Clara comes over to the bed and holds out the tightly wrapped blanket to him. "Isidore, here. You need to see this."
As soon as Isidore takes it in his arms, he knows. This can't be right. With shaking hands, he folds back the soft pink fabric until he sees the sleeping face of a newborn baby. "Clara . . . whose baby is this?"
"Yours."
No. No, this isn't right. How? It's only been seven months since they've been together. This doesn't make any sense. He places the bundle down on the bed and pulls on his boots before pushing past Clara and out of the room. When he reaches the bottom of the stairs, he takes off running as fast as he can, going far away where nothing can find him. But just as he reaches the lead walls of the city, he stops as he breaks down. He loses all control of his emotions. The tears overwhelm him. Isidore slams his fists against the walls and screams. How did this happen? Why didn't she tell him?
Someone approaches him from one of the residential areas. "Hey, Isidore."
Byron. Isidore really doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. He wants to stay here and figure things out before the thoughts devour him. This is one more tally for the reasons he should lose all aspects of humanity and free will. Every emotion he trudges through is agony now. Even happiness and contentment are shackles binding him to this life. One more thing could destroy the tiny bit of stability he still clings to in this ocean of uncertainty. Instead of turning around, Isidore decides to ignore Byron.
"What are you doing out here without Blice?"
When the tears press into his eyes again, he knows he has to talk to him. He grabs onto Byron's arm and cries. "I can't do this."
"Can't do what?" Byron asks.
"Clara came back today from her mission with a newborn baby girl."
"So she decided to keep it. Good. Because the baby is half android, it developed quicker than normal."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Isidore asks.
"We didn't know how you would handle it." Byron says.
"You knew? All this time, you knew that I was going to be a father and you didn't say anything?"
"We all thought it would be best if you didn't know. About Clara, did she say anything about me?"
"No. Why?"
Byron leads Isidore over to a grassy area where they sit up against the lead walls. "I was going to adopt the baby if Clara didn't want to raise her. What about you? Are you up for taking care of a child?"
"What do you think? I'm struggling just to keep myself alive."
"That's what I thought. Listen, my offer still stands. When I found out that Leena was pregnant, I was just like you at first. I was terrified and wanted to make the problem go away. But after she got hurt and I watched her die in my arms, I would have done anything to have that baby. It might be scary at this point, but you will learn to love that child. You are such a kind man, Isidore."
"What if I can't do this?" Isidore asks as he shivers again in the sunlight. "I'm not a strong or confident man like you are. You would have been a good father . . . not me."
"You don't have to be strong or confident. Children need love. You have so much love to give, more than anyone I have ever met. I never gave up on you like everyone else. I believe in you."
Out of everyone else in his life, it's true. Byron has been there when no one else was. And Isidore is sure that if Byron hadn't been half drunk the entire time, he would have stood up for him when that entire Rubble Rebel spy debacle happened. He notices Byron's hand on his shoulder just like Blice's has been hundreds of times before. "What do I do about Clara?"
"That's the tricky part. Don't pressure her for any answers, take things slow, and give your love time to repair itself. If it wasn't meant to be, then there's nothing you can do to force it to work. However, you can still be there for your baby. She will need a father in her life."
"You're the only one who didn't believe that I was unlovable. Now it seems we were both wrong."
"Clara loved you." Byron says. "I don't know what drove you two apart, but I do know that she loved you."
"You know what? You're right." Isidore wipes his face on the sleeve of his coat and stands, filled with a renewed resolve. "I didn't let two hundred bullets stop me, so I sure as hell won't let a baby stand in my way.""I really don't think your combat enhancement program will help in this situation."
"Thanks, Byron. Really. You're a good friend."
* * *
Isidore takes a deep breath to steady himself and regulate his emotions before opening the door. "I'm ready to be a father."
Clara looks up from feeding the baby. "You don't have to do this. Byron offered to adopt her."
"No. She carries my DNA so she will be my daughter and no one else's."
Blice turns the volume on the television down and leans back in the chair with his feet on the table. "I don't like this."
Clara fixes her shirt and lays the baby on the bed before coming up to Isidore and taking his hands. "We need to talk."
"Now isn't the time for that, Clara. We will discuss things later, when we are ready. There's no reason to argue and force pieces that were never meant to fit together. In time, we will either mend our hearts or fall apart. I'm prepared for either."
Clara embraces him, her warmth and scent of fresh apples bring back a flood of emotions that Isidore had tried to forget for months.
He doesn't hold her back. Instead, he pushes her away then kneels down beside the bed as Yuri flitters inside the room and lands on the baby's blanket. Isidore timidly reaches out and touches her soft nose and the thin little wisps of black hair. When his daughter's delicate fingers wrap around his finger, he almost breaks right there. Her bright blue eyes look into his. In that moment, Isidore falls in love. It's a love beyond what he's ever known, one that transcends the pain and insecurities. He made this baby. She is a part of him and that realization is priceless. "She's beautiful."
"She has your eyes, Isidore." Clara says.
He wipes his eyes. "What do you want to name her?"
"Katarina."
"After my grandmother."
"Yes. Katarina Nika Williams. Blice gave her that middle name. Sound familiar, Niko?" Clara asks with a smile.
"Really? Why am I not surprised?"
"Now I have Niko and Nika. So cute." Blice says.
Isidore rolls his eyes. Whatever, Blice.
"Do you like her?" Clara asks.
"What kind of question is that? Of course I like her. She's perfect."
* * *
Damien runs inside his house and locks the door behind him. He has to get cleaned up before Byron gets back. He makes sure to not touch the clean white walls where this mud and blood will show as he goes down the hallway to the bathroom. He takes off his facemask then throws his dusty shirt into the bathtub along with his blood-splattered jeans. He turns the water on and scrubs his arms with soapy water. The water in the sink turns red.
That Rubble Rebel got him good, but Damien got them better. Since when do they actually know how to fight? He picks up a rag and gingerly cleans the gash on his collar bone. It's not too bad. Maybe Byron won't notice. He can't take chances so he tightly wraps it with gauze and fetches a clean shirt from the closet. He's getting too old for this. Fishing in his pockets, he pulls out some ammo and six thousand dollars. At least Prime Minister Leblanc pays well. Then he places the vials of T.I.M.E. poison on his dresser. Byron won't know what they are. He's not the smartest man in the world. His sensor beeps and he answers it as he pulls clotted blood from his blonde hair. "This is Damien Montgomery."
"I need those documents."
"Hello, Inquisitor Clark. I'm working on it. Phase one is complete, the Rubble Rebels should be adequately pissed off, I have the money and the poison. We're good to go."
"What about our business partner and key witness?" Clark asks.
"Clara Lifestone is with him as we speak. She just got back today with her new little abomination. Isn't that sickeningly sweet?"
"Did you kill Alexi?"
/>
Well . . . it's not definitive. He was injured. "Yes." Lying at this point shouldn't even matter. Either way, they are getting what they want.
"Good. Be sure to send Byron away before all of this goes down. He will try to stand up for Isidore and we can't have that."
Damien goes back into the bathroom and pulls his soaked clothes from the tub. "Don't you think I know that?"
"Just making sure. What are you doing?"
"Destroying evidence and covering my tracks." He looks up as the front door opens. "I have to go. I will send you the evidence later."
Byron enters the hallway and shakes his head. "You don't have to do laundry in the bathtub."
How to explain this? "The washer was broken."
"Why is there blood on your shoes?"
Oh hell. "That's not blood."
"You smell like Rubble City. What are you hiding?" Byron asks as he studies Damien.
"Nothing. I have some things to take care of. You are to report to Rubble City in two hours. Your mission is classified. I need you to leave immediately before things in this city get . . . messy."
9
As Isidore watches his daughter sleep in his arms, something awakens in his mind. His skin begins to tingle and he becomes hypersensitive to the world around him. "Take Katarina." He hands her to Clara then goes to the window as his combat enhancement program switches on. What is going on? At least he can control it now. Yuri is darting quickly around the room. Something is happening. "Blice, come with me."
"What's up?"
"I'm not sure. We need to go look outside." Isidore leaves the room and goes downstairs to the large doors on the front of the building. As he pushes them open, he hears the screaming and the popping of machine gun fire.
Blice joins his side. "Look over there."
Red shirts and white camouflage pants. Rubble Rebels. He looks to Blice. "Why are Rubble Rebels attacking?"
"I don't know. Get down there and see if you can stop this."
"What do you think I can do about it?" Isidore asks.
"Alexi likes you still, right?"
"No. He tried to kill me a few months ago."
Blice pushes him out the door. "Go. We'll follow."
Isidore draws his revolver and takes off running towards the main gates. Citizens run screaming back inside and lock their doors as a siren sounds out from deep in the city. The small group of Rubble Rebels immediately turns their focus to him. Before they can shoot their machine guns, Isidore fires two warning shots at their feet. All but two take off back out into the wasteland. One of them is a stranger to Isidore. The other . . . Commander Alexi.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the little traitor robot." Alexi says.
"Hold your tongue, Alexi. You don't know what you're talking about. Why are you attacking Paradise?"
"Why did you attack Rubble City this morning and give me this?" He holds up his shirt to reveal a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his waist.
What is he talking about? Isidore hasn't left the palace for days. "Liar. I haven't seen you in months. How did I do that to you?"
"I knew I never should have trusted you inquisitor scum. That's all you are. You're a heap of glorified metal and discarded body parts. Robot."
Isidore aims directly at Alexi's heart. "Say it again. If you value your life, you won't say another word."
The other Rubble Rebel pushes Alexi out of the way and fires at Isidore who rolls out of the way, the bullets bouncing off of the concrete. Alexi runs off past the gates.
"Isidore!" Clara calls out to him.
No. "Go back inside, Clara." Isidore stands and aims at the man whose gun has jammed. This is his only chance, but should he do it? If Clara wasn't here, he wouldn't. But he can't take this chance.
Isidore takes the shot. As the sound echoes against the mountains in the distance, all of Paradise rushes into the streets. He pushes Clara and Blice behind him in case there are any other attackers. He's fully prepared to defend them with his life. The Rubble Rebel drops to his knees and collapses on the concrete.
Police Chief Andrews and the other Paradise policed officers quickly chase off the remaining Rubble Rebels. Then they begin questioning the witnesses and bystanders.
Isidore quickly puts his gun away. There's no need to attract even more attention to himself. As he looks around at the citizens who are terrified, he spots the damaged main gate control box. Some extreme surge of electricity must have damaged it. Why would the Rubble Rebels attack Paradise, and with so few rebels? What were they possibly trying to achieve?
Damien joins the group of inquisitors as they investigate the scene. Isidore watches intently as they work. The inquisitors motion to Damien as they pull a note from the dead Rubble Rebel. They exchange a few words and the police officers draw their guns.
Damien steps forward and holds up his key card for everyone to see. "I am Outlander Force Chief Investigator Damien Montgomery. I'm the lead investigator into the recent events that have been occurring around here. I have definitive proof that points to one prime suspect behind Seth Thompson's death, the Outlander Force headquarters bombing, Maria Thompson's murder, Aveline Green's death, and now this abhorrent attack on Alexi Nabokov and the Rubble Rebels."
"Tell us." The citizens call out.
He spins around and points directly at Isidore. "Your vice president."
Whoa. What? Isidore holds up his hands and backs up towards Blice. "No! I haven't killed anyone . . . well, other than that guy. I did that to protect everyone."
"Then you won't object to being searched." Damien says.
"Go ahead. You won't find anything."
The officers surround him and pat him down. One of the police officers reaches into Isidore's back pocket and slips out something. "Montgomery, catch."
Damien catches it and holds it up for all to see. "Seth Thompson's key card."
How? How the hell did that get in his pocket? He looks at Blice for support, but he looks just as surprised as Isidore is.
"Isidore Nikolai Williams, you are under arrest." The guards force him to his knees then secure his wrists with handcuffs.
Blice runs up to them. "You can't take him. He's my property."
Damien chuckles then types something into the gold sensor on his arm. "Your property? More like your sex slave. Isn't that right, Mr. President?"
"How dare you? You have no backing for those accusations."
"Oh? Where is Isidore's slave collar?" Damien asks. "Why is he speaking in public? And is that his wife and child? You allowed your android to procreate?"
"I-"
"You have endangered everyone here. I have recently found out that Isidore Williams has the alpha code."
The inquisitors begin whispering frantically between themselves.
"You have violated the Android Laws too many times to be overlooked." Damien says.
Blice takes Isidore's hand. "I tried. It wasn't my fault. Isidore wanted-"
Damien grins darkly. "I understand now. The android attempted to take authority away from his owner and in the process made the owner transgress. All the charges against Blice McSage are now placed on Isidore Williams. I recommend an immediate execution."
Blice squeezes Isidore's hand then calls out over the crowds of people. "We'll go to court."
"You would take an android into the National Court of The Unified State? Do you want him to be tortured to death?" Damien asks as he laughs.
Isidore looks up at Blice and nods his head. They will fight, even if his fate has already been decided.
"Yes. We will go to court. Now free him so I can punish him."
"It's a little late for that, don't you think?"
"I'm warning you, Montgomery. Don't mess with me. Until Isidore is found guilty, he is still my property and as my property, I have the right to do with him as I please."
Police Chief Andrews removes Isidore's handcuffs. "The android will remain in the custody of his owner until a verdict is passed."
* * *
Six days have gone by, each filled with uncertainty and Isidore being locked up in the Presidential Palace with only Blice, Clara, and Katarina to keep him company. Oh, and of course Yuri. Blice has been keeping the details of the court case hidden and it is driving Isidore crazy. Shouldn't he have some knowledge about all of this? It is his life that is hanging in the balance, after all. Tomorrow morning is the start of it all and Isidore knows absolutely nothing. That's why he's here in the middle of the night, looking through documents and past court cases in the Oval Office as Blice sleeps. Clara took it on herself to clean up another bedroom for her and Katarina to sleep in. Why is Clara still staying here? She could go live wherever she wants, but she chooses to be close to Isidore even now.
Hours and countless cups of coffee have gone by and Isidore hasn't found anything worthwhile. Apparently cases that go to the largest court, like this one, don't have much recorded except for high profile cases. Those are usually just really terrible excuses to torture people. He couldn't stomach watching that much suffering. So he has nothing to go on. It's midnight. Isidore stands and stretches as he slides open the window to breathe in the cool night air. This may very well be the last night he has on this planet. No. He can't think that way. He has to talk to Blice.
He goes down the hall and stops outside of the door. The lights are off. Is he already asleep? "Blice, I need to go over some stuff for the trial." Isidore opens the bedroom door and quickly closes it again as two women scream. Well, that's something Blice hasn't done in a while.
"I'm busy, Niko."
Isidore leans against the wall beside the door as he tries to ignore the creaking of the bed. "You know, we should be getting ready to save my life."
"I am preparing."
Paradise of Lead Trilogy Page 60