If Archer would have wanted, he would have wiped the floor with Theo and shown Zion what he was capable of.
But he had to play the long game.
He had to find out about Zachary.
He had to find out where he was hidden.
He had to keep his ego aside.
As Zion stood near him, Archer swallowed his pride, knelt at Zion’s feet, and placed his head gently over his shoes.
“Please forgive me, Zion.
I will never repeat such a mistake again.
I will never even look at a girl ever again.
I caused you pain, you too can hit me if you want, just please forgive me.
I don’t want to lose a friend.
I am sorry, Zion, extremely sorry,” cried Archer.
Zion closed his eyes and breathed heavily.
He knew in his heart that such a thing could have happened to anyone.
Anyone could have been a victim of pickpocketing.
He just held Archie to a high standard.
This was the first time Archie disappointed him.
And he was ready to forgive him.
The moment Theo started hitting him, he knew he had to save him.
He bent down and placed his palms on Archer’s shoulder.
Archer looked up with tears in his eyes.
Zion had never seen him crying.
His heart ached.
His friend was crying because of a mistake he made.
His tears melted Zion’s heart.
He took out his handkerchief and wiped the blood from Archer’s face.
“I am sorry that he hit you,” said Zion.
“I deserved it,” said Archer.
“Go home and have rest.
I will see you in the morning,” Zion patted his shoulder.
“Did you forgive me?” asked Archer sobbing.
“Stop crying man.
This does not suit you.
You are the bodyguard of the Don.
What will people say when they hear about this?’ joked Zion.
“Zion!” emphasized Archer.
“Yes, I forgive you.
Anyone could have made that mistake,” comforted Zion and hugged Archer.
“Ow!” exclaimed Archer.
Zion instantly ripped his shirt, and all the bruises were visible.
His side was covered with footmarks.
Zion felt sorry for him.
“Take a hot bath and have a painkiller.
I am again sorry on Theo’s behalf.”
“No, I am sorry,” Archer apologized again.
“Stop apologizing.
I accepted your apology.”
“I promise you I will find that girl,” said Archer with determination.
Archer walked away from Zion and went outside.
Everyone looked at him weirdly as they heard what happened inside.
They never thought he would be treated like this as he saved Zion’s life once.
Maybe he was spared because he saved Zion.
Archer was unable to look anyone in the eyes.
He sat in his car and drove away without wasting a single minute.
Halfway to the plaza he stopped his car in an alleyway and got out.
For a few minutes, he just walked around clenching and unclenching his fists.
Finally, the dam of his anger burst, and he kicked and slapped the garbage bins kept in the alley.
A few cats ran away, scared.
Cling!
Clang!
All the metal bins started flying away spreading garbage all over the alley.
Papers, apple cores, take-out foods, cans of drinks, etc.
were scattered all over the alley.
“I will kill that girl.
I WILL KILL THAT GIRL,” he shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Ohh… what I had to endure because of her.
Who does she think she is?
I will find you, whoever you are.”
Even after kicking all the garbage, he was not happy, so he started kicking his tyre.
After his legs were tired, he sat down on the street with his back to the door of the car.
He started remembering every single detail about her.
Her hair, her eyes, her nose, her cheeks, her chin, everything as he was going to ask the sketch artist to make her sketch and he would then find her at any cost.
Suddenly his brain flashed her lips before his eyes.
The full lips were enticing.
He wanted to touch them, kiss them.
“What?!
What the hell are you thinking man?
She fucked you up and you are thinking about kissing her.
The next time I see her, I will kill her,” he scolded himself.
He stood up and sat in his car.
“Sorry, my darling.
I misplaced my anger on you,” he caressed the steering wheel of his car and kissed it.
He put the key in the ignition and started the car.
After doing his evasive manoeuvre to make sure that no one was following him, finally, he reached the Federal Plaza.
He entered the lift and reached the designated floor.
Jack immediately stood up as soon as he saw him.
But Archer had no time to waste on Jack today.
He had to see Noelle and Harris and then deal with Chris.
“Sir!
Sir!” shouted Jack and ran after him.
“Please wait!”
“What?” Archer snapped at him.
“I was told to inform you if you arrive that they will all be in conference room 1,” informed Jack.
Without saying a single word, Archer just moved forward.
Fuming with anger, he reached conference room 1.
All three were sitting inside the room with another man who was busy scribbling on a yellow legal pad.
Archer stormed in, jumped over the big round table, and landed at Harris’s feet.
The moment Harris saw him, he jumped from his seat and ran away screaming.
Archer simply pushed the rotating chair in his direction, and it hit Harris on his back.
Harris stumbled and fell face down.
Archer with ease walked up to him and picked him up by his collar.
He threw him again the glass wall and grabbed his neck, tightly.
Both Noelle and Chris ran to him and tried pulling him away from Harris, but Archer was too strong and extremely angry.
“Let him down, Archer,” shouted Chris.
“Archer, Sir, please let him go,” Noelle kept pulling his arm with all her strength, but nothing mattered to Archer.
He kept choking Harris in his anger.
“I gave you a JOB and you FAILED,” shouted Archer.
“Where were you?
I waited and waited, and you never showed up.
Because of you I was beaten and looked down upon.
If you would have picked that drug, I would have taken all the beating gladly, but you failed.
I had to lick his boot today.”
“I… am… sorry,” croaked Harris somehow.
His face turned red.
The veins on his forehead were about to be popped when Archer pulled his hand away and Harris fell on the floor with a soft thud.
He started coughing badly.
Noelle ran to get him a glass of water.
Chris helped him up and made him sit on a chair.
Noelle came back with a bottle of water and gave it to Harris.
His hands were shivering, and he was unable to handle the bottle.
Archer picked up the bottle, unscrewed the cap and placed the opening of the bottle in Harris’s mouth.
Chris picked up his phone and sent a message to Jack to get the first aid box from his cabin.
After a few minutes, Jack came running with a first aid box in his hands.
Chris took the box from him and Jack left.
All were seated quietly in the conference room.
Harris and Noelle were sitting next to each other while Chris and Archer were sitting across the table.
Chris kept cleaning Archer’s wound and applying antiseptic liquid over his wounds.
Harris would still cough occasionally after the choke.
Both he and Noelle kept their head lowered as Archer kept giving them a death stare.
The extra man who was sitting quietly in a corner had no idea what he should do, should he leave, should he stay?
Finally, Archer could not hold it any longer.
He slapped the table hard making both Noelle and Harris flinch with fear.
“Will you speak up, you moron?
What the hell happened today?” he shouted at Harris.
“Why didn’t you approach me?
I saw you picking other people’s pockets then what happened when it was my turn?”
“Tell him everything, Harry,” said Chris, calmly.
“What happened was…” and Harris recollected everything that happened in the park.
How he picked Journee’s pocket, how she recognized him in an instant, how she asked him to stay away from her mission, how she sent a man to stop him and how she dragged him in her van and kept him there.
He told Archer that she picked his pocket in front of his eyes, but he could do nothing.
Another man stopped him with all his might.
“So, you saw that girl?” asked Archer.
“What do you think he is doing here?
He was here to make a sketch of her.” Chris pointed at the man sitting in the corner.
He sheepishly smiled at Archer, but Archer just ignored his smile and jerked his neck back to face Harris.
“Who is she?” inquired Archer.
“She never said her name.
all I know is the name of men and that she works in NYPD.
She is someone high up in position,” replied Harris.
“NYPD?
She is NYPD?
But she is so talented,” mocked Archer.
“Yeah, she too was condescending towards us.
She made fun of the fact that I was there alone, and no one was there to supervise me.
Also, she made me in an instant.
Within seconds she realized that I was a law enforcement officer.
She even made fun of my disguise.
She picked up my pocket with her left hand when her right hand held my hand,” Harris sounded impressed.
“Are you with us or with her?” snapped Archer.
“With you,” Harris lowered his head.
“What did you tell her?”
“Nothing!”
“Harry!” shouted Archer.
“She knows that I am FBI.
She knows my name, my address, my designation, and everything one can find on my ID card,” said Harris sheepishly.
“Idiot!
How did this happen?” shrieked Archer.
“I told you, she picked my pocket.”
Archer would flinch and groan with pain as well as anger.