Spade

by S A McClure

  She kicked again.

  “I don’t want to have to stun you, Fortuna,” a feminine voice said.

  Amber stilled. Well, that answered that question. There was more than one of them. With her stabilizers like fire in her veins, she kicked in the direction of the woman’s voice.

  “What the—”

  She heard the woman say, presumably as she attempted to fire her pulser pistol, before Amber felt her foot connect with something softer. The woman grunted as hot liquid fell on Amber’s leg.

  She kicked again, harder this time and heard the distinctive sound of something crunching. She hoped it was the woman’s nose and not something else.

  She began focusing her kicks towards where she thought the man was. She hit the front seat several times, but couldn’t seem to get past it.

  “He told us you’d be a problem,” the man said. “So, we came prepared.”

  “I think she broke my nose,” the girl whined.

  “I’ll heal you when we get to the drop-off,” the man responded.

  Amber drooled onto the hood, unable to fully close her mouth. The corners of her lips ached from being pulled open by the gag. Frustrated, she rammed her head forward in an attempt to headbutt the girl, but she slammed into something hard and unbending.

  The girl chuckled softly. “You’re a real fighter, aren’t ya?” she asked. “Well, we haven’t lost a bounty yet, and I doubt you’ll be the first. Not even your luck will be able to get you out of this one.”

  Amber released a guttural growl. It was the only noise she could make with the gag still firmly in her mouth.

  “Leave her be, Calliope,” the man chided.

  “Why? She won’t be our problem once we make the drop.” There was so much venom in the girl’s words that Amber was taken aback.

  “Because the boss didn’t want her damaged, remember? He explicitly stated that he wanted her given to him unscathed.”

  “You take all the fun out of hunting bounties,” she groaned.

  Amber leaned forward until her forehead brushed the hard barrier. It was cold to the touch and the smell reminded her of days spent in the garage with her dad, working on vintage cars and airplanes. She breathed in deeply, letting herself wander into the lane of memory.

  “Five minutes out,” the man said.

  Amber jolted. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know who had placed a bounty on her head. The only people she could think of were the LaRues. But then, why would they order the bounty hunters not to harm her? It didn’t make sense to her.

  The car began to descend. Amber sucked in a breath as she felt the familiar rise of her stomach and the giddy feeling that followed. She hated flying.

  The vehicle jostled as it landed.

  “There he is,” the man said. “Wait here. I’ll take care of the girl.”

  “Don’t try anything,” the woman said. “My pistol jammed once. It won’t again.”

  If Amber could have smirked, she would have. As if the reason the pistol had jammed in the first place was because of a true mechanical malfunction and not because of Amber’s luck.

  “Just to be on the safe side,” she murmured.

  There was a harsh thump on the top of Amber’s head. She swayed for a moment before toppling over.

  Amber jerked awake. She touched the top of her head gingerly. It was tender to the touch and she groaned softly. Memories of her kidnapping flooded back into her consciousness. Sitting up, she immediately began to sway as wooziness overtook her. She massaged her forehead, hoping to relieve some of the tension. It didn’t help. And she was running out of time. She rolled off of the couch. The floor was like ice beneath her bare feet and she shivered.

  Bookcases laden with texts covered the walls. Giant tapestries hung where bookcases wouldn’t fit. A synthetic fire raged in the hearth. Its flames danced and writhed in a near-perfect pattern as Amber stared into it. She took a step forward. Pain exploded in her head and she winced.

  “I’m so happy you’re awake,” a voice said from behind her.

  Amber spun around, her heart racing. Her ability hadn’t warned her someone was approaching. So, either she’d lost her abilities again, or he wasn’t a threat. Her eyes widened when she saw J standing by a doorway, a mug of steaming liquid in his hand.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up, but I needed some tea.” He nodded towards the mug. “Would you like some? I’d be happy to make some for you.” He smiled at her.

  “What. In. The. Actual. Stars,” she hissed, taking a step back. “Where are we? What am I doing here?”

  He lifted a hand. “I’m sorry I had to bring you here this way, but when you declined my offer to meet, I knew I needed to get you here somehow.”

  She gaped at him, cursing herself for leaving her pulser pistol in her rooms back at Morta’s home. “What do you want?”

  He sighed. “Fortuna, I thought you trusted me.”

  “Yeah, I did. Until you tried to kill me!”

  “Do you honestly think that was me?” he asked, taking a step towards her. “If I wanted to kill you, don’t you think I would have done so while you were knocked unconscious?” he frowned, “I’m sorry about that, by the way. I explicitly told them not to cause any harm to you.”

  “You can’t honestly think that I would believe you after you sent me to that café.”

  “What café?” he asked, his brown eyes brimming with concern. “I swear, I didn’t message you before today.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and took another step back. “I’m sorry, but I find that very difficult to believe.”

  “I regret it had to be this way,” he continued. “But I couldn’t stand the thought of you being in harm’s way.”

  A tremble of fear ran through her. There was something about the way he said that last statement that made her feel like he knew something he wasn’t telling her.

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “I thought it would have been obvious,” he said with a smirk. “The conflict between Morta and the LaRues has come to a head. I know they tried to kill her this morning. I also know that they’ve figured out a way to block NA abilities.”

  Amber’s heart leapt to her throat. She wondered if he knew she’d been without her abilities for a time only the day before. Nervously, she clenched her hands and waited for him to explain further. When he didn’t, she asked, “How do they block other people’s abilities?”

  He shrugged. “Rumor has it that it’s some sort of ingestible pill. They found an NA who could block other’s abilities. They killed him for his DNA.”

  His tone was bitter and, Amber remembered the way he’d reacted at the house. He’d seemed callous to her then, but listening to the rage coating his words now, she wondered if his reaction at the house had simply been a defense mechanism.

  She retraced her steps from the time she received the message to the time she followed the boy into the tunnels beneath Spade. She’d bumped into a few people on the way to the coffee shop. She’d ordered a hot chocolate. And then the boy showed up. A thought clicked into place.

  “You said the drug was ingestible. Do you know how long it takes to go into effect? Or how long it lasts?”

  “No. Why? Are you thinking about drugging someone in particular?” he waggled his eyebrows at her.

  She scowled. He’d kidnapped her. Told her that Morta’s life was still in danger. Oh, and he’d just revealed that they had the ability to block NA capabilities. She wasn’t in the mood for him to flirt with her.

  “Tell me everything you know,” she demanded.

  “Didn’t even get a smile out of you,” he grimaced. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

  “Let’s start with what you know about the attack the LaRues are planning.”

  “It’s happening today. In less than an hour if I had to be accurate.”

  “What!”

  “Calm down, Fortuna,” he said, placing a firm hand on her arm. “There’s nothing you can
do.”

  “What do you mean?” she hissed.

  “I’ve taken you someplace safe. Someplace far enough out of town they’ll stop looking for you before they find you.”

  “Why? Why would you do this?”

  “I thought it would be obvious,” he said with a lopsided smile.

  She shook her head.

  “I care about you, Fortuna.”

  “You care about me!” she repeated, cutting him off. “Of all the asinine things I’ve heard recently, that has got to the be worst. Stars, J! I don’t even know your real name. And you don’t know mine.”

  “I know enough about you to know that this is real. It takes a lot for me to like someone, much less trust them. But with you…” He trailed off.

  She shook her head. “It’s never going to happen. Do you hear me? You took away my choice.” She ran her hands through her hair as the realization struck her. There was an attack planned on the Underworld, and she wasn’t there to stop it. She wouldn’t be there to save them.

  “You have to take me back. Now!” she commanded.

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that. Let me clarify, I won’t do that.”

  She slapped him across the cheek. A bright red mark sprouted across his skin. He rubbed at his jaw for a moment. “Nice hit,” he said, seemingly unphased by her outburst.

  “Please, J, you have to let me go back. I need to be with her. I can protect her.”

  “You’re not strong enough to take on the whole LaRue family. Trust me when I say that the safest place for you is right here. I don’t want them getting their hands on your ability.”

  She began pacing across the room. A part of her knew he was right. But that didn’t mean she had to admit it to him.

  “J,” she whispered, turning towards him.

  “Fortuna,” he responded, a smile touching his lips.

  She shrugged it off. It didn’t matter if he felt like there was this deep connection between them.

  “I might be at odds with Morta right now. If fact, I may very well despise her. But, that doesn’t change the fact that I chose her as my family. She’s my person, J. I can’t just let her die with no warning.”

  He stared at her for several moments. “Fortuna, let me be clear with you. I can’t let you leave.”

  “Why not?” she demanded.

  “I can’t imagine Morta would want you to put yourself in harm’s way. Not if she knew what was coming.”

  “So, warn her!” Amber shouted. “Call her right now and tell her to prepare. Please, J. I’m begging you.”

  He shrugged. “I know you won’t believe me when I tell you that I wish I could give you everything you ask for. But I can’t. It doesn’t work like that. It is unrealistic.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “Then make it realistic.”

  “The best I can offer you is to watch what happens through an aerial drone.”

  Her mouth dropped open slightly at his suggestion. “I don’t want to watch her get injured or killed, J! I want to save her!”

  “Take it or leave it, the choice is yours.” He turned from her then. The muscles in his back rippled as he strode away from her.

  She caught his wrist in her hand and tugged him towards her. “Who are you really?” she asked.

  “A friend.”

  Her grasp on him tightened. “Tell me the truth. Who. Are. You?”

  The back of her neck tingled. She reacted a fraction too late as a gust of wind buffeted her. She stumbled, but he caught her before she fell. The wind died down to nothing more than a low whistle around the corner.

  “If I wanted to harm you, Fortuna, I could. But that’s not what I want. What I most desire is for you to trust me. To let me be the weirdo that sooths your pains, makes you laugh, and walks hand-in-hand with you through life’s adventures.”

  “What the stars, J!” Intellectually, she understood what he was saying, and there had been an attraction between them, but this was ludicrous. She trailed her hands over his body until they were square on his chest. He leaned down. His eyes smoldered and he licked his lips. She rolled her eyes at him just as she shoved him, hard, in the chest. He stumbled backwards with a grunt.

  “You don’t even know my real name, and you’re making it sound like you’re in love with me. Fuck that. I don’t have the time or patience.”

  He placed his hands on her shoulders. “I am trying my best to protect you.”

  “I don’t need your protection,” she sniffed, lifting her chin higher. “What I need is to help the people I love. If you’re not going to help me do that, then you’re an enemy.”

  He glowered at her for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak just as a voice interrupted them from seemingly thin air.

  “Sir, sorry for the intrusion, but shots were fired on the corner of Xilon and Calcipher.”

  Amber’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. Those were the cross streets outside of the entrance to the Underworld. She met J’s gaze, pleading for him to let her go. For a moment, she thought he would acquiesce. There was tenderness and concern in his eyes. And something else she couldn’t quite place.

  His face darkened as the voice piped in again, “Confirmed casualties.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Amber clenched her fists tightly as she tried to control her breathing. People were dying. Again. And she wasn’t there to help.

  “You have to let me go. Now!” she screamed.

  J shook his head. There was a finality to the movement that made her skin crawl. Who was he to tell her what she could and couldn’t do?

  “The best I can do is fly a drone over the street fight. You’ll be able to watch what happens.”

  “That’s not good enough!” She scanned the room, anxious for any way out. The only exit she found was the door directly behind where J was standing. To get to it, she would need to get past him.

  Her stabilizers engaged, sending a wave of heat up her arms as she contemplated racing past him. She didn’t know how far out of the ‘V’ she was, but she was determined to make it back. Even if she was too late—

  She stopped herself from considering what would happen. She couldn’t think about that now. Maybe never, if she was successful.

  She lunged forward just as a gust of wind propelled her backwards.

  “I can do this all day,” J said, his hands trembling slightly.

  She glared at him. “If you do this and Morta dies, I will never forgive you. Do you understand me? Never.”

  He closed his eyes and heaved in a massive sigh. The vein his neck pulsed, and Amber could tell that he was struggling to say whatever it was that he really wanted to. Finally, he met her gaze with eyes wide open.

  “I’m sorry, Fortuna. This is one fight that you cannot—will not—win.”

  The door began to glaze over with ice. Layer upon layer was added until it was like looking through a frosted pane of glass. Amber seethed as she plopped into a chair.

  “Send the drone,” she commanded, dejectedly.

  “Already on its way.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. His response was just one more reason to dislike him. He was so cocky in his ability to stop her from leaving his home that’d he’d preemptively sent the drone.

  “Sir,” the voice said, “Justine LaRue is requesting a vid conference.”

  Amber’s eyebrows rose. If he wasn’t in league with the LaRues, why would their leader want to conference chat with him. She ground her teeth to stop herself from saying anything.

  “Tell her I’m busy,” he replied. He met her gaze from across the room. “And Merlin, please update my status as ‘do not contact,’ for the foreseeable future.”

  “Yes, sir,” the voice replied.

  “Merlin?” Amber asked, intrigued.

  “My AI,” J replied absent-mindedly as he created a holographic keyboard in front of him and began typing away. His brow furrowed as he entered code into the system.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her curiosit
y getting the better of her.

  “I am pulling all the vid files from nearby security cameras so that you can have a 360 degrees vantage point.”

  “Hey, you know what would be even better than that?” she paused, waiting to see if he would take the bait. When he didn’t, she mumbled, “Letting me leave.”

  “Sorry, can’t,” he replied without looking up from the screen.

  She tapped her fingers on the chair’s arm, unsure of what to say. Holographic images materialized all around the room as J pulled the security footages’ livestream. A high-definition image spread across the middle of the room. She could tell by the way it moved that it was the live-feed from the drone.

  Leaning forward, she squinted at the tiny dots scurrying across the bottom of the screen. Blasts of brilliant light exploded across the display as plasma rifles were fired. Electric blue streaks flew through the air where high-velocity darts struck their targets.

  She gasped. She hadn’t anticipated so many people to be involved in the battle.

  “Can you show me a closer up image?” she whispered. Her chest ached as she searched the battlefield for any sign of Morta.

  “Give me a sec,” he responded. She could already hear the flurry of his fingers on the keyboard.

  One of the screens morphed into a magnified view. A guard wearing Morta’s insignia was locked in hand-to-hand combat with one of Spade’s thugs. They appeared to be evenly matched as they grappled with each other. Amber found herself leaning in closer. She held her breath as the Spade representative landed a blow to his opponent’s temple. The man’s eyes turned glassy as he fell to the ground.

  “How many casualties?” Amber breathed. From what she could tell, there were more of the Underworld’s people laying on the ground than those of Spade’s. If she had to guess, Guinevere, or another luck-driver, was there, manipulating the battle to favor Spade. She bit her bottom lip in an attempt to stop herself from saying as much to J.

  “Merlin,” J said, “How many dead so far?”

  “Sixty, as of 30 seconds ago,” the AI responded.

  “So many,” she whispered, leaning back into the chair. Her breathing became shallow and her stomach felt as if she were going to hurl at any moment. She needed to be there, and if J couldn’t understand that, then he was not her friend.