by Regan Black
The girl lurched as the Judge shoved her at Billy. "Take her to holding. I'll catch up."
Jaden's vision was restored when the contact broke.
He'd already seen to Billy's release. Or escape. No difference. With renewed fervor, she studied the diary. This monster had to be stopped. And all his minions with him.
In her flurry of determination, Jaden blocked out everything but the words she'd penned so long ago. And there it became crystal clear. Thomas, as he was known now, as he'd been known to her at the first. Thomas must side with her, must understand the true nature of the Judge. He must accept her word as fact, despite the lack of evidence. How had she missed this simple fact in all the other attempts?
"Stupid," she scolded herself. "Impossible. Bizarre." She pushed the diary away, rejecting the concept. It slid off her desk to land on the floor. Regretting her temper, she picked it up, only to find the fabric covering torn loose from the back and several smaller pages peeking out.
One fact was clear immediately: the writing was not hers.
Jaden willed her hands to stop shaking as she gingerly extracted the papers from their hiding place. Her skin chilled as she read each page.
They came to me, each of them with their stories so like yours. My darling, what have I done? I was a coward not to see. I am unworthy of your faith in me.
I shall work tirelessly for your release as I continue your efforts on behalf of the unfortunate.
He is too strong, too well guarded. Every path I take leads to another, lesser man, merely taking orders.
The pages went on like this. Similar notes of efforts failed and victories nearly too small to mention. And on the last page Jaden read:
Word reached me today of your death. I have failed you in life, but my insistence has at last earned your peaceful rest with your parents. My love for you endures. I pray your forgiveness and that our souls may one day unite as our bodies were denied.
Jaden looked to the ceiling and pleaded with celestial powers she'd never understand and didn't want to. "Why him? It's impossible. He's impossible!" She let the shout build and released her frustration with it.
Spent, she fisted her hands in her hair. "Why not a gun or special sword buried in a rock? Why not a simple silver bullet?"
An explosion rocked the warehouse above, sending an avalanche down on her. Not the answer she wanted.
Jaden blinked gritty eyes and listened to a strange whimpering sound. Her attempt to move resulted in a gasp of pain and she understood the whimpers weren't from another victim, but from her own bruised lips.
Pain radiated from her head to her toes, but she counted her blessings that she could feel both and all the parts in between. It took what she assumed to be several minutes to recall where she was. The death-lock of her fingers around a small book clarified the situation.
Siren sounds faded in and out and she knew she had to get to safety. The defenses she'd installed on her building would soon kick in.
The acrid smell of burning wood and melting steel stung her eyes, but she stuffed the few things worth saving into a backpack. Voices above made her pause at the stairwell. Not up to a fight, she waited until they faded.
Alone again, she snuck out of the burning building, not indulging in regret.
"I've got you." Thomas's hands landed on her and she felt better instantly. Of course better was a relative term.
She elbowed him and made a dash for the alley. Except the dash felt more like a stumble and bruised her pride.
"What's the rush?"
It would take a supreme physical effort to drag him out of harm's way. "Too close," she rasped through seared lungs.
"The fire crew's on it. What happened?"
"He tried to kill me." On sheer will she moved away from the building, refusing to look back. If he was too stupid to follow, oh, well.
"Judge A didn't do this."
Jaden decided she'd never be desperate enough to ask for help from this man who consistently failed her. "Of course not." She allowed him the superior smirk and struggled forward; shamelessly relieved she wasn't hauling him too. "He hired it done and we both know it."
"We don't both know it."
"I'm done arguing with you." Her temper surged past reason. "Judge A is a demon, sent to create as much hell and havoc as possible before I kill him. It's the same every damn time." She shoved away from him, and cursed her waning strength. She resisted Brian's efforts to help or hinder, she didn't know his intent, just that his hands kept seeking her body.
"Back up the bus, gorgeous."
She was about to tell him where to shove his outdated euphemisms when the rumbling tipped her off. "Oh, shit." She grabbed at him and his surprise allowed her to push him down and away from the debris field about to rain on them.
"What the–" was all he got out before he lost his breath when she landed on him.
The windows of her warehouse blew out as the rest of the building neatly folded in on itself, sending a spike of fire heavenward. Dust and bits of her life covered them in a fine powder.
"Bastard," she shouted at the smoldering remains.
"Call me Brian," Thomas muttered beneath her.
"Not you. You're conscious?"
"You could sound happier about it."
Jaden shook her head. Then she laughed. "He doesn't know he missed me. I can be happy with that."
She stood, again refreshed from the contact with Thomas, and tried to resume her escape from the alley, the police and the evidence crews due to arrive any second.
"You need my help," he said, following her.
"From what little you know it might look that way. But I'm okay alone. Really."
"What I know might surprise you..."
Jaden knew he was still talking. His lips would hardly be moving otherwise. But she couldn't hear his words over the screams in her head. This chick has a set of pipes. She refused to let her knees buckle until she was out of the alley and into the dim light of the pathway.
On trembling legs, she kept moving. Or tried to. But her vision was marred by the wild gaze of the terrified girl. She could well relate to the feeling of Albertson's approach. Too easily, she understood the gut-loosening intimidation caused by the soft-spoken delivery of evil words.
With one hand on the nearest wall, Jaden forced herself to move forward, while focusing on the girl's surroundings.
She seized on the few details available. A pattern of long, rectangular windows in groups of three. Light poured through them, telling Jaden more than it told the victim. Albertson staged his vile games on a set as false as he was.
If this girl survived, and held the courage to tell, she'd say her assault took place during daylight hours when the Judge would be safely behind his bench. Her story discredited, he'd remain above suspicion and she'd get a month of injections.
"Bastard," she said aloud.
Thomas gave her a hard shake. "An evidence van just turned the corner. Let's go give your statement."
Though still seeing with the girl's eyes, the poor creature had lapsed into a shocked silence, which allowed Jaden to hear again. "Can't," she said on a ragged breath. "I'm not serving thirty days anywhere but home."
"Home's gone."
"Right. Well, bye." She began to formulate an alternate plan. "See ya around."
She felt him hesitate, then go. She walked a bit further, until she felt the corner of the rusty dumpster. Slumping into what she hoped looked like a pitiful ball of homelessness, she waited for the excitement to pass.
When running feet skidded to a stop beside her she played the part as best she could. Soon, though, she felt Thomas's touch.
"Call me Brian and I'll get you outta here."
"Okay, Brian." She reached out. "But why help me now?"
"Later. Tell me what's wrong," he ordered.
"I'm sorta blind at the moment."
"The explosion?"
It was a convenient excuse. "Sure. Did anyone see you?"
"Counti
ng you?" he teased, easing her arm over his shoulders. With his free hand around her waist he snugged her close.
It troubled her to enjoy it so much. But it restored her vision and her energy level soared. She felt alive, awakened, as if she could conquer anything.
"My statement would've been worthless."
"Yup," he agreed. "Nothing to say. The place just blew."
"Gas lines suck," she snickered.
"And it's an old place."
Appalled at the easy camaraderie, Jaden snapped back to business. "Why did you come back?"
"That whole protect and serve thing. Once you're safe I'll go back–"
His radio card crackled with news of an officer shot while responding to a murder-suicide scene across town. The address was Brenda's.
She stopped walking and pulled away from him. "You came back." She tapped the pocket holding the radio card. "Because of this." The answer was clear enough in his eyes. And the solution crystallized in her mind.
"Did anyone see you?" she demanded.
"No."
"Good." She yanked the stressed cow-safe fake leather jacket from his body and pulled his badge from the waistband of his jeans. She drew the dagger and nicked his hand before he could protest, smearing blood on his badge. Next, she sliced out a strip of the jacket's lining, handing it to him for a bandage. Digging in her backpack for a lighter, she set the jacket on fire.
"What the hell? Stop that!" He stomped out the flames and then tried to reclaim his property.
But she was focused and quicker now. "Stay here." She snuck closer to the demolished warehouse and tossed in the evidence of his 'death'.
"My condolences," she said, returning.
"You're outta control, Michaels."
"Since we're both dead now, Brian, call me Jaden."
"Neither of us is dead," he pointed out with a surly tone.
"Think what you can learn if we play it that way."
"You're crazed. You need to be in a hospital."
"I've heard that one before." Though never from him. She sniffed at the insult. "Look at it as undercover work. If I'm an insane stalker with a grudge against your buddy, you'll have all the access and evidence you need. It won't go to court and you can resume your life a hero among saints." Just like every other time.
He stared, studied really, his gray eyes weighing all the possibilities. "What's the plan?"
"Develop our ghostly skills, I guess." She tried to smile, but it troubled her that the Judge knew so much. If he'd found this place, he'd soon find her alternate hideout. Resigned, she turned away toward the next best thing to home.
Slick Micky's.
There she could trade her teaching skills for a few key favors and get on with the research to complete her mission to destroy Albertson.
Chapter Five
Time Stamp: 1066
From the shadows of the balcony I watched him training. He moved with grace and speed and my heart broke for all that I'd been denied. My family could take no action against the baron and my betrothed could not accept another man's seed swelling my stomach.
At the sound of scrabbling on the stones, I turned my head.
"A thousand pardons," the girl rasped as she tried to scurry away.
She stumbled over her gown and I rushed to her aid. I barely recognized the swollen face of the nurse's young daughter. "Who did this?" I demanded. Though she refused to answer, I saw the mark and knew the baron was to blame.
With God as my witness, I vowed to set this wicked world to rights.
Chicago: 2096
"You're new," said the guard at the door.
Jaden shrugged. "He'll wanna see me."
The guard harrumphed and eyed Brian. "Not him. No way."
"Him who?" Jaden asked. "He's dead."
Before the guard could take a poke, Brian sidestepped. "Figuratively."
"Literally too. Just watch the news," Jaden suggested with a saucy smile for the guard.
"Whatever. I'll ring you through door one."
"Great."
Door one buzzed, swung open, and Jaden stepped forward without hesitation. Brian followed. The door clanged shut behind him, then the lights in the small room came up, stopping just short of too bright.
Jaden waved at the camera in the corner and jerked her thumb at Thomas. "He's cool. We're both dead and I need a place for a day or two."
"It'll cost," Micky's voice declared from the speaker.
"One class," she agreed.
"Two."
She rolled her eyes. "Okay. But if you or your girls talk you've made an enemy."
"Same goes," Micky replied, before an entire wall of the room slid away to reveal a warehouse full of young women packing smuggler's bags with pure, refined sugar.
She heard Thomas–Brian–suck in his breath at the sight of such criminal activity. "Oh, relax, you've dined with worse."
"So you've said."
"Maybe just once in this dance of ours, you'll simply take my word."
His furrowed brow said it all. He had no clue to the true origin of their relationship.
Then Micky descended from his office and embraced her. Quite an unusual display from the man, and at only their second personal meeting. Jaden noticed he looked nothing like the confident, cocky smuggler she'd met earlier.
"What's happened?"
"Two more girls gone. This morning. The cargo dumped in the gutter."
"Which you recovered, naturally," Brian said.
Micky gave Brian a calculating glance. "Naturally. Who is this?" he asked Jaden.
"Man of a thousand faces. He's–"
"The chief," Micky snarled as recognition dawned. He turned on Jaden. "You've exposed the heart of my business to a man who can take it down with a word?"
Put that way, maybe she should've left Brian to manage the second explosion on his own.
"The media thinks he's dead. Take a look." She pointed over his shoulder. The monitors he had at the end of the room were running the story now. Micky strode over, punched a button for volume and paused. His head swiveled back to Brian, then toward the monitor once more. Jaden waited until he signaled them to join him upstairs.
"Come on," she whispered to Brian. "And behave yourself."
"I knew about him, y'know."
"And let his business run unhindered?" she asked, climbing the stairs.
"Unhindered doesn't mean unmonitored. He's breaking the law, but it's a stupid law."
She felt him lean in, felt his words against her neck. She hated herself for the instant shiver of excitement. Attraction had plenty to do with it, but loving him once had doomed her forever. A woman should learn her lesson and move on.
She stopped at the landing, just outside the office doorway and gaped at him.
"Can you really say that?"
"Sure. Especially now that I'm dead."
His grin was sharp and fast. And electric.
"Well then, dead men tell no tales," she reminded him, struggling to regain her objectivity.
"Got it. You talk I'll observe."
"Deal." For a second, hope bloomed again. Then she remembered who she was dealing with and common sense nipped it.
Stepping inside, she focused on Micky. "So what's the big upset?"
"I've lost another one. Dead this time. Used and dead and tossed back."
"Tossed back?" Jaden and Brian asked simultaneously. Jaden scowled at Brian who acknowledged his mistake with a dip of his chin.
Micky continued, oblivious to their subtle exchange. "Tossed back. At the back door, of all places."
"Back door?" Jaden inquired, alone this time, though she could see Brian thinking the same.
"The private entrance for my girls. Only they know about it. Only they have access."
"Then someone's talked."
"I assume so."
"Have all the missing girls been–accounted for?" Brian asked.
Can't fight nature, Jaden thought. Brian's nature was inquisitive, even with his
narrow mind.
"No. Three have never been heard from again."
"Have you reported this? Given descriptions?" Brian asked.
Jaden nudged him with an elbow. "Pretty talkative for an observer." She turned back to Micky. "But he's got a point."
"Are you kidding? Filing a report is financial suicide for me. And I think this bastard knows it."
"You mean your mules are targeted because you won't complain."
Micky shot a look at Brian that said more about his estimation of the chief's intelligence than an IQ test. "Yeah."
"So we've got a serial killer or rapist on the hunt."
"That's only the tip of the iceberg," Jaden grumbled. "There's more here."
"More what?"
"More to it," she snapped at Brian, tired of his consistent interruptions. She knew her enemy, knew his patterns and this had a different feel.
To his credit, Brian let her think. Her last life was usually the easiest to recall, down to the smallest details about society. "Last time he dabbled in video. Cambodian girls I think."
"What?" Micky asked.
She ignored him. "Chinese girls were priceless, and largely unavailable. Their female population was already dying."
"How do you know all this?"
The memory faded and she met his quizzical gaze. "Experience."
"You mean research."
"I say what I mean, thank you," she snipped, not liking the reaction but helpless to stop it. "But research isn't a bad idea. I'll need access to old reports. Both police and news."
Brian shrugged. "Good luck. I'm dead, remember?"
"I've got news files here," Micky offered.
"And with the right computer I can hack police files," she thought aloud. "Micky if you want your girls protected, I'm gonna need to set up shop. My place is gone."
"And I'm dead."
"Oh, get off it." She elbowed Brian again. "Being dead might be the most helpful thing for all of us. The Judge will be upset about taking you out. Unless he did it on purpose. Who told you to follow me? Or did you decide to answer the initial call on your own?"
Brian scowled. "The Judge asked me to follow up and make sure you didn't try anything with the transport officer. Not unusual considering how the case went down."
