“Athmmhm;”

  ”ATHMM HMM.”

  Alexander peeked out from under Jessie, our gazes meeting in flickers “Oh, Alastor when did you get back?”

  “I never left alex.”

  Alexander and I locked gazes in the end neither of us willing to acknowledge our current predicament, however jessie was apparently unwilling to sit in the almost palpable shame alexander was exuding;

  “This was a, Interesting visit” she said, detangling herself from Alex as she rose to her feet.

  “It certainly was, now if you would excuse us jessie I have to speak with my client.” I'm not sure if it was my tone or her own embarrassment but she opened her mouth like she was going to respond, then closed it, nodded to Alexander and called out for him to ‘remember what he promised’ over her shoulder as she made her way out of the manor.

  “Do I need or want to know what she was talking about Alex.”

  Alexander's face took on a new shade as he finally pulled himself off the ground.

  “I, just told her we could talk this out over dinner once you and I got this loan thing handled.”

  “I see.” , “Then you should sit down so we can discuss your case and its recent, devilments.”

  Alexander, seeing the offered change in topic, seemed more than happy to jump in, so he plopped down into his old friend, the sofa scooting over like I was going to sit with him.

  Of Course I didn't, making my way to the chair I had sat in the night before, silver briefcase in hand I sat down the case perched on my chair's arm.

  “So Alex, would you like to review your case or jump directly into the more recent developments.”

  His answer was less than surprising.

  “Can we do a little of both like really short bare bones review than talk about whatever these recent developments are.”

  “Alright, well starting out you owed seven million now we have acquired one point seven million in cash for regular payments which originally was going to be both starting capital for more of your ventures and payments to chip away your debt.”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Alexander stiffened in his seat causing the couch to creak as he looked far more alert than usual

  “What do you mean originally, what changed?”

  “Well Alex, this is where those new developments are concerned; My, superiors at summit financial have decided we need some pressure and are requiring daily payments of three hundred and fourty thousand dollars a day until we pay two point one million dollars or thirty percent of your current debt.”

  He didn't respond, and from the clear confusion on his face wasn't going to anytime soon so i continued with the bad news.

  “And as of right now we are short four hundred thousand; leaving us with four days not including the payment we will have to make tonight, to find the missing four hundred thousand to pay the full thirty percent.”

  Alexander did not react as expected. There was no outrage or temper. He just huffed leaning back once again on the leather couch “Yeah right alastor; they can't do that, we had a ‘legally binding’ agreement.”, “and just so you know you're not funny.”

  I leaned forward in my chair, “Alex, I, am not, joking; That legal agreement you mentioned had a payment plan that ‘You’ broke within the first few months of not paying the agreed amount.”

  “This five day warning with the promise of more time to pay it off is neither legally required nor against the agreement you broke. In fact if they were taken to court this would most likely be spun as a mercy to a belligerent client.”

  He looked at me like I had just kicked a puppy then, fell further into the sofa sinking into its cushions. “What if we just don't pay them?”

  “Then they will seize all your assets including everything in your lair.”

  Alexander scoffed once more, gile weaving into his tone “They don't have the balls or they would have taken everything already, I mean who would cross the son of fracture.”

  All I could do was sigh despite the lack of lungs, after all that's why I was put on this case or why there was a case in the first place “At one point Alex that was painfully truly, but something changed I haven't been informed why or what but it is clear that there priorities have shifted.”

  “Then what do we do Alastor huh, where are we ganna get four hundred thousand dollars in four day.”

  In truth I had no idea, but the recently deceased Riccardo clone had said something that might end up being our only sure way out if Miss Blackwood was will to be reasonable and let us handle security for ourselves.

  That afternoon Alexander and I talked through our current situation then made all the arrangements to have the money moved by verified brokers into accounts for our payments as is company standard.

  However as the sun set and the light seeping in thru the curtains dimed into darkness I found myself once again watching over a blacked out alexander; in truth, I couldn't blame him and i hadn't really tried to stop him, I mean if I was able chances were good I would be having a drink of my own in my room right now.

  But then again if I could do that I wouldn't be here, wouldn't be working for summit, wouldn't be hiding like a criminal every day, wouldn't be involved with xenos or the I.X.C.U.

  My gloves creaked and jacket tightened as my swirling form bulged and boiled, before deflating, loosening and finally tightening up the slack left behind by my own childish slip. After all I knew better I had to learn how to keep it together long before this cursed weave.

  But, It had been a nice thought.

  Without people like Facet and Constellation playing hero and villain this world would be different, the life of millions would be something else entirely no more war zones that can pop up any where and the fear of being caught in such a place where a quick death or forced mutation into something not quite human was the outcome you prayed found you.

  That sounded like paradise on earth, such a place where mans power was limited to influence and wealth sounded almost Idyllic.