Kill Switch (Rune Alexander Book 9)

by Laken Cane

  I didn’t kill him.

  In spite of everything, she was glad she did not have to shoulder that particular burden. She hadn’t killed Bill Rice.

  Mom and dad.

  She put her fist to her mouth and despite her best efforts, a ragged sob escaped.

  “What now?” Bill asked her.

  “Nothing is black and white, Rune,” Eugene said. “What Bill does keeps him alive.”

  “I don’t kill innocents,” Bill murmured. “I would never do that.”

  She blew out a deep breath and wiped the bloody tears from her eyes. “You can’t fucking torture them. You have to stop that shit. I don’t care if you have to eat to live. I don’t care that they might deserve it. Don’t fucking torture them.”

  “But—”

  “No,” she shouted. “No more torture. That makes you the bad fucking guy, Bill.”

  Did it?

  Maybe. She didn’t know. But it was the only way she could live with it. Else she would be hunting him for the rest of their…

  “What?” he asked, when she stared at him.

  “You’re immortal.”

  He nodded, slowly. “Yes…”

  Roma stepped forward. “Someday she’ll be without her crew. Without everyone she knows. She’ll be alone.”

  “Except,” Bill realized, “now she won’t. I will always be here.” He smiled, stretched out a hand to touch her, then pulled it back when she flinched. “I will never leave you, Rune.”

  She said nothing, just watched him.

  “Mom and dad,” he whispered, almost pleadingly. “Rune?”

  She wavered.

  “He’s just taking out the garbage,” Eugene said, and went calmly back to his chair. “Just ridding the world of evil. And the man has to eat.”

  Rune transferred her stare to Eugene. “So he’s doing a good thing.”

  Eugene pretended not to catch her sarcasm. “Indeed he is. The same as you. You were sent to Wormwood tonight because humans were fighting with the few Others we have left. Did you round the humans up and bring them in, Rune?”

  “They were murdering Others and burning Wormwood. There was a battle and we fought. It’s not the same.”

  Eugene inclined his head. “Maybe not, but Rune, the man Bill killed tonight. You know nothing about him or what he was doing. He kept three female Others in his basement, chained and abused, for two years. When it was discovered, he received a fine. A fine.”

  “You help him find his victims,” Rune realized.

  “The only thing you need to know,” Eugene said, “is that Bill does not harm innocents. He takes out the bad guys. What is wrong with that, hmmm? I’ll expect you to leave this alone. You did what you could—and it was the wrong thing to do. Now you will drop it.”

  “Bill,” she murmured, unable not to. “How are you not the bad guy?”

  He rubbed his face and blew out a tired breath. “Everyone is bad to somebody, Rune.”

  “You betrayed us,” Roma told him, slapping her slingshot against her leg.

  He looked at her. “You’re not “us” yet, child.”

  “Let’s go,” Rune told the girl. “Let’s go home.”

  “We’re still on the right side, Rune,” Eugene called, as she strode through the doorway. “Don’t forget what you work for.”

  “Don’t forget what you fight against,” Bill murmured.

  She was already walking down the hallway, but she heard him.

  “Rune,” Roma said, walking beside her. “What happened? You tried to kill Bill?”

  “I did kill Bill,” Rune snapped, getting into the car. “He just didn’t stay dead.”

  “What—?”

  “No more questions, Roma. Wait until we’re all together. Then we’ll talk.”

  “Of course,” Roma said. She reached over to squeeze Rune’s hand where it lay on the steering wheel. “It’ll be okay.”

  “It always is,” Rune agreed. “Eventually.”

  “How do you trust anybody,” Roma asked, “when no one is who they say they are?” But her voice was distant and she stared out the window. Her question wasn’t for Rune.

  How, indeed.

  When she pulled into her driveway, her crew was waiting. Ellis had coffee ready.

  They all—including the assassin—sat around the huge table, coffee cups in hand.

  She went straight to Jack. He looked up at her approach, surprise lighting his eye. “Rune?” He didn’t get up, but opened his arms.

  She sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Jack.”

  “Hey, honey.”

  “What happened?” Levi asked.

  “Mom and dad,” she murmured.

  Jack tugged lightly at her hair. “Something’s wrong with Bill?”

  She blew out a long breath, kissed his cheek, and then stood. “I found the serial killer in Wormwood tonight, standing over his victim.”

  She looked only at Jack, and he didn’t take his stare from hers. “Mom and dad,” he murmured.

  She nodded.

  “He dead?” Jack asked.

  “Bill Rice is the serial killer,” Raze said. It wasn’t a question.

  “Rune,” Jack said. “Is he dead?”

  She had to look away. “No.”

  “He’s killing humans,” Denim said. “You’ll have to end him.”

  They all turned to look at him.

  “She did,” Roma said, her voice hard. “She killed Bill Rice.”

  Jack got to his feet. “You said—”

  “He didn’t stay dead, Jack. He’s immortal. He’s…”

  “What? What is he?”

  “He said he’s a lich. Or sort of a lich.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what the fuck he is. I just know I sliced his heart and he fell, and he bled, and he stopped breathing.” She put a hand to her chest and took a deep breath. “I killed him.”

  “But he didn’t stay dead.”

  “No, he did not. He walked into Eugene’s office, very much alive.” She didn’t try to keep the anger and the sorrow out of her voice. “Eugene is helping him find victims. I guess he wanted me to catch Bill in the act.”

  Ellis wrapped his arms around her. “How could they let you catch him, knowing you’d kill him? How could they put you through that?”

  “That’s why he wanted you to trail Bill. Catch him, kill him, see him return to life.”

  “Why didn’t he just tell you?” Roma asked.

  “Bill didn’t want me to know. Eugene wanted me to see for myself. Maybe Eugene thought he’d have Bill to hold over my head. Or maybe he just didn’t want it kept from me. Fuck if I know.” She gave Ellis a squeeze. “I don’t know.”

  She pulled away from him, walked to the sink to splash water on her face, and then told them everything.

  “Mom and dad,” Jack said, when she finished the tale.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” she whispered.

  “Jack,” Roma asked, “where are your real parents?”

  He said nothing for a long moment, then he smiled. Sort of. “Dead.”

  “How did—”

  “Roma,” he said, gently.

  “Sorry.” She took a drink of her coffee, grimaced, and put down her cup.

  Ellis whisked it off the table. “I’ll make you some hot cocoa, honey.”

  “Thanks, El. Don’t forget the marshmallows.”

  “What does this mean?” Raze asked. “Bill, a murderer.”

  “I’m not surprised, though,” Levi said. “We’re talking about Bill being a serial killer, a man who tortures and kills humans, and I am not shocked by the news.”

  “Because we knew,” Denim answered. “We just didn’t want to admit it.”

  “Yeah,” Rune said. “And I don’t know what it means. And I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel.”

  “Is he the enemy?” the assassin asked, speaking for the first time since Rune had arrived.

  “Maybe,” Rune said. “I don’t know.” She was so tired
. Tired of thinking. Tired of worrying. Tired of pain. Then, “No. He’s not our enemy.”

  “It’s good that she found a friend who will never leave her,” Roma said. “Bill Rice can take care of Rune and Kader forever, when the rest of us are dead and gone.”

  Ellis blanched. “Shut up,” he whispered, his voice so quiet that no one heard him. No one but Rune.

  She understood, finally, what had been bothering him. Ellis loved her more than anyone. He loved her more than life. And now there was Kader…

  He’d been thinking about his death. About his mortality.

  About how they would have to go on without him.

  About how Rune would be alone, without anyone who would love her as unconditionally as he did.

  She would be so fucking alone.

  She knew he’d been thinking it, because she’d been thinking it. And she knew him as well as she knew herself.

  She closed her eyes, then blew out a long, slow breath and looked at him.

  He met her gaze, and when he saw the realization on her face, his eyes filled with tears. “Rune,” he cried, and buried his sorrow-filled face in his hands.

  Levi started toward him but then stood back and let Rune take care of him. It was between the two of them, after all.

  “I don’t think I can bear it,” Ellis whispered.

  “I know, Ellie.”

  They stood in silence, wrapped up in each other’s arms, until finally Ellis regained control. He gave a mighty sniff and pulled away from her, forcing a smile. “It’ll be okay, Rune.”

  “It will.”

  “You’ll have Bill.” He wiped his eyes, then nodded. “He thinks of you as a daughter. He loves you. He’ll take care of you. And he’s a…”

  Then he stopped speaking and stared at the wall, Roma’s cup forgotten in his hand.

  “Ellie,” Rune prompted. “What?”

  “Something I remembered about liches. I’m going to do some digging, and I’ll tell you what I find later.”

  He was dealing reasonably well with it. They all were.

  Maybe they’d just seen too much shit. Maybe they all—even the tenderhearted Ellie—were getting harder and colder. How else would they survive the bad stuff that never seemed to stop piling on top of them?

  “But about Bill,” Rune said. “I just don’t know what to do.”

  The assassin pushed himself away from the wall and walked to her. “It’s not up to you to do anything about Bill Rice. The baby is what you need to worry about—and he will help you protect her. Other groups will want her—groups with leaders who have no humanity left inside them. Leaders like my father.” He shuddered, then whispered, “The Next. You cannot let them take that baby.”

  The crew remained quiet as he glanced around at them. And finally, he touched his mask. “This is what those groups do to special children, Rune. And this is what you have to worry about. The groups will come for your baby.”

  Rune swayed and mechanically held out a hand. “Fuck you, Will.”

  He took her hand to steady her. “You have Eugene Parish and you have the Annex. You have Bill Rice. These are powerful forces and they are your allies. Do not alienate them.”

  “She has her crew,” Raze roared, striding toward Will. “She doesn’t have to kiss Annex ass for protection.”

  But Will didn’t take his stare from Rune. “Rune will do anything she has to do for her child.” For a second, pain flashed in his eyes.

  Perhaps he was thinking of his own horrific childhood. No one had been there for him. No one had kept him from being tortured. No mother had stepped in to save him.

  And he wanted make sure that someone was going to be there for little Kader.

  She pulled her fingers from his grip, but her voice was soft. “Yes. I will do everything to make sure she’s safe. I won’t allow anyone to hurt her. Ever.”

  “And Bill?” Raze asked.

  She smiled and made her decision. “Eugene was right about one thing. Bill isn’t hurting innocents. So for now…”

  “He’s taking out the trash,” Jack said. “And we leave him the fuck alone.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  And once again, Ellis buried his face in his hands and burst into tears.

  “Why are you crying?” Roma had her slingshot out, as though the threat was right there in front of her. “What is it?”

  “He’s worried about Kader.” Rune put her arm around Ellis.

  Ellis took a deep breath and wiped his eyes. “I hate that she won’t get to be a normal child with a normal childhood. She’s always going to be in danger. She’s always going to be surrounded with violence and pain and monsters.”

  Rune went to the coffee pot to get a fresh cup of coffee. Then she turned to face Ellis. “She is going to be surrounded with love. Look around this room. Everyone here is her parent, her protector, her teacher. And she’s going to be more powerful than I am. Just think about that. She’ll be happy, Ellie. I promise.”

  Jack adjusted his eyepatch. “That little girl is going to end up saving us all.”

  “But what if we mess up?” Ellis asked. “What if you take her out there and it kills her?”

  “She’s my kid. She’s Z’s kid. She’s…” She wiped her forehead, surprised to find a layer of sweat there. “She’s immortal.”

  “But what if it does? What if—”

  “Then it does,” Rune shouted. She reached out to him. “Ellis. Please.”

  He ran to her then. “She’ll be fine, Rune. Of course she’ll be fine.” He wrapped his arms around her while the others stood in an uncertain silence. “I’m sorry.”

  “Take care of yourself,” she told him. “You know how much we need you. You can’t let your fear overpower your happiness. We’ve got a baby, Ellis.”

  She looked around at her little crew, all of them willing to fight. All of them willing to die—for the baby, for her, for each other. “Shiv Crew,” she murmured. “Shiv Crew against the world.”

  “Rune,” Roma said, “you have an army in Killing Land. If the time comes when you need them, you can take Kader to them and you’ll be surrounded by people who only want someone to lead them. They will fight for you and they will fight for Kader.”

  “Yes,” Rune said. “You’re right. Fucking Killing Land.”

  “We’ll have to train them,” Jack said.

  “Yeah,” Raze said. “Right now, they’re a bunch of trigger happy thugs.”

  “No,” Rune said. “They fought fearlessly against the monsters from Skyll. You were there, Jack. You saw them.”

  He nodded, slowly. “They’re rough around the edges, but they’re valuable.”

  “Offer to teach them,” Roma said. “Then ask Eugene to send trainers to Killing Land. He’ll be happy to give you that.”

  Raze roared his approval and clapped her on the back so hard he nearly sent her through the wall. “I might not like you, girl, but I can’t deny that you’ve got Rune’s back. You’re one of us now.”

  Roma didn’t punch him, like Rune thought she would. She simply laughed, her eyes bright with pride.

  “We have more than enough people to care for a kid,” Levi said. “Guards, fighters…” He winked at Ellis. “Mannies.”

  “And one badass mama,” Denim said.

  At that moment, Nikolai pushed open the kitchen door and walked in. “I have a message for you,” he told Rune. Then he glanced around the room. “Is something wrong?”

  “What’s the message?” Rune asked.

  “Gunnar the ghoul is in Wormwood, and he needs to speak with you. Also…do you never sleep?”

  “There’s no time to sleep,” she said, already striding toward the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Jack offered.

  “Go home, Jack. At least some of us can get some sleep with what’s left of this night.”

  She’d just started the car when Roma opened the passenger side door and climbed in. “I’m coming.”
/>
  Rune sighed. “If you’d rather wander around Wormwood searching for a ghoul than sleeping in a nice soft bed, then fine. Come.”

  “You’re excited,” Roma noted, buckling her seatbelt. “Your voice trembles when you’re nervous excited.”

  Yeah, she was excited. Nervous. Worried. Exhausted.

  Gunnar was back from Skyll.

  “Shit,” she whispered.

  Had he freed the berserker? Had he killed the berserker?

  Had he seen Z?

  Can I believe anything he tells me?

  Before she could pull out of the driveway, the back door opened and Will the assassin slipped into the car.

  “Et tu, Assassin?” Rune asked, then sped down the street.

  “It’s my turn to walk the path,” he said. “And the ghoul is going to tell me where to find it.”

  “You’re being foolish,” Roma told him. “The path will kill you. And if it doesn’t, Skyll will.”

  “Don’t forget the creature we kept in the cave, Will.” Rune glanced at him through her rearview mirror. “That could be you. What’s so important that you’re willing to take that kind of risk?”

  He said nothing, but his fingers crept over the mask covering his face. When he caught her watching, he dropped his hand and turned his head to stare out the window. “Who has returned? Gunnar the Ghoul or Gunnar the Wise?”

  “I forgot to ask Nikolai,” Rune replied. The ghoul. Please, the ghoul.

  “If he’s still the pretty Gunnar,” Roma said, “wouldn’t he have just visited your house instead of sending word for you to come to the cemetery?”

  “No,” Rune answered. “He wouldn’t.” She looked into her rearview once again. “Assassin.”

  He met her stare but said nothing.

  “I need you here, not on the path. Darkness is coming. I need you here.”

  “I won’t walk the path right now.”

  “Don’t sneak away, Will Blackthorne,” Roma said. “Don’t you sneak away.”

  “I hadn’t planned on leaving until we’ve sorted things out here,” he replied, “but I need to speak with the ghoul to get the location of the portal. He will be less forthcoming if I question him without Rune present.”

  Roma nodded, satisfied. “I believe you.”

  Rune didn’t speak until she got out of the car at Wormwood. She walked toward the main gates, Roma on one side, the assassin on the other.