by Bella Knight
“Gonna need help,” said Saber. “I’m good, but not invincible, and we’ve gotta split up.”
“Let’s get us some Valkyries,” said Wraith. “We need swords and guns.”
“Lots of guns,” said Saber. “And those women come loaded for bear.”
“Well,” said Wraith, pulling out her cell phone. “Looks like I may have to be in two clubs at the same time.”
Saber sighed. “I don’t see you enough as it is.”
“They let me date,” said Wraith. “You’d be my second.”
He touched her wrist. “I am already your second.”
She clasped his wrist, and he clasped hers. “Yes, you are.”
The Las Vegas Valkyries sent two to the truck stop, Skuld (or Future), and Rota, meaning Storm. Skuld had braids running up one side of her head in a faux mohawk. Her hair spilled out into a white-blonde fall up. Over her head and down her back, held in a silver clip between her shoulder blades. Her eyes were a deep, penetrating blue, and her skin almost as pale as her hair.
Rota had black hair in tiny braids on one side, and flowing up into red on the top; then black, then blue at the tips. Her eyes were black granite, her lips wide, her nose flat, with cinnamon skin. They both ordered coffee, strong black.
“Who wants to go with me to the Texas border to take out a German/Mexican cartel assassin?” asked Saber. Skuld’s eyes flashed and she sat down next to Saber.
“I’m going after a murderous woman and her cartel boy-toy husband,” said Wraith.
“Sounds like fun,” said Rota. Wraith and Rota engaged in a complicated wrist-shake involving fingers.
“We need to pick up anything?” asked Saber. Skuld and Rota drank their coffee, and Wraith and Saber their colas.
“Nope,” said Rota. “Herja told us to come with everything.”
“This one’s ATF,” said Wraith. “I’ve got more weaponry than I know what to do with.”
“Way to break our cover,” said Saber.
Skuld snorted. “All the Valkyries know you. You, we get a favor from,” she said, pointing at Wraith. “Wraith, we choose you for six months. You can go back to the Nighthawks. Nice outfit, but we’re better.”
“You won’t go back,” said Rota. “Once a Valkyrie…”
“Spear, blade, shield, victory!” they both said.
“If you roll your eyes, you die,” said Wraith.
“That’s what I thought,” said Saber.
Wraith kissed Saber in the parking lot. He slipped her another throwing knife. She smiled and strapped the sheath just above her left wrist.
“You give me all the best toys,” she said. He kissed her again.
Skuld and Rota clung to each other’s necks, then kissed each other’s foreheads. They finished by touching foreheads and looked into each other’s eyes. They clasped wrists, and said to each other, “With your shield or on it. Spear, blade, shield, victory!”
Rota pulled out with Wraith, and Saber with Skuld. Skuld pulled ahead, and let out the throttle. Saber tried to keep up. Wraith and Rota flowed forward, letting the engines out, and laughed into the wind.
Skuld and Saber had the easier time. The trail of bodies was easy to track. Skuld actually caught Werner trying to hide a body in an alley.
“Need help?” she asked.
“Never,” said Werner. “I am perfect as I am.”
Saber snorted. “You leave bodies like a trail.”
“Like a vampire leaving kills,” said Skuld. She laid her head back, exposing her white neck, luminous in the light. “Easy to find.”
“You are hunting me,” said Werner, drawing his Glock.
Skuld had a knife embedded in the wall next to his temple before he had time to bring up the gun. “Now, now,” she said. “We have been sent to clean up your mess. Assassins are supposed to be like smoke, understand?”
“Who sent you?” he asked, taking the knife out of the wall.
“My devil lady sent me,” she said. “I am her right hand, and she wants you for her left hand. If you improve.” She walked forward, swaying her hips. She held out her hand for her knife.
Werner gave it back and holstered the gun. She made her knife disappear. “Come.” She waved her hand. “Saber, clean this up.”
“Yes, my lady,” said Saber, with a slight bow. She nodded and looked away.
“You must be somewhere else,” she said to Werner. “And I must be seen to be with you, after our wild night together.”
“Our wild night?” asked Werner.
She took his arm. “Let’s get some coffee. I saw a delightful little shop with the name of my favorite flower. You can spill coffee on yourself to cover the blood.”
They turned the corner, and Saber sent a few coded texts while he leaned down over the body. He expected ATF to send a coroner and an agent to the alley. He also sent the location of the Daisy Cafe; he’d seen it while looking for Werner. He streaked some alley dust on his jeans and hands and waited until a short Hispanic man with cop eyes came around the corner.
“You after the German?” he asked.
“Yeah. My current partner has him in the Daisy Coffee Shop. He’s got blood from this guy on his hands and shirt.”
“Biker chick with a braided mohawk?” asked the guy.
“Yeah,” said Saber. “I’m supposed to be hiding the body.”
The guy snorted. “Good job,” he said.
“Thanks,” said Saber. “Well, I’ve had enough time to throw him in a dumpster. We’ll work Werner into someplace without civilians so you can take us all down.”
“Just him,” said the guy. “You two catch a poof. Then, go meet up with your girlfriend. Her boss is having a cow that you two got separated.”
“Me too,” said Saber. “By the way, this one’s body count…”
“We know about Pahrump,” said the guy. “Stupid name for a town.” Saber barked out a laugh. “Besides, including this one, that’s twelve. In Texas. And we’re a death penalty state.”
“Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,” said Saber.
“Be careful,” said the guy, “the coffee in that shop is terrible.”
Saber snorted, and ducked out of the alley, just ahead of the coroner.
Skuld ordered a truly, putrid, orange spice tea. He spilled a little on Werner to “help” him. Werner was angry but clenched his teeth because Skuld had him wrapped around her little finger.
“We have a hotel,” she said. “Very pleasant. Not a chain, but enough people so that we will not be noticed. Then, we will discuss payment.”
“Payment?” asked Werner.
“’She Who Shall Not Be Named’ loves your work. She wants to… compensate you.”
His caramel eyes shone with greed. “Let us go then,” said Werner.
“Let’s,” said Skuld. She waved her hand. “Clean this up,” she said to Saber, making a gesture to his left. Saber bowed a little. She rose, with Werner now on her arm.
Saber put the cups on a tray and carried it to the back trash can. He then sent two coded texts that said, “Essentially and “To the left.”
He went out, hands in pockets, and spotted the guy from the alley cross the street. He saw a car three blocks ahead, a beater with a tall black man leaning on it. He hurried a little to catch up with Skuld.
Skuld held Werner’s arm. She slipped him a key and whispered the name of a hotel. “Two blocks up, on the right,” she said. “There is an envelope on the bed, under the pillow. Ten thousand. You kill Ivy, you get ten thousand a month for the rest of your life.” She let go of his arm. “I will bring absinthe. We will celebrate.” She turned toward a liquor store and he rushed on ahead, eager for the promised money.
Saber met her at the liquor store and they went around the side. They looked around the corner as a third man came out of an alley. He already had a .45 pointed at Werner’s head. The guy from the alley put cuffs on him before the hit man had time to draw his numerous weapons.
“Couldn’t have happen
ed to a nicer guy,” said Saber.
“Exactly,” said Skuld. She laughed evilly, making Saber shudder. “Texas will lethal-inject his ass.” She smiled cattily. “Let’s get some chocolate chip pancakes, then find our lovers.”
“They’re in Arizona,” said Saber, turning towards the yellow Waffle House sign in the distance. “Smaller body count. Apparently, less cisterns.”
Awakening
Ivy jerked awake, stood, and remembered she was in the hospital waiting room, and why. She rolled up the bag and tied it to the bottom of her pack. She stretched, popping her spine. She checked her messages. Nothing. She called Gregory. Tito answered.
“Everything is in hand,” said Tito. He told her all about the hunt for the nasties, Werner, David, and Celia. “Wraith and Saber are doing something undercover. The kids are safe. We’re good. We’ve deployed to Henry’s farm; the res is on alert. Doubt that’s where they’ll hit, though. They seem fucking determined to kill you. I think they hit Ace because he’s the other one that took La Diabla down.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” said Ivy. “Sorry, didn’t mean to be an asshole. I need soda.”
She heard some typing in the background. “You’ll have it. Use the restroom and come back to the waiting room, and it should be there by then.”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “So, whoever you sent should be here soon. Good to know. Hope Wraith calls soon.”
“Or Saber,” said Tito. “Those two do good work.”
“Sadly, said Ivy, “that’s why we’re in this mess. But, I don’t regret bringing a cartel assassin down. Anyone look into her lawyer yet?”
“That’s ATF. Or maybe DEA. They bugged his phone and dropped his numbers. Wraith says some weenie in the office is matching numbers with hit assholes.”
“Okay,” said Ivy. “Keep it real.”
Tito sighed. “This, mi hermana, is as real as it gets.”
“Word,” said Ivy, and hung up.
She went into the hallway. Herja wasn’t there, but Devastator was. “His shoulder’s a fucking wreck. Almost done, doctor says. Bullet removal went well with the other one. A Nighthawk named Katya is with her in recovery. Lily’s sedated.”
Ivy grasped his wrist, and he grasped it back. “Nighthawks owe you.”
He withdrew his hand. “You owe nothing. That was a coward’s move, shooting a non-combatant’s brother dead, before killing a principal. And killing a non-combatant’s unborn child? Beyond disgusting.”
“Gotta agree with you there,” she said.
She left her pack at his feet. She hit up the restroom, washed her face. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. She sighed and headed out.
Gregory was just outside the door, a blessed can of Dr. Pepper goodness in his hand. “Thought you needed this,” he said. She popped the top and downed it. He handed her another one. “And I have a backup.”’
“You rock,” said Ivy. He took the empty can, crushed it in his hand, and then held her. She swayed a little.
He let her go, then looked at her. “You look like shit, sister,” he said. “You need more sleep.”
“Not gonna happen,” she said. “What do we know?”
He reached down and shouldered her pack. “We aren’t much farther along on the investigation. The kids are going to stay over and make tacos. And giggle. A lot. They are arguing about expanding the hydroponics program, and that could go on all night.”
“Abso-fuckin’-lutely,” said Ivy. “The debates in my house, (even with little girls who truly love each other), are vicious. Nantan has his hands full.” Nantan, who lived on Henry’s farm, was their hydroponics expert and horse whisperer.
“Wraith says she’s ‘going deep’ and Saber is tracing the nasties, too. Thought they got all the cartel nasties.”
Ivy snorted. “Obviously not.”
“Could be someone else,” said Gregory. They entered the elevator.
“Doubtful,” said Ivy. “Who else is stupid enough to hire hit people that take out the wrong people? They hit Lily’s brother Devlin, wing Ace, use ammo much too heavy for the shootout —Ace’s shoulder is apparently wrecked, and Devlin was missing most of the back of his head. And then, to top it all off, start a shootout in a hospital emergency room. No, someone hired the Stupid’s in Texas and sent them here, where they didn’t know the people or the territory.”
The elevator door opened. Devastator was guarding the door to the room.
“They moved her out of recovery quick. Easier to guard a private room,” said Gregory.
He nodded at Herja. She nodded back, her face a mask of Valkyrie hardness.
She smiled at Ivy. “Katya’s in there. We would have recruited her, but she’s with Gregory.”
Gregory drew himself up. “That my woman.”
“Ugh,” said Herja.
“Um, she owns me,” said Gregory.
“About right,” said Ivy, smiling at Herja. She went in.
Lily had IV lines going into her hand, and a machine to pump in drugs. She was flat on her back, her head slightly elevated. She had obviously been crying; her eyes were swollen. She clutched at her now-empty belly, even in sleep. Katya stood at her head, stroking Lily’s hair and crooning in Russian, her other hand on her own huge belly.
Ivy took Lily’s hand in hers. “Baby girl,” she said. “I am so sorry I did not kill that motherfucker faster.”
“I am as well,” said Katya. “This is terrible thing.”
“Yes, it is,” said Ivy.
“We will get the drugs, harvest her eggs on her next cycle. Or the one after that.”
“What?” asked Ivy.
“You know of this IVF thing? The doctor will take the eggs, and merge with sperm in dish.”
“I know what IVF is,” said Ivy. “She just lost the baby.”
“Will be okay,” said Katya. “Have many women in the club, she can choose the mother. She will heal and watch us get very fat and know her baby coming soon. After ours.”
Katya puffed out a few breaths and rubbed her back. The twins were huge. Ivy had often touched her stomach, and the babies had kicked her. Katya got used to having little sleep, as the boys kept kicking her in the ribs all night long.
“Do you need to sit down?” asked Ivy.
Katya waved her hand. “No, I must walk.”
She walked around the bed. Ivy walked up to Katya’s previous place and began to stroke Lily’s hair. She decided to pull over a chair in case either she or Katya wanted to sit. The chair was an annoying shade of pink, like bubble gum. It had a back that reclined slightly. She put it at the wall at Lily’s head, on the other side of the IV stand and the pain meds machine. She heard Katya huff and puff around the bed, then around the outside of the room. She sang to herself in Russian, touching the wall with one hand, and holding the babies with the other.
“Can I get you some water?” asked Ivy.
“No, only ice chips,” said Katya.
Ivy put two and two together. “Are you having the babies now?”
“Not now,” said Katya. “I text the midwife. She here very soon. Later.”
“Later,” said Ivy. “How much later?”
Katya came around the bed. She stopped as water hit the floor in between her legs. “Oh, my, big mess,” said Katya.
“Shit,” said Ivy. She ran into the bathroom, grabbed a towel, ran back out, and threw it on the floor.
“Must get bag. In car. Gregory drove.”
Ivy sighed. She stuck her head out the door. “Gregory, hand me my pack,” she said.
He handed it over. “Wha…”
“Now, very slowly, walk to your car, and bring in Katya’s bag from the car.”
Herja snorted. “Car?”
Gregory looked like a deer in the headlights. “This century, Gregory,” Ivy said. Gregory turned, opened the door to the stairs, and ran down them.
“He drove a car because his wife is having a baby,” said Katya. There was a loud groan from inside the room. “Right now.”
“No,” said Ivy. “The midwife is on her way.”
“Good,” said Herja. “Find out her name so we can let her in.”
Ivy ran in, threw her pack on an ugly green chair in the corner of the room, and helped Katya undress. Gregory ran in with the pack and helped them change Katya into a maternity nightgown. Ivy cleaned up the mess, washed herself up, and ran back into the room. She moved the ugly pink chair farther out for Katya to use. Gregory kept her walking around the room, helping her sing to herself in Russian.
“What is the name of your midwife?” Ivy asked a puffing Katya.
“Katrina Tsmova,” said Gregory. “We need ice chips.”
Ivy used the call button to call for ice chips. She stuck her head out of the room. “Herja…”
A red-haired Russian woman was staring daggers at Herja. “I help baby come. Now. You will move.”
“Your name?” asked Ivy.
“Katrina Tmova,” said the woman.
Ivy opened the door and the midwife strode in. Ivy saw the nurse approaching with the ice chips, took them from her, then assured the nurse the patient was fine and shut the door.
Gregory helped Katya sit in a chair. Ivy walked past them to hold Lily’s hand. She looked away as the gloved midwife put her hand under Katya’s dress. TMI, she thought to herself. Ivy continued to hold Lily’s hand as Gregory went behind his wife’s chair to rub her shoulders and feed her ice chips. The midwife stole the tray for Lily’s bed and took a sealed tray, then a towel out of her bag.
The midwife crouched, and put each of Katya’s legs on her own. “Babies come now,” she said, as Katya bore down, crushing Gregory's huge hands with hers. Ivy ran back into the bathroom to wash her hands again, and ran back out, another towel in hand.
“Baby one,” said the midwife, as the baby slipped out into her hands.
The midwife rubbed the baby’s back, and he gasped. She put the baby on Katya’s stomach. Gregory and Katya both put a hand on the baby.
“Ivan,” said Katya, “after my father.”
Ivy handed the midwife the second towel. Katya bore down, and the second one slipped out, then squalled. “Luka,” said Katya. “My husband’s father was Luke.”
