by Jane Higgins
CHAPTER 33
Who is he? Where is he? Why don’t I know about him? Does he know about me? If he knows, why did he leave me in that school all those years? Can I meet him? All that, I wanted to know – and more.
Levkova told me some of it. ‘He’s a strategist. One of our best. He moves around – it’s safer that way. We spread the rumor that he died getting out of the Marsh and, as far as we know, ISIS bought it and aren’t hunting for him. We must keep it that way. Do you understand?’
‘You mean I can’t tell anyone.’
‘I mean exactly that.’
‘Can I meet him?’
‘Yes, you can meet him, I promise, but right now I want to save Sim from a bullet. Oh, one more thing. Your friend is here. Sleeping upstairs. Safer, I thought, than leaving her in the infirmary.’
She called Jeitan in. ‘Jeitan thinks I’m mad to ask you for help. Why would a Citysider save the life of one of the city’s ablest enemies? But Sim is also one of its best chances for peace. Without him, CFM crumbles and the fanatics rule the day.’
‘What do we do?’ said Jeitan.
‘Start a rumor. That DeFaux is back, that he intends to assassinate Commander Vega at the ceremony tonight. Say that there’s a price on DeFaux’s head: medicine for a year for the family of whoever finds him before sundown. Nik, you’ll have to do this – you’re not a known face in the township and people down here won’t know or won’t care that you’ve been banished. Jeitan, go back up the hill, and when the rumor gets there, do your best to confirm it as officially as you can. Say that you’ve heard that Council will guarantee the reward. They can hardly deny it.’
‘What if we get to sundown and we’ve got nothing?’ asked Jeitan.
‘Then we escalate.’
‘How?’
‘We start a riot. Anything to stop the Crossover ceremony taking place. Are we clear? Good. Find some food and take an hour’s sleep upstairs if you must. I’ve sent word to the CFM leadership in Ohlerton, Gilgate, and Ferry Junction.’ She looked at me. ‘Those are the bridge councils that CFM still holds, upriver. I hope some of their people will get here in time for tonight.’
I hesitated in the doorway and decided to push my luck. ‘After this – if it all works out – will you help me find Fyffe’s brother?’
She looked up from the fire. ‘Yes, Nik. I will.’
Crossover morning dawned cold, with mist rising off the river. I spent it standing in the bread queues, wandering in the Crossover Day market, and hovering at street corner fires saying, ‘Have you heard…’ And thinking about my father: I had a father and I was going to meet him. Did it occur to me that he might not want to meet me? Not for a second. He was going to be overjoyed that I (a) existed, (b) had survived, and (c) had found him at last.
Before long I realized that I had a shadow. Lanya was watching me. She didn’t come close enough to talk, but whenever I looked around, there she was, standing on a street corner or leaning on the side of a building. After three hours of me wandering about rumor-mongering, she was still there. I came out of the crowd in the market square and saw her sitting on the steps of an old theater. She looked up at me as I approached and I stopped in case she didn’t want me near, but she nodded towards the steps and I sat beside her.
‘How’s Fyffe?’ I asked.
‘She’s on the mend, but worried about her brother. What are you doing?’
‘Something for Levkova.’
‘Oh.’ She nodded. ‘Do you think she’s forgiven you?’
‘I don’t know. Have you?’
She looked across at the crowds in the market. ‘I can see why you did it. You couldn’t leave a child to the traffickers. I asked the Commander about Fyffe’s brother – they turned Goran’s place into pieces, but he wasn’t there.’
‘No. They got wind we were looking and took him somewhere else. At least we know he’s alive.’
We watched the crowds and Lanya said, ‘What you’re doing for Levkova. Is it so secret you can’t tell me?’
‘Probably,’ I said, and told her.
She listened, frowning, then said, ‘Remnant are on the attack. We can’t lose Commander Vega. That would be disastrous. Levkova is right: if anything’s going to unearth DeFaux, the promise of a year’s medicine will do it. But there’s not much time, is there.’
‘We have to try.’
She held up a finger. ‘Did you hear that?’
‘What?’
‘You said we. We have to try. What do you mean? Why would you help us? Don’t you have loyalties?’
‘To what? The city?’
‘Of course.’
‘I don’t know what that is anymore. I thought I knew. I thought I knew what Southsiders were like as well.’
‘I see. You’re not a very good Citysider, are you?’
‘My mother was Breken.’
‘Your mother? Well, that explains a few things. But don’t you have people over there? Fyffe’s family? Your school?’
‘My school is a bombsite. My best friend is dead. Fyffe’s family – yeah, I’ll do what I can to get her and Sol home.’
‘You have a girl. Fyffe said so.’
‘Sort of. At least… I don’t know. I thought I did.’
She grinned. ‘You sort of have a girl?’
‘Well, you’re finding it hard to forgive me and I’ve known you all of two minutes. I’ve known Dash most of my life and I’ve only just told her I speak Breken. She didn’t take it all that well. She doesn’t know about my mother yet.’
Lanya laughed.
‘What’s funny?’ I said.
‘You are. You’re afraid to tell your girl – what’s her name? Dash. You’re afraid to tell Dash about your mother.’
‘So?’
‘You think she’ll be upset because your mother was Breken?’
‘Yes. No. All right – she’ll be upset because I am.’
She twisted round to look at me, still smiling. The world brightened. ‘There,’ she said. ‘You said it. It’s not so bad! And for that – yes, I do forgive you. Can I help you spread the rumors?’
Early afternoon, we headed back to Levkova’s. Fyffe was sitting at the kitchen table, talking to Vega and Levkova about Sol. ‘Remnant have him, almost certainly,’ said Vega. ‘I’d say he’s well cared for. He’s worth a lot of money.’
‘For you, too?’ asked Fy. ‘If you get him back, you’ll have us both to ransom.’
Vega sat a while looking at her and I think he was angry, but when he spoke his voice was quiet. ‘I know what they tell you over the river about us. Let me tell you this. Not all of us are prepared to barter the bodies of children for profit.’
Fyffe dropped her head and whispered an apology.
‘No matter,’ said Vega. ‘If we can find your brother, we will.’ He stood up, greeted Lanya, and nodded at me.
Before I could work out what that meant, Jeitan came in at a run, calling, ‘News!’ He pulled up when he saw Vega and remembered to salute. ‘Sir!’
‘Go ahead.’
‘Sir, we have a lead on DeFaux’s whereabouts.’
Vega glanced at Levkova. ‘I see,’ he said. ‘Where?’
‘The old art gallery in Newbourne Lane.’
‘Is that so? Well, it’s useful, certainly, but if we take him now, we’ve got no evidence.’
‘We’re not waiting until he shoots you, Sim,’ said Levkova. ‘I’ve sent word to the others. I think you’ll find you’re out-voted.’
‘Outmaneuvered, you mean. I won’t ask how you did it, but I assume you have a plan?’
‘Take him now. I think he’ll sing us a sweet little song about Terten. He has no loyalty. He’ll do what’s best for himself.’
‘That may be so but I can’t just walk in there with a squad and no proof.’
‘So we send Jeitan and Nik. They watch. They send word when he makes a move. We’ll have a squad ready once he reaches the square.’
Which is how I came to be doing an
impression of a skiddy, lounging under a tree in the park – what used to be a park – in front of an ugly concrete block of a building that had once been an art gallery. They’d given me a lethal-smelling bottle of ‘shine, and a description of an assassin: fortyish, short, thin – everyone was thin here – long face, straight nose, large ears, and close-clipped, fair hair.
I was sitting there wondering how Sol was, where Sol was, when I felt the press of cold metal on the back of my neck. The chill of it charged straight down my spine.
‘Well, shit,’ Benit’s voice. ‘Just look at this. An escaped prisoner. Should we shoot it?’
‘I’m game.’ Hell. Benit and friend. ‘We’ll ask questions later, yeah?’ He laughed at his own amazing wit.
‘Get up.’ Benit again. The gun knocked at the top of my spine and I thought about the damage it could do even if he never fired it. ‘Get. Up.’ I stood up. ‘What are you doing here?’ he said. ‘Why aren’t you under lock and key up the hill?’
‘Why don’t you go up there and ask them?’
He spun me round and pushed me against the tree. ‘That mouth of yours ever get you into trouble?’
‘Now and then.’
Benit and Benit II were a match – same haircut, same sneer – but Benit II must have been junior because he didn’t have a gun. Benit senior had an elderly assault rifle. He lifted it in my face. I looked at his eyes, narrow and stony above the barrel, and wondered how worn the trigger was and how itchy his finger. ‘You should run,’ he said. ‘That’s what your riot police say, isn’t it? Run or we’ll shoot – of course what they really mean is run and we’ll shoot, but I guess you know that.’ He smiled a cold tight smile. ‘Go on, then. Run. We’ll look after your whore.’
Benit II sniggered. ‘You know what they say about city girls.’
‘I SAID RUN!’ yelled Benit.
‘Ben!’ Jeitan’s voice, behind me. I didn’t dare turn my head to look.
‘J!’ said Benit. ‘Look what I found!’
Jeitan arrived in front of us. ‘He’s with me,’ he said.
The gun wavered. ‘He’s what? He’s supposed to be locked up.’
‘Put the gun down. What’re you two doing over this side of town? You’re supposed to be drilling for parade tonight. Put it down!‘
‘Special detail,’ said Benit and he lowered the gun. I practiced breathing.
‘For what?’ said Jeitan. ‘Who authorized it?’
‘Can’t say.’ Benit II was shooting agitated looks towards the gallery.
Jeitan watched him, frowning. ‘Protection duty?’
Benit II said, ‘A VIP for tonight.’ His partner gave him a shut-the-hell-up look and he shrugged.
‘DeFaux,’ said Jeitan. ‘You’re protecting DeFaux. Who’re your orders from?’
Benit stood up straighter. ‘High up. Can’t say. What are you doing letting City boy here walk around? Is this that old bag’s idea? I bet it is. You spend too much time with her, J. You’re turning into an old woman yourself. You’re forgetting who the real enemy is.’ He started to lift his gun again.
Jeitan hit him. And then it was on. Benit II piled into Jeitan, and I threw ‘shine into Benit II’s face and piled into him. Fists flew, boots swung – it wasn’t exactly the ultimate in hand-to-hand combat, more like wrestling mixed with landing whatever punch or kick you could.
It was over fast. We beat them into the ground. Which surprised us both. We sat on them for a while, breathing deep: Jeitan on Benit and me on Benit II, twisting their arms behind their backs when they squawked or struggled. When he could speak, Jeitan said, ‘You fight dirty. Where’d you learn that?’
‘At a very religious school. But it’s nothing to what Levkova will do to us if we’ve missed DeFaux.’
‘I don’t think we’ve missed him.’ He twisted Benit’s arm. ‘Have we? What were your orders?’
There followed a lot of swearing and arm twisting. Finally, we got ‘16.15… Discreet escort… Crossover Square.’
Jeitan checked his watch. ‘Eleven minutes. Good timing.’ He nodded at me and we climbed off them. They scrambled up. Jeitan picked up Benit’s gun and said to him, ‘Do you know why DeFaux is here? You don’t, do you? I hope you don’t. There’s a contract on Vega. He’s here to close it. Tonight.’
‘Shit. But… but… shit!’ Benit stepped back.
‘Well put,’ said Jeitan. ‘Now. The Commander will survive this. If you want to survive as well, I suggest you get back up the hill and practice being inconspicuous. Tell them you took your gun for servicing. Get lost!’
They took off.
Jeitan watched them go. He weighed Benit’s gun in his hand. ‘Want this?’
‘Not really.’ A Citysider on the streets of Southside had to be a target. An armed one might even be a legitimate target.
‘Take it.’ He handed it to me, then said, ‘I can’t believe I just did that.’ He looked doubtful. ‘Know how to use it?’
‘Sort of.’
‘Well, try and look like you do, because we’re the new escort. You know you’re bleeding?’ The bandage on my hand was soaked bright red where the stitches ran across my palm. Better not to think about it.
‘Look,’ Jeitan nodded towards the gallery. A lone figure in a long dark coat hurried down some side steps and sped away across the park.
‘That him?’ I asked.
‘That’s him. Come on.’
CHAPTER 34
Crossover Square. Cracked paving stones lifting at the corners. A twice-lifesize statue of a woman standing beside a child, one of her fists lifted to the sky, the other arm around her kid. Broken chains trailing from her wrists.
The buildings enclosing the square were three and four storeys high, built of gray stone with steep roofs, balconies, fancy cast-iron railings, and gargoyles. They’d been hotels once, maybe. I don’t know who occupied them now, but one thing was clear: they were sniper heaven.
Already hundreds of people packed the square. DeFaux kept to the edges of the crowd so we were picking our way through traders’ spreads of cheap shoes, jewelry, used clothes, and much thumbed books. The greasy smell of hot chips and cheap sauce was everywhere. The afternoon was fading fast.
A stage had been set up at one end of the square and a squad stood to attention around it. Old soldiers were organizing themselves in front of it, putting the disabled ones first, in chairs and on crutches. On one side a band was tuning up.
Lanya appeared at my elbow. She sauntered along, watching the crowd, not looking at Jeitan or me. ‘Levkova sent me. When you’ve worked out where he’s going, I’ll take word back to her and the Commander. Is that him in the long coat?’
The band started practicing; a few trumpet blasts punched the air. Some people lifted fists, then voices, and an anthem rolled like a wave across the square. But from somewhere near us a voice yelled, ‘Terten’s a traitor!’ Others picked it up in a ragged chant that swept back against the anthem and suddenly there was nothing musical about any of it. Levkova didn’t need us to start her riot: primed by the rumor of Vega’s imminent assassination, supporters of CFM squared off against the Remnant faithful, and the whole place erupted.
And DeFaux was gone. Jeitan dived through a doorway and Lanya and I raced after him. The doors closed behind us, muffling the noise outside. We were in a gloomy, high-ceilinged foyer. A wide set of stairs headed up into shadows. Jeitan put a finger to his lips, listening, waiting for our eyes to adjust. He nodded to me to follow him up the stairs and signaled to Lanya to stay put.
We crept towards the first floor and I wondered if Jeitan had any idea what we were supposed to do when we confronted an ISIS-trained assassin, with no hope of back up. I looked over my shoulder and stopped dead. ‘Jeitan!’
He swore at me and kept going.
I turned around slowly and tried to sound calm. ‘Jeitan! Look.’
‘Will you shut up!’ But then he turned around.
DeFaux stood at the foot of the stairs.
With Lanya.
He held an arm across her shoulders, and a gun to her temple. He opened his eyes wide at us, grinning. ‘Bang!’ he said, and laughed.
‘Let her go!’ I said, stupidly. Uselessly. Finding it hard to breathe. ‘A squad’s on its way.’
‘I don’t think so. Squads will be busy out there, won’t they. Take the ammo out of your guns, boys. And put them down.’
I watched Jeitan unload his gun, and followed what he did.
‘That’s it,’ said DeFaux. ‘Now come down. Slowly. Good. Stand right there, and don’t move. That’s it. This girl and me, we’re going upstairs, aren’t we, sweetheart.’
He started moving backwards up the stairs, his arm still round her, the gun still on her temple, watching us all the way. Lanya fixed her eyes on me. Her mouth was set in a line, her face was still, but her hands clenched and opened. DeFaux moved her away from us, backwards, whispering in her ear. All I could think was, If you hurt her, I will kill you. DeFaux said, ‘That so?’ and I realized I’d said it aloud.
‘I WILL!’ I shouted.
They were halfway up, past where we’d laid down the guns. I edged forward to keep them in sight through the shadows. Jeitan put a hand on my arm. ‘Better not.’
‘Staaay!’ demanded DeFaux. ‘Stay, or your girl will be a mess. A real mess. I promise. Would you like to know how much of a mess I can make of her? No? First, I almost kill her, but not quite. More? No?’
My heart thumped. I’d never wanted anything as much as to charge up those stairs and throw him down them. But he would shoot her if I moved. I had no doubt about that.
Lanya stumbled. Jeitan gripped my arm and said, ‘Wait.’
DeFaux took two steps sideways to steady himself. Lanya stood up straight and flung her arms out so that his hold around her shoulders loosened. Then she twisted away and turned an astonishing cartwheel up the stairs and out of his grip. He fired the gun, shattering the air in that huge, hard space.
I charged up the stairs. He’d shot her. I was sure he’d shot her.
But her foot came back at his head. He overbalanced and pitched down the stairs, yelling, arms and legs flailing.