6
Grandfather knelt in front of the small table, the only furniture in the otherwise-empty room. He wore a pleasant smile on his face as he looked at his five guests, three men and two women, all experts in their field, which was the fine art of killing. Despite his normal disdain for treating women as equals, these two had earned their place at the table through the spilling of blood.
A beautiful kimono-clad woman finished pouring tea for the Harriken leader and his guests. He gave her a quick nod and she rose, bowing deeply before hurrying from the room and sliding the door closed.
A dark-skinned man in a white suit took a sip of his tea. “Not bad,” he offered, his South African accent coloring his words. “But I didn’t fly all the way to Japan for tea.”
Grandfather gave the man a polite smile. “No, Mr. Moses, I’m sure you didn’t,” he replied in English. Though his fluent English was marked by only the faintest Japanese accent, having to use the language bothered him. It was a verbal indication of failure; proof he had to ask outsiders to help the Harriken.
He would shoulder the dishonor for now, and the creative torture he would inflict on Brownstone would make him feel better about the situation. And if Brownstone died, that would be fine, too.
Five assassins. Fives virtuosos of murder: Trevor Moses from South Africa, John Candle from America, Connor Malley from England, Sabine “the Collector” Haas of Germany, and Hisa the Kunoichi. The Japanese assassin was so cloaked in shadows that even Grandfather didn’t know her real name. He only knew the attractive young Japanese woman sitting before him in a kimono was nothing more than a construct of magic. No one alive had ever seen her true appearance.
Whether or not she was a true kunoichi, a female ninja, it didn’t matter. She’d killed enough people to be worthy of respect. Her strength demanded it.
Grandfather took a sip of tea before continuing. “You all come highly recommended. I have personally selected you five from the many who offered to come because only you have the skills and determination for my task.”
“Killing James Brownstone?” John asked. He brushed a few dark strands of hair out of his face.
The Harriken leader chuckled. “Yes.”
“Why did you cancel the old bounty on him if you still wanted him dead?”
“It was leading to unnecessary complications.”
“I don’t work for under a million,” Sabine informed him, her icy blue eyes irritated.
“Nor should you,” Grandfather agreed. “So I will make the offer now, so you know that I’m not wasting your time. Two million if you kill Brownstone and five million if you bring him in alive. Not only that, I will pay in Euros, not American dollars.”
Connor sipped his tea but didn’t say anything. Hisa also remained silent but hadn’t bothered to pick up her tea. Normally Grandfather would have been insulted, but he didn’t have time to worry about social courtesies. If the woman could kill Brownstone it would be apology enough. If not, she would die at his hands and her rudeness would be punished anyway.
“Why so much more to take him alive?” Trevor asked.
“I wish to have some...entertainment with Mr. Brownstone before he dies. I have access to excellent doctors who can do a good job keeping him alive while I make him suffer.”
“So that’s it? Just hunt down this Brownstone?”
“It won’t be as trivial as you think, but then again, that’s why I’ve selected specialists. I will provide you with as much information as I have on the man. Use it however you want. I don’t care how you do it. I don’t care about collateral damage or innocent people dying. I only care that James Brownstone is either killed or brought to me.”
The Harriken leader picked up his tea and took another sip with a relaxed look on his face.
The arrow has been loosed, Brownstone. Just pick where you want to die.
James, Shay, and Alison had just ordered. They were in the Rolling Hills Barbecue Pit Stop, having driven a good thirty miles from the school with only the briefest of conversations.
James could see the tension on the girl’s face, but he wanted to wait for the right time—and more importantly, until he knew it was safe. Peyton had confirmed the Harriken were behind the call for premium assassins, which meant his ass-kicking plan had become more urgent.
“You guys were both very mysterious on our way here,” Alison began. “I can’t believe you flew all the way to Virginia to take me to a barbecue place.” She glanced at Shay and James, suspicion coloring her features. “Remember, I’m pretty good at telling when people are lying to me. I can see the worry in your souls.”
James grunted. “We flew to Virginia to talk to you about some important stuff, but I figured it would be best if we got something to eat first.”
He shrugged. He’d offered her nothing but the truth.
“Why couldn’t we have talked at school? We could have eaten in the cafeteria.”
“I’ve been wanting to check this place out. We’ll have plenty of time to talk, and there are other reasons.” James looked at Shay.
“Because we can’t trust they don’t have some magical spy-spell set up,” Shay said. “Speaking of which, might as well take care of what we can. Peyton hooked me up with a little something that can help.” She smiled and brought three small silver pyramid-shaped devices out of her jacket pocket.
She placed two on one edge of the table and the other at the opposite end before pulling out her phone and tapping away. A triumphant grin grew on her face.
“What the hell are those things?”
“Listen,” Shay ordered.
James shrugged and watched her for a moment. “Don’t hear anything.”
“Yeah, that’s the point. It’s disrupting sound waves. Someone might be able to read our lips, but at least they can’t easily hear us. I can shut it off when he comes so the waiter doesn’t get suspicious.”
“And you don’t think he’ll wonder why we have weird sh...stuff on the table?”
Shay snorted. “He won’t care.”
She tapped her phone again and the chatter from the rest of the room returned. Now that James was listening for it, he was shocked by how much the devices filtered out.
Alison looked at the two of them. “So should we start talking about whatever is going on?”
James shook his head. “Food first, then talk. By the way, one of the reasons I picked this place was because they had great salads. I know you and Shay aren’t all that hot on barbecue, but you ordered ribs.”
“I’ve been learning more about Drow at the school,” Alison said. “One of the things I’ve read is that they are big meat-eaters, so I’ve been wondering if some of the issues with my magic are because I don’t eat enough meat. I figure maybe I need more protein or something.” She sighed. “So, I know you want to wait until after we eat, but at least tell me what’s this about.”
“We need to talk about our future.”
“All of our futures,” Shay added.
James was about to say something else when he spotted the waiter and another coming with their food. The future could wait until they’d polished off their ribs.
After they finished with their main meal Shay reactivated the sound absorbers. Despite Brownstone’s concerns, the waiter hadn’t so much as glanced in the direction of the devices. In an age where everyone carried a gadget, a few extras didn’t stand out.
“Okay, spill it already,” Alison demanded, biting her lip. “What about my future? Do...do you want me to leave the school?”
Brownstone shook his head after a quick glance at Shay. “No, no. The school’s perfect for you. Like that stuff you learned about Drow and meat. It’s got nothing to do with school.”
“Then what?”
“The Harriken didn’t learn their lesson. Either of their lessons.” Brownstone shrugged. “They didn’t take their ass-kickings too well, and it’s come down to them against me, and only one of us can continue to exist. Shay and I think the only way to
end this crap is to take the pain to them in Japan.”
Alison sighed and slumped in her seat. “I don’t understand all this. These people killed my mom, and they just keep coming back.”
Brownstone took a deep breath and looked at Shay. She could see the hesitation on his face and gave him a slight nod.
“That’s the other thing,” he continued. “If we don’t finish them off, there’s a big chance they’ll come after you.”
Alison blinked. “Why? Do they hate Drow that much?”
“Nope. I’m gonna tell you something I maybe should have told you a long time ago.”
“What?”
“The truth is, all this started with your dad, sure, but it wasn’t just that he was a greedy ass. It goes deeper than that. It was about something special your mom had.”
“Her magic? Some magical artifacts?”
Brownstone shook his head and took another deep breath. Shay patted him on the shoulder, hoping to give him a little bit of support. The man could beat people down without hesitation, but telling the girl the truth about her mother was proving a big challenge.
“No, a wish,” he replied.
“A wish?” Alison’s face twisted in confusion.
“Yep, a wish. An actual honest-to-goodness wish. Your mother, as a Drow princess, had a legacy: a wish. That was what the Harriken wanted. That was why they kidnapped her and planned to kidnap you—to force her to give them the wish. That’s the thing…it has to be freely given. They couldn’t force it out of her.”
“But Mom was too strong for them.”
“Yeah. They tried, but they failed.”
“I guess you can’t wish someone back to life,” the girl mused. “Otherwise, Mom could have used it on herself.”
Brownstone shrugged. “I honestly don’t know, kid. Only know what she told me.”
“Doesn’t matter, I guess. The only thing important is that she died, taking the wish with her.” Alison sighed. “Died stopping those bad guys from getting something important.”
Brownstone shook his head. Shay swallowed, and her heart beat faster. Now was the moment of truth.
“Your mom did give the wish freely to someone, just not the Harriken.”
Alison tilted her head, confused for a few seconds, then gasped. “You have it, James?”
“Yeah. She gave it to me to hold onto. Told me to give it to you when the time was right.”
Shay cleared her throat. “Gave it to him by kissing him, by the way.”
Alison shot a glance at the tomb raider before returning her attention to James. “And you think the time is right?”
“Hell if I know, but I’m about to fly halfway around the world to take on some bad guys on their turf and in their home country. I need to give it to you before I leave because if the worst happens your inheritance shouldn’t die with me.”
“Back up a bit,” the girl requested. “My mom kissed you?”
Brownstone groaned. “Yeah, but it was about transferring the wish. Mostly. I think.”
“Sure. Their lips were locked like she was the Titanic and he was the iceberg,” Shay grumbled.
Alison laughed and stared at the field archaeologist for a moment. Shay shifted under her attention.
Shit, she can see right through me. I wonder if jealousy really is green.
Shay waited for Alison to mention her feelings, but instead the girl looked back at Brownstone.
“Keep the wish,” the teen told him with a smile. “I don’t need it.”
A look of discomfort covered Brownstone’s face. “I, uh, kid... Maybe you’re not understanding.”
“No, James. I understand fine. My only wish is that you come back, and if you need the wish to help with that, I want you to use it.”
Brownstone gave Shay a pleading look.
The tomb raider rolled her eyes. “If you don’t like the idea, just come back without needing it, dumbass.”
7
By the time they dropped Alison off, James felt even less comfortable than before they’d talked to the girl. She seemed happy about the whole thing, but he still had trouble wrapping his mind around the idea of her being more concerned about him than receiving her mother’s legacy.
I’m not worth someone’s wish. I’m just a bounty hunter.
James pulled into the circle drive, confusion still filling his mind. They all stepped out of the rental car, another Toyota. A sharp memory cut through the confusion, and he figured he should face the implications before he left.
“Alison,” he began. “There was something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
Shay eyed him with a frown, and he just shrugged. She probably assumed he was going to talk about something that required her sound absorbers.
“What?” Alison asked.
“Last time I was here, you said you were telling people I was your dad.”
The teen nodded slowly, anxiousness creeping onto her face. “That’s not a problem, is it? I know you’re not...like really my dad, but I think of you like that and I like the idea. You’ve done a lot more for me than Walt ever did.” Venom filled her voice when she mentioned her biological father.
James took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Tightness attacked his shoulders and neck.
Shit. I don’t think I was this nervous when I fought that army of zombies.
“Look, kid,” the bounty hunter continued. “You don’t have to call me dad, but I would be honored if you did. If...when I get back, we can do the paperwork if you want. I want to adopt you.”
Alison rushed over and threw her arms around him as tears leaked out of her eyes.
James looked at Shay in panic and confusion and the tomb raider rolled her eyes for about the twentieth time that day.
“She’s happy, you idiot,” she mouthed.
The comment smothered the panic and confusion, which left only satisfaction.
James patted Alison on the head, not giving a shit or feeling any embarrassment at the glances or stares of anyone around them.
Shay stepped behind him and rubbed his back.
Protection. That was all he could think about; protecting Alison and Shay.
I’m not that little boy now, Father Thomas. I don’t need you to protect me anymore. I can protect the people I care about.
For the first time in a long time James could see a future, something that wasn’t just pain and violence broken by the occasional barbecue feast.
A family. He almost wanted to laugh at the idea. He’d given up on the idea long ago, thinking no one could love an ugly and cursed freak like him, but Shay and Alison had both accepted him with all his faults and sins.
Only one obstacle remained: the Harriken. The bastards wanted to take that happy future from them.
Fuck you. You want me? You can have me right after I finish you off once and for all.
“You okay, Brownstone?” Shay asked as they hit the highway to return to the airport.
Even the tomb raider’s cold heart had been moved by the earlier scene. She couldn’t say she understood everything about the bounty hunter, but she could relate to the pain and loneliness he lived with most of his life.
During her years as a killer, Shay had formed few real friendships. One of her friends had come to kill her on the fateful night Shay decided to walk away from the job. Lovers and children seemed more distant than Mars. For a woman who swam in blood, it seemed absurd to worry about something as positive as love and happiness.
Now, though, something better seemed just within reach. A lasting light instead of a clinging gloom.
I’m not a good woman, and I’ve done a lot of bad things. I know I don’t deserve to be happy. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to go for it.
Brownstone grunted. “Just need to finish up this Harriken bullshit so I don’t need to have more conversations like that with Alison.”
“You did the right thing, leveling with her.”
“I don’t know what the right thing is anymore, other than
making sure she doesn’t have to worry about people she cares about dying. Plus, these Harriken fuckers are really starting to get annoying.”
“So they weren’t annoying when they blew up your house?”
“That was inconvenient. This is downright annoying.”
Shay’s phone beeped and she glanced down at it. It was a text from her research and hacking assistant, Peyton—yet another person she could call a true friend in her new life.
Got the info you asked for. Check your private site, normal password and shit.
“Huh. That was fast,” Shay remarked.
“What?” Brownstone asked.
“I had Peyton hit the net hard to grab what he could about who ended up partying with the Harriken after their hiring spree. Give me a sec to check out the information. I want to see what we’re dealing with.”
Shay swiped and tapped at her phone, furrowing her brow as she scanned the information sent by Peyton. Her Man-Puppy could be annoying at times, but he was great at finding information and presenting it efficiently.
Brownstone glanced Shay’s way after a few minutes. “So what’s the score?”
“Five killers, it looks like. All top-grade. Peyton’s got confirmation that four are definitely in Japan, but he’s not sure if they are still waiting for the fifth person to show up or if she’s just really good at hiding her trail.”
“Five?” Brownstone snorted. “That’s it? I dealt with more hitmen last time. I thought the Harriken would up their game.”
“Keep that confidence, Brownstone. It’ll either get you killed or help you roll right through these guys. I wouldn’t be so blasé, though.”
“Why?”
“I keep telling you these aren’t just hitmen. These are premium top-grade assassins. True killers; some of the best in the business. The only reason most of them don’t have bounties is that they’re so good the authorities can’t actually prove they’ve been involved in any of their killings.” Shay tapped on her phone as she scanned the information Peyton sent her. “Trevor Moses, John Candle, Connor Malley, Sabine Haas, and Hisa the Kunoichi.”
Bring The Pain_An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure Page 5