Pomegranates full and fine

by Unknown Author

  She leaped forward, diving low across the floor and rolling through the doorway.

  A tremendous, echoing gunshot split the air over her, right where a tall person’s chest would have been. She came to her feet, knife back in her hand. She lunged forward without really looking at the man she was grabbing, seeing only the smoking revolver in his hand as it tracked her. She slashed out at his belly with the knife, forcing him to weave back. Her other hand grabbed the arm holding the gun. She shoved it upward, away from her, and squeezed. The man shrieked in agony as bones grated against each other. His finger slipped from the trigger and the gun, already half-cocked, went off with a second roar and a flare of bilious green fire. Big chunks of plaster rained down from the ceiling. Some of them came down on Tango. Her opponent used the moment to grab her knife hand and attempt to kick her in the stomach. Tango twisted to the side, pulling him with her, then ducked and let him slide right over her shoulders. His gun dropped out of his grasp. Tango was behind him now, pulling his arm up behind his back sharply and shoving him down onto his knees.

  “Don’t make this difficult for me, jubilee!” she

  whispered in his ear.

  The man stiffened. “Shiv?”

  The name sent a cold shiver across her skin. It had been a long time since anyone had spoken it. “Good guess.” There was a mirror on a cheap, old dresser against the far wall of the room. Tango twisted Jubilee around to face it so that he could see her reflection — and so that she could get a good look at his. She wasn’t sure who gasped first, her or him.

  Tango supposed that she shouldn’t have been surprised. Jubilee was no Kithain. He was only human, and humans aged. But Atlanta had said that he had been working for Pentex, and Tango knew that the malevolent corporation had ways of extending the youth of its favored employees. She had assumed that Jubilee would have worked his way onto that exclusive list. But apparently he hadn’t. Every one of the twenty-eight years since she had last seen him showed in his face and body. His skin seemed thin, his hatchet-face like a blade that had been sharpened too many times. The pallor of his face as he stared at her still-youthful reflection didn’t enhance his appearance either. He was wearing only an undershirt and his pants; a shirt was hung over a chair back, just taken off in preparation for sleep.

  Miranda appeared in the doorway before either of them could say anything more. The vampire’s eyes were bright, and her fangs were fully extended. Long talons sprang from her fingers. There was blood smeared across her face. Tango didn’t think she wanted to know what kind of fight the man in the living room had put up, or what condition he was in now. “T—” Tango frowned at her and she choked off the name. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” Tango looked up at the hole that jubilee’s revolver had blown in the ceiling, then down at the gun as it lay on the floor. “Nice toy,” she commented to him. “Gift from Pentex?”

  “How did you know?”

  No pleasantries. No “It’s been a long time, how are you?” from either of them. Tango hadn’t really expected any small talk, though. “We paid a visit to Atlanta Hunter last night. She said you had been working for them until recently.”

  “She was right.” jubilee’s eyes narrcwed. Tango knew he was no fool. She had spoken to Atlanta Hunter and then come looking for him. He could work out why. “This is about a changeling named Riley, isn’t it? Some friend of yours.” Tango nodded grimly. Jubilee grimaced. “So. I thought I had taken care of everything. How did you make the connection? The phone call he made?” Jubilee gestured with his head toward the door of his bedroom. Tango noticed for the first time that the lock and frame were shattered, as though the door had been kicked open. “I tried to redial, but he had managed to clear the circuits with another number. All I got was a pizza delivery service.”

  “He called....” His apartment and left a message. Tango almost said the words, but she stopped herself. If she told Jubilee that, he would know where she was staying. And one of the lessons that he had taught her himself was that you didn’t give your opponents any advantage. “1 was supposed to be flying with him. Then I got his message here in Toronto. Atlanta sat her ‘daughter’ next to me on the plane. I put the voices together, got the passenger list from the airline and found Atlanta.” Jubilee gritted his teeth. “How did you

  delete Riley from the passenger list?”

  “The same way I had him smuggled back. I hired someone. A computer jockey to manipulate the airline’s ticket system. I might not work for Pentex anymore, but I still have my contacts.” He grimaced. “Could you let me stand up?”

  “No.” She almost shuddered at how easily the old callousness came back to her.

  He twisted his head around to look up at her. “Shiv, I think you’ve noticed that I’m not as young as I used to be. You might not have gotten too old, but I have. I can’t kneel like this for very long. My knees have gotten bad.”

  Tango was aware of Miranda standing next to her. A vampire and a changeling against one unarmed man. One old unarmed man. She reached out with her foot and kicked Jubilee’s revolver under the bed, then lifted him to his feet. His knees popped as he stood. “Thank you,” he said gratefully.

  Miranda’s eyebrows rode high on her forehead. “This has to be the most civil interrogation I’ve ever seen.” “Jubilee and I just speak the same language, that’s all. I know what he’s capable of. He knows what I’m capable of.” At least, Tango thought, I hope he does. It had been a long time for both of them — she was reminded of that every time she looked at Jubilee. Maybe it had been too long. She smiled, a wide, sinister grin that exposed her teeth, and met Jubilee’s gaze in the mirror. “An interrogation would be a waste of time, wouldn’t it?”

  A fine sheen of sweat broke out on Jubilee’s forehead. He did remember, although that didn’t make her feel any better. His voice was still steady, however, as though absolutely nothing was wrong. “It would. What do you want to know, Shiv? I’m sure we can discuss this rationally.”

  There was just the faintest hint of fear and loathing in his words. Oh, he did remember. Tango flushed, glancing at Miranda to see if she had noticed. Their eyes met. Tango managed to turn her glance into a wink instead of looking away. Miranda smiled back, her face still bloody, although her fangs had retracted now. She began to look around the room. Tango gave a silent sigh of relief and turned her attention back to Jubilee. “Where’s Riley?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Tango’s jaw tightened. So did her grasp on Jubilee’s arm. “I don’t believe you.”

  “You should.” Jubilee’s voice hissed painfully from between his teeth. “I was told where to take him. When I got him there, I handed him over to the person who hired me. I was hired, Shiv, just like I hired Atlanta.” “So who hired you?”

  “I can’t tell you that.”

  “What do you mean can’t?” Tango bent his arm a little more sharply, putting Jubilee’s shoulder at an angle so extreme that just a little more force could dislocate his arm.

  Jubilee’s eyes grew wide suddenly and his face went pale. “Shiv!”

  “Don’t make me go against what I just told my friend. I don’t want to have to interrogate you. I don’t think you want me to either.” She eased up a bit on Jubilee’s shoulder. “Who hired you, why did they want Riley, and where did you take him?” Jubilee was silent. Tango’s guts twisted. Was the man going to answer her or not? She meant what she said. She didn’t want to interrogate him. She really didn’t want to. She couldn’t, in fact. If Jubilee realized that, he could call her bluff. She blustered onward. “I notice your choice of living quarters has come down a bit. Slipping, Jubilee? What happened? Who would hire a has-been mercenary?” Jubilee let out a long, slow breath and went limp, giving up the illusion of physical resistance. His arm suddenly seemed like a stick of wood in Tango’s grasp. “What happened? I got old. I made mistakes. I’m still alive, which probably counts for something. Do you remember back in Idaho — one of the first lessons I
taught you about being a mercenary?”

  She flushed a bit and forced herself not to look at Miranda. She hadn’t wanted the other woman to know that those were the kinds of lesson Jubilee had given her. “Yes.” Part of her did remember that time, and fondly. She didn’t relent, however. “You said that the past is the past.”

  “I also told you that employers don’t just pay for skills. A mercenary’s reputation comes from reliability and honor. Always do what you’re paid to do. If you can’t, you should give back the money.”

  “Is that why you’re living in a place like this? You had to give refunds one too many times?” She was being deliberately unkind. She knew the importance that Jubilee had placed on his reputation twenty-eight years ago, and she didn’t imagine he had changed that much since.

  Jubilee’s head came up again, looking into the mirror. “Partly,” he said. His face was struggling for calm. He was afraid, and only Tango knew he had no reason to be. Her own heart was sinking. She knew what he was going to say next. “My employer wants his name and purposes kept a secret, and he paid for that. I can’t tell you who he is or why he kidnapped your friend.”

  Desperation descended on her like famine. Suddenly they were both struggling to control their emotions, Jubilee trying to give the impression that he wasn’t afraid, Tango trying to create the illusion that he should be. “How much did he pay you?” she asked casually. Duke Michael’s enchanted charge card was in her pocket. She hoped it was as limitless as it appeared to be. “I can top it.”

  “I’m not getting paid in money this time.” Jubilee was defiant. For the first time, he twisted his head around to look at her out of the corner of his own eyes instead of in the mirror. “You can interrogate me if you like, but as you said, you know what I’m capable of.”

  Tango just stared back at him. Desperate. Frustrated. “Damn you.” She started to let his arm drop.

  Another pair of hands grabbed hers. Miranda took Jubilee away from her. “Let me try.” Her fangs were exposed again and she was licking at the dried blood on her lips. She stroked one talon under Jubilee’s stubborn chin, provoking an instinctive tremor. The act was a little overdone, but it was effective. Open fright was showing through on Jubilee’s face. “I think I can make him talk whether he wants to or not.”

  The mad laughter of relief almost bubbled out of Tango’s throat. Yes! Oh, yes! Miranda could do it! She doubted that even Jubilee’s principles could stand up to the vampire’s will, and, unlike Atlanta, there wasn’t even the faintest hint of madness around him. Tango released her hold on Jubilee, pushing him into

  Miranda’s arms. “It won’t be easy,” she cautioned her.

  “Even better.” Miranda turned Jubilee around, her undead strength defying resistance. The shadows falling across her face turned her eyes into dark, consuming hollows. Jubilee kept his eyes fixed on her mouth. He knew what he was dealing with.

  Tango reached up and pulled her old lover’s head back, tilting his face up, just as she had seen Miranda tilt Atlanta’s face. Jubilee’s gaze met Miranda’s.

  The vampire’s eyes went wide. She froze. Tango’s breath caught in her throat. “Miranda?”

  * * *

  Shiv asked you something, murmured Arthurs in her mind. You should reply before she gets suspicious.

  Miranda forced her throat to work. “He’s tough,” she said. She had the vague impression of the changeling nodding and saying something about pulling away if she had to. She nodded abstractly, not taking her eyes away from Arthurs’. When she had pushed her will against his, she had been expecting to encounter a frightened mind. She hadn’t. Arthurs had been putting on as much of a show' as she had.

  Which isn’t to say that I’m not grateful to find an ally, he commented. Shiv is very afraid that she may have to hurt me. She won’t do it, but she does have several advantages over me. If I were to try and escape on my own, she could catch me easily. Miranda had the eerie impression that someone was walking around her mind, examining it from all sides. The unexpected loss of control frightened her. Tango had said that Arthurs was a low-grade psychic!

  When she knew me, I was. But that was twenty-eight years ago. She’s changed her name, I’ve learned some new tricks. He savored “Tango,” rolling it around in Miranda’s mind. Nice. It suits her. His mental voice paused. So what did you have planned for me? Or did you have any plan at all?

  No, Miranda confessed, half to herself, half to Arthurs’ presence. When she had suggested using her powers on the mercenary, she had actually been more frightened than he and Tango put together.

  She had seen the chain bracelet sitting on a nighttable beside Arthurs’ bed, even if Tango hadn’t. A Bandog chain. Even before she had seen the chain, she had thought that Arthurs’ face seemed familiar. Now she knew where from, and the chain was in her pocket. But all she had wanted to do when she’d suggested hypnotizing the mercenary was to keep him from talking. Beyond that...

  Such strategy, Arthurs said sarcastically. I thought I recognized you when you came in as well. You didn’t have to worry — I meant what 1 told her. I wouldn’t have betrayed Solomon.

  So Solomon had had Riley kidnapped! Miranda saw Arthurs’ face wince even as the thought came to her. He had realized his mistake as well.

  All right. You know. Solomon had me kidnap Riley. He enchanted a dead man’s hand so it would lead me to him. His eyes grew sharp instead of frightened. What are you going to do with the information?

  She was going to tell Tango. She was going to tell Tango who hired Arthurs, and where to find him. She was going to... no. If she told Tango about Solomon’s involvement, the changeling would inevitably find out about her role in the murders. Miranda almost bit her lip in horrified frustration. She couldn’t tell Tango what she knew!

  Unless Arthurs was the one who told Tango about Solomon.

  And then what do you think he will say when she confronts him? Hmmm? Don’t you think it would be so much easier if the connection to the Bandog came to an end here? Arthurs’ voice was seductive, but compelling at the same time. He was right. If Tango kept following the trail that led from Atlanta to Arthurs, she would inevitably encounter the Bandog. And Miranda didn’t want that to happen.

  No, Arthurs urged, you don’t. And a few simple lies are all it will take. Some misdirection. No one will get hurt.

  He presented his plan to her in a burst of information. It was simple. It would benefit both of them. It couldn’t fail.

  Miranda agreed.

  Excellent, murmured Arthurs. Now...

  Miranda stopped him. She tried to frame a direct question — words, not random thoughts for Arthurs to pull out of her head. It was difficult. Concepts kept getting mixed in with the words, layers of meaning wrapping together. Is Riley (Tango) all right (angry with me)? Is he (she) still alive (going to be upset)? Miranda flushed at the conflicting thoughts.

  Arthurs laughed silently. You don’t know Shiv at all. Miranda glared at him, her will scrabbling against the impenetrable barrier of his mind. She captured at least part of his attention, because suddenly he stopped laughing. You really want an answer?

  Yes.

  I don’t know.

  Why did Solomon have him kidnapped? Arthurs didn’t reply. Miranda tried again. Why did Solomon...

  Follow the plan, Miranda. And remember that Tango is watching.

  Arthurs pushed her out of his mind.

  * * *

  Miranda seemed to be taking an awfully long time to seize control of Jubilee’s will, but Tango knew that that was only a feeling. It had been only a minute, maybe a touch longer. She was being impatient. But they were so close now! Miranda and Jubilee were still, eyes locked onto eyes. Tango wondered if she should check on Miranda again. No. Patience, she told herself, patience.

  And then Jubilee drew a slow, rasping breath. Miranda gritted her teeth. “I’ve got him,” she said.

  “Who hired him?”

  Miranda relayed the question. Jubilee replied unwi
llingly, the information almost having to force its way out of his mouth. “A streetgang leader named Indigo.”

  A gang leader? “Why?”

  “Because I needed the money.”

  Tango clenched her teeth. “No. Why did Indigo want Riley kidnapped?”

  “He wanted revenge. Riley murdered a member of his gang.”

  Tango froze. “Riley?” She glanced at Miranda. “Could he be lying?”

  The vampire shook her head slowly. “Not under my control.”

  “But Riley wouldn’t do something like that.” Riley was a prankster, not a killer. But... maybe he had killed a man. Maybe he was a killer. Tango tensed unconsciously. You could never tell, could you? You never knew. She looked back at Jubilee. “Ask him if he knows more.”

  Miranda did ask — and Jubilee did know more. Indigo ran guns for Pentex, distributing them to other gangs and punks on the streets. Someone Riley was close to had been killed by one of Indigo’s guns. Riley had been looking for revenge as well. When Indigo couldn’t capture the changeling himself, he had turned to Jubilee. Jubilee had traced Riley to San Francisco, hired Atlanta Hunter to bring him back, held him here until the effects of her bracelet had worn off, then handed the captive changeling over to Indigo. Indigo’s base of operations was a warehouse at the end of Towns Road off Kipling Avenue.

  Tango was sitting on the edge of Jubilee’s bed by the time he had finished. She just stared at the mercenary. “Why?” she murmured.

  “Is that a question?” asked Miranda wearily. “If it is, what more do you want to know? Isn’t this enough?” “No. I mean, no, it isn’t a question. Do you know where Towns Road is?”

  Miranda shook her head. “No again. But Kipling is on the other side of the city. If you want to go check it out, I can do to Jubilee what I did to the man in the back yard and put him to sleep. That would keep him out of the way.”