by JL Terra
He was definitely the low man on the ladder. He slunk back toward her and she got a better look at him. When his gaze slid over her, she braced, but it was as though he didn’t even know her. Despite their two interactions.
In the alley, he’d had white hair. Now he looked his normal, though strung-out, self.
What had he been hopped up on? And where was his friend; the one who’d bitten her?
She slipped her free hand into her pocket as he approached and pulled out a tiny electronic device. As he passed, she shifted toward him. He never saw the tracker in her hand as she slid past him, dropping it into his jeans pocket as she moved. GPS enabled.
If she needed to locate him later, after she spoke with Ricardo, she would know precisely where to find him. Thank you, Remy. Not only was her friend a doctor, but evidently also a genius, knowing exactly the things that would make Mei’s life better. Even though Mei hadn’t talked to her much lately, they were still close as ever, right? After all, Remy had answered the phone straight away when Mei called just a while ago. Who else could get her a whole new, clean ID? Not to mention a new home and everything else she needed to live her life in peace.
Mei headed for the back door so Ricardo would think he had the power to waylay her on her exit. She pretended that she hadn’t seen him and tried to pass.
He grabbed her elbow.
She stuck her hand out straight at his ribs and jabbed him right in the spot she knew was cracked. Digging the ends of her fingers in deeply, he grunted but didn’t let go. Around her, several people closed in. She didn’t take her attention from Ricardo. That would prove deadly, even if those around her had weapons. She had plenty herself.
The noise level in the bar dropped. She lifted her chin. “Feel like going another round? Or do you want to save yourself the pain and tell me where Bella is?”
“That again?” Ricardo shook his head.
“Not again. Still. Nothing’s changed. You aren’t taking care of her, so I’m going to.”
“Why? That brat doesn’t need anything from anyone. Told me herself.”
Mei could see how he felt about that, even if he didn’t understand that was teenage M.O. What teen actually thought they needed help, or advice, or anything like that? They only needed whatever it was they said they needed.
“So we make a deal.”
Mei feigned interest. “And you’ll hand her over to me?” If he found her, then he could give Bella to Mei. He wouldn’t have to worry, and she could make sure the teen was all right.
“You might wanna make sure you’re not gonna be needing to bargain for your own life before you worry about hers.”
“Oh.” Mei winced dramatically. “Are you going to try and kill me?”
“I don’t need to try. I could kill you right here in front of these witnesses and no one would say a word. No mess, no fuss.”
“Hmm.” That actually did worry her, because it was probably at least mostly accurate. He couldn’t control everyone, but it would be close with most of the people in this room. Those who weren’t loyal could be persuaded to keep their mouths shut.
“Anyway,” she said. “What did that kid want?” She needed information and the random switch in conversation might catch him off guard.
He shrugged. “What they all want.”
Okay, but what drug turns a person’s hair completely white? And then there was her now-red hair. Malachi’s blood made it go back to normal, like a remedy for whatever was happening to her. None of it made sense because all she had were pieces. None were good core bits that helped her connect the rest. Malachi didn’t want to offer up information. Would Ricardo?
“Did you send him and his buddy to kill me later?”
A shadow crossed his face.
“They had white hair, and one had a syringe. Care to share what that might have to do with several redheads who are dead now? Because I was thinking serial killer until one of your boys bit me and gave me a feverous episode.”
Out loud it all sounded a little crazy. Not just to her, evidently, given the snort from somewhere behind her.
“Tell me what’s going on.”
Ricardo’s mouth shifted. “Leave it alone. You don’t want to get into this.”
“Seems to me like I’m already in it.”
They’d been coming for her. She was slated to die, most likely. Just another dead redhead…maybe. And yet, when she really needed it, the sword hadn’t shown up. Now things were worse.
“Who is behind the deaths, the drugs?”
Ricardo shook his head. “You don’t wanna know.”
“Why wouldn’t I? I’m asking the questions. Means I do want to know.”
By the look of him, Ricardo wasn’t going to roll over on whoever it was above him in the food chain. Mei was glad she’d tagged the other one with a GPS tracker. She’d have to get him to lead her to the person above Ricardo. Willingly, or not, didn’t matter. She would get answers either way.
Ricardo laid a hand on her shoulder, where the tendon moved up her neck. To anyone watching, it might have even seemed affectionate, if not simply cordial. Instead, the pressure he put there shot sparks up her neck and into her head.
Mei gritted her teeth. He was both staking a claim and exercising authority over her—for her sake and the sake of all those watching.
“Stick around a bit, maybe I’ll tell you later.”
“What happened at the house? There was police tape on the door when I drove by and all the lights were off.”
“He killed them all.”
“Except the two you sent to kill me. The one who was just here.”
He scrunched up his nose in a flash of denial. “Doesn’t matter. He’ll never be caught, and you can’t kill him.”
The only person she knew who fit that bill in regards to super powers was Malachi. Could there be someone else in the mix here? Someone who used those powers for evil?
“Who is he?”
“Stick around a bit, maybe I’ll take you to see him.” His other hand grasped her wrist, big fingers curling around her fine bones in a tight grip.
She doubted that she would get to see the boss, though she needed to know his identity if she was going to figure out what was happening here. So far nothing made sense. It was the worst part of investigating anything when there were only dissonant fragments and not enough information to put them together in some semblance of order.
“I don’t think so.” She wasn’t going to mince words. The only way to solve this was getting out there, hitting the streets and finding someone who would give her the information she needed.
She could search the house where Bella lived.
Track the man she’d put the GPS device on. Talk to him.
Find Bella. Solve a bunch of murders.
However, hanging around here with Ricardo trying to best her and prove his manhood in front of his friends wasn’t part of it.
She needed to get out of here with the least amount of fuss. “Walk me to your car.” She tried to look enticing. Maybe seductive. It didn’t usually work, and she wasn’t under any illusions that it would right now.
Ricardo huffed, as though she had amused him. He glanced over her shoulder. “Go.”
Two sets of hands grasped her, above her elbows. Mei was marched to the hall and past the bathrooms to an exit door at the end. She went with it, lulling them into a sense of security that she just might cooperate.
She’d been bound before.
They would find out what would happened if they attempted to bind her now.
Mei was no one’s prisoner.
Chapter 8
The EXIT door swung shut behind them and Mei heard it click. Still, she didn’t tense or do anything to indicate she might be preparing to attack. Not even when they angled her toward the parking lot, threading themselves between vehicles.
“Don’t do this.” She kept her voice breathy. “Ricardo doesn’t own you. This isn’t right!” She was wailing now. Hopefully they woul
d only think she was an overly-emotional woman. One who had no other powers besides using those emotions to manipulate everyone.
Neither said anything.
Mei sighed internally, without noise or movement. After a brief assessment of which way to go first, she chose to slip the grip of the guy to her right. His hold on her had a gap between his thumb and first finger. She used that to pull her arm out fast, immediately rotating her whole body to land a punch in the ribs of the guy to her left.
The grunt was satisfying.
Kidnap a woman on the boss’s orders, to get revenge because she’d bested him in a fight? Ha. She wasn’t going to stand for that.
The guy whose grip she’d broken now tried to grab her again. His arms banded around her middle. Mei slammed an elbow back, and a second of panic had her not caring where it landed.
Never mind that she had training. Sometimes that all went out the window in the heat of the moment. All she knew was Ricardo or his guys wouldn’t have that power over her. No matter what. Autonomy was everything, and freedom meant she got to say where she went and who with.
Guys like this just didn’t understand what it felt to be a woman in a situation like this. Even for all her skills, Mei could still be overpowered.
She twisted and followed the elbow with a hook punch from her left hand, knocking his gun out of his grip. It skittered across the asphalt. A gun? Really? She sighed again.
Pain exploded in the back of her skull.
The first guy. He’d rallied enough to hit her over the back of the head.
Mei blinked and realized she was on her hands and knees. Nope. She pushed off the ground and moved forward half a dozen steps so neither man could tackle her. She reached for her own gun and felt...nothing.
It was gone. Her holster was empty.
Mei faced them down. One on the ground. One holding a gun. On impulse, she swiped with her foot and kicked at his hand. He fumbled, backed up faster than she expected, but managed to keep hold of it.
Of course. Of course. Right when she needed some help, Malachi was nowhere to be found. The sword didn’t bother to appear either. And honestly, Mei was sick of it all. Just sick of it.
She rushed at him and tackled him to the ground, with the added bonus of getting her out of the line of fire. His back hit the ground and so did her knees. Pain ricocheted through her, all the way up to her skull. The other man wrapped his arms around her chest and squeezed the breath from her. The next inhale she tried only shuddered, sputtering like an engine about to die.
Which was not going to happen to her.
Stupid sword.
The second she’d thought those words, her palms began to burn. It started as an itch and, within a moment, it had risen to a scorching heat that seared her skin. She hissed a breath. Are you kidding me?
The arms squeezing her now began to drag her backward.
Mei couldn’t wait for the sword. If it was even going to appear at all.
She kicked the man’s shin. His arms loosened and she twisted, bringing her fist around for another punch.
The sword appeared mid-swing.
Mei couldn’t pull back in time. The tip of the sword, angled down, made its first slice before her fist even could’ve made contact, severing the man’s arm clear through his bicep with just one swipe. The sword was so wicked sharp that the arm was like silk, not flesh and bone.
The arm dropped to the ground.
The man let out a deathly howl and collapsed right beside his severed appendage.
Mei stared at the bloody sword. Bile rose in her throat as she backed up, frozen and unable to do much beyond that. The shock was real.
The man’s howl now turned to a scream of rage as he clambered to his feet. He dove for the gun and swung around. Mei launched forward and shoved the sword point into his chest. It slipped in far enough she felt his breath on her face as his whole body continued to struggle.
The gun went off.
Her entire body flinched, her life flashed in front of her eyes, but the bullet hadn’t hit her.
Death approached the man, though, and his eyes clouded and glazed over until there was no life left.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered the words.
He fell back, the sword slid free and his body hit the ground.
The other man jumped to his feet and ran off down a dark side street.
She heard movement, a rustling, and twisted toward it.
A rat. Two rats, actually.
She looked away from the spilled garbage can and scanned around her. No witnesses.. Cameras? Remy could take care of those.
Mei wanted to dig in the man’s pockets for a wallet so she could know the name of the man she had just killed. But she couldn’t risk leaving her own prints on it, and taking his ID with her left the police with a man they’d have to work to identify.
And so Mei turned and walked away without knowing the name of the man she had just killed.
Two steps later, the sword evaporated into nothing. It simply ceased to occupy time and space, here and now. As though it never was.
By the time she reached her bike, she was running.
Mei slammed her helmet down onto her head, as if she could hide in its shelter. She wanted to laugh bitterly. She wanted to scream and rage. She wanted to sob for the life she’d taken. Reality proved that her hope of finding any safe haven was futile—this horror was her life.
She pulled out her phone to call Remy. The team would know what to do. They could take care of anything that needed to be taken care of and…no. She couldn’t tell them about this.
Explaining what happened would make it true.
This wouldn’t be her story.
Mei didn’t want it. She didn’t want the sword in her life, or anything that came with it. Especially if it meant more of what had just happened.
She started her bike and used her phone instead to track the GPS for the man she had tagged. He was across town, in Manhattan. Specifically, Chinatown. She headed close to the location so she could scope out the general area before she moved in.
None of this mattered if she couldn’t find Bella.
When she got close enough to pinpoint his exact location, she couldn’t believe it. She parked her bike and sat astride it, staring at the medicine shop where she and Malachi had met the old man. The place looked dark. It was probably closed this time of night, but she didn’t want to run into any security measures. She headed around the back and checked for cameras before picking the lock on the door and heading inside.
Instead of a quiet shop, she found a disastrous scene—stuff everywhere and broken glass all over the floor.
The glass crunched under her feet as she made her way down the back hall, checking every room she came to just in case someone was still inside. She found the young man she had tracked rummaging through stuff on the shelf in the store, making a racket as he searched for who knows what.
“Can I help you with something?”
He spun around and threw a small, brown bottle directly at her.
She ducked the projectile. “I’ve already killed a man with a sword tonight. Don’t make me add you to the list.” Of course, she couldn’t do that if the sword never appeared. So far, her hands weren’t burning, something she had come to realize immediately preceded its appearance.
He looked at her, then tipped his head to the side and grunted. Hair still his normal color, but he certainly wasn’t in possession of all his faculties.
“Great.”
He was more like the man who had been at the community center. But what was it that made both of them sound incoherent, and only able to speak in the most basic of phrases? Not that this one had said anything. Yet.
He turned back to his shelf, found what he was looking for, and drank the contents of the bottle.
“When that’s done its job, maybe you can tell me what on earth is going on here?”
He spun back to her and blinked. At least he didn’t throw another bottle. Still,
it was as though he had already forgotten she had been standing there. His eyes roamed over her as if trying to figure out who, or what, she was.
It almost made her want to will the sword to appear, just so he could see that the sword seemed to have chosen her. If he knew to come to this place, then he might know what the sword was. Or at least why it was significant.
Who knew, maybe when it disappeared from her, it appeared for someone else? She would almost rather that was the case. Mei had no desire to be “special.” That usually meant something terrifying was about to happen.
“What happened to the guy who runs the shop?”
The young man frowned for second, his expression unable to completely focus. “Coma.”
That was something, at least. “He was attacked?”
He nodded and smacked his lips together a couple of times, as though aware of the sensation, but not sure what to do about it.
She moved to a sink in the corner where she figured the proprietor rinsed his equipment after mixing the herbs together. She found a clean cup and got the man a drink, taking it back to him. He took a few sips and was finally able to focus. “Thank you.”
“Do you remember what happened in the alley?”
He frowned again, his eyes starting to clear.
She didn’t want to push him to remember something he didn’t recall—what he and his friend had done. Who knew what he’d do if she told him he’d tried to kidnap her—or worse. She didn’t want him shutting down or have the reminder cause him to fall back into destructive behaviors.
“What did you try to get from Ricardo?”
Uh oh, there it was. He was starting to shut down.
Mei quickly backpedaled. “I work at the Brooklyn community center. Being nosy and asking too many questions to get people to tell me what they need help with is what I do.”
His lips curled up in the tiniest of smiles. “I know exactly what you can help me with.” He started to move his hand toward his crotch.
Mei shook her head. “Don’t do that.”
He looked disappointed.
