Clayton's POV
Clayton adjusted his black cap as he dodged and hid behind the dumpster. He was currently trailing Henry McGuire, who had recently been released from prison.
He had anticipated the man returning to his family home after leaving the penitentiary prison, but instead Henry had taken a cab downtown, to the factory, where Anna Oregon worked.
Henry turned swiftly, scanning the area as if he sensed someone was following him.
Clayton fought to catch his breath and only moved when Henry began speaking with the guard in front of the factory gates.
When Clayton had argued that Henry would not jeopardize his parole after being released from prison to hunt for his stepdaughter, Nova informed him that assaulters always returned to find their victims.
Apparently, he had been right.
"…Fuck you!" Henry yelled at the guard, who stopped him from entering the factory.
Clayton didn't hear what the guard said to Henry after that, but Henry rushed off in anger. He breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the guard had not let Henry into the factory.
He went at a steady pace behind Henry. The man arrived at the crossroads, looked behind him, and then stopped a cab, which drove him away.
Clayton slid his hands inside his pocket as he emerged from his hiding place. He had a feeling that Henry would return, and the only way to stop him was to confront the victim.
Anna needed to be aware that her stepfather was out from prison and would come looking for her. That way, Henry's appearance wouldn't take her by surprise and she would be prepared.
He looked for a place to wait until the industrial workers closed for the day at a certain hour. The nearest location he spotted was the downtown café.
He strolled into the quiet café, with the only occupant giving him a weird look. He immediately took a seat by the window far from the man, to be on the look out.
He had a mission to complete and needed to be alert and on guard. Clayton activated his earbuds, took out his laptop from his backpack, and reviewed the case file to appear busy.
The picture of Henry's stepdaughter in the court file was taken years ago. "What if she has changed her appearance?" he wondered aloud.
"Check the database for an updated profile," Nova instructed through Clayton's earbuds. "Everwatch keeps files on everyone involved in a case, so it's possible we have a recent picture."
He swiftly looked for her name in the Everwatch database, and her profile appeared. The photographs seemed different, and he recognized one from the café he was now at.
A low voice spoke from above him, "I didn't know you lived around here."
The voice was eerily familiar, so much so that Clayton would have sworn it was Nova's, if not for the shadow cast over him.
He shot his head up in surprise. No one knew him around there, so the fact that someone recognized him shocked him and made him uncomfortable.
His lips expanded in surprise when he noticed who was standing there, hands tucked inside a plain forest green trousers: Beau Wilder.
"oh shit!" He faltered, immediately closing his laptop and rising abruptly from his seat.
He looked around, wondering why Beau Wilder was in the vicinity. According to his knowledge of the area, the high classes did not live there. The area was an industrial area, not a residential one.
Beau rolled his eyes. "Are you alone?" He asked with an arched brow.
Clayton nodded, not confident in his ability to speak with a constricted throat. He didn't know why, but Beau Wilder exuded a different aura than any other upper-class person he'd encountered; perhaps it was because he was wealthy, powerful, and mysterious.
Beau has the capacity to leave people dumbfounded.
Beau chuckled gently before taking the seat opposite Clayton's. "You don't have to stand. Sit. People are looking," he ordered.
Clayton blinked, looking around. There were new customers in the cafe that he had not noticed before.
"You're sitting here?" He inquired, surprised.
Beau scowled and said, "Yes, I am… Is this going to be an issue?" he asked.
Clayton shook his head and whispered "no" before sitting down.
He gazed at Beau, who was cleaning the table with a napkin he had taken from the box on the table.
He grinned. It was obvious that Beau did not belong there, so what the fuck was he doing there?
The awkward pause between them prompted Clayton to speak out. Beau had helped him resolve his case with Billy Duncan, but he had not thanked him.
Mainly because Beau had walked out immediately, ignoring him, after Billy stormed out of the hotel director's office
"Thank you for last time. I don't know how I would have," he started to say, but Beau interrupted him.
"Think of me upsetting whatever you were doing here as payment. You're the only familiar face here, so we're even." Beau replied, giving him a brief smile.
It dawned on him that he was sitting with Beau Wilder, whose family was the most wealthy and powerful in the entire New Eden, when he began to receive strange looks from those around him.
"What are you even doing here?" Clayton dared to ask, "This does not appear to be your usual hangout spot."
Beau raised his brow at him, straight-faced. "It's weird to presume you know where I usually hang out. I believe that question is intended for you. If anyone is in the wrong place, it's you," he stated in a tense voice.
Clayton shut his mouth after that. He wasn't going to tell Beau what he was doing there, and Beau's attitude indicated that the query was not welcome.
He checked his watch; the factory workers were about to close up. He cleared his throat as Beau took up the menu on the table.
Clayton was on a mission, and Beau's presence would prevent him from completing his task. He was meant to stay hidden and not be identified by everyone in the café.
"You didn't order anything; is there a reason? Or should I have coffee for two?" Beau inquired, peering up at him with his piercing blue eyes.
He blinked. "Uhm, I'm not a coffee person. I'm fine, though. Thanks," he muttered.
Beau nodded and gave the waitress his order. Clayton groaned; if Beau was ordering, it meant he'd be there for a long time.
Shit! Clayton had a thought. How the hell would he leave the café without Beau Wilder suspecting something?
"Congratulations, by the way." Beau stated.
Clayton frowned. "Why?" he inquired.
Beau raised his head to look at him as the waitress dropped a cup of milky coffee and a plate with a slice of cake that Clayton knew was overly sugary.
Beau Wilder had a sweet tooth, Clayton reasoned.
"You were admitted into Kingston Elite Institution. The news is everywhere, especially after your confrontation with Duncan," Beau replied.
Clayton scoffed; he would hardly describe his meeting with Billy as a face-off. Billy had peered down at him without apologizing for nearly knocking him off, then urged Clayton to stay in his lane.
Clayton knew he was going to struggle with Billy in the institution.
"Your friend almost knocked me down on purpose with his flashy car. I believe Billy needs to see a therapist. He may have dangerous tendencies." He blurted out.
Beau chuckled lightly. "Wow, you must hate Duncan if you think he needs a therapist." He murmured.
Clayton shrugged his shoulders, closing his mouth before saying anything else. Beau was Billy's friend; therefore, he had to be careful with what he said about him. He could be in trouble if Beau had a big mouth, though he didn't believe so.
Something Beau said struck him. "Hold on, you said that the news is everywhere?" said the man.
Beau smiled. " Yes. Someone told me that the special aid program student got into a fight with Duncan. There's only one special aid student who got into the Institution this year," he remarked, looking at Clayton with a knowing smile.
How did Beau know this? Was he also a student at the Institution? Clayton considered and might have asked if Beau hadn't pointed at Clayton's hand.
"I believe you have stuff to do. Your watch is beeping." Beau smirked as he spoke.
Clayton tapped his watch and listened as a mechanical voice filled his ears. "Henry McGuire is on the move."
He promptly stood up and strapped his laptop into his backpack. He paused to look at Beau, who was sipping his coffee, unconcerned about Clayton's actions.
"I'm sorry, but I have to leave due to an emergency," he stated.
Beau squinted his eyes at Clayton. " Go. I should not have prevented you from your mission." He said.
Clayton nodded and ran out of the café; it wasn't until he was halfway back to the factory that he understood what Beau had meant.
How the fuck did Beau know he was on a mission? He thought. He wondered why Beau had shown up in the area. Clayton was uneasy since the Beau's presence was mysterious.
He didn't have time to mull over that thought as the factory gates opened and workers began to leave.
Clayton stood on the pathway, eyes locked on the gate, waiting for Henry's stepdaughter, Anna. It took her a long time to arrive, but when she did, Clayton recognized her immediately.
Anna walked alone, wearing headphones that covered her ears. He silently followed her as she headed towards the train station. Clayton made sure to stay alert and focused just in case Henry showed up.
He was familiar with Anna's neighborhood, which was in the lower sector. He had read her address on her profile, when Nova was briefing him about the mission.
He took out the smart glasses and wore them, activating their functions. He tapped his earbud. "What do I do?" he murmured in a hushed voice, adjusting the glasses on his face.
"You have a responsibility to ensure that Henry McGuire does not harm Anna Oregon. How you do the task is entirely up to you. I am only here to help you, Blue John." Nova reported.
Clayton rolled his eyes at Nova 's statement. telling him his next steps was also helping him, he thought.
He frowned, while watching Anna take a detour, wondering why she was traveling that route instead of heading into the train station.
"Where does that path lead, Nova ?" he inquired. Clayton knew that Nova could see what he was looking at through the eye glasses that he was wearing.
After a brief pause, Nova responded, "An old abandoned apartment building—that's the only thing I can see on the radar."
Clayton frowned. What would Anna Oregon look for in an old, abandoned building? He followed her, hiding in the shadows.
He had no idea why she was following that path and didn't want his cover to be blown.
"Do you think Henry McGuire already communicated with her and had asked to meet at the location?" he inquired.
Nova huffed. "We would have detected it if he sent her a message on her phone, but it's possible he communicated with her through another means other than her phone," she added.
Clayton stayed back as they approached the building. He quickly crouched behind a tree trunk as Anna whipped her head to glance around, almost spotting him.
There was just one path to the building, which they had taken. If Henry McGuire was coming to meet her in that building, he'd notice the man passing by, so he waited, ready to intercept Henry.
"Hold on," he said, remembering what Nova had just said. "Don't tell me you had her phone bugged," he questioned quietly.
"My job is to give you as much knowledge as you need. Bugging Anna's phone should be the least of your concerns, Blue John." Nova responded.
Clayton snorted. "That is a breach of privacy, Nova , if Anna..." he began to add before Nova interrupted him.
"The system just detected another person in the building, Blue John."
He tapped his smart glasses, giving him a view of the house. He could only see one person, and it appeared to be Anna. He wondered who else was in the building.
A piercing scream pierced the air, sending shivers down Clayton's spine. He started off running, closing the gap between where he was hiding and the doorstep.
He smashed in the door, and his glasses detected the presence of another person in the house. He dashed down the kitchen hallway, halting at the entrance to the last room.
Henry McGuire stood behind Anna Oregon, one hand holding a knife to her throat and the other gripping her tightly.
"...And who the fuck might you be?" Henry replied with a smirk.
Clayton narrowed his gaze maliciously, with his smart glasses already highlighting Henry McGuire's weaknesses. He knew what he needed to do.
Taking a threatening stride forward, Clayton commanded. "I'll only say this once, McGuire. Let her go!".