"What?" I asked, supposing he was lying. But, this was Zane we were talking about, not anybody else with their tricks and flips. He hardly ever lied.
"You heard me, Zack."
"And how would you know?"
"Tinga. Apparently, she went back to see her kid for awhile. Then, it got to risky for her to stay there, and she had to retreat back up into Canada. She saw me one day and told me what had happened -"
"She went back?" I asked in disbelief.
"Yes…Zack, she misses her family. She, unlike the rest of us, has one. So, yes, she's back with them right now probably."
"I can't believe…of all the stupid things to do…" I growled under my breath.
"Forgetting Tinga for now," Zane continued, trying to calm me down, "Ben's dead. He's been city hopping, killing people left and right. 'Deck's been all over it. And, from what I heard from Tinga, his body was in the woods with its neck broken. Maxie's the only one in Seattle who has that kind of power."
My Maxie. She had to kill Ben. God, why couldn't I have stopped him when I had the chance? I knew he was a nomlie; I knew he had problems, so why didn't I stop him?
Because I thought he was bluffing, I thought he was just being a cocky snot again. But, now, because of my ignoring him, he's dead, and Max is probably emotionally hurt beyond belief.
Great. What a leader I am.
That's when I remembered how the Blue Lady had held so much power for Ben. Perhaps, he was already dead by the time I prayed to her, and that's why Kyle came, and why I got shot and why everything went downhill. Her most loyal follower was dead.
"The Blue Lady…" I mumbled, running my fingers through my hair.
Zane eyed me suspiciously. "Yes, he was killing for her." He sighed heavily and leaned over, closer to me as he cupped the mug of cooling tea in between his hands that were still rather greased stained from mechanic's work. "Zack…there's nothing you could've done."
"Well, now Tinga's back, and she's going to get herself killed…the idiot."
"Zack…" he warned.
"It's the truth.
"She has a right to have a family."
"Yeah? Well, we don't have a right to be who we are."
"There's nothing we can do about that."
"You don't think I know that?" I snapped.
"You have to go back."
"Go back? Why should I?"
"Tinga's going to need some help. She and Maxie both. You know they can't take on 'Deck and his men at one, all while protecting the husband and kid."
"Never. She's the one who went back."
"And, you're just going to let her get shot? Let Maxie get shot?" He laughed sarcastically. "That'd be a real guilt-trip for all of us."
"Then why don't you go? After all, you seem to have this all under control."
"You're the only one who knows where they all live," Zane reasoned. "I don't."
I sighed heavily. "You're making this very difficult."
"Why else do you come to see me?" he asked with a wry smile. But, the smile faded as he continued, "You're going to have to take the girl…Carly…back."
"Back?" I echoed.
"To her home."
"Lydecker's probably all over it."
"No, he's not. If what you said is true about him attacking you in the forest, then most likely he doesn't know that you were staying in that apartment. He's probably been waiting in the woods, knowing that you're going to keep on the move."
"Good point," I muttered, although I didn't like admitting it.
"She can't stay with you, Zack. If 'Deck's really after you, he'll kill her without a second thought. You're only putting her in danger." He shook his head slowly, letting the ends of his cornrows sway slightly. "She has to go back. You yourself even said that it's dangerous for us to have family-"
"She's not family," I argued.
"Zack…come on, think about it. We both know that having her tag along isn't exactly a genius move on your part."
"But-" I protested, because I really didn't want to leave Carly behind, for reasons I was unable to explain.
"Look, it's cute and all that you finally got yourself a girlfriend-"
"She's not a girlfriend."
"Uh-huh," Zane sarcastically replied. "And we're not sitting here arguing about whether or not she's your girlfriend." He sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Well, if she's not a girlfriend, then what is she?"
"I don't know," I reluctantly admitted.
"Zack, if you really care for the girl take her back where she needs to be before she gets hurt. 'Deck won't hesitate to kill her."
"Fine," I sighed. "We'll head back tomorrow."
"And then?"
"And then, I'll probably go play super-hero with Tinga and Max."
"Thank you," he replied curtly. He rose to his feet and stretched, raising the empty mug high above his head.
"Why are you so concerned about what I do?"
"Because they're my sisters too," he replied, looking down at me, lowering his arms. "Look, if you get some extra blankets under the bed where Carly's at, you can sleep out here for awhile. Catch up on some missed rest."
"Thanks," I mumbled.
"No problem, just hold up your end of the bargain."
"You're crazy," I told him as he went out to the kitchen to rinse out his coffee mug.
"Aren't we all, Zack? Aren't we all…"