IN THE CROSSHAIRS

Chapter 28

Nyssa entered the chateau through the rear entrance, accompanied by Ivan. Her stomach was wonderfully warm from her midday meal with her mother, yet she had not been able to enjoy the food as much as usual because of the news that Barsad had returned at last. When Ivan had appeared at the cottage door to report that he had secured Barsad in the chateau, her mother had heard their conversation.

Once they were alone again, her mother asked, "Will Barsad be allowed to see his son?"

"Of course."

"But if the other men are responsible for everything that has happened, why have you arrested Barsad?"

"It's a precaution," Nyssa said, finishing the last of her chicken tikka masala. "And even if Barsad isn't responsible for trying to usurp me, he's been AWOL for weeks, not to mention his going to India in the first place."

"But Sanjana's father had died. And she could not travel alone."

Nyssa studied her mother, who quickly looked away. "Since I've come back, you sure have been talking a lot about Barsad. I assume it's because of Vita."

"Well," her mother stammered, "Vita is my friend, beti, and we have both been so worried about little James, and Barsad is his father, so…yes, I am concerned about what will happen to him because it will affect James."

Nyssa considered her uneasiness. There was something else behind her mother's concern—something or someone. Was it Talia's influence or Maysam's? Or was it really just Vita? She could press her mother, but she decided not to make her more uncomfortable than she already appeared. Their time together was always so short that she always tried to make her visit as pleasant as possible.

"The council will convene tomorrow," Nyssa said. "The evidence is pretty damning against Brennan and Sidorov. That may save Barsad from being charged with sedition, but, like I said, his insubordination is another matter. The council will deal with that as well."

"But you are head of the council; they will no doubt take your lead, will they not?"

"Maji, I'm not going to let Barsad off Scot-free. If he isn't punished, it's setting a precedence in our ranks."

"I understand. But…you must think of James. That poor boy has been through so much. Whatever you decide, please do not take Barsad away from him. I hate to think what would become of Vita's only grandchild if he was deprived of his father again."

"Since when have you become so attached to that kid?"

"I have never had occasion to be around him much until Vita came here. Because she is his grandmother and staying here with me, of course I have seen James every day. And though you know how I feel about Bane and Barsad and the League of Shadows, I cannot help but think of the welfare of Vita's grandson. It is not his fault that his father makes poor life choices."

"Barsad is my subordinate, Maji. Like I said, I can't just—"

"I understand that he must be punished; I am just asking that you do not harm James with whatever decision you make."

Someone had scared the shit out of her mother, all right. Yep, had to be Talia or Maysam meddling. Probably the latter. Of course, Bane could have weighed in, too, but she figured he would never stoop low enough to pressure her mother, especially when he was so confident in Barsad being exonerated. No, her money was on Maysam.

"I can't promise anything," Nyssa said. When her mother started to protest again, she held up a hand. "I heard you. That's all I can say. Don't think I haven't. Yes, the kid is innocent. If you're lucky, the rest of the council will feel like you do, but I doubt it."

"Of course not. They are all men."

Nyssa couldn't deny her mother's logic on that point.

Once in the chateau, Nyssa and Ivan headed directly upstairs. They passed Aaron Abrams coming down the stairs. The man gave Nyssa a cold stare, said nothing. Neither did she. What did Maysam see in that crusty bastard anyway?

Once Nyssa reached the upper floor, she heard her nephew's raucous voice from his family's suite, then the boy burst into the hallway, laughing.

"You can't catch me, Papa Baba!" Henri raced toward her. "Aunt Nyssa, look out."

Bane's booming voice followed his son: "There is no need for a race, Jin."

Giggling, Henri darted past Nyssa just as Bane appeared in the doorway to his suite, dressed in a black t-shirt and well-worn desert fatigue pants. He halted when he saw Nyssa, the mild expression he had worn for his son changing to his more usual stoic look.

"Good afternoon, sister."

"Good afternoon. Looks like you've got your hands full."

"Jin is eager for his katana exercises. Perhaps you would like to come to the dojo to observe?"

"I'll stop by when I'm done."

"Very well. I shall let my son know. He will be very pleased. He does love an audience."

Nyssa couldn't help but smile at knowing Henri had an interest in her presence.

"I assume," he said, "that you are coming to talk to Barsad, not myself."

"Yes."

Immediately after Barsad's return, Bane had sought her out to push for the removal of the guard at his lieutenant's door. When she refused, surprisingly he had not put up a fight. She figured his acceptance of her orders came more from Barsad probably telling him not to press the issue rather than from any docility, because, of course, Bane had none of that, even when it came to his superior officer.

"Would you prefer that I accompany you to Barsad's suite?" Bane now asked.

"There's no need. Besides, you don't want to disappoint Henri."

"True enough," Bane said. "I would like to indulge him before our brothers arrive tonight. If you will excuse me…" He bowed his head slightly, then followed his son, who had thundered down the stairs without waiting for him.

When Nyssa reached Barsad's suite, the security operative stepped away from the door. She knocked, hoping Barsad wasn't asleep. She probably should have called first, but she didn't want to appear to be affording him any deferential treatment. He was at her beck and call, not the other way around.

When she had to knock a second time, this time louder, Ivan grumbled, "He is ignoring you."

"Give him a minute more; he might be sleeping."

"Is the door locked? We should just go in."

"We aren't going in; you're staying out here."

"I respectfully disagree."

"Barsad isn't going to try anything, Ivan. He turned himself in, didn't he?"

"Maybe just to get at you."

Nyssa laughed. "Now you sound as paranoid as Brennan."

"Excuse me if I agree with much of what Brennan has said to you about Barsad."

"Your job isn't to have an opinion, Ivan; it's to follow my orders." She knocked a third time. "And my orders are for you to stay here in the hallway until I return."

A muffled cough from the other side of the door announced Barsad's approach.

"Step back," Nyssa ordered Ivan.

With a scowl, the Uzbek obeyed just as the door opened.

Barsad appeared with bleary eyes and damp, ruffled hair, wearing a fresh white t-shirt and navy blue sweatpants. He looked to have aged ten years since she had last seen him. "Come in," he croaked through his dry throat.

Nyssa gave Ivan a pointed stare and followed Barsad, closing the door behind them. The drapes in the living room were partially drawn against the afternoon sun, the whole suite blanketed in silence.

"James is taking his nap," Barsad said quietly. "Took a long time to get him to settle down and let go of me. For God's sake, let's not wake him."

He gestured to the furniture, inviting her to sit, before he settled on the edge of a recliner. She could smell cigarettes on him. So, he was back to that, was he? No doubt Bane was pissed about it.

As she settled on a dark blue loveseat, Nyssa cleared her throat and said, "I'm glad you finally came to your senses and came back. James had everyone worried about his health. The poor kid needs you. I can't help but sympathize with him; as I've said before, I know what it's like growing up with only one parent."

Barsad grunted and nodded absently—or was it resentfully?—using his fingers to comb his hair into something less frightening. He glanced around as if looking for something. Probably cigarettes. I hope he doesn't smoke around his kid.

"You grew up with only one parent," Barsad rasped out, "because your father was an asshole. James's situation isn't the same."

Nyssa fought down her defensiveness at his attitude; after all, his observation wasn't completely wrong. "Maybe it is the same," she countered. "James's father can be an asshole, too."

Barsad's lips twisted with wry humor. "Touché."

Nyssa moved onward. "As you probably know from Bane, the council will be assembling here. I expect them to arrive by tonight, so we'll convene after breakfast tomorrow. For obvious reasons, you won't be allowed to take your usual advisory position on the council as Bane's second-in-command." She paused for a moment to see if Barsad would protest, and when he didn't, she pressed on. "Our first order of business will be dealing with Sidorov and Brennan."

"Is Sidorov here?"

"I just received word that our brothers will deliver him by the end of day."

"If they're found guilty—which they sure as fuck better be—what're you gonna do with them?" His hands, resting on his knees, had closed into fists, and anger darkened his complexion and reflected in his haunted eyes.

"That's for the council to decide."

"I want those bastards to suffer for what they did to Sanjana. All this sedition bullshit you heard about me…you know now it wasn't me, like I said all along. So, I should get my pound of flesh. Sanjana and I deserve it. And James. When he grows up, I want him to know that I took care of this for us, that his father avenged his mother."

"Normally, I would say that I would recommend you to be the one to mete out whatever punishment the council sees fit. However, your insubordination will make that difficult, if not impossible. We can't allow our brothers to see you being rewarded after pulling the bullshit you pulled."

"Then tell them you're dealing with Brennan and Sidorov but turn them over to me. No one will know."

"I will know. Dammit, Barsad, I'm not going to play sleight of hand with the council or our brethren."

"If they were in my shoes, they'd want the same thing, and you'd give it to them."

"The difference is your blatant insubordination. Jesus, aren't you listening to anything I'm saying?" She tossed up her hands and rolled her eyes. "Why would you? You never have."

"Bullshit."

"You've been against me from the beginning. Don't fucking deny it."

"Against you—no. Not happy with your ascendance—damn right. The League operated just fine under Bane's leadership. You took over just to fuck with Talia and spit on your daddy's grave."

"Bane's leadership? You mean Talia."

Barsad's jaw clenched, and he looked away, toward a nearby locked cabinet; she suspected liquor lay inside. She considered his remark about Bane. What was he hiding? Had she been duped in believing Talia had led the League when, in fact, it had been Bane before Nyssa took over the reins? No, Bane's bloodline did not afford him the title of the Demon's Head. The brethren wouldn't have allowed it…or would they? And what did it matter now? Well, if Bane had been in command, it had been a severe breach in protocol, at the least. She might have to look into it.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Barsad," she said. "I didn't take anything that I didn't earn, including the Demon's Head. I was trained, just like you. I passed initiation, just like you. And love or hate him, I have the blood of Rā's al Ghūl flowing through my veins. It just pisses you off because Bane is only second-in-command. He doesn't seem to have a problem with that; you shouldn't either."

"Fuck nepotism. Bane earned the position by decades of service. You should've been happy to let him lead us when Talia wanted out, especially when you knew there would be those in the ranks who felt the same as me. But your ego and your daddy issues made you think only of yourself. That's why I didn't ask your permission to go to India—I knew you couldn't possibly see beyond your own ego to let me go. I did the right thing for Sanjana; you would've had me do only what you wanted."

"I would've had you do what you should've done—follow the proper channels and ask permission for a leave of absence."

"You wouldn't have granted my request, and there wasn't any time for that bullshit. Sanjana needed to be there for her family."

Unwittingly, their voices had risen during their debate, and now James's calls for his father broke across the nearby baby monitor.

"Fuck," Barsad said, jumping to his feet and rushing to the nursery as his son's cries grew more insistent.

Nyssa considered walking out but stayed. It took Barsad a couple of minutes, but he eventually returned, holding James, who had tears on his cheeks.

"It's okay, buddy," Barsad said. "Everything's all right. Here, you can sit with me while I talk to Nyssa."

The child eyed her almost suspiciously, as if he understood his father's anger toward her. Whenever James came to the cottage with Vita, he had watched Nyssa closely, clinging to his grandmother. He had warmed to Nyssa a little before his father's return, but the hesitation remained, keeping him always out of her reach should she have tried to pick him up.

"I didn't come here to debate my history with the League," she said, standing. "I merely came to tell you about tomorrow. Like I said, the council will rule on Brennan and Sidorov first. After that, you'll be brought in to answer for your insubordination. I suggest you conduct yourself with more restraint than what you've shown just now."

Barsad wiped the sleep from his son's eyes, kissed his cheek. James gently touched his father's beard, then buried his face against Barsad's neck.

"Nyssa's leaving now, Jimmy," Barsad said, staring at her. "Say bye-bye."

James turned his head just enough to look at Nyssa with one eye. "Want Mommy."

The child's small, plaintive wish tore unexpectedly at Nyssa's heart. Had Barsad purposefully brought him out here to work on her sympathy? Hiding her emotions, she lifted her chin slightly and said, "Goodbye, James," before heading for the door.

"I wish," Talia said after breakfast, "I could be in the council room with you."

Bane smiled with mild indulgence as he changed from his slippers into his boots. "We both know it is better that you are not present, my love. Your sister would view your presence as an attempt to influence the council, all of whom love you still."

She gave him a sly smile from where she stood beside his chair, her fingers gently kneading his rock-hard traps.

"I will not miss seeing Guy Giroux or Finn Donnell flirting with you," he grumbled good-naturedly.

"Flirting? Come now, habibi, they would never dare, not now anyway. Years ago, before you and I were physically committed to each other, sure." She kissed his cheek. "I used to enjoy your jealous looks across the table at them."

"Surely I was not that transparent."

"To me, you were. They behaved themselves at breakfast this morning, I thought."

"Humph," Bane snorted, "not our French brother. There are not enough o's in the word smooth to describe Giroux."

"He was doing that on purpose to tease you."

"Yes, I know. That is the only reason I allowed him to flatter you." With his boots laced, he stood and moved to the nearby playpen where his daughter lay, holding a stuffed koala, sucking on its ear. Henri had gone to play with James in Barsad's suite.

Talia drew next to him as he brushed one finger against Melisande's cheek, drawing a smile from the baby. She captured his finger and brought it to her wet mouth.

Bane chuckled. "Mind those little teeth of yours, princess," he softly admonished. "You are not a squirrel, and my finger is not a nut."

"You should take Meli with you to the council," Talia said in jest. "On-the-job training for the future Demon's Head."

"She already has the council wrapped around her finger. Even Sao could not resist her charming personality at breakfast."

"Perhaps you should take Henri. It might be good for him to learn to sit quietly and listen to his elders. I could be there with him, to make sure he behaves, of course."

"Nice try, my dear." He straightened and kissed her, his hands lightly caressing her arms through the gauzy material of her pale rose blouse. "No, my cubs are not ready for the council, and we need Jin to distract James once Barsad is called before the council."

Talia reached into the playpen to extract Melisande. "Come along, little bird. Mommy has work to do in the vineyard. Jiddah should be here any minute, so let's get your diaper changed."

"Ba-ba," Melisande gurgled, reaching one hand toward her father.

Bane captured her hand and kissed it. "Behave for Jiddah, my sweet."

Melisande started to fuss as he departed from her, but Bane had no time to try to placate her. He expected punctuality from his brothers and would allow nothing less in himself.

Talia called after him, "I'll have my phone with me, habibi. Please call me as soon as you're adjourned."

"I shall. And please remind Maysam that she is not to disturb the council meeting for any reason. She will not help Barsad's cause by doing so."

Talia's soft laugh followed him. "I might have to tie her up."

"Then do so."