Halfblood Legacy

by Rheaume, Laura

  “Okay, let’s get started. Kinsing, I know you’re the spearhead for that nasty business you have planned for tomorrow. Let’s be clear at the offset. There are not going to be any bombings or hostage situations. I’m going to make sure of that. For one, you’re not going to be available since you’ll be spending time in a small box.” She wondered if she was playing it up too much. It probably didn’t matter either way. “Why don’t you start with some names…”

  “I’m not telling you shit.”

  Avvel returned and took a hold of another man who went along nicely.

  “I think you will. You are definitely going to tell me what I need to know. It will be up to you if it is a quick exchange or a long, painful process, Kinsing.” Amazing. She really sounded like an idiot. No one would possibly believe…

  He frowned, “I don’t think so, bitch.”

  That was rude. Well done.

  She stepped forward and placed her gun against Fairmont’s head. “Your friend isn’t very polite. One doesn’t speak to the Kin in this fashion. How about you?”

  “I speak real good...um, ma’am.”

  Ugh. That was painful.

  She smiled, “Now, there’s a good Human. We’ll start with you, then.”

  “Don’t tell her a goddamn thing, Phil.”

  There was a sudden commotion in the other room, several thuds and a loud crash of furniture. Then she heard the door swing open behind her. She turned to see two large automatic guns attached to two large men in the doorway. Then another came through the door that Avvel had disappeared into.

  “You are royally fucked, bitch,” Kinsing said with a vicious grin.

  She lifted her gun along with her other hand, “It does look like that, doesn’t it?”

  -----------

  “No.” She turned and started back down the way they had come, hitching the bag up on her shoulder. It was a little cumbersome because it wasn’t the only load she was carrying.

  “Yes,” he said, and she jerked to a halt when he grabbed her backpack.

  “Let go,” she warned, twisting her body sharply to break his grip. She looked up at him, pulling the child in her arms closer. “There is no way I am leaving him there.”

  Behind him, the building which housed the local chapter of the White Ladies of Salvation stood behind a partially dilapidated iron fence. The White Ladies was one of the organizations which, with the help of funding from the cities, would accept and care for orphans in the bordertowns. Jonah had been released into Helaine’s care for a trial period by one of their sister chapters in another town. Since adopting parents were scarce and orphans were numerous beyond the ability to support them, adoption requirements were extremely lax and such trial periods were common.

  The difficulty this particular chapter had with its finances was clear enough to Mercy from the street. Aside from the broken fence that wasn’t even closed properly, several windows were boarded up, and the area that served as a playground just outside the front door was littered with trash, broken toys and crates of glass bottles. It looked like one of the ways the WLS raised money was by selling soda, probably with the help of its charges, and collecting and reusing the bottles afterwards. One little girl sat on the steps, watching Mercy and Cord with interest. Other than that, there was no sign or sound of any children.

  “We talked about this. It isn’t safe for him and it isn’t safe for us, especially right now. How can you guarantee his safety?”

  “You could…”

  “No.”

  “Will you turn around and look? It’s...augh!” Upon looking at it again, she started shaking her head. “No. No way.”

  Cord didn’t turn around. “Some of it is on purpose. Around here, you don’t want to look too comfortable, because it draws the attention of desperate types. Would you rob this place?” When she didn’t answer, he said, “You are going to have to give up on the other plan, if you don’t leave him here. You can’t have both.”

  “Fine, then,” she said stubbornly. “Forget it.”

  She pulled Jonah’s face up to her cheek when he didn’t move. Her eyes got very wide and her heartbeat started to race in her chest. They both knew that there was no real option, that they had to leave Jonah someplace, and they needed to do it soon. But Mercy hadn’t thought it would be this bad. She couldn’t believe that her people permitted such conditions for children.

  She sent a tendril of her power out to him, to plead with him, but he repelled it.

  “There is no room for discussion. You know that.”

  “It’s terrible. He would be better off...”

  “Really?”

  She closed her eyes. She had agreed to this, and, in their comfortable room on the train, it hadn’t seemed like such a terrible idea. They were fugitives, after all, and that was not a safe environment for a baby. He was a liability for them as well, another way to identify two people who were trying to stay hidden. She had agreed, but she hadn’t really understood how hard it would be to leave a small helpless someone behind.

  There has to be another way. She knew there was some other way, but she couldn’t think of one. Jonah, finally sensing that something was wrong, started to fuss.

  “Here, give him to me. I’ll do it.”

  “No,” she snapped, blinking. “You don’t understand. He’s special.” She rubbed her tears into Jonah’s hair, letting her lips leave a kiss on his ear.

  “They’re all special to you. You’d probably try to take every kid here home with you. I bet you already thought about whether or not we could bring that girl over there with us, right?”

  She didn’t look up; instead, she continued to press her head against Jonah’s.

  “This is not the worst one I’ve seen, and trust me, the kids here don’t care if it’s a little run down. They’re happy to be fed and have a place to sleep.” He looked around. “Okay. We are out of time. Make up your mind.”

  She didn’t know how she found the courage, but she did, moving her leaden feet toward and through the gate. He passed her once they were inside and went ahead to find the headmistress who turned out to be a headmaster. He offered them a tour of the facility, after counseling them to try and work out their differences for the sake of the child. They listened politely and, since he was the only one who could speak, Cord assured the man that they were unable to care for their child and needed the orphanage to take charge of him for them. The man, per the requirements of the organization, took Jonah without another word. Documents were signed, identification papers were provided, and finally he was showing them out.

  “He will remain here for forty-five days, according to our bylaws, and then may be transferred to another site, depending on space and resources. During this time, you are welcome and free to return for him.” The headmaster said it because it was his responsibility, but Mercy could tell that he didn’t expect to see them again. At least he seemed like a compassionate man. Although she felt better after seeing the cleaner interior and the kindness of the headmaster, Mercy couldn’t keep from crying from the moment she handed Jonah over. It made it worse that he cried, too. She could still hear him as they passed again through the gate, where she stopped because she could barely see where she was going.

  A hand took her by the elbow and she let him guide her, not really caring where. She was using one of the handful of paper tissues that the headmaster had handed her when they were filling out the paperwork to wipe her eyes when she felt them: a pair of needles that jabbed into her back. She cried out and tried to bring up her physical shield, but she couldn’t, because in the next second, the world disappeared.

  -----------

  She wasn’t sure what his game was, but as long as it didn’t interfere with her getting her payment, she didn’t really care. He pretended like he didn’t care, put up a good show, said all the right things, but when it came down to it, it made him fuming mad to see his fake girlfriend twisting on the ground like a worm.

  “We agreed it would be a
trank,” he said, grabbing the control from her hand and shutting off the juice. “Where’d you even get this?” He held up the taser.

  “Got it here at a dealer. It was faster than hunting around for a trank she wasn’t allergic to, and you have to admit, it took her down pretty easily. You’re right, she’s not as pretty when she’s awake.” The dirt and the crying hadn’t helped either; with the blotchy eyes, red nose and the shocked expression, she looked terrible. Jenna told herself that it was petty to enjoy another person’s distress, but it wasn’t enough to dissuade her from doing it a bit more.

  He turned the girl on her side and pulled out the barbed pins that had speared her through her shirt. He pushed the button and the wires retracted into the box. “Fucking hate these things,” he mumbled.

  “Why?” she asked, watching him pick her up and carry her with too much care. Way too much care for someone who pretended to be bought off.

  “Why do you think? Which way?”

  Ah, he had a history with the taser. That would piss off anyone. She hadn’t had the displeasure, herself, but thought using them was an efficient way to get things done, if the situation required it.

  “Over here,” she said, leading him down the next alley to the car she had picked up. “I was able to get a hold of a few sleepers, so let’s get those down her, then gag and tie and we’re off.”

  She didn’t like that he checked the bottle, but he twisted it open and poured the tiny pills under her tongue without complaint, so she guessed it was alright. Double dose would take care of her until they had made it to the center, a six hour drive.

  He loaded her into the trunk and turned around, not even raising his hands. Such a confident bastard.

  “Thanks for the help,” she said, motioning for him to step aside. “That will be all, I think.”

  He tilted his head and asked, “Just like that?”

  She nodded.

  “What made you change your mind?”

  She shrugged, “Just don’t want to share.”

  He shook his head, “No, it was something else. What was it?”

  She let a little of the anger show, because it was a lot to hold in.

  “Ah, you’re still jealous? Maybe I should have told you that she’s as good as married to someone else. Would that have made a difference?”

  “Maybe, if you weren’t so careful with her,” she snarled.

  “Good. So...less careful and say she’s married, right, Sweetheart?”

  She frowned, what was he talk...ing...ab...ou...t…? The sun must have come out from behind a cloud, because he was suddenly bathed in it. She grabbed her head, letting the gun drop…

  Grabbed her head, her hand on the hood of the car.

  “You all right?” he asked, touching her shoulder. She couldn’t help but be a little excited when he was this close to her. But, business first, then pleasure.

  “Yeah, just a headache.”

  “I have aspirin…”

  “No, it’s fine. Let’s get going.”

  “Alright, you want me to drive?”

  “Sure,” she said. He went around the back of the car, slamming the trunk down as he passed by. He had dumped Karin, or whatever her real name was, in the back so brusquely that she had been shocked. Apparently he had some pent up resentment against his previous boss, which was fine with her. Jenna sat in the passenger seat, turning her body toward him when he climbed in and giving him a smile. “So, she’s married?”

  “Engaged,” he said, nodding and starting up the car. “So, you left Helaine on the train?”

  “No. Helaine’s body got left on the train.”

  He raised his eyebrows at that, “Really?”

  She loved to shake him up, since he was always so damn confident.

  “Yeah, looks like our little girl might have done it, too, since she was last seen with her. Ironic, isn’t it?” That hadn’t been in the plan, but for some reason she had still been feeling a little peevish about Karin after they had left. So, after she had taken care of Helaine, she had planted a few suggestions, reminding people of who they had seen her with, and left the body where it would be easy to find.

  Turned out, though, that she didn’t have any reason to be jealous. He was all hers.

  “Sure is. Guess it won’t matter, though, since she’s gonna be pretty busy for a while.”

  Ouch, that was cold. Yep, he was definitely resentful. Probably about the two hundred credits.

  “Tell me about the guy.”

  “What guy?”

  “The one Karin’s engaged to.”

  “Oh, him. Well, let’s see, what do you want to know?”

  “Well, to start off, why hire a beefcake like you…”

  “Thank you.”

  She laughed, “...instead of taking care of her himself?”

  “She is very independent and wanted to go to school, but he had his own things to take care of.”

  “Ah, so you’re like a nanny.”

  “I prefer beefcake nanny.”

  “So do I. What’s he like? Is he cute?”

  “Okay, men don’t have these conversations.”

  “Just tell me if he is cute, because someone like her should be with someone...well, not you, but someone good looking like you.”

  “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard you say.”

  “He is cute, isn’t he? That’s why you won’t tell me.”

  “No, he is the ugliest man you ever met.”

  “No shit?”

  “No shit.”

  “Wow. Beauty and the beast?”

  “I guess.”

  “What does she see in him?” She couldn’t imagine looking like that and settling for someone disgusting.

  “Remember what I said about men and their conversations?”

  “Come on.”

  Sigh. “I guess...she loves...who he is.” He stared irritably at her. “Are you satisfied, now?”

  “One more question.”

  He rolled his eyes, “Of course there is.”

  “Will he come looking for her when she doesn’t show up at home?”

  “If he doesn’t, it’s because he’s dead.”

  “No shit?”

  “None.”

  “That’s...beautiful.”

  Chapter 24

  Her voice was just a whisper through the door. “Please. I’m okay. Just give me a few minutes, okay?”

  “Alright.”

  He went and sat down at the chair he had been spending a lot of time in since he had decided to watch over her. It wouldn’t be much longer before his request was processed through Soshia, maybe the orders would even come today. He planned for her to return to her home as soon as possible, before any Kin and especially the Scere took an interest in her.

  The sound of splashing water slipped under the door, and then a cup filling up. He hoped she didn’t drink it all in one go. Her stomach, after days without food or water, had shrunk terribly and eating or drinking too much gave her strong stomach contractions.

  He heard a gasp and a moan that she tried to muffle. Then there was a hollow thump that sounded like something falling and hitting the porcelain of a sink or toilet. He stood up and didn’t bother knocking this time. The door only opened halfway before bumping into her body, which was curled up on the floor next to the cup she had dropped.

  His eyes roamed her body for an injury, but he couldn’t see anything. “Did you hit your head?” he asked, crouching down by her on the floor.

  Her face was tied up in a pain filled grimace from the contraction and the most she could do was shake her head.

  “Did you injure something?” He reached up and grabbed a towel and mopped up the water on the floor. Then he sat down.

  “No,” she managed to whisper.

  “Okay. Just relax. It will pass soon.” There was nothing to do but wait until it was over. He watched as her body curled in on itself reflexively during the worst of it and then released for a few seconds; that’s when s
he remembered to breathe. Then it happened again, for what seemed like a long time but was probably only a couple of minutes all together.

  When it was over, her face was stiff with hurt pride and she hastily wiped away her tears. Then she surprised him by trying to sit up by herself as if nothing had happened. Her arm, still weak from the episode, shook when she put her weight on it.

  He leaned over and scooped her up, making sure to check the backside of her head. It looked okay, so it must have been something else that hit the sink when she fell. Then he noticed that she was cradling her arm.

  “Stubborn girl,” he muttered, and carried her into the adjoining room and laid her on the bed. He pulled the sheet and then the blankets over her and kept his eyes elsewhere while she wiped away her tears.

  She was trying very hard to be brave, but it was kind of useless in a situation like this one. The pain was going to come, it was going to be bad, and it wasn’t going to be over until it was over. Period. So there was no use fighting it, or pretending it didn’t hurt. Letting him see her suffering didn’t make her weaker; trying to hide what was natural did. But, hiding things was something they did instinctively, so it didn’t bother him too much.

  There wasn’t anything else he could do for her, so he went back to his chair, sat down and started reading again. The only positive thing that had come out of this unexpected break in assignments was that he could catch up on some of the reading that he had been putting aside. He let the book take him where it wanted to, leaving behind only the part of him that instinctively watched the entrance.

  “Scythe,” she said.

  “What?” He didn’t want to be pulled back yet. He was in the middle of a really delicious meal.

  “Thank you for sitting with me and taking care of me.”

  He blinked. He was fully there now, looking down at a book without seeing a word of it.

  “Typically we say, ‘You’re welcome, Mercy.’” She said, sounding just like Lena.

  He didn’t want to think of her right now. He was busy.

  “You’re welcome, Mercy. No more talking.”