A part of her cared. Another part didn’t.
She wasn’t cut out to be a thief, even for money. It had seemed so simple a few days ago—do this one stupid job, get loads of money, and then have some money. And then never do another job like it again. Because that wasn’t her. That wasn’t the Holly Drake she knew.
Prison was also not the Holly Drake I know. Neither is pulling the trigger and pumping Graf full of aether projectiles. Not Holly Drake.
Maybe Holly Drake was just someone who got the job done. Could that be who she was? Even as a school teacher, she’d faced a lot of shit that she had never intended to face, and dealt with it like a fucking pro.
The evening light was slanting toward the spire tops. She’d reached the Lavender Jade district. Cosma’s club was here. Was that where she’d been heading? She got off her gondola and wandered through a crowd, then took a skybridge across a gap, took two more bridges like that, and came to the Zulu Lounge. Mobs of people were piled outside the door to the club across from Cosma’s. Holly pushed the door open and went inside Zulu.
It was crowded inside and there was a singer on stage crooning sultry tunes. Holly went to the bar and asked the chick Constie tending bar if Cosma was available. The bartender pointed in the direction of the pool. Holly ordered two drinks—two Frozen Pearls and took one out to the pool for Cosma.
“Is this a morning and an evening ritual?” Holly asked, smiling as she approached the elegant woman. Cosma’s hat was off and her black white-laced curls, were standing up in an amazing crown.
“It’s keeping me youthful,” Cosma laughed.
“I brought you this,” Holly said, handing the drink to Cosma.
“Thank you,” Cosma said, sipping it. “This is also keeping me young.”
“Cheers to youth,” Holly said, tapping her drink to Cosma’s. Holly took a seat next to Cosma. The pool was being used by several guests who kept their voices low and relaxed as they floated along the water.
“What brings you here again, child?” Cosma said.
“Child? Come on, now. Not necessary, Cosma. Although it occurs to me as I say it, that maybe what I love about you is your maternal nature.”
Cosma burst out laughing. “Oh damn, girl. Damn. No one has ever accused me of that. And if they thought it, I quickly showed them. I’m a viper. I’m a fox. Get complacent around me, and I’ll use that to my advantage.”
“Well, to be honest, maybe that’s what I love about you most. Because . . . Right now, I just don’t think I can do this job. And now I have a team. And they’re counting on me. And I’m going to fail. I almost did today.”
“Tell me.”
Holly sipped her drink and then told some of the story to Cosma, but left out the hyperventilating part and getting after Odeon for not doing what she asked. “I almost got caught,” Holly said. “The guard noticed me. I let myself be noticed and I stood out and it was only my team’s quick thinking that I didn’t ruin everything.”
“But you didn’t.”
“Didn’t what?”
“Didn’t get caught. Every job is like that—almost caught, just barely made it, scraped by without being seen. It’s the nature of chaos. And every team—any team worth its weight in novas will save your ass, girl. That’s what they’re for. That’s what a team does, especially in this line of work. Right now, your team saved your ass. The next time, it’ll be you saving one of their asses. And you will, because they’ve done it for you. They’ve put themselves on the line to help you and you won’t hesitate to do what’s best for them. That said, it’s not a bad idea to wonder if a job is worth it. That should always be the question: is our future worth the risk? If we get caught, will we have felt the payoff was worth it even though we failed?”
“How do you know if it’s worth it?” Holly asked. Her glass was cold in her hand. Condensation dripped across her fingers. The evening sun glinted off the pool and Ixion and baked the air above the city.
“Well, only you know that. Is it? What have you got to lose? What do you stand to gain if you finish it?”
“I’d lose my freedom again. But what’s freedom worth when you have no money?”
“Many a thief has asked that same question.”
“Is that why there are so many of them in prison?”
“They took the risk. Got caught. And when they get out, they’ll probably take the same risk again and hope to not get caught. What’s a life lived halfway, anyway?”
“Is that what you always said when trying to decide if a job was worth it?”
“Cosma shrugged. “Something like that. But it made me incredibly picky when it came to choosing which jobs I went through with.”
“What’s the secret?”
“Holly, dear, you’ve already chosen. This job must be worth it. The real reason you’re here is because you’re afraid you can’t do it. But you can. That’s what your team is for. You picked a good one.”
“How do you know who I’ve picked?”
“Word gets around,” she said, lifting an eyebrow. “I may stay in here most of the time, but I’ve got my eyes and ears out there, reporting back.”
“Do you know someone on my team?”
“I ain’t saying, But what I will say is, you can do this. Your team is strong. And that makes you stronger. Because you’re already strong. What you went through with that monster Graf? You survived that. You can do anything.” She reached across the gap that separated their lounges and placed a hand on Holly’s forearm. “Let them teach you. But remember—you’re the leader. Don’t let them take that away from you.”
TWENTY-FOUR
“HEY,” Holly said when she walked into the bird’s nest in Surge the next morning. She leaned against the back of one of the sofas and looked at her team. Shiro glared at her from across the room. Darius was seated in front of his bay of monitors studying a screen with a black and white box on it, his tweed-coat-covered back to her. She’d passed Charly on the way in, busy with a big delivery of bar supplies and liquor. So far Charly was the only one who had a smile for her—but Charly knew Holly the best and was familiar with her sudden bouts of anxiety and need for space.
Odeon reclined in an armchair, his feet propped up on the coffee table. He gave her a small wave, but his eyes looked duller than normal, like he was annoyed with her. Well, as far as she was concerned, he had every right to be. He stood up and came to Holly’s side.
“Holly. I was concerned about you,” the Druiviin said. He gave her a kiss on each cheek. “Where were you?”
“Thanks. I’m OK. I just needed some space.”
“He was also concerned,” Odeon said nodding toward Shiro. “That’s why he’s giving you dirty looks.”
“Hey, hey, hey, lad. I can speak for myself. And I barely noticed her absence. We did what we needed to, got it done, and we’re ready to move on,” Shiro said, smiling smoothly. He tapped his cheek with the lion head of his cane. “But do let us know you’re all right next time, Ms. Drake. We may or may not have scoured a fraction of the city looking for you, perhaps just a tad concerned that you’d been nabbed by the Shadow Coalition. And yes, I did hear about that time that happened with Odeon. Yesterday. When you vanished.”
Odeon shrugged. “Apologies Holly. It seemed important given the circumstance.”
“I don’t care who knows about that. I don’t want it to scare everyone. If we want to get this job done, we have to trust each other. And I’m sorry if I worried you guys—it was me, my own anxiety about the job and being able to do it. I just went to see Cosma, that’s it.”
“Ah, the lady knows Cosma, the thief par excellence. The legendary, one and only mastermind behind so so many brilliant, unbreakable jobs,” Shiro said.
“Yes, her. Odeon met her. He might have guessed I was there. Might not have,” Holly said with a slight ‘what are you gonna do’ gesture.
“Lucky man,” Shiro said, clapping Odeon on the back. “Was she amazing?”
“She was intri
guing, animated, and I adored her immediately,” Odeon admitted.
Darius swung around in his chair. “Oh Holly. Hey. Glad you’re back. I never doubted for a minute that you were fine. Now listen. Bad news. Shiro checked out the room locks and the windows. And they’re incredibly advanced. Like so advanced I’m wondering who and what we’re dealing with exactly.”
“What do you mean?” Holly asked, furrowing her brow. “I expected some locks and a safe. It was mentioned in the updated folder Xadrian gave me. But I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”
“That’s just it—this type of lock, I’d expect it on a safe. Not on the door leading into a place where a safe would be. I’ve never seen one used on a door. We can’t just buy something off a counter to bypass it. You know, like you can with your typical palm scanner or iris-reader. Well, we could. If Beatrice had it in stock. We can go check. It might be something she can get in before we need it. Which is like, today or tomorrow, if we want to complete the job before the jewels are moved. Right?”
“Show it to me,” Holly said, walking over to the monitor. “Is that it?”
Shiro came to stand beside her. So near her, she caught the musky scent of his clothing. His vest and shirt-sleeves were sharp like always, and he sported the sleeves rolled up. He hadn’t taken off his gray bowler yet. Holly hovered over Darius as he pointed to the various parts of the lock and explained what he knew of them. She nodded, unsure of what she could offer about the locks. An alternative? A way to break in?
Shiro contributed, as did Odeon, who confessed to having used his exceptionally long fingers to probe a lock of that nature and then various tools to get passed it.
“So you know how to use the particular tools this lock requires, once we have them?” Darius asked looking back over his shoulder at Odeon. The Druiviin had returned to his lounging position on a chair.
“Well, yes. If we can get the keys specific to this type of device. I can use these,” he said, showing his hands and waving his soft-hued violet fingers, “to get it. They’re better at playing the zucti. But I don’t mind using them to assist Holly. And,” he gestured half-heartedly at Shiro and Darius, “you two.”
“Us louts, you mean?” Shiro asked.
“Yes,” Odeon said with a broad smile.
“I would have preferred lads or gents, but alright, you snide eggplant,” Shiro laughed.
“Hey guys, come on, no racial slurs,” Holly interjected, although she was as guilty as the others of constantly thinking or referring to the Druiviin. Yasao. Whatever, as a Druiviin. “He prefers Yasao.”
They all laughed. The mood in the room lightened. Holly met Odeon’s gaze and flashed him an appreciative grin. Odeon seemed to sense the ice melting away. Hopefully he understood the difference, the superiority that the Druiviin and Centau had over the other races, and didn’t hold it against them when the friction rose. Humor was the best way to vent it. It was the knob they could twist to unleash the energy.
“Let’s head to the Madame’s and get the tools, then. Who’s doing this? Odeon? Darius? Shiro?” It needed to be a small team that knew her.
“I’m bowing out of this one. I need more time at the joint to track their security, or we won’t feel confident when we finally go in,” Shiro said, pacing and waving his cane around like a baton. Or a bow-staff.
Darius spun in his chair and stood. “Beatrice and I go way back.”
“Odeon?” Holly asked.
“I’ll go again, though my skills don’t work on her.”
“Great. The two of you go. I’ll stay back here on comms.”
“When is Charly going to get in on this?” Darius asked. “Or is she just taking a cut for room rental?”
Holly looked sharply at him. “She’ll be in the last mission. Unlike the rest of us, she has an actual day-job that requires her constant planning and presence.”
Darius frowned and looked from Shiro to Holly. “Your sure about that role. Muscle?”
Shiro let out a low whistle. “I would not fuck with Charly, were I you, Sir Darius.”
“Yeah. I’ve seen her fight. She’d mop the floor with your flabby ass, Darius.” Holly slapped him on the back.
“Ow, God,” he hissed, cringing.
“See what I mean? To Charly that would have felt like a mosquito on rhino hide.”
Darius rubbed his arms. “I’m lean, but muscular.”
“You’re talking about your little ponch? Is that your secret weapon?”
“Hey hey hey,” Darius said. “A man like me spends a lot of time behind a desk, designing fucking brilliant tools to foil the law.”
“And snacking on chips and beer.”
“I don’t drink beer. Disgusting. And I don’t snack. When I get peckish I may have a few tidbits. But I tend to have two big meals a day. That’s it.”
“And snack,” Holly teased. Then she made a shooing motion with her hands. “Alright, get out of here. Break, whatever. Get to your jobs, guys. This job isn’t going to finish itself.”
“She says, after taking a twelve hour vacation,” Shiro said, tapping the end of his cane against her leg.
“He says, after nearly ditching the job because he was afraid of the big bad Shadow Coalition.”
“Shiro, lead the way. I’m ready,” Odeon interrupted.
“Fine fine,” Shiro said, spinning his cane in one hand and strolling between the couch and coffee table. “A bit anxious, aren’t we, lad?”
The three of them left, and Holly sat down on the couch with a sigh.
“I heard that,” Shiro said in her ear. “No sleeping on the job.”
She laughed, hearing the street noise pour in through the earpiece as they opened the front doors to the club and exited.
TWENTY-FIVE
CHARLY breezed in as Holly reclined on the sofa, her head resting back against the top of the supporting cushion. She’d been breathing to calm herself, listening to the chatter in her earpiece as Odeon and Darius bantered on their way to Madame Le Tessier’s Sveldt Encounters. Occasionally, Shiro piped in with what he invariably assumed was an acute observation or clever joke. Sometimes he was both. Other times the others groaned as his remarks fell flat.
“I saw the boys leaving. Where’d they go?” Charly asked, sitting lightly on the end of the couch. She turned sideways and folded one leg under her.
“Where’s your earpiece?”
“Geez, grouchy today, aren’t we?”
“I already told you I am—when I got here. It houldn’t be a shock,” Holly snapped, then she sighed. “Sorry. You’re right. I’m just—” she began to confide in her friend about the visit with Cosma.
Charly made a cutting gesture along her neck with her thumb, gesticulated at Holly’s ear, and pantomimed punching buttons on her communicator. Holly realized that the chatter on the comms had gotten quiet, except for distant ambient noises, like the hum of traffic and the shouts of cab drivers. Holly obeyed and pulled out her communicator and hit the mute button.
“Think that’ll do it?” Holly asked once it was muted.
“Why wouldn’t it?” Charly asked, cocking her head.
“I don’t understand the black magic. Maybe the mute button only mutes the communicator, not the mic on the earpiece? Er, is there a mic on the earpiece?”
“You’re asking me about Centau tech? I barely grasp all the tech humans have been attempting to master over the past decade.”
Holly snorted.
“So, what were you about to say before I convinced you to mute your mic?” Charly asked.
“You have a minute?”
“For you? I have ten. Maybe more. Depends. Torden will probably show up and give me a look that means ‘I’m not unloading all these bottles by myself. Get your brown ass out here.’” Charly laughed at her own joke.
“So last night? I turned off my communicator and just took off. This is—Char, please don’t tell the others this, right? I don’t want them to think anything more than that it was shitty o
f me to turn off my communicator and disappear. I don’t want them to doubt me. But I can tell you. Because we’re sisters. Prison Sisters. Whatever. Blood sisters.”
“Uh, we’re not blood sisters,” Charly said, giving Holly a sidelong glance. “Unless you did some creepy ritual while I was sleeping. Did you? Please tell me you didn’t.”
“God no. Shit, it was a fucking illustration of how tight we are. But, maybe we should do a creepy ritual, cementing our commitment to each other. Like, chicks before dicks or hoes before bros. Can I say that?”
“Well, you can, I mean, it’s not the same as if one of the guys said it. They’d get punched for that. Because I’m not a ho. Right? And neither are you. Christ, you’ve only slept with like three guys in your entire life. Right?”
“Thanks for the reminder. Anyway, so yeah. No ritual. Point is, I’m scared. And being in that building yesterday, nearly getting caught, having Shiro have to clean up for me, I couldn’t breathe once I got out of there. I took off. Just rode the Spireway for hours. And then went to see Cosma. You know her?”
“No. I mean, I’ve heard of her. But never met her. She’s like fucking legendary. And you’re friends with her? God, you lucky bitch.”
“I am lucky in a way. And in another way, not. Because I know her because of Graf.”
Charly’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Holly’s ex-husband and her jaw clenched. Charly hated Graf, almost more than Holly did. “Did it remind you of him to see her?”
“It always does. But Cosma is kind of, I don’t know, my mentor. It was helpful to see her, for sure. She made me kind of see reason. But I’m still just wondering what the fuck I’ve gotten myself into. And in turn, what I’ve gotten you and the others into.”
“Them? Really?”
“Why not?”
“They’re experienced thieves. If they weren’t doing your job, another one would have fallen into their laps and they’d be doing that one instead. That’s how these types of dudes are. They do a job, get their cut, spend all the money, and then do another job because they’re out of money. They never arrive at some point where they’re done doing jobs, unless they retire, like Cosma. But they live for the job. They like the money as much as the puzzle and the teamwork. At least, that’s what I’ve figured out with Shiro. He’s been trying to get me to do jobs with him for ages. But I’ve had the club to think of—actually, I did do one job with him, once. That’s how I got the money to buy into the club in the first place.”
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