by Matt Gross
Khayin started to remove his weapons and hand them to Jax, who stuffed them in his saddlebags. He also took Khayin's bag and attached it to his. Kira helped with the ropes. They tied Khayin's hands together and behind his back. They then wrapped his torso, pinning his arms against his body. It was extremely uncomfortable.
Khayin's eyes met Kira’s. They were close. “In my right boot,” he whispered. “There is a dagger. Take it, keep it close and bring it with you when you rescue me.” Before Kira could react, Khayin leaned in and kissed her. Their lips met only briefly before Jax tugged them apart. “Wait until dawn before you do anything,” he said in a slightly louder voice.
“OK, love birds. Let's get this show on the road,” Jax cackled.
Kira stood motionless once again. Khayin could only imagine what was going on in her head, but he figured that if this was going to be their last night together, he wanted no regrets. Kira grabbed the dagger before Jax pulled him away. She stayed back and trailed them, keeping to the shadows. Khayin watched her for as long as he felt was safe before finally turning his attention to Jax and the road.
Jax kept a nice slow pace for Khayin, but he knew that the bounty hunter would speed it up the closer they got. They walked that way for a couple miles until they were able to see the Nueden building. Jax stopped and jumped off the horse. He walked up to Khayin and the two of them stood face to face.
“What is it?” Khayin asked.
“Why the Nueden Corporation? They’re a medical and alchemical research company? What did you do to them for them to put a contract out on you?” he asked.
“Does it matter? That's just a cover--a clean business to mask a dirty one. Who cares? The chips are good, right? Why should you care?” Khayin responded rhetorically.
“Good point.” Jax hit him square in the face. “We have to make it look like you put up a fight.” Jax said smiling.
“Oh, good thinking.” Khayin kicked Jax in the groin doubling over the bounty hunter, then kneed him in the face.
Jax spit out blood and coughed uncontrollably for a few seconds. When his hacking was done he stood up and hit Khayin again. Khayin shook his head when he saw Kira out of the corner of his eye. Jax hit him a couple more times before he got back onto his horse. Both men were bloody and both were smiling.
Jax pulled up in front of the Nueden building and hopped off his horse. He grabbed the bags that had Khayin's weapons and the rope that held Khayin captive. Jax led him to about 30 paces from the glass doors and stopped. He looked at Khayin. Khayin nodded.
“I've come for the bounty on Khayin! Open up!” Jax shouted.
Chapter 31 The Alley
Kira was still in a daze when she watched Khayin and Jax leave. Her flesh tingled. She felt warm and fuzzy and she had no idea what to do about it. He kissed me. And I let him. What does this mean? Does he?...No...Can it be?...No. Fuck. What does it mean? It's because he thinks we're not going to make it through this, or me at least. That's got to be it. She was rationalizing with herself, trying to explain what had just happened.
Kira followed the men to the Nueden building. She stuck to the shadows in hopes of not being spotted by anyone from the corporation. The streets were deserted. Cars had been parked along the sides of the roads and very little litter could be seen. Kira was impressed by how tidy the city was. Vegas was nice, but Chicago took it a step beyond. She remembered Panama and how dirty it was. It had seemed like people there just didn't care.
They had walked a couple miles when she saw Khayin and Jax stop. She was nervous and a little scared, being in the city alone, so she didn't want to take her eyes off Khayin until she absolutely had to. Jax got off his horse and the two men conversed. What are they doing? Then she saw Jax hit Khayin in the nose. Blood came gushing out. She stepped out of hiding, but then Khayin kicked Jax between the legs and kneed him in the face, crushing his nose as well.
Jax got up and struck Khayin again. Her adrenaline pulsed and her temper began to flare. She had had enough and she started toward them, but saw Khayin look at her and shake his head. She stopped. What are they doing? Then it dawned on her. They both needed to look roughed up. She nodded, even though she was certain Khayin didn't see it and she slid back into the shadows.
Kira followed them for another mile or so until the two hunters stood in front of the glass doors of the Nueden Corporation building. Jax shouted, announcing his arrival with a bounty. Kira made her way around the side of a nearby store, being sure to stay out of view, but positioning herself to be able to witness the exchange. She couldn't hear anything, but the moonlight was enough to make out what was going on. The area became really visible when Nueden Security turned on the lights and walked outside.
Five men dressed in matching uniforms appeared from the building. They were armed with clubs and large guns. She'd seen guns like them before at the Air Force Base. She had seen what they could do and she wanted no part of it. Words were exchanged before one of the men left and headed back into the building. Khayin and Jax stood waiting with the remaining Nueden employees. The six of them, and Kira, waited for several minutes. After what seemed an eternity the man that had left returned with another man. The newcomer wore a different uniform with medals on it. He wore a hat and had a face full of hair. He was obviously important.
More words were exchanged before Jax handed the first man the rope and received a bag from the man in uniform. Jax nodded, handing him Khayin's bag of weapons before shaking the important man's hand. The hunter climbed back onto his horse and left. Kira decided to do the same. She wanted to be sure she couldn't be seen in case they saw through Khayin's ridiculous plan. She felt jittery and she could feel that her hands wanted to tremble. She ducked back around the corner and out of view, following the road on the other side of the store. The road took several turns, so Kira was sure to take mental pictures along the way so she could find her way back. Now she felt truly alone.
Kira found an alley behind a restaurant and decided to sit and wait for an hour before she did any reconnaissance. She was lonely in her solitude and she wanted to cry, the weight of everything that she had been through threatening to burst. She had always struggled with her emotions. Her sister was a master of controlling them, but Kira had to learn to hide them. She often thought that others in her tribe did as well, but her sister, she knew, truly didn't feel. The only emotions she saw in Brianna was envy and hate and she only showed them when she was doing something cruel or selfish.
Kira meditated. She crossed her legs, inhaled a deep long breath and exhaled through her nose. She focused on her magic; it flowed through her and she felt it tickle her skin like a cool breeze lightly caressing her flesh. Then she felt Khayin's touch. His hands gently brushing her face and hair. Her eyes snapped open, effectively breaking the meditation.
“Well, that's not going to work.” She sighed. “We will definitely need to talk about what happened when this is all done.” She shook her head, as if to shake something loose. She stood up and paced the alley.
The area behind the restaurant was fairly clean. There was a large metal trash receptacle next to the back door. She thought about possibly changing her appearance--her dreads were a dead giveaway and of course her tattoos could identify her in a second, but she hadn't the faintest idea how to cover them. That's when she felt it.
Kira looked at her arm and saw the sleeves of a jacket and not her hoodie. She looked at the rest of herself and was amazed to see that she was wearing a Nueden employee uniform. She immediately reached up to touch her head. Kira gasped. Her hair was shorter and fine and...blonde. This was no illusion; it was an actual transformation.
What did I do? How did this happen?
She was trying not to panic. She started to think rationally, realizing that when she had thought about a disguise, she had felt magic. But, where did the magic come from? Think, Kira. The sash from Muma. Did she foresee this? Did she know about my upcoming confrontation with my sister? Only one Crone every couple of generatio
ns was born with the gift of foresight and Sister-Mother Helga was it. Shit! This is starting to come together.
“Oh, Brianna, you are so going to die,” Kira seethed.
She began to pace and she tried to concentrate on her normal self. She willed the sash to change her back. It was a mental war at first. A wrestling match of sorts, as she pictured herself fighting another version of herself. She started to perspire. It wasn't this hard to change the first time. But she knew she had to learn control, otherwise it would change her every time she thought about it, even when she didn't want it to. She reverted back to her own self after her magic sparring match. She willed it back to the disguise with much greater ease.
I wonder what else this thing can do?
Her mind was a jumble. Fear, anxiety, and the feelings that Khayin stirred up were a chaotic mess in her head. Kira closed her eyes and thought of her home. She envisioned the bodies, the destruction, and ultimately, her mother. How had the Crone known Kira would return? Lilith, the Dragon-Mother? Kira kept her focus on her sisters, the Crone and Lilith. Revenge fueled her.
How could Brianna have done this? She had to have gone mad, killing everyone for the promise of power. What's she the Crone of now? I don't know who this Boss is either, but she will die as well.
Kira had to get control. She slowed her breathing. She focused on only one thing. Stick to the plan, Kira. Rescue Khayin, kill Brianna and the Boss. Simple enough. We kill my sister, a powerful witch and a god. No problem.
She pulled out the dagger that Khayin had given her. She turned it over in her hands. Kira could feel the dark magic radiating from it. There was barely any weight to it at all. The blade was crude and made of human bone from hilt to blade. Kira surmised that it was carved from a single bone. It was about a foot and a half in length and the handle was wrapped in strips of leather or some other skin, which looked as old as the blade itself. The pommel was the distal of the femur. She saw writing etched on the dagger blade in a language she didn’t know.
This is the weapon that kills gods. I bet Khayin has a story. This kind of artifact just doesn't fall into one's lap.
She wrapped the dagger in an unused shirt and tucked 'The God Killer', which is how she had started to think of it, into her carrying bag. She decided that she didn’t want to carry her backpack with her, so she left that behind after she transferred a few small items to her carrying bag. She had really nothing else of value for the rescue attempt, aside from herself.
Kira left the backpack beneath a nearby trash receptacle and she exited the alley. She made her way down the dark streets and around the back of the Nueden building. As she suspected there was a door in the back as well. She continued to circle the building, making an effort to note guard posts, other entrances, and lit rooms. The two floors above ground were dark; she saw no sign of life. She also noticed no guards. She shivered.
She made her way back to the rear door and checked if it was locked. The handle didn't budge. She really hadn’t thought this through. She had no spell to unlock it and she didn't have Khayin's skill of picking it. She stood there a moment in thought.
I could try breaking it, but that will make a lot of noise, as will forcing it off its hinges with magic. I could wait till dawn and walk in the front door. She looked at her arms and the rest of her uniformed body. I look like one of them. Great, Kira, you're an awesome partner. You can't even get into the building.
The door opened and Kira jumped. In the doorway stood a uniformed guard. He looked as shocked as Kira felt and probably looked. The two of them just stared at each other for a long moment. He was about six feet tall and broad shouldered. He wore his hair short and his face was cleanly shaven.
He spoke first. “Who're you and why are you standing at the service door?”
Kira glanced down to see if her jacket had a name tag. “I'm Kim,” she read aloud. “I'm new. I was told to come first thing in the morning. I know I'm early. I tried the front, but there were no lights and it looked deserted, so I decided to see if there was a different entrance.” She flashed him a big toothy smile.
“Ugh! Newbies.” He moved out of the way. “Come on, I'll show you to the lockers.”
Holy shit, it worked.
Kira walked past him. She put a little sway in her walk and she looked over her shoulder. “Thanks.”
He checked out her ass. “Um, yeah. No problem. I’m Sam.” He shut the door behind him.
Chapter 32 The Room
The whole building was alight and was nearly blinding. Coming from the dark of night Khayin would've liked to cover his eyes, but had to settle for first closing them, then squinting, and then eventually opening them back up altogether as his eyes adjusted. He was flanked by two armed guards, who insisted on partially dragging and leading him through the building. There were two more armed guards behind him and they all followed the man in the more elaborate uniform.
They passed the information desk in the lobby where two more guards kept watch. To the right of it was a set of stairs leading up to the next level. To the left was a door to offices, Khayin presumed. Beyond the desk was a single elevator and a door that led to another set of stairs. The elevator isn't the only way up and down, good to know. They led him to the elevator. The main man said nothing and Khayin decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being. He figured he'd have plenty of time to talk soon enough.
“Where's Dorne, sir? I wouldn't have disturbed you if I could've found him,” said one of the guards in front of Khayin.
“Joshua Dorne is no longer with us. You will answer to me from now on,” The head man said assertively.
“Yes, sir!” The guard said sharply.
Khayin decided to call this main man Mr. Head, not because he had a large head but just because he seemed to be the one in charge, for now. Mr. Head pressed the down button for the elevator and they all waited for it to arrive. After a few moments there was a dinging noise and the door opened.
Khayin was always in awe when he came to Chicago. It was a marvel that a city in this age could still run on power--magic power that acted like electricity, but power nonetheless. Why other cities haven't followed their lead he hadn't the slightest idea.
They all stepped through and entered the small elevator; the six of them were packed in like a can of sardines. “We're all going at the same time?” Khayin questioned. He couldn't help himself; the silence was killing him. “Is this part of the interrogation process?”
He was answered with the butt end of a rifle hitting him in his gut. It knocked the wind out of him and he doubled over, which invited another blow and a guard yelling at him to stand up straight. Khayin was surprised the guard could get that much force in the blows in such a small space.
He remained quiet for the remainder of the descent. They stepped into a small lobby with an empty desk. The walls were bare of any decoration. Everything was white. Must be a fun place to work.
Mr. Head approached a door and unlocked it. They entered a long stark hallway with many doors along both sides. There was a chill in the air, though Khayin couldn't tell if it was his imagination, or if the temperature was actually cool. Every door was marked with a number and a letter, ranging from 13A – 13M. They walked to the door marked 13M, which sat at the very end of the hall. After Mr. Head unlocked and opened it they all ventured in.
First appearances would suggest that it was a medical room. There were gurneys and rolling surgical trays. Curtains made partitions segregating the large room. Along one wall was a long table with many different medical and surgical tools. In one particular corner was a single chair with wrist and ankle restraints. There was space around the chair for someone to stand or sit comfortably in another seat if one were there. The interrogation room. These guys don't play around. Impressive.
They roughly dragged him over to the chair. Khayin stumbled and was helped with another blow from a rifle. They stopped in front of the chair while the two guards behind him untied his bonds. As soon as he was freed fr
om the rope they violently spun him. The hands of the guards holding him dug deep into the flesh of his upper arms. They shoved him down hard into the chair. Khayin didn't fight, but that didn't stop the men from being as rough with him as if he was. At one point one of the guards referred to Mr. Head as Chief Rantz, so Khayin focused on making that shift in his head.
The moment he was fully strapped down and restrained, the four guards backed away. One guard took Khayin's hat. Mr. Head stood in front of him. He was a sturdy man with a full beard. His coat was reminiscent of a Marine’s uniform. The man had his hands clasped behind his back. Behind the facial hair Khayin noticed a scar that ran along the man's left cheek and behind his ear. The Marine just stared at him.
“So...how does this work?” Khayin decided to break the ice. “You rough me up a bit before the real interrogator comes in? Or are you the real interrogator?” The man remained silent. “I can't imagine you being the 'getting dirty' type. So, you'll have one of your goons over there rough me up. You'll ask questions, in which you'll get no answers, then you'll leave and the real nasty starts.”
Chief Rantz's voice was low and gravelly. “Are you trying to be funny? Are you a comedian? Do you want to put on a show?”
“Are those rhetorical questions? Or, do you really want a show? I've never done stand-up, but I could give it a go? Have ya heard the one about...” He didn't get it out. The Chief moved fast and punched Khayin in the gut.
“You are right on one matter, Khayin. I'm not your interrogator. I personally find the act despicable.” He punched him again. “But I am here to soften you up a bit,” he said, speaking through his teeth.
The scruffy man continued to tenderize Khayin's mid-section. He only stopped to dodge a coughing fit of Khayin's that spat out blood. Khayin was certain a few of his ribs were broken, again. I wish I had an adamantium skeleton like Wolverine. As soon as his coughing stopped, the pummeling began anew. The Marine stayed away from Khayin's face. He backed away and stretched his fingers by opening and closing his hand. Khayin spat out blood. The red spittle made a splat on the floor. Tiny red drops fell on his abuser's nicely polished shoes. “With you not hitting my face, are you planning on kissing me after all this foreplay?” Khayin smiled, showing red stained teeth.
