by Sandra Elsa
After reading your missives, and dealing with Harrison for the past several days, I have come to the conclusion that perhaps I have been too harsh in my condemnation of all registered mages. I regret my situation is not such as I will be answering my phone or greeting any mages at this time in my life.
#
I hit send without including a signature of any sort.
The reply was nearly instantaneous.
#
**Dearest Francesca,
If Harrison has assisted in taking away even a small part of the anger and hatred I must have caused yourself and your mother I owe him more than I can ever repay.
When I became aware of you after seeing you on the NewsNet I did manage to trace your mother to a burial plot outside District Eighty-two. I go there on occasion to be near her, as I was never granted that gift while she was alive. I think perhaps with this trip down memory lane I shall go to see her tonight. Possibly tomorrow night.
Your Father
Harold Jallahan
#
Mom was buried outside District Six. Did he misspeak on purpose, incase someone else was reading his messages? Was this an invitation to meet him? Or had his research skills failed him and he sat beside a grave near Eighty-two.
Harrison returned bearing turkey sandwiches. He handed me one then sat back down in his chair.
Halfway through eating my sandwich I asked, "Is Mage Jallahan trustworthy?"
His hand stopped on a trip to his mouth and he lowered his sandwich. "Why do you ask?"
"Why isn't important. Is he trustworthy?"
"I don't know him too well. Took a course he taught. Went back to him on occasion when I stumbled across something in my bio-genetics that I thought could be enhanced using magic."
"He has good things to say about you. Would that be him, or your father telling him what to say?"
"Him. And I'm honored." He put his sandwich on a table between the two lounge chairs and sat back up to face me.
"How can you be sure it's not your father's influence?" Mage Jallahan seemed too good to be true.
"Because at this stage of the game, Father is still spitting curses whenever he thinks about me. I lived under the man's thumb for thirty-three years. Him I know all too well."
I opened the last message of the bundle I’d received this morning, the one I sent Jallahan, and the last that he had sent. "What do you make of these?" I passed him my handheld.
He read in silence then said, "It sounds like he's inviting you to meet him outside district Eighty-two."
I held my hand out to reclaim my handheld. "Problem is, she's buried near Six."
"That makes even more sense, Eighty-two would be a very simple encryption eight minus two. Mage Jallahan likes his numbers."
"Well there's something I didn't inherit."
"But the touch of caution is certainly a family trait."
I shook my head. "That's all from Mom. Encryption's not my thing. Double talk and lying that's the way to keep people guessing. That and knowing other people well enough they know exactly what you're saying, even if you say it backwards. I don't know Mage Jallahan at all. I don't know what to believe and I don't trust him."
"But he's caught your interest?"
I sat up and faced him. "How could he not. I spent thirty-two years hating him...the letter I showed you was one of about fifty he wrote starting the year I was born. He didn't even know if there was a child, but he wrote letters anyway. It sounds like he cared for my mom, but didn't have a clue how to broach the subject. Fortunately for him, she was a hooker. No need to come up with witty lines or figure out where to go on a first date. The man I see in those letters is probably someone I would like..."
"But?"
I couldn't believe I had to spell it out for him. "But did he and your father cook the whole thing up? For all I know your father decided on him because we have a similar look and they sat down together to plot the whole thing out...try to convince me mages aren't all bad."
He grinned at me. "We're not."
"I have only your word on that and I've only known you for three days."
"You took pictures of me over three weeks ago."
"Yes--well--I don't think we'll talk about that. Considering what I took pictures of you doing."
"You're blushing."
"It's warm up here."
His grin was ear to ear. "You take pictures of people doing things you can't even talk about."
"I'm not supposed to have to face them after the fact, unless it's in divorce court, telling it to a judge. Frankly, I'd rather bounce off the front end of a car than have this discussion with you," I let a little of my ire creep into my voice.
As usual he couldn’t or wouldn’t hear it and pursued his own goal whether I appreciated the conversation or not. "So did you like what you saw?"
"I focus on faces, through a camera lens, not bodies. You were just one more john."
"Doesn't answer my question."
"I've seen better." My flesh sizzled. He could stop anytime now.
He briefly looked disappointed, then he said, "Tell me about them. You must have seen it all over ten years. What is it that excites Frankie?"
"Peace and quiet, without another soul around," I snapped at him. "It was just a job."
"OK. If you say so. I'd have taken notes on what looked like it might be fun."
I slipped from ire to full-blown anger. "Well you're not me, so just leave it alone."
That he seemed to notice. "I'm joking, Frankie."
"I don't consider sex to be something to joke about. It brings out the worst in people. God it made you an easy target for a siphon. I would have thought you'd be reassessing loose and easy."
"It brings out good things in people too."
"Name one."
He stared at me for several long moments as though having jumped in with both feet he was now trying to decide how to make his way through without drowning. "Between two people who care for each other it's a beautiful thing. Shows a level of trust between them."
"Which one or the other will destroy, all too soon."
"Brings pleasure."
"Grunt, moan, hump, hump, hump, sweat dripping off each other's bodies...Where's the pleasure?"
"You must have some really bad experiences."
"Nope." I picked up my glass of icewater and took a long drink, wanting to scoop out some ice and hold it to my burning face.
"My last lover nearly killed me, but she was a damn good lover." How could he be so calm about that? It sounded like he was telling a story about someone else. "If I'm not sour on it, what could possibly have happened to you?"
"Not everybody was raised thinking they were god's gift to the opposite sex. Do you ever stop and think what your partner might want...Like, to suck you dry of magical talent." I jabbed in self-defense.
It didn't even get his customary ouch response. "She ensorcelled me. I probably wasn't at my best. But I get pleasure by giving it. It's not all about what I want."
"Well I can tell you right now; this conversation is all about what you want, because it certainly isn't giving me any pleasure. How many women have you fucked one night and dumped the next?"
"Not saying I haven't had the occasional one night stand, but it's always mutual."
"Why, because she had to get back to her husband? Or did she move on to your father? Sex isn't a sport. There's almost always an ultimate goal for one party or the other. It's a tool."
"Good thing for you I came along. You seriously needed a career change."
Embarrassment blew my anger way out of proportion, he was entitled to his opinions but I didn’t seem to be able to calm my emotions. Referring to his destruction of my career and life in such a cavalier manner was pretty near the last straw. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Don't shoot the messenger. I'm just saying, you've obviously seen too many bad things happen. And I'm not just talking about sex."
"Whatever. This conversatio
n's over. I liked my job. I was damn good at my job. Now I'm stuck with a mage who thinks way too much of himself, and neither of us has a source of income. I don't want to hop into bed with you, so obviously there must be something wrong with me. Get over yourself." I pocketed my phone, slid off the lounge chair and hopped to the far side of the roof to look out at District Fifty-five. There was a small market down at the far end of the street. Other than that, this area was pretty much all single family homes. There were people in yards, some playing games; some mowing grass. I wanted to be down there among them. Not stuck up here with a damned conceited mage for company. I hopped to the stairwell and placed a hand on each rail, preparing to go down them when Harrison asked, "What do you think you're doing, Frankie?"
"I'm getting out of this house. Gonna go find some place you haven't sucked the air out of."
"Wait! I'm sorry. You're a beautiful woman. I'd like to get to know you intimately, and I won't hide that fact. I don't understand how someone as outgoing as you, can have a problem discussing sex. From what you tell me, Jallahan lost your mother by not knowing how to approach her. If she was anything like you, I can see his problem."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't. If I don't tell you I want to make love to you, you'll never see it. If I do tell you, you despise me for possessing a natural human desire."
"Why don't you go find yourself a hooker or an easy drunk? How many times do I have to tell you there isn't anything gonna happen between us."
"Fine! I can take no for an answer, just come back and rest that leg. I'll go."
"Stop trying to tell me what to do. Go if you like, but I can't stay in one place this long. I'm outta here." I lifted my foot and swung into the air, holding the handrails, landing three steps down. I heard him stride across the roof. I slid my hands down the rails and swung forward again. Two more hops brought me to the bottom of the staircase where the wheelchair waited. I fell backwards into it and spun for my bedroom where I jammed my ident and my nine-mil into my tote with my handheld. Cramming it beside myself in the chair, I headed for the door as he stood watching.
Chapter 20
"You can't outrun me, Frankie."
"If you plan to come with me it had better be in complete and total silence. I will shoot you. I am done discussing topics near and dear to your groin."
"I'm slow. I'm not unteachable. Hands off. I get that."
I hesitated in the front door, contemplating the four steps to the ground for a moment before standing. Grabbing a rail and my bag, I pushed the chair down empty, before sliding down, leaning most of my weight on the rail. By the time I got there, he already had the chair upright and the brake locked. He backed away to let me put myself in it.
Following me down the road, he asked, "Where are we going, Frankie?"
I had considered going to the market. His accompaniment would probably deflate any joy I got from meeting my new neighbors. The hospital rose up five floors, the tallest building in the District. I wheeled toward it.
"I can drive you there, Frankie."
"No."
"Let me help you. I don't feel like I've done anything wrong. Didn't touch you. Didn't call you an uptight bitch--"
"For all you know I enjoy the company of women. You don't know me. I'd respect you more if you had called me an uptight bitch. You can't even obey a simple desire like my request for silence. I have people I need to look up. A life to reclaim. Stay here, get used to being Daniel Bromer, or go back to your daddy. I don't give a shit which you choose, just stay away from me."
"You're going back?"
"You don't need to know what I'm doing. I doubt you'll be free long."
"I'll follow you."
"You might start out following me." I hid my angst in derision. He had pursued me quite successfully just the other night. Even after I had the feeling someone followed me, I hadn't spotted him. There was more to him than he let me see, and that just pissed me off more. Back to suspecting I'd walked into a trap. Now to see if I could get out of it before it sprang closed.
"Can we talk?"
"We've talked plenty."
"Please stop."
"No. I don't know how you keep convincing me everything's just fine when it's not. Clearly there are some things a null is not proof against."
"Or maybe you feel the same attraction I do and want to believe that I'm telling you the truth."
"Yeah that's it. I'm hot for you. Keep telling yourself that. You followed me in and out of several districts the other day. I don't know if you just flash your mage ident or if you use magic. Either way, nobody found you. You got away from two Were troopers. Clearly you don't need me."
"And you can't admit that you might need anybody."
"I don't."
He grabbed the handles of the wheel chair.
I snatched the nine out of the tote and turned my upper body to face him.. "I'm done playing games with you. Go away."
"What are you going to do, shoot me?"
"No. Too many innocent bystanders." Cars slowed down on the road to watch us argue and I put the pistol back in the bag.
It wasn't long before a Hummer pulled up beside us. "Good afternoon, folks."
I looked in the vehicle. "Afternoon, Trooper."
"Is there a problem here?" the young Were trooper asked?
"Nothing that couldn't be solved by a ride to the hospital."
"It was called in that you were brandishing a pistol ma'am."
"I just want him to go away. I'm a licensed investigator, with all the proper forms on file. I wouldn't have done anything more than wing him. Level out the ground."
The trooper grinned. "I'll need to see your ident ma'am."
"No problem, Trooper."
"Frankie--" Harrison started to protest as I handed the tote to the trooper.
"Weapon's in the bag. You're welcome to get my ident yourself."
"Thank you, Ma'am." He opened the bag and grabbed my ident. "Ms. Leone?"
"Yes, Sir."
"What's the purpose of your visit to our District?"
"Recovering from a slip and slide in Eighty-six."
"And your friend?"
"Can take the fast boat to hell. He's more trouble than he's worth as a client. He has all his money and then some." I concentrated on the spell out searching for information about me. Unconcerned with what they might find, I concentrated on twisting the source of the request so it wasn't obvious where it originated. Just because my check on HQ didn't have them searching for us, didn't mean no one else was watching the traffic.
Harrison watched me and relaxed. "Trooper, I'm afraid my fiancée doesn't bear up well under confinement. Maybe I've been over-attentive. This is my fault." I felt the persuasion in his words. Nice to know I could still sense his magic in play. His words weren't going to affect the Were though.
The trooper in the driver's seat said, "Miss Leone, would you like us to drive you to the hospital?"
"Yes, please."
The trooper standing beside us took my hands and helped me out of the chair and into the back seat, then folded the wheelchair and put it in beside me.
"Don't go, Frankie. I'm sorry. I'll try harder. I don't mean to push your buttons."
"I have someplace I need to be."
The trooper closed the door. I didn't bother to watch what Harrison did as they drove me to the hospital. They let me off by the emergency room entrance. "Need us to get you inside?"
"I have it under control, thank you, troopers."
"I'm afraid your gentleman friend won't be far behind."
"That's all right. He won't find me."
"Good luck with the leg, Miss Leone."
I extended my hand. "Call me, Frankie. I'm not sure yet if I'll be staying in the District. If I do, maybe I can return the favor sometime."
The young trooper shook my hand and said, "Trooper Farly and Trooper Jaxon. When you feel up to introducing yourself at the statio
n, just ask for us." He hopped back in the Hummer and they drove off. The nurse standing beside me asked, "Everything all right?"
"Yes, name’s Francesca Leone. I believe my car was parked in the lower garage. I need the identification tags and I think my keys were left here."
"Of course, Miss Leone. Let me take you inside, we'll get those for you and you can take the elevator to the basement level."
She produced everything I needed in short order and I was getting on the elevator when Harrison stomped through the door. I pushed the button as he strode across the lobby. This was more than him wanting to apologize. He turned around as the elevator door closed.
By the time I wheeled myself through the hallways to the parking garage he was standing beside my car. "Where are you going, Frankie?"
"It's none of your business. There're some things I need to get."
"Will you be back?"
"I don't know. What's your malfunction? There are any number of people you can pay to do whatever you want them to do. I'm not one of them."
"I know that. How many other investigators dislike mages enough that they won't turn me in for whatever ungodly sum of money my father offered you?" He had a point.
"You don't need an investigator. You need somebody who travels a lot. I've never been outside the Founding Two-hundred. I've certainly never seen the coast." I had a point too.
"Just let me come with you."
"No." Distractions like him I didn't need.
"You're going to meet Mage Jallahan." Proving himself smarter than I gave him credit for.
"Among other things," I admitted.
"I can smooth over any problems."
"If there are problems, I'll leave. You're just someone else I'd have to consider."
"You're the one who said I don't need your help."