“I'm Dante,” said the apparent boss, as he approached Mercy with an open hand.
“Mercy,” she greeted, shaking it.
She partially liked him already. He held a posture that displayed self-respect and demanded it as well. He was very neatly dressed, wearing a grayish-silver dress shirt with a tie. Mercy easily pictured him sporting a fedora. Above all, he had struck Mercy as being too kind and classy to be a boss; her first guess would have been 'musician' in different circumstances.
“Sorry Ethan,” said Dante, “but we saw her too, and just didn't feel like leaving her behind.”
“I'd like to speak to you alone,” Ethan said.
Dante chuckled. “Of course you would.” He signaled one of his men. “Find Mercy adequate accommodations until the Krohn and I are done here.”
She was led into a room of her own while Ethan and Dante remained in the lobby. The room was on the first floor, and the one who escorted her there remained at the door. The room was completely clean, including the linens on the bed. It must have been their designated guest room, because she also saw several clean shirts, pants and underwear, all of varying sizes on the small counter in the corner. Though she wished the door to be shut, she started changing her outfit anyway, keeping her eye on the door. No one came in or walked by while she changed.
Nothing to occupy myself with, she thought of the room. Perhaps the boss thought the clean clothes were enough accommodation nowadays, and they were. Her mind was on Ethan, though. I'm done waiting, she decided.
“Excuse me,” she said politely to the guard at her door. “Do you know the man I came here with?”
“Ethan Krohn, I believe,” he said.
“Do you know anything about him?”
“Why do you ask?”
Mercy thought for a moment. “I've known him for a while now, and I still don't know much about him. I don't know why he brought me here. So, I was wondering …” She hesitated, hoping the guard would know what she would ask, but he apparently didn't. “I'd like to hear what he's planning with Dante.”
“You're supposed to remain here, unfortunately,” he said kindly. “No one spies on the boss.”
“I know, but... He's dragged me around the city, insisting I stay with him. He's up to something, and it has something to do with me, but he refuses to tell me. So, just for once, I'd like to know what kind of person I'm involved with. I just want to know what he wants from me. Please, sir.”
“I am sure he'll tell you when he wants to. Besides, girl, family business is family business.”
“My life has been put in harm's way dozens of times because of Ethan. It shouldn't be asking too much to listen in, as odd as that sounds.”
The man chuckled, then spent a moment to ponder. “I'll give you a few minutes, alright? I suppose if the boss is speaking to Ethan in the middle of the lobby, it can't be all that secretive.” He brought Mercy to a corner close enough to the lobby to hear Ethan converse, but still far enough to be hidden. “I'll give you only a few minutes,” he whispered to her before leaving.
And she listened with the utmost attention.
“It's only logical to be on the winning side, right?” Mercy faintly heard Dante say in the distance. “I don't know what your sister has planned, or the others, but for now, I see no reason to be enemies with the troops.”
“A few days ago, I saw the ruins of Tabitha's home,” she heard Ethan say, ignoring Dante's statement. “Who carried that out?”
“I did, of course,” said Dante. “Well, not without a little help from another ally here in downtown: Marcus Solomon. You heard of him?” Ethan must have nodded, but Mercy didn't see. “That was your sister's plan, did you know that?”
“It had her signature. Quiet, unexpected, and brutal. She had a truce with Tabitha.”
Dante laughed. “Yes, she did. Lilith had every reason to betray that truce, though, wouldn't you agree? Tabitha killed your mother.”
“Why did you betray her, too? Lilith never could have done that without help from the inside.”
“It was Tabitha's time to go. She started an unnecessary war, damaging lives all across the city. The Matriarch clans swore to never reduce themselves to that level of treachery. But, no. Tabitha chose the violent route rather than negotiate with the rest of the families. It always amazed me, though. Of all targets, she killed Phoebe, the untouchable one. Scarlet should have been an easy target.”
Mercy kept note of all the names she heard. Thus far, she recognized everyone mentioned. The name 'Scarlet' made her wince. She was the first Matriarch Mercy encountered, and Mercy hoped she would be the last. Dante didn't seem to be anything like her, though he seemed to bear the same kind of power. She thought, If he replaced Tabitha, that would make him one of the 'Matriarchs', even though that title doesn't really apply anymore.
Ethan said, “I didn't see Theia anywhere. Did you kill her?”
Mercy had never heard the name before. She could hear Ethan's tone when he spoke the name. He sounded vulnerable and worried. No..., he's terrified. Mercy started to think this 'Theia' might be what Ethan was after all this time. With each passing second, she became ever more convinced of it.
“You think we would kill her? You think we'd dispose of the body so you didn't find out? No, Ethan. We did not kill your daughter.”
Whatever Dante said after that was drowned out by the shock that came over Mercy. She stumbled back, lightheaded and slightly nauseous. It made no sense. It couldn't be. Daughter? She was completely convinced of it now. Everything Ethan did was for her. He had let nothing stand in his way. He killed for her. He kept her existence an absolute secret so no one could use her against him. Ethan wasn't the monster she thought him to be. It had all been for her; to find her.
What do I have to do with all this? she still thought, over and over. The pieces were falling into place, but some remained missing.
Mercy had to return to her room. The guard asked if she was okay, but she brushed him off. She laid herself down on the bed. Questions flooded her mind, leaving her dazed ... until the enigma himself entered.
“We're finished speaking,” said Ethan once he stepped inside. “Dante is allies with Lieutenant-Colonel Tyson Corwin, the officer I've allied with as well, and he's given us permission to meet with him tonight. We can't stay the night here, though.”
Mercy didn't care. Her head was down, her mind elsewhere. “Why?” she asked. “Why didn't you tell me?”
Ethan, in all his silent demeanor, was for once actually silenced. After a moment's apprehension, he went to the door and closed it. Before speaking, he walked to the window overlooking the street. “You heard everything?” There was a weakness in his voice.
“The important part. The part you've been hiding from me. The part you should have told me from the beginning!”
Ethan breathed deeply. “Yes, I have a daughter, and her name is Theia.” He turned to face Mercy, and she looked at him half-intimately, half-glaringly.
“Why all of this? Everything you've put me through...”
“I thought she was dead. She was abducted months ago. She was with her mother when it happened, but I wasn't there.”
“What does she have to do with me?”
“As I said, I thought they killed her. That's what they told me. Scarlet, Carrie... My sister... Everyone I've ever trusted. I know they weren't involved in Theia's kidnapping, but they later told me Tabitha killed my daughter. And I believed them. When you were Scarlet's prisoner, I helped you escape for only one reason: to learn the truth. I needed Scarlet vulnerable, just for a moment. With her lair in an uproar, I knew she would be locked in her room with no more guards than I could handle alone.”
“I didn't care about escaping. I wanted to free the children.”
“Admirable,” said Ethan in a dragging voice. “But I didn't care for them, nor for you. I wanted to learn the truth, which I would only find in Scarlet's records. After I dealt with her guards and gave her a well-deserved beatin
g, she gave up her transcripts, and that's where I learned my daughter is still alive. Theia was never meant to be killed.”
“Why was she abducted? Why would the other families lie to you? Why would your sister lie to you?” Mercy paused, shaking her head. “Why was Theia taken in the first place?”
Ethan looked away. “Because of me. That's all you need to know.”
Mercy accepted that as the only information she would get from him. In hindsight, the deeper details didn't truly matter.
“When Isaac took you in, I tracked down Tabitha. By the time I got there, she and half her men had been slaughtered like pigs. I thought I would find my daughter among the bodies. I thought I'd find my child on the floor with her head split open. Nothing in my life had ever relieved me more than when I didn't see her there at all. But I didn't know where to go. I didn't know what the next step was. I thought I should ask for help... I didn't, though. If my own family would lie to me, about more matters than one ... I knew I couldn't trust anyone. Not unless there was something in it for them.”
“Where do you think she is now?” asked Mercy.
“Theia's strong. She's brave and never gives up. I don't doubt for a moment that she's alive out there somewhere. But... There's someone here in the city.” He faced Mercy for a moment. “You met him at Scarlet's. The man whose business is children.” Mercy then realized who Ethan referred to. “He has people all over the city. Theia couldn't avoid his clan forever. If she's alive, she's with him. An intelligent, brave child like her would be an instant favorite with Marcus. Once I pieced these things together, I went to the troops. I forged an alliance with them. In exchange for ... future plans ... I have immunity from my past crimes and I can call them allies. With their help, I can free Theia.” Again, he looked at Mercy, this time with what appeared to be sincerity and vulnerability in his eyes. “Once Theia is free, I need you to take her from me. That's why I've dragged you into this.”
“Give her to me? Why?” asked Mercy, her voice almost completely muffled by the bed.
“When I first met you, you had just lost your family. You were devastated, but not broken. Beaten, but not defeated. You still had hope, against all odds, that you would have a family someday. It's too late for me, though. My crimes are beyond forgiveness. You don't know even half the things I've done, Mercy. Theia deserves a parent she is safe with.”
“Where is Theia's mother?”
Ethan looked at Mercy for a while. “Her mother died some time ago, but she doesn't know that yet.”
Mercy brought herself to sit up in the bed. “You love her more than anything?”
“She is all that I love.”
She nodded. “I can tell. Before you learned she was still alive, I could see despair in you. The way you looked at... Haley.” Her eyes swelled. “You must have thought that's what it looked like when Theia died. But if you love your daughter, Ethan, you can't leave her. You can't give her to me, or anyone.”
“You know what I am, Mercy. Don't pretend you don't. I don't trust myself anymore. The things I've done before... The things I've done just since I've known you, just to find her again... I can't do it, Mercy.” He was silent, keeping his back to Mercy. “Corwin is my ally among the troops. His wife runs a shelter in Northeast; a shelter that is protected by the troops. It's where they began rebuilding Portland and its infrastructure. Theia will be safe there. Both of you will.”
“You can't give her up, Ethan. You have to find a way to trust yourself again. You're a better person than you give yourself credit for.”
“That's what I like about you,” said Ethan with what sounded like actual genuineness. “You're foolish in all the right areas. You're strong but not stubborn. Your hope in having a family again, after you lost everyone, is what gave me hope that I would see my daughter again. No one in their right mind would have allowed me to drag them around the city. Not without knowing what for. Theia will be safe with you, I know it. I know you'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”
“But Ethan ... you can't-”
“Seth was right, you were right. Everyone was right, from the beginning. I know what I am. You can't hold the person you love most when there's blood on your hands, or, in time, blood will be on them. I made you come with me to the city, and I made you come with me here. No part of me, or anything you've seen from me, is good. There is no fixing that, so don't try.”
Mercy walked up to him and embraced him closely, and Ethan did not hold her back. “I will think about it,” she said.
SETH
He staggered out to a random building across the street. Blood filled his mouth and covered his hands, making any basic use of his hands difficult. They're right on my back, he told himself for the push he needed to escape. He broke into the building immediately opposite the brothel, then ran to the second floor before stopping to catch his breath. Seth could hear the women being rounded up by the troops, who were laying waste to all the men that opposed them.
Out the window he could see the Jeeps roll in, driving over rubble and debris to park at the back side of the building he had escaped from. One by one, as they collected them, the troops were loading the hostage women into the backs of the vehicles. They were being treated with gentleness, to his immense surprise. They're not afraid at all, he noted of the women. Above all, Seth wished to see Ethan, perhaps to catch him carrying Mercy away so that he could make another attempt to save her, and kill him.
When the first Jeep was loaded, it drove away, followed by the second. There were three in total, but it seemed the third one wasn't necessary. It remained though, indicating to Seth he should keep low. Several minutes passed before he heard another sound. Part of him feared some of the troops were inside his building, searching for him. Finally, and completely unexpectedly, another battle erupted inside the brothel, but this one was composed of maniacal screaming and ruthless gunfire. The troops retreated out of the building one by one, making sure to not leave anyone behind before fleeing in the third Jeep.
Seth couldn't see them without remembering all he hated about them. But the words of James lingered as well, when he had simply asked, “How do we know they're the enemy? You've just heard rumors.” Such a simple question had an immense impact on his mind. It led Seth to question himself and everything he knew. It seemed to have just been common knowledge. No one he knew had ever questioned the accusations made against the government and the soldiers who served them. Braun gave proof, he told himself. The Nine-Eleven attacks, the Iraq war, the false imprisonments, the assassinations, the cancerous foods... All for the sake of keeping politicians and the rich in power, and the army served them every step of the way, like mob enforcers loyal to their kingpin. The troops weren't so much to blame for the corruption that consumed the government and oppressed the people of the United States, they were merely the ones that made it possible to begin with. They only followed orders. But what orders are they following now, wasting time rescuing a bunch of whores?
Movement to the right caught his attention. It was Isaac. Speaking of bosses, he thought. With the coast seemingly clear, he ran to meet his boss in the streets. Isaac was stumbling with an injured leg and a grazed arm, both on his left side. “Need help?” he asked.
“I'm fine. Where is everyone?”
“Either dead or taken.” Seth helped Isaac to the nearest wall to lean against.
“Did they take any of our people?”
“I don't know. Not that I saw.”
“Someone tipped them off. They knew exactly what they were looking for. Who could have told them?” Isaac kept wincing from the pain.
“Sir, I think the better question is, what scared them off?” Isaac looked at him confused. “I heard shots after the troops already made their sweep.”
Isaac seemed to have figured it out. “It's Marcus,” he said with utmost certainty. “We have to go back.”
He agreed with Isaac. The brothel was done for, and now only their strongest ally could help them. As Seth led t
hem back inside, Isaac seemed to be losing his sanity. “Twice I've failed to protect my assets. I'm not cut out for this, Seth.”
“You're fine, sir. I still have your back, no matter what happens.”
Inside, they found eight men and four boys there at the bottom floor, all assessing the damage and standing guard. “Isaac,” said one of them, who Seth had never seen before, “the boss wants you. Top floor.” Isaac didn't question the man, and Seth immediately helped him up the stairs. The young boy, no older than seven, who stood at the base of the stairs, stepped aside when they approached.
“It's hard to keep my disparaging thoughts to myself,” said Marcus, when they reached the third floor where the women had worked. He was protected by three times the numbers that were at the base floor. The children who served as his bodyguards were bigger, filthier, and wore bandannas over their mouths.
Except her, thought Seth. He had spotted a little girl, the sole one among the kids. She was smaller than the others and her face was far less serious, but the others kept their space from her. She stepped through them with ease. 'The hell is she doing up here?
“Which of your people tipped off the army?” Marcus scorned as he approached Isaac. Seth was ready to stand in Isaac's defense.
“No one,” he heard his boss reply. “My people would never betray me.”
“Clearly one of them did. Or, maybe someone who knew you before. Did one of your whores escape?”
“None that we had seen.”
“Did you keep record of all the whores you had?”
“I kept a sheet in my office.”
Marcus angrily threw his hands up. “Then show me this list of yours.”
“Sir, it wouldn't do you any good. All my women are gone. I can assure you, my people wouldn't–”
Marcus snapped once and his two biggest men approached Isaac.
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