She touched his head to reassure herself he was still alive and headed in the noise’s direction she had heard. Victor would follow when he could.
She chased the gunman through the dark alleyways created by the tents. Without Victor she didn’t have a lantern but the moon was out and she could pick out enough that she didn’t trip on guide wires. She caught sight of someone but they were down another alleyway and couldn’t be the person she had been chasing.
When the man saw her he dashed the other way, a sure sign of guilt, she ran after him. His broad shoulders and lope reminded her of the Collector they had arrested. He was out? She would have a stern talking to whoever was in charge of the prison as they obviously had someone on the take as this was the second man out of prison this week who shouldn’t be. She might set her godfather on it though as he had more of a bark than she did.
The Collector stumbled over a guide wire which allowed her to catch up. She skidded to a halt. There was no way she could wrestle the man into submission but she had her gun.
She called out, “Halt or I’ll shoot.” Her hands steady on her weapon even her metal hand. Whatever repairs Everett had done was holding up. Unfortunately the Collector didn’t take her threat seriously and he didn’t even slow down. She didn’t blame him. They trained peelers not to shoot first. They relied more on their batons than on a gun. But there was a reason they carried one around.
She didn’t want to kill him so she took careful aim. She breathed out as she squeezed the trigger. The sound deafened her. She was moving before the smoke from the gun cleared.
The Collector staggered from her shot in his shoulder but he kept running. She muttered some angry words under her breath. She shoved her gun into the back of her belt and pulled out another. This one was her government issued gun and not nearly as reliable or accurate to the gun her mother had given her on her first day at work. She made sure it was well maintained so she didn’t have to worry about it blowing up in her face as she raised it and took aim.
This time she aimed for centre mast. She breathed out and pulled the trigger. He spun enough that he landed on his back when he fell. She hadn’t gone for a killing shot but she also wasn’t sure if she had hit anything vital.
Victor skipped over some guide ropes. The lantern in his hands making light bob all over the scene. He skidded to a stop and said, “That isn’t the man who shot me. Is that Knowles?”
“Knowles? He is the Collector I arrested last week.”
“Yeah, Knowles.” Victor agreed.
She frowned. She hadn’t even known his real name.
“Can you help him?”
Victor crouched down by the Collector’s side. “Yeah. You were close enough that this is a through and through. I’ll need Katherine though. I don’t know enough about cutting and stitching people to close this up. I can stop the bleeding though.”
Blue light flashed as he called in a medical kit. That was new. Victor liked his chemicals and since he could heal himself with his powers there was no real reason for him to have a medical kit. Knowles groaned as Victor moved him to press a cloth to his back. Victor wasn’t a doctor though he knew about anatomy and all that. Most of his tools were in his lab and wouldn’t be in a neat case for him to call. Or at least that was what she thought. She’d ask him about it later.
She turned when Katherine called, “Rayne?”
Everett was behind her but she didn’t see Medea. Katherine swept her skirts away and Rayne stepped back to give her more space.
She turned to Everett. “Medea?”
He shook his head. “She was here and then she was gone.”
“There is someone else here. He shot Victor.” Everett glanced at Victor with concern. At least her brother liked her husband. It wasn’t always the case. She glanced at the two leaning over the Collector. He groaned as Victor raised him up and placed a cloth behind his shoulder. That one also had a hole in the front so her first shot had gone through as well.
She caught Everett’s shoulder. “Take me to the tent with the things in jars. He has just lost his man and he is being chased by a dragon. He’ll go somewhere he feels comfortable.”
Everett hesitated and she reassured him, “If Medea is in danger, it will be because of the Doctor so if we find the doctor we will find Medea. The tent?” He nodded numbly.
___
Medea found it hard to walk with her hands tied behind her. Cayman said, “The doctor really did come through.”
He shoved her and she stumbled. She struggled to get her heavier foot underneath her in time to take her weight. The ball of the foot rolled and then somehow corrected itself so she managed to keep her feet.
Cayman spoke casually with no fear that the others would hear him and stop him. “I didn’t think he would shell out the money to get me out a second time.”
She twisted her wrists but Cayman had tied her up tight. “Where are you taking me?”
“The doctor wants to play with you before I get to take you away from here.”
“I have friends.” Though she had no idea where they were.
“I see that. Pity. They will all die.”
Medea went still when she saw a man standing by a tent. She had seen him before. He was the man with the dead man in a wheelbarrow. What was he doing here? He grunted at Cayman who guided her into the tent. She recoiled away from the jars of specimens. They were lit up from below so the fluid around them glowed.
A man taller than the jar set on the pedestal stepped around it and glared at her. She recoiled as his eyes were red.
Cayman said behind her, “I got the girl.” Another man came out of the shadows at the back with a woman. He grinned at her though there was no joy in the expression.
“Ah, you must be Medea. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Frowning she asked, “What are you going to do with me?” She glanced at the woman to see if there would be any help from her. She was dark skinned and dark haired but otherwise nondescript. Her main feature was the fact she wore several weapons. A sword even was strapped to her back. Who carried swords in this day and age?
Cayman pushed her forward and she stumbled to her knees. She could not catch herself with her hands tied. She almost face-planted into the sawdust. The man with the red eyes caught the back of her dress before she hit the ground and threw her to the side. She came to a stop when her back hit the base of the pedestal. The jar above wobbled precariously.
The man with red eyes crouched and asked, “Is this the quality you are offering us?” The doctor came into her view. From what he said, she gathered he was the crazy doctor they were trying to capture.
“Unfortunately this one is for our friend over here. But yes, only the best quality.”
The woman said, “We want them fresh.”
The man with the red eyes made a grumbling sound and said, “Very fresh. This one is a bit—old.” His eyes travelled over her before they narrowed.
She shuddered with revulsion. Cayman shoved the man aside. “She is mine.” The two glared at each other but neither backed down.
The doctor intervened. “Easy men. I can find a product to appeal to you this one is already sold. Shall we finish our negotiation as I fear we are about to have some visitors?”
The woman said, “We don’t mind waiting for you to deal with your visitors.” She leant against one of the poles holding up the tent. The man with the red eyes went to stand next to her and slipped an arm around her waist.
The man who had been waiting outside entered. He grunted and said, “They are on their way.”
Medea went to cry out a warning but Cayman kicked her in her stomach. All the air in her lungs was forced out in a strangled gasp. She wheezed to gain breath to call out but only a whimper escaped.
Cayman shook his head. “Don’t try it my fortune.” She flashed back to when he had taken her foot and he had purred the word fortune over and over again as he caressed her flesh. Panic stole the breath she had regained.
&nb
sp; Chapter Eighteen
Everett looked at the tents and wondered if he misremembered where the tent of curiosities was. He raised his lantern to widen the circle of light. He saw the sign first. The one he had stood beside while he had waited for Katherine the time they had visited.
He didn’t speak, aware that someone might be inside the tent and listening for them. He pointed and she nodded. She had her gun out but it was pointed to the ground. His heart in his throat he shuttered his lantern so it wouldn’t give them away as they got closer. He used his free hand to push aside the flap over the entrance.
He could see Medea’s feet. Panic had him rushing in. He stopped when Cayman stepped in front of him bringing him up short. The witch doctor wasn’t alone either. There were several people behind him, including the doctor. Everett spun when someone stepped out of the shadows behind them. A large man raised a gun and pointed it to the back of Rayne’s head.
The doctor said, “Drop the gun.”
Rayne hesitated. He couldn’t blame her, without the gun they would be defenceless. Holding up her hands away from her body to show she wasn’t about to use the weapon she slowly lowered her gun. Everett could see her other gun in her belt but he had no idea if she had stopped to reload it. The doctor and the man with the gun didn’t tell her to put it down though so he decided he wouldn’t mention it either.
Instead Everett said, “So it was you who was releasing people.”
Rayne growled. “You let out the cannibal?”
Everett glanced at the man with the gun as that was who his sister was focused on.
The doctor chuckled. “He is one of my clients.” That would be who he was chopping limbs off for.
The doctor said to the cannibal, “Go see where the others are, please?”
Rayne said, “They are getting backup. We killed your Collector.” Her mechanical hand twitched and Everett paled. It was never a good sign when his sister was lying. He hoped the others couldn’t tell she was lying.
The doctor narrowed his eyes suspicious.
Medea sat up drawing attention to her. Cayman hissed at her but she merely glared at him and continued to shuffle so her back was against the pedestal. Brave woman. She was tied up so she wouldn’t be able to do anything even if she did get to her feet.
The doctor motioned to the man standing with the woman. Everett hadn’t paid much attention to them as they had been standing wrapped up in each other in the shadows.
The tall man disentangled himself from the woman before he pulled a gun and pointed it at them. The doctor motioned to the cannibal. He left and Cayman grabbed Medea and dragged her up to her feet.
Everett was pleased to see that the gears were able to compensate and helped her to keep her balance.
Cayman purred. “Well, you have your people. I’ll take my fortune here and be on my way.” Medea stumbled but Cayman got her moving.
Everett moved to follow her but the doctor said, “Oh no, mechanical man. I have work for you. I was going to kill you but there are people who will put up with your contrary nature. Apparently there is a need for your mechanical creations.”
Everett ground his teeth. “I’ll never do what you want me to.”
The doctor shrugged. “My partners are more than able to make you do something that will normally be against your moral code. Everyone has a price. They don’t care. Maybe I’ll package up your sister. She is expendable. They can always use her as a whipping boy.” He laughed at them.
Rayne asked, “So you trade in people and not just the parts?”
The doctor smoothed down his shirt as he spoke, “I deal in anything that will make me money. Doing what I do takes money and sometimes that means people have to suffer so I can help others.”
Everett sneered. “Is that what you think you are doing, helping people?”
“Of course I’m helping people. You saw that woman who lost a hand. She would have been in severe pain her whole life if I hadn’t helped her. My work here supports that whole wing at the hospital. Without me, all those workers would be forced to go to backroom doctors where they will die.”
Everett glanced to the tent flap where Medea and the witch doctor had gone. Rayne said, “We will find your partners after we have dealt with you.”
“Good luck. I have dozens.” He pointed to a wooden chest sitting near one pedestal. There were his bags as well so he was planning to leave. Once he did, he would be difficult to chase down.
Everett felt helpless. He wanted to chase after Cayman and free Medea but with the big man pointing a gun at them, he was unable to do anything but stand there and listen to the madman.
Rayne asked, “Is that your business records?”
The doctor frowned. “Why would you care, but yes, I have the details of all the money I’ve made and all the people I’ve saved.”
The woman who to this point hadn’t said anything or drawn attention to herself stood up from her position against the post. She reached behind her and pulled the sword from a sheath on her back. It wasn’t a very long blade but it looked wicked sharp.
She said, “Well, that makes things easier.”
She lopped off the doctors head. Blood sprayed and covered them and the jars. Everett was paralysed with his shock at the suddenness of the doctor’s death. His eyes couldn’t leave the slumped form of Doctor Carthart. Moments before he had been a talking breathing human being. An awful human being but still a human being. Now he was little more than a curiosity that wouldn’t be out of place in one of the jars in the tent.
Rayne growled. “You could have waited, Charani.”
The man dropped his gun to his side and wiped a hand over his face. “I agree, sweetheart. You could have found a less bloody way.”
Charani showed her teeth. “Don’t say that. You know I wanted to kill him hours ago when he first spoke about how he killed that kid and sewed it to a fish.” She motioned to the child in the large jar.
Everett felt his stomach rise. He shook it off and said, “I have to go after Medea.”
Rayne waved at him. “Go.”
Everett went toward the flap but had to back up when the cannibal stepped through the entrance. The cannibal aimed his gun at Everett’s chest as he glanced around at the scene.
A gun shot shattered the jar holding the monkey. Everett dropped his lantern surprised by the loud sound and the shattering glass. There was a whoosh as flame ran over the liquid. Heat hit his side and forced him back.
The cannibal backed out of the tent and ran.
Charani swore. “You know better to shoot, your aim sucks.”
“It distracted him, didn’t it?” The tall man countered with little heat. The two didn’t seem at all concerned by the smoke and fire.
Charani called out, “The chest. Don’t forget the chest.”
Coughing and keeping low they left the tent. The man carried the chest under his arm. Everett glanced around to make sure the cannibal had run off and that everyone was safely out of the tent before he went looking for Medea.
Cayman would head out of the circus rather than further in so Everett headed for the entrance of the circus and hoped that he got there in time before Cayman disappeared into the city.
___
Medea stumbled again and this time she let herself fall. She knew the others would be around and she had to make enough noise and gain enough time that they could get to her in time. Cayman swore at her and grabbed her by the back of her dress to drag her to her feet. For a slender man, he held a lot of power in his frame.
She mocked him. “I see you’ve run out of money. It seems I didn’t bring you as much fortune as you predicted.”
“I sold the last of the potion last month. But it brought me great wealth and you will again bring me a fortune.” Yes, by chopping her up piece by piece. Keeping her alive so he could make the maximum amount of potion before her flesh rotted.
“You’ll find I won’t be so easy to mutilate a second time.” In the years after she had escaped
him, she had learned some fighting skills. With her new foot, she would be even more agile. Though that hadn’t helped when he had snuck up behind her outside the circus tent.
Cayman made a guess at her confidence. “Because you have that mechanical foot? That won’t stop me from taking your other foot.” When he shoved her, she threw her head back. She caught just his chin as he pulled his head back but it forced him to recoil.
She danced away from his grasp. “I’m not scared of you anymore, Cayman.”
Having turned she saw Katherine down one of the alleyways between the tents. She was far back enough that Cayman wouldn’t see her from where he stood. Standing taller she taunted him. “I don’t think you are a real witch doctor. I think you are a liar and tell people you have power when you are nothing but a greedy man.”
“What do you know? You were born on alien soil. You are not a true child of Africa. How would you know how powerful I am? You’ve seen me kill.”
Not with magic though. “With poison. With deception but never with real power. You scare people into believing in you and you’ve done it well enough that people wake in the middle of the night thinking you are there.” Like she had done while she had run. But Katherine was right. Her ancestors were her ancestors and they would fight for her not for this giant snail.
Cayman shook his stick and the bones rattled. “I am there. I have spirits to watch you.”
“Then how come you didn’t find me?” She had sleepless nights in the Dials. He had been so close but he had never once shadowed her steps there.
“But I did.”
She shook her head. Surer than ever. “No, you hung around a place you thought I would return to as you knew I wanted to be whole. But you didn’t even know I had been there when you threatened Everett. You made your threat too early and I ran. Were you waiting inside my home? Did I mess up your plans by leaving?” She knew he had found her at her home but he’d lost her after that. It had taken time to realise the other signs of his pursuit was her own imagination.
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