IN THE CROSSHAIRS

Chapter 21

Talia slipped along the hallway that led to Kavitha's room. Her white, loose-fitting cotton capris and pale blue cotton blouse offered little protection from the persistent air conditioning. She found the AC a bit too cool today; it was Bane who preferred it this way, but the cold fingers of the pit prison did not cling to her still like it did with Bane. She reveled in sun and heat and looked forward to heading outside soon.

The thought of Bane made her smile wistfully. How she missed him, and those feelings were always amplified by how much the children missed him. In his earlier years, Henri used to become unruly and act out as soon as his father left. Bane had put a stop to such behavior, always able to control his son better than Talia could. Yet every now and then Henri would sulk still when his father had to leave, but it did not last for more than a day or two, especially when Talia reminded him of his father's mandate. Talia could not blame her son, for she understood missing Bane's loving, protective, attentive presence. Melisande, on the other hand, of course did not have the maturity to understand why her beloved father was not there to shower her with affection. Talia knew that was why the baby fussed more when Bane was absent.

There was no guard outside Kavitha's room like there still was for Ahil. Talia sighed. How long would it take for that boy to accept his new life? It would be a shame if he had to be eliminated. Such a thing could destroy what progress had been made with Vita and Kavitha, as well as damage the fledgling relationship between Vita and Maysam. Though Talia had not warmed yet to Vita, for James's sake and for Sanjana's memory she hoped the woman would come to be content here.

How long until Bane's return? Not only did her body crave his lovemaking, his touch, but she also missed his authority. She had always been a confident, self-contained woman, but with Bane all need for her independence melted away, and she was happy to feel vulnerable and protected, like that little girl back in the pit prison. His protection had allowed the growth of her self-confidence in her formative years, but it was his unconditional love that allowed her to let down her walls. No one, not even her grandmother, afforded her such emotional freedom. And when Bane was away, Talia felt the added pressure of being the head of this household. Most days she did not mind, but on some days…

When she reached Kavitha's door, the sound of Indian music drifted to her. She paused and listened. Kavitha was singing, not loud, almost privately, as if afraid to be heard. The girl had a sweet voice, just as her older sister had. There was happiness in the sound. Talia smiled to herself. She knew Kavitha's happiness was a product of her learning, not the absence of grief for Sanjana. These past weeks had seen the girl dedicate her days to her studies. Her English was coming along with astonishing ease. She could already communicate haltingly most things that she wished to convey during her day-to-day dealings with the chateau's people. Zao had nothing but praise for his new pupil.

Talia knocked, and the music stopped. A moment later Kavitha answered the door. She looked a bit surprised, as if expecting someone else, perhaps her mother. The girl spoke a stammering, "Nameste, MemSahib."

"Kavitha, how many times must I tell you to call me Talia?" Talia said in Hindi with mild rebuke in her tone, then she winked. "Save your formalities for my grandmother."

"I will try, Mem…Talia."

"Am I interrupting your studies?"

"No, I—"

"A silly question. Of course you are studying. And I'm glad to see it. I'm also glad you're using the Bluetooth speakers. You have a lovely voice, like your sister."

Kavitha smiled and lowered her eyes self-consciously. "Thank you. We used to sing together when we were doing chores. And thank you for the speakers. I hope my music was not disturbing you. I can put my earbuds in, but sometimes I prefer—"

"You weren't disturbing anyone."

"Is there something I can do for you? Is it my brother? I hope he is not arguing with Hisham again."

"No, this isn't about your brother. I just thought you might like to take a break from your work and take a tour of the vineyard with me. I've been so busy supervising the harvest that I feel I've neglected my guests lately. It's a beautiful day. You should enjoy it instead of locking yourself up with your books all the time. Consider it a lesson in vendange. You can tell your teacher that it's for extra credit." She winked again, drawing a smile from the girl.

"Well…" Kavitha glanced over her shoulder to her small desk. "I suppose I could take a short break."

"Good. Why don't you change into something more suited to being outdoors? Then meet me out front. I'll bring the golf cart around."

For the next two hours, Talia drove them throughout the acres of orderly rows of vines. Now and then they would stop and stroll among the rows as Talia gave her an overview of growing grapes, harvesting them, and making wine. They watched one of the harvesting machines at work, drawing amazement and questions from Kavitha. Talia preferred to have grapes harvested by hand, but hiring seasonal workers was out of the question for the sake of security. None of this, of course, was mentioned to Kavitha.

At one point during one of their ramblings along a freshly-harvested row, Kavitha grew pensive, and Talia awaited the question that she saw building in the girl.

"Have you always done this? Growing grapes, I mean."

"No. Only these last few years."

A long pause. "What did you do before this?" She darted a cautious glance Talia's way. "If you don't mind me asking."

Talia's attention drifted beyond her lands to the mountains, making her think of her childhood home in the Himalayas with her father. Her innate caution against sharing anything personal with an outsider gave her pause. Yet, she reminded herself, Kavitha could never again be an outsider, whether she wanted to be or not. If the girl was to survive, she would have to eventually embrace inclusion in the League of Shadows, hopefully in her choice of profession as a physician; Talia could not imagine her as an operative, for she was too soft-hearted, no matter how tough she tried to portray herself. The only alternative was to be a mere servant at the chateau, and Talia would hate to see the girl's world limited to that. It would break her spirit and stunt her intellect.

"I don't mind you asking," Talia replied. "However, it's not something I can answer right now. At a later time, perhaps."

Kavitha hesitated. "Did you 'serve justice,' as Haris calls it, before this?"

Talia pursed her lips. "Indeed I did."

"Why did you…stop?"

"Does one truly stop seeking justice and what is right? I hope not. No, it became a matter of priorities after our children were born. One day you will have children of your own, and you will better understand. And I have the vineyard to run."

"But, as a woman, you must answer to your…husband, don't you? Isn't he the one in charge of all this?" Her hand swept from horizon to horizon.

Talia chuckled. "Firstly, Kavitha, Haris and I are not married, nor will we ever be."

Kavitha did not appear shocked by this revelation, but her eyes did widen a bit in something close to wonder mixed with curiosity. For a moment Talia thought the girl might ask for a reason, but either propriety or fear stayed her inquiry. And was there a shadow of admiration in her eyes?

"And secondly, Haris and I are a partnership, not a dictatorship. We seek each other's opinion in all matters of importance. However, he has only a financial interest in the vineyard. He's more than happy to leave its administration to me."

Kavitha was silent a moment before murmuring, "Then I will be like you because I don't think I ever want to get married."

"That's understandable, especially considering the close-minded culture in which you've grown up. But your life is different now. You can choose your mate one day."

"My mother might say otherwise." A shadow crossed her eyes. "When I think of what happened to my sister with her first betrothal and how my father and brothers treated her after…" A hint of tears blurred her lower eyelids as she stared into the distance, scuffing her feet.

"But good came out of that tragedy, Kavitha—she met John."

"But that got her killed." She swallowed hard and glanced at Talia. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound—"

"No apology necessary. I understand. But believe me when I say Sanjana was very much in love with John. True, that love was cut short, but if Sanjana were here right now, I'm confident that she would say she would do it all again to be with John."

Kavitha twisted her lips, unsure. Then something caught her attention behind Talia. "Someone's coming."

Talia turned to find Yemi driving toward them on an ATV, his form looking amusingly too large for the machine. His expression was serious, his speed too quick for the uneven ground, causing him to be jostled from side to side. He halted near them.

"What is it, Yemi?" Talia asked.

"I am sorry for intruding, but there is an urgent matter I must discuss with you, privately." His chocolate-colored gaze never drifted to Kavitha, his attention on Talia with a laser focus that bespoke deep concern and stirred hope in Talia.

"You've discovered something?"

"Yes."

Ever since Nyssa had first accused Barsad of sedition, Talia had tasked Yemi with trying to find the root cause of the claims against Barsad. It was something kept between only themselves, even Bane did not know.

"Please excuse me, Kavitha," Talia said. "We will only be a minute."

"I should probably get back to my studies anyway."

"Very well. Why don't you drive the cart back? Yemi can take me back after we're done with our business."

A broad smile of surprise brightened the girl, for normally no one from her family was trusted to be on the grounds without an escort. True, Kavitha moved unhindered in the chateau, but outside was another matter.

"Thank you," she finally said in a rush of excitement.

Talia watched the girl return to the golf cart, which Talia had just taught her to drive. After only brief hesitation, she started the vehicle on its bumpy return journey, grinning to herself at her accomplishment and freedom, and perhaps because of the trust Talia had shown her.

Talia sat on the bench seat beside Yemi. "What have you found? Is Nyssa behind the assassination attempt?" She tried to veil her hope that she would have another reason to shun her sister.

"I have nothing that ties her to it, but I have information that points to one of the men in her personal detail."

"Then she must have something to do with it."

Yemi frowned at her insistence. He was a man who kept his personal opinions to himself unless asked, and this had always included his opinion of Nyssa as the Demon's Head. Talia suspected that Yemi felt more like Bane than Barsad when it came to Nyssa. No surprise, of course, since Yemi's first alliance had always been with Bane.

"Which of her men is it?" Talia asked. "Is it Brennan?"

"It is."

Marcus Brennan had been handpicked by Nyssa, like all the men of her personal detail. He had been with the League a short time before Nyssa's ascendance, and he had never worked closely with Bane or Barsad, a trait shared by everyone in her detail. Of course Nyssa had not wanted anyone with a long history of loyalty to Bane and Barsad. A red flag to Talia but a practice called "understandable" by Bane.

Brennan was slightly younger than Nyssa and handsome, another shared trait among Nyssa's men. When Talia had pointed this out to Bane, he had chuckled and dismissed her cynicism at her sister's motivations for her selections. Brennan, sandy-haired and blue-eyed, was the head of Nyssa's security, and as such, he was overseeing the investigation into Barsad's alleged cabal. The ex-British special forces seemed suspicious of anyone from Chateau Blanc whenever he was here with Nyssa. A trait desired in personal security, but one unnecessary when it came to anyone here. It was obvious he sensed the tension between the two sisters. Any interactions with Talia always drew an iciness from him, and from the way he looked at Nyssa, Talia suspected that the two were sleeping together. Was he sleeping with the boss for professional gain or did he harbor genuine feelings for Nyssa?

"Was he the one who shot Sanjana?" Talia asked Yemi.

"No, he used someone from outside our ranks."

Talia nodded to herself. That made sense. Easier for Brennan to have deniability.

"What do you want me to do?" Yemi asked.

If the big Nigerian was angry about Brennan's involvement, the only hint was the slight throb of a vein near his left temple.

"Nothing for the moment. Let me talk to Bane first."

"I thought you wanted to keep this between us."

"Until now, yes, especially because nothing was concrete. But your information this time is solid, yes?"

"Yes. Our man heard Brennan's latest phone conversation himself. He was discussing eliminating Barsad. The threat, he called him."

"Very well." Talia's gaze again returned to the distant mountains. "Bane must take it from here. It's vital that Brennan is handled from within the League ranks. Remember, Yemi, I am no longer a part of the brotherhood."

Yemi's stolid countenance slowly warmed into a smile, one that was affectionate, like those he had bestowed upon her when she had been a child in the pit.

"You will always be a part of us," Yemi said.

Talia waited to call Bane until she returned to Chateau Blanc. She went to the front garden for privacy, not wanting to be interrupted by her son should he be seeking her. Settling on a bench near the fountain where the day's heat—unusual for early fall—was tempered by the dancing water spewed forth by the sculpted stallion, she took her cellphone in hand.

Three rings later, Bane answered the call.

"I hope I didn't wake you," she said. She never knew where Bane was when away, for they dared not discuss location, even on burner phones.

"I am quite awake, my dear. It is good to hear your voice."

She could tell by his tone—deeper, rougher—that he was fatigued, not because he had been sleeping, but because the mission was wearing on him. He had been gone far longer than either of them liked. And no doubt Barsad's frustration wore on him as well, for he wanted a resolution for his friend.

"Is everything all right there?" he asked.

"Yes, all is well. We miss you, of course. But I'm hoping I have something that will help bring you home soon."

"Welcomed news, my dear."

"I believe I know who's behind all this. I've done some discreet investigating on my own." She refrained from mentioning Yemi lest Bane disapprove of the man's involvement, knowing if Nyssa discovered it, Yemi might be disciplined.

"Little mouse," Bane rumbled in mild rebuke, "you should leave this up to me. It will only cause trouble between you and your sister."

"I don't care. I want justice for Sanjana, just as you and Deadshot do. And sitting here, doing nothing to help, isn't in my nature. You know that."

He sighed. "Indeed I do. And while I do know that you want justice for Sanjana, I certainly hope your clandestine investigation is not also purposefully meant to incense your sister."

"It isn't," she said truthfully, though a part of her hoped it would, especially when her newfound knowledge would leave egg on Nyssa's face. That is, unless she was behind Brennan's plot. Yemi claimed his information failed to point to Nyssa, but only time would tell if he was correct.

"What is it you have uncovered, my love?"

She conveyed everything Yemi had told her. Bane listened without interrupting. When she had finished, he made a contemplative sound, and she could almost feel his thought process as he swiftly analyzed the information.

"There is but one way to find out if he truly has a design on Deadshot's demise rather than a trial."

"Trial? He wants a feather in his cap," Talia scoffed. "Something to gain favor with my sister."

"It would be a gamble on his part. If he does want our brother dead, it could backfire on him when the brethren who truly may be against your sister continue with their desires to undermine her. Or, even worse, others may rush to their cause if they feel Deadshot was assassinated with no proof of a crime."

"Obviously he doesn't feel it's a gamble," Talia said. "He and Nyssa are so certain that the lead conspirator is Deadshot. And, truly, Haris, for all we know it could be Deadshot. We know how much he dislikes my sister. He may be keeping it from us to protect us."

"A possibility, my dear, but I know him better than anyone, and I believe him when he says he has not taken part in any dissent, no matter how much he approves of it. If he did not have James, perhaps he would stoop to such unwise tactics, but the fact is he does have James, and with Sanjana gone, his priority is that boy. That is, after the priority of finding her killer."

"Well, I think we've found him," Talia said confidently. "He may not have pulled the trigger, for all we know, but he surely hired whoever did. It all makes sense." She paused. "So, what will you do?"

"I have an idea, but let us not discuss it on this call."

"Very well. But I hope whatever it is, it will bring you back to us soon." She smiled to herself. "I have my own selfish reasons for digging up this information for you to use, of course."

Bane chuckled. "And I approve of those reasons, rest assured. I hope the harvest and our cubs are not proving too challenging."

"I have plenty of help now, with the addition of our guests."

"How is the hard-headed one behaving?"

"A bit better, but he's still assigned one of our brothers, and he isn't allowed any liberties yet. His tutor is keeping him busy, and I think he is starting to enjoy learning, though he will not admit it, even to his sister."

"The young can be as unyielding as the old."

Talia laughed. "If you're referring to Jiddah, you will be pleased to know some of that stubbornness has given way to a rather warm truce between her and Vita."

"I am glad to hear it."

From the direction of the chateau, Talia heard her son calling to her.

"Well, I must go," she said. "I am being summoned by your eldest."

Bane chuckled. "Tell him and my little princess how much I miss them and that I will be back as soon as possible."

"I will. Please let me know if you have success with my information."

"I shall. Thank you, my dear."