CHAPTER FOUR
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Ljubica watched the coming storm from the roof of Purgatory, wind blowing her loose hair from her face, and she was seemingly lost in thought. There was a noise behind her, and without turning she knew who it was.
"I'm going to tie you down to that bed and leave you there, Johnny Gat," Ljubica said angrily. "I lost you once, I'm not losing you again."
"You ain't gonna lose me, Ljuba," Johnny replied sternly. "Fuck that bitch Ramona. She's just jealous that her zombies don't look half this good."
Ljubica shook her head, and it started to sprinkle. "All I do is lose my friends. Lin, Carlos, Aisha, you..."
"You brought me back," Johnny told her gently, moving to stand behind her. He put his arms around her middle, and she pushed back against him.
"That was luck," Ljubica said quietly. "And it almost didn't work. It is barely working now."
"You seized an opportunity," Johnny retorted, kissing the back of her neck. "And it works enough for me."
"What if we save Aisha?" Ljubica asked. "What will happen to us?"
Johnny was quiet for several moments. "Don't make me answer that, Ljuba."
Ljubica stepped away, and Johnny let her go.
"Fuck," Johnny grumbled. "What the fuck do you want me to say? Aish and I didn't break up, she was murdered right in front of me!"
"Knowing you are loving her still, and hearing it, are different things. One I can be dealing with, the other is much harder than I was thinking."
"Ljubica," Johnny said, pulling her back against himself. "You're here now, and I love you, all right?"
Ljubica went still, and the rain started pouring in sheets, and still she made no move to go inside. Johnny stayed with her, unwilling to leave. They had never really discussed what was going on between them, and he'd never said he loved her before, not like that.
"Enough emo shit," Ljubica growled. "Let's go inside."
Johnny laughed. "'Bout time you got a grip on yourself."
#
Ramona watched Johnny a little too much for Ljubica's taste. Her simple black dress had a purple sash added to it, and her feet were bare. Only Johnny and Viola were around, so it was time to bring it up.
"Got a problem?" Ljubica asked.
"Hmm?" the younger woman asked in response.
"Quit fucking staring at Johnny every time my back is turned," Ljubica growled. It wasn't jealousy, it was Johnny's secret that she as concerned with.
"I know what he is," Ramona said quietly. "You need to let him go."
Viola listened intently.
Ljubica frowned. "You don't know what the fuck you are talking about."
"I have raised my own zombies," the vaudun priestess retorted. "Though admittedly not so full of life."
"That's because he isn't being dead, stupid bitch," Ljubica grated. Her hand went to her Shepherd's grip, and she drummed her fingertips on it.
Ramona pressed the issue anyway. "I know what death feels like."
"Will you two stop talkin' about me like I ain't here?" Johnny grumbled. "And for what it's worth, I feel pretty damned alive."
"Anyone finds out, and you are dying shortly after them," Ljubica said dangerously. "Do you understand?"
Ramona nodded. "The soul is gone upon death. You need to stop holding on to this empty shell."
"Fuck that, Johnny is mine," Ljubica growled, and knew she meant it. Every fiber screamed it suddenly. Johnny Gat was hers.
"No offense, Boss, but I ain't property," Johnny said, chuckling.
"You know what I am meaning," Ljubica shot back.
"His personality retainment seems remarkable, too," Ramona noted. "Still, how can you sleep with this dead thing-…"
Viola frowned, losing herself in thought. Do I really want to do this to Kiki? Is it even fair to her? Will it really even be her, or just a soulless imitation?
"That's because he is not a fucking walking corpse!" Ljubica all-but-shouted. Now her hand rested on the butt of her pistol, and she flicked the safety off.
"Boss, ease down," Johnny urged, moving to rub her shoulders.
Manny entered the living area, then, grease on his forearms and face. "I just got a text, this new crew is calling themselves the Circle."
"I don't care if they're calling themselves Mary Fucking Poppins!" Ljubica said heatedly, then took a breath, offering Manny an apologetic look. "Thanks, Manny."
Before she could say anything more, there was an explosion from the parking lot above. The lights flickered, and plaster rained down from the ceiling.
"Shit," Ljubica spat, pulling her Shepherd and jacking a round into the chamber. "Sounds like we are having visitors."
#
The parking lot outside Purgatory was a war zone. The Circle's vehicles lined one side of the alley, mostly black Beziers with orange trim pieces and wheels, but there were several Wakazashis and a few Kenshin in the mix of similar coloring. The battle was in full force by the time Ljubica and her lieutenants stepped off the elevator.
"Manny, call Oleg," Ljubica ordered. "These assholes are not taking Purgatory."
Johnny's Tek-Z rattled off a burst, and a Circle gang member fell for his final time. Viola put her Ultimax to her shoulder, scanning for nearby threats.
"Saints!" Ljubica called, voice carrying across the lot. "These stupid bags of shit think they can be taking our home from us! Fuck that!"
A cheer rose up from the fighting Saints, and they renewed their efforts.
Ramona cast her arms out wide, closing her eyes. Her hair seemed to blow in a breeze that wasn't there, and everyone close to her felt their skin crawl. After a few moments, she whispered, "Death comes."
Three figures emerged from a side alley. All were dressed from the neck down in form-fitting black leather, small plates sewn together with orange thread. Their skin was a pale grey color, hair jet black, and they had only an ornate katana on their back for weapons. Their gloves had armored backings, and the sleeves of their tops were made of orange fishnet. One of them, the male, had an orange skullcap pressed onto his head. The irises of all three's eyes were bright orange.
"Aish?" Johnny whispered.
Ljubica looked over at him for a moment, and wished she hadn't. Johnny never looked at her like that, so full of need and yearning, but especially the love etched into his face. She wrenched her eyes away from him and back towards the threat.
"Look at you," Lin purred, looking Ljubica up and down. "All grown up, now. You're definitely a sight for sore eyes."
"You're dead, Lin," Ljubica said quietly. "You, too, Carlos." She'd seen them both as zombies courtesy of Eye For An Eye, but now they looked quite alive, aside from their pale, nearly grayish pallor. Sinister, but eerily beautiful.
"Come with us, Johnny," Aisha urged. "You can be with me forever."
"They're fucking with our heads, comrades!" Ljubica cried, and raised her Shepherd in a teacup grip, aiming it at Lin's face. The look on the other woman's face said 'I dare you.'
"I always loved your accent," Lin said, grinning slyly.
"We're not here to kill you," Carlos said. "Join us."
"I put a bullet in your brain once, Carlos," Ljubica said, shaking her head. "As a mercy. If you don't stop attacking us, I will fucking be putting another one there!"
The Circle's weapons all ceased firing at once. Even the zombies stopped moving.
"Cease firing!" Ljubica barked, and the gunfire from the Saints petered out.
"Boss," Johnny said, sounding pained. "You take Aish for me, an' I'll pop Lin for you."
"No!" Ljubica cried, and wished her voice hadn't sounded so insistent. The look on Johnny's face told her he wished it hadn't either.
Lin smiled slyly. "Boss? You always were so... ambitious. Is that why you let me die? Didn't want me in the way? We could have had something, you know."
"Fuck you, Lin, I killed that asshole Sharp for you!" Ljubica shouted, feeling angry and betrayed that Lin would think she'd let her die on purpose.
Does everyone I let die feel that way? she wondered bitterly.
"Always good at revenge," Carlos agreed somberly. "Never good at the saving."
Ljubica aimed at Carlos. "But I am plenty good at the killing."
A purple Criminal careened into the parking lot, tires screeching as it slid to a stop. Oleg hopped out of the back, and Kinzie flung open the driver's door, pulling her AS3 Ultimax out with her.
"Well, hello Nurse," Lin purred, taking in Oleg. Her dark eyes seemed to flash orange for a split second. "I want the big one."
"Can I take her home with me?" Carlos asked, leering at Kinzie. "I want to know if redheads taste like ginger or cinnamon."
Oleg popped his neck, gritting his teeth. "Over my dead body," he said dangerously.
"Only if I can have the big guy," Lin shot back, ignoring Oleg. "I bet he's real hard to kill."
"I get Johnny," Aisha said. "I don't care about the rest."
"Fuck that, Johnny's mine and you're not taking any of my Saints away tonight!" Ljubica said darkly. Her Shepherd was aiming at Lin again. She seemed to be the one in charge.
Lin laughed. "You and Gat? Oh, that's rich! I didn't even know you played for that team. I figured with all the time you spent trying to get in my-..."
Ljubica squeezed the trigger, and the bullet went through Lin's face like it was made of smoke.
"-...pants," Lin continued, as if nothing had happened, "you weren't interested in men."
Ljubica looked at her Shepherd. "The fuck?" she drawled.
"Yeah, doesn't work on me, hon," Lin informed her. "Nice try, though."
With a vicious snarl, Ljubica threw her pistol aside and tackled Lin. As they landed hard on the concrete, Ljubica punched her, splitting the woman's lip open.
That worked.
Johnny had just enough time to grapple with Aisha as she lunged at him.
Carlos shrugged, grinned at Kinzie, and drew his sword. The blade was black and dull, seemingly absorbing the light around it. He advanced on her slowly, slicing open his forearm and licking the thick, orange ichor off the blade.
Johnny pinned Aisha to the wall of Purgatory, and she grinned at him. "Ooh, baby, you remember what I like."
Johnny let go of her as if he'd been burned, telling himself this was not his Aisha. "Boss?" he called.
"They're not who we remember!" Ljubica called back, as Lin rolled on top of her. "Fuck them up!"
"I remember lots of this," Lin teased, and Ljubica heaved, bucking the other woman away and gaining the advantage.
"Fuck you!" Ljubica spat, letting her rage consume her. Lin was incredibly strong, and it was taking nearly all of her effort just to keep things somewhat even between them. When Lin landed a blow to her face, it felt like she'd been hit with a baseball bat.
Aisha pulled her sword and slashed at Johnny, who narrowly stepped aside to avoid it. He backhanded her as she stumbled by.
Carlos slashed at Kinzie, and she managed to avoid him, too, though lacking any grace whatsoever, and hit him with the butt of her shotgun.
"Oleg!" she cried shrilly. "A little help here!" Oleg tackled the Circle Lieutenant, sword clattering to the ground as the brutish man pummeled him.
Lin straddled Ljubica and drew her sword, stabbing downward. Ljubica managed to twist just enough, so that the blade only slid across her shoulder, slicing it open before burying itself in the concrete instead of skewering her. Lin tried to jerk it free, and failing that, grabbed Ljubica by the throat.
"You took away my toy," Lin mock-pouted. "Time to make another one."
Lin jerked Ljubica upward and kissed her. The Russian woman's mind reeled as her body responded to something much deeper and more pleasant than any kiss.
Ljubica's mind registered someone screaming for her, but the scent of lilacs was nearly overpowering. There was a strange euphoria to it all, and an overwhelming urge to just give in crashed into her. It could be like this always, if she just gave in to it. If she would just give in to Lin.
Johnny doesn't smell like this, her mind managed to reason, and that was enough to bring her back from the precipice. And I am being no one's toy!
Ljubica summoned what remained of her ebbing strength and violently flung Lin off of her.
"Bitch," Ljubica spat, wiping her mouth with her wrist, but the taste was still there, sinful and inviting.
"Now I have to kill you," Lin sighed. "Why couldn't you just come quietly?"
"I don't know how to be doing anything quietly," Ljubica shot back.
"That's the truth," Lin retorted, sly smile playing on her lips. "You always were a screamer."
Ljubica caught Carlos' sword out of the corner of her eye. As Lin rushed forward, Ljubica stepped to the side, letting the Asian woman rush past, and snatched it up from the ground. Spinning, she thrust it through Lin's lower back, and the former Saint fell to her knees. Pale orange ichor oozed from the wound, running down her back and leg.
"If it bleeds, we can kill it," Ljubica growled, wrenching the blade free. Lin cried out, falling forward onto her hands. The ichor that seemed to serve as their blood dripped freely from her mouth, puddling on the cold concrete.
Suddenly Carlos and Aisha were there, helping Lin up. As one, the trio leapt onto a nearby building as if they were only just hopping over a low wall.
"Fuck that," Ljubica grated, heading for the elevator to take her to the roof, and her Vulture.
Johnny grabbed her wrist. "They're gone, Boss."
Ramona nodded. "They are gone."
Ljubica jerked herself free, chest heaving. Death was on her mind. She punched the elevator button. "Sorry, Johnny, but I'm killing your dead ex-girlfriend and her dead comrades. Don't try to stop me again."
Johnny turned her around and slapped her.
Ljubica was stunned for a brief moment, then dove into Johnny, sending them both tumbling to the pavement. But he got what he wanted, which was to redirect her anger.
"You mother fucker!" Ljubica screamed, hitting him over and over again.
Johnny managed to grab one wrist, then the other. He was much stronger, now, and held her easily.
"Boss, relax!" he barked. "They're gone. And do you really think blowin' up half the city to try and kill things that can't be shot is worth it? You wanna be like that Temple asshole? You're not thinkin' clearly, Lin fucked your head real good."
Ljubica was silent for several moments, still seething. Then she nodded and got up, offering Johnny a hand up.
Johnny took her hand. "Welcome back."
Ljubica looked around, noting the heavy casualties on both sides, but she still had a lot of Saints left standing.
"Our boys are getting better about killing these assholes," she said. "I'll be in my office if anyone needs me."
#
Ljubica was just walking out of her bedroom, hair still damp from her bath, when a male Saint brought her a package. She had on a pair of purple jeans that fit her well, and a long-sleeved black sweater. Her feet were bare. Wary, she read the name on the box, and actually squealed when she saw who it was from.
"Oleg, come, you will be enjoying this!" she cried, heading for her office.
As Oleg stood from his chess game with another Saint, he bumped the table, knocking the pieces over. "My apologies," he said, smirking, and followed her.
Ljubica closed the door behind them and headed to the shelf above her desk that was lined with shot glasses. Oleg admired the collection, but when her right sleeve fell, revealing her tattoo of the faery, he grabbed her wrist.
"Where did you get this tattoo?" he asked, in Russian.
Ljubica went still, cold, and her tone promised death if she was not obeyed when she spoke. "Let go of me right now, Oleg. You know not what you do."
Oleg released his grip, voice still low. "Where."
"None of your fucking business," Ljubica told him. "Do you still want what Cousin Niko sent me?"
Oleg furrowed his brow, but his demeanor calmed immediately. "You have a cousin named Niko? Niko Bellic?"
"How did...?" Ljubica asked, bewildered.
"Of course, it makes sense, now," Oleg was saying, hand to his chin. "You look just like her."
"What makes sense?" she asked. "Look like who?"
"Ljubica?" Oleg asked cautiously. "Is it really you?"
"How did you know-..." Ljubica began angrily, wondering who she was about to hunt down and kill.
"That tattoo, it is your mother's design," Oleg continued. "She drew it on the cover of a book she wrote for you, while pregnant with you."
Ljubica dropped the glass she was holding, and the sound of it shattering was the only sound for several long moments. Her mother had died giving birth, and she only knew her mother through stories told to her by her father.
"How could you possibly be knowing these things?" she asked angrily, switching back to English.
"I knew your parents," he explained. "And I worked with your father for the government."
"You knew my parents," Ljubica stated quietly.
Oleg nodded, chuckling. "You probably don't remember me bouncing you on my knee."
Ljubica shook her head.
"Your father loved you, Ljuba," Oleg told her. "He always talked about his little girl, how strong she was, always bossing the village boys around when playing."
Ljubica smirked. She'd been a hellion to those poor boys.
"He wanted you to have this," Oleg said, pulling three old photographs from his jacket. "I have carried them for nearly twenty years."
Oleg handed them over to her, and Ljubica stared at them in wonder. He was telling the truth.
One was a picture of her mother's book, and Ljubica still had that book hidden in the best safe money could buy. Another was of her father and Oleg. Arkady Konarshayev looked just how she remembered, strong and proud, before disappearing and never coming home. She shoved down a pang of sadness, and looked at the last picture.
It was a woman, young, beautiful, and smiling, looking over her shoulder. Long waves of lustrous black hair fell down her back, and the smile lit up her face, grey eyes sparkling with obvious joy. The resemblance was striking, and Ljubica knew immediately that this was her mother. Memories came back to her, and she remembered seeing this picture several times while growing up.
"I remember this picture, now," she said softly. "Father used to tell me it was taken by a man passing through town, in exchange for helping him fix his car."
"You remind me of Andjela often," Oleg said gently. "Your personality and beauty are very, very similar."
Ljubica was quiet for several moments. "Thank you for this, comrade. What happened to my father to make him give these to you..."
Oleg looked somber for a moment. "I am unsure, but I fear Arkady is dead."
Ljubica nodded, refusing to give in to the sorrow in her heart. Oleg said himself that he didn't know for sure. Instead, she pulled a bottle of vodka from the box she'd opened.
"Niko gets it from the old country and sends me some from time to time," she explained, pouring each of them a shot. She didn't want to talk about her family anymore.
"To old friends and family," Oleg said, raising his glass.
"To old friends and family," Ljubica repeated.
They each downed their drink.
"Finer than anything available here," Oleg said, setting his empty glass aside.
Ljubica nodded. "Again, Oleg, thank you for carrying these to me. It means a lot."
Oleg grinned. "For Arkady's daughter, it is no trouble."