I carried on walking. I didn't break my stride or slow down. If Ruby had seen the interior of the room she didn't show it. Neither of us could afford to let Junior find out we knew who he was entertaining. With the timbre of the man's presentation chasing us, the corridor became oppressively long.
The guy in white had to be this 'Torchwick' whom Leone had warned me about. I couldn't think of any other reason why someone would be dressed so differently and so… ostentatiously, unless they were in charge. On anyone else the outfit might have been ridiculous, but he was making some kind of statement. Telling everybody he was special.
Ruby glanced at me—she had seen—and it was only then that I realised how fast we were both walking. A bit faster and it would have been a run. My legs had only been attempting to catch up to my racing heart. An entire day's worth of adrenaline had been dumped into my bloodstream in a couple of seconds.
Together we burst out through the double doors marked private. A guy coming out of the toilet stared at us. I didn't even want to know how we appeared. Like we were 'shitting it' most likely. Or at least I was.
The mafia was here. In the same building. It didn't matter that Junior said they didn't want to kill me—and let's face it, I could take his word for it now—they were still the mafia. Perhaps their reputation had fallen behind that of the cartels, but they were still the damn mafia. The Godfather could have been a documentary for all I knew, and I was sure it made them look tame.
"Come on." Ruby grabbed my wrist and dragged me towards the main dancefloor and the exit. The evening was in full swing now. The DJ had arrived and stood above his decks wearing a teddy bear head. He was nothing more than a Deadmau5 rip-off, but his audience was lapping it up.
"Ruby, wait." I had to put my lips right up against her ear to make myself heard.
"What?"
"We can't leave yet."
I wanted to, but I couldn't. No matter how much I was bricking myself. This was the lead that I'd been waiting for. Junior had stonewalled me for a reason, and it no doubt had something to do with that meeting.
"Are you insane?" Ruby barked, her chin on my shoulder. To most it would have looked like we were entwined in a passionate embrace while we swayed to the music. "Did you not see them in there?"
"Of course I did, but this my chance."
"Your chance to do what? Get killed? You heard Junior; the mafia aren't interested in you. So let's keep it that way." Ruby spoke the utmost sense as always. I couldn't afford to listen. Not unless I was willing to drop my case and tell Weiss she'd never get her music box back.
"I did hear Junior, and you must have too. This is much bigger than a music box. You know they must be planning something illegal in there. Don't you think we should try and stop them?"
I'll admit it wasn't only Weiss' music box tempering my judgement, and I didn't want to unearth the mafia's plan purely for altruistic reasons. Stopping something large would surely get my name in the papers, maybe even the national ones. For a day at least everyone would be aware of Rising Arc Investigations. This had the potential to be my big break.
"Jaune, I'm a street cop. My job is to handle domestic disputes and petty thefts, not the fucking mafia. That's the FBI's job. This isn't some show on Netflix. A PI and off-duty cop aren't going to bring down the entire mafia and then have time for drink at the end of it."
"I know that!" It was about now that one or both of us would have angrily strutted away, but we needed to stay close if we wanted to be heard. "I'm not planning to. All I'm saying is we could find something out. We don't even have to take risks. Let's just find a table and wait. See if anything happens."
"We'll be taking risks just by being here. You're biting off more than you can chew again. You're a PI. Act like one."
"What do you mean again?"
Ruby pulled back to look at my face, to check if I was being serious. Her surprise showed me she hadn't expected me to be. "You got arrested for murder two days ago. Do I need to remind you of that? You've still got that trespassing charge hanging over you. All because you tried to be something you're not."
"And what am I not?"
"You're still playing at being the genius detective who solves everything by yourself. You're not. Real PIs don't break into apartments looking for leads. How many times has your old boss Port been arrested? I bet you've got him beat already."
At least I wasn't scared anymore. I guess that was a plus. My anger had washed every other emotion away. All this time… All this time that Ruby had appeared supportive of my decisions, this was what she had felt on the inside. That I was playing at being a detective. I almost swore at her, but then she spoke again.
"I'm sorry Jaune." She must have seen the hurt her words had caused. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. But I'm worried about you. I've always been worried about you. You take too many risks. This is just another one."
"How did you mean for it to come out?" I couldn't let it lie.
She looked away, tugging my arm slightly. "Please Jaune, let's discuss this outside."
"No." My jaw set. "Let's discuss it here."
"I'm not going to."
"Well I'm not leaving."
I tore her hand from my wrist and strode off. I couldn't believe it. She'd been lying to me for years. She was probably glad that my business had been going under. That it only proved what she thought. That I was someone playing at being a detective. She probably thought I should still be in our parents' gardens.
More than one angry insult was thrown in my direction as I pushed my way through the mass of writhing limbs on the dance floor. I couldn't have cared less if I was ruining someone's night. What did it matter anyway? They hadn't just found out their best friend was a two-faced bitch.
There was an empty table on a balcony where the music was somewhat muted. The half-finished drinks and jacket on a chair indicated someone might be coming back, but it hardly mattered. I needed the table more than them. It gave me a prime-view of the entire club. I'd show Ruby what a pretend detective could do.
I couldn't understand how everyone down there was enjoying themselves. Dancing like they didn't have a care in the world. In reality they didn't. People came to places like these to forget. For a few short hours they could throw aside their worries and have fun. I envied them so much.
Even though I was in the party atmosphere, even though it pounded against my eardrums, it didn't touch me. It might have before, but not now. Now I could only focus on the job at hand. Torchwick was here in that meeting. He was no longer just a name. I had the picture to go with it as well. He didn't look like a hardened mobster. He didn't have tears tattooed on his face, but I didn't let that fool me. He'd had the respect of every person in that room, and he must have earned it somehow.
There wasn't so much a plan in my mind. All I was certain of was that I needed to be here to be able to react to whatever circumstances may arise. So I watched and waited. An island of melancholy in an ocean of pleasure.
Someone approached in the periphery of my vision. I half-jerked my head around before turning back. I'd recognised the black dress and red highlights. And I'd seen the expression on her face. The sadness hidden just behind a paper-thin façade.
She'd been crying. Great. She'd done a good job in the bathroom, and not many would be able to tell. But I could. I'd seen her makeup before we arrived. Despite how I was entirely in the right, she still managed to make me feel like a piece of shit. Some people just have that power. Ruby's one of them. The eternal victim.
"Hey…" Ruby's voice quivered. She tried to sound happy. It didn't work. Neither of us were. And that's why it sucks to argue with your best friend. No matter what was said, both of you got hurt.
Ruby held two beers. A peace offering and maybe an apology. Perhaps I should have rejected them, told her to stuff them where the sun doesn't shine, but you know what? I didn't want to. Ruby had hurt me. I'm fully prepared to admit that. I wasn't some phony. But at the same time she was my friend. We'd come through worse. Probably.
"Hey." I took one of the bottles. "Thanks."
"No problem." She smiled. Such a sad smile. Such an antithesis. She looked like she was ready to burst into tears at any moment. Part of me wanted to hold her. To tell her not to cry. But she needed to speak first. I could sense that. "I'm sorry Jaune."
I nodded. What more could I say?
"I didn't mean any of it like that. I know you're not playing at being a detective."
"No I'm not."
"I'm just scared. For you, and for me. It just slipped out. I just wanted you to leave." She sniffed, her lower lip quivering, her eyes gleaming in the bright lights. "I know you're good at your job. You're really good, even if you are a bit down on your luck. And I know how big this case could be for you, but I don't want to see you get hurt."
Of course. Ruby had only been thinking of me, thinking of others rather than herself. She was quite possibly the most selfless person I knew. Perhaps I should have stayed mad at her, taught her a lesson. I'm sure a lot of people would have, but most people would never get to be friends with someone like her. It was a something you didn't discard so easily.
"I know." I took a swig of my beer. "Why don't you sit down?"
It was telling that she sat on the opposite side of the table. Ruby didn't often pay much attention to personal space. At least not mine. She was a person who needed to be close to others. That she hadn't plopped down in the chair next to me—or even on my lap as she was sometimes apt to do after a couple of drinks—told me she was aware of the very thin ice under her flats.
"It pissed me off when you said that. Whether you meant it or not. But not as much as it hurt me. How would you react if I said you were playing at being a cop?" That couldn't have been further from the truth, but the analogy had to stand.
"I know Jaune. I said I was sorry." She was. Few people would have been able to look as sorry as her. "It's just…" she trailed off, very aware that she didn't want to continue digging.
"No, go on, say it." I needed to hear, whatever it might be.
Being put on the spot almost made her burst into tears again. The pressure of what she wanted to say against attempting to keep our fragile friendship alive. She took a long drink, Dutch courage perhaps, before her voice became more substantial.
"Look Jaune. I'm a cop. You said it yourself. I know the streets better than you. Don't try and deny it. I'm on them, all day, every day. And I know how dangerous they can be. You just don't. I'm sorry but in that sense you are just playing around. The worst that's going to happen to you is someone assaults you. I have to wonder every morning when I put on my vest if it's going to be for the last time. For some it is. I've buried my colleagues. And I've buried my mom."
Silent tears rolled through the touched-up makeup. I swallowed. Ruby hardly ever talked about Summer. It was too painful for her to remember who she had lost. That she did spoke volumes. I stayed quiet. There wasn't anything I could add to this conversation. It was the entirely wrong place to be having it. In a club, with laughter and music from below, with a kissing couple a few tables away. They didn't realise Ruby was baring her heart so close to them.
"She died because some lowlife gangbanger wanted a bit of street cred by killing a pig. That's all. He took her from me." Ruby tried to continue but couldn't. It hardly mattered that he was in jail, or that cop-killers didn't do well there. Nothing would bring Summer back. "Just some thug with a gun. Think about that Jaune. You're playing around with the mafia. I don't want to have to bury you as well."
Damnit. She would have been able to win me over eventually just by looking so sad and miserable, but now she was letting me know some of her darkest fears. They were mine as well. I knew how dangerous my friends' jobs were. There was always a little part of me waiting for the dreaded phone call or text.
In an ideal world I would have responded with 'You won't have to'. I couldn't though. I couldn't predict the future any more than the next guy. An accident. A sudden illness. Anything could have proved me wrong. I couldn't alleviate Ruby's fears, but she'd allowed me to understand where she was coming from.
I couldn't stop myself any longer. I held out my hand and pulled her into the hug we'd both wanted to occur. In the heat of the building, Ruby's natural scent had soaked through her perfume. I didn't mind. She smelt like my best friend. We squeezed each other extra tight. Arguments were always shitty, but making up almost made them worth it.
"So what do you want us to do?" I spoke down into her hair, and she turned her face up towards me. So close I could see every single eyelash around her huge eyes. They were almost anime eyes with all the emotion they contained.
"Just leave Jaune. Just forget it. Please."
I had to work very hard not to let any of my emotions show on my face. She'd said that, the one thing I couldn't do, after pouring her heart out, after bringing up her mom. It should have affected me.
"Ok." Ruby exhaled in relief. "I need to go to the restroom first though."
She trusted me not to lie to her. I didn't want to think about that too much. Despite what Ruby had said, I knew that this was my one and only chance to crack this case. I could have left it, left the club, but then that choice would have been one that I looked back on for years. Wondered how my life would have turned out differently if I'd just had the balls.
I couldn't face that. I just couldn't. It would have driven me mad. I didn't like lying to Ruby, but I knew she wouldn't understand why I had to at least look. The meeting had to have been connected somehow. It all was. Junior had admitted so much. I had to know. No matter how much I was shitting myself. Perhaps a braver man than I wouldn't have been, but then he would have been a stupider one as well. Not that what I was doing wasn't stupid. Ruby was right. The sensible action would have been to go home. Instead I paused in the corridor with the toilets, looked furtively around, and stepped through the door marked 'Private'.
Confidence. That was the key. It wasn't that I wasn't meant to be back here. Earlier I'd led Ruby down these corridors without a care in the world. We'd been allowed then. There was no reason why I shouldn't be now. Of course, it would have helped if there were some other special customers for me to blend in with. Instead the hallway was deserted.
That didn't help my nerves. I stood out like a sore thumb. Or in this case, a nosy detective. Confidence was the key, but it wouldn't help in the slightest if anyone actually recognised me. Resisting the ever-increasing urge to turn back, I hugged the wall and approached the meeting room.
I couldn't hear anything. No one was talking. No one was giving a presentation. I risked a look. The room was empty. Or at least empty of people. Laptops and large pieces of paper were scattered across the tables. I shook my head and looked up and down the hallway. This was wrong. It was too tempting, too good to be true. It had to be a trap.
But trap or not, I couldn't afford to ignore it. Half of the laptops had been left on, spread sheets and schematics displayed. I fumbled my phone and almost dropped it. My hands shook so badly the camera was barely able to focus. Perhaps some of the pictures wouldn't be decipherable, but I wasn't capable of taking clearer ones.
If I hadn't known better, I would have said I was in a meeting room recently vacated by bankers or architects. It wasn't exactly what I would have imagined. There were no lines of blow on the tables, no weapons or other incriminating evidence, just boring accounts.
Not that I had any clue what the numbers signified. Perhaps I could have found out if I'd sat down and played around with Excel, but I didn't have the nerve to. Instead I circled the table as quickly as I was able, camera flashes casting a stop motion puppet show against the walls.
I only paused where Junior and Torchwick had been sitting. A USB stick lay on the table. One which was pure white with a blue snowflake. I recognised it immediately. It was identical to the one Weiss had given me back in my office.
It didn't make sense it was here. Weiss wasn't involved with any of this. Or at least that was what she had told me. I'd believed her. My instincts had been wrong. That stung. Against all my better judgement I'd been taken in by a pretty face and a sob story.
No longer. This… this was it. The key to unlocking this whole case. I was going to blow it all open, expose everyone, Weiss included. It was what she deserved. When she'd first walked into my office I'd known she was too good to be true and so it had proved.
It perhaps wasn't clever, perhaps I should have left no trace that I'd been here, but I pocketed the USB and almost ran from the room. I needed it and whatever was on it. I had no idea what it might contain, but I would bet her father was involved as well. A big family conspiracy. I have should never have trusted her. I couldn't believe how naïve I had been. My blood boiled with the need to get back at her.
The corridor outside remained deserted. I still had no idea where Junior and the mafia had gone. It didn't matter. I had what I came for. A piece of evidence, probably the vital piece. I started towards the exit.
A door handle in front of me turned. I didn't have time to think. I dived into the darkened room at my side. There was a sofa, a table, a TV, and that was about it. No closets. No curtains. Nowhere to hide. With the increasing volume of conversation robbing me of options, I did the most childish thing possible. I hid between the open door and the wall.
Pressed into that tight space, with wood right up against my chest, I didn't breathe. I didn't even dare to blink. My eyelids were too noisy. I could hear them, Junior, Torchwick, the rest, right in the corridor, talking, laughing. They were in a good mood. I only prayed that it would carry them onwards, that none fancied a lie down on the sofa.
I'd been stupid. So stupid. Stupid enough that my own mother would disown me. What had I been thinking? Ruby was right. I was an idiot boy playing at being a detective. It was fitting that I'd ended up in such a ludicrous hiding space with the freaking mafia playing the seekers. I could see their shadows on the carpet as they filed past. So many of them. I wouldn't stand a chance.
The wall and the door pressed in on me. I'd never been claustrophobic. Right here it hardly mattered. I didn't dare to breathe, but the burning in my chest didn't give me another option. I gasped.
A shadow on the floor stopped. With mounting horror, I watched the ghost of a person turn. They weren't large, and judging by their clothes they weren't male. She took a step into the room. She had to be able to hear my pounding heart. It roared in my ears. Less than an inch of wood separated us. I could smell her perfume. It made me want to throw up.
She took another step into the room, her head swivelling. The edge of her white jacket peeked around the door. It was over. At any moment she would turn, see me, and they would kill me, or at least make me wish I was dead.
"Neo." The voice came from the corridor. The woman turned the opposite way from me. "Are you coming? Or do you just want to watch TV?" She shook her head, swinging something long and thin through the air as she left the room.
With the conversation gradually diminishing, I made a promise, to myself, to God, to anyone who would listen. Never again. Never would I be so stupid. Never would I do anything so reckless. From now on, I would live on the straight and narrow.
I left my hiding space with my legs trembling beneath me. They were barely able to support my weight. I had to grip the frame of the door just to remain upright. I poked my head out. The corridor was deserted again apart from the fragrance of the woman who had nearly found me out.
Junior and the rest had gone back to their meeting room. It would only be a matter of time before they discovered what was missing. I needed to be out of here before all hell broke loose. Never let it be said that fear wasn't useful. In that moment it gave me the strength I needed.
The door to the room they'd come out of was open. I'd expected another meeting room or maybe a selection of refreshments. I was wrong. It was almost filled by a diorama of Manhattan. I recognised the unique skyline instantly. The buildings weren't necessarily detailed, but they were all there. Just why the model was in Junior's club I had no idea. With the building schematics I'd seen, I could only imagine they were planning some kind of robbery. It must have been huge.
As much as I would have liked to poke around, my promise rang loud in my ears. I'd pushed my luck, and then thrown it out the window. Somehow it hadn't rebounded straight into my face. I knew when to quit.
I don't think I'd ever been more thrilled to smell the scents that emanated from a toilet that needed cleaning. I was in clear. I'd done it. Somehow. Back in the crowd, surrounded by the music and the throng, I was safe. Not that it meant I wanted to stay in the club. I rushed back to where I'd left Ruby. She stood when she saw me, her brows narrowed.
"Jaune, where have you been?" She paused as she got a good look at me in the flashing lights. Almost instantly her irritation morphed into concern. "Are you ok? You look ill."
I nodded. That was a better excuse than I would have been able to come up with in this state. "Yeah…. I don't feel good."
"Oh…" She took my arm, guiding me towards a seat. "Sit down. I'll get you some water."
"No. I need some fresh air."
Ruby took my request in her stride. "Ok, let's go outside then. Are you ok to walk on your own?" It didn't matter that I nodded. She was worried about me, and wouldn't have removed her arm even if I'd requested it.
The fresh air was good, but not for the reasons that Ruby thought. It smelt like freedom. Despite everything, a grin found its way onto my face. I'd done it against all the odds. Now I just had to finish it, find out what was on the USB burning a hole in my pocket.
Ruby came to a stop in front of me, looking up into my eyes. "What's up?" No doubt my smile had only confused her more.
"I just need a lie down. Come on, let's go home." I started walking, and after a pace she fell in beside me. Night was in full swing, not that it meant much for the city that never sleeps. For many the fun was only just beginning. The queue for the club was almost around the corner. Never let it be said that New Yorkers didn't know how to party. Or how to get drunk. I could almost feel Ruby's urge to write up some of the people vomiting in the streets, but maybe a little black dress wasn't the best uniform for arresting someone. She let it slide.
A car screeched behind us, the driver swore. I jerked my head around. I froze, entirely unable to move. Two figures were somehow sprinting towards us despite their towering heels. One wore red, the other white. The eyes of the Malachite twins were locked on me like the barrels of four guns. They knew. They knew.
Ruby's grip on my arm tightened as she saw them too. "What?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't. I was barely able to string two thoughts together. They knew, and that meant Junior did too. As did Torchwick and the mafia. I was screwed.
The pair of them slowed down when they saw that we had stopped. In an instant they managed to turn a sprint into a sensuous approach, both drawing eyes to their swaying hips. They didn't do it consciously; it was just learned behaviour which helped them get what they want. And right now they wanted blood. More specifically my blood. Their eyes lacked any trace of compassion or mercy.
"Give it back and we won't hurt you." I gulped. Melanie's tone seemed to imply an unsaid 'much'.
"Jaune? What's going on?" Ruby looked between the three of us. I shrugged, giving her the slightest shake of my head. Lying to her made me feel as shitty as before, but this was the last situation where I wanted to come clean.
"I don't have a clue what they're talking about."
Neither of the twins believed me, neither had any reason to, and neither would be going back empty-handed. Most customers thought the Malachites were merely hostesses to get guys in the club. I mean who wouldn't want to look at two extremely attractive identical twins who dressed like they did? Idiots probably, but only idiots tried to make unsolicited passes at them. All those guys in suits standing around the doors, they were just for show. When ass needed kicking, the Malachites were the ones wearing the eight-inch heeled boots.
Militia's features curled into a scowl. She didn't look pretty then. Not at all. "We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way. Your choice. I'm hoping you pick hard."
Hard… most likely involving blood, broken bones, and pain. Lots and lots of pain. It wasn't difficult to imagine that they were sadists. I didn't even want to know what they got up to in the bedroom. Hard wasn't a good choice, not if you were sane, but neither was easy. There wouldn't be an easy, not really. I was fucked either way.
"Give it here, or we'll make you." Melanie took a step forward, into what most Americans would consider my personal space. Ruby might not have understood what was happening, but that was the trigger for her protective instincts to kick in.
"No one's making anyone do anything."
"Oh yeah?" Melanie smirked. In her little black dress, Ruby didn't look like much really. But Melanie should look in a mirror sometime. She didn't look like much either.
"Yeah." Ruby drew herself up to her full height. Especially with the twins heels she was the shortest of the four of us, but she managed not to look it. "Seeing as I'm a cop and all."
The twins exchanged a glance. Apparently Junior had forgotten to mention that. "Well good," Militia said after a few moments of indecision. "Just what we needed. We were going to call you anyway." I would have laughed if I didn't think I would throw up. That was too funny. People like Junior sorted out their own problems. "Jaune stole some of our property. We want it back."
It all clicked into place in Ruby's head. She gave me such a look of betrayal it almost broke me. Such a look of betrayal and hurt. She knew that I'd lied to her. That I'd done whatever it was Militia was suggesting. I never wanted to see that look in her eyes. The pain. It was even worse because I was the one who had caused it.
She didn't even give me the chance to explain. Who could blame her? I didn't deserve it. Even so, even after my betrayal, she still had my back. That was the kind of person she was. She knew as well as I did that I wouldn't receive any form of justice at the Malachites' hands.
"I told you. No one's making anyone do anything. If you want, I'm happy to take a statement from the pair of you down the station. Then we can examine the crime scene." It was a non-option. Everyone knew that. Ruby had pegged what sort of place the club was three steps in the door.
The twins exchanged another look. The presence of a cop was no doubt throwing their carefully constructed plan into ruin. That plan most likely being to beat the shit out of me and drag me back to club by my balls.
"Don't you have an obligation to arrest him?" Melanie said. "We've reported a crime. We've accused him. If you search him you can return our property and you won't have to fill in any forms. We'll even drop the charges." Such a kind reasonable offer. It was such a pity that it counted for nothing.
"To search him I need probable cause, and I just don't believe you." Now Ruby was lying as well. She believed them. Completely. "And as this is a free country. We're leaving. Come on Jaune."
We made it about one step before we were blocked off. Melanie glared at the pair of us, but Ruby more specifically. "It's not a free country. There's an order to things, and you're currently standing in the way of that order. This is your last chance. We have a problem with Jaune, not you. So start walking and don't look back."
So, so many would have taken that offer. It didn't matter how good a friend you thought they were, friendships had limits. Limits that were trumped by self-preservation. No one wanted to get involved in a fight they had nothing to do with. It just carried too much risk. But there were a few special people who wouldn't abandon the people they cared about. No matter the situation or the numerous reasons they had to do so. Ruby was one of those people. Her decision was apparent on her face.
Melanie sighed. "Fine. Remember you asked for this." She turned to her sister. "I'll take him, you handle his girlfriend."
Militia pouted. "Aww… you never let me have any fun."
Fun… that was what they considered this. My raised fists caused Melanie to smirk. No doubt they looked comical to her. I tried to remember what Yang had told me, what Ruby had tried to drill into me at the dojo. I couldn't. All their words of wisdom were simply vapours in my mind.
Melanie advanced, her boots clicking on the ground, one steady step after another. The glint in her eye wasn't sexual or devious as it had always been before. It was sadistic, pure and simple. She was going to enjoy this. I couldn't hit a girl, it wasn't chivalrous, but fuck it. I threw my best right straight at her face.
My fist didn't land. It didn't even come remotely close to landing. I wasn't even sure what had happened. One moment it was on its way, the next I was bent over, my arm straight behind me, someone twisting my wrist in a way it simply wasn't able to go. I couldn't move. Not with the leverage I had and not with the pain. It was as if fire surged through my nerves. A kick to the back of my knee and my chin smashed into the ground. I tasted blood.
The point of a stiletto ground into the nerves of my shoulder as the joint of my arm was locked solid. I couldn't even thrash in agony. From my unique vantage point in the filth, I saw two other shapes circling each other like cats with their hackles raised.
Ruby's martial experience was plain in the way she had set herself, and Militia had noticed. Ruby wasn't some airheaded five-six girl. Instead she was a black belt, and as I knew from previous experience, Sambo was nasty. Ruby didn't practice the one used in tournaments, the nice one, the family friendly version, she'd studied the one developed by the Russian military. Militia didn't know what had hit her.
Though she worked it out pretty quickly. Her fighting style was based on some form of boxing, and she had about as much luck with her first punch as I had against her sister. Ruby caught her wrist and from that moment it was over. Sambo specialised in grappling. Militia ended up on the ground in much the same position I was in. Melanie and Ruby stared daggers at each other.
"Let her go." Melanie punctuated her point by pressing down with her heel. It fucking hurt. I cried out.
"You first." Ruby didn't quite retaliate in kind, but she didn't let up the pressure either.
"Together?"
"Ruby don't." I cried out again as Melanie showed her displeasure at my outburst. The ligaments in my shoulder screamed. It was about a millimetre from popping from its socket. Melanie knew as much as I did that the odds of a continued confrontation would be in their favour. I was worse than useless here. I was a liability.
"Jaune, shut up," Ruby snapped at me. "Ok, together."
She let go of Militia's arm, and after a moment Melanie let go of mine. It didn't seem to want to work properly. I had to push myself into a sitting position with my left. Militia was already up. She joined her sister facing down Ruby.
"We don't have to do this," Ruby said, looking between them. "We can just all go home."
"No we can't bitch." Militia rushed in. You would have thought she'd have learned her lesson. Ruby introduced her to the other side of Sambo. The military side. She ducked under a punch and curled a hook right into Militia's liver. She folded straight into Ruby's rising knee. Outnumbered, Ruby really wasn't messing around.
A roundhouse sailed at her head. Ruby caught it on her forearm, hissing out in pain, as she backed away from the follow up. Melanie advanced, spinning, kicking out, probing for a gap. Ruby could only duck and weave away from the larger hits, while taking the weaker ones on her side.
Melanie was good, much better than Militia. Her fighting style was more showy, but also more effective. The power in her kicks stopped Ruby from overextending herself. I got to my feet. I had to help. Somehow. Maybe I could tackle Melanie or something which didn't require finesse.
Ruby glanced at me, and so did Melanie for the briefest heartbeat. Ruby took full advantage. She lunged forward, her fingers extended and stiff. They drove into Melanie's solar plexus. As she spasmed, Ruby finally got a hold of her arm. Melanie joined her sister on the floor trying to gasp in air against the pain.
Ruby stood over them for a moment. Victorious and triumphant. I'd seen the twins in action. They were scary. They could take down a rowdy group of drunken football players with ease. They'd barely managed to touch Ruby. She wasn't even out of breath even if the strap of her dress was torn. She had to hold it up over her breast.
"Come on," she said.
"What about them?" Militia was on all fours, spitting blood onto the road. Melanie lay on her back, with a hand pressed against her chest.
"Really?" Ruby started dragging me away. "They'll be fine. Now shut up." The strength of her grip told me just how furious she was. I'd made her do this. Get into a brawl on the street. A cop. If the twins reported the fight it could cost Ruby her job. It was lucky they wouldn't. Instead they'd come after me again. Hopefully they didn't know where I lived.
Ruby pulled me along for several blocks before pushing me hard against a wall. She turned her back, exposing the arc of pale flesh left free. The curve of her spine shook, though with adrenaline or rage I couldn't tell.
"Ruby." I reached out to her. She flinched from my touch.
"You lied to me." The four words contained such a depth of accusation, of pain. I didn't know whether I would ever be able to repair the damage. And that terrified me.
"Please, let's just talk."
"Talk?" Ruby spun back to me. "Jaune, I don't even want to look at you right now. Go home."
She held out an arm, and in true New York fashion, a passing cab came to a stop. With the weight of her loathing pressing my back up against the hard wall, I was forced to watch her disappear into the night.
"Fuck!" I slammed my fist onto my kitchen table. My whole apartment shook and the flare of pain in my hand wasn't enough. Surprise, surprise, I hadn't been able to sleep. I hadn't even tried. I could only keep on picturing the betrayal on Ruby's face. I'd fucked up big time.
And all for nothing. No matter what I did I couldn't see what was on the stolen memory stick. It was encrypted with a password, and none of my guesses had worked. Penny probably would have been able to unlock it in about three seconds, but she still wasn't answering my messages. It took all of my self-restraint not to throw my laptop at the wall.
I poured myself another shot. I took pride in that. At least I hadn't started drinking from the bottle like a complete denigrate. I still had a shred of dignity. Not that I deserved it. I'd pushed, and pushed, and pushed Ruby until even a person as good as her had snapped. I hated myself for it. She'd never forgive me.
My phone buzzed against the laminated wood. Ruby's name flashed up. I swallowed. I had no idea why she was calling me this late and after everything, but it was an opportunity I couldn't refuse. I picked it up and spoke before she could say anything.
"Ruby, I'm sorry." I had to get that out into the open. I was. Completely. Utterly. I'd do anything to make it right.
On the other end of the phone, a man laughed. My heart froze in my mouth. "I'm sure you are. But Red's a little bit tied up at the moment, and if you ever want to see her again, you're going to do exactly what I tell you to."
