Hello again. :)
Okay. So. There's a lot of questions about when Brittany will appear, why there's so much Dani, etc. so let me clear it up :)
1. This is a Brittana fic but there will be Dantana in the beginning. Brittany will make an appearance this chapter but her role doesn't come in until later.
2. Dani is just part of Santana's character arc. So don't worry fellow Brittana stans, Dantana is not endgame. :)
3. I'll explain how Santana killed her sister in future chapters but it has something to do with when she was tortured and how she reacted.
On to the chapter? Yes?
"Crying won't do you any good, kid." A low-gentle voice cut through the sound of my sobs, followed by footsteps approaching me.
Wiping my nose, I glanced up and see a young man, maybe late twenties, dark brown hair. A dirty blue apron covered his white shirt and pants. He had a black trash bag in each hand.
"Tears are waste of time, energy and resources." he tells me. His tone serious as if he's imparting some great cosmic knowledge on me.
My family was dead. My home burned down to ground. I didn't have anywhere to go and nobody to turn to. I was cold, hungry, angry and alone. I had every reason to cry. I thought angrily, how can he come out of nowhere telling me what I should do? Who the hell does he think he is?
The man looked at me, his deep gaze taking in my tattered clothes, my collarbone sticking out, the dirt on my face, matted and tangled hair. I hear him sigh before setting the bag on his right hand down and reaching into the other.
"What are you doing?" I ask him, panicked. If he pulled out a knife to attack me, I would have to reach for my magic to defend myself. I'd have to form an Ice dagger and stab him first. I'd have to use my magic to kill- again.
The man pulled out a brown paper bag that had a picture of a pig in front, he held it out to me, "there's a burger and some fries in here. Take out the that nobody picked up. You can have them." My stomach screamed yes but I shook my head. Nobody gave you anything for free, not here. He'd probably want me to give him a blowjob right here in this alley, or worse. I wasn't desperate enough to do that- yet.
The man shrugged, "Suit yourself."
He opened the dumpster and he threw in both black bags, the brown one followed.
Humming a tune I wasn't familiar with, he turned his back to me and stepped back into the restaurant. I counted the seconds in my head, ten, twenty, thirty... when I reached sixty, I crawled out of my hiding place and ran to the dumpster. Grabbing the paper bag before the rats got through the thin paper.
I sprinted back and crawled into a my hole in the wall and ripped open the bag, tearing into the burger and chewed.
It was so good I wanted to cry. It was juicy and I could taste everything from the perfectly grilled meat to the crisp tomatoes and lettuce. I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten meat.
Hands shaking, I tore open the small paper box and grabbed six or seven fries, pushing them all into my mouth at once. The cheese and bacon sauce on top of it tasted salty and juicy. After all the rotten garbage that I had eaten, this lukewarm meal tasted like heaven-
"Fuck!"
My eyes flew open, my hand was already around the handle of the knife under my pillow before I even realized who it was.
"Son a bitch!"
The exasperated voice came again.
Puck. Only Puck.
I told myself, forcing my body to relax. I slid the knife from my hands and tucked it back in it's place, got out of bed and dragged my feet into the kitchen where Puck's cursing was coming from. He was standing in front of the toaster in just his boxers, flipping a toaster pastry from one hand to another to keep from getting burned.
"Have you ever heard of a plate, Puckerman?" I ask, sliding a small plate across the counter.
"I didn't want to make a mess, I know how much you hate cleaning." He tells me, placing his pastry on the counter.
"What time is it?"
"Ten in the morning." He takes a bite out of his pastry but spits it back out, "fucking hot." he mutters
"I feel like shit." I tell him, settling in one of the bar stools in front of the counter.
"Same."
Being healed by an Air elemental always took it's toll on your body as it adjusts to being broken, bruised, cut or wounded to being okay again. But this was different, my legs and arms ached and my shoulders seem like it's in a permanent slump. My body just felt heavy. It could be the healing or maybe it was because my body was so physically used yesterday that it hasn't, yet, fully recovered.
It's one of the reasons I didn't like to use my magic, it always drained me.
The toaster popped out another pastry. Puck grabbed it and tossed it at me. I grabbed the thin wafer in my hand without flinching. The heat didn't really bother me. Thanks to the scars on my hands.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Puck asks, his voice serious. I knew what he was talking about, meeting with the detective.
"Puck, for the millionth time since last night, yes."
"You do understand how risky this is, don't you?"
"I know, but it's the only way we can get the information we need. We both know it." I tell him. He nods and I nibbles on his pastry. "I still don't like it."
"Well you can start liking it in the shower, we need to go."
On our drive to the detective, I kept reviewing Ken Tanaka's file and the more I looked at it, the less it seemed like he was any sort of embezzler. For one thing, he didn't need the money. He had millions tucked away in secure offshore accounts. He also didn't spend enough money to have a need to embezzle it. Other than his expensive suits, deep-sea fishing trips every few months, and weekly visits to hookers, Tanaka tucked most of his money away. He even gave more than a million dollars to breast cancer research every year, in honor of his dead mother.
Sure a lot of people hide their true nature behind charity fund-raisers and smiles. But on paper, Ken Tanaka seemed like a good enough guy. Nothing on this file suggested that he had the desire to steal. He just wasn't greedy enough.
I noticed that all his hooker friends worked at Sky Splits, an upscale nightclub that would cater to each and every need, desire or addiction you had; blood, sex, alcohol, a combination of two or three, you'll get your fill as long as you have the cash.
Hmm. Puck and I might have to pay Quinn Fabray a visit.
"We're here, my source told me that Dani, as she is known to her friends, likes to eat lunch at the Cake Walk. Everyday." Puck says as we park the car near the restaurant. It was a small restaurant that specialized in dessert, soups and sandwiches, located near the college. I had eaten there a couple of times. Too much sugar for my taste.
"Let me go in with you." Puck says as we wait. "You're going to need some back up, just in case she decides that she wants to take you in."
"Cops like Dani try to avoid collateral damage. Besides, I don't need to worry about you while I'm talking to her. It's better if you're ready with the car in case we need to make a quick escape."
He grumbled but said nothing more.
We sat here for almost an hour, Puck busied himself by staring at the coeds that walked and sat around the street and I watched for the detective.
"Where do you think she is? She should have been here by now. My sources say she usually get here by twelve-thirty and it's a quarter to one." Puck asks impatiently.
I was about to suggest that maybe she wasn't coming when Detective Lovato rounded the corner. She strolled down the street, again with that easy confidence that I had found so attractive. She wore a simple black dress that ended just above her knees, black leather jacket, and black boots. Her blue hair was a little messy, like she had been running her fingers through it all day and her lips were pressed together into a thin, tight line. I could see the frustration in her brown-green eyes.
She went walked straight to the Cake Walk and went inside. I continued to watch the flow of people when I see these two men appear from around the corner about thirty seconds behind Dani.
They had the corporate look down pat and blended in well with the crush of businessmen, except for a couple things. First of all, they were taking their time, leisurely walking, not in a hurry to get back to the office like everyone else was. Second, their faces were harder, colder than those of the corporate raiders around them. Third and most telling, they held their arms slightly out to their sides in a manner that suggested each one had a gun stuffed inside their suit jacket. Maybe two
One of them stopped by a sidewalk vendor and bought a newspaper, while the other lit a cigarette.
"The good ole' detective has a tail."
"I expected as much. Question is, does she know about it or not? Undercover cops?" I ask
"No, definitely not cops. Even the dirtiest of the dirty cops know better than to sport three-thousand dollar suits. They're wearing the newest line from Unique Adams' collection."
I watched the men, the one with the newspaper seemed content in watching Dani while the smoker was more adventurous. He went over to a couple of girls that were sat outside the Cake Walk. The man struck up conversation with the three girls before pulling out a piece of paper and handed it to the girl with the long light brown hair.
That could be useful.
"Keep an eye on those girls. Make sure they don't wander away while I'm inside."
"Gladly." Puck replied, his tone devilish
I waited a few more minutes but the two men made no move to step inside the restaurant, just casually looking up whenever anyone entered through the door.
"Alright, I'm going in, if i'm not back out within twenty minutes-"
"I leave you behind." He finishes for me, "I know the drill, Santana. Finn and I have been doing this long before you came around."
The mention of Finn's name cast a shadow on both our faces, Puck quickly looks away from me and even with his sunglasses I can tell that he's blinking back tears. You can tell by how by the muscles in his jaw contracts. The same sadness that overpowered me in the shower last night. Reducing me to tears. I reached across and held his hand in mine, "wish me luck." I whispered before stepping out of the car.
I walked at an angle towards the front door, like I was coming in from the community college. I shook my hand slightly, just enough that my thumb can caress the the handle of the knife. I notice that the man with the newspaper had peaked over whatever he was reading to look at me but he didn't recognize me from my police sketch.
I brushed my hands along the stone by the door as soon as I step inside the cake walk. The vibrations were cheerful, loud and happy, much like the workers and the customers that come and go everyday. The smell of cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar flavored the air. You could almost feel your blood sugar shoot up just by breathing in the air in here.
Dani was sat at the corner booth, the one farthest from the door. She had taken her jacket off, exposing her toned arms. She was nibbling on a grilled cheese sandwich. A large glass of iced tea, a small plate of miniature chocolate chip cookies and some pickles decorated her table top. A girl with a healthy appetite.
I went down the assembly line and chose a slice of Lemon Pound Cake and a glass of Lemonade. They looked delicious and I almost feel bad that I'm not even going to be able to taste them, I had no time to eat or drink. I kept an eye on Dani. The detective was focused on her food, not looking up from her sandwich even once. The men following her made no move to go in so I decided to go ahead with my plan.
I payed for my meal and casually walked over to her table, plopping my train in front of hers. "That seat's taken." Dani says without looking up, her voice tight and it's obvious how stressed she is.
"Don't worry, Detective. I won't stay long." I tell her sweetly
She instantly recognized my voice because her body tenses up; different ways of capturing me flashing in her mind, calculating how much damage we both could cause in this packed restaurant. I could see her shoulders and biceps coiling, gathering strength, getting ready to attack.
Dani slowly placed her sandwich down on top of her plate and shifted her gaze to meet mine.
"May I join you?" I smiled
Just as expected, Dani didn't panic. She didn't lunge across the table, didn't pull out her gun and start shooting. Instead she leaned back against the booth and regarded me coolly, an awed expression played across her lips.
"You're either the bravest or stupidest assassin I have ever met." She half-laughs
I shrug.
"Why are you here? To finish me off?" She asks, her tone flat but her eyes were burning across my face, taking in all my details so she could get a better sketch out to the public.
"Sadly, no. I'm not here to kill you, detective. I just want to talk." Her eyes narrow and she glanced at the gun on her hip. "and if I were you detective, I wouldn't do anything stupid like pull out my gun." I tell her as I take my seat.
"You're out here in the open, so close to the police station, give me one good reason why I shouldn't." She says, her eyes dancing between me and her gun.
I jerked my head toward the window, "See that car over there? The SUV?"
He nodded
"One of my friends is in that car with a wide variety of guns. If I don't come back there in ten minutes, he's going to start shooting coeds. If i'm followed or marked in any way, he will start shooting coeds. If he gets bored or he develops an itch on his balls, he's going to start shooting coeds. Your choice, Dani."
I didn't mention that I also had my usual five-point arsenal of silverstone knives and that I could simply stab him dead and walk away. I'm hoping it wouldn't come to that and that the detective was smarter than most of the cops in this city. I needed the detective and she needed me too, if only she could see it.
She didn't answer but I notice her body start to relax away from her gun, she grabbed her sandwich and took another bite. "Fine. What do you want?"
I took a sip of my iced tea, "I have a... proposal for you."
She snorted and placed her sandwich down again, "what? letting me choose how I want to die?"
"No, but I figured you might be interested in finding out who hired me to kill Tanaka."
Her brows scrunched together, "you know who it was?"
"No, but I'm going to find out."
"Why?"
"Because they double crossed me. Did you find the body up on the catwalk? That's the second assassin they hired to take me out."
Dani laughed- a harsh laugh.
"And that surprised you?" he laughs, "the lack of honor among murderers and criminals?"
"No. But my reputation has been affected by this and I plan on correcting it."
"Reputation? So you have a name? Some stupid nickname that doesn't mean anything to anyone but yourself?" She asks in a flat tone.
"Some people call me the Spider."
The slight bulge in her eyes and the way the arrogant smile disappeared from her lips told me that she knew who I was. I could tell she was thinking about Brody Weston and whether or not I was the one that killed him. I guess it's better to get it out now than later when the stakes are higher. If he reacted by trying to kill or arrest me then I'd kill him right here and now. I had no problem waiting for another lead to pop-up.
"If you're wondering if I was the one that killed your partner, the answer is yes."
Dani leaned forward on her elbows, her gaze was burning with rage. "You killed Weston and you have the guts to come here and tell me you have a proposal for me? Are you insane?"
I also leaned forward, our faces were inches apart "No. I just hope you're not too stupid to hear me out."
"These people tried to kill me, that really doesn't bother me. But they killed my handler and almost beat another of my associates to death. They crossed the line, even among murderers."
"Am I supposed to feel sorry you?"
"No, detective. I don't need or want your sympathy. What I'm offering you is my help."
She considers this for a moment, leaning back against the booth and studying my face. For any tell-tale signs to help him gauge if I was lying or telling the truth but I've learned long ago to keep a blank expression.
"Even if I were able to ignore the fact that you killed my partner; aside from a knife in the back, what would I get in return?"
"If you agree to work with me, you feed me all your leads and theories. I give you all my information on the case and my services. For free. Win-win situation."
She shakes her head, "your services? you mean, you'll kill people for me?"
"You're going to need help taking care of the people that did this." I answer simply
"Lady, I'm a cop. I can handle myself just fine."
My turn to scoff.
"Really? is that why Ryerson kept you in the back during the interviews? Is that why I'm the one being blamed for Tanaka's murder even when we both know that I was busy fishing myself out of the river?"
She didn't say anything.
"Think about it. How quickly things happened. How fast my supposed connection to Tanaka was discovered, and my sketch plastered on television. And then there's you, detective. That guy outside of the box wasn't just going to drop Tanaka. He was going to do you, too. You know that as much as I do. Whoever cop knew about this was okay with you getting dead. Guess somebody doesn't like you very much, detective."
Silence. Dani shifted in her seat. Her index finger tapped out a pattern on the tabletop. A muscle twitched in her right cheek. She wanted to go for her gun. But her eyes flickered to the SUV parked outside and I could see her force her body to relax.
"Whoever put the hit on Tanaka isn't going to stop even if I get thrown in jail or killed. Not in this city, not with Blaine in charge but I doubt he had anything to do with this."
"Why?" She asked
"Because Blaine likes to deal with things personally, it's the only fucking this I admire about him."
Silence again. I could tell that Dani was really thinking about whether I was right or not.
"Think about my offer, Detective." I tore a small piece of cake and popped it into my mouth, when I swallow I point the fork at her, "You were meeting Tanaka for a reason. Somebody didn't like it and decided you were both better off dead."
"What guarantee do I have that this isn't some elaborate scheme to kill me?" she asks me, leaning her elbows on the table. I did the same, meeting her intense gaze with my own dark ones. "Because, Detective. If I wanted you dead, I could have slit your throat the moment I approached you in here."
She stiffens.
"But I'm not going to do that..." I say, casually leaning back in my seat, "Because you're the only one that can help me get to the bottom of this. We need each other, whether we like it or not."
My watch quietly beeps, "I guess we're out of time, detective." I say, sliding out of the booth. "If you agree to my proposal, turn on your porch light on at exactly six o'clock. I'll bring all the information and evidence I have and we can go through it. Double-cross me and you'll end up just like Tanaka, lying lifeless on a cold steel slab at the morgue." I tell her quietly, leaning in to make sure she hears me.
"And if I don't turn the light on?"
"Then just stay the hell out of my way."
"Are you threatening me?"
"No." I say, backing towards the door. "The woman that did this has taken a very dear brother to a very dear friend; that's something I can never forgive and I'm determined to make that bitch pay. You have a choice, Detective. You can either help me catch the bitch and the dirty cop, or you can go take your time picking through all the blood and dead bodies when I'm done."
Dani stared at me, her face unreadable. I nodded at her and turned before walking out into the blazing afternoon heat.
As Puck coasts the SUV towards the front of the store,I listened for the sound of the bell over the front door. Even though I'd admitted to killing her partner, Dani wasn't charging after me, gun drawn and screaming—yet.
Neither of the two men tailing him looked in my direction. I eyed the second man, the one that approached that coeds, committing his features to memory. A tall guy, with thinning black hair, a thick neck, and a toned body. He grinned at the pretzel vendor, showing off a set of fangs. A vampire. One who wasn't very big on personal hygiene, judging from the yellow tint to his teeth.
My gaze cut to the coeds. Still slurping on their mochas. They wouldn't go anywhere for a few minutes. Good. Puck pulled the black SUV up to the curb beside me. I opened the passenger's side door and hopped inside. As soon as I closed the door, Puck peeled away from the sidewalk.
When we reached the stoplight at the end of the block, I watch the detective come out of the Cake Walk. She scribbled something on a small pad in his hand before walking towards the station. Probably to report the car and try to track us down.
Typical. Try to do someone a favor and they send the cops after you.
"Puck, I need you to circle around the block and then back to the Cake Walk."
"Want to tell me why?" he asked but did as I asked.
"You'll see."
Five minutes later, we were back in the same spot we were parked on earlier. When I was sure Dani and her two friends were gone, I got out of the car and headed for the group of girls that the vampire was talking to. I dug into my pocket and pulled out some crumpled cash, three hundred dollars. Should be more than enough for what I have in mind.
I stopped in front of the girls and flashed the money at them, "ladies, can I have a moment of your time?"
The girls looked at each other then back at me, "Sorry." one of the the blonde says, "we're not hookers."
"I'm not looking for hookers. I want to talk to you girls about the man that went up to talk to you earlier. Big bulky guy with a receding hairline. I was watching him and I saw him gave you something, I'm guessing a business card?" I ask her
A second girl, a pretty brunette with short hair, snorted "Yeah, says he's a scout for a modeling agency. Like we all haven't heard that before."
The three women shared a harsh, knowing laugh. So young but so wise, I liked them.
"Give me the card and I'll give you a hundred bucks each, no weird shit." I tell them, repeating what I told the woman in the elevator last light. One of the girls, the one that had the card reached it out to me when the blonde stopped her.
"Why would you want his number anyway?" the blonde asks
"I'm a private investigator working for his wife. Every little thing I catch him for is another nail in his coffin. Wanna help a sister out?"
The three women looked at each other, "go ahead Sugar. Give her the card." the blonde says to her friends and Sugar hands the card out to me again.
I took it and looked at the girl, her brown eyes locking with mine, "Sugar? as in-"
"Sugar Pierce. One and only." she tells me cheerfully as I hand her the cash.
Sugar Pierce. Part owner of the B.S.P Metalworking empire. The largest producer of steel and metal in all of Willowfield.
"Sugar?" A light voice calls out from behind me, I hear Sugar sigh as she picks up her bag. Handing the wad of cash to the pretty brunette, "Bye, girls." she murmurs
"Coming, Britt." Sugar calls out and I watch her as she makes her way to a white Camaro. A tall blonde was standing next to it, holding the passenger door open.
"Is this the creep you texted me about?" The blonde asks harshly and for a moment I'm dazzled by her bright blue eyes when her eyes locked with mine. They looked like miniature oceans reduced to the size of her pupils.
Mesmerizing.
"No, Britt. The creep's gone, she just wanted to check on us and see if she could have the business card he gave us." Sugar tells her.
"Why would you want a creep's phone number?"
"No reason." I lie, still unable to tear myself from her eyes.
"Whatever you do with it, try to stay out of trouble. Guys like that are never good news." She says as she closes the passenger door and makes her way to the driver side
"What makes you think I'd be getting myself into trouble?"
"You look like the type." She winks before sinking down into her seat and disappearing.
For a moment I couldn't help but smile, I couldn't remember the last time someone attractive flirted with me.
Brittany Pierce.
Hmm.
I turned my attention to the two women left on the bench, "pleasure doing business with you, ladies." I told them giving them my most winning smile before heading back to the car.
"If you're looking for some girl-on-girl-on-girl-on-girl action, I want in." Puck says as soon as I get in.
"Only in your dreams, Puckerman." I stared at the wrinkled card in my hand. Hunter Clarington. A phone number was printed right below his name but the logo on the right side caught my eye. A triangular shaped tooth with jagged edges.
The air elemental rune.
"What was this detour about anyway?" He asks, as the car roars to life
"Putting a name to the face. Let's go."
We dumped the car in another random parking garage and boosted another, a late model Benz. We took a circular route and drove aimlessly for about an hour, killing time while we waited for the detective. As Puck drove around Willowfield, I stared out the window. Everything looked so normal, so innocent in the burbs. Soccer moms hauling around vans full of unruly kids. People power-walking with their dogs. A Fire elemental letting flames dance over his fingers and doing a few other magic tricks for spare change in one of the parks. An Ice elemental performing a similar show for kids at a playground a mile away.
I couldn't help but imagine what this day might have been like, if I'd listened to Finn's advice about retiring and if I had quit the business six months ago. Or if I hadn't let him talk me into doing the Ken Tanaka hit. If we'd both had just paid more attention to the job and what might be wrong with it, and less on the pay.
Greed would get you every single time, just like luck.
If I had retired early, I might have been over at the Pork Pit, waiting tables during the lunch hour rush, helping back in the kitchen, or trying to make yet another batch of Finn's secret sauce. Or I could have even been dozing on a flight to Key West to take my long-awaited vacation.
Instead, I was on the run from the law and some mysterious power-tripper who wanted me dead. Rock and a hard place. Story of my life.
"I made a couple of phone calls while you were schmoozing the detective." Puck says without taking his eyes off the road, "Mercedes took care of the body in the freezer. She says to tell you good job."
I grimaced, For whatever reason, the bloodier and more mutilated the body, the more she enjoyed her disposal work. I didn't know why. Didn't want to know why. Finn had trusted Mercedes, and that was good enough for me. Her methods and possible fetishes were her own business.
"Before the cops took his body, Mercedes snapped a photo. She figured I'd want to see for myself."
I tensed. Damn it. Goddamn it.
"Why didn't you tell me that he was peeled alive by an Air elemental?"
I could see his eyes but his voice kept catching.
"Because dead is dead. It doesn't really matter how you get there." I tell him quickly
"You still should have told me, Santana."
"I was trying to spare you the details."
The image of his flayed, ruined face, the malicious glee someone had taken in doing that to him, would always haunt me. Another ghost of the past I'd never be able to banish, no matter how hard I tried. Another visitor in my nightmares.
Because I could have stopped it. Should have stopped it. Should have gotten to the Pork Pit sooner. Should have been stronger, faster, better, smarter. Should have been everything Finn taught me to be.
The SUV bumped over a pothole, breaking the morbid spell. But the tight knot of rage in my chest beat on, keeping perfect time with my heart. Once I got control of myself, I leaned over, put my hand on top of Puck's, and squeezed. He didn't pull away, but he didn't look at me, either. I let go and sat back in my seat. We didn't speak for several minutes.
"What are you going to do with the restaurant?" I asked. "Once this is over? It's yours now."
Puck shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't gotten that far yet. I suppose it depends on what we find out—and whether or not we get killed in the process." I nodded.
Nothing to say further. Nothing to do now but wait.
"How long are we going to wait out here? She's had the light on for hours. What are we fucking waiting for?" He asks.
"Long enough for her to think we're not coming. Now quit your bitching and keep an eye out on those kids."
The detectives home was along a long stretch of road, her two story contemporary home was surrounded by pine trees. Lucky for us, Dani's neighbor was throwing a party. Two dozen cars lined the streets both ways.
One particularly drunk frat boy had stumbled by, turned, and thrown up all over the hood of our stolen SUV.
I had to stop Puck from getting out and rubbing the guy's nose in his own vomit.
"It's not even your car," I pointed out. "You lifted it out of a mall parking lot."
"It's the principle of the thing," Puck fumed. "This is a Mercedes. You don't puke on a Mercedes."
At exactly six o'clock, Dani's porch light turned on but we decided to stay back in case it was some sort of sting operation and she had cops hiding around the house.
I leaned forward and stared through the goggles at the house. It was after eleven now, and day had long ago given way to night. It would have been dark, if every single light over at Party Central hadn't been turned on and cranked up full blast, along with an impressive sound system. Somebody over there was on a ACDC kick. They'd played "Highway to Hell" so many times I felt like I'd have the song stuck in my head for at least twelve years.
I noticed Dani pacing across the second floor of her home, her hand was held up against her. She was on the phone and appeared to be arguing with whoever she was talking to.
A pair of headlights pooped out right in front of me.
Cursing, I blinked the rainbow spots away. Instead of stopping at party central, the car's headlights snapped off as it glided past us.
"What's going on?" Puck asked.
I stared through the goggles again, "five men. all armed. one of them went around the back. The other four are heading for the house."
"Fuck."
"Fuck is right." I muttered, pulling off the goggles. "There's only one reason you send five guys to a house in the middle of the night."
The same scenario had played out when my family had been murdered. The sneak attack late at night. The old memories tugged at me, the hoarse screams echoed in my ears, but I blocked them out. Now was not the time to dwell on the past.
"Somebody's decided the good detective is more of a liability than an asset," Puck finished my thought. "He's probably been asking too many questions about the Tanaka murder."
"Take the rear guard and keep him from coming up behind me. I'll surprise the others."
Puck sighed. "So we're going to go help her then?"
I didn't answer. I was already outside, running toward the cabin.
A lone man stood outside the front door. His three friends must have slipped inside. I shook my sleeves, and my silverstone knives fell into my hands.
I reached the high wooden porch without being spotted. The guy still stood by the front door, but his body was turned towards the house. He wasn't expecting trouble, at least not from this direction.
I hooked one of my legs onto the porch and pulled myself up. I slithered over to the corner, where the shadows were the deepest, and crouched behind an antique rocking chair. The guard kept looking inside the house.
I got to my feet and adjusted my knife. Hugging the wall, I slid toward the front door.
Another light flared to life on the second story, brightening the yard. Shouts rang out from inside the house. A gun burped once, then twice more. The guard cursed and rocked back and forth on his feet, unsure whether he should charge in or not. He clutched his gun close to his chest, right over his heart.
Marking my target for me. My knife slid into his back, through his ribs, and up into his heart. His blood spurted out onto my hand. Hot. Wet. Sticky.
He yelped out in pain but something crashed deeper inside the house. Drowning his cry.
I pulled the knife out, eased the dead guard to the porch, stepped over him, and slipped inside. The front hallway branched off in three directions; the stairs lay in front of me, and I headed up them.
Again, I hugged the wall, wincing at every creak the steps made as my weight shifted on the old wood. I peered over the lip of the landing. Lights blazed in the last room, several hard slap-slap-saps rang out, followed by a groan. The detective was getting the shit beat out of her.
For some reason that enraged me.
A knife in either hand, I tiptoed down the hallway towards the bedroom. The blurred voices sharpened into meaningful conversation.
"Just tell us where it is," a man said. "You know how pointless this is, don't you? No one's coming to save you,
detective."
"All we want is the flash drive and any information Ken Tanaka gave to you at the opera house. That's it."
"Yeah," another male voice chimed in. "Give it to us quick enough, and we might even let you live."
I rolled my eyes. Liar. The only way Dani was leaving this house was in a black body bag.
A light cough rumbled out, followed by the sound of someone spitting. The detective, hacking up her own blood.
"I told you, he didn't give me anything. No flash drive, no fucking files, nothing," She said in a raspy voice. "He didn't have time to before your assassin came into the box."
"But you were there to get it," a third man's voice sounded. "He must have told you something, given you something." Another series of slap-slap-slaps sounded, punctuated by the solid thwack of fists hitting flesh. Dani groaned again.
"Where's the boss?" the first voice asked. "She'll get her to talk."
"Like she made the Hudson guy talk?" Voice Number Two said.
"Creepiest shit I've ever seen, the way she kept ripping off his skin, and the way he kept laughing at her. Even scared the shit out of Hunter and you know what a cold bastard he is."
Finn. They'd been there in the Pork Pit that night. This guy and Hunter Clarington had seen Finn die, probably held him down while the Air elemental did her worst to him. My hands tightened on my knives, and the cold knot of rage in my chest throbbed with anticipation.
"The bastard was tough. The detective here isn't that strong, are you, lady?" Number Three said.
"The elemental's on her way," Number Two cut in. "Shouldn't be too much longer. Ten minutes, tops. Just keep hitting her. No reason not to soften him up for her. It'll make his skin peel off easier."
"Speaking of the elemental, go downstairs and check on Ryan and Ian, will ya? I don't want those two slacking off and her seeing it."
Number Two talking again, although I had no idea if he was addressing One or Three.
Didn't much matter. They'd all be dead in another minute. Two, tops.
I crept closer to the bedroom, my back skimming the wall, until I was just next to the doorjamb. Footsteps whispered on the carpet, headed in my direction. I waited, gathering my strength. A shadow fell over me, and a man stepped into the hallway.
I rammed my knife into his chest.
The man screamed and stumbled back. I used his own momentum to shove him deeper into the bedroom. My eyes flicked over the area, taking in everything in a second's time. The detective handcuffed to a chair. Two men dressed in suits standing over her. One guy holding a gun by his side.
The guy I'd stabbed hit an end table, knocked over a lamp, and collapsed to the carpet.
I hurled my other knife at the man with the gun. He jerked to one side, and the blade caught him in the shoulder instead of in the throat. He raised his weapon and fired. I threw myself forward and onto the floor, the rough carpet burning my knees and stomach through my jeans and long-sleeved T-shirt.
But I was already moving. I rolled over and came up onto my hands and knees. My foot lashed out, and my sharp kick caught the third guy in the knee. He yelped and bent forward, putting himself between me and his friend. I plucked a knife from my boot and cut his throat with it. Blood spattered in my eyes and onto my face, but I ignored the uncomfortable, wet, stinging sensation and grabbed hold of the dying man.
One guy left.
He raised his gun and fired three more times. But his friend was in the way, and the bullets thunk-thunked into his back instead of my chest. I pulled myself up and shoved the dead guy at the last man. The body flopped against his wounded arm, and the gun slipped from his hand.
I threw myself at the last guy, but he saw me coming. His fists slammed into my chest.
Hard, solid blows. I jerked back, my foot caught on something, and I fell to the carpet.
He leaped on top of me, wrapping his hands around my throat. I tried to break his grip, but he was stronger. My hands scrabbled on the floor, looking for one of my knives, his gun, anything I could hurt him with.
A leg moved in my peripheral vision and a foot slammed into the guy's head. The man grunted, and his grip on my neck loosened. I shoved him back and rolled out from under him. I grabbed the base of one of the broken lamps. The curved glass had shattered, leaving a sharp, serrated edge about five inches long. Perfect.
The guy clamped a hand on my shoulder and yanked me up, determined to finish choking me. I spun around and slashed his throat.
The glass dug into his flesh, instead of slicing deep and clean the way my knife would have. The edges caught and snagged on his stubbled skin. Nothing easy and painless about it. The man shrieked an ear-splitting sound of keening pain. He tried to jerk away, move away, to push me away but I thought of Finn and how much pain he had endured. This was nothing.
I pulled the glass out, taking chunks of flesh with it, then shoved it right back in. Hard. What had been a trickle of blood increased to a crimson fountain, drenching my torso, jacket, and jeans.
The man's hand clamped down on my shoulder like a vise, making me grit my teeth. Blood and mucus bubbled out of his trembling lips. We stood there. Me pushing the glass deeper and deeper int his neck while his hand tightened even more with every inch. After about thirty seconds, his grip slackened. I shoved him away, and he joined his two dead friends on the floor.
My eyes went to Dani. To my surprise, she had his leg up, ready to kick out with her foot again. The detective stared at me, then the men on the floor. Slowly lowering her boot.
"Sorry about the mess," I said.
Well this was a long one and I am pooped.
Let me know what you think!
See you next chapter!
