The Emperor

by N. M. Brown

  What was more, McQueen was again asking for her help, which usually spelt trouble. But, her curiosity was peeked, so here she was, going over his notes. Shade had his name circled in red and she enjoyed reading how Queenie flip-flopped from believing her, to finding every plot hole in her ‘story.’ A child cult? Ridiculous. A child leader? Ridiculous.

  Echo found it interesting however, that Wapping Woods was circled in green. Did he believe this then; that the source of all his problems was hidden behind a tree trunk in some giant forest? Echo hoped not. When she’d made the passing comment about being careful she’d meant for him to fall into a head spiral of fear and paranoia, not pop up with dead bodies and enough proof of Shade’s operation it made her want to vomit.

  Wendell Dalton. That had been Queenies first find. Hell, if Echo had known he’d find a body, she wouldn’t have said anything at all, but it did make her wonder. Shade never allowed for bodies to be found before as it brought in nosy Elders. Pulling close another file, Echo wondered for a second if there were as many kids as before, or if her dugout was still there? She suspected it had collapsed on top of a child by now, just like a tunnel had done once before. But that wasn’t even her biggest questions. Holding up an image of Wendel, her angled teenager face looking ghostly in the coroner’s photograph Echo wondered how she ended up pregnant? Shade didn’t wait around when it came to chopping up the kids who were too big for their boots. No male teen should be old enough to impregnate a female.

  Tossing the file down, Echo allowed her neck to loll back until her posture matched Queenies. Her shoulders rose as she felt her entire neck become exposed once more, but she bit down on the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. She wasn’t scared, she remined herself and stayed like that until the tension dropped and she’d fought down ever instinct to cower.

  Watching shadows dance on the ceiling, she contemplated what she would do. Queenie would expect her help now, more so if she could convince him she was telling the truth. That could be fun, but that lead to the problem, was she just picking up her pet project again? She’s said she’d drop it to be one with the family again, but what if what Camila said hadn’t been a lie...

  “I need to make it up to them.” Echo whispered to herself. If she could bring them something – something that would prove her worth without a shadow of a doubt, maybe whatever was going on would stop. She’d find them a prize, something she knew they wanted and once she had it, the test would end, and everything would go back to normal.

  Sitting up, Echo pulled the forensic report towards herself, finding the long passage about the drug ‘Dixie.’ When Adin and Echo had gone undercover it wasn’t out of boredom or the need to play in the dirt.

  All those years ago Archer and Gala had beclose enough, to conspire together and they’d recruited Adin and herself to help. Tensions between the two Sins had been strained ever since the Boston Tea Party as far as Echo understood. Gala’s bold antics had outraged Archer, costing him thousands in trade deals and stock. Gala however, had fed like a king with so much tea going to waste. As filling as a gluttonous human was, Gala received more sustenance from wastage. The knowledge of throwing it away because there would always be more outweighed the gluttony of use. Centuries had passed since then though, and with Archer owning most of the U.S.A Wall Street, and Gala owning every fast food company, they came to an agreement: make a product that humanity would be addictive for Gala, which would in turn make billions for Archer. All they needed was a substance that would work.

  After weeks of reserch, Adain had heard whispers of a substance that just might do the trick, a substance that was used in the dark depths of Rippling. They'd gone looking, searching for a source in the Under-ert, but Adin and Echo had failed.

  But that had been then, and this was now. If she turned up with the formula for Dixie in hand when she next saw Archer… Echo smiled to herself. She could fix this. Now all she needed to do was play Detective long enough to get close to Shade again and-…

  Three solid knocks sounded on the apartment door and Echo glared at it in annoyance. She’d lost her train of thought and this was a life and death situation. Turning back to the files, Echo ignored the door, until more rapid knocks sounded in quick succession. McQueen grunted, but didn’t wake, and it wasn’t until the knocking continued did anyone do anything about it.

  One of the twins – Asshat – had clambered out of bed and stood seething in his doorway. “Who the fuck-…” He’d started to grumble, but ground to a halt when he saw not only McQueen still passed out on the single seater, but Echo awake with her nose in a file. “Why the fuck aren’t you opening the door?” He seethed.

  “Not my place.” Echo shrugged.

  “Not you place.” The twin mocked. “Not your place, well you're fucking staying here aren’t you. And it’s not like it’s going to be for me or Roman.” Walking over, Echo looked up at him through innocent eyes, and the twin Asshat-Not-Roman, glared. “Ever since you’ve been around everything’s gone haywire. I told Roman we shouldn’t let you stay. I don’t care if someone tried to kill you.”

  This caught Echo’s attention. “What makes you think someone tried to kill me?”

  Asshat-Not-Roman just snorted. “Please, we’ve all been around murder scenes and strangulations before. You’re just lucky McQueen is too kind-hearted to push you for answers.” Squaring up, Asshat-Not-Roman pointed a finger at Echo and bared down at her. “If you keep bring this shit down on McQueen, I’ll kill you myself.”

  In a flash, Echo had one hand grasping Asshat-Not-Roman’s solitary finger and bent it backwards. Stood toe to toe, Echo kept bending it until he bent too. Between his whimpers of pain and spiting curses, Echo pulled him nice and close so she could speak in a hushed, deadly tone.

  “If you ever try to kill me, I will offer you no mercy as I hunt down everyone you’ve ever loved.” Looking Asshat-Not-Roman dead in the eyes, she made sure her message was being heard loud and clear. “You try to kill me, I will dismantle your brother piece by piece until only his slow, beating heart remains where I shall promptly nail it to your door. I will find those in your family and kill them one by one, until you are the last of your blood.” With a final twist, Echo brought Not-Roman to his knees and he paled, the pain being so high, not a word was uttered from his lips. “And the last person I kill, for you merely attempting to kill me, will be whoever you’re pining after.”

  Letting go, Not-Roman fell to the floor but quickly stood, looking at Echo with weary eyes. “I am not pining over anyone.” He gasped, clutching his hand to his chest.

  “No? So, you flaunt your sexuality in front of McQueen as real intent then? Or do you do it because it creates a shield between you and someone else.” Not-Roman stilled and Echo felt a little better as she slowly pried open whatever old woundhe seemed to be hiding. “Who was it? Who did you give your heart too and how did they so masterfully break it?”

  Not-Roman might have answered, but suddenly the knocker began again with renewed vigour, snapping McQueen from his sleep. “Wh-… What-…” He stammered clearing his throat and rubbed at his eyes. “One second.” He cried to whoever was at the door and sat up a little straighter in his chair, eyeing Echo and Not-Roman.

  “Reese?” he questioned. “Why aren’t you answering the door?”

  Reese was still looking at her through a trouble gaze and his finger were still clasped in one hand. “It’s for you.” he answered.

  “Who do you-,” McQueen began, feeling the odd tension in the room, but was interrupted, when a high pitched, angry voice snapped through the door causing everyone to turn their head.

  “Canice!” Anna screamed through the door. “Canice you open this door right now! Canice!” Everyone froze and Echo couldn’t hide the sneer on her lips.

  “Fucking phyco. How’d she know you live here?” Reese asked McQueen, shifting uncomfortably.

  “I don’t know.” McQueen said, standing from his chair. Glancing at the clock, it was almost four
in the morning and McQueen had only been asleep for a few hours, and Echo less than that.

  “If I slowly torture your wife and dice her up into lots of little pieces, you’ll still visit me and help me escape prison, right?” Echo asked, eyeing the shiny set of kitchen knives on the countertop. Much to her pleasant surprise, McQueen didn’t justify her with an answer. To him, she was sure that meant ‘don’t suggest such a silly answer. I’ll deal with this in a respectable, mature manner.’ Of course, to Echo his silence and sideward glare just meant ‘you’re only suggesting this now? Where were you five years ago when my life crashed and burned around me?.’ Yet, despite what might or might not have been meant, Echo moved to sit on the breakfast island stools within reach of some wicked knives, all the while watching McQueen begrudgingly answer the door, standing back to regard his wife.

  “Well, it took you long enough.” She said, before trotting past with her nose in the air.

  “Anna…” McQueen sighed like he was mentally preparing himself, closing the door. Echo had seen him do the same sigh and same steady breath a thousand times whenever he was frustrated at her. It was nice to know that this time the saintly speech of right and wrong wouldn’t be aimed at her.

  “Don’t ‘Anna’ me Canice.” She interrupted. “I am you wife. I shouldn’t be begging at your door at four in the morning with a vain hope I’d catch you before work.” She said stiffly.

  “Do you ever think he runs off to work to simply avoid you all together?” Echo asked, helping herself to the fruit on the counter, watching the show.

  Hearing her voice, Anna spun around, hair flipping in all direction at her surprise. “You?” Anger flared in Anna’s eyes, which was the reaction Echo wanted, pleased to see her paranoia was so easy to riel up.

  “She can stay here?” Whipping round, Anna glared at McQueen accusingly, “That whore can stay here, but I won’t fit? Your wife!! Your housemates wouldn’t want an extra body, but her ass can fit?” Twisting her head back round, Anna gave Echo another once over with a sneer. “How long? How long have you been fucking this tramp behind my back?”

  “Echo isn’t-… I haven’t-,” But McQueen didn’t get to say more, as Anna stormed ahead.

  “Is this why you didn’t want me here? You’ve picked her over me? I’m your wife. You should be begging me to stay here with you!” She screeched, flinging her arms around her. “But no, you don’t have room for me here, don’t have time for me.”

  Anna had really upped her drama skills; Echo was almost impressed. She had the timing down, making herself sound hurt and neglected; Echo would give her six out of ten for the performance.

  “I come here and pour my heart out to you, and you’re messing around behind my back?”

  “I don’t think that’s what’s going on-,” Reese tried to interject but he’d backed himself against a wall. Only the naive were stupid enough to get between a house-wife and her prey.

  “And who are you?” Anna snapped. “The room mate who says there’s no room for me, but there is for her.” Anna threw an accusing finger and Echo wondered if people were no long cautious about where they pointed those things. “Is she rolling in your sheets too? Is that why she can stay?”

  “Leave him out of this Anna.” McQueen ordered. “I told you it was my decision. I didn’t want to impose on them.” But Anna didn’t hear him, because Echo made sure her words were front and centre.

  “Isn’t that what you do Anna? What happened to that other guy? You rolled in his sheets; did he not want to take you back to his as payment?”

  Anna’s cheeks flushed but she squared up to Echo, fists clenching at her sides. “I do not roll in anyone’s sheets but mine and my husbands.” She declared. “That ‘man’ in that House, he corralled me. He was drunk and pushy. If my husband had been around - as he should have been- I wouldn’t have been so scared; scared enough to be nice to that guy.” Spinning back to face McQueen, Anna’s eyes doubled in size and her hands glided upwards onto McQueen’s chest. “You have to understand baby. I didn’t want him. I didn’t want him anywhere near me. I didn’t sleep with him. I promise.” She begged, using a soft, distressed voice.

  For the first time since the birds cried at dawn, the apartment was silent for a heartbeat. It was as if time had slowed and the world waited with bated breath for McQueen to answer. Did he reunite with his desperate wife, or did he throw her to the curb?

  But Echo wasn’t one to allow the pauses in life to go undisturbed. An ugly snort ripped through the serene moment and Echo threw in a fat raspberry for good measure.

  “Liar, liar, pants on fire.” She sang, watching Anna’s whole body rippled with anger and every muscle clamped down. But still Anna waited like a damsel in a tower; looking for her prince, for him to sweep her off her feet and tell her all would be well.

  McQueen, all through Anna’s plea, had gazed at nothing, lost in a memory, but with strong unhesitant hands, he grasped Anna’s in his own… and removed them from his chest. It was a devastating blow for Anna, but McQueen hadn’t pushed her entirely away. Yet.

  “Anna, whatever it is you have to say, I’m sure it’s very important. We-… we do need to talk, and I have been avoiding it. But let me make this truly clear: Echo is not staying here. This was an emergency and I have never taken anyone to bed but you. Do not make me out to be an adulater, I won’t have it.” Taking a breath, McQueen finally distanced himself and Echo watched the poor woman wobble at the defeat. “You have come to my home with accusations and allegations that have no grounds. You’ve insulted me, you’ve insulted my roommate and I can’t deal with you when you’re like this Anna. You’re not rational.”

  “Deal?” Anna hissed, and Echo could tell McQueen instantly regretted his words. “Not rational? How can I act rational when you treat me like one of your cases, Canice! ‘Accusations and allegations,’ I’m sorry Canice that I’m so much of a problem. I’m sorry I’m not a case to catch your attention. I’m sorry I’m not dead! That would do it, wouldn’t it? If I were dead, I’d get the attention I deserve.” She was wobbling on her feet and McQueen went to catch her, but restraint himself.

  “Anna, that’s not what I meant. You’re hysterical and I can’t talk to you-” McQueen tried to plea, but still he wasn’t saying the right thing.

  “Hysterical?” Anna screamed, “I am not hysterical, Canice! I’m hurt. You’re never available and I'm just not important to you. I come after work, after your mother, after drinks with the guys! I should be first in your life. I am your wife.” Anna stomped her foot, releasing some of her frustration.

  “I know that Anna, but-,”

  “No Canice, no buts! I am your wife!” Anna repeated. “You are meant to be by my side. You're meant to be there for me! Why won’t you? You’re abandoning me, aren’t you? You left home, you left me. You hate me? Is that it?” Anna cried.

  Echo was flawed. How had McQueen not seen through these lies before? With every new accusation, Anna sounded more desperate. Echo wondered what the woman would try next. But before McQueen could open his mouth, there was a tentative knock at the door.

  “And who’s that? Another one of your whores?” Anna screeched.

  Echo, still sat in the kitchen, raised an eyebrow at Reese who stood shocked by the horror show. He didn’t look nearly as impressed as Echo. “He’d better prey to his Lord that it’s a little old lady crying for a lost cat?” Echo laughed, but disappointed when Reese just shook his head, not enjoying her comedy and sunk sideways, until he reach his room and without a word, retreated inside. “Coward.” Echo muttered to herself, before continuing to watch.

  “Well, go on then. Open it.” Anna ordered and poor McQueen looked actually fearful. Nevertheless, he opened the door and if there was an Oscar for best plot twist, this moment would have won.

  “Sage.” McQueen breathed, and you could see every muscle in his body drop.

  “Hi, I’m sorry, to come unexpectedly, I just want to-… well, I wanted to talk. And before you
say anything, I’m still mad at you.” She smiled tentatively, and Echo was on the edge of her seat. “I know you will have had your reasons, and I’m willing to listen to those, but when we were together… You lied to me and that’s not ok. But I want to work through it.” And with a confirming nod, Sage let out a breath. “Sorry.” She laughed at herself. “I’ve been working on that all up the stairs-,”