In each other’s arms, Theia couldn’t help but think of the drunken man. So brief a time she had known him, never even learning his name, and he committed suicide virtually right before her eyes. His voice, the pain that fueled his anger… It echoed through her mind unceasingly, relentlessly. Mercy once spoke of starting to become desensitized to the sight of death, and Theia felt that was starting to happen for her too. She pitied the drunken man, but was not greatly devastated by his death.
When they let go of one another, Theia looked into Mercy’s eyes, feeling vulnerable. Uncertain how to convey the way she felt, she said, “I don’t want to go to school.”
“Kids never like going to school, Theia. Besides, school isn’t for a couple weeks.”
“That’s not what I mean. I mean … I don’t want to waste time going to school, even when it starts.”
Noticeably confused, Mercy asked, “Why do you say that?”
She couldn’t tell the truth. Not yet… As Theia spoke, she took a mental note to tell Mercy her real reason someday. “Portland’s getting better, right?… But not everything’s fixed yet. Some places are still like downtown was. I can’t be stuck in one place all the time. I want to help. I need to help… I want to do what you do. Can I help you with your job?” This, however, wasn’t untrue. She genuinely desired to help places that could use some, but had tonight never happened, she wouldn’t have had enough push to leave.
Mercy was quiet. “My job’s dangerous, Theia. Safety is never guaranteed where I go.”
“Yeah, but it’s not totally safe here, either.”
“A lot more than out there. Sure, we have an Army escort, and we’ve never been ambushed on the road, but the risk is still there.”
Theia sighed. “Remember that attack from a week or two ago? The attack from the Reformists?” She felt surprised to have recalled what that group was called, considering she never kept updated on the war. “And there’s all the normal people who hate the troops for things they’ve done, and they make riots all the time around here. I’m just saying… I’m not any safer staying in this part of Portland than anywhere else.”
“Some places are far more dangerous than here, Theia. The Slums, for one example.”
“Do you ever go to places like that?”
“Sometimes. Only after an attack, though. The troops clear the area, then we come in and rescue the survivors. You know how long I’m gone sometimes, right? It can last a couple days.”
Theia shook her head. It seemed Mercy wasn’t going to relent. “Fine. I’ll stay here all ‘sheltered up,’ just like always. You going to start hiring a babysitter, too?”
“I didn’t say no, Theia. Tell you what: I’ll think about it. And if I consider it, you have to promise me to stay with the group at all times, okay? Never, ever venture off under any circumstance for any reason.”
“I promise,” Theia said sincerely with no hesitation.
“First thing is first. I have to speak with Fallon. If she gives the okay, then I will consider it, too.”
Theia smiled. “Thank you!”
“Now, off to bed. It’s late. Sleep well, little one.”
Theia ran off to her bedroom, but stopped halfway to say one last thing: “I love you, Mercy.”
Mercy only looked at her, eyes gradually lowering toward the floor. “Goodnight, Theia.”
LILITH
They had been casually conversing while Lilith inscribed a private message. Michael sat across the room, his hands resting between his knees, and an informant stood three feet from Lilith’s left side. Michael paused when she finished writing and folded the paper. She placed it in an envelope, unsealed, and gave it to the informant.
Now, only the boss and her most trusted adviser occupied the room. Lilith glanced out the window, observing the sky on that partly sunny day. It was the first of April, already more than a month since she turned thirty. She still had not reeled back from missing the special day with her twin brother. They rarely observed ordinary birthdays, but, even into their adult years, always celebrated every tenth. She looked to Michael, leaning onto the right arm of her chair and resting her head on her hand.
“I suppose you won’t tell me whom that letter was addressed to?” asked Michael.
“Hm…” said Lilith, shaking her head. “Perhaps later. No need to give you a list of people to suspect of disloyalty.” They locked eyes for a second. She sighed. “Don’t worry, it’s only maintenance. The queen must intercede when a lord can’t manage his province.”
“Someone’s not paying their dues? Needs reinforcements? Phoebe received those kinds of reports most.”
“Close… I preferred the days when the currency of the land was, well, currency. Not food or supplies. I’m sure back then, debts were easier to forgive.”
Michael kept his gaze, studying her, no doubt. “You’re deep in thought, boss. Something weighing on your mind?”
Lilith paused. “One of the many wise teachings Mom imparted on me was loyalty – what it means, how it’s attained, it’s value…”
“Phoebe was indeed wise,” replied Michael. “What did you take from her teachings?”
“Everyone, regardless of age, upbringing, or personality, are loyal to something. Of course, there are different words for it: devotion, dedication, faithfulness. It all means the same thing. Everyone has something they will stick with and fight for, no matter what, until they die. It could be a goal, an idea, a principle, or a person.”
Michael nodded. “True.”
Lilith contemplated a moment. “Where does loyalty come from, though? Do you know?” She waited, but Michael didn’t even venture a guess. “Oh come on, Uncle Mike. You’re my elder; you should know everything I know.”
He laughed. “I don’t know everything, Little. Age doesn’t grant the power of mind-reading.”
Lilith looked back out the window. “It’s love. We are loyal to what we love. Some people live their entire lives obsessing over dreams that may never come true, but they still loved the dream. Maybe it was traveling to another country, or … achieving billionaire status. Some people, particularly in our occupation, spend their lives seeking revenge for the death of a loved one. All in all, we’ve all given our lives to something.
“I’ve had this job for about a year now,” she continued. “So far, I’m still alive. That means I’ve done well, right? I think for someone in my position, only one thing can keep me alive. Loyalty. Mom said money buys loyalty only for a time. Same with sex, and intimidation even. Mom wasn’t effective because she bought or forced loyalty. She was effective because she earned it. The civilians living on her turf felt safe being in proximity to her. She took care of everyone. She was considered everyone’s mother for God’s sake, not just mine. Why? Because she was loved. Her men would have been committed to her even if she didn’t pay them.”
Michael smiled, looking at Lilith affectionately. “What are you getting at, Little?”
She stared at her loyal guardian for a moment. “I want that. I want true devotion, not bought, not forced. I want to be loved, not feared. Only Mom was loved. The other Matriarchs… They were feared or loathed.” She stepped up to her desk and took a seat. “Like you, Michael. You helped my mom build this family from the ground up, and even after she’s passed, you’re still here, serving as much as ever. You love this family.”
Michael leaned forward in his chair. “Well,” he began, grunting a little. “As a loyal servant to the family, I feel it’s my duty to inform you that you have a serious problem.”
“Is that so?” asked Lilith, curious. In a short second, she tried to deduce his meaning.
“In the short time you’ve been head of this family, you’ve changed nothing about your approach to tasks at hand.”
“Meaning…?”
“You get directly involved, and that needs to stop. You’re too valuable to be out in the field with your people. It makes you vulnerable.
–––––––
DECE
MBER 2012
Heavy rain doused the city in a gray tint that appropriately matched the darkness of the times. Lilith Krohn stepped from the car, Michael spreading an umbrella above her. First she noticed was his trembling hand, which was nearly too faint to notice. After a quick glance at the overpass above her head and the trash that covered the abandoned train tracks, she looked at Michael and asked, “Nervous?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Of course. What are you afraid of?”
“No disrespect intended, boss, but …, the hell do you think I’m afraid of?”
Lilith was touched. Placing a hand on his shoulder and said, “Don’t call me that. Your boss or not, you don’t have to make our relationship impersonal. You’re still family. Call me by my name, or some affectionate abbreviation like my brother does.”
“Your brother’s pet names aren’t from affection, I’m afraid.”
“No kidding.”
She checked her surroundings a second time, then proceeded to walk toward a small train control shack. She spotted something in one of the distant abandoned cars. Turning to her right, she picked up a rock and tossed it at the abandoned vehicle closest her.
“Nothing to be afraid of, Uncle Mikey. I know what I’m doing.”
Passing the shack, she saw her intended company was already present. Dante stood leaning against the wall smoking a cigar with two of his men behind. “You’re early,” said Dante, the Verbeck Family underboss.
“Likewise,” said Lilith. “Since we’re here, why not get down to business?”
“Sounds like a plan. Now, what have you called me out here for?”
“I have a proposition involving the wellbeing of my niece.” Lilith was staring deep into his eyes, analyzing every twitch, every uneven breath. Their rare interactions in the past limited her knowledge of him as a person, so to prepare for this meeting, she had to analyze every minute detail of everything she’d ever heard about him.
She could see from his hunched posture, bad breath, and the faded color of his clothes that his confident suave and swagger was nothing more than a façade. For being a colored man who did not belong to Carrie – a rare circumstance – Lilith knew there was something the man found about Tabitha irresistible, and she was tenacious to find out what that was.
“Your niece? According to you, she’s dead.” Dante’s sarcastic tone pissed Lilith off.
“Theia is hostage to your clan. I want her back safely with mine.”
“Impossible. The boss won’t give her up under any circumstance.”
“Exactly. That’s why we’re here. Maybe I should be subtle, or discreet, but to hell with that, I’m a little impatient. Tell me, Dante, what would it take to have your help in taking her out?”
Dante paused, his bodyguards looked uneasy. “My boss? You can’t mean her.” Lilith nodded confidently. “What you just said was a declaration of war.”
“Not at all. I know it’s what you want, and I know you’ll carry it out. One of your favorite prostitutes belongs to my brother, and through the grapevine I’ve learned you, to put it lightly, disagree with your boss’ recent behavior.”
Dante’s eyes sunk into a glaring fix. “I don’t know what you think you’ve heard, but I don’t sleep with whores…”
Lilith laughed. “Funny. You deny sleeping with prostitutes but you don’t deny opposing your boss.” She looked at Michael, who also smiled, but remained ever nervous. “Amber doesn’t love you. You pay her, so you ought to already know this. She’s good at her job though, huh?” Dante didn’t respond, as expected. “You need someone to pour your heart out to, but you work with everyone you know, and that would have been too risky. So, you divulged your feelings to Amber, which is understandable. You pay her for everything – attention, affection, company, and of course, sex – but you got in so deep for so long that you actually believe she cares about you.”
Dante angrily charged her, a pistol in his hand, pointed straight at her head. Lilith was faster; much faster. She backhanded his wrist, redirecting his aim, then kicked his knees. When Dante lost balance, she forced his head into the ground. By the time she finished him, both his bodyguards were writhing on the ground as well, having been shot by Michael.
“No need to be so offended. I’m only proving that I know what I’m talking about. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”
Dante held his bleeding nose as he stood. “As long as I do what you want.”
“No. Whether you cooperate or not, I wouldn’t expose you, because Tabitha would become suspicious of all your men. I don’t wish to endanger their lives; they simply follow orders. I will have to insist you admit the truth, though.” Dante said nothing. He looked at his wounded guards. “They’ll live,” she added coldly.
“Alright, I confess. You’re right. I don’t agree with her decisions. What does it prove? I’m no traitor.”
When you have to state it like that, it can’t be true. “Spare me, Dante. You’re no saint. You’re equally as human as the rest of us. Your loyalty has limits.” She recalled exactly what Amber told her. “You can’t remain loyal to a woman who orders children to be kidnapped by pedophiles; someone who starts a war between the families because of some moral superiority complex. People are dying in the streets enough as it is. The Matriarchs don’t need a pointless civil war when the world’s going to hell. You want her out of the way. You want peace. So, let’s bring peace. There’s only one way to end our conflict.”
Dante lowered his hand, despite his nose still bleeding. He hesitated. “Even if I wanted to kill her, my men could never reach her. My men don’t protect her.”
“I can provide an ally.”
“Who?”
“Marcus Solomon.” Dante’s eyes widened. “Found him not long ago; already had a subordinate or two. He doesn’t have resentment toward our families, only toward the women responsible for his own family’s massacre. That would mainly be my mother, Carrie, and above all, your boss.”
“If I agree to this, how do I know I’m not being set up?”
“What motive do I have to betray you? My enemy is your boss. At her old age, perhaps she suffers from dementia, perhaps she’s a traitorous cunt, but regardless, she needs to be eliminated. I want my niece back in safe hands, and I want this animosity toward my brother to end.”
Dante rolled his eyes. “To be perfectly honest, I don’t care for your brother. There’s a special place in hell for what he did.”
“I’m not asking you to care about my brother, or his daughter. I want Tabitha dead. I want peace. She killed my mother, she tried to kill my brother. You’re the Verbeck family underboss. Collect what men you know will be loyal to your cause, kill the rest. You’ll be in charge when this is over with.”
“Tabitha is taking asylum in condominiums off Northwest Burnside. I don’t know if – Theia? – is with her or not. The boss has her secrets, even from me.”
“I know. I’m new to the job but I can testify to that. You’d be surprised how much we can’t tell even those we trust most.” Lilith pondered a moment. “Northwest is a tad out of my reach at the moment, especially if she’s holed up there. I’ll send men to the area immediately to assure you make it out alive, in case this backfires. Find her, do what you must, but absolutely make sure your men don’t shoot my niece! If I learn you killed her, there’s no one alive who can devise a more painful death for you.”
Dante winced. “Why you gotta be like that? I wouldn’t do such a thing. My men would never… If we see her, she’ll be returned unscathed and unbesmirched, I swear it.”
“You’re certain Theia is still alive?”
“Yes. Absolutely. It’s her whereabouts I’m not sure of.”
“Very well. If you’ve been honest about your intentions, then I expect this to be done by tomorrow. The longer this takes to carry out, the greater chance Tabitha will have to learn of it.” She looked at her watch. “Six PM tomorrow. Marcus has already been briefed and he’s prepared. I w
ill send men to the area to retrieve her.”
With that, she and Michael left them, telling Michael to bring medical aide on their payroll.
–––––––
JANUARY 2013
It was an impressive hideout. A sizeable cabin for a woman with nothing left to lose. Mt. Hood appeared close enough to touch. Scarlet was far away from Portland now, which only amused Lilith. Positioning herself a hundred yards away from the cabin, her foot soldiers surrounded her, camouflaged. Only she was not dressed to blend in with the trees. Instead, she wore black jeans with a black t-shirt, and over them, a long, draping garment that only provided slight warmth. She was certain this would be a placid campaign, thus, there was no need to concern herself with dress, of all things. The weather was moderate for being the middle of December.
“They’re arguing,” said Jacob, a Krohn foot-soldier since Phoebe’s early days as boss.
“What’s the dispute?” asked Lilith, focusing forward rather than turning to face him.
“Don’t know.”
“Some of you have been watching for days. Give me a guess.”
Jacob pondered. “I’m guessing she’s bitching about the boredom. It’s driven her crazy since she moved here.”
Lilith smiled. “Weak, as much as I expected. Good.” Finally, she turned to Jacob. “Show ‘em your pretty faces.”
Jacob bowed then signaled the other men. To her left stood Michael, his gun sheathed at his side. He was to remain by her side no matter what, whereas the others moved forward with their weapons raised, purposely exposing themselves to Scarlet’s men. Lilith heard distant guns cocking. She rose slowly, her guardian as well, and passed through the ranks. Scarlet came screaming out of her cabin, demanding someone explain what the hell was going on. Lilith didn’t hesitate to show her face seconds later.
“Beloved auntie. I came by for a visit.”
Scarlet had never looked so confused. “What are you doing here?”
“You sound livid. Have I offended you? Maybe my low-cut shirt makes me appear less … respectable? Maybe it’s because I was only in my twenties when I inherited the keys to my mother’s kingdom?”
Resurrection Page 4