Given the possibility that Aaron had figured out everything related to Sheena's disappearance, Faith began to scan her surroundings for potential ways she might fight her way out of here. In the event of someone pulling a gun or a knife on her, her best bet would be to either grab a chair and fling it at them or use her pepper spray before running as fast as she could. However, if it was more than one person she was dealing with, she would just skip the chair altogether and take her chances running while hoping they missed any vital areas--and that no one was guarding the outside. Whatever she did, she couldn't let them take her to the back of that store.
While continuing to rack her brain for potential escape options if things got ugly, Faith suddenly noticed Melanie's lips moving while she looked in her direction, but didn't catch what she was saying. It must have been a question, because Melanie's eyebrows were raised as though awaiting a response. "Sorry...what did you say?" Faith asked awkwardly.
"Um, I just asked if you wanted to sit down," Melanie repeated. "You don't have to keep standing there like that."
"Oh, no. I'm sedentary enough as it is when I'm at home, so I'm fine," Faith replied. She walked over to the table nearest to the front door and sat the briefcase down, but remained standing herself. "But this thing that Aaron wants to show me--does it have to be done tonight? I know he must be tired."
"I don't think it's anything bad, if that's what you're thinking," Melanie said as she came out from behind the counter to haphazardly use a cloth to wipe off the glass ice cream display. "I think if he was gonna hurt you, he would've already done it. Just saying."
"Oh...well if that's the case, then maybe this is something we could take care of in the daytime, and somewhere a bit more public? I just have this silly little paranoid streak, I guess."
Melanie shook her head. "Probably not. He said it was time-sensitive, but he wouldn't go into any more detail than that."
"Oh," Faith said simply, continuing to silently wonder what kind of person Melanie really was. Hesitantly, she decided she would test the water a bit, adding, "By the way, I'm sorry you wound up here too. I know you're not technically a customer, but still."
"Here as in Happy Scoops?" Melanie tilted her head, seeming confused. "Why would you be sorry?"
"Well, just because I know it must be hard sometimes, since you don't seem quite as rough as the others here. I guess we were both desperate in each of our own ways. So, I can't even really judge you."
"Don't be sorry," Melanie suddenly said with great seriousness. "I know a lot of his business methods are...different, but when Mr. Galanos found me not too long ago, it became the closest thing to freedom I've ever had. Being on my own turned out to be worse in some ways than it was at my grandfather's, and I actually learned that Tracy's case was a similar one. She's been letting me crash at her place, and those two have been more help to me than Chance ever was. It's not exactly a government job, I'll admit that, but at least here all Mr. Galanos really asks of me is to keep Happy Scoops looking clean and legitimate--and occasionally check up on customers or people who get too nosy."
Faith hated to think what horrible things Melanie must have gone through to see Aaron as an actual savior figure, but at any rate, it seemed she wouldn't be willing to betray him any time soon. She all but knew now that it was Melanie who Sherm had to call the police on recently, and that she wasn't likely to become any sort of ally any time soon. The narrative this girl told was an intriguing one where Aaron was concerned, but Faith also recalled Sky's words of warning from earlier that week. Aaron might've just told Melanie to say those nice things about him to get me to let my guard down for some yet-to-be-known reason, but if I were to judge by her face and body language alone, there's still a chance that some of it might be true.
Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Melanie continued, "So thank you, Faith. I don't feel so guilty anymore. You've really helped me move on tonight."
Faith shook her head. "Melanie, listen--I meant what I said before. I'm only doing what Aaron told me--"
"Do you know why what you said helped me?" Melanie cut her off, now staring down at her feet.
"...Why?"
"Well, I don't know if you know this, but apparently Rowan is involved with some rivals of ours. And--" Melanie stopped as the front windows briefly filled with bright light before going dark once more. "Oh. I think someone just pulled in."
Faith glanced behind her, but only for a second as she wanted to keep her eye on Melanie. However, a sudden thudding sound that soon followed from behind her would bring all of her attention to the front door. Whipping around, Faith now noticed a pale-skinned and somehow familiar-looking young man with black hair who was banging his fists against the locked glass door. "Let me in! Please! My friend is in there!" she heard him yell from outside, his face the picture of desperation.
Melanie now let out a sigh that indicated little more than mild annoyance as she cautiously approached the door.
"Please let me in! Does you guys just want money?! I have money! Please just let him go! He doesn't need any more torture or abuse, he just needs help!"
"I'm sorry, but that's really all up to the boss," Melanie replied through the still-locked door in the same tone of voice as an employee at a normal ice cream shop might tell a customer that they had run out of a specific flavor. "I can tell him you're here, though." To Faith she added, "You'll have to bear with us here, Faith. I know I've said this already, but it really shouldn't take much longer. Then Mr. Galanos can see you."
"Melanie, wait--" Without another word or even a second look, Melanie disappeared behind one of the doors leading to the back.
Faith strongly doubted this person outside was a gang member, and he looked too affluent to be needing any sort of loan. In fact, when she took the time to really study him, she started to recognize him as a slightly older version of a boy who used to hang around Rowan a lot when they were younger. From what Faith remembered, he was considerably nicer compared to Rowan's other companions, though he had still often been at odds with her about how much Rowan should be outside the house, especially at night. "...Parker? Is that you?"
"Faith...what are you doing here?" the young man asked through the door, his eyes wide with shock at seeing her. "Well, it doesn't matter right now. Listen, I know you and Rowan had a fight, but please, you have to help me convince these people to let Rowan go. He managed to text me this address saying he was in trouble with a man named Galanos before he stopped responding altogether. I'm not gonna lie--I'm scared."
So it's true, then. Aaron really has it out for Rowan, and now because of me Melanie has completely turned against her own brother. Faith should have been disturbed by what she had just helped Aaron do, but there was really only one emotion she was feeling at that moment. "A fight. That's the story he gave you? That we just had a little fight?" she now asked icily. "He really is pathetic."
"Okay, y--you're scaring me right now," Parker stammered. "I know you and I have never exactly hit it off, but you have to help me get Rowan out of here. I would've called the police, but Rowan said--"
Before Parker could finish, Faith heard a door quickly open and slam behind her, followed by the thick scent of tobacco smoke. "This better be good. Let him in, Melanie." Aaron paused. "Oh--actually, wait. Did Faith...?"
"Yes," Melanie nodded. "She cleared everything up."
"Good. Go on then, let this guy in. Then you can go take a break."
As soon as she unlocked the door and allowed Rowan's friend inside, Melanie slipped past him to the parking lot, likely to one of the cars if she had her own or shared one with Tracy. Faith guessed she would rather take her chances outside than spend any unnecessary time inside the same building where her brother was probably being held.
Aaron's eyes were tired but smug as he took a puff on his cigar and stared at Rowan's friend, who was still trembling with fear. "Well? Speak up, kid. What do you want? Since apparently it's not ice cream or a loan."
"Mr. Galanos, sir...please just let him go," Parker pleaded. "I had no idea Rowan was going to do this. He said he was going to leave that gang, and that he would only be gone a few minutes and--!"
"Get to the point, would ya'? I've had a long night," Aaron said irritably.
"R--right. So, if you would just let him go, I promise he won't ever come here or bother you again. We'll leave you alone for good. Okay?"
"Hmm. Let him go, huh? Just like that?" Aaron exhaled, causing some of the smoke from his cigar to blow in Parker's face.
"Whatever it was he did," Parker coughed out, "I know he regrets it now. I just don't want anyone getting hurt. Here..." Quickly but shakily, Parker managed to take his wallet from his pocket and pull out a wad of money, though Faith couldn't see how much it was. "This is all I have on me right now, but--but I can get more from my dad, in exchange for Rowan. Just tell me how much."
Aaron's brows furrowed as he stared down at the money Parker offered him, eventually snatching it out of his hand and putting it in his own pants pocket. Cracking a smile, Aaron commented, "Impressive. You're a rich kid, aren't you? You're in luck, 'cause I think this amount you just gave me will be enough."
Parker began to look relieved, almost smiling himself.
"Enough to save you, that is," Aaron finished. "As for Rowan, I don't think he regrets a thing--not yet, anyway. Now get out, before I change my mind."
Some of Parker's fear suddenly appeared to turn to fury. "How...how can you do this to people, especially people like Rowan? Do you enjoy it, torturing innocent people?!"
"Oh--innocent, huh?" Aaron seemed calm enough at first as he sat his unfinished cigar in an ashtray on the counter, only to whip around, snatch Parker up off of his feet and slam him against the wall, causing him to yell out in pain. "Let me tell ya' a little somethin' about people like Rowan," Aaron said with a manic look in his eyes that Faith wasn't soon to forget. "People like him, they've got a way of getting everybody they know into little predicaments."
He roughly threw Parker to the ground and looked like he was about to do more, but Faith finally forced herself to speak up. "Just do what he says, Parker. Get out of here while you still can. What good is it if something happens to the both of you?"
Aaron looked annoyed at Faith's interruption, but ultimately let a now seemingly resigned Parker painstakingly get back on his feet. While at first he appeared to be limping toward the front door, he suddenly whipped around to whisper something in Faith's ear. "Faith, please just listen to me. My mom, she's a cop, and despite what Rowan said she might be able to help us. She can't know I came here tonight, but her name is Brooke and--"
"What's the matter kid, ya' don't know what 'get out' means?!" As Aaron pulled Parker away from her and dragged him outside, Faith decided to just dissociate herself from what was happening, the way she had often done back when she was trapped inside Spencer's house. If she tried to interfere anymore, it would only hurt her own chances of getting out of here for good.
It would be impossible to try to process everything now, so she simply wouldn't force herself to. There was too much to unpack, between the fact Rowan had casually moved on to the next person to manipulate after doing what he'd done to her, and the fact that she'd apparently just helped turn an already-misguided girl completely against her own brother, regardless of whether or not he deserved what was coming to him.
"Ugh, you see what I have to put up with?" Aaron muttered as he strode back inside, slamming the front door behind him. "I wouldn't've been so easy on him, but if his dad's really got some influence like he said, I don't wanna take too many chances and-- Oh." He eyed the open briefcase that Faith had just unfastened the buckles of.
Faith tried her best to outwardly brush off everything that had just happened as she heard a car motor start up outside and watched the windows once again flood with light before going dark again out of the corner of her eye. At least it sounds like he ultimately let Parker go... Clearing her throat, she reassured him, "Everything is here. You can keep the briefcase too, if you want."
"Whoa. Ya' really weren't kidding, were you?"
"I'm not one to joke, especially about things like this. I counted it three times this evening, so I know none of it is missing."
"A'ight," Aaron nodded, taking a seat at the table where the briefcase sat. "Well, let me be the judge of that. Go ahead, sit down." Seeing her apprehensive expression, he added, "What're you afraid of? You said it's all here, right? Besides, ya' look paler than usual. We don't need you fallin' out on us."
Admittedly, it did feel good to sit down with the way she was feeling, but she was still ready to use that pepper spray or the nearest chair if he tried anything.
After what felt like ages as he surveyed the amount Faith had given him, he finally gave a small nod and closed the briefcase back up. "I can tell that ya' really want all this craziness to be over," he said to her, almost cajolingly. "So do I."
"It is over," Faith said firmly as she rose from her seat. For me, at least.
"Well, technically I guess you're right," Aaron shrugged as he got up as well and held his hand out for a handshake. "It was nice doin' business with ya', sweetheart."
Shaking his hand, Faith now found it difficult not to laugh with delirious relief. This time, she didn't care if her palm was clammy. He was probably used to that anyway. All that really mattered was, she was through here. She'd helped him do something terrible tonight, but she was through here. She could quietly report her new findings to the S.A.S. (and that Brooke lady too if she was truly on the level), tear that sticker off her windshield, try to forget everything and start saving back up for a life of her own.
"And now that you don't have any more reasons to come back here," Aaron mused, tightening his grip on her hand and pulling her towards him, "I've gotta make sure you don't go runnin' to the cops after everything you've seen and heard."
As Aaron used his free hand to reach under his suit jacket to pull something out, Faith felt her heart drop down to her stomach. It was a gun, just as she had feared.
However, just as she brought her other hand up and was about to press down on the little nozzle, she saw him place said gun inside the hand he'd taken before closing her fingers around it. Faith stopped short, shaking her head as she looked down at what she now found herself holding. To say she was confused would have been a grave understatement, though once she started to recognize it, a small part of that confusion started to dissipate. Faith's gaze darted around, continuing to wonder if this was some elaborate trap, but there didn't appear to be anyone else nearby. Not for now, at least.
Holding his pointer finger up to his lips after taking his hand away, he added, "And remember--what happens on these premises, stays on these premises."
So...this must be what he wanted to show me. Once her life was no longer flashing before her eyes, she couldn't help but continue to stare down at that .38 special that she thought she would never see again. For a split second she imagined the relieved looks on her parents' faces once they saw that she'd recovered it and how much safer she was going to feel with it back in her possession, but soon her mind returned to reality. I doubt I'll be able to actually accept this. Not under these circumstances.
"I didn't know you actually had one of those beauties of your own til now. I guess I really have misjudged you," Aaron continued with an amused smile, though that smile quickly faded as he squinted at Faith's other hand. "Is that pepper spray?"
"I thought you were about to shoot me," Faith said bluntly. "And for all I know, this could all still be a trick. Did you get this from--? Actually, no. I don't think I want to know."
Aaron rolled his eyes. "Leave it to you to dream up the worst possible scenarios for everything. Actually, it was Rowan that tried to shoot me tonight. Heh, like I needed that on top of Levi bein' arrested and Sheena's disappearing act."
It scared Faith now more than ever, knowing the kind of person she'd actually been living with. Faith also wondered if it was Sherm who was responsible for Levi's arrest, and the reason why she hadn't seen the latter around here lately. "...Well, I'm assuming he missed."
"That was his first mistake too, was missing," he replied with a brief smirk. "It sounds like that gang he's been trying to join put him up to it in exchange for helpin' him get rid of Spencer, from what we managed to get out of him. Meanwhile Keith had a look at the serial number on the gun, and it matched the one you gave the police in your little missing report. So, a simple 'thank you' would suffice. It ain't loaded now of course--hope you understand--but I'm sure you could fix that once ya' got home with it."
The weapon she held may have been practically worthless with no ammunition currently inside, but it still somehow made her feel safer. However, it also made her feel guiltier as she thought more and more about the person she had always sworn to use this to protect, and the fact that he was probably in this very building. And now this same gun had become a bribe, to make sure he would never be safe again. There's no way I can keep quiet about any of this. Rowan deserves to pay for what he's done, but not like this.
Looking back up at Aaron, Faith said, "I have to know why you're doing this. Why put a weapon in the hand of one of your customers, of all people?"
"'Cause when people are good to me, I can be good to them," Aaron replied. "And when Keith told me that gun belonged to you I figured I might as well give it back since ya' did help me out with Melanie, and I know that wasn't exactly in our original agreement. So, if I can trust you, then I'll make sure they don't look at you as a suspect related to anything Rowan's done, or for anything that happens to him. You just quietly continue keepin' up that perfect image to your family and co-workers, and I get to continue with business as usual. That ain't such a bad deal, is it?"
It was becoming ever harder, knowing what she was going to have to do now. But either way, she couldn't allow herself to trust him, or to forget that keeping silent would never truly set her free, especially with Sherm still potentially in danger. As for the gun itself, her first thought may have been to not accept it, but the more she thought about it, the more she figured that keeping it might be the safer and more beneficial route for her right now. The ideal outcome of course would be for Aaron to never find out that she had a part in spilling everything about his criminal activities and Rowan's whereabouts, but in any other case, she was going to need a good weapon--something better than pepper spray--and now she had one again. The good news was, Aaron didn't seem to suspect her, and while he still may not have had her trust, she would need to get as much of his as possible. "...No," Faith finally answered, placing the gun inside her purse. "It's not a bad deal at all."
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