I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed writing this, even if the process was a little slow... loving all the reviews you've been throwing my way! So I'll ramble less and let us get on with this chapter...
"HOW could you have let him escape?" Killbane roared at the phone, up on his feet and pacing the old drawing room turned office. The speaker on the set crackled with a response.
"He is slippery," Aiko's cold voice answered, "And he had backup, rather unexpectedly."
"Aiko, we can't afford screw-ups!" he snapped at the phone, whirling on it suddenly and slamming his hands down on the mahogany desk, "I've got Matt trying to track him again, you catch him and bring him to me."
There was a resentful silence over the line before she finally answered, "…Yes, Killbane-sama."
Eddie hit the end-call hard enough that he felt the small plastic button crack under his index finger. His pressed his palms hard either side of the phone, breathing heavily as he tried to get his rage under control.
"The most efficient killer in Japan?" he seethed to himself darkly, feeling his hands begin to shake with fury, "Incompetent little shit!"
With that his hands swept over the desk, the pens, papers, phone flying across the room and onto the floor. With a roar he was about to flip the table right over before a sharp trilling from the computer on it caught his attention.
The speakers either side of the monitor let out a soft tweet to indicate a video call, and Eddie froze, slowing his breathing and wrestling his face to be impassive before he answered. In an instant, Cyrus' weathered face filled the screen.
"Status report," he said in his sharp, guttural way. Eddie sat himself down in the plush leather seat behind the desk and managed to keep his expression deadpan, though still too agitated to manage cool and calm.
"He's coming along well, though by the looks of it has lost a few IQ points," he lied smoothly, thumb to his chin as he reclined back in his chair. On the screen, Cyrus frowned, though since his expression was almost always one of military stoicism, only deepening the crows' feet over his darkly tanned features indicated it.
"How long till he can be sent back to America?"
Eddie shook his head and decided to pass the buck, "Nannette isn't sure. She's working with him day and night to synthesize a new memory for him…"
Cyrus cut him off almost immediately, "I had been hoping Gat would be up and running by now."
"The conditioning is taking longer than we'd thought," Eddie pressed, "You don't want to run the risk of him turning on us, do you?"
"No, but we need to make a move on the Saints soon. They've put themselves in a vulnerable position, severing their ties with Ultor-"
Eddie's curiosity was piqued by that and he leaned forward, "They have, hm?"
"In quite a spectacular fashion too; the Boss blew up every Planet Saints in the city to make her point," Cyrus paused at this, his eyes glancing away thoughtfully for a moment, "I tried convincing Monica Hughes they posed a terrorist threat but seeing as it was their own property…"
"I see," Eddie said, lacing his fingers under his chin, "I'll try and get some of the old crew to give the Saints some trouble, keep them busy, use up their resources. You'll get Gat soon enough."
Cyrus only nodded before terminating the call, and Eddie found himself glaring at his own reflection in the black screen. He growled, rubbing thumb and forefinger over his brow. He needed something to distract Cyrus with long enough to get Gat back, or at least confirm his death, if it came to that. He stood, stepping out of the study and into the hallway.
"Nanette!" he roared down the hall, stalking towards the central staircase, "Nannette!"
Nannette's small figure appeared in the foyer below him, and she gazed up at the man resentfully, one eye still blackened.
"Yes, Monsieur Pryor?" she said darkly. Eddie started sauntering slowly down the stairs to her.
"When you told us about Gat, you mentioned you had hopes of bringing him under your control?" he started and Nannette paused, before nodding.
"Oui. Max had been on the verge of that breakthrough when he was formulating the 'zombie' gas," she said before stitching on, "Subject Two is not a zombie though."
Eddie nodded, then gave her a long look, "What about Subject One?"
Nannette froze when Eddie mentioned him and it didn't go unnoticed. The man smirked at her, "What's wrong? When Cyrus and I first arrived you were eager to show him off to us."
Nanette ached to shoot back at him, only instead, she cautiously asked, "What is it you are wanting with him?"
Eddie brushed past her, starting for the halls that would lead to the dungeon-come-laboratory below.
"I want to know if he can be used. I want to know what you've found out about him, and what you've been doing to Subject One for the year or so that you'd had him here," he growled as Nannette hurried after him, down the winding stairs, into the cool maze of cells beneath them. He halted and she nearly ran into him as he turned around, "Once I know that, I'll now what to do with him. It's in your best interest to co operate," he added lowly, cracking his knuckles and Nanette visibly shied, slowly walking around him.
"…This way then," she said, her flat soled shoes clacking softly on the stone floor as she lead Eddie to the cell where Subject One was kept.
"…What is he anyway?" Eddie asked as they approached, "Where was he found?"
"Believe me or not, Stilwater," she said with a light shake of her head, "As to what he is, that is open to speculation."
She rounded a corner into the cell, another large pod dominating the space with another male figure kept suspended inside. Once Eddie settled himself behind her gazing at the pod, she started speaking again.
"The FBI doesn't chase up as many supernatural reports as they should. Though with so many UFO and Bigfoot hoaxes it's not surprising. Still, rumours about the cannibal serial killer float around Stilwater, the rumours are chased up, and a very interesting specimen is unearthed," Nannette paused, a gentle expression melting over her aged face as she stepped up to the pod, gently placing a hand on the glass that separated her from Subject One.
"Amazing, isn't he?" she breathed, looking at the young Hispanic's half mutilated face, "Once a lieutenant of the Saints, I'm assuming a coincidence. But he has been truly invaluable to our research, the discoveries… the endless possibilities…"
"A Saints Lieutenant?" Killbane said, surprised as he wracked his memory, "I think I remember that. Killed by the Brotherhood, wasn't he?"
"Tortured first, poordarling," she said sadly, "Dragged behind a truck."
She let her hand fall from the glass and turned to look back at Eddie coldly.
"When he was found and identified we realised that decomposition had entirely stopped; despite having been dead for over a year, examining him anyone would have thought him to have been dead for no more than a day at most," her eyes were downcast then, "I do not know why he won't respond or move as the cadavers animated by the gas do."
"Do you think he would if he was exposed to it?" Eddie pressed quickly and Nannette blinked, a little flustered.
"I had considered it but since the gas was synthesised from hi-"
"Do you think you could bring this one under our control? Finish Max's work and make these zombies obey us?" he pressed, advancing on her and she instinctively shied away.
"I- I had hoped to, yes, but I had also hoped to regenerate him further!" she said, then began gushing, "You see I have discovered when exposed to specimens of living tissue, particularly from females with an O negative blood type his tissue actually begins to re-"
"I don't need him whole. I need to know whether or not we can rise from Hades and overwhelm the Saints with a tide of undead flesh, and if we can't, if we could at least use him against them," Eddie thundered, turning Nannette sharply to look back at the motionless body in the tank.
"Nannette," he said with a low rumbling tone that was suddenly gentle, hands still on her shoulders, "He's the king of a new species, and you've cared for him for so long. Don't you think it's time for him to rise again? He could be the key to a glorious victory against the Saints."
Nannette looked longingly at the face of the young man in the pod; he only had one eye and there was still a bullet hole through his forehead, which had only been made a little smaller by her experimenting. She had wanted, for so long to see him look back at her, perhaps even speak with her… she'd managed to free her other 'son'. Why not her dearest Subject One too? Eddie's grip on her shoulders tightened to the point of causing a little pain.
"You will do this Nannette. And you will make it happen soon."
Nannette was quiet, wincing a little at the grip on her shoulders.
"…Yes, Monsieur Pryor," she replied.
I crashed out of my bedroom, Trouble trotting after me.
"Fuck fuck shit fuck!" I hissed, hopping as I tugged my shoe on and stumbling down the stairs a little, Trouble growling after me. The problem with my sleep patterns – waking up at midday when you're supposed to be picking up your lieutenant.
"Yeah, yeah, I know just gimme a sec," I grumbled back to him as he followed me to the kitchen. I rounded the corner a little fast, suddenly slamming into something and stumbling back, nearly tripping over Trouble. The thing I had run into turned out to be Angel's torso. He's intense gaze was fixed on me and for a moment I felt a small wave of unease.
"Shit Angel watch where you're going," I said quickly, striding around him to the kitchen. Trouble chuffed eagerly at me and I waved him down as I got to the pantry, quickly dragging out a hefty bag of meow-mix and ripping it open.
"… You ran into me," I heard Angel correct me and I only growled, not trusting myself to look at him. The events from two nights ago were still fresh in my mind. I spilled the contents of the bag into Trouble's bowl a keg that had been sawn in half and the tiger knocked me out of the way to attack his breakfast. I glanced over my shoulder; Angel was still standing there, arms crossed over his tight muscle shirt. No hoodie this time. I found myself wishing he'd covered up a little more...
"Gotta make it quick, I was supposed to pick up Shaundi ten minutes ago," I said, brushing past him back to the living room. He followed me, still and calm in my current flurry.
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable the other day-" he started and I groaned inwardly. Why do people always feel the need to talk about this shit?
"Have you seen my keys?" I said, hunting around the bar with a frown.
"So if what I did was out of line-"
"I put them down right here I swear-"
"Butcher-" he said a little sternly to get my attention. It worked.
"God don't call me that," I snapped darkly, my nose crinkling. His mouth was still but his eyes were laughing at me.
"You said the announcers could call you whatever they wanted because names aren't important."
I snorted, snapping back into action as I hunted out my keys, "That's only cos they didn't like my suggestions."
"Well, Lamashtu is a little obscure," he said and I felt myself slowing down a little.
"… Should've gone with Saint of Saints," I murmured, clicking my fingers agitatedly. At that point I spied my keys on the coffee table and hopped over the back of the couch, slamming my palm on them. Behind me Angel finally cracked.
"Will you stop for a moment?" he shot and I whirled on him.
"Angel!" I snapped at him sharply, coming to a stop, "I don't… want to talk about it," I finished statically, fixing him with a stern gaze for a beat before I climbed back over the couch, strode past him, up the stairs to the elevator. I hit the button and the doors slid open with a soft ding. Before I left, Angel spoke up again across the divide of the cavernous room, causing me to pause and glance over my shoulder.
"Everyone understands what you're going through," he said, his tone low and even and his gaze intense and direct. I felt trapped by that gaze, not helped when he continued in that low tone.
"If you need me, I'm here."
"Yeah, I'm here, with my dick!" Shaundi spat furiously, "God, what a creep."
I smiled and shook my head slightly as I shifted gears, charging west through the city once I pulled out of the driveway. Shaundi often crashed at her ex's apartment (which she had now claimed for herself) and I couldn't blame her. Cramped though it was, it was a haven when you wanted some alone time. From the moment I greeted her I brought her up to speed with everything Angel had done since the night with Juan; she was one of those girlfriends who loved this sort of gossipy talk and I knew she would have a lot more wisdom on the subject than me. I hadn't been expecting her sudden anger though.
"Maybe he was just being a concerned friend," I offered, feeling a slight hit on my ego. I mean it wasn't so crazy that maybe he actually liked me.
"Sounds like his only concern is getting his cock wet," Shaundi huffed and I cringed.
"I don't need that imagery."
"Good!" she said sharply, glaring out the window as we crossed the bridge. She'd only paused for the briefest moment, before picking up her rant again, "He should never have hit on you in the first place, that's so fucking disrespectful. How are you not angry about this?" she suddenly accused and I raised my eyebrows at her, slowing the car as I took the turn around the arena.
"Sweetie, you're pissed enough for the both of us," I said, "I mean yeah it's… awkward now but I got more things to be angry about than finding out a guy likes me."
"Likes you?" she pressed, "Hon he's got a fucked up way of showing it."
I frowned, admittedly confused by that, "In a purely biological sense I thought that was the normal way for people to go about that stuff?"
I hadn't meant for it to sound like a question; it just came out that way. Shaundi slowly turned a suspicious, angry gaze my way.
"You're not thinking of-?"
"No! God no!" I said quickly; I wasn't about to be unfaithful, "But you know me, I never pick up on these kinds of things till they're smacking me on the mouth. I assumed you would've already known something was up with him-?"
Shaundi seemed placated by my answer and shook her head lightly, her ponytail flicking about her shoulders.
"Nuh-uh. Never thought he was into you that way. God what a fucking asshole!" she repeated and I admittedly had to chuckle at her anger. Her arms were folded tightly over her chest and her eyes flickered as she thought, gradually calming down. For one sore moment I thought I heard her mutter something about Johnny... She turned to me eventually.
"… So what are you gonna do?"
"Go to Shaundi for advice," I said flatly, sparing her a short glance, "That's where the plan of action ended."
"Tell him you're not interested and if he touches you again you'll rip his balls off and feed them to him."
Hmn. "Okay," I consented with a shrug. A little melodramatic but I got the jist. We slipped past the worn suburban homes as we closed in on Kinzie's warehouse, and Shaundi was again glaring out to the sea thoughtfully. I hadn't expected her to continue, but sure enough, she did.
"I just think it's off that he's starting up now…" she said, her tone quieter, no longer furious, "And at that exact moment when you're half naked and injured and y'know, mourning. It's a dick move suddenly going after someone when they're that…"
"Vulnerable?" I offered solemnly, frowning at the way she was putting the situation to me. I took the turn off the road when we hit the docks, slowing as I wove the car down along the warehouse.
"Exactly," she agreed, "I'm uh, I'm not accusing him of anything but it's gotta be one of the oldest tricks in the book. It's a cheap move. Take it from me; I've fallen for it before. And used it on a few guys in turn but that's a whole other thing…"
I didn't reply when I pulled up out the front of the roller door, aiming the clicker at it and waiting as it slowly screeched open. I felt Shaundi nudge me ever so lightly.
"…Y'know… I think you need to watch yourself around him," she finally decided and I shot her a sharp glare.
"Excuse me? You don't really think I'd go there?" I revved the engine a little too hard as I shot the car into the parking space, slamming the breaks sharply and Shaundi jolted in her seat. The roller door began to glide closed behind us and I killed the engine.
"…I got over my daddy issues a long time ago anyway," I added and her mouth curled shortly into a laugh.
"I know, but… I sense intrigue," she said carefully. I gave a short laugh.
"You're right, the man is a cad!"
"Listen, Angel used to run the Luchadors alongside Killbane," she said gently, shifting in her seat to face me properly, "Now he's just a lieutenant."
"He understands why-"
"And Johnny was your second in command – your boyfriend."
I stopped at that; not just because Shaundi had used the word boyfriend (I don't know why, but that just never seemed to fit Johnny and me. Partner I think fitted better… he had been much more than a boyfriend). My first thought was to warn Shaundi to reconsider what she was thinking. But then, Shaundi always read between the lines and saw the things in people and relationships I seemed to be permanently blind to. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
"…You think he was trying to use me?"
"All I'm saying is to watch yourself," Shaundi said quickly and calmly, maybe hearing something in my tone that worried her, "Besides… from what I've seen he prefers blondes."
Again, another little hit on my ego I was embarrassed to admit to. I yanked the keys from the ignition and stepped out of the low car. Kinzie's haven was really just an old warehouse at the docks, but I could see the appeal; it was roomy, ran on private generators and was well out of the way of people and noise.
Shaundi followed my lead as I climbed the short steps from the garage up into her main living area.
"Kinzie?" I called out into the hideout – her usual post in her nest of computer monitors was empty, and we began hunting through the hideout after her.
"Yeah?" She eventually called back out, and I followed her voice to the 'kitchen', or what had probably been the cafeteria or lunch room back when this warehouse was used for its intended purposes. Kinzie was leaning against the counter, tearing a hot pocket to bits and popping the small pieces into her mouth.
"Huh," I grunted, still a little surprised to see her for once without a computer screen in front of her face, "Just dropped by to see how you were coming with the Deckers."
"Oh, they're no problem," she said, waving her hand and lifting herself off the counter, walking past me and back towards her study, "I got pretty much all their operations mapped out."
"What, already?" Shaundi asked as we followed her.
"Uh huh. Here," she took another bite from her hot pocket and brought up a map on the main screen, as well as a few text windows on the others. For the most part I ignored them and just waited for her to explain everything to me.
"They're starting up with a few drug rackets and getting into business with a few small time pimps," she said, "I've got all the locations down."
I heard my own knuckles crack as I clenched my fists; drugs and hos, it was an old combination. Get the girls hooked so they don't run off, push the product on the lonely bastards they're turning tricks for.
"Deckers running drugs and whores," Shaundi sigh bitterly with a shake of her head, "that's…"
"It is," I agreed to what she never decided to say. It was weird. "Kinz, how quickly did you find this out?"
She looked over her shoulder to me, eyes wide behind her glasses, "Two shakes of a lamb's tail, why?"
"They weren't trying to hide their operations?" Shaundi said quickly, stepping up to glare at the computer screens. Kinzie gave a small snort and a smirk.
"Oh, they tried," she assured us, "It had Matt's stink all over it-"
"And you're sure it's Matt?" I pressed. She gave me a flat look and I felt myself frown a little, so I continued, "…It just doesn't seem like him, does it? If he wanted that buried, he would have buried it."
Kinzie froze at that, and I could see her eyes flicker as her mind raced. Shaundi did her thinking aloud;
"The Deckers have never gotten into whore running or the drug market; they were always computers, cars and munitions. After Matt piked, the few that were left just fell into hacking for a living, they disappeared from the streets," she said.
I chewed my thumbnail absently as I started to ramble my own thoughts, "Now the muscle is back out there. And even now the way they're going about it doesn't seem right… these static, singular operations…"
"He's throwing sand in our eyes," Kinzie said suddenly, her own eyes widening eerily behind her glasses. Before I knew it her hands were sweeping over the controls of her consol, "That little…"
I nodded; Matt was up to something and these street-side operations were just to distract us, "Kinz, I know I'm stretching you thin already but-"
"I'm already on it Boss. I'll find him out," she said, her nose crinkling furiously and eyes blazing. Nothing like going up against your arch nemesis to bring out the fire in you.
"How long?"
"Can't say," she said sharply, "You might wanna stick around though. Hot pockets in the kitchen."
Shaundi and I exchanged glances, before turning on our heels, leaving the Hacker to her work.
Two hours and too many hotpockets later, I slouched on the plastic chair in the kitchen with a sigh.
"Shaundiii, I have a food baby…" I grumbled, a hand over my stomach. I heard her chuckle.
"Don't complain about shit you brought on yourself," she warned and I sighed.
"They're addictive."
"Which is why I'm smart enough to stay away from them," she retorted, elegantly taking a swig of Saints Flow she'd liberated from the fridge. A short silence fell and she glowered at the room.
"You know, I know she's one of those bare necessities kind of people, but come on," she said and not for the first time. I rubbed my belly and decided not to answer – at that point Kinzie called out to us from her study.
"I've found it!"
I was on my feet then, hurrying from the kitchen and rounding the corner into her nest of computers. Kinzie was typing and clicking away, her attention going from monitor to monitor.
"I don't know why but he's been putting a lot of power into throwing a net over… Europe," she said, her voice rushed. One of the screens had a map with small blinking dots over it, the rest had mostly a bunch of shit I couldn't understand. Kinzie zeroed in on the map and continued.
"Belgium, to be exact. Looking for hits on public computers, search words… anything concerning the Saints… trying access – Shit!"
I stepped back from the screens as they all suddenly flickered, blinking to black. After a silent moment, a horrendous sound suddenly exploded out of the speakers and before I knew it we were watching some sort of CGI horse in a rainbow afro wig belting circus music and dancing on its hind legs.
"What the fuck?" I grumbled as Kinzie began desperately typing. The centre screen flickered again and went to black, white typing flashing up on the screen.
We know what Curiosity did to the Cat, Agent Kensington.
Kinzie was shaking with fury, her hands flying to the consol.
That's a cheap trick little boy, I
"Hey!" Kinzie yelped as I pushed her out of the way and snatched the keyboard from her.
"Enough Kinz," I said, and started typing. I was slower than she was so that probably made the threat less effective, but that wasn't what was important.
Real fuckin' funny Matt! I'd like to see you try and run a gang from behind a consol.
I spoke as I typed, "Kinz, when these computers are up and running I need a rough location on him. Rough only." I kept typing, I'm going street side and every one of your little Decker assholes is getting their spine fed to them. They won't get let off like you did sweetie. This city belongs to me.
I stepped back from the consol and Kinzie nodded, watching the screen for Matt's response.
"If I pinpoint him he'll run," she said over the obnoxious screaming CGI abomination.
"Which is why I want rough only till I get close enough to catch him," I said swiftly, glaring at the screen.
"Right," she said, ducking under her desk and pulling out a laptop in a silver briefcase; a little computer she'd customised for herself, "I'll try and tap in, do a loose trace on the signal."
It was a moment before the text appeared again.
The Saint of Saints herself?
I leant back in to the consol and started typing again. I wasn't the most educated person in the world (hah) but in a weird way, that worked for me. People like Matt, I guess even Kinzie assumed I had the intelligence of a sack of hammers. But having my enemies underestimate me is not a bad thing.
Thats right you little British piece of shit. I let you get away, so stay the fuck out of my city. Any of your crew you dont want dead, get them out now.
I paused, and finally got a response.
*That's, *don't
I barely had time to swear before the screen flashed back to the dancing horse-thing.
"Afro-circus afro-circus afro polkadot polkadot polkadot afro!"
"Will you turn that shit off?!" I shouted and Shaundi's face scrunched into a snarl – she whipped her GDHC from her hip and fired it a few times into the speakers. Kinzie yelped at the noise then turned to glare at Shaundi, her face thunderous. The creepy clown-horse was still dancing on the screens but at least it had shut up now.
"Shaundi, see what crews you can get onto wiping out the Deckers. Don't be afraid to use a little flair," I said darkly and Shaundi smirked.
"Am I ever?" she asked and tossed her hair a little. I shook my head lightly.
"Hey Boss?" Kinzie piped up from where she sat, almost under her desk. I glanced down at her and she smiled impishly up at me from behind her glasses.
"You're not going to tell me you got a fix on him?" I asked dryly and she smirked.
"Rough only, I know, I know… the signal dropped out too soon anyway but…" she turned her computer to me, tapping a few more keys and a distant map of a city appeared. She lifted her chin proudly, "London's calling."
