigilante gangs to crop up everywhere. Some in the police force hate us with a passion while others tolerate us. And a small number are IRs themselves, so they’re actively working with us, although they have to be extra careful that they don’t blow their IR covers. Officially, though, we’re like any other citizen, bound by the law. So if we are to do something illegal, we better make damned sure we don’t get caught or we better know how to explain our way out of it.”

  Xavier nodded, smiling. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d done something questionable in the eyes of the law. He’d trespassed into Ross Anton’s property once to look for evidence. He’d picked Ross’s locks, too. “I don’t have a problem with that.”

  “Good. So that’s it. Once you sign this contract, you’ll be an Indie Rebel. Do you need more time to think about it?”

  Xavier paused for a long moment. “No. I’m ready.”

  Jaxon chuckled. “Good. Because once you’ve signed and I’ve sent it off, I can talk to you abo
ut your first assignment.”

  “I already have one?”

  “Yup. Our chiefs move fast. You’ll get an email with instructions on how to download an IR app on your phone. It’s a very secure app, and you have to use it to communicate to our chiefs and other agents. Just be aware, though, that once you download the IR app, your phone can be tracked by the control centre personnel.”

  Xavier nodded, taking the stylus Jaxon offered and signing his name on the iPad.

  “Welcome to the team, bro.”

  “Thank you. I have to say, knowing you’re an Indie Rebel helped me decide to join. So have you lied to me about certain things?”

  “I’m afraid so. I lied about needing a personal trainer to impress a triathlete girlfriend. I don’t even have a girlfriend. Truth is, I need to get my fitness, strength and speed levels up for my work as an IR. So I looked into your personal training offerings since my office is also in this building. Spooky coincidence that you need our help. Or, as one of the chiefs said, it was meant to be.”

  Xavier laughed. “So what’s my assignment?”

  Jaxon made a few more taps on the iPad, then put everything away before facing him. “You have to keep a particular person protected without her knowing about it.”

  Xavier’s brows rose. “They don’t mind that I’m not a trained security guy?”

  “No. While you’ll need to act like a security detail every once in a while, that’s not what this assignment entails. It does help that you’re super fit. You never know when you might need to carry her away from a burning car or something like that.”

  Xavier lifted a brow. Jaxon’s tone didn’t indicate he was joking.

  “But mainly,” Jaxon said, “you have to establish a close relationship with her so you can get details that we couldn’t otherwise get just by shadowing her. You’ll need to be able to extricate information like where she’s going, what she’s working on, who she’s been speaking with. That’s the best way for us to determine that she’s not walking into any trap or danger.”

  “Right. Well, I’m not a trained interrogator, either. But if the chiefs think I can do this…”