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21
Pen
The shipment of drugs arrives almost two weeks to the day after our meeting at Tales.
According to Xeno, the drugs crossed the British Channel via a shipping company delivering, amongst other things, dancewear and equipment. One of the containers held a couple hundred boxes. All of them, bar one large box, were filled with dance related items. Interpol’s undercover officers, who were conveniently working at Southampton port at the time, unloaded the container onto the back of a lorry which was then driven to a warehouse in Hackney. The large box marked ‘Dancing Shoes’ in bold letters was separated from the shipment, by an unsuspecting worker, and labelled for delivery.
Another couple of hours later, a million pound’s worth ofDancing Shoes—the new drug made and developed by Santiago Garcia’s scientists back in Cuba— arrives at the door of Stardom Academy just as Clancy and I pass by the reception desk and head into the canteen for lunch after a long week of dance classes and rehearsals.
“Did I tell you that Tiffany has been acting up for River in their duet, the bitch is treating him like shit. I fucking hate her, she really just needs to get over herself...”
“Uh-huh,” I reply absentmindedly as I pull out my mobile phone and type off a quick message to the Breakers, letting them know the shipment has arrived.
“You alright? You seem a little distracted,” Clancy asks me, her pretty eyebrows drawing together in a frown. They’re like two strikes of lightning, and the same bright orange colour as her hair. She’s so pretty, but just like a lightning storm, unpredictable too. I love that about her.
“Shit sorry, my ballet lesson was brutal today,” I explain. It’s not a complete lie, Sebastian had us going through a particular section of a routine repeatedly and now my toes are bruised from the footwork. Even with the beautiful pointes Zayn bought me, I haven’t come out unscathed, and will need to soak my feet as soon as I get a chance.
“River said that he’s a cool guy, but a hard taskmaster.”
“Yeah. I really like Sebastian too. He’s down to earth and non-judgmental, not to mention a really beautiful dancer,” I say, taking a tray from Clancy and loading it with tuna salad, a bread roll, and a bottle of water. Clancy helps herself to a slice of pizza, an iced doughnut and a chocolate milkshake. My girl loves her junk food. Not that it matters, we burn off the calories as soon as we consume them, but after years of eating junk food because it was cheap, I choose to eat healthily now.
“Hey, I’m sorry Tiffany’s giving River shit,” I say, nudging her and jerking my chin at River as he enters the canteen looking thunderous. “Poor guy has his work cut out for him with that bitch.”
“You did hear me then,” Clancy replies with a wink. “Oh fuck, he looks pissed off. I think he was supposed to be meeting Tiffany for a rehearsal this lunchtime. Looks like he’s been stood up. Why am I not surprised?”
River spots us in the queue and gives us a little wave, but another female dancer starts chatting to him, preventing him from coming over right away. Clancy makes a little growly noise, like a puppy practising to be a guard dog. “Who the fuck is that, and why is she pawing at my man?”
I laugh. “Ease up, Clancy. Pretty sure River only has eyes for you.”
She huffs, folding her arms across her chest and narrowing her eyes. “Don’t tell me to ease up, Pen, you know as well as I do that you’d scratch out her eyes if she were doing the same to one of your guys.”
“Yeah. Point well made.”
In my pocket my phone vibrates with a new message. I pull it out, and quickly open my group chat with the Breakers. Next to me Clancy’s attention is fixed on River and his new admirer.
Xeno: We’ve been called to Rocks tonight.
Me: About the delivery?
Zayn: Yep, Jeb wants to make sure everything’s in order.
York: Cocksucker
Dax: I’ve checked the delivery. It’s all there.
Xeno: And the placebo?
Dax: D-Neath’s swapping the required amount as we speak. I’ll package them up and call Hud. He’ll send a courier to collect them and hand them over to Interpol to bag up as evidence.
Zayn: Good. We’ll deliver the rest to Rocks tonight as planned.
York: Has Hudson been informed?
Dax: Called it in just now. I’ve let Grim and Beast know too.
Xeno: Good, and so it begins.
I read the exchange with trepidation. I knew this was coming, but the reality is so much harder to stomach. This is dangerous and I’m scared. Clancy looks from River, who is still chatting to that chick on the other side of the canteen, to me.
