by Beth Reason
Chapter 16
Tenet wasn't afraid as he sat in the air ship. The realization shocked him to realize it, but even then he couldn't make himself feel fear. The trip to the corn sector was incredibly easy. As Krupkie had predicted, Southland was busy with the early harvest crops and paid very little attention to a well dressed man and his official looking escort. A swipe of the identification card Krupkie gave Wren was all it took for them to gain comfortable seating on an air ship that carried both cargo and passengers, and no one even glanced their way in the crowded cabin.
Tenet took the time to study the people. While he never noticed the differences when he lived among them, he could now tell who lived at what station in life simply by their looks. The people who most resembled his new Ogden self, those in the lower working classes, dressed simply with their hair undone and their skin dark from the work in the sun. The next level, people with office jobs or tradesmen who pushed pencils, not garden hoes, were dressed finer. Their clothing was clearly more expensive, though still lacked delicate adornments. Their skin was much lighter, and their hair was coiffed in ridiculous copies of the upper class.
As Tenet stared at someone he was certain had to be some type of banker or accountant, he could almost feel the desperation of the man to be better than he was, to have more. Though Tenet didn't doubt a pretty penny was spent on the clothing and hair, it still feel far short of the opulence the truly wealthy displayed. Tenet felt bad for the man. Clearly he tried very hard, and yet, Tenet knew that no matter what the man did, he'd always fall short. The upper crust would always view him as a joke, their personal punchline.
Tenet was the only one dressed in the manner of the upper caste. Perhaps that was why no one questioned them. His hair was coiffed, his white linens starched until they all but stood on their own. He wore the hard, carved wooden shoes that were polished with bees wax until they were shiny, and Krupkie had even managed to come up with a pocket watch that dangled on a jeweled chain. As he looked around the transport, he mentally added up the cost of everyone else's garments, jewelry, and shoes and knew that his one outfit was worth more than everything of their combined. It made him sad, and sadder still when he caught the envious look of the banker. He could see the dreams in the man's face to own any single piece of his outfit, and he had to remember himself before he gave something away.
The air ship wasn't one of the faster models, but they had a favorable wind and reached the designated drop point in the corn sector by late afternoon. They were to meet a ground team at a hotel, then wait for further information. They met their team, three others dressed in finery like Tenet, and one dressed in a more military style like Wren, and checked into the hotel with invitations to the Leader's Ball. The receptionist assured them it was to be the harvest celebration of the season.
Tenet quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? It tends to be a droll event. Personally I enjoy the Harvest Gala far more."
The man behind the desk gasped. "Then you haven't hear?"
"Heard what?" Tenet asked casually.
"Well, I shouldn't be saying this," the man said, looking around quickly. He leaned in. "I've heard that there's going to be something big." When Tenet simply lifted his eyebrow, the man continued. "Huge. Mega. Mark my words, something is going down, and you're lucky to have these tickets. People have been scrambling for the past week to try and scare some up."
"For a simple address?" Tenet asked, relieved that his voice was so calm when inside his heart raced.
"I think it's going to be more than that for sure. The press has been hovering like gnats and some very big celebrities are suddenly clamoring to get invited." The man entered their information into his keyboard as he spoke, then pressed a button. "Trust me. You don't want to miss it."
A bot appeared beside them and Tenet had to school himself to keep from jumping. The last bots he had seen had been trying to kill him. It took a second for him to remember that most of the bots in the world were used for service jobs, not killing.
"Luggage sirs," the bots automaton voice said through a speaker. The group placed their bags on the hooks. "This way, sirs." They followed behind as the bot lead them through the main lobby and into an elevator.
Tenet noticed how nervous Wren was. Though he hid his emotions well, Tenet could feel the tension radiate off his friend and he realized just then how ill prepared Wren really was. Sure, he could speak like a Southlander. But everything was new to him, from the ride in the air ship to even the lift in the elevator. He had done well thus far, and Tenet hoped he could just keep it up.
The elevator doors opened and the bot floated out, waiting in the hall for the group to follow. Wren's eyes took in the new hallway and he wondered what kind of magic he'd just been through. Tenet was not nervous. The others in the group were not nervous. He swallowed his own nerves and followed their lead, creating a long mental list of topics for his evening meditation.
The bot led them into a large suite of rooms. Tenet was surprised Krupkie had managed to get them such a suite right at the start of the harvest celebrations in the center of the corn sector. He knew he could not have done any better even when he had his money, and he asked one of the men with them about it once the bot was gone.
"This operation has been in the works for a long time," the man said quietly. "Now, rest. I'll contact HQ and let you know where we go from here."
Tenet nodded his agreement, then went through the rooms looking for Wren. He found him sitting in the prayer position in front of a large window that overlooked the marbled buildings the rich and famous of Southland used as their playground in the Southland Winter. Tenet sat on the floor next to Wren and took in the sight.
"This is your homeland," Wren said simply.
"I didn't mean to interrupt your meditation..."
Wren held up a hand. "Who can pray? There are no sisters, there is only rock. I wonder if the Mother exists here." Though he instantly felt bad for it, he said how he felt and would not take it back.
"Maybe not," Tenet admitted.
"And yet there is magic."
Tenet quirked an eyebrow. "Magic?"
Wren nodded. "That box that brought us here. We entered in one place, we left in another."
Tenet tried hard not to laugh. "It's not magic, it's called an elevator. It's just a box that's pulled up a shaft with cables and gears." He shook his head. "You won't find any magic here. These people don't believe in magic." He sighed heavily. "They don't believe in anything. I'm sorry to bring you here, Wren."
Wren frowned. "Do not apologize. I am not sorry. It is never a bad thing to learn the ways of others." He turned his gaze back out to the city. "And my wife, she will have a fine time calling me out as a liar." He let himself smile. "I will have many heated nights by the fire with her laughter when we return! But you will back me up, my friend."
Tenet smiled warmly. "Yes, I will."
Wren gave a firm nod. "That is all I ask."
They stared out at the city for awhile as the afternoon turned to dusk. The lights began to flicker, lights of all colors the likes of which Wren had never seen and he had to admit that even though there were no sisters, and even if the Mother was not part of this place, there was a certain beauty about it that could not be denied. If he could show his wife, he knew she would enjoy the sight. She had always been drawn to bright shiny things, and in front of him sat an entire village that glistened and glowed.
"It is beautiful," Wren said simply.
"It's all fake," Tenet said in return. "It's all just lights to hide the ugliness."
"You do not miss this, then?"
Tenet gave a bitter laugh. "You're kidding, right?" He shook his head. "Not a bit. I miss the trees I see out my back door. I miss the brook that we fish in. I miss the smell of my woodsmoke and the feeling of my wool sheets in my bed." He shot Wren a look. "I already had enough doubt from Scarab, Wren. I don't need you thinking that I'll suddenly be nostalgic, too."
"I did not mean..."
&n
bsp; The leader of Krupkie's spies walked in. "It's been confirmed by our people in Bradwin's team. Tonight is the night as we suspected. They've mobilized the child." He looked at Tenet. "This is it. You ready to see your daughter?"
"Hell yes," Tenet said, jumping up. "What do we do?"
"Calm down. Your biggest job here is to simply keep calm. No matter what happens, keep calm. You won't see us again, but we'll be there. If there's trouble, grab your kid and duck and we'll handle the rest."
Tenet nodded. "Okay. Keep calm." He tried to run a hand through his hair, but it was hard as a shell and the man in charge cringed.
"The second rule is not to break cover. You want them to believe you missed the hair gunk and fancy duds. Stop wiggling in the starchy pants, don't try and ruffle your hair, and for god's sake stop picking your wedgies!"
Tenet held up his hands, feeling his blush and laughing at himself at the same time. "Okay, okay. Sorry. I forgot just how uncomfortable this shit is."
The man gave a rueful smile. "Yes, I know. I had the, uh, privilege of wearing the garb myself a few years ago before I went even deeper under cover and I can sympathize. But, they won't. Remember you want this. You want to be all spiffied up and dapper. You had a lot of years practice. Stop fighting it and let it come back to you."
"Right. Got it. Suck it up."
"Exactly. Now, the banquet's happening at the Tavern Green across the street. We can't let you in the front door. There are too many people who could ID you. We'll get you in the back through the kitchens. Your contact there is Carlo."
Tenet nodded. "Carlo. Got it."
The man pointed at Wren. "You're his official escort. You got your paperwork on you?"
Wren frowned. "I have no paper."
The man sighed. "Oh come on! You two are killing me! Paperwork. It's an old saying down here. You got your com chip?" Wren blushed but nodded. "Good. Guard that. Show it only if you have to."
"I'll speak for him publicly. Leave it to me," Tenet assured the man.
"I'm trying but you're not making it easy for me to trust you."
Tenet had to admit that from the man's point of view, years of planning for an entire nation rested on his shoulders. He had to remind himself he and Violet were not really the story, only a chapter. Tenet drew himself up regally, calling on all his years of presenting himself to the public exactly as his father wanted. When he spoke, his voice was casually haughty, and any trace of his Borderlands self disappeared. "You speak above your station. Do I need to file a report to your superiors?"
The man grinned. "Now that's more like it! Keep it up. Be the asshole and we might just get through this." He led them to the main room where the rest of the team had donned clothing ranging from high class to one uniformed laborer, and Tenet felt better. He knew they'd mix among both the crowd of guests and the staff of the event and he'd have coverage on multiple fronts.
Tenet was to be brought to the event by the man dressed as a laborer. Before he left, the group wished him well and assured him once again that all he had to do was get to his daughter. "Do as they say, but do it how you're expected. If you were an attitude-filled little shit before you left, then play that up. If you were an easy going pushover, then be that again. They want their kid back, make sure that's what they get."
Tenet and Wren followed the laborer out the back entrance of the hotel and to the kitchen entrance of the Tavern Green. The man knocked in a series of raps that were not accidental, and after a moment the door opened and a short, dark haired man ushered them in.
"Holy shit I can't believe it," he said, staring up at Tenet. He stuck his hand out. "I'm Carlo."
Tenet shook it. "Carlo, nice to meet you."
Carlo frowned. "Sir, you already know me. I worked in your wheat kitchen for years."
Tenet felt a flood of shame. He had absolutely no recollection of the man at all.
Carlo didn't look offended. No one looked at the help, and he didn't take it personally. "Relax, I didn't mean to give you a complex. I was only saying it to let you know you can trust me." Someone came around the corner and Carlo barked at the man that was dressed as a laborer to get back to work. Then he loudly apologized to Tenet for the bad service. "I understand if you should need to dock me pay, Sir." He gave Tenet a wide eyed look, and Tenet knew he was to play along.
"I do not want anything to mar such an evening. I will let it pass this time. However, a letter of contrition from your supervisor will be expected."
Carlo had to hold in his grin. He always liked the young Bradwin, and he and his wife truly did feel bad when the boy vanished. However, it wasn't until he was fired by Mrs. Bradwin that he began to nurse a suspicion about the circumstances. Society had been rife with gossip, and even more so after the rushed wedding of the Bradwin girl. He always knew there was something amok in the leader's household, and when he was quietly approached to help have a hand in uncovering the truth, he ignored his wife's dire warnings and gladly pitched in.
"Yes, sir," Carlo said, as if he would truly face the wrath of an angry boss.
"He's gone," Wren said quietly.
Carlo looked relieved. "Okay, here's the deal. In about three minutes, the big govers will start to arrive. I know my staff," he whispered. "They'll be crammed at the doors trying to get a look. Word has spread that something big is going down, and even though they should damn well be working, they'll be gawking. That'll give me time to slip you two down an old service corridor. It opens in the center wall of the ballroom. You wait there for the signal, then you just walk out and do your thing."
Tenet waited for more instructions, but when none came he frowned. "That's it?"
"What do you mean, that's it? Ain't it enough?"
"What's the 'thing' I'm supposed to do?"
The voices of other workers made Carlo grab Tenet's arm and pull him deeper into the corner. "How the hell should I know? Look, I'm putting my ass on the line here as it is. I told them I'd get you in, and that's what I'm doing. Shit, they're here early!" He tugged Tenet down a small hallway and pointed down the dark path. "I gotta go. Just follow this on around the circle." He was about to leave, then turned back and quickly shook Tenet's hand. "Good luck, kid. I always liked you and I'm glad you're not dead. Now, go!"
"Go," echoed Wren, looking at a large group of workers who were getting closer to the hallway.
Tenet turned and pushed his way through the cobwebs of the very narrow, curved hallway. It seemed to go on forever, though Tenet wondered if that was simply because he was finally feeling afraid. He groped in the dark and was about to turn and ask Wren if he thought they went too far when he bumped into the end of the hall and felt a door handle jam into his hip.
"What do we do now?" he hissed to Wren.
"Shh," Wren said. He could hear murmuring and leaned his ear on the door to listen. "I hear voices."
"Should we open the door?"
Wren didn't know. "It would be foolish if they are all standing just on the other side."
"Does it sound like they are?" Tenet asked, leaning over Wren's shoulder to try and hear.
"No," Wren said. He needed to make a decision, and ordered Tenet to step back. He crouched low, then turned the handle of the door and was happy to find that it opened inward. He cracked it open and stared out at the backs of legs. He stood and peered into a crowd. There were so many people and all of them had their attention to the opposite part of the room. He turned to Tenet. "We are at the back of a crowd. We would be unseen."
Tenet nodded his head. "Then let's go."
Wren eased the door open and they slowly stepped forward. They entered the large, round ballroom under the legs of a huge statue. Wren knew it was good cover, and if they stood very still, they could blend with the background. He tried to whisper as much to Tenet, but the man's attention was already across from them, riveted to a large, brightly lit stage. "They aren't here yet," Tenet whispered.
Wren placed his hand on Tenet's arm to calm him. "Easy," he said.
He felt Tenet relax and take a breath. Wren looked around, and after a moment spotted two of their team members at the base of the stage and felt better. They would not be alone. No matter what, the soldiers were keeping their word so far.
All at once, the murmurs in the room got very loud. There were flashes of light, followed by loud music. Tenet turned with the group towards the door and stood on his tip toes, struggling to see. "Wren, I don't see..." His words died in his throat when the crowd was parted by armed soldiers and his father lead his family through the ballroom. His father strode forward with purpose. He waved to the crowd, and then he moved to walk up the steps of the stage. Tenet could see his mother, then, and he gasped. Had he ever realized how young she was before? How great the age gap was between his parents? She looked young enough to have been Bradwin's daughter, not his wife. And then the crowd grew silent as Irmara Bradwin stopped in the center of the room and pulled a child forward into the bright lights. Not any child. His child. Only Wren's firm grasp stopped Tenet from pushing his way to her.
"Not yet," Wren whispered harshly, shaken himself by the way young Miss Violet looked. He held firm, even when Tenet let out a small sob. "Calm," he said in a soothing voice. "Wait."
Tenet swallowed down the panic, the fear, the relief and the anger. He knew Wren was right. He needed to give them time to introduce her. He needed to let the crowd know who she was. There needed to be no mistaking that Violet Lorne was real and was Bradwin's own granddaughter. Otherwise it would be a simple thing to sweep her under the rug, to make some excuse, to continue the lies.
So Tenet simply watched. It killed him to force his feet to stay put and watch his baby squirm under the bright lights. His mother held Violet's hand tightly, and he saw her say something. Violet made a little curtsy to the crowd and looked down at her feet. His jaw clenched and every fiber of his being wanted to yell at his daughter to raise her eyes and be proud. Don't look down! You look them in your eye like your mother would! He felt Wren's hand tighten on his arm and knew the warrior was feeling the same. They watched as Violet was then lead up the stairs to sit at the banquet table behind his father's podium.
Bradwin watched the crowd carefully, those he could see under the glaring lights, anyway. They were beyond curious, as he expected. He'd spent the few days letting little hints leak out to the press, and as soon as he arrived at Tavern Green, he knew the gossip mill had the people churned up better than he could have imagined. The clicking of the press cameras was almost as constant as the hum of whispering that echoed around the crammed room. Irmara gave him a little look as she passed that said he had done well, and she took her seat with Violet behind him. He waited for the people to quiet down and cleared his throat.
"We are gathered tonight to officially begin the nationwide harvest season," he said, in his standard greeting. He waited for people to applaud, and couldn't help feeling amused that tonight's applause was quick and fierce and impatient. Normally the ball was a fairly boring affair, as balls went. It was business more than pleasure, usually filled with politicians and their families and very little press. It was a formality, a holdover from the old days when the harvest season wasn't declared by weather prediction, but by the Exalted Leader himself. Though the Leader hadn't been the one to make the call on when a rancher could begin to reap for many generations, the ball was a tradition.
"So without any preamble, I open the season." He waited for the applause, then cleared his throat. "I suppose you were expecting my usual long-winded introduction." The crowd tittered as they knew he expected. "But as you can see, this year is slightly different from our normal gatherings." He took a deep breath and told himself to remember to choke up, to get teary, to pause for effect as Udin had instructed.
"As you all well know, almost six years ago to the day, our nation suffered a truly tragic event. The passing of my only son."
Tenet folded his arms across his chest and rolled his eyes. "Some things never change," he said in a low voice to Wren.
"It was a difficult time for us all," Bradwin continued. "Tenet was loved. Tenet was our hope for the future. To have him taken from us so young..." he shook his head and sniffed. "It was almost too much to bear."
Tenet watched Violet. She glared at her grandfather's back and he had to fight another urge to run to her and scoop her up.
"What we did not know at the time was that Tenet's disappearance was no accident. In recent months, we received a tip that he was, in fact, the victim of foul play!" He paused, telling himself not to grin as the crowd gasped and whispered furiously over the news. "Please!" he said, holding his hand up. "I assure you there is more to the story." He waited for people to settle down. "My son was abducted by the heathens that live across the border in the Badlands." The crowd grew loud, but Bradwin pressed on, knowing when to whip the frenzy further. "He was taken as a slave and has spent the past six years in abject servitude to a band of outlaws!" He slammed his hand on the podium and stood back to watch the pandemonium.
Tenet watched Violet's eyes burn with hatred. She wasn't believing the lies and he felt absolutely buoyant inside. They weren't winning. They couldn't change her. He stepped forward and Wren held him back.
"Not yet," Wren said, speaking up to be heard over the crowd. "She hasn't been introduced!"
Tenet stepped back and clenched his hands at his sides. He had to be patient. Just another minute. He could do it.
Bradwin held his hand up once again. "There's more!" The crowd settled down, everyone leaning forward not wanting to miss one juicy detail. "After we got the word, I myself went into that unruly land. In a top secret mission of rescue, we attempted to free my son from his bonds. Although we were unable to find him, we did find someone just as valuable." He stepped back slightly and motioned for Imrara to bring the girl forward.
Violet stood and stepped forward with her grandmother, just like she practiced. Her grandfather was introducing her and though she tried to keep her head up and her eyes straight like she'd been instructed, the lights were painfully bright and she squinted in the glare. All the people were pushing closer to the stage and there were sharp flashes that hurt her eyes. Her grandfather said the new name she was supposed to go by, and all the people cheered and looked like they were going to grab her. She tried to take a step backward away from their hands, but her grandmother was digging her nails into her arm so hard that Violet dared not try to move again. She knew the next step would be the collar, and she didn't want another burn. It would make her cry, and there was no way she would let all these people see her cry. She bit the inside of her lip and squinted into the group as best as she could.
"Violet is our hope. Violet is our constant reminder of what those barbarians took from us!" Bradwin was very, very pleased. Rarely did life allow him a perfect moment, and he knew this would be one he'd savor for years to come. The crowd cheered. The crowd cried. They ate the story up and already Violet was in their hearts. True, she could be standing straighter and looking a little less unhappy. However, that might just sell her story even more, he had to admit. Yes, it was a perfect moment and he stood at the podium basking in the glory of it all.
Violet's head started to hurt. She wanted to ask her grandmother how long she would have to stand there, but she was told she absolutely could not open her mouth at the ball and she planned on doing her best to follow that rule. So she bit her lip and tried to find a shadow to look at. She would find a shadow and stare at it and the light wouldn't hurt so much. Her eyes went to the large statue across the room under the bank of lights. They were shining in her direction, not at the floor, and she let her eyes go down away from the brightness. There were two men standing under the statue in the shadows away from the crowd. They did not push forward and try to get past the soldiers to grab her like the other people and that alone made them stand out. Violet blinked and squinted.
"She sees you, Tenet," said Wren in warning. Instead of stepping back into the shadows, Tenet moved forward. He simply could not w
ait any longer. The time had come and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.
Violet's little heart began to beat faster. She knew that man. She knew them both! His hair was silly and his clothes were stupid but she knew who it was. She blinked once more to make sure and as soon as he smiled she was certain. "Da!" she screamed. Before she could stop herself, she ripped her arm from her grandmother's clutches and was halfway down the stairs before the shock collar buzzed, the pain instantly dropping her to the floor.
Tenet watched his daughter crumple and looked up into his father's eyes. Bradwin was stunned. For once, he truly outfoxed the old man and Tenet knew that later he would allow himself to gloat over the look in his father's eye. For the moment, though, he could feel nothing but rage. The lights swung to shine on him, and the crowd parted as he slowly and deliberately made his way to the front of the room.
Violet was clutching the necklace she wore, obviously in pain, but she still managed to smile when he approached. Tenet bent down and scooped her up in his shaking arms and held her tight. She started to sob and he had to will his own tears away as he kissed her head over and over. "It's okay, baby," he whispered. "I'm here."
Violet's little body heaved with all the pain and anguish and fear and sadness she felt over the last weeks. "I knew you'd get me, Da," she said between her cries. "I knew it."
Wren held in his own tears and refused to look at Violet. He was Tenet's servant, nothing more, and until Tenet could explain to Violet, the last thing he wanted was her to speak to him and blow their cover. But they had her, and he could not help feel a warrior's triumph. He stayed in the background one step behind Tenet and simply waited to see what would happen next.
Bradwin felt a hard, sharp pain knife through his chest and wondered if he was finally having that heart attack Irmara always warned him about. He stared at his son and clutched the podium, trying to make sense of the turn his perfect moment had taken. Lost, he looked to Irmara. She stood with her hand over her mouth, her eyes glistening with tears. She was useless. Utterly useless! That thought brought him back from his stupor. "My...my son..." he stammered into the microphone.
The stunned crowd turned as one to look at Bradwin. He held his hand out as a calling to his boy, and Tenet had to fight hard to keep his emotions in check. He shifted Violet in his arms, easily cradling her as he always did, and walked carefully up the stairs. He stopped in front of Irmara. "Mother," he said, hoping he didn't sound as cold as he felt.
It was Tenet. It was really and truly him! Something inside Irmara soared, while something else felt like it broke. "Tenet," she whispered, trying desperately to gather her wits. They were standing in front of the entire nation and she had to pull herself together. And yet, she couldn't. Her mind went utterly blank. Tenet moved his hand toward her and for a fleeting moment she believed he would stroke her face or squeeze her hand or pull her into a hug. Instead, his hand closed around her own and he he pulled it between them, away from the sight of the crowd. With a firm pressure, he squeezed open her fist and pulled the shock collar control from her grasp. The anger in his eyes changed to pure hatred and Irmara knew true depths of sadness and regret like she hadn't felt in years.
Tenet took the control and slipped it into his pocket. They were using the same type of collar on Violet that Jace used on Scarab and it turned his stomach. However, he had to keep calm. Though it took every ounce of self control, he turned from his mother without saying a word. He pasted as friendly a smile on his face as he could and shook his father's outstretched hand before taking a seat. Wren took up position directly behind him and they simply sat and waited.
Bradwin was stuck and he knew it. Udin would have a field day trying to scramble up a story after this debacle! And the boy sat there with the audacity to give him a smug look. One thing was sure. His son had changed. He wasn't a coward anymore. He was a man, and an angry one at that. The stunned crowd had recovered from their shock and were all but screaming for information. Tenet's eyebrow rose slightly, a silent challenge to his father, and Bradwin's blood boiled.
Bradwin turned back to the crowd. "By the great fathers of our nation, we are well and truly blessed." He made tears fall, an old trick he pulled out once in awhile. "My son! My boy! What a blessed harvest season indeed!" He threw his hands in the air and pumped his fists, then strode over and pulled Tenet into a hug. It was awkward with Violet stuck in the middle, but he knew how to play the crowd.
Udin Castani pushed his way up the stairs and walked straight for the podium, ignoring the accusatory look Bradwin shot him. "My word what a night! What a night indeed!" he told the crowd as Bradwin began ushering his family off the stage. As soon as they were down the stairs they were surrounded by armed guards and while they fought their way through the press to the door, Udin shouted for the people to listen to him. "Give the Bradwins their privacy! I think after the years without their son they've earned it. We will hold a press conference first thing in the morning. But tonight, am I mistaken, or were we supposed to have a party?" He motioned for the band to begin playing music, then scurried off after the Bradwins. He made it to their personal transport just before the door closed.
"What the hell was that shit, Bradwin?" he demanded. Any other admonitions died before they were voiced as he took in the scene in the transport.
Irmara and Bradwin sat on one side with their personal guards, and Tenet, the girl, and some mystery soldier sat on the other. The girl clung to Tenet like he was her life line, and all of the adults seemed shell shocked. Udin's gaze found Irmara's and he could not mistake the surprise in her eyes. "Aw, shit," he said shaking his head. "You didn't know?"
Bradwin cleared his throat. "Of course I didn't know, you nit wit!" he snapped.
Udin gripped the wall, still standing as the transport lurched forward. "But you knew he was alive," he said, pointing to Tenet.
Bradwin made a face. "Oh what the hell does it matter now?"
Udin thew his hands in the air and rolled his eyes. "You should have told me! We've got no contingency plan for anything like this!"
"Don't you think I know that?" Bradwin pulled a hankie from his pocket and wiped his sweaty brow. He caught Tenet's look and tucked the hankie back in his pocket, trying to get himself to calm down. "You...you always were one for dramatics," he said, wishing he had come up with something better to say.
Tenet slowly shook his head, then turned his attention back to his daughter. She was curled up on his lap, almost asleep, and he kissed her head again, needing to make sure she was real and in his arms. His lips became sticky from the hair goo, but he didn't even notice.
Irmara watched her son tenderly hold his daughter and her heart broke for all the times she longed to do the same. He was there. He was real. And he was beautiful, even more than he'd been as a child. He was grown, a full man with eyes that were knowing where they once were sad and naive. I wanted to hold you like that, she wanted to tell him. I wanted to kiss your head, too! But she did not say it, she simply dug her nails into her palms and watched.
"And who are you?" Udin asked, nodding his head towards Wren.
"Sergeant Alden Nori," Wren said in his best Southlander voice.
Udin frowned. "Never heard of you."
"He's my man," Tenet said. "A friend who helped me plan my escape from up there."
Bradwin frowned at Tenet, confused by Tenet's claim. Jace had assured Bradwin that Tenet was a willing participant in his life up in that horrid place. "He's a spy," Bradwin accused.
Wren was prepared. He withdrew his com chip and handed it over, just as he had been instructed. He kept the emotion out of his expression as he waited for Udin to take the chip. When Udin snatched the chip and put it in his com dock, Wren looked at Bradwin. "I am nothing but a serviceman who helped your son return."
He had to be lying. Bradwin looked to Udin who was reading the information off the com chip with a deep scowl. "Sir, you better look at this," he said, handing over the com dock.
Tenet gave a tired little laugh. "I don't have a pot to piss in, and you think I have the means to bribe one of your agents?" He scoffed and leaned his head on the back of the seat. "God, I'm tired. I'm so damn tired. You have no idea how good it feels to be back in a real transport!"
Bradwin's eyes narrowed further. An agent of the man's alleged class would have no trackers, no identification chips. They couldn't. If they were ever discovered to be part of the secret service Bradwin's father had begun, the nation would be outraged. There could be no ties to the government. However, the blood, that could not be faked. They would run a gene test and through DNA discover his identity. "Type him," he said to Udin.
Udin quirked an eyebrow. "With what? We're in a transport, not a lab."
Bradwin turned to Irmara. "Don't you have a kit or something?"
Irmara had been staring lovingly at her son. When Bradwin said something to her again, she turned to him. "What?"
He sighed. "Your kit. Can't you type him?"
Irmara gave him a bland look. "I carry herbs, Bradwin. I can cure a headache. That's about it."
There was no need for her to be snippy, and if the transport wasn't already slowing he would have told her as much. "Doesn't matter," he snapped. "We're here." He motioned to Udin. "Take him to the clinic downstairs."
Tenet felt a quick flutter of fear at being separated, but Wren gave him a reassuring look. "I'd feel more comfortable if Nori could stay," Tenet said casually. "Some thugs gave chase and he has proven his skills in my defense."
Bradwin was tired and flustered. He should get rid of this Nori person as quickly as possible, and would have ordered it already if he didn't have a niggling of doubt. Had Jace been wrong? He was a self-serving little prick. Perhaps he merely pretended that Tenet was a willing member of that awful witch community to press him for more money later? His head hurt. His heartburn seared his insides. He needed a good, stiff drink and some time to think. "Type him and then put him in the guest wing under surveillance until I can come up with something." Udin nodded and led Wren off the transport and into the building.
Tenet stood and shifted Violet in his arms. She made a scared little whimper and squeezed him tighter. "I will be bunking with Violet." He did not leave any room for debate.
Irmara didn't even glance at Bradwin before she consented. "Of course," she said quickly. She stepped forward and looked like she wanted to say something, but then thought better of it and closed her mouth.
"I assume you have given her my old rooms?"
Bradwin nodded and rubbed his eyes. "Yes. I'll have Waldor show you the way."
Tenet gave a wry smile. "I think I can remember." He turned and was almost out of the transport when Bradwin stopped him.
"I don't know what you're playing at, Tenet, but I will find out. I always do."
Tenet turned around and looked him straight in the eye. "I'm not playing at anything, Father. I do not take my parenthood as a game." With that, he turned and stormed into the house past the staff members that stood and gaped in shock.
Tenet let his memory guide him through the large manor to the east wing and up the marbled staircase to his old rooms. He waited for the servant to open the door, then ordered all of the staff to leave them alone for the night. When they protested he simply stared at them until they cowered and left. He knew that in moments, guards would be posted outside the door.
"Da," Violet said sleepily. "I wanted you to come so bad."
"Shh," he said, setting her on the bed. "I'm here." He unbuttoned the top buttons of her dress so he could have access to the collar. He pulled the control from his pocket and used it just as he had used the unitool to unlock the same style of collar from Scarab. The necklace made a little click that caused Violet to wince, then fell off. As soon as it was gone Violet rubbed at her neck.
"I hate that thing!"
"Me too, baby." Tenet pushed aside his rage and put the necklace in his pocket. They'd pay, but right then, Violet needed her Da. He held his arms open and she flung herself into them again. "Better?" he asked.
"Yes, Da. So much better!" She placed kisses on his cheeks then pulled back. "I almost didn't know it was you. Your whiskers are gone!"
"Yes, and so are yours," he said, pointing to her eyebrows. He made a silly face and Violet laughed. His heart squeezed inside at the sound he'd so desperately missed. "What will Mumma say when she sees you have no eyebrows, hm?"
At the mention of Scarab, Violet's lip quivered and her eyes watered. "That bastard took Mumma," she said.
Tenet didn't have the heart to correct her language. Given the situation, he would have let her say far worse. He was about to tell her Scarab was fine when it occurred her him that they were most likely being monitored. He looked at her and hoped she could read him as well as she read Scarab when they played their secret spy games. "Don't you think about that. I'm here. And I'm positive the wraiths got that bad man."
Violet frowned for a second before her eyes went wide. Da put a finger to his lips to make sure she kept quiet and she grinned and nodded, then winked at him.
"It's almost time for the wraiths to come out," he said, delivering Scarab's message. Violet's little hands twitched in excitement and it was clear she knew what the cryptic message meant. "But that's enough talk about the scary monsters. We'll migrate long before they come out," he told her as he winked and pressed a finger to his lips. "Now, time for a bath, young lady!"
Violet threw her arms around her Da again. He came for her and her Mumma would come for them both. She was sure of it. She let her Da pick her up and carry her to the bath and she didn't even care how hard he scrubbed to get the goo out of her hair. He was there and soon she would go home. The wraiths were coming, and Violet could not stop grinning.
Bradwin paced in his study downstairs, his mind spinning with all that happened. His private forces were summoned immediately and he knew he couldn't afford to drink much of the wine in his glass, no matter how badly he craved the entire carafe. He gave a small laugh as he thought about Merle, how he now understood what the simpering little moron felt every day.
"And what is there you could possibly find humorous?" Iramra snapped from her position at the window. She was coiled tighter than a watch spring and she wondered just how it was Bradwin could be calm. Or even act like he was.
Bradwin sighed and sipped his wine. "Nothing," he said flatly. "There is absolutely nothing funny about tonight." He glanced at Irmara's back, for a moment wondering if she had any idea that Tenet was planning on showing himself that night. Almost as quickly as the question arose in his mind, he dismissed it as a possibility. He wouldn't put it past her to make a fool of him, but she had clearly been as stunned as he was. His com beeped and it made Irmara jump. As he answered the call from Udin, he watched as Irmara began to pace like a caged animal again.
"The blood is legitimate," he told her as he closed the com link. "We've typed the blood of the soldier and it matches one of our files. He is who he says." He sat back in seat and rubbed his temples. "It just doesn't make any sense."
Irmara was beyond caring about appearances and turned her tortured gaze to Bradwin. "Can't you just believe Tenet's found a way to come home?"
Bradwin saw the real pain in her eyes and it struck him that she honestly wanted to believe what she was saying. "No," he said, refusing to buy into the game. "I don't. What the hell is here for him, hm? He was all too quick to leave."
Irmara scoffed and turned away. "Don't you dare try and tell me you had nothing to do with that. Not now. Not after all this time. You wanted him gone."
"Yes," Bradwin agreed, feeling the flaring of old anger roil in his stomach. "I wanted him gone. I made no secret about it then and I won't lie now. But he was the one who left. He chose to go. What I wanted was irrelevant. He wanted to leave. And can yo
u blame him?" He shook his head. "It was the one thing he ever did with any conviction. The one time he showed any backbone. Did you know I actually respected him for doing it?"
Irmara dug her fingernails into the window sill and struggled to maintain control. "I knew it," she whispered harshly. "I always knew you were behind it! You said when he was born you'd take him from me and you did." She whirled around. "And now he's back. Now he came back to me and there's not a damn thing you can do about it!"
Bradwin stared at his wife as if she was a stranger. She was yelling. His perfectly poised, utterly composed ice queen of a wife was utterly frazzled. He often saw hatred from Irmara. Anger. Annoyance on a daily basis and an overall boredom with life. But this deep, painful sadness, this was new. It was wholly unexpected, and after such an evening, he found he had nothing to say.
Irmara's anger and pain forced her to her breaking point and before she could stop herself, she ripped the goblet of wine from her husband's hands and threw it with all her might against the wall behind him. "You will not take them from me this time!" she screeched.
Bradwin felt the wine splatter on the back of his head. His wife stood before him, a monster, a raging beast, and it took him the span of several heartbeats to be able to speak. "I have had all I can tolerate tonight," he said as carefully and as calmly as he could. "I believe before you truly do something you will regret that it would be wise for you to retire to your rooms and consider your position!"
Irmara could not believe the man. He still dared order her around? She gave a deep laugh, and it clearly unsettled Bradwin. As he scooted further back in his chair, her laugh increased. "Oh, Bradwin. Oh, you poor, foolish bastard! You think I should consider my position?" She wiped a maniacal tear from her eye and shook her head. "And what about yours, hm? What about your position? What, exactly, is the great Exalted Leader to do now? This wasn't your plan. These aren't your cards being played." She pointed her finger towards the door. "My son has returned in the face of the entire nation, and he did it using the help of your man that shouldn't even exist. My position is the same as it was yesterday, and will be tomorrow. I'm the poor, young, naive wife, just a tribal girl at heart. Do you really think I will have to do the answering in the morning?"
Irmara felt the freedom of her words, felt the weight lifting for the first time in years and years. Bradwin turned pale in front of her, and for a moment she felt bad for him. He was clever. If there was a way to come out of this with the appearance of clean hands, Bradwin would figure out how. But as she spoke, the truth in her statement could not be denied. She saw Bradwin's hatred for her burn, yet she knew that for the time being, it would simply simmer unrealized. He could not risk any more scandal. It gave her a feeling of buoyancy and power and her creepy smile beamed.
Udin strode in and stopped dead in his tracks. He saw the crazed look in Irmara's eyes, then took in the pale, blank expression on the old man. He swore under his breath, then stepped forward to break up whatever he walked into. It was going to be a long few days of spinning to get the people to buy the story he'd have to sell, and the last thing he wanted to do was deal with a murder. At the moment, it was a toss up which one of the pair would be the killer, though he'd lay odds on Irmara. She was a firecracker, especially when she was angry, and in spite of the seriousness of the situation he wanted nothing more than to whisk her away and turn her emotions into the passion he sorely missed.
"If you two are done sniping, we've got work to do," he said with as much authority as he could muster.
Udin's voice got Irmara's attention and she turned to face the man, still feeling like she stood on the edge of sanity and anger and freedom. She stepped forward and only the look of panic on his face stopped her from kissing him. She had already twisted the knife into Bradwin, and it was very hard not to twist it some more. When Udin took a small step back, she couldn't blame him. "Udin," she said, nodding as she passed. "Good luck getting him out of this one!" She slammed the door, but even through the echoing thud they could hear her cackling laughter.
"She's lost it," Bradwin said, staring at the door. "She's finally flipped her gourd."
"Calm down, boss," Udin said, trying to sound like he wasn't shaken as well. "She just had a hard night." He sat across the desk from the old man and studied him. "You take your pill today?" he asked quietly.
Bradwin blinked, then focused on Udin. "My pill?" When Udin nodded, Bradwin patted his coat pocket. "Yes, my pill." He took out the little pouch and removed a pill. Udin handed him a glass of water and he drank it down, then sat back and closed his eyes. "Oh what in the hell are we going to do?"
Udin rubbed his chin and sat back. There were a million things he could have said, but only one he would. "Hell if I know. I didn't even know he was still alive."
Bradwin took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "Oh, get over it. No one knew that didn't absolutely have to."
Udin gave a little humph. "What is it I've always said? If a problem's not solved..."
"It'll always come back to bite you in the ass," finished Bradwin tiredly. "I know. I get it, okay? Your habit of saying 'I told you so' is really annoying."
"I've been told. Now, like I said, the soldier checks out."
Bradwin shook his head. "I don't remember him."
Udin shrugged. "You might not have even met him before. He's worked the border regions guarding some of your, um, most important shipments, shall we say? Spotless record. Four kills, all of them clean and without notice from the locals. Plus there's visual corroboration from the squad up past the 'alfalfa' fields." When he said "alfalfa", he made his fingers form air quotes, and Bradwin knew just what he meant.
"So he's a runner."
"Yep. A damn good one, too. He's straight up legit, boss." He flashed a grin. "Well, you know what I mean."
Bradwin sighed heavily. "Yes, I believe I may have gotten the gist." He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Did he give you any more information?"
"No more than he's trained to. Name. Rank. Base."
"It just doesn't make sense," Bradwin insisted, shaking his head. "Why didn't he bring him directly to me? Why set me up in front of everyone like that?"
"Because he is good enough to know how things operate." There wasn't malice in Udin's words, only truth. "Say he brings the kid to you in private. Say things head south and you decide the world's better off without Tenet, which, I might add, it is. What are you going to do to a soldier who's not really a soldier, hm? Since no one knows about him already, he's utterly expendable." Udin shook his head again. "Now, if he puts himself in the spotlight and then disappears, well, people might notice. Sorry, boss, but I think he just played it smart."
Bradwin let out a little scoff. "Do you think I would have killed him?"
"Yes," Udin answered honestly. His honesty was the only reason he stayed alive and he didn't plan on changing strategies this late in the game. "Shit, you only keep me around because too many people think I'm adorable." He flashed an award-winning smile and Bradwin had to admit, his good looks made things easier with the press.
Bradwin tapped his fingers on the desk in front of him, his mind racing in a thousand different directions. "I don't even know where to go. I don't know what to do. I can't trust Nori, and there's no chance in hell I'm putting any faith in my son. He might have come to be with his daughter, or he could have come to secure her escape. My wife's threatening to go to the press, my granddaughter's still a wild little barbarian. Let's not even get into what in the hell this is going to do with the war..." He laughed, a sad, sorry little sound that made Udin actually feel bad for his boss.
"Let's start with one thing at a time," Udin said in a soothing and firm tone. "I've posted men outside the east wing, both inside and outdoors. I've ordered a bot patrol of the surrounding fields all through the night, and as we speak, an electro-perimeter is being constructed. No matter what your son's reason is for being here, I guarantee he's not going anywhere until we want him to."
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Bradwin sighed and nodded. "That's something."
Udin quirked an eyebrow. "That's a lot. Next, we've got your team arriving any time now. We'll see if we can't turn a few screws and grease a few palms and get to the bottom of all of this. Someone knew he was coming, someone besides Alden Nori. I'd bet my life on it. We'll find out who, and then we'll have the whole story. Your biggest immediate problem is the shock collar you used on her in front of everyone." He gave Bradwin a look of admonition. "I thought we agreed not to press the button unless things got dire?"
Bradwin gave a helpless little laugh. Though he would have loved to blame Irmara for overreacting, the truth was that if he controlled the button, he would have pressed it as well. "And can you name for me a more dire situation?"
Udin's plan was working. The old man was getting past the shell-shocked stage and starting to act more like himself. "Yes, well that doesn't make it easier for me tomorrow morning when they all start demanding to know why the Exalted Leader has to stoop to renegade tactics to control one little girl."
"One little heathen," Bradwin pointed out, and Udin knew his boss was back on firmer ground.
"Exactly, and I think we need to rework the way we present her. Let's rough up her appearance a little. Less us, more them, let the public see that she's truly wild. I think we polished the turd too well, if you'll excuse the expression. Now, if we can convince Tenet that it's in his best interest, what I propose is..."
As Udin laid out his plans, Bradwin began to feel better. He began to shake off the horror and terror and shock of seeing his son, and the fear of all the potential ramifications. Udin had a plan for the press. He already had a story to sell. He called the team and they'd decide what this could mean for the war, and by the time Udin spelled everything out, one manageable step at a time, Bradwin had calmed and cleared and felt like himself. The one wild card was his wife, and he was half tempted to tell Udin to have at her, rewarding the man for his brilliance and keeping Irmara quiet in one move. If it wasn't for the fact that Irmara would derive great pleasure from it, he would have sent the man to her rooms himself.
When Bradwin's team walked in, they found their Exalted Leader up and pacing and giving plans to Udin. "Ah, gentlemen. I'm glad you could get here on such short notice. Close the door. We've got a long night ahead."
