Halcyon's Hero (Atramento Book 1)

by Nix Whittaker

  He pointed it at her then at him. She pressed her lips together into a thin line. Halcyon didn’t know what a bullet would do at close range especially after they had been zapped earlier. The atramentos might still be affected and not as effective.

  “I will give you the atramento, but it won’t work. You don’t have the right EM field. I don’t know what it will do to you.”

  Marcus grinned. He realised he had the leverage to work against her. “What do you need?”

  “I need my tattoo gear from the shop.” She wrinkled her nose as she thought.

  “I have what you need. I had my men bring it over when we picked you up.” Marcus waved that off as easily done.

  When the men pulled her away, she shoved them away and turned to Misha. He reached out and said, “It is going to be all right.”

  Her eyes sparked with her fiery nature.

  ___

  Hal fumed when she saw they had even brought her chair and shoved it in the large lounge of the house. She muttered and fussed with her things and put them on a tray. She watched the men from the corner of her eye, to see if they would notice her slipping something away. But there were four men watching her at all times.

  Marcus stripped off his suit jacket. “I knew I would get you on my side, Tinker. You even brought me my Soldier. I just need a Sailor now.”

  “It still won’t work Marcus. I can’t give you what I have given the others freely. Your greed will only be your downfall, not your triumph.”

  “It isn’t greed, sweetheart. It is my due.” He waved his hand to indicate the city. “You look at all these people and there is one clear thing about them all. They are victims. It won’t matter if my kind existed or not, they will always be victims. The fact that I can take things from them only proves they are victims.”

  Marcus took off his shirt and flicked it over his suit jacket.

  “I am a survivor, Tinker sweetheart,” he grinned, showing his teeth, “Surely you understand, after all, you are a survivor as well.”

  She spat out. “I am nothing like you, Marcus. I don’t prey on the weak and call it survival. Get on the chair.”

  He laughed.

  Hal stared at his aura long after he had mounted the chair.

  “This is your last warning Marcus. If I put these on you, you won’t have the strength you think you deserve. You will only get misery from this.” Marcus motioned to someone and she had a cold barrel pressed to her temple.

  She glared at Marcus and said, “You were warned.”

  She started the tattoo gun.

  “Which powers did you want?” She snapped.

  “That super strength your boyfriend has is where you will start. Then, I want your ability to heal. I also hear your boyfriend can hear lies. I want that as well.”

  Hal thinned her lips. Someone was talking to Marcus about Misha. Anger burned through her.

  “What do you expect to happen after all this, Marcus? Is there any future where you will let me and Misha go?”

  He snorted as he tried to remain expressionless while she tattooed him.

  “I am going to take this where you’re too afraid to take it. You’re going to make me a god amongst men. And you’ll make my men into my angels.”

  ___

  They brought Halcyon back hours later. They shoved her into the cage half-unconscious so Misha knew they had done to her what they had done to him. He pulled her so she was lying with her head on his lap. He stroked her hair as he waited for her to come back to herself.

  She said after a long pause, “He wants me to do all of his men.”

  “We’ll find a way out,” he reassured her.

  Halcyon sat up then, her eyes sparked.

  “How can you be so dang calm? We have a murderous idiot who thinks I have the secret to him being immortal.”

  He had never thought the healing atramentos could be that powerful, but then he hadn’t thought of them much, besides the fact it could help people. “Can it?”

  “WHAT?”

  Her anger was winding up like a clockwork doll.

  He asked again, “Can it make him immortal?”

  “No, it didn’t make our ancestors immortal. Why the heck are we talking about this? Why aren’t you crying or screaming? Why do you have to be so calm all the time?”

  He touched her cheek and he had wondered if she had figured out why he worked so hard at being calm. “I’m a big man and I realised a long time ago if I ever lost my temper, I could hurt someone. Kill someone even. I don’t have the luxury of getting mad.”

  Halcyon smacked him in the chest with her fist and considering that she also had strength atramentos, it actually hurt.

  “You can get mad at me, dang it. You’re not going to hurt me; you can’t hurt me. I brought this on us. If I never dealt with that idiot, he would never have known about what I could make. You don’t have to worry about hurting me so, dang it, get mad at me.”

  Misha caught her face and looked into her eyes.

  “But I’m not mad at you. I love you.”

  Tears came to her eyes. “Why do you have to tell me that now when we are likely to die?”

  His lips turned up in a soft smile. “We won’t.”

  He pulled her against his chest. She sniffled for a long time, then said, “I love you too, and I’ll get spitting mad if you get hurt or killed. You understand me?”

  “I understand.” His voice was soft and gentle.

  “And how did you think this was the right time to say you love me?” She huffed.

  He laughed and then held her closer.

  ___

  They had tied Natasha to a chair in the workshop. Waha leaned against the doorway. Natasha hadn’t met him before. Misha had spoken of him. She glared at him and spat out.

  “How could you betray a friend, like that?”

  He watched the two other men who had stayed behind. He spoke softly so they wouldn’t hear him.

  “I didn’t betray him. They were going to take him and I knew if they didn’t have Hal, they would torture him or kill him to get her to do what they wanted. This way he is in better shape to kick butt,” he glanced at her, “I saw what they did to the goons Marcus sent last time. Hal is smart, they’ll get out of this. I’m more worried about you. You are expendable and Marcus likes to create a rep by torturing people in front of others to get a message across.”

  Natasha shivered at the thought. She wouldn’t let fear rule her, though.

  “So, what the heck are you going to do about it?” She asked.

  “Well, in a moment you are going to ask to go to the toilet and I am going to call over one of the men. You’ll already be untied and you’re going to smash him over the head. While you do that, I’ll take out the other one. I’ll need you to knock me out as well though. Then, you need to get away from here.

  “I hear you come from the edges. Well, go back. The city is only going to get you killed. It’s on the verge of the gangs going to all-out war.”

  “Just do it already.” Natasha snapped.

  Waha waited until the men weren’t looking and quickly slashed her bonds. She pulled a metal pole that was one of the legs of a chair and propped it against her own chair. Then she settled back, so it appeared she was still tied up. Waha returned to his position before the others noticed.

  She yelled, “Hey, I need the bathroom. Can you jerks hear me?”

  Waha turned to her and said gruffly, “Shut up.”

  The other men approached at the yelling. Waha and the man talked quietly for a while, then Waha left. The man leered at her and she realised now why Waha had thought the man would be happy to take her to the bathroom alone.

  Her fingers clasped on the rod of metal she had leaned against the chair. He bent down to untie her. He jerked up as he realised she was already free, but it was too late. She swung the rod. She wasn’t as powerful as Misha was though she did know a few tricks and the man was down for the count. She had learned something from her uncle. Glass ja
ws.

  When Natasha went outside Waha was breathing hard from his fight with the other man, but at least he was out.

  She asked, “How do you know they won’t remember it was you that helped me?”

  He said, “Short-term memory is affected when you have a blow to the head.”

  She jerked her head towards the one in the room, “Then you need to tap that one on the head. I hit him in the jaw. I would love to say it would work on his short-term memory, but I don’t think so.”

  Waha disappeared into the room for a time. He seemed grim when he returned.

  “Even if he does remember he doesn’t know it was me who let you lose. Now you hit me. Preferably something like what you did for him.” She grinned and picked up the rod.

  ___

  Enforcer Harold picked up after the first ring. Natasha was running down the street so it was hard to talk.

  “They took Misha and Hal.”

  He was silent for a while before he asked, “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. Misha’s friend helped me out.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m on the way to the Centre.”

  She dodged traffic and turned another corner.

  “What the heck for?” He asked.

  “Well, I kinda have to pick up Misha’s army. Can you help?”

  “I can rustle up a few men, but what I can do is tell you where they are.”

  Natasha actually stopped running for a second. “Where?”

  “We were watching the place after we sniffed it out with George.”

  It amused her that they still called them George.

  “Where, Harold?” She growled impatiently.

  “I don’t want you getting into trouble.” Too late for that.

  “Don’t worry about me. I have an army.”

  She was almost at the Centre. She put on speed.

  Henry jerked with surprise when she slammed into the Centre at a run.

  Ari came up to her and asked, “Where is Misha? He’s late for his class.”

  Natasha shook her head and Henry approached her.

  He frowned in concern. “Are you all right, my girl?”

  She gasped in enough breath to talk. “They took Misha and Hal. How many of you have a atramento?”

  Several of the kids put up their hands. All stared at each other in confusion. She pointed to Ari, who didn’t have his hand up.

  “Find the others and tell them where Misha is.”

  She wrote it down on his arm with a marker Henry had in his office.

  Chapter Eleven

  Whatinga: September 2086

  He could hear the noise coming from above. Misha stood up. Those sounds were very familiar.

  Halcyon asked, “What is it?”

  “There is fighting.”

  The door was slammed open and a panicked man came in. He slammed the door shut and stared at it for a long time while he panted for breath. When he heard another bang, he flinched and turned to look at them.

  Halcyon had stood next to him when he had heard the sounds. The man glared at them and obviously came up with a plan as he reached for the keys that were hanging up. He approached the cage they were in. He should have paid more attention to the reach of Misha’s arms. The man was still fiddling with the keys when Misha caught him by his shirt and slammed him against the cage.

  Misha swore when the keys were flung out of their reach and he let the man go and he slumped to the ground, unconscious.

  Halcyon asked, “Has he got a knife?”

  He had one in his boot, which Misha discovered after a quick search.

  Halcyon flicked it out and approached the gate of the cage and he asked, “You think you can pick the lock?”

  “No, but then this is a cellar and this cage is not meant to keep people prisoner.” she motioned to the hinges of the cage, “not only are they pins, they are on our side. Give me a hand, will you?”

  Together they took the pins out of the hinges. The gate fell open and wrenched out of the lock. It crashed with a screech of metal. They didn’t think anyone would hear though as the sound of fighting was even louder now.

  They stepped over the door and the unconscious man to leave. Halcyon turned to the exit, but Misha caught her arm.

  “They took Karl and his cousin. I don’t think Marcus is the kind to keep his word. They must be here somewhere.”

  She paled at the implications of Marcus holding children for any length of time and followed him.

  The house was made up of a warren of rooms that held mostly stolen goods. They didn’t waste time on unlocked doors. They finally found one that was locked.

  “Is anyone in there?” Misha called.

  They were rewarded with the cries of the children. Misha kicked the door in. Inside they found the children and Lisa. Karl and his cousin, Anne, threw themselves at him.

  Karl sobbed out, “I knew you would come.” Tears running down his cheeks.

  It always surprised Misha the sense of faith children had in him. Karl gasped out after a glare at his sister, “I hate Lisa. She was awful what she did to you.”

  Misha held the boy closer and said, “Don’t blame Lisa. She was only doing what was best for you two. That’s what she has always done.”

  He nodded to Lisa, who said softly, “I’m sorry.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We need to get out of here.”

  When Misha tried to move, Anne was still clinging to him. He picked her up and she pressed her head into his neck.

  She muttered, “I was scared.”

  He held her a little tighter and gave her a soft smile. “Am I your friend now?”

  “Yes. Oh, yes.”

  Halcyon urged, “This way.”

  The building was a maze of narrow corridors. They turned and saw a young boy.

  Misha asked, “Ari? What are you doing here?”

  Especially since the boy had no protection against Marcus’ thugs. He didn’t answer, instead, he turned back the way he came and yelled, “They are here.”

  Natasha came around the corner, “Good you’re all right.”

  Misha passed the girl to Natasha and said, “Get them out. We need to find Marcus.”

  Natasha held the girl and said, “Marcus isn’t here. We’ve already searched all the rooms. This is apparently his last drug lab. The Enforcers were going to raid it at the end of the week.”

  Halcyon snapped her fingers. “The club.”

  They all turned to look at her. “Marcus just bought his club. I thought it was strange because he has been hemorrhaging cash in the last few weeks.”

  Misha glared at her. “Why didn’t you tell us this?”

  She said, “I was monitoring him, but I didn’t see the point to tell everyone. I bet he’s at the club.”

  Misha turned to Natasha. “Take the kids to Enforcer Harold. Marcus has atramentos and could be dangerous.”

  ___

  The club was deserted. Though that wasn’t surprising since it was the middle of the day and the club wouldn’t technically be open for another few hours.

  Misha didn’t use any finesse on the door and kicked it in. It wasn’t steel like the cage so it collapsed inwards at the brute force.

  Hal led the way. She took him to the back room; she had met Marcus in before. That also had changed. Marcus was there, except there were no women. Instead, he was surrounded by stacks of packaged parcels. She assumed they were drugs. He lounged on a throne made out of them.

  Marcus didn’t wear a shirt and it revealed the atramentos she had put on him. He even had the balance ones on Misha in the hope it would save Marcus.

  By the look of his EM field though he was already feeling the effects of the atramentos. Unlike Misha and herself it would slowly eat him up from the inside.

  Marcus waved to the room and said, “Welcome to my domain. Where I am God. Bow to me.”

  Hal frowned. He was going mad. Had she made a mistake in putting in the balance atramento?
>
  “Marcus,” she groaned out. He grinned, but it wasn’t a pretty thing, “You’re no god, Marcus. No man can bring themselves even close to that particular distinction. We’re all flawed. We were never supposed to be perfect. Our ancestors knew that. They did not make themselves gods and I don’t think we should either. Instead, your EM field is turbulent. You are rotten fruit. You might think you smell like roses right now, but give it time.”

  He chuckled. “Ah, such pretty words, Tinker.”

  Misha stepped in front of her and said, “Leave her out of it. It is just you and me, Marcus. You want to test those things against a real opponent.”

  Marcus’ answer was to step off the throne.

  He ran his hands over his chest. “Ah, the Soldier. Ever the one to put yourself in front of danger for others. How has that worked for you in the past? Where are your friends? Family? I haven’t felt this alive since I tried my first joint. I don’t need anyone else. You do though. You need her, don’t you?”

  Hal frowned. Was Marcus fool enough to take his own product? She hoped not. That would only accelerate what the atramentos would do.

  “Let’s make this interesting, Marcus. You win and Halcyon puts these things on anyone you want. She will make your army for you. If you lose, you turn yourself over to the Enforcers. They are not very keen on you distributing Ambrosia. I’ve seen your drug hotels and I can understand why they would want to stamp those dumps out.”

  Marcus rolled his shoulders in preparation for a fight.

  “The Ambrosia is no longer my concern. Was it you, Tinker sweetheart, that gave them the key to my demise? I had them in my pocket for so long then all of a sudden they could sniff me out like a dog. Never mind.”

  Marcus waved off his question when the two of them just glared at him.

  Misha interjected, “Is it a deal?”

  “A deal it is, Soldier. I’m going to kill you and take her so I don’t care if we make a side deal.”

  Misha didn’t say anything. He stepped forward. Her heart was in her throat because Misha seemed so casual. Like this wasn’t a fight to the death. She stopped Misha and pointed to the floor.

  Marcus laughed. “You didn’t think I would make it that easy.”

  When Misha glanced at her, she said, “He has put something on the floor that has a charge. See the carpet is wet.”