Chapter 45
Sylar's hand ached from pounding so hard on the flimsy apartment door. Exhaustion was creeping up on him as he glanced uneasily down the corridor. A couple of used syringes were scattered on the threadbare carpet and everywhere stank of piss.
"Fuck's sake!" the door finally rattled open. From the darkness within the apartment, Smith peered out, his good eye squinting against the brightness of the light in the corridor. "This better be good," he warned.
"I'm sorry to come over like this," Sylar apologized. He knew better than to get on Smith's bad side, but his question was urgent and couldn't wait. Nor could he risk it being recorded down on a cell phone in a message.
"I need to ask you something."
Smith leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms across his bare chest. "Do you need to come in?" he wondered, thinking Sylar was in trouble.
"No, I won't put you out if you've got company."
"I've always got company," Smith confirmed flatly.
"Right, of course. Look, I just," Sylar was flailing, almost too tired and panicked to string his words together cohesively.
"Do you remember a guy with a naval tattoo sleeve? Like anchors, ships and shit?"
"Yeah," Smith instantly gave a nod. "Pretty handsome guy, young?"
"That's him." Sylar thought of the guy in the picture, cozying up to his sister and tried not to let his rage erupt out right there and then.
"I know the guy you mean. He runs with the Highway Reapers."
Sylar felt like he'd been shot in the chest. He pressed one arm against the wall to steady himself.
"He runs with Reapers? Are you sure?"
"Positive," Smith swiftly confirmed. "That mother fucker once snapped a pool cue over my back. I'd love to rip that fucking sleeve right off him and feed the tattered skin back to him."
Sylar swallowed nervously. He felt light headed with worry. His sister was dating a member of the Highway Reapers. She was sleeping with the enemy and that put both him and her in a very dangerous position.
"Why you asking about him?" Smith narrowed his eyes with suspicion. "Is he the guy who has showed up in Colridge? If so just say the word and I'm your man. I'll end him in a heartbeat."
Sylar didn't want to lie to his friend. He also didn't want to endanger his sister. He thought of her back home carefully laying out the board game for them to innocently play together. All the while he was going behind her back to learn the grim truth about her boyfriend.
"I saw him riding out on the highway," Sylar explained lamely. "I spied the tat and wondered if he ran with a club."
"You woke me up for that?" Smith wrinkled his nose in disgust. "To ask me about some dude you saw riding down the highway?"
"I'm a little fried," Sylar gave an apologetic shrug and hoped he did look tired enough to be believable. Smith nodded with understanding and his expression softened.
"I hear you. Try not to hit those drugs so hard next time, eh?"
"Yeah, totally."
"So I'll see you tonight?" Smith asked expectantly.
"Yeah, man. I'll see you tonight. Thanks again."
Chapter 46
Brea rubbed at her temples, which throbbed. She was exhausted, but she wasn't about to pass up spending time with Sylar. The front door creaked open almost an hour after he'd left.
"Hey," she called out brightly. "The game is all set up."
She looked down at all the colorful pieces she'd carefully arranged in preparation for playing together. Although the game had faded with time it still retained some of its original beauty. Brea remembered how excited she'd get whenever her parents brought the colorful box out of the cupboard. Her stomach would flip in somersaults. In their house, rainy afternoons were made for playing Candy Land.
"Hey," Sylar dropped down heavily on the sofa and ran his hands through his hair. He was pale and withdrawn. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.
"Is everything okay?" Brea hovered protectively close to the board game.
"Yeah," Sylar gave her an unconvincing smile. "Everything is fine."
"You don't look like everything is fine," Brea pressed, feeling her happiness ebb out of her. She gave the game a disdainful glance. It now looked old and weathered instead of charmingly aged. She'd been foolish to think that a board game would be enough to smooth over whatever was going on between her and her brother. Candy Land wasn't a magic portal which could transport them back to happier times, times when their parents were still alive.
"I'm fine," Sylar insisted his jaw clenching. "Let's just play the damn game," he swept a dismissive hand towards the board.
"No way," Brea scrambled to start packing everything away. "I'm not playing with you, not when you're in this kind of mood. What the hell is wrong with you, Sylar?"
Her brother looked like he was biting his tongue.
"You know what, forget it!" Brea seethed in frustration. Abandoning the game, she stormed off towards the bathroom.
Chapter 47
Sylar watched her leave with a passive gaze. He was too tired for confrontation and too agitated to chase after her. He kept thinking about his conversation with Smith, how it had been all but confirmed that his little sister's new boyfriend rode with the Highway Reapers. Slowly he got up and headed for the fridge, needing a fresh beer to take the edge off. As he pulled open the door the cell phone in his pocket starting buzzing.
With a groan, he kicked the fridge door shut and grabbed his cell. Gina was calling. He released an even louder groan before answering.
"Hey," he greeted curtly, his voice hoarse.
"Sylar, it's me, Gina."
"Uh huh." She sounded pissed off. Sylar wasn't in the mood to argue with another woman. He wondered why he'd even bothered to take the call. He slumped against the fridge, realizing that he was too tired to even think straight anymore. He needed to rest.
"I hope you don't mind me calling," she said tentatively. He could picture her standing in her apartment, nervously twirling her hair around her fingers. Sylar swallowed down the guilt which bubbled in his throat. He had too much going on to worry about hurting some girl's feelings.
"What is it?" he narrowed his eyes as he asked the question, wedging his phone up between his shoulder and ear before opening the fridge once again. Some of his tension eased as his hand closed around a fresh bottle of beer and retrieved it.
"Hello to you too," Gina remarked sourly. Sylar popped the cap off his beer and strolled back towards the sofa. He didn't make eye contact with the half packed away game of Candy Land sitting beside it.
"Gina, I'm tired," Sylar stated, loathing how he felt compelled to explain himself. "I've been up all night so can we please just get to the point?"
"Fine," on the other end of the line she gave a stiff sigh of agreement. "The other day some guys were here. They didn't cause any trouble but … " there was a long pause. "I think they might have similar … interests to you."
Sylar's eyes widened as he slowly lowered his beer from his lips.
"How many guys?"
"Two."
That was one more than Miles. Sylar put down his beer altogether and glanced nervously in the direction of the bathroom. Brea could return any minute and hear him talking and he didn't want that.
"How much does she know?" he demanded tersely.
"Not enough," Gina scoffed. "Look, Sylar. I know how this stuff tends to go down and I don't want any trouble. I've got a business to run. If you sent them my way then - "
"I didn't send them," Sylar swiftly interjected. He could feel his skin prickling and starting to get hot.
"But they asked for Brea by name."
Sylar stood up which only added to the dizzy sensation he was feeling. "They asked for Brea?!" he uttered in disbelief.
"They said they'd heard of her. That they'd heard she was a good tattoo artist."
"Shit," Sylar paced back and forth beside the sofa. He hadn't sent anyone over to Gina's tattoo parlor which meant that Miles must have done it. Which meant that there were more Highway Reapers members in Colridge. Were they gathering there like dark clouds before a storm? Had they asked for Brea by name to send some sort of twisted message to Sylar? Was she in danger?