Chapter Text
Jan Van Eck was a fearsome man. At least that’s what Wylan knew of his father. — He also knew most people thought very differently of him — they considered him a hero, someone to turn to for help — someone who would always be there to assist those in need.
But when it came to his son, Jan Van Eck’s eyes had long been devoid of any kindness.
The lean man sat slumped in his chair at the dining table, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. He rubbed his temples and let out a heavy sigh, the kind that could only come from a long day on the job. Wylan tensed at the sound. He knew what would follow.
Wylan's eyes darted nervously back and forth between his father and his plate, his heart pounding in his chest. He had always been intimidated by his father's anger, and today was no exception. The boy sometimes wondered what it would be like, if Jan Van Eck hadn’t become a detective. If he’d taken on a normal job — maybe as a merchant, that wasn’t uncommon in London. He wondered what it would be like to have a father who didn't bring his work home with him every night.
"What's wrong, dear?" Miss Hendricks asked, daring the devil to come out. Better now than later…
Jan let out a frustrated groan. "It's that damn case again. Some wannabe thinks he has dirt on the half the House of Lords - I mean half, really? — That’s 400 people — These old fools are ready to give him anything so he won’t spill. I swear, if I could just get my hands on him..." His father always sounded as if he was accusing either of them of being at fault for the cases he had trouble with.
Wylan and his mother sat in silence as Jan ranted on. They knew better than to interrupt when he was in this kind of mood.
“And then there’s the recent murders — serial murders is what they believe now! Someone called “The Wraith”— He’s playing us all for damn fools," Jan continued, slamming his fist at the end of his sentence. Wylan flinched, hands clutched under the table.
The big dining room, with its opulent furnishings and luxurious surroundings, felt suffocating to Wylan. He longed to escape to somewhere, where he could be alone with his thoughts, away from his father's anger.
Miss Hendricks looked up from her meal, her brows slightly furrowed in concern. "Is there anything we can do to help?" Wylan suspected her calmness came with a little help. He glanced over at the bathroom, where their medicine cabinet was located.
Jan let out a humourless laugh. "No, not really. This is a mess that we're going to have to deal with at the office. The ‘Lords’ are breathing down my neck but won’t let me do anything risky, and if we don't find a way to catch the Wraith soon, the public’s gonna be an even worse problem.”
Wylan shifted in his seat, feeling intimidated by his father's rage. He knew that his father's job was stressful, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy around him when he was like this.
They continued eating in silence, Jan lost in his own thoughts and Miss Hendricks absent-mindedly picking at her food. Wylan was just grateful for the opportunity to escape into his own thoughts for a few moments. The few details he got from his fathers rant where not new to him. Still, ‘the Wraith’ being active again was interesting indeed.
As the meal came to an end, Jan pushed his chair back from the table and let out a deep sigh. "I'm going to need to put in some extra hours on this one," he said, addressing no one in particular. "I'll be in the office late tonight."
Wylan simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak and Miss Hendricks nodded absent-mindedly, already lost in her own world.
With that Jan disappeared out the door. Wylan instantly felt a sense of relief wash over him. He could finally breathe again without the fear of disturbing his father in any way.
“I will be upstairs, as well” He said to his mother. It seemed to pull her out of her thoughts for a moment. She smiled slightly, continuously staring at her plate and said. “Of course, dear. You leave the dishes, I’ll get them!”
Back in his room Wylan quickly opened up his laptop. With a few clicks he had access to the server of the police force and skimmed through the most recent incidents for key words, he recognised. He hadn’t forgotten about the Wraith’s return. And indeed, there was a new report about them!
He grabbed his headphones and copy-pasted the incident report into his text to speech program. He leaned back in his chair and listened, following the words with his eyes but not very successful in reading most of them.
The monotone voice read,
“Incident Report - Homicide; Case Number: 2023-063345; Date and Time of Occurrence: March 2nd, 2023, at approximately 9:00 PM; Location of Occurrence: Abandoned warehouse in East London
Victim's Name: John Doe
Description of Victim: Caucasian male, aged approximately 45-50 years—” Wylan skipped forward a few seconds.
“Description of the Incident: On March 2nd, at approximately 9:30 PM, the police received an anonymous report of a body found at an abandoned warehouse in East London. Upon arrival, the officers found the body of a Caucasian male in his mid-forties. The victim had been tied to a chair with a rope, and his throat had been slit open. The officers observed that the victim had several tattoos on his arms, indicating possible involvement in the human trafficking trade.”
That was what Wylan had been waiting for. A human trafficker! Each of the twelve victims of ‘the Wraith’ had been former, or active traffickers! Wylan knew he shouldn’t be as excited about it as he was. It was clear that this must be some kind of revenge of a self righteous killer. But at least it wasn’t as boring as the Jack-The-Ripper knock-offs or something like that. This case had history! Probably someone who themselves had been brought to London on a trafficking ship and was out to avenge themselves.
“Further investigation revealed that the victim was indeed a known slave trader, and he had been on the radar of the police for some time. The officers noted that the modus operandi of the killer matched that of the notorious serial killer 'The Wraith'.
The area was immediately cordoned off, and the forensic team was…” The rest of the report was irrelevant to Wylan. The same procedure every time and there was never any evidence. ‘The Wraith’ worked neatly, not a hair stayed behind on the crime scene.
Another thing the cases had in common was that each victim had been on police radar. It was very possible that the killer managed to get access to the police force’s server. If Wylan was able to, anyone should be… He hadn’t mentioned it to his father yet… That meant admitting to snooping around in his work’s business… Also, as long as ‘the Wraith’ stuck to their pattern of traffickers, Wylan couldn’t care less about trying to figure out who they were and he didn’t understand why the people were so concerned. No decent person had anything to fear…
Wylan stayed on the server a little longer skipping through the weeks reports. Copy n’ pasting, listening and repeat. Most things that happened in a police station where really boring. Only few arrests — mostly of drunk hooligans that where still lingering around London, even though the soccer tournaments had ended at the beginning of this week.
Wylan sighed before closing his laptop. It was almost midnight and he had to be up early tomorrow to meet with his tutor. Still, he spent the better part of the next hour scrolling on TikTok and Instagram.
As he finally freed himself from his ‘trance’ and was about to get ready for bed when his phone lit up with a new message. A click was enough to let his phone read out what it said.
“New message from ‘Jes’: Hey cutie, you up?”
Wylan's heart skipped a beat. He quickly spoke out a response, his phone writing down his words for him.
Wylan: Was about to call it a night. Why, what do you have in mind?
Jesper: I may or may not be at your place in about two minutes. You up for a little road trip? ;)
Wylan's pulse quickened at the thought of spending time alone with Jesper. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke out a reply.
Wylan: I gotta be up early but a road trip sounds great!
The reply followed instantly. “Alright, get ready! I’m almost there ;)”
———
Jesper revved up the engine of his jeep, the headlights illuminating the empty streets of the neighbourhood. It was almost 1 am and the lights in the windows had gone out hours ago. The older boy glanced over at Wylan who was getting in. "You ready for this, Wy?" he asked.
Wylan chuckled. "I'm always ready for a late-night trip with my favourite driver."
Jesper laughed and turned up the music, the chorus of ‘Don’t stop me now’ by Queen filling the car. They drove for a while, just enjoying the music and each others company, both singing along to the songs. It didn’t take long for them to leave the neighbourhood and arrive at the long high roads, winding through the vast fields of Upminster.
"So, what's been on your mind lately?" Jesper asked, after the fourth or fifth song. He’d turned down the volume so they could chat.
Wylan shrugged. "Nothing much, really. Just been thinking about school and stuff."
Jesper nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. But you gotta make time for fun, too."
"That's why I'm here with you, isn't it?" Wylan smiled.
Jesper grinned back at him. "Damn right it is."
They drove on, passing by darkened farmhouses, the only signs of life being the occasional streetlight or parked car. The night was cool and calm, the music quietly running in the background.
"So, have you thought about that trip we talked about?" Wylan asked remembering the upcoming spring holidays.
Jesper nodded. "Yeah, I've been looking into it. I think it could be a lot of fun! And around this time of year Paris is supposed to be less crowded with tourists than in the summer!”
Wylan leaned back in his seat, a contented smile on his face. "I'm glad to hear it. I could use a break from this city, that's for sure."
Jesper chuckled. "Me too, man. Me too." Still Wylan couldn’t ignore that he was a little hesitant. Wylan didn’t know what exactly the boy did for work but he knew it was something where he couldn’t just leave for a week or two.
They continued to chat and laugh as they drove through the quiet streets, the occasional car passing by them in the opposite direction. The night seemed endless, and Wylan felt a sense of freedom that he only felt with Jesper around.
After five more minutes, the car slowed down as a small lake came into view. Jesper's jeep pulled up to the lake and Wylan looked out the window. He was immediately struck by the serene beauty of the place. The lake was mostly still, its surface a black mirror reflecting the starry sky above. The trees and bushes that surrounded the lake were barely visible in the moonlight, but their silhouettes added to the tranquil atmosphere of the place.
Jesper parked the car and turned off the engine and Wylan hopped out. He immediately felt the cool air of the night on his skin. He couldn't help but feel a sense of calm wash over him as he looked out at the peaceful scene before him. The sound of water lapping gently against the shore and the distant chirping of crickets filled the silence of the night. Jesper came to a stop next to him. “This is beautiful.” Wylan breathed.
"Yeah," Jesper replied, carefully taking Wylan’s hand in his. "Almost as beautiful as you."
Wylan felt his cheeks turn red, and he looked away. Jesper chuckled. "Don't be like that," he said. "You know you're gorgeous."
“Geez, I never know what to say back…” Wylan mumbled.
“You don’t have to say anything, love,” Jesper whispered. He stepped in front of Wylan, cupping the smaller boys face with his free hand. Slowly, he moved in. Wylan held his breath. In the soft moonlight he could make out the delicate features of Jespers face, mere centimetres from his own.
“Can I kiss you?” Jesper whispered.
Wylan didn’t dare to speak so he just nodded eagerly. Finally, Jesper closed the remaining distance and kissed Wylan softly on the lips. It was a gentle, almost hesitant kiss, but it was enough to send shivers down Wylan's spine.
They pulled apart but neither moved away. They stayed still as a statue admiring each other in the soft light of the moon. The cold slowly crept in on Wylan and he shuddered, the movement sadly ending the suspension of the moment. Jesper pulled his hands away and Wylan instantly missed the warmth. “Wait here, I brought blankets.”
Together with a pair of blankets and a pack of crisps they made their way down to the wooden bridge leading out onto the water. They settled on the bench at the end of the bridge. They sat together, blankets thrown around them and Jesper had put his arm around Wylan, pulling him close. Wylan leaned into Jesper's embrace, feeling his heart race.
He couldn’t keep his eyes on the lake, always drifting off and up at the soft lips of Jesper. The kiss still lingered but Wylan would give anything for Jesper to kiss him again— and again. The other boy quickly noticed his staring.
He turned his head, brown eyes finding Wylan’s who quickly averted his gaze, face flushing red. “Oh Wy, you don’t have to be embarrassed about staring.” Jesper whispered, the words sending a shiver down Wylan’s back. “You gonna tell me what you’ve been daydreaming about?” The older boy teased.
Wylan breathed out slowly, face burning hot. "No, I don't think I will," he replied, trying to sound nonchalant. Jesper gave a mock-laugh "Oh, really? Come on, now you've got me curious."
Wylan chuckled and rolled his eyes. "It's nothing, just... you know. I’m just happy to spend some time with you." He looked back up finding Jesper’s grin softening into a smile as his hand started tracing circles over a sensitive spot on Wylan’s neck.
At the same time Jesper leaned in closer, his breath warm against Wylan's ear. "You know, I'm happy to be spending time with you too," he whispered, sending another rush of shivers down Wylan's spine.
Wylan playfully swatted Jesper's hand away and leaned back, bringing a bit of distance between him and Jesper. He tilted his head slightly, a surge of energy and excitement filling him. "You know what, Jes? You're a sap. And I've got a bone to pick with you about that teasing."
Jesper laughed. "Oh, really?” He leaned in closer again ”What are you going to do about it?”
Wylan smirked and before Jesper could react, he closed the distance and pressed a soft kiss to Jesper's lips. Jesper's eyes widened in surprise, but then he broke into a grin as he kissed Wylan back.
"Well, that's certainly one way to get me to stop teasing you." He said after they broke apart. Wylan leaned against the other boys shoulder, feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction at having caught Jesper off guard.
"That's right. Don't mess with me, Jes."
“Oh~ but that’s my favourite — messing around with you.”
Wylan grinned, feeling a surge of affection for Jesper. "Well, lucky for you, I don't mind a little bit of teasing from time to time." He nudged Jesper playfully with his shoulder, enjoying the warmth of his body against his own.
Jesper chuckled, his hand coming up to trace the line of Wylan's jaw. "You know, Wylan, I think you might be the only person in the world who can keep up with me," he said, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Wylan felt a sudden rush of happiness at Jesper's words. "I don't know about that," he replied. "But I do know that I like spending time with you. More than I ever thought possible."
Jesper's expression softened, his eyes searching Wylan's face.
"I feel the same way," he said, his voice low and sincere. "I don't think I've ever felt this way about anyone before."
The two boys sat in silence for a moment, admiring each other . Then Jesper leaned in and kissed Wylan's lips, more passionate this time. All Wylan wanted was just to melt into the kiss, to let Jesper do whatever he wanted, but he was also reluctant to keep going. Jesper quickly noticed something was off.
He pulled back, a flash of fear in his eyes. “Wy? Is everything okay? I’m sorry if it’s too—” Wylan instantly felt like he’d ruined the moment. “No, Jes it’s not you… It’s just— I have to be up early… We should— head back.”
Jesper leaned back, his expression disappointed but understanding. "Oh, of course. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you up so late," he replied. Wylan smiled softly, grateful for Jesper's understanding.
"It's okay. We can pick up where we left off another time," he said, reaching out to take Jesper's hand. Jesper smiled back, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on the back of Wylan's hand.
"I look forward to it," he said, his voice warm with affection.
They sat in silence for a few more minutes, enjoying the peacefulness of the lake and each other's company. Eventually, Wylan got ready to stand up.
“We really should get going," he said, feeling a sense of reluctance to leave the warmth of Jesper's embrace. Jesper nodded. Together they stood up, hands still clasped together.
“Then let’s get you home,” Jesper said, a small smile on his lips.