Assassin's Doubt

Hayden nodded and muched on one more cookie before he gently picked Alaster up and set him on the ground. Standing, he stretched, then relaxed with a smile. "Slippery bathroom floor, got it." He nodded as Thomas spoke. Hayden was curious about what this room was all about.
 
Once both boys are changed and back in dry clothes, Thomas leads Hayden to the lobby area. Then he rings the bell on the front desk. Mr. Cobblestone shuffles out two minutes later with a smile. "Ah, you two are ready? Excellent. But first, you must promise never to tell a soul about the secret containment room. Understood?"
 
Hayden followed Thomas once he had changed. His hair was still wet and now quite messy, but he didn't care.
"I promise." He said calmly in response to Mr. Cobblestone. He glanced at Thomas, then back to Mr. Cobblestone, curious as to what this room was.
 
"Me, too," Thomas says with a nod.

Mr. Cobblestone nods solemnly. He pulls on the arm of a statue near his desk, and slowly, the back wall slides open to reveal a metal stair case. "This way, my friends," he says softly.

The staircase is filled with old newspaper clippings, artifacts, and books. Each one is spotlighted in a shadow box, and each one is related to aliens. The room the group walks into is filled with more paraphernalia, as well as a huge computer system to track UFOs, security cameras, and another metal door marked "Top Secret."
 
Hayden looked around curiously, at first finding it underwhelming, only to quickly change his mind. He was intruiged by the amount of effort Mr. Cobblestone had put into this. He looked at Thomas, wondering how many times Thomas had seen this room.
 
Thomas only chuckles and shrugs as Mr. Cobblestone leads the boys around. "Incredible, isn't it?" the man asks. "Such little information that is truly known, yet so many ways to find new information! Have you ever met an alien?" he asks Hayden, his face suddenly inches from the boy's.
 
Hayden froze, caught off guard by the man's sudden movement. "N-no, I don't believe so." He said calmly, staring Mr. Cobblestone in the eyes. "Have you?" He tilted his head a little. He kind of liked the man's eccentric ways. They were a refreshing difference from the constant pressure and threat of the world outside the walls.
 
"Indeed, yes!" Mr. Cobblestone says, lifting a finger. "Why, just the other day I received an important message via morse code on my machine. I'm to meet with a representative of the planet Agnorg tomorrow night at midnight."

Thomas raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms, suddenly a lot more interested. "Yeah? Think we could tag along?"

Mr. Cobblestone sighs and shakes his head. "I'm afraid not. I promised I would go alone. I didn't want to scare the visitors."
 
Hayden nodded slowly with a faint smile. "Well, I hope you are very careful. They might not be used to Earth's customs and might see something such as a simple handshake as a threat." He said, going along with Mr. Cobblestone's stories.
 
"Of course, of course. Thank you for your concern," Mr. Cobblestone says with a smile.

Thomas clears his throat and grabs Hayden's wrist. "We'd better get going now, Mr. Cobblestone. Thanks for the snacks and tour."

"Any time, boys! Sleep well!" Mr. Cobblestone calls as they head up the stairs.
 
Hayden smiled and waved goodbye to Mr. Cobblestone as he followed Thomas back up to their room. "That was interesting." He chuckled softly, rubbing one eye with his other hand. "Y'know, he's not too bad. Once you talk to him a little."
 
"He's one of the nicest guys I know," Thomas agrees. "But that message he got - it sounds a little fishy. I think we should follow him tomorrow and see what's really going on. There's no way it's aliens," he adds with a firm nod.

Alaster barks and tries to drag Hayden toward one of the beds, realizing both boys are tired.
 
Hayden nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. We don't want anyone hurting him." He looked down as Alaster barked and started trying to drag him. "What is it bud? You want us to lie down?" He knelt down and pet the pup. Looking up at Thomas, he then stood, stretching a little. "I wonder who would target him anyway.."
 
Thomas glances up in alarm. "Someone who knows we're at this hotel," he whispers. He bolts for the dresser and yanks it open, pulling out two guns and tossing one to Hayden. "That guy from my apartment - he might have followed us. We have to warn Mr. Cobblestone and get him to safety fast."
 
Hayden examined the gun carefully a minute before spinning it in his hand. "Thomas." he said quietly as he walked over to the other male. "You need to stay calm, ok?"
 
"Yeah, but - but what if that guy comes back?" Thomas asks, swallowing. "We're on the third floor and there's no fire escape. We'd have to fight our way through gas and probably a gun."

Alaster whines and gently licks Thomas' hand, trying to calm him down.
 
Hayden put his hands on Thomas's shoulders. "Thomas... I've grown up with this stuff almost my whole life. I'm not going to let anything happen, okay? We'll all be ok. Can you trust me?" He asked softly, concerned about Thomas's state of mind.
 
Thomas' gaze snaps back into focus as he looks at Hayden's calm eyes, and he heaves a sigh and relaxes. "Okay. Okay, you're right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up over it," he says quietly. "Maybe Mr. Cobblestone heard a radio frequency and it's not a real person at all."
 
Hayden hugged him gently. "It's ok Thomas, really. I've been through the same thing." He smiled as he pulled away. "Are you ok?" He asked, honestly concerned. He knew how hard the idea of being chased down and murdered could be on the mind.. he wouldn't wish that on anyone. Yes, he'd murdered people... but he always succeeded. The victim never knew that is was coming... this was different.
 
Thomas closes his eyes and bites his lower lip. "I'll . . . I'll be fine," he murmurs at last. "Probably just too much stress in one day." He chuckles nervously and climbs into bed, rolling over onto his side. "Better get some sleep. We'll be up late tomorrow."

Alaster whimpers and tilts his head, glancing at Hayden and nudging his hand gently.
 
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