by Jus Accardo
“I think you should shove that tit and tat right up your ass,” Dez spat. “Kale is going to destroy you.”
He laughed again. “I can see why 98 is so taken with you. You’re a fiery one, aren’t you?”
“That would be awesome, right?” Shoulders squared, she snickered. “If my ability had something to do with actual fire? I could light you up like burned toast…”
Samsen clasped his hands and shimmied. “Delightful!” He turned to the other agents. “Isn’t she delightful?”
Dez glanced toward the door, then to the younger agent standing to her left. Her thumb stopped tapping. “So no control. Then, what?”
“I’m not interested in controlling you because 98 is more fun.” Samsen turned his head and glanced around the room. “And we both know he’s here now. Somewhere. He wouldn’t leave you behind.”
A small part of me—the child who remembered the feeling of complete helplessness that came from time spent with Samsen—wanted to stay hidden. To tuck myself away in the shadows and wait for this all to pass. The rest itched to face him. The dark me—the part Denazen had turned into a monster—wanted the same thing he claimed he did.
Revenge.
“Not going to come out and play?” Samsen waved a hand in the air, then turned to Dez. “So let’s pass the time and get to know each other, shall we? I know your mommy raised the pup, but he and I spent a lot of time together. I guess you could say I was like a father figure to him.”
“You like to hear yourself talk, don’t you?” Dez said. She was between him and Rob, who was inching closer.
“I do have a fabulous voice,” Samsen cooed. “But anyway—I’m very curious about something. How well do you know our little assassin friend?”
Dez snorted and tilted her head up. I could see she was rolling her eyes. “Oh, please! I can’t believe you’re stooping to this. Lame much?”
“I know, I know. This is a bit cliché, but really, I don’t believe you truly know your man.” Samsen glanced around the room—he was searching for me—and smiled. “There was this one time he and I went to Jersey during Christmas. Have you seen the work that boy can do with his hands?”
He was baiting me. Trying to draw me out on his terms.
“Then there was this other time,” Samsen said, circling Dez. “We drove out to Long Island where some rich oil baron wanted his wife to disappear.” He chuckled. “I thought it’d be amusing to make 98 explain to this woman—who was an absolute bitch, by the way—exactly what was going to happen when he touched her. Of course, I had him embellish a little. Ya gotta have the buildup, ya know?”
Dez shook her head and took a step back. “You’re a sicko…”
He kept going as though she hadn’t spoken. “You should have seen him, Dezzy-girl. He was brilliant. Delivered his lines with pure perfection. Dragged it out for over two hours. I thought she was going to piss herself by the time he was done.”
Dez didn’t respond. She was looking around the room. Searching for an opening.
Samsen didn’t notice. He stopped walking again and looked up toward the grate. He knew where I was, and his patience was gone. “No? Not enough? Well, what about the time in Southern Cali? I’m sure she’d love to hear how you—”
I kicked the grate out and jumped to the ground. “Enough.”
Everyone but Samsen looked surprised. Dez simply smiled and blew me a kiss. She knew I wouldn’t have gone far. Samsen, however, looked downright ecstatic.
“Lookie lookie, who gets a cookie?” Waggling a finger at me, he grinned and said, “I knew you wouldn’t leave your girl.”
“Of course not.” I trained my eyes on his neck and sucked in a quick breath.
The Master’s Chamber was made up to resemble a dilapidated bedroom with vaulted ceilings. Gossamer strands of wispy material clung to the walls, covered in part by real cobwebs and dust. In the corner, a pale statue of a woman wearing a thin white gown was bent over the edge of a bed, apparently weeping, while a man stood behind her about to swing a massive ax covered in what appeared to be blood.
Across the room, a few feet from the door, there was a large platform. The Statue Man stood, looking down on the room from high up. His expression was almost sad.
Samsen bored easily. I needed to move before he got tired of the games. “You know we’re not leaving with you.”
Samsen spread his arms and stepped closer. “I know you believe that.” Turning, he waved at the older agent, who dragged Dez over with him. “Let’s make things interesting. What should I tell her to do? I know I said you were more fun, but I think having you watch would be even better.”
“Samsen,” I growled. “Don’t do it.”
I shouldn’t have responded. It was what he wanted. To see the torment on my face.
“I will kill you,” I promised.
He continued as though I hadn’t spoken. “Do you remember Mesher? That guy with the super brain? Had him bludgeon himself to death off the kitchen wall. Made one hell of a mess.” He paused, body turning toward Dez. “She’s too pretty for that, though. Don’tcha think?”
I took another step forward. The angry knot in my chest turned icy. Samsen was not only sick, but he was imaginative. I’d seen it firsthand. The possibilities rushing through my mind were enough to freeze the blood in my veins.
“Oh, I know! How about we have her do a striptease?” He turned to the agents. “What do you think, boys? Could be fun?”
Two of the three remained silent—the older one and the one wearing the safe suit—their faces drawn in fear. The youngest, Rob, grinned and nodded greedily, eyes roaming up and down the length of Dez’s body.
I’d kill him first.
Finally, Samsen turned back to me, smiling. Something sick twisted inside me. Something far worse than the knot in my chest. This was heavy, dragging my insides down with something I hadn’t felt in a while. True fear.
“No. Too easy. I’ve got something better in mind.” He laughed as he lunged for me.
I avoided him by stepping sideways. Samsen was a monster, but he wasn’t a fighter. He’d always relied on others to be the muscle behind his madness. As I expected, the agents came forward to fight as Samsen grabbed Dez and dragged her out of the line of fire. He’d been telling Dez the truth. This was never about Denazen business.
This was personal.
The agent with the safe suit came at me full speed. I didn’t know what to expect from him. Up until now, he’d been silent, keeping to the edge and staying uninvolved. Agile, he punched out hard, fist catching the corner of my shoulder, the blow rocking me back. I swung at his face, but he dodged it, expression morphing from cautious to cocky.
While he was distracted by the small victory, I dropped to the ground and swept his knees. He went down hard with a surprised cry, and I jumped forward. One good pull and the material of his suit ripped. I ran the tip of my finger along his jaw—and he was gone.
The second agent, the oldest of the three, approached me with hesitation. It was the single most foolish thing he could have done. If nothing else, I was a predator—and predators could sense fear. Use it against you. He swung out halfheartedly as I brought my left elbow down across the corner of his jaw. On impact, something flew from his mouth—a tooth—and he stared after it in horror.
“Leave,” I said, standing above him. He hadn’t harmed Dez. There was no reason to kill him.
With a single nod and a quick glance over his shoulder at Samsen, he was out the door without a moment’s hesitation. If only the other agent had done the same…
Samsen was still in the corner with Dez, watching the room with anticipation. Just one more agent to deal with and Samsen was mine.
I turned back to the center of the room where Rob was cracking his knuckles. That sound again. I hated that sound. “I’m not like the rest, freak.”
“Are you sure?” I said, folding my arms.
He grinned. “So you’re saying you’re going to kick my ass?”
/> I smiled. This would make Dez happy. She was always telling me I was too literal, but sometimes it was funny. “That won’t be necessary. As soon as I touch you, you won’t have an ass left to kick.”
He came at me without another word, swinging two sticks connected by a chain of some sort that he pulled from the inside of his jacket. There was a name for them—I just couldn’t remember what it was.
The first strike breezed dangerously close. I jerked to the left as he swung again and felt the sting as the metal grazed my cheek. I ducked the third swing, pivoting and punching out with my right hand. Rob dodged the blow, regrouped, and hopped back, all while swinging the sticks in a showmanship fashion. I had to admire the poetry of it. He was skilled with his weapon and artful in its wielding. It would be a shame to end him. But then the memory of his eyes on Dez, hungry and wicked, flooded my mind.
Almost a shame.
He dove again, this time whipping the sticks in a circular motion above his head. Spinning, he swung one end down to catch me behind the knees, but I arched my back and kicked up. Feet over head, I flipped back and landed safely out of range.
“Stand still, freak. The sooner I finish with you, the sooner I can get to know your girl.”
It was just talk to distract me, but it had the opposite effect. It brought focus instead. As if I’d ever let him get near Dez. He came again, the spinning sticks creating a slight breeze and making a whirring sound as he approached. He held them in front, which made it impossible for me to reach out to him.
“You’re really not the badass I expected.”
I didn’t reply.
He stopped swinging the sticks and came to a halt, looking me up and down. “You’re nothing!” he chuckled, then charged.
Just before he reached me, I bent at the waist and angled my right shoulder inward. It met his gut as I jerked my body upward, flipping him over my shoulder. As he went, I simply skimmed the side of his face with my fingertip. The look of horror was disturbingly satisfying as he crumbled inward, ashes scattering in every direction. “No, you’re nothing,” I muttered as I dusted him from my clothing. Particles fluttered to the ground.
And that was it. Either Kiernan hadn’t made it to the room yet, or she’d gone. The only people left in the room to worry about were Dez, me…and Samsen.
“I’m curious. How many people are you willing to kill to keep your freedom?”
“How many will it take?”
“What if I were to tell you I had an entire squad of agents just outside this building? What if I said they were waiting for you?”
“They’ll never take me back to Denazen. I would kill a thousand if I needed to.”
He nodded to Dez. “And for her?”
For her. To keep Dez from going to that place? “For her, I’d kill a million.”
Samsen stomped his feet and let out a loud hoot. “Well! Aren’t you a romantic? Come on, 98. Lemme see those baby blues. Look at me.”
I approached slowly from the right side, careful not to make any sudden movements. His command made my limbs twitch, but thinking of what he might do to Dez made it easier to ignore his voice.
“You’ve been living out in the world for how long now? A few months? I wonder—just how much have you experienced?” He turned his back and leaned close to Dez. I took a chance and dared to let my gaze rise several inches so I could see the back of his head. “I’m sure you’ve felt anger—you always were an angry little child—but what about jealousy?”
I started forward, a sick feeling in my gut, but Samsen held out a hand. He knew I was looking directly at him, but he didn’t turn to face me. The other hand wrapped around Dez’s shoulder and his shoulder shook with laughter. “Don’t come any closer. I may not be able to defeat you in a fight, but it’ll only take me a moment to snap her neck.”
I froze, knowing it was the truth. I could get to him, but not in time to stop him from hurting her.
Satisfied, Samsen sighed. “Dez. Since 98 doesn’t want to play…”
Something inside me came very close to breaking.
“I’d like for you to…”
The almost melodic tone of his voice turned my stomach. Unwanted memories, dark and sick, came rushing from behind the wall where they’d been stored. Things I swore never to revisit surfaced, causing every nerve in my body to twitch.
“Stop!” The scream ripped from my throat like it was made of a thousand tiny pieces of glass.
My body waged war on my brain. It demanded I move. Dissolve the distance between us and end his existence with a single brush of my skin. Yet I remained rooted.
In that moment, I understood something Dez’s ex-boyfriend Alex had said to me as we fought the night of Sumrun. Seconds before he stabbed me, he’d smiled and said, It might feel like she’s your biggest strength, but in some ways, she’s also your biggest weakness.
It made sense now. And it was true.
Chances were I could easily make it across the room to Samsen before he hurt her, yet there was a small voice in the back of my brain whispering, What if you don’t? Hesitation and uncertainty. These things were rooted deep in my subconscious because of all she meant to me. There were few things I wouldn’t gamble with. Dez was one of them.
“Your girlfriend might be cute, but this isn’t about her, 98. It’s about you and me and what you owe me. Revenge.” His voice deepened. “Look at me.”
I kept my eyes on Dez and held my breath. His voice—the command behind it—was getting harder to resist.
Samsen sighed. “If you don’t look at me, I’ll make her do something bad. Something you’ll never wipe from that broken thing you call a brain.”
I didn’t mean to do it. It was part shock and part fury.
I looked up and our eyes met, Samsen’s previous control over me slamming back to full strength. It hit hard, turning my knees rubbery and sending cold waves of fear rushing through my body.
He’d won.
10
“Now, now. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” He snapped his fingers. “Stay where you are.”
I tried to push forward, but my feet remained locked in place. I would remain immobile until Samsen wished me to move. “Let Dez go.”
He watched me for a moment, and it all came back. The small details. The kinds of games he liked to play. Pushing slowly, he’d poke. Little things at first, to prove he had power over me. Making me move where and when he wanted. Making me do things he wanted—even making me speak the words he wanted. But those simple things never lasted long.
Samsen grew bored easily.
Slowly, he shook his head and held out his hand. Dangling between his thumb and pointer finger was a small silver key. “You’re going to walk forward and unlock her cuffs. You’re not going to touch me or attempt to harm me in any way.”
I stepped forward and extended my own hand. He dropped the key into it. The cool metal was a shock to my skin.
“We’ll be okay,” I said to Dez, leaning close to unlock the cuffs. Her wrists were red and bruised and felt too warm under my fingers.
She leaned into me, heartbeat slightly quickened. “What’s he going to do?”
Samsen chuckled and patted her shoulder in mock comfort. “I’m not going to do anything—98 is.”
The look on Dez’s face was nothing compared to the feeling of icy dread in my gut.
“See, I screwed something up a few weeks ago. Something big. There was this hot little Six girl and I couldn’t help myself… Anyway, I won’t bore you with the details. Suffice it to say, Denazen wasn’t thrilled to have to clean up my mess. My only chance at redemption in Denazen’s eyes was to agree to come out here and haul in you and that little bitch.”
He began to pace. “But I have a problem. You made me look bad. Got me into a heap of trouble when you ran off. You owe me for that.” He stopped pacing and turned toward us. With a wink and a shuffle, he stepped forward and flicked Dez’s nose.
She flinched and a small noise escaped her
lips.
He smiled and nodded to the steps. “Let’s get this show on the road. Move it. Up to the platform.”
I guided her toward the steps and was thankful when she began to climb on her own. If she fought it, I’d have no choice but to force her.
There was a way out of this. There had to be. I hadn’t endured years of torment to be rewarded with Dez, only to lose her. Surely life didn’t work that way. Give you what you want only to snap it away.
Once we were at the top, Samsen peered over the edge and smiled. “Be careful and hang on to her tight. It looks like it’s a long way down.”
“Samsen,” I whispered.
Dez tensed and tried to pull free, but my fingers involuntarily clamped down. She hissed in pain and tried to loosen my grip, but my limbs wouldn’t obey. The more I tried to let go, the tighter my grip became. I hadn’t begged for anything since I was seven. I made a vow never to again—but this was something entirely different.
“Please…”
“Tick tock, 98.”
“Samsen,” I tried again, even though I knew it wouldn’t do any good. He’d been unstable even before Denazen found him. They’d played on that aspect of his personality and made it a thousand times worse. There was no remorse or pity in his eyes. He had no soul. Denazen hadn’t stolen his humanity like it did with so many others—he’d never had it to begin with.
“Fair is fair,” he said, face serious. “You stole my credibility, so I get to take something from you.” He nodded once, then smiled. “Move her a little closer to the edge. Dangle a limb or something. Make it dramatic!”
Every muscle in my body rebelled, but it wasn’t enough. His voice was a command that couldn’t—wouldn’t—be ignored. This is why Samsen remained the only person I’d ever come in contact with who truly scared me. Because no matter how strong my own will was, he could take it away—even when Denazen couldn’t.
