In mid August it became unbearably hot, and Syl watched as dry winds blew in from the eastern mountains, bringing fires with them bigger than any seen in that region in at least twenty years. They swept down from the hills and consumed entire communities, unstoppable in their fury. Native Californians knew them as the Santa Anas, named after a famous Spanish general or some such thing, and Miguel said they brought insanity with them. All Syl knew was that they fascinated her. She spent all her spare time on her balcony, breathing in the scent of fire and ash.
The winds brought something else with them, too. Mercedes pulled the door
open one day in late August, when the fires had already been raging for over two
weeks. Syl craned her neck to see over Mercedes's shoulder and he was just
standing there, his hands in the pockets of his jeans, smiling a little at her.
She stood and walked to him, smiled back.
"Zack," she greeted him, leaning against the doorframe. She was dressed for the weather, a bikini with shorts and a tank top pulled over it, her hair tied back in a tight braid, the sweat trickling down between her shoulder blades. If there was one thing about California she wasn't enjoying, it was the heat, but Miguel promised it would pass soon. Zack was dressed like he'd come from somewhere much cooler.
"Hey, Syl," he said, his eyes flitting behind her to Mercedes, who was gazing at him curiously.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," she said, smiling at him. "Mercedes, excuse us, would you?"
"Who is this, chica?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows expectantly at Syl, who blushed a little.
"My brother," she said, and laughed as a flush coloured Mercedes' cheeks. "Zack."
"Sorry," she said, extending her hand and introducing herself. Zack took it, shaking it slowly and forcing a smile. Then Mercedes left and Syl closed the door behind her.
"What the hell is with this heat?" Zack asked, walking into her living room and throwing his jacket off, crashing into her sofa.
"I know, isn't it awful?" Syl asked, rifling through the fridge. "Lemonade?"
"Yeah," Zack answered both questions, getting up and reaching for the sliding glass balcony door.
"No, don't-" Syl started, but he'd already pulled it open all the way. Ash and heat sweltered in at them. Syl ran over, thrusting the glass of lemonade she was still holding into his hand and pulling the door closed, coughing. Zack actually laughed at her.
"Sorry," he said, taking a sip of his drink. Syl smirked at him, swatted him upside the head. She hugged him.
"What do you think I am, an idiot?" she asked. "If opening the window helped it would be open, mi hermano." Zack looked at her curiously.
"Por qué somos discurso españoles?" he asked. Syl hit him again, fell backward into her sofa. He sat next to her.
"Show off," she said.
"Hey, you're one to talk," he protested. He mocked what she'd said to him in Spanish, "My sister."
"How's Ben?" she asked; he grew immediately serious, stiffened a little.
"He's fine."
"Truth."
"I'm not going back there, Syl."
"To Chicago?"
"To Ben. I'm not going back."
"What are you talking about, Zack?"
"He's gone too far this time." He looked at her, his eyes angry. "Killing people? That's too much." Syl collapsed back into the sofa, eyes wide.
"He's killing people?" she asked softly, shocked. "Why?"
"Because he's crazy," he growled.
"Seriously, Zack, I want to know."
"Seriously. He's a goddamn lunatic, Syl."
"Zack-"
"Anyway, I'm not going back."
"Unless he needs you," she added. He looked at her.
"Obviously," he said. Syl smiled at him, took a sip of her lemonade.
"I missed you."
"You too." He cleared his throat and changed the subject so she wouldn't ask anymore questions about Ben. "So Zane's doing okay."
"Yeah." She frowned. "You're not going to move him because I know where he is, are you?" Zack pretended to consider that so obviously that she laughed at him.
"You're in a good mood," she said. It wasn't often Zack got playful, even a little. "But seriously." He sighed a little, rolled his eyes.
"No, Syl, I won't move him. You guys can have slumber parties or whatever the hell you're thinking about." He frowned, pointed a finger at her. "But not the kind of slumber party you had with Krit." He laughed again.
"You are in a good mood. Are you drunk?" Syl was amazed that she'd gotten two genuine laughs out of him in ten minutes.
"No," he said. "I'm just incredibly stressed out." He frowned a little and she touched his shoulder.
"Let's go swimming. Cool off."
"I can't," he said. "Jondy-"
"Is fine," Syl cut him off, then hesitated. "Right?"
"Yes, I just haven't seen her in a while."
"So what's another day or two?" Syl asked. "Please. It'll be fun." Zack looked at her, then slowly nodded.
"Okay, Syl. I haven't swum in a long time." She could tell he was thinking lengths, exercise.
"Surfing," she said.
"I've never surfed."
"Well, now's the time to do it. Mercedes has been teaching me all sorts of things. I'm horrible at it, but it's really fun."
"Is that the girl that was here before?" he asked as she stood up, heading for the door.
"Yeah," she said, pulling it open. "I'll just go ask her boyfriend if you can borrow some shorts, okay?"
"Alright," he said, so she left him alone for a moment, going into the apartment next door without bothering to knock.
"Syl, Syl!" One of Miguel's sons, a rambunctious six-year-old named Dominic, launched himself at her as his two older sisters tried to tag him. He climbed Syl, boosting himself onto her back. She held his legs and smiled down at the girls.
"Sorry, Tia," she told the oldest, a beautiful child of twelve. "Looks like he's free." The kids had declared her a 'safe zone' long ago. Tia and her sister Josie, who was eight, both made faces and tried to haul Dominic off of her, but he just laughed and held on tightly to Syl's shoulders, his whole face a grin.
"Where's your daddy?" she asked. Tia cupped her hands around her face, screamed at the top of her lungs for her father, who came running almost immediately, likely thinking that his child was being murdered.
"Thanks," Syl said dryly, shaking her head at the girl, who just giggled and started chasing Josie around instead of Dominic. Their brother, watching the girls' fun, started to feel left out and let himself off Syl's back, which had of course been his sisters' plan all along. They turned on him, chasing him farther back in the large apartment, all three of them giggling. The toddler, Mika, was in Miguel's arms, fast asleep. Syl smiled and touched the boy's dark hair.
"What can I do for you, mi ángel?" Miguel asked.
"My brother's visiting and we want to go swimming," Syl told him. "Do you have anything he can borrow?"
"Yeah," he said. "Sure." He handed Dominic to her, who fussed for a moment in Syl's arms before his small hands found her hair and held onto it, his softness warm against her bare shoulders. She bent and kissed his head, breathing in the scent of baby powder and innocence. Miguel returned, held out a pair of shorts.
"Thanks," Syl said, reluctantly switching them for the baby. "I'll see you later."
"Have fun," he said, smiling. She closed the door behind her and found Zack waiting for her by the window, staring out at the ocean. She crept toward him, wondering if she could startle him.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked when she was beside him, but he didn't even jump. She sighed inwardly; even if she had surprised him, he'd never show it anyway. She handed him the shorts.
"I'm already wearing my suit," she said. "I'll wait for you out here."
"Okay." He smiled, went into her bedroom to change. Syl's front door suddenly banged open, Dominic shrieking as he ran in, Josie right on his heels. Syl reached out her arms and pulled the boy into them, hoisting him up. Zack opened the door of the bedroom a bit, stuck his head out.
"Who's screaming?" he asked tensely.
"Nothing to worry about." Syl laughed as Dominic wrapped his legs around her stomach, holding onto her like a baby monkey. Zack nodded and closed the door again. He emerged a moment later, the shorts a little small for him but nonetheless fine.
"Sorry, babe," Syl said as she dropped Dominic to his feet. "Looks like you're on your own. Try not to break anything," she called over her shoulder as she and Zack left her apartment.
"Your neighbours?"
"Mmm-hmm." Syl pressed the button on the elevator, waited for it.
"Cute kids," Zack said. She glanced sideways at him, hated the way he was looking at her, like she might break. She shrugged a little, then stepped into the elevator as the doors parted.
"So he actually couldn't do it?"
"Zack has about as much potential in surfing as you do in cruelty, Zane," Syl said, laughing along with her brother. She rolled over on her bed, staring up on the ceiling; the phone cord that was already tangled in various parts of her clothing wrapping itself further around her leg as she did. Syl had a bad habit of ravelling herself up in the telephone cord by moving around whenever she was involved in a long conversation.
"I would have paid to see that," Zane said, chuckling to himself.
"What about you, what wonderful things have you been up to?"
"I met a girl," he said, and Syl's brows lifted in surprise.
"That was fast."
"Oh, come on, you know I'm irresistible, Syl," he teased. "I'm surprised it took this long."
"Details," she said.
"Five-ten, big smile, great body, nice, cheerful, friendly. Dark skin, brown eyes, great hands-"
"Hands?" she interrupted, confused.
"Hands are important, Syl, didn't you know that? Hands can be quite beautiful." Syl studied her own hands as he continued, "She's really great. We were both at the same club and ordered the same drink. Then we got to talking and we have a lot more in common." Syl smiled at the dreamy quality of his voice; Zane always fell hard and fast and usually got left somewhat disappointed when his girlfriends turned out to have flaws just like everybody else.
"Well, don't ask her to walk down the aisle just yet, Zane," she said, smiling at him over the phone.
"Silly Syl," he teased. "I'm not hopeless." He was suddenly serious. "Tell me about Ben."
"I told you twice."
"Tell me again."
"Zack said he's killing people. Putting his barcode on their necks. Lydecker was all over it in Chicago but Ben wouldn't listen to reason and leave."
"What does he think is going to happen?" Zane asked quietly. "He doesn't think he'll get taken back..."
"Zack wouldn't let that happen," Syl assured him. "You know that."
"Yeah," he said after a moment. "Of course."
"Listen, Zane, I should go. But call me in a few days and tell me how things are going with- wait, what's her name?"
"Lydia."
"Lydia. Call me and tell me how things are going with her."
"Okay. You alright, Syl?"
"I'm fine."
"Then I'll talk to you later?"
"Bye, Zane."
"Bye," he answered. She hung up the phone; she had suddenly very much not
wanted to talk to Zane anymore, about Ben or anything. She just wished her
apartment wasn't so damned hot.
