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“Chronicles Of The Eclipses”


~“What do we have to fear but fear itself?” –Unknown

**~Learning Another Way~**

The four men step into the artillery room: shelves upon shelves were covered with weapons of all kinds, almost any type of guns available to those with access. Kevin turns to see the shock looks cross the three men’s faces as they eye all around them. Smirking, Kevin grabs a silver pistol and holds it out to them.

“First off. Have any of you ever used a gun before?” Kevin asks, gazing over at them, watching them amazed with the artillery all around them.

Nick shakes his head no as does Brian while A.J. clinks his tongue to the roof of his mouth.

“A.J have you had experience with a gun before?” Kevin steps up to him, watching the man back away and sniff, nodding his head.

Curious, Kevin watches, waiting for A.J. to tell him more about it, but instead A.J. stares at him frighteningly.

“Are you going to kill us here?” A.J. whispers out: shivering at the thought of death searing through his thoughts.

“What?! No. I’m asking you a question: you said you had experience with a gun? How?” Kevin asks, hoping he can win the trust of the man once and for all.

A.J. gulps, locking eyes with a small pistol to the right of him, hanging on the wall. “I used one a while back. For protection.”

Nick watches surprised, gazing at Brian and back at A.J. to listen further.

“By the looks of it, you didn’t kill the person did you?” Kevin asks, reaching for another gun, opening the caliber and showing it to Brian.

A.J. shakes his head as his eyes were drawn to the many weapons surrounding them. “N…no.”

“Well that’s ok. I just wanted to know. So you know how to use a gun then I take it correct?” Kevin asks, searching around the room for another pistol so that each of the men can practice with.

“Somewhat. I never said I was good at it.” A.J. whispers, rubbing his arms with his hands.

“Well that will change in a few days.” Kevin response: throwing a silver magnum at A.J.’s direction. A.J. opens his hands and catches the pistol that falls graciously onto his palms.

Kevin hands Brian and Nick each a pistol and sighs. “Here’s the deal. There are targets aligned the walls down this hallway where you’ll start with the basic of shooting straight, hitting the target.”

Nick and Brian gaze at their pistols, both frighten at holding such a violent weapon within their hands.

Nick looks up at Kevin and aims the pistol at him like he has seem so many time in the gang movies, tilting the gun to its side to give off an impression of looking cool.

Kevin smirks and grabs the gun from Nick, shaking his head. “What are you doing?”

Nick rolls his eyes, shrugging his shoulders, “Just seeing how it looks like holding a gun at a person.”

“Well first off you’re holding it wrong.” Kevin smiles: placing the pistol back into Nick’s hand, directing Nick’s fingers around the trigger so he was holding the pistol straight at Brian. “And never tilt the gun, you lose the direction that way and your aim will be thrown off. You want the bullet to hit your target, not strike anything else. The last I need is for you to go off and start killing off random people’ cause you can’t aim or control the gun right.”

Nick narrows his eyes angrily, swiping his hands away from Kevin and the pistol as he glances around the room feeling a bit insulted from the comment. Kevin simply smiles and places the pistol down on a stained rickety mahogany table to his left. “I guess we’ll begin then. Follow me.” Kevin leads them down a dark hallway to where a large opening aligned the walls shaped like window yet no glass was there to block anything or anyone to go through it. Through the open like window thresholds, a row of red and white circle targets lined up behind one another, ready to be used and shot at. Kevin sighs and stares back at the other three men.

A.J. steps to the front of the group and curiously stands at the open threshold, gazing at the targets. “Kevin right?”

Kevin nods and eyes the tattooed man through the corner of his eyes, “Yes?”

“If I have the chance, I just wanna say that I’ll run when I can. I’m not gonna stop fighting this place, till I get out of here.”

“Well you just keep doing that. I learned and gave up when I realized that it’s too late for me. I thought the same thing, assuming it was alright, that I can somehow find a way out of this mess. But you can’t. The more you fight, the more you become this place. And to just give in means you have accepted the deadly consequences. You’ll be a part of this in your own way, whether you come to realize it or not.” Kevin whispers, numbed at the same words he once used on himself when he realized his ultimate fate.

“Can’t we fight this? We shouldn’t be forced to have our lives taken from us. I want to go back to living the way I was. Not follow orders from some creep who wants money in return for selling. I have dreams and I intend to follow them through. And not one thing, not this gang, nothing is gonna take that away from me.” Brian boldly mentions, seeing the other two nods their heads in agreement.

Kevin shakes his head sadly, “The reality of the truth is guys: there is no way out of this. Whether you’ve been dragged here against your will or not, the only escape is death and I don’t think you want to end your lives over this. At least not yet that is.”

Nick licks his lower lip, clutching the small pistol on his side: “What would it take for us to get out of here alive? Is it about money? I can give you money. My father owns a land company over in Tampa and I can find a way to supply you with it if you safely get us out of here.”

Kevin loads his pistol, gazing at Nick with a gentle smile, “Nick, it’s not about money for me. It’s about life, all of ours. We can leave sure, but there are consequences to it. Amerian, the leader, has our files on our lives with all the information regarding housing address, numbers to family, health records, every little thing that one would have to black mail a person if the chance had to come to be.”

“How?! This is ridiculous! It’s against the law! Where’s the privacy on that?” A.J. bellows out, enraged that suddenly his life was being looked at through unrecognizable people.

“It is indeed. But this man has power and has managed to successfully track and maintain records of all his employers. So if one of us should ever disobey he can easily gain access to our families and relatives.” Kevin states, coking the pistol and handing it over to Nick.

Nick shakes his head, reaching for the gun and gulping. “So you’re saying, there’s nothing that can be done? Has anyone gone up against American or taken him down?”

Kevin narrows his eyes, a smirk smearing his lips: “You wanna kill Amerian? Like that line hasn’t been heard of.” He rolls his eyes and clasps two hands around his own pistol demonstrating to the others how to shoot at the targets. “Make sure you hold the weapon with two hands. You have better control and the bullet can hit its direct target…” Kevin pulls the trigger as it hits the bulls-eye on the red and white target precisely. He cocks the gun back and gazes at them curiously. “You’ll all learn this quickly. You have too. Your initiation starts tonight and you’ll need to learn this along with the drug trade routes. So your best bet is to gain as much exposure to the boss. The more you gain his friendship, the more access you have in having some more freedom. Armerian tends to keep his ‘brothers’ close to him.”

“Awww, how nice. We’re looked as family, my brothers.” A.J. hisses out, flicking the trigger of his pistol in his palms.

Brian sighs while Nick struggles not to chuckle from A.J.’s foul attitude.

Kevin packs away his pistol and eyes A.J. calling him to stand near one of the shooting spots. “I wanna see your aim. Shoot that target in the back, third row to your left.”

A.J. shuffles over and stands before one of the cement thresholds, positioning his pistol in his hands, raising it to his eye level as he aims to the specific target. Brian and Nick watch on in anticipation as Kevin nods, “Whenever you’re ready.”

A.J. gulps and nods, running his index finger over the black trigger. Sighing, he pulls on the trigger, releasing a loud pop as a bullet soars through the air, slamming into its destined target, the back of a wall.

Kevin raises his eyebrows and stares at A.J. “Bad aim.”

A.J. snorts, rolling his eyes: “No sh…” He gets interrupted as Nick shoots off a target near his right.

Kevin nods and smiles, “Not bad Nick. That was good. See if you can shoot the same one A.J. here tried to do.”

Nick shrugs and aims, pulling the trigger, hitting the target’s bulls-eye directly.

Brian and A.J. surprised, gasps: looking at Nick who seemed in utter surprise as well.

“Nick, how did you do that? You never held a gun before and yet you aimed exactly where A.J. was suppose to hit.” Kevin eases his way over to Nick, as Brian and A.J. give a quick glance at each other and watch on.

“I, I, I don’t know. I guess it wasn’t hard to aim. I played a lot of gun interactive games, maybe that helped out or something.” Nick mumbles out a bit embarrassed at his answer.

Kevin smiles, shaking his head, “Well wherever you learned this technique: it works! You seem to be the main hit man. Maybe Amerian will give you a chance to explore that side and use it to his advantage. Nick that was a direct hit. No one without good experience can do that. You have skills there boy.”

A.J. rolls his eyes, blowing out air from mouth, “Show off.”

Brian chuckles, slowly lifting his pistol in his hands as Kevin directs him to aim for the target in the back, next to his right. Brian nods and sets off a loud popping round of three bullets to the issued target, in which all of only one managed to touch the outer red line in the target. He gulps feeling the boring of Kevin’s eyes on his back as he approaches him.

“I know you never handled a gun before. But for your safety and the others, you should learn to use one. You never know when you’ll need it for something.” Kevin whispers to him as he reloads a pistol and hands it to Nick who eagerly takes the weapon and begins firing away at some of the targets aligning the practice shooting area.

Brian sighs, “I don’t want to do this.”

“I know you don’t. But the initiation is tonight and I need to have you all at least be able to hold a gun properly.” Kevin eyes him, strolling past the men and heading to back to the artillery section to gather more guns.

Once out of earshot, A.J. stares at Brian: “You weren’t kidding were you? He’s family to you. Get him to get us the hell out of here.”

“I, I’m trying. He’s not easy to convince. Being stuck here changed him. He wasn’t always this uptight.” Brian shuffles in his spot, staring at the targets mocking him.

“Doesn’t he have connection with the PD?” Nick whispers, staring back at the direction where Kevin wondered off, hoping Kevin didn’t hear.

“Used too. He was one of the top detectives in Daytona, he was later moved to Davenport and paired up with a guy. From what I heard, that was the last he was seen before being recruited here.” Brian breaths out, staring at the pistol in his hands.

“Nice word. Recruited, ha!” A.J. glares around. “Look to be honest with you, I heard about this gang and they’re no joke. There were some things I heard about their initiations and stuff that I don’t want to take part in.”

“Like what?” Nick asks curiously.

“A.J.'s right,." Brian states as Nick nods his head, explaining further. “Yeah well as you know ‘The Eclipses’ are one of the top leading gangs in distribution of a toxic drug called Pandora’s box and they want more people who have connections with maybe possible clients or something.”

Brian tosses the gun behind him in which the gun goes off, a bullet sailing through the targets and hitting a bulls-eye.

All eyes land on Brian as he smirks, “Wow.”

Kevin smirks as he makes his way to the others, staring at the pistol that went off, “Maybe that’s your style, throwing the gun and it hits it targets.” He teases, his emerald eyes glimmering in the dim lights.

“Haha.” Brian growls as Kevin gathers them around him, discussing what will take place later that day for their initiation.
~*~

Her eyes open wide, mesmerized at the type of artillery his office held. Trailing a finger over a glass case where a small handgun was placed, she smiles and turns to look at Howie. “All of these have well taken care of. Especially this one.” She taps her fingers over the glass case.

Howie nods, “Well of course, these particular pistols where imported from other countries. Many of them have a story behind each of them. A little history.” He eases his way over to metal shelf on the wall where a rifle was resting.

Arianna grins and watches Howie gripping the rifle and tossing it at her. She catches the weapon with ease and kisses the tip of her rifle.

Coral giggles, “Love of your life?”

“Of course. Never let me down before. I say it’s better than a man except it can’t please you in bed.” Arianna smirks, seeing the twinkle in her eyes.

Howie laughs, shaking his head, “I don’t wanna know.”

“Maybe, but I think it’s important you should know.” Arianna teases as Coral lets out a laugh.

“Ok, ok…” Coral takes a deep breath, calming down as the other two smirk and chuckle softly. “So how are we going to get in the gang?”

“Ahhhh, glad you asked Coral.” Howie busies himself, searching through his oak office desk, pulling out a map and a red sharpie marker. “Alright girls. This is how it’s gonna be handled. As we know, the gang is made of all men. Meaning no women...however women are allowed in once a week.”

Arianna raises her eyebrows, tucking a loose flaxen strand behind her ear. “Once a week huh? Somehow I’m not gonna like why that’s allowed.”

“Well yeah you won’t. See the men in the gang have well cravings and the leader believes that for them to concentrate better and release sexual tension, they allow women to come into the gang for twenty-four hours to well…to satisfy the men.” Howie nibbles on his lip, gazing at the two annoyed women.

“Can’t believe it. So the only way in is to be a hooch?” Coral grumbles out.

“I didn’t say it was going to easy now did I?” Howie raises his eyebrows, watching the women sigh out in exasperation.

“Yeah well, I didn’t think we had to sell ourselves to men to get to the leader.” Arianna grumbles, sitting on the top of the oak desk, crossing her legs slowly. Her skirt rides up to her upper thigh as Howie smirks, eying her before focusing back at the map he has open on his desk.

“You’re not selling yourselves. That’s just your ticket in.” Howie states: scribbling down a few directions on a pad of paper.

“And what about you? How will you get in it?” Coral asks curiously.

Howie smirks, “They’ll come for me.”

“My, aren’t we so sure of ourselves?” Arianna smirks, taking out an apple from the fruit basket at the corner of his desk and biting into it.

Howie smiles, “They came for my partner and I’m sure they’ll want me, nothing is better than to have a cop working with them.”

“I have a question, I don’t want to sound morbid or anything, but how do you if your partner is…” Coral exhales and continues: “still alive?”

“Wishful thinking.” Howie gulps: his eyes locked on the map and circles an area with the red marker. Placing his palms on the desk, he sighs and stares at the women. “Alright, tonight is the day of initiation for the gang. Every Tuesdays, which is today, the women are allowed starting at six this evening to about seven in the evening the next day.”

“So you’re implying I’m to get hooched up for this little occasion?” Arianna smirks, taking a bite into her apple sensually.

Coral smirks, crossing her arms over her chest as her eyes roam around the wide clean office. The tall wide windows covered the perimeter of his office, allowing the soft sunlight to enter and bask on its victims.

Howie smirks, “Whatever works for you Ari.”

“Good. Well Coral you’re welcome to tag along with me shortly so we can prepare ourselves for being sluts.” Arianna giggles, tossing back her golden locks behind her shoulders.

Coral nods, a chuckle escapes her full lips, “Sounds like plan. So Howie…” She turns her attention back at the man, “What will happen to us? I mean you don’t expect us to do jobs for those horny men now do you?”

Arianna laughs, sliding off the desk, facing Howie: “She’s right, what are we suppose to do to them?”

Howie smirks, “Distract them long enough. I’m not saying you have to have sex with any of those men, but I’ll need you girls to find a way to get anyone of those men to talk and see what we can get.”

Arianna twirls the core of her apple in her fingers, a grin spread on her snowy cheeks: “Coral, looks like this job might be a hands on approach.”

Coral laughs, “Sure sounds like it. So we’re to distract them that long while you find your way into the gang?”

Howie nods, “Yup, it’s that simple.”

“Good. Yet somehow I don’t think it will be.” Coral tugs on her grey tank top, her light eyes glancing over the office again.

“It never is with men.” Arianna smirks, opening the office door. Coral nods and smirks, exiting first as Arianna holds the door open for her. Turning back around, Arianna gives him a coy grin and shakes her head. “This is gonna cause a lot of tension in our relationship.”

“What? The new recruit or the gang?”

Arianna gazes at him up and down, capturing every morsel of his body in her view, “Both.”

“Well what’s a relationship without its dramas?” Howie smiles, leaning on the desk, his hands pressed down on the desk as he stares at her.

Ariannna smirks and glances back at the door, seeing Coral waiting for her a few feet away from the office in the hallway. “Boring I guess.” She smiles, blowing a kiss at him as she exits the office, hearing Howie chuckle.

She closes the door and walks to meet up with Coral, leading her to her office. “I have a few skimpy outfits that should fit you wonderfully. You’ll have the men of the Eclipses eating out of your hand before you know it.”

Coral smirks, shaking her head, “That’s an interesting turn of events if that was to happen.”

“Hey guys are guys, no matter what.” Arianna giggles, walking pass a few rooms and leading Coral to the second door to her left.

“Tada! And here is my office.” And Arianna opens the thick oak door, inviting Coral in. Smiling, she watches Coral enter as she leans on the threshold. “Well I’ll be right back. I think I left something back at Howard’s office.” And she makes her way back to Howie’s office, knocking on it gently. Howie opens the door and smirks, letting Arianna slip in.

Locking the door behind him, he embraces her as she passionately kisses him on the lips, enjoying each touch, leaving her craving for more. “Shhhh…hehe. We’re gonna get in some trouble dating each other.”

Howie pushes his lips on hers gently and pulls away laughing, “Yeah but the trouble is what makes it exciting.”

“You bad.” Arianna smirks, kissing him quickly as he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her to him.

“You know it.” He smiles, pulling away from her. “Go back to Coral, we don’t want to make anything obvious between us. If the co-workers get a word on this, we’ll be screwed.”

Arianna laughs, “Screwed indeed, but it be a nice way to go huh?”

“Shhhh… look at you girl. You’re the naughty one.” Howie whispers into her ear, causing her to giggle and blush. He brushes his hand down her bare leg tugging on her skirt. “God if we weren’t at work right now, the things I would do to you.”

Arianna breaks into a fit a giggles and pulls away, composing herself as she makes her way back out of his office. “Well you’ll have to show me that when we get out of work later on.”

“Maybe I will.” He smirks, leaning on the threshold as she exits his office with a wide grin on her face.
~**~

**~To Be Continued…~**