Syndicate

Syndicate batch 4

Syndicate
Episode 9
Carol looked at the legs of a coworker that was wearing a skirt. She had always thought that girl in particular was hot. The girl was talking to some office “s–d muffin” that almost all the females swooned over. He smiled and winked at the girl. Carol made a face and rolled her eyes. Her last girlfriend, Ashley, had left Carol because Carol “complained too much.” Carol snorted. Ashley would complain too, if she had a job like this.
Carol dragged her practically lifeless body from the building at five o’ two. Overtime would be the end of her. She walked a few hundred yards to the bus stop. Her apartment was only a few miles away, so she never found a reason to buy a car. Carol would rather invest her money in recreational vehicles. She boarded the bus and sank into a chair next to an older man. He smiled and winked at her. She ignored him. Kickboxing was at seven tonight, and then re-runs of ER would be playing until ten. Kickboxing was the one tiny gem of light in her day. Carol’s cell phone buzzed. It was her mother. She rolled her eyes and ignored the call. The woman was always trying to set her up with prominent and wealthy women. It was pretty obvious from a young age that Carol was homos€×ual. She always dressed and acted like a boy, she would copy her older brother on everything. Her dad and brother didn’t care that she was g-y, they were so laid back. Her mom, on the other hand, was a little too overzealous about it.
She was still thinking about her family when the bus stopped at her station. Deep in thought, Carol almost didn’t get off the bus. At the last second, she jumped up and hurried off the vehicle. It was still quarter of a mile or so to get back to her apartment. She didn’t see him coming. So when he tackled her to the ground, it took a few seconds to register what was happening. The sun was low in the sky, and she had taken the shortcut through the small alley. This wasn’t the first time she had been jumped, only the first time she had been attacked from behind. She was being held down. There were two of them. Her attacker fought hærd to try and keep all her limbs in check, but at one point, one of her arms got free. That was his fatal error. She grabbed a nearby rock and smashed it into his head. He yelled in surprise and pain, and rolled off her. The other attacker was grabbing her bag. It was a woman. She put up her fists. The woman turned to run. Carol rolled her eyes. This woman had made so many mistakes, it was laughable. Mistake number 1: her hair was loose. Carol grabbed the woman’s blond hair, and felt no obligation to be gentle. She ripped the woman’s hair back, jerking her head up and back. The blond fell to the ground. The man jumped up to attack, but she gave him a hærd uppercut to the jaw and he dropped like a sack of meat. Carol blocked the woman’s feeble kicks, s——-d her, and punched her in the face multiple times. The woman spat out blood, her eyes rolling back. The blond had fainted. Carol regained her feet and kicked the man a few times in the ribs. He sputtered and coughed. And then, for her own fun, and for good measure, she alternated between the man and the woman, kicking them in the ribs and the back. She wanted them to feel the effects of their pathetic little attempt for weeks to come. Her male attacker barely conscious, and the woman completely passed out, Carol rolled her eyes and went to pick up her bag. If someone was going to attack her, she at least wanted a good fight. Carol looked for her bag, then found it being offered out to her by the outstretched hands of a movie-star looking man. He was smiling at her.
“Hello, miss,” he said. “My name’s Will. What’s yours?”
* * *
It was evening. Will and Murphy and many of the other non-permanent members of the household had left for the night. Lia only had minimal intEr×¢tion with Kieran all day, and she was feeling upset. She always liked Kieran’s company. She saw him and Alice on their way to his room. Alice was talking in her gruffy voice, and coughing. Lia smiled to herself and left.
She came in the next afternoon to a silent house. Lia hung her coat in the employee closet. She saw her mother come shuffling up to her.
“Lia! We’re short- staffed tonight, so be diligent,” her mom said.
“Mom, what’s going on?”
“Oh… I forgot to tell you. Alice passed away early this morning.”
Episode 10
Lia felt her in,sides drop. Kieran! Poor Kieran.
“Where’s mister Kieran?”
“Oh dear, don’t go near him. He ain’t right in the head right now.”
Lia wondered what the hell her mom was talking about, but she had already shuffled off to go home for the night. Usually her mom and sister left a few hours after she arrived. Her mom always wanted to get home at around seven to make dinner for her disgustingly large family. But today was one of her older brother’s birthday. So it was Lia and only a few people in a large, silent house. It was the first time since the accident that she was uncomfortable in the mansion. Lia began her duties as usual until a voice was behind her.
“Miss?”
Lia jumped, and turned. It was Murphy.
“Sir?”
“Can you please bring some coffee and water to the sitting room?”
“Surely, sir.”
Murphy disappeared as mysteriously as he had appeared. It wasn’t the first time Murphy had scared her either. He was like some sort of weird phantom.
As soon as Lia entered the room, she knew something was wrong. The room was silent. Will and Murphy were staring at their hands, and Kieran was staring at something in the distance. But he was rocking back and forth slightly. Lia poured coffee.
“More brandy,” Kieran said to no one in particular.
“That’s enough, Kieran,” Will said. Kieran looked at his friend darkly. “We all know this must be hærd for you,” Will began.
“You don’t know shit,” Kieran cut him off. He was slurring his words.
In her wh0le life, Lia had rarely seen Kieran drink alcohol. And she had never seen himthisdrunk.
“Kieran, drink this,” Murphy said, handing Kieran the coffee. Kieran seemed to consider it. He looked at the cup, then threw it at Murphy’s head. But due to his level of intoxication, the cup went far off target, and smashed into the wall.
“Kieran!” Will yelled. “Stop it!”
Both Will and Murphy had red rings around their eyes. Their faces were drawn, and their bodies slumped over. They looked like zombies.
Kieran though, looked the worst. His eyes were dry, but bloodshot, with dark circles underneath. His hair was ruffled, and he was leaning back in his chair, his legs not even on the footrest.
“More brandy,” Kieran said once again.
“No!” Will responded loudly.
“Get the f–k out! All of you!” Kieran yelled. He rubbed his eyes, and then pushed his hand through his hair. Will stood up and kicked a chair over. Murphy seemed to shrink into himself. And then Lia stepped in. She found herself in front of Will before she realized her legs had moved.
“It’s okay, sir,” she said. “I can take care of him.”
“No way. We couldn’t leave you with him.”
“You two look terrible.” Lia realized her mistake. “I mean you two look really exhausted.”
Will laughed.
“I know we must look pretty bad. But I still couldn’t. Kieran is too much to handle right now.”
“This is my job, sir. You stayed with him all day. I’ve done this before.” Will hesitated. Lia pressed. “Please let me do my job.”
Will glanced back at Kieran, and finally nodded.
“Okay. If you have any trouble, call me. My number is in Kieran’s phone, which is on the coffee table over there.” Will pointed to the coffee table in the middle of the room.
Will and Murphy gathered their things. On the way out, Will stopped and turned around.
“Thank you Lia,” he said. She was surprised he used her name. She didn’t think he knew it. She definitely underestimated him.
Lia nodded to Will and Murphy- who returned the nod. Lia set to work. She put all the brandy up high, where Kieran couldn’t reach it. She then got a bucket with a trash bag. Reentering the room, she found Kieran looking in the coffee pot.
“You won’t find any alcohol in there, sir.”
“Lia, if you don’t give me brandy, you’re fired.”
“Then I’m fired. But first, I’m going to get you to bed.”
“Don’t, touch me,” he managed to spit out. The words were slurred.
Lia went over to him, and released the brake on his chair. She pushed him down the hallway to his room. She felt like it would be a good idea to put him in the bathtub. At least in there, she wouldn’t have to do any bedclothes laundry.
Kieran sat in the bathtub and glared at her for a few moments. After he closed his eyes, she knew what would come next. He quickly opened his eyes and reached for the bucket she held to him. He immediately threw up and continued to do so every few minutes for a span of twenty minutes. After he was done, his eyes closed, and his head rolled to the side. He was passed out.

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