by Xavier Neal
After swallowing the bite, I wipe my mouth. “I don't remember.”
“Hm.” Is the only comment he makes before picking up his own taco, which doesn't look nearly as neatly put together as mine.
The two of us continue eating in silence. It's not the most enjoyable, but I guess it could be worse. He could be bombarding me with questions I don't have the answers to or accusing me of crimes I haven't been around to commit. But all that sounds more like his brother, Kylar. I mean aside from the steel face of intimidation they both seem to have, I get the feeling the similarities don't span much further.
Wiping my hands, giving my food a minute to settle, I sigh, “So, tell me about Kody.”
Kendall's eyes narrow in irritation. “Can't just enjoy a meal? You have to be talking?”
“Some people enjoy talking. Some people enjoy having a conversation-”
“And some don't.”
Without being able to stop myself word splatter happens. “Well, not all of us can pull off the sexy, silent thing.”
Oh no! I can't believe I just called Kendall sexy! My face starts to redden as I tighten my lips that are pressed together desperate to take it back. Not because I don't think he's hot, let's face it, he totally is, but because I shouldn’t have said it. I'm already a jabbering mess with enough food and sleep, looks like without it, I’m just so much worse.
The corner of his mouth twitches to a smile as he picks up his beer bottle. “You think I'm sexy?” While my mouth would like to answer it doesn't. Instead, I watch him take a gulp of his beer, his lips probably the softest feature on his face. Kendall leans back, bottle dangling from his grip. “What do you wanna know?”
“He's a pirate...and you and your bother are cops. Just curious as to how...that all happened.”
“So's Kylar,” he mumbles looking away at a blank space on the wall.
I wait for him to say something else. Anything else. And I wait. And I wait. Assuming the subject is now closed, I pick up the half of a taco I have remaining.
“Being on the force runs in the family. My dad was on the force. My grandfather. His father. His father. It goes on and on for at least four more generations. Each of the Hook men spent time protecting and serving Neverland. Dad was no different. During his days he put away quite a few criminals, but had one ongoing battle to protect the people from. Pirates.”
Finally finished with dinner, I take a sip of my water, wipe my hands one last time and make sure he has my full attention.
“See before Pan, before his pills, before his crew, pirates were the major problem. They didn't push drugs or prostitution or high profile smuggling, like Pan. They were typically just known for stealing. Of course there were variations on what they stole, and occasionally they tried to sneak something in, but mainly, they just wanted to steal shit. And Dad was in charge of dismemberment of the biggest gang. Ironically enough, mom was his target.
She was at the heart of the operation. Dad had studied her. Lived and breathed her case files and in the process felt like he knew her in a way no one else did. The day came when he finally caught her, which is the day the 'Hook Curse' took effect.”
“The Hook Curse?”
“Falling in love with the wrong woman.” His eyes are buried deep in mine on the comment. My body squirms a bit in my seat. He's not talking about possibly falling for me is he? No. No way. Right? Kendall leans forward, the green shifting from the hardened look to a softer one. Oh. “Anyway, when he caught her, instead of sending her to prison he made her a deal. If she would help take down the entire operation, she wouldn't do jail time and they'd give her a new identity, a fresh start. What she didn't count on was falling for my dad. After the gang was torn to shreds, members jailed or killed, he kept his word and she became Jayne Hook.”
“They got married immediately?”
“The day that it was announced to the papers she was dead, she reinvented herself and they were married. Husband and stay at home wife, very shortly after, stay at home mom.”
“She got pregnant that fast?”
“Yeah. Dad used to say having Kylar gave her a new sense of purpose. Eventually they had me and Kody, but also a new pirate problem. I remember hearing them fight about it. Kylar had just left for a date and Kody was already asleep for the night. I had gotten up to get some water when the yelling really started. The force wanted to revamp mom's pirate lifestyle, toss her in, have her destroy this one the same way she did before. Dad refused. Said he wouldn't risk the family. That she shouldn't be willing to risk the family either. She countered by explaining she didn't have a choice. When she signed her papers she had agreed to do whatever was asked of her by the force when they asked. I'll never forget that look in his eyes. It was like he knew he had already lost her...”
Pushing my plate to the side, I lean forward on the table. “So what happened next?”
“Mom went back undercover. She was killed no more than a week in.” A sharp gasp flies out of me. “And dad blinded by grief or rage or vengeance, whatever you wanna label it, took it upon himself to go in undercover to try to right a wrong. And then he was killed a week in.”
“Oh my God...”
“So Kylar stepped up to the plate, 17 at the time, took guardianship over us and picked up where my dad left off. It made sense, since Kylar was basically the junior version of dad. From looks to voice, to raising us with a heavy hand and iron rule. Whatever Kylar said went. Period. Not really Kody's style. Kody was definitely a mama's boy. We used to make fun of him for it when he was little, but as time went on and he got older, it just became more and more apparent. He wanted adventure. Excitement. He didn't understand the point of all the rules and didn't care for them. Kody started shoplifting little things like gum. Then soda. Gift cards. Money. Each time Kylar came down harder on him than the last, threatening him left and right, until he tossed him into the system one night. Determined to teach him a lesson. Determined not to let him shame our family name. Instead of the scare tactic working, that was the last time we ever saw Kody...”
“Where did he go?” Hearing how dumb that probably sounded and I follow it with, “Well I mean he eventually became a pirate but...is that when?”
“I always assumed so. I'll never really know. From what I've heard around and with the contacts we have, Kody was released earlier than he was supposed to be that night, so we weren't there to pick him up. Instead, one of Captain Cooper's boys found him and promised him a new life, if he'd just be willing to leave his old one behind...”
The realization of how Kody and I are more and more alike causes the croc' in my stomach to reconsider coming back up.
“So Kody followed in my mom's footsteps. Kylar in my dad's. Leaving me to choose one side of my family over the other.”
“Did you even really wanna be a cop?”
“Wasn't a choice.”
“I meant if it had been...”
Kendall's eyes look down at the table, a look of dread on his face. Something about the way he's twirling the empty beer bottle by it's top in a slow circle says that it's a question he's asked himself repeatedly.
Instead of answering, he looks back up, his eyes vulnerable even though his body language says he's unfazed. “I've answered your question, now answer mine.”
Suddenly uncomfortable, I fidget around in my seat. “OK.”
“Do you have any idea what your 'friends' do here?”
In a shy voice I answer, “Not really.”
“Didn't think so.” Kendall lets go of the bottle he was toying with and leans over to the wall closest to us.
With a sharp bang on a spot that's eye level to him, the view on the wall changes. Suddenly photos have appeared in a pyramid fashion. My eyes enlarge as I notice at the very top, Peter and Belle photographed together like they're some sort of picture perfect prince and princess. Underneath that level are photos of Aiden, Eiden, and Justin, all posed like this is their moment at the Oscars. There's another row of pictures beneath, but I don'
t recognize any of them. Before I have the chance to ask why the photos are there, he bangs a spot right below the one he previously hit and a drawer flies toward him overflowing with files.
“These are profiles built on your friends.”
“Why aren't they kept on a computer? Wouldn't that be easier? Take up less space?”
“Once upon a time they were. And that's about the time Pan adopted Aiden. He's the one we call 'The Wizard'.” Kendall pulls out a red file folder with Aiden's name and nickname printed on it before he quickly puts it back and shuts the drawer.
“Why do you call him that?”
“Because he can hack his way into almost anything. When he first got to Neverland we had quite a solid case beginning to build on Pan, but then files started to go missing. Deleted interviews. Charges written off for not being entered correctly. Any time we put something new in the server, it would be gone within the hour. We did everything to plug that leak and couldn't. Even our own hackers couldn't figure out how he was doing it. Eventually Kylar demanded we start keeping everything in paper files.”
I've watched Aiden hack, but I had no idea how far his stretch really reached. He's so much more amazing than Peter gives him credit for, and clearly needed much more as well.
“Aside from hacking, he's also in charge of keeping personal records regarding the finances, employees, suppliers, distributors, etc, etc. He keeps track of where everyone is supposed to be and when.”
He gives the baffled look on my face a long stare before continuing.
“You call him Eiden.” Kendall stands removing the dishes from the table. “We call him, 'The Tank'. Weapons expert. From guns, to bombs, to swords, to level of security detection. He can disarm quite a few higher level security systems that some of our experts can't touch. He handles the Dust's movements. Making sure shipments make it from one spot to the next, undetected, unnoticed, and undisturbed. He's also very good at making people who are possibly a problem or a threat, no longer that way.”
The description causes the hairs on my forearm to rise. Eiden? Like our Eiden? He's so sweet, not nearly as goofy sweet like his brother, but still. I can't imagine him capable of doing the things he just mentioned.
“Then there's Justin...” The entire tone in his voice changes. When talking about the twins his voice was level. Business formal. Now there's an obvious distaste in his words. “We call him 'Sticky Lips'.”
“Shocking,” I mutter rolling my eyes.
“Before him, we could still function as a unit to move in on Pan. The Wizard made it difficult, The Tank made it harder, but Sticky Lips has made it almost impossible. Evidence disappears. Physical files go missing, which is why I have to keep mine here. Witnesses take back statements. Lawyers suddenly claim they don't have enough to go to court. Judges tossing out cases within the first ten minutes. Sticky Lips is Pan's fix it man. I've never seen someone who can do that much damage with a smile.” Ain't that the truth? “He's the Lieutenant. Anything that needs to be done, he gets it done. His entire existence is to make Pan's operation by all means, by all glances, by all assumptions, legal. And he does a damn good job of it.” Part of me isn't shocked. I've spent the most time with him of all of them, and it's true. Peter says 'jump' and without question Justin is trying to jump over the goal post. Unless it involves me. That thought threatens a smile on my face. “Justin also takes care of some of the side operations that Pan also says he has no part in, like smuggling and women.”
Suddenly there's a bitter taste in my mouth I want to scrub from my tongue. I know I barely knew them when I joined this adventure, but this was the last thing I expected. I knew they were liars! I knew they were thieves! I knew they were con artists! But it wasn't until later I learned they were drug dealers. And an escort service? Is that what he means by women? Really?
Not taking too kindly to my silence, Kendall finishes washing the dishes, and returns to check out my face. “Having second thoughts, huh? And to think I haven't told you about your boss.” Sitting back in his chair, Kendall stomps the floor the same way he did the wall, except a panel slides out of the way. Leaning over I see more files in different colors. “Pan is obviously head dick in charge, and while he thinks there's nothing wrong with what he's doing...” Kendall drops a stack of orange files on the table. “These are recorded deaths from overdoses on Dust.” A stack of green files is next. “Injuries from people who committed irresponsible acts while under the influence.” Red files. “These are victims who have had their money stolen or property missing.”
The piles of swaying files are adding to the nausea I have racing up the back of my throat like a bullet train. I can't be a part of this. I can't. I can't stay in this lifestyle! I'm not cut out to steal forever! I know I'm not cut out to be some sort of weird other world drug member. I can't take this! My lungs start constricting, killing any chance of anything other than more anxiety getting in. Feeling it fill me up faster and faster, I shut my tear coated eyes. Each deep breath feels harder than the previous one. What's that sound? Am I wheezing? I've never wheezed before! Oh God...What have I done? Who am I about to become?
There's a cold, damp hand on my face, forcing me to open my eyes. Kendall is leaned against the edge of the kitchen table, thumb stroking my cheek. “I didn't mean to scare you...I just...I don't wanna see you get hurt.”
Here is the guy whose whole existence revolves around hunting down my 'friends' to put a stop to them, yet he finds it in his heart to care about me. About me getting hurt. He barely even knows me while Justin does know me, or at least parts of me, and is always putting me in harm's way. He lives in a world of crime and lies that he let me get carried away into, without much concern if I would survive or not. But he claims to love me? I don't think that's right.
I nod briefly. “Mind if I lie down?”
Kendall drops his hand from my cheek, slides it into mine, and leads me the direction of his room with a new set of doubts and fears swirling in my mind.
Chapter 4
The soft fall wind blows my long hair up as I pluck a dandelion from the field we stopped next to. Giggling that they keep blowing away before I get to make a wish, I continue my adventure.
“Where's Peyton?” my mother's soft voice asks.
“She was just right here,” Dad sighs in return.
Seeing a beautiful butterfly, glowing in a neon bright green color, I rush after it losing one of my ballet flat slippers my mother demanded I have while I wanted the bright pink tennis shoes that light up when I walk. The same ones Jenni Summers had and all the other girls loved. Those were my dream shoes, but Mom insisted these would have more use. For what? I don't know. I'm not a very good ballerina. I'm not even in ballet.
“Peyton,” I hear my name called again but I ignore it. I'll be right back in just a second. Now, if I could just find that butterfly.
The sound of my name continues again and again as I rush deeper and deeper into a gathering of trees so tall it's like they're dying to touch the clouds. Carefully I climb over fallen logs, slide under low branches, and to my surprise find a gathering of the gorgeous butterflies.
Excited, I rush towards them, which is when they change direction and start spinning around me, doing circles, going faster and faster! Giggling I stick my hands up, shut my eyes, and spin around in a small circle with them. There's so many! So beautiful! So exciting! So―
“Peyton Elaine Darling!” The deep tone in my father's voice is followed by him swooping me up in his arms, cradling me so close I can barely breathe anything besides his overwhelming smell of something that reminds me of licorice. “Don't you ever leave me like that again? You hear me?”
Staring into my father's eyes that look super scared I try to ease his pain. “Okay Daddy.”
“I mean it.” He touches me on the tip of my nose. “I love you. And I don't want anything bad to happen to you.”
I touch one of the curls my mom put in my hair. “But Daddy the butterflies were so pretty.”
Chuckling under his breath he leads us out of the forest. “I bet they were princess.” As we cross the field I lay my head on his shoulders watching the wind blow the dandelions away once more. “Today it's butterflies. Tomorrow it's boys....”
“Daddy boys are yucky.”
Before he can say anything else, my mother wraps her arms around both of us. “Oh thank God! I'd thought we'd lost her!”
“We'll never lose her.” Dad strokes the back of my hair and turns to repeat those words directly to me. “We will never lose you.”
The words continue to repeat themselves in haunting fashion, getting louder and louder until it feels like I'm being yelled at.
