I wanted to choke the excited expression off Xorratti's face. He prodded the children forward and they clung on to Michael who had yet to move or take his eyes off of me. Cain then finally spoke, clearing his throat uncomfortably. “Don’t go too far.”
He eyed Xorratti meaningfully before the general turned to him. Michael was just staring at me with a blank expression. I slid the pronounced smirk off my face since his father wasn’t watching. I nodded once and jerked my head toward where I was heading, then took off walking.
I was already calculating how I could use this encounter to my advantage. General Xorratti was higher up on the totem pole than Cain, so he might have information we could use to find the nuke. And if Michael’s observing nature was as prevalent as I thought it was, I was betting that he might have overheard something we could use. I doubted already that Cain had been given all of the information Rogee had. There were still gaping holes in the story about how the nuke had been lost in the first place. Maybe Michael would have some of the answers.
I didn’t hear any sounds of pursuit for a minute. Then I heard the scratch of footsteps on the sand. He caught up to me. “And what do you want, lady?”
“Poor way to greet a friend,” I said sweetly. I held my finger to my lips. “How is your father’s hearing?”
“Terrible. But when it comes to facial recognition he has the acuity of a vulture. Why?”
I kept walking and surprisingly he followed. The two young ones stayed in his shadow, watching me fearfully. Finally we came to the dune I was looking for and I ducked behind it.
“What do you want?” he repeated as I plunked down on the sand.
“I am giving you all a break from the almighty windbag back there. How do you stand it? I would have decked him by now. With your height you’d have him on the drop easy.”
He stared down at me, clearly confused. “Excuse me?”
“Sit,” I said, patting the ground. “All of you. I’m giving you a break from your ‘overlord,’ and escaping mine. Man are they aggravating!”
The two children peeked out at me. I waved at them. “You can come out, too. Your master can’t see you over here. I made sure of that.”
Michael plopped down next to me looking thoroughly bewildered. The children sank down next to him. I watched them curiously and let them all make further moves. I didn't have to wait long. He eyed me up and down. “I’m confused. You carted us all out here to get away from-?”
“I wanted to get away from him. It was either that or kill him,” I seethed. “I abhor keeping children as slaves especially, and I boycott slavery in general. Plus, I am so over Cain kissing every ass other than mine, so I’m escaping for now. Ugh.”
He eyed me skeptically. “So you’re the assassin. I wasn’t very far off, I guess, but still.”
“Not what you were expecting?”
His eyes narrowed. “The only reason I’m here is because I’d rather avoid a world war once the company leaves. Father would have a cow if I had refused further. After the party, he’s still peeved with me.”
I bowed my head. “Sorry. Can’t you leave him? You seem old enough.”
“I tried that. It embarrassed him too much to have his son leave so he sent a patrol to cart me back. Why he bothered I don't know. I’m his greatest failure, so why keep me around? Why are you poking around in our business anyway? Sod off. I didn’t rat your location out if that’s what you’re going to imply.”
I was further impressed when he said that and leaned back on the sand, trying to look unaffected. “How old are you anyway?”
“Seventeen,” he muttered, keeping his eyes shut.
I rolled my eyes and looked over at the kids. They were watching me with wide eyes. I smiled encouragingly. “You don't have to be scared. I’m not going to bother you. In fact, Michael, what would it take for your father to part with them?”
This caught his attention. He opened one eye. “Pardon?”
“They don't deserve to be screwed up by your father. Would he take cash?”
“You’re going to free them?” Both eyes were open now. “Why?”
“Because they don't deserve to wind up like me,” I said with a wink. I rolled my sleeves up and showed him the cuff marks. “I have money to kill, so I think-”
“What kind of a psycho are you?” he said, eyes traveling down my arms. “You were going to kill Gaynor and I aided your escape. I have blood on my hands now because of you!”
“I hunt people like your father to kill the slave industry,” I snapped.
“You… hunt people like my father?” he asked with interest. “What does that mean?”
“Exactly what you think it does,” I said slowly. “The contract kill business is a front. And if you tell anyone I said that, I’ll tell them you’re crackers. You do have O.D.D., and really are odd after all.”
He didn’t comment on my jab. “So why are you working with Cain? He’s up to his eyeballs with the political pussies. Don't tell me he’s in on it. He’s been sucking up to them for years and I think he’s started to believe their bull… crap,” he finished, looking over at the kids.
“They needed a guide who knows the desert, so we struck a deal. We’re hunting down the nuke that’s been ‘misplaced.’ Do you know anything about it?”
Michael didn’t respond to my attempt to ferret out any useful information. He was too busy tapping his lower lip, stuck in his own mind. “Last I had heard you were toast. Then again, they never did find the body. Let me guess. He freed you and in turn you guide them?”
“Something like that,” I murmured. “Though I’m not sure why. They haven’t needed me altogether that much as of yet.”
But Michael still wasn’t listening. He was gushing. “I heard you tried to screw over Rogee. That’s either crazy or effing awesome.” He laughed and grabbed my hand. I stared at him as he grinned. “Have you come to take out dear ol’ dad? You can tell me. I won’t sabotage you so long as you take me with you. I wouldn't trouble you, I swear!”
This turnaround in attitude scared me a little. He was desperate; that I saw. But I also saw a good kid being messed up by his father. He had to be if he was willing to watch his father die. I gulped trying to figure out what to say. But he was too quick and beat me to the draw.
“No,” he said, deflating a bit. “You wouldn't have Cain with you if that were the case. I’m being silly.”
He sat back again, but he didn't release my hand. Instead, he looked at it. “You have weird calluses. How long did it take you to become proficient with those, anyway?” He pointed up at my swords before I could reply. “They’re cool. What’s the MoiRai village like? Did you really grow up there? I want to know all about you.”
I tried to keep up with all of his questions. He was the same as he had been the other night. Starved for company and pleased with my attention. “Well-”
“I haven’t seen much of the world,” he said, tracing my hand absentmindedly. “What’s it like out there?”
“You ask a lot of questions,” I said, uncomfortable with the way he was holding my hand.
“I don’t get told off by pretty girls like you every day of the week. I figure I'd better get it all out before you get bored with me,” he said with a sigh. “How old are you? You’re out of my league, but I don't care.”
I was flattered by his interest, but I’d better kill this before he got too into it. “A gentleman never asks a lady her age.”
He rolled his eyes so far back that the pupils disappeared from view. “I’m almost eighteen, so I’m not old enough to be a gentleman and curiosity bites. Only older women say that so you’re going to make me think you’re way older. I once asked one of dad’s hookers and I got smacked.”
“Well, I’m ten years your senior,” I said, sending another friendly look at the children. The boy was watching me with solemn eyes. The girl was doodling in the sand, humming. Michael’s eyes bugged out of his head.
“Damn. No way am I going to conv
ince you to be my girlfriend then,” he said mischievously. “Not into cradle robbing are you? I’m game if you are.”
I laughed. “You’re too much.”
“And not enough apparently,” he said sulkily. “Are you with Cain? He seemed eager to stake a claim; lucky bastard.”
That got my attention. “Come again?”
“Then again, he was talking to Dad. He probably wanted to make sure he backed off. If you stay for dinner, Dad will eventually make a pass at you. You wouldn’t accept, would you? That would be…” He gagged and shuddered. Then he looked up at me with hopeful eyes. “Do you think you could convince Dad to take me with you guys?”
“If I put in a good word, Cain will definitely leave you behind. We don't get along well.”
He said nothing to that. He traced the calluses on my hands once more. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling but it sent goose bumps up my arms. We sat for a minute more in quiet before he blurted out, ”Why are you paying me any attention? I’m not worth anything to you. The other night you were just being polite and the escape was my stupid idea so you humored me. But today...”
I cocked my head. “I don't know. You impressed me, I suppose. Plus I thought I’d hang out with you instead of-”
“Cain,” he said making it sound like a curse. “He’s okay to hang with, too, but only if he's not on duty. Then he becomes an utter… He’s two faced. When he’s around us guys, he’s cool. When he’s around the other generals, he makes me want to-”
“There had better be only good things coming out of your mouth, bud. Rain already has enough reason to hate me.” Cain emerged from behind the dune, hands in his pockets. Michael brightened up a little when he saw his father was nowhere in the vicinity. “How are you, Michael?”
“So I exist again since Daddy isn’t here to kissy face at? I’m fine. Great actually. I don’t feel even the slightest bit guilty trying to steal your girlfriend.”
His eyebrows went up. “She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Splendid,” Michael proclaimed loudly. “Makes my job of wooing easier.”
“And how goes that?” he said, eyeing the hand which still hadn’t relinquished mine. “I won't knock your taste in women, but couldn't you find a more suitable candidate? One who isn’t eyeing your father as her next victim? Or is that the attraction?”
“You must still be in ‘General’ mode. You’re no fun,” Michael said with a groan.
“Your father is wondering where you all are,” he said stiffly. “We’d better get back.”
“Has he said anything about bandits?” I asked pointedly. “If Xorratti has been here all day, then someone should have seen the smoke over the dunes and gone to check it out.”
“No. But I saw an order confirmation in his desk from-”
“Ibisx Tiranshyck,” Michael inserted. “Yes, lovely man. He came through here earlier with his men. They had some new spoils when they passed through. I didn’t ask where they came from.”
“About two miles back the burning remains of the caravan will tell you,” Cain said, starting now to look like his worst fears had been confirmed. Then disgust took over. “The baby Rain stuck me with was the lone survivor.”
Michael fixed his luminescent eyes on me. “Rain, huh? So he’s on real name basis and I’m not? I’m so hurt, violet eyes.”
Cain shook his head. “We need to go back before the general carts his less than obsequious ass out here. He’s insisted we have dinner with him. Then we leave. I left poor Argon back there entertaining him and we all know he’ll only put up with so much before-”
“Fart face,” Argon’s voice crackled over the radio. “Get her back in here. This old quack is giving me a headache. There are only so many times I can kiss his five-star overrated ass.”
Cain gestured at the radio like it proved his point and I rolled my eyes. He expected me to have dinner with the general? This day was getting better and better.
“He does know we have a nuke to chase down, right?” I asked acidly. “Shouldn’t he be trying to find it, too, instead of setting up camp at noon and entertaining guests?”
“Dad doesn’t operate on a schedule,” Michael groaned. “It’s beneath him. And no, he’s not out here to find it. Come to think of it, I’m not sure why we are out here.”
“Xorratti doesn’t seem to know we’re fugitives,” Cain grunted to me. “He must have left Nacin before I helped you escape. I was raring to leave, but if I insisted we go, I thought he’d get suspicious. Better to humor him than-”
“Uh, I don’t know about Dad, but I did hear about her ‘death’.” Michael added. “I’d get out of Dodge. When my dad tells Rogee that he saw you, they’ll send out the alarm.”
“Then we eat and bail,” Cain decided after thinking for a moment. “Let’s go. And Rain, the official story is that Rogee pretended to kill you to help quell any rumors he was working with an assassin. Xorratti bought it and has no idea I helped you escape. ‘Officially,’ we’re still under Rogee’s orders. Stick with the-”
“I won’t tell,” Michael interrupted brightly.
Cain glared at me and I shrugged. “Why would I out myself? I’ll go along with it.”
I got up after Michael did. He rose with such exaggerated slowness I had to think it was done to spite Cain who was looking to hurry us up. The children skittered off back toward the tent before I had made it to my feet. Both men sauntered back to the tent, leading the way. Cain shoved Michael good naturedly before mussing his hair. Michael smacked his hand away and he laughed. “Good gracious. You've sprouted up, kid. Pretty soon you’ll tower over me.”
“Knock it off!”
I watched them bicker and saw Michael produce a smile that echoed his after a minute. That at least proved he was capable; that they were both capable. As Cain turned back toward him, I saw such warmth and affection that I found myself smiling, too.
But as we headed back to the general’s tent, I found my happiness vanishing and apprehension taking over. This was not going to be good. My intuition told me that. But a scurry at my feet provided me with a tool I hoped I wouldn’t have to use. And as it wiggled in my fingers, I smiled wickedly. Oh, yes. Things had the potential to get very interesting.
Chapter Ten 05:14:12:43 to potential nuclear explosion
I was in hell. I thought I had been there previously, but I had never been put in the presence of such a stupendous windbag before. Now I truly knew the meaning of suffering.
Inside Xorratti’s ridiculously opulent tent, our host had been talking for what seemed like eternity, recounting what I had to suspect was a grossly beefed-up version of his life’s story. I couldn’t help but try and mention the fact we were supposed to have been hunting down the nuke, but every attempt to talk had been met with him ignoring me entirely. Cain seemed similarly inclined, but didn’t dare contradict his superior who continued to drone on… and on.
Michael had provided some amusement as he had imitated his father’s retelling of his war stories. He must have heard them ad nauseam because he was able to mime every word with precision. The general had yet to notice. He was too busy talking. Cain had sent him a few disapproving looks at first, but now that we were an hour into the fourth story, I could see his lips twitching in appreciation of his performance, too.
“I climbed to the highest peak and lit the flare with a bullet from my gun-” Michael put his fingers to his head and mimed pulling the round. “Which alerted the Air Force to our location. Then the battle was pretty much over.”
“Thank God,” I heard Argon mutter. He was outside the tent on guard duty. I agreed with his sentiment. Four hours’ worth of my life had been wasted on this crap.
“But I don't think you’ve heard the part about the native invasion-”
Michael now had a pretend hang noose around his head strangling him. Unfortunately the general noticed his eye-crossed expression and tongue sticking out. “Michael! You have absolutely no respect for-”
“So,” I said
preemptively, speaking for the first time in a while. “What natives?”
He ignored me. “Michael Vincenzo Alberto Xorratti! You are an absolute-!”
“Oh, no. I’d rather be ignored,” he groaned. “Shut up already. Please, I’m begging you.”
If I had blinked too fast I would have missed the stinging swing the general sent his way. I felt a gasp catch in my throat and Cain tensed beside me. Fortunately, his hand slapped harmlessly into Michael’s prepared hand. He tightened his fist around the general’s pudgy wrist. “Nice, Dad. Real good for our guests to see. But you might consider I’m a bit too big for that to work anymore. It’s a good thing you have your battalion to protect you or right now things would get real interesting.”
Xorratti’s eyes bulged out of his head. “What has gotten into you?! Of all misguided-”
Cain’s eyes traveled over to me suspiciously. I shrugged as Michael let him have it. “I’m not putting up with it, General. You think you’re embarrassed? Imagine if you were me. Oh, wait. Then you’d be in awe of your magnificent insignificance!”
Cain cleared his throat over the dangerous silence that had fallen. “So, when is dinner going to be here? You know, we do have an urgent matter to attend to-”
Xorratti ignored him and turned his piggy eyes on me. “What did you say to this boy? I thought you were going to straighten him out!”
“I told him to not waste his breath on you. I don't know what this is all about,” I said with a phony smile.
“So this is about impressing the woman,” the general proclaimed. “Well, I’ll have you remember that you are betrothed to-”
“Some battle ax girl with impressive ties to the political area I’m sure,” Michael drawled. “Well you can stick it. I am not going to be your show pony anymore!”
“Ameliar is no battle ax! I will not have you prancing around with the filth of the underworld,” Xorratti snapped. Then he looked at me. “No offense taken I hope but I cannot allow my son to be caught up with your kind.”
Cain knocked his glass off the table and it shattered on the floor. “Whoops. My bad.”
War Machine: Book One in the Destiny In the Shadows Series Page 12
