Sidekick

by Auralee Wallace

  “Exactly,” I said, stopping myself from nodding too vigorously. I still hurt. “So we need to think bigger. Badder. What’s the worst thing that can go wrong in a prison?”

  “A riot.”

  “Okay,” I said slowly. “But why?”

  “I don’t know,” Bart said furrowing his brow. “Maybe I can hack into the prison’s computer system and snoop around a little…see if there is anything unusual happening tomorrow night.”

  “Good, but in the meantime, we have to be prepared to go there. I feel like we’re on the right track, and that track is leading to something really bad. We have to be there to stop it.” Suddenly I noticed Bart was texting. “Are you even listening to me?”

  Bart glanced up from his phone. “Of course I’m listening…listening while I snoop around the prison’s computer system. You’re welcome.”

  “Holy crap,” I said. “You seriously got into it that fast from your phone?”

  “How many miracles must I perform before you believe, Bremy?”

  I had to admit I was impressed. Even Queenie was now looking at him with something like interest.

  Choden spread his palms wide. “The universe has kindly brought you to us, Bart.”

  “Okay, let’s not get crazy,” I said dryly. “What have you found?”

  “Changes have been made to the staff schedule. They’re working a skeleton crew tomorrow night, and someone just arranged for some last minute maintenance. Give me one more second,” he said holding up a finger. I scoffed. Well, now he was just showing off, hacking with one thumb. “Oh, you’re going to love this.”

  “What?” I said.

  He passed me the phone. “Look who’s been issued a new employee ID.”

  I looked at the phone’s screen. The Sultana’s face stared back at me.

  “Crap,” I whispered.

  “Breathe, child,” Choden said, moving his hand to mine.

  “What do we do?” I said looking to him.

  Suddenly a new voice came from behind me. Chills ran up my arms.

  “I’ve always found that it is better to stop the disaster before it starts.”

  I turned.

  Ryder.

  Chapter Thirty

  Everyone froze as Ryder slowly walked into the room.

  She wore a simple white robe, her face still half-covered in bandages.

  “Ryder,” I said. “You’re awake.”

  I didn’t realize it at first, but Bart had gotten to his feet and was reaching one hand towards her in supplication.

  “She walks in beauty like the night,” he began.

  “Bart!” I ordered. “Sit down! Your nerd is showing.”

  He slowly sank back down into his seat, arm still outstretched.

  Ryder looked quizzically at him with the interest one might pay a quasi-fascinating bug. She raised an eyebrow at Choden. He smiled slightly, and something passed between them. I guess Choden won because Ryder sighed then moved to lower herself into a chair. Her movements were still fluid, but they were also more careful.

  No one spoke for a moment. Even Queenie seemed a little intimidated by Ryder’s presence.

  Ryder, however, only had eyes…or eye, for me.

  Guilt filled me all the way up.

  “Listen, Ryder, I am so sorry—”

  She held up a hand, her main form of communication with me.

  “You have changed,” she said.

  I didn’t know what to say. I was so tired. It had only been maybe six, seven hours since I had jumped from my father’s building. I still felt overwhelmed by the pull of Choden’s medicine and the throbbing pain of my injuries.

  But beyond all that, I knew I had changed. Everything about me had changed.

  “Now,” Ryder began, “as I was saying, in this situation, I think it best that we stop whatever it is Mr. St. James has planned before it starts.”

  It was so nice to hear someone refer to him as Mr. St. James and not my father.

  “What is your plan, oh Glorious One?” Bart’s asked, hand once again rising from the table. I slammed it down with my own. I turned my face towards him. He startled a little. I guess I needed my beauty sleep.

  “How do we do that?” I asked. “Should we call the warden?”

  “I’m sure he’s already on the company payroll,” Bart said, finally sounding a little more normal.

  “Then what?”

  “Tell us again about the memo you found,” Choden said.

  I inhaled deeply before speaking. “It said something about all the interested parties being notified of the events to take place at the prison tomorrow night at nine.”

  Ryder pulled slightly at the bandage by her eye. “This sounds like an invitation only event.”

  “Well, you had better not be thinking of crashing,” I said suddenly. Thankfully, I stopped myself before I tagged on young lady.

  Everyone froze at my audacity.

  “What? She’s in no condition.”

  “She is right,” Choden said gently. “You must heal.”

  Ryder flexed her jaw. “I am aware of my current limitations. I was thinking, perhaps, we could invite the media.”

  “That’s brilliant,” Bart said dreamily.

  I rolled my eyes at him. “What do you mean, Ryder?”

  “Normally, I would challenge my target directly and disrupt his plans, but as you have pointed out, I am not in the condition…and there is no one else.”

  Ouch.

  Okay, it shouldn’t have stung. It was clear that I had no real skills or abilities when it came to crime fighting, but I had gumption. And wasn’t gumption worth more than anything else? Why would reality TV lie?

  “Inviting the media prior to the event might disrupt Mr. St. James’s plans,” Ryder said smoothly, “especially if reporters spot him entering the building.

  “Wait, we don’t even know if he is going to be there,” I said.

  “Regardless, I do not see any other way for us to stop this unknown event beyond shining a bright light on it.”

  Bart cleared his throat. “Well, back at my store, actually the store isn’t the important part, my lab is where my genius is fully realized—” He cut himself off when he saw Ryder’s face. “Anyway, Bremy and I were thinking—”

  “Nothing! We were thinking nothing,” I interrupted.

  Bart looked at me quizzically.

  “It was nothing. It was stupid,” I said.

  Bart made a face like I had just kicked him in the nuts.

  “I have not done a stupid thing in my entire life,” he said with some pretty wild eyes. “Stupid and I do not associate, not even when you invite stupid in.”

  “Okay, okay, sheesh,” I said. “Anyway let’s go back to the media thing.”

  Ryder gave me a questioning look, which almost made me crumble. Luckily, she didn’t pursue it. “We would need to find some way, a pretext, to get the media to the prison.”

  “You could do that Bremy,” Bart said, slapping me on the shoulder a little too hard.

  “We broke up.”

  “I wasn’t talking about Muscles. I was talking about the paparazzi. Those guys are vicious, and that’s what we need. They’ll get to the bottom of whatever’s going on, especially if you offer them a bikini shot.”

  A couple of months ago I wouldn’t have been offended by that comment. Then again, a couple of months ago guys like Bart didn’t exist in my universe.

  He had a point though. If there was one skill I did possess, it was creating a media stir, but the thought alone made my stomach sink. I didn’t want to be that girl anymore.

  But how could I say no? This was bigger than me.

  “No.”

  My eyes snapped up.

  “No,” Queenie repeated.

  “Why not?” Bart asked.

  “She has only just recently become less annoying. You will ruin all my hard work.”

  “I agree,” said Choden. “We can alert the media without using Bremy’s celebrity. He
r father’s name will be enough to bring them out.”

  Bart shrugged.

  “So when do we start calling people?” I asked, feeling cheered.

  “Well, we don’t want to tip off your father,” Bart said.

  I looked around. Ryder had leaned back slightly into her chair. It was hard to tell, but I thought she might be in pain.

  “Okay, so we wait until tomorrow night, and in the meantime, we sleep.”

  “Yes, everyone should rest,” Choden said rising to his feet. “But first, I would like you to come with me, Bremy.”

  “What?” I asked wiping anticipatory sleep drool from my chin. “No,” I whined. “Sleep now.”

  “Sleep soon.”

  “No knuckles?”

  “No knuckles.”

  ***

  Dawn took its first breath as we emerged onto the city streets.

  Ryder had retreated into the subway cave, and once the rest of us were topside, Bart left with Queenie—God help them both. Meanwhile Choden and I headed for a maze of alleyways and side streets.

  We ended up at yet another abandoned-looking building. This one had at least ten floors, and the elevator wasn’t working. Every part of my body hurt, but when Choden opened the doors to the rooftop, I couldn’t help but gasp with pleasure.

  “This is the garden where I grow all of my medicines,” Choden said spreading his hands out to encompass the vast display of raised teak boxes overflowing with plants. “In the winter, a glass canopy transforms this entire area into a hothouse, but we are not quite there yet. Come,” he said, waving me on.

  He took me to a small fountain and gestured for me to sit on a pillow.

  I couldn’t take it any longer.

  “How many freaking buildings do you own?”

  Choden simply smiled.

  I carefully lowered my beat up body. “No, no,” I said shaking my head. “The smile’s not going to cut it this time. Where do you two get all of your money?” I searched his eyes before I pressed on. “You see…well…my rent’s due tomorrow, and I think I have been working pretty hard at this crime fighting thing and—”

  “Have you given any thought to what I said about your father?”

  “Pah!” I shouted.

  “So you have,” Choden said.

  “I think you misinterpreted my pah,” I replied sullenly.

  “Both times, when you fought the Sultana with Ryder…”

  “Yes,” I said suspiciously waiting for his man on the mountain mojo to attack.

  “What do they have in common?”

  “I was awesome and underappreciated.”

  Choden didn’t answer.

  I groaned. “Fine, I suppose I made a few mistakes.”

  Golden rays of sunlight sliced across the rooftop, illuminating Choden. I wanted to throw a cape over my head and hiss.

  “What mistakes?”

  “I didn’t listen to Ryder.”

  “And why not? You have said she is everything you want to be.” He tilted his head in question. “You admire her, yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “You think she is strong and capable?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you trust her?”

  “Of course, I—”

  “Not so fast,” Choden said holding up a hand. “Think about this question. If you trusted her, wouldn’t you have listened to her?”

  “I—I guess so.”

  “Do you trust anyone, Bremy?”

  Jenny was the instant answer, but I couldn’t even say her name with certainty anymore.

  “If you do not trust our plan—if you do not trust us—you are a liability,” Choden said gently. “I know you want to defeat your father, but perhaps you are not ready.”

  I shook my head. “But I am so ready to be ready,” I replied. “Just tell me what I need to do.”

  “I asked you if you could forgive your father. I am still waiting for your answer.”

  “Well, I’m not going to lie to you,” I said, breaking eye contact. “The answer is no.”

  “A Christian philosopher once said to forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”

  I said nothing.

  “Please unfurrow your brow, child. Your petulance has been noted.”

  I ran a hand over my face.

  “Ryder was right. You have changed. You can change more,” Choden said patting my hand. “Will you consider what I have said?”

  I mumbled something like an agreement.

  “Then go sleep.”

  “Wait! You’re kicking me out of the garden?” I asked. “Where am I supposed to go? My father will be watching my apartment. I don’t—”

  Choden calmly pointed to a divan-type thingy with blankets nestled in between big-leafed plants.

  “Oh,” I said. “Thank you.”

  “You can change if you wish. There are linens in that shed.” He pointed to a little structure. “I will clean your suit.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” I said hoping he’d ignore me. My stink was turning into something dangerous.

  “It would be my pleasure,” he said offering me a hand up. “I would like to examine it. The work is exquisite.”

  “Yeah. There’s a mask too. It’s folded in the belt,” I said looking myself over. “Queenie’s a good friend. But don’t tell her I said that.”

  Choden smiled.

  “Seriously, she might hurt me.”

  ***

  On the way to the prison, I struggled from sleep in a state of angry confusion.

  I just couldn’t stay awake. I hadn’t realized the amount of shift work involved with crime fighting. It’s the little things you don’t think about.

  As my thoughts cleared, old concerns began to mingle with new. I had missed my shift at The Pink Beaver. I had to imagine that, right now, a band of pirates—my name on their forked tongues—was wandering the streets with human-sized butterfly nets. But unless they found me, I couldn’t worry about it. Nor could I think about the four messages Mr. Pushkin had left on my voice mail. It’s funny. I really thought the whole rent situation would work itself out. Like, I would stumble across twelve hundred dollars—easy come, easy go in reverse. No such luck. Yet another problem to worry about tomorrow.

  I shifted my cramped position in Queenie’s car. Bart was taking Choden and Ryder in his van—now tricked out with computer equipment. Choden no longer felt it safe to drive his jeep, so Bart had offered. It still bewildered me that both Bart and Queenie were on board with everything, but, then again, it wasn’t so different from my wanting to be Ryder’s apprentice. It was fun to be part of something. We truly had made our own little gang.

  The new camaraderie actually made me feel safe enough to ask Queenie, “So, what do you think of Bart?”

  She punched me in the nose…again.

  It wasn’t hard, but it brought tears to my eyes.

  “Hey! What was that for?”

  “I have problems with intimacy.”

  Maybe the bonding was still to come.

  We pulled up to an abandoned gas station about a quarter mile from the prison. Bart was already there, so Queenie and I got out of her car and into his van.

  Inside, Bart was sitting at a computer typing away, despite his injured finger, and Choden and Ryder were talking quietly. Everyone stopped as Queenie and I climbed in.

  “Okay,” I said clapping my hands together. “Let’s get this Shakespearean tragedy started.”

  “The Sultana is already inside the jail,” Bart said distractedly, face aglow with the light of the computer screen. “Her pass was used half an hour ago.”

  “Should I start making the calls to the press?” I asked no one in particular. I had agreed to do it because I knew the most about my father’s company. “Or is it too soon?”

  “I think there is more danger in not interceding quickly,” Choden said. “We don’t want your father to begin unnoticed.”

  I rubbed my phone. “Okay dokey. I�
��m going to go outside. I don’t want to be distracted.

  I hopped out of the van, shutting the door behind me.

  The prison’s lights beamed in the distance. It looked calm enough. Maybe we had it all wrong. Maybe it was just a stockholder’s meeting to update everyone on the prisoners’ progress. I took a deep breath. Yeah, and maybe my father hadn’t developed a chemical weapon and then let my mother swallow it.

  I dialled a number on my phone quickly, before I changed my mind.

  Pierce.

  I doubted he wanted to hear from me, but I owed him. If there was going to be some big story tonight, I wanted him to have first crack at it. A part of me was terrified at the thought of putting him in more danger, but I had already made enough decisions for him. He was a big boy…such a big boy…and I was through trying to control him.

  The phone rang four times.

  With each ring, my stomach clenched harder.

  “Bremy.”

  “Hey!” I said, sounding way too excited.

  “Bremy, if you’re calling to apologize, you don’t have to. I just want to forget the whole thing.”

  “Oh no, I wasn’t calling to apologize.”

  He paused a moment before saying, “Wow. I keep telling myself that I’m going to stop acting like a fool, and then I hear your voice, and I’m right back at it.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” I said slapping my forehead. “I am sorry…so sorry. And I want to explain. I—”

  “Stop. Please. Look I get it. You were doing a favor for your father. This is a nasty business, and maybe you let yourself feel something when you shouldn’t have. You weren’t supposed to get close to me, but you did. We have an undeniable chemistry, something bigger than the both of us, and now you’re unsure about everything. I get it.”

  “That’s not it.”

  “God! Please somebody stop me!” Pierce shouted. “I’m hanging up now.”

  “No don’t! Look, I’m calling to make amends. The story about my father,” I said quickly. “Don’t kill it.”

  Silence.

  “Look Pierce, something is going on tonight at the prison. I’m not sure—”

  “I know.”

  “Wait, you know?”

  “Sure, all the press has been notified. It’s some big surprise announcement. We’re supposed to set up outside. My cameraman is already there.”