07. Trouble
"Just what were you thinking?!"
Yes, trouble. They got in trouble. Both of them. The client submitted a detailed entry of what happened.
Henry knew that Soren seemed inexperienced. Well, to be fair, every newbie is inexperienced and they make mistakes along the way as they get used to their work. But he wasn't, certainly wasn't expecting this sort of fuck over, this level of a wreck on the first day itself. And it was clear that it wasn't even a mistake. Mistake? Heavens no! How can you accidentally shoot your special client through the temple on the first day itself? This was another level of stress and it was with Reya on the scene. He was at a loss as to how this happened in the presence of his best agent. Either Reya was not on the scene or everything just happened too quick for Reya to attempt to control it. Talk about thirty smooth years of Night Secure and now this happened. None of his agents had ever laid hands on a client but Henry guessed that there was always a first time.
Henry sighed, looking down at his desk as his head pounded with a severe headache. He was not feeling too well either thanks to the approaching full moon. All the Lycans were affected and they would have to lay off work until it passed. But he wasn't expecting it to be severe. He was growing old. Not as old as he'd like to be but relatively old. When he joined this company, he was spritely enough to be the head of the company and join assignments as well. But now he was constricted to only desk work and his bones rattled when he ran too fast or got up too suddenly. He must be almost 120 years old. All Lycans lived to be about 200. It was not immortality like the Vampires but considerably longer compared to the humans.
Henry scowled deploringly as he stared down at the report. The handwriting scrawled on it was too familiar and he loathed it whenever it came.
[Rectify this matter ASAP]
He took a decided breath and looked up, the two employees standing in front of his desk. Reya looked absolutely horrible, his hair was sticking out in all directions and there were heavy bags under his eyes. It didn't seem like he got any sleep last night. Henry trailed his eyes downward and sure enough the image extended to his attire as well, with a wrinkled suit and unpolished shoes, wrecked with mud at the edges. On the other hand, the main culprit Soren looked the least bothered, his suit was ironed and straight with apparent attempts to will his messy hair down. He was looking straight at him, and the whole demeanor screamed of clear military training. Well, he can act as smart as he can now, it doesn't erase the fact that he raised his hands against a client, unprovoked. Usually this was enough reason to let a service agent go. He broke the conditions on the first day itself. He was not suitable for the job and it would be all the better to end it here.
He wanted to, but he couldn't.
I can't, Henry thought as he looked at the handwriting. It was a clear provocation. He could have sent this over email, everything was electronic these days but that bastard decided to send his assistant over to give him a handwritten report.
"What should I do with you two? I understand that it was Soren's first day but I didn't expect this from you, Reya."
Soren slowly turned his head away as Reya's livid glare burned into the side of his face. He could practically hear Reya's annoying voice screaming at him even though none of them spoke in the wake of this silence.
"Nothing to say for yourself?" Henry sighed and leaned back, his chair creaking under his weight as it shifted, "Well, you're a couple of lucky lads. Both of you won't be fired, but rather you'll be put under training for a week. Nothing as serious as I'd hoped it'd be but the client seems to have put in a special request with the President."
Reya tried to hold back but his eyebrow shot up skeptically. A special request? That was certainly interesting. As much as he tried to allow a good level of privacy to his coworkers, he can't now deny that this Soren figure and his relation to this Vampire piqued his curiosity now. The good ol' tingle was approaching and he hated it because he knew he was going to get invested in this.
"The client informs that he wouldn't press any charges with the company or with any of you, as long as the perpetuator personally apologizes to him."
Soren stiffened up as he heard this. He scoffed to himself, so they were playing this game now? He had thought that Noam would be softer in his approach but now it seems that the Vampire was playing to win after all. He had always been goal oriented and he still hasn't changed after all. This was all a ruse to get to him after all. The government officials must have notified the main office when Soren came back to the country. They wouldn't pay him enough but clearly, they were still keeping tight tabs on him.
"I hardly have any care of what you have to say about this, you bungled your first assignment so you don't get a choice. Dress up a bit nicer and meet him in the designated spot. I have taken the liberty to arrange a meeting with him today. That is all you will be taking on for today. zNo assignments until you complete the training. And as for you, Reya, it's a pity that you didn't do anything. I am restricting you to code greens and yellows for a week."
"Understood, sir." Reya mumbled and turned to Soren, who remained silent. It was as though he was far away somewhere else so Reya jabbed his elbow against the younger guy to alert him. Soren straightened up in attention and nodded briskly,
"I understand, Sir."
Henry peered up critically at the new guy and sighed, deciding that he couldn't do anything about it. There was certainly more than what met his eyes but he wasn't about to poke around and get himself in trouble. Especially not when this bigshot of a vampire was involved. It was a huge gamble to make after all. He has been skirting around the vampires for years. He wasn't going to allow anything to happen to his subordinates, he wouldn't ever forgive himself if something were to happen to them. It was in his own right sense that he wanted to send this new guy away, all because he simply reeked of trouble and the fact that this incident has already taken place only confirms his suspicions. But with trouble came some benefits as well because he was barred from ever firing this guy in front of him. That Vampire was evidently significant enough for the President to put in such order. But then again, the President was a wimp. He would do basically anything to keep himself from getting into a war with the blood suckers.
"Dismissed! Don't forget to take your pagers." Henry declared, turning his chair around so that he could stare out of his office window contemplatively. Now he has to prepare a training session for these two.
Retrieving the two pagers on the desk, Reya swiftly made his way out of the office. He briefly paused and looked back when he realized that Soren was still standing in the office. Reya frowned and waved his hands exaggeratedly in an effort to try and catch Soren's attention. He sighed, catching himself suddenly. Wait? Why did he care? Do they have to be together now? Why is he concerned that Soren was not following him? Did he care about Soren? That's absurd! All they did was have a drink and then pass out in their respective houses like the new coworkers they are. Nothing more, now if he didn't want to follow him, that's completely fine.
Reya looked at his hand and shook his head, hastily making an exit before Soren noticed.
"Sir."
Henry frowned and looked backward, almost groaning when he found that Soren was still stoically standing where he was initially standing.
"What is it?" Henry asked, looking out at the trees visible from the windows. He didn't care enough to turn the chair back around.
"Is it okay if I opt out of meeting the client?"
His frown deepened, "No, Soren. If you hadn't wished to get into trouble, you don't cause trouble in the first place. That's how things work as always. You can't have things to go your way at all times, son. Now suit up and head down to the place, and when i say head down, i mean it. I wouldn't let it go if you instigate yet another scuffle."
Soren silently looked down, standing still for a moment before he slowly nodded. It was more a nod to himself rather than Henry. He was willing himself to his own fate.
"I understand, sir. I shall go with my head down."
"Well, you'd better."