Betrayed Hero (Atramento Book 2)

by Nix Whittaker

  “Hey!” He drawled in a cheery voice. Digger rubbed his face with a hand. It appeared he had been dozing on the couch when Warren had entered.

  Warren glared at him. “Are you on drugs?”

  Digger waved a glass in his other hand to indicate it was just regular alcohol. “Never touch the stuff.”

  He slurred his words slightly. Digger staggered to his feet. “What brings you here, mate?”

  Warren waved the shield flower at Digger. “Do you know what this is?”

  Digger struggled to focus on the flower. “I could if you would stop moving it so darn fast.”

  Warren shoved the flower at Digger and he scrambled to hold it in inebriated hands.

  Digger studied the flower and let out a little sigh. “Ah, it is a flower. Have you been raiding your father’s greenhouse again? Do you remember when you used to bring Isabelle flowers? She used to dump them whenever she could. I always fished them out of the bin. Kind of like flowers. But why are you bringing me this?”

  Warren sighed with relief. Digger didn’t sound like someone who could be guilty of trying to kill him over this flower.

  Warren reached for the flower and explained, “It is the core ingredient for Ambrosia.”

  Digger studied his glass in his hand. “Ah. Déjà vu.”

  Digger turned and placed his glass down on a table beside the couch. He went to stand by the fireplace. “We had this conversation once before you know. Hopefully, this time it will end differently. Dad was good at making money and then losing it, you know?”

  Digger picked up something from the mantelpiece and twirled it in his fingers as he spoke. “He got an absolute fortune from the city for providing power for the shield. Once the shield was up, it created endless power and it required no maintenance. Yet my dad had expensive tastes. He even tried to steal from Sergei but he wasn’t very good with anything to do with technology and the biochips were beyond him. He wasn’t even bright enough to get someone to help him.”

  Digger glanced at Warren before he continued. “Something had to be done. Don’t you understand? If he had lived, he would have bankrupted the family. I had to do something or we would all have been lost. I thought I had dealt with it in time, but he had borrowed more money than I had realised. I suppose I could have waited it out. No one knew how much we had lost but that would have meant tightening our belts and frankly, I’m not cut out for that kind of life.”

  Digger waved the letter opener in his hand to indicate him. “I was hoping your injuries would kill you and I was pleased they at least knocked some sense out of your head. Too bad it didn’t stick.”

  Digger walked towards him. He twirled the letter opener in his hand. “The Ambrosia was a perfect business. A hundred percent customer return patronage. We made money hand over fist. Paid off Dad’s debts within a year. I don’t know how you figured out it was me. You shouldn’t have had access to the flowers.”

  Warren’s voice was hollow. “My mother was studying them. We have them growing in the greenhouse from a small weather shield plant my parents have had for years. Did you kill her like you killed your father?”

  Digger said, “She was in the way and then she wasn’t. Unfortunately, it will have to be the same for you.”

  Digger lurched at him and bore the letter opener down at his chest. It slid off without even hurting. It only caught on the material of Warren’s shirt and made a renting sound as the point ripped it open. It revealed the faint scars of his previous attack and the blue of the strength tattoo.

  Warren caught Digger’s wrist and clamped down hard. He struggled with him and twisted his wrist until Digger dropped the letter opener.

  Digger’s face was screwed up in anger and pain. “Why won’t you just die? You were supposed to be dead. You had everything and you wanted to take away from me everything I had.”

  Digger scrambled away from him when he realised the letter opener would not do the job. He went to his desk. He yanked open a drawer and pulled out a gun. Warren dived at him and the gun went flying before Digger could even pull the trigger.

  They rolled on the floor as the two of them struggled for the upper hand. Warren wished he had taken some lessons from Misha as despite his superior strength Digger was more agile and managed to escape his grasp.

  Digger rolled him over and used his knees to pin his arms down. He grabbed a pillow which had fallen off the couch in their struggle. He pressed it to his face. Warren struggled to breathe, and he was soon dizzy. He could feel unconsciousness creeping up on him. Natasha was right. He might be bullet proof, but that didn’t make him invulnerable.

  ___

  Natasha had wasted too much time on the bloody butler that when she stepped into the study, she saw Digger had a pillow over Warren’s face. Panic flashed through her like a current and revved her senses.

  Her actions didn’t require thought, just like Misha had taught her. She picked up a vase from a pedestal by the door and swung it at Digger’s head. He fell off Warren, stunned as pieces of porcelain cascaded around him.

  Natasha pulled Warren to a sitting position. “Are you all right?”

  Warren nodded, but he looked pale. Digger shook himself and said piteously. “You had everything, Warren. Why couldn’t you just leave and go away? You should have died.”

  Warren said in a dull voice, “Killing me wouldn’t have solved your problems any more than me having less would mean you would have more, Digger. You never understood that. You were always jealous of me and you couldn’t see what you already had.”

  Warren rubbed his face with a hand. She knew this must be difficult for him. Digger reached for something and said in a brittle voice, “You’re right, Warren.”

  Natasha saw the flicker in his aura as he made his choice and she tried to dive for him and stop him. But he moved faster.

  Digger put the gun to his jaw and pulled the trigger. There was a sick silence after the blast. She was shaking visibly and couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the slumped form of Digger.

  Warren made a soft, high-pitched whine. That shook her free and she crouched by him and put her arms around him. She couldn’t change what had happened, but she could stand by him.

  It was like that the butler found them. They didn’t move until the Enforcers arrived.

  Chapter Ten

  Whatinga April, 2087

  Warren looked up when Jephry asked him, “You need something to drink?”

  He said, “I’ll be all right.”

  Warren glanced to where the coroner was bagging the body. His voice was hollow. “He was the one who was making Ambrosia. He said his dad lost all their money. Oh, my goodness Jephry, he said he killed his dad and he might have even had Mom killed.”

  Panic seized his heart as he spoke to Jephry. He gasped in whole lungs of breath, but he was dizzy. He eventually sighed out a shuddery breath and Jephry patted his shoulder awkwardly and said gently, “He was just trying to mess with you. I investigated your mother’s accident, there was nothing suspicious. Take a deep breath. Your dad is on his way and I think your lady over there needs you to pull yourself together.”

  Warren nodded, though he felt hollow inside. He couldn’t get away from the fact that he had pushed his friend to kill himself. Except Digger really hadn’t been his friend. Digger had tried to kill him. Warren couldn’t remember the attempt to kill him or the argument they must have had to send him running to the city to hide. He didn’t remember Digger finding him and stabbing him and he doubted he would ever remember.

  Warren looked at Natasha. She shook. Jephry was right.

  He went to her and slipped his arms around her and pressed his face into her shoulder.

  Natasha sighed and said, “I think I’m going to ask Hal to put in a atramento which gives me speed.”

  Warren could understand the sentiment. Would things have been different if they had been able to stop Digger in time? He shook his head. “We can play the ‘what if’ game all we like. It isn’t going to
change anything. But one thing I do know is, we aren’t at fault. Digger took his own life. Not us.”

  There was a long silence, but it was a good silence. Her arms slipped around him and they stood there for a while.

  Eventually, Natasha said, “I’m sorry. I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn’t realise it would be like this.”

  Warren said, “We couldn’t have predicted this, Natasha. He must have already been unstable. I’ve never seen him drink this much before. He wasn’t in his right mind.”

  As he said it, he realised he was right. There had been something wrong with Digger and this had just brought it all out.

  Warren looked up and saw his father making his way past the enforcers and Digger’s servants.

  Warren straightened and said to Natasha, “It is going to be all right.”

  He turned when she brushed his cheek with a kiss. “Yeah, I think it is.”

  ___

  Natasha was dressed in a black pinstriped suit. There were even high heels to go with it. But for a change she wasn’t focused on what she was wearing. Instead, she looked at Warren.

  He stood staring at the mirror by the door, but he wasn’t using it. She went up behind him and smoothed her hands over his shoulders and slowly turned him around. This wasn’t a bow tie, so she knew how to tie it. Not that her father had ever worn ties, but it was one of those skills her mother had insisted she learn.

  Warren reached up and touched her hair reverently with the tips of his fingers. “You did it up.”

  Natasha glanced at his eyes. They were a little red rimmed from his crying. He had done a good job of pulling himself together, but she thought he was still fragile.

  “Mmm, Megan helped me.” She touched her hair lightly, a little self-conscious of her looks.

  Her mother had apparently taught Megan how to do hair.

  Natasha brushed it all off. “I thought despite the circumstances it was important to look the part. It might be premature to drop the camouflage.” And also, Megan had insisted.

  Warren nodded, though she wasn’t sure if he was agreeing with her. “At least now I don’t have to worry about my family being hurt. It is all over.”

  She said, “What about Isabelle? You said the two were close. Are you sure she didn’t know about all of this?”

  “I don’t think so. I don’t remember the argument or the attack, but I don’t think Isabelle had anything to do with this and today isn’t a good day to bring it up either.”

  Her hands tightened on his tie. “Isabelle is a dangerous person and she will use today to her advantage because she is a bloody, heartless harpy.”

  Warren frowned at her tone. “She just lost her brother. The only other family she has in this world. She isn’t going to use it to her advantage.”

  Natasha wanted to shake him so he would understand his own naivety. “She will probably try to work on your sympathy and try to get you back. Warren, she is a piranha and she is only looking for a weakness. Just be cautious today. It might not be completely over. If she turns her eyes towards you, then you run. You run as fast as you can.”

  He stepped back and she let go of his tie. She was finished anyway.

  Warren turned to look in the mirror again and said, “With these atramento I don’t think she can cause any harm.”

  There was more to fear than just a physical attack. Natasha didn’t think Isabelle would work that way, anyway. She narrowed her eyes, but didn’t say the blistering things she wanted to say about the woman. Instead, she said, “Just be careful. We aren’t completely invulnerable.”

  Warren snapped. “Fine, I’ll be careful.”

  He turned and left and she followed him. At least with this over she could return to her world. Already their relationship was falling to pieces. She knew it couldn’t last. He would go back to his world of academia and she would go back to fixing rusting old things.

  ___

  There was a large crowd which gathered after the funeral. There were light refreshments and the crowd was quiet despite the size. Usually people would drink and talk loudly about all the experiences they had with the deceased. This was different.

  Warren felt awkward as he didn’t think he had the right to speak of good things when it came to Digger. After all, Digger had tried to kill him. His emotions towards Digger were very confusing. Without that last confrontation would Digger have taken his own life? If he didn’t have the atramento would Digger have succeeded in trying to kill him? Or if Natasha hadn’t arrived at the right time. It was all moot, but still confusing to his emotions.

  Natasha stood by his side, but didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to say anything. He was glad she was there. He wanted to apologise to her that he had snapped before, but he wasn’t sure what to say. Mostly because he didn’t think she was right. Isabelle was also his friend. They had known each other since they were children. He thought she was cruel to people, but she wasn’t heartless enough to not care that her brother was dead. The two of them had been like two peas in a pod since they were young.

  Warren turned when Isabelle said next to him, “Can we talk? Alone.”

  She said the last significantly after a glance at Natasha.

  He looked at the offered hand and glanced back at Natasha. He remembered their argument and her warnings about Isabelle. But he couldn’t believe Isabelle could care so little for her brother not to be mourning today of all days. He turned back to Isabelle. “Sure, Isabelle.”

  Warren took her hand and let Isabelle guide him to one of the side rooms. She sat down on the couch and patted it to encourage him to sit. He did.

  Isabelle ran her hand over his arm and he let her. Today was a day she was entitled to a touch and some comfort. Even if it made him uncomfortable.

  She blinked her eyes which had the glistening start of tears. “It is hard, Warren. He has always been there for me.”

  She sniffed and then threw herself against him. He put his arms around her and patted her back awkwardly as she shook with her tears. “It is terrible, Warren. So, terrible. I’m all alone now.”

  Her arms moved around him and held tighter. She shifted closer and muttered against his neck. He patted a little more vigorously as he wasn’t sure what he should do. She looked up and fluttered her eyelashes. “What went wrong with us, Warren? We had everything going for us. We come from similar backgrounds. We are both academic and cultured. Our families have been friends for so long. Why didn’t it work between us?”

  Warren almost told her that it never would have worked and he was a fool to have even entertained the thought. Instead, he asked what he had always wanted to ask, but had been afraid to ask before. He had always been too aware of the need to cut short any arguments about their relationship before Isabelle could blow it up into a full drama in the past, but he doubted she would get too worked up today. She was bringing it up first, so he felt safe in asking. “Why did you think I was home schooled?”

  Isabelle shrugged and looked away. “I don’t know. I didn’t think of it.”

  Isabelle evaded nicely, but he was going to call her on it. “Hal always argued that you thought I was too ashamed to go to a normal school.”

  The flicker in her eyes told him all he needed to know; Hal had been right.

  She brushed it off as she said, “Oh, why do we have to speak of this now? Just hold me.”

  But she didn’t go for another awkward embrace. Instead, she kissed him. He was stunned and went still. Warren jerked away when he heard the door slam. He spun, but it was too late to see who it had been.

  Warren turned back to Isabelle. “What did you want to talk to me about, Isabelle?”

  Her eyes were stormy with emotion. “I did want to know about us. Is there really no hope?”

  He stood up as he thought he might need a fast escape after he had spoken.

  “I don’t want to offend you on a day you should be thinking of your brother, but no, there is no hope. None at all. I’m in love with Natasha.”<
br />
  The look on her face transformed to one devoid of any grief. “Well, then you better run as that was her.”

  Isabelle motioned towards the door which had recently slammed.

  Warren glanced at the door, then back at her. “That is why you kissed me? You wanted to cause trouble.”

  Isabelle lay back on the couch and lazily drawled, “Not trouble. I just wanted to open your eyes. I am far more superior than that grease monkey you insisted on primping up and parading around in a world she is completely unsuited for.”

  He was angry, but he realised something. “Grease monkey?”

  Isabelle tilted her head slightly. “Yes, she is nothing. She has no education and has been scraping by, by fixing up odds and ends. She should just go back to the Edge where she belongs. She is not worthy of you.”

  He asked, his voice icy, “How do you know that?”

  She said, “I hear things.”

  “No one here knows that. Only someone who dug into her past and knows more than they are telling would know that about her,” he said with a fierce voice as he realised Natasha was right and that Isabelle was dangerous.

  Isabelle sighed. “Ah, well, you caught me out. I went through my brother’s things. I know what he knew about your cheap tramp.”

  He wondered how long ago she knew. She seemed sure of herself. He pointed a finger at her. “You are not as smart as you think you are, Isabelle. Natasha is worth a thousand of you.”

  Warren turned then and left. He looked around the room of mourners, but he couldn’t see Natasha. He left the building and saw Natasha was standing outside. Her shoulders were stiff.

  He approached her cautiously. She knew he was there as the sense atramento would have told her so he wasn’t worried he would surprise her.

  His voice was soft as he spoke. “It isn’t what it looks like.”

  Natasha turned her back to him and said in a steely voice, “I don’t want to talk about this, Warren.”

  He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she moved at the last moment and his hand missed. He dropped it at his side. His voice was pained as he said, “Later then. We will talk about this later.”