Chapter 10
"It's finished."
The women-the same woman who was the real head of the agency-looked up and smiled at Jesse. Jesse returned her gaze with his own hostile one.
"Good, good." She nodded, looking very satisfied. "Then you'll just be getting back to--"
"No," Jesse said, his voice sounding rather hoarse. In the few hours since he and Susannah had left the ranger station, he had tried everything he could to push the memories from his mind. He didn't want to think about it, not now, not ever. "I won't do anymore of your dirty work for you. I refuse to stay here any longer."
She narrowed his eyes at him. He knew that she had every power to keep him there, and that he probably should not be making demands, but he held fast, meeting her gaze unblinkingly.
"We had an agreement, Mr. de Silva," she said slowly. "One that's not easily broken."
Jesse stiffened. "Yes, I understand that, but. . . "
"Oh, let him go, Minerva," a voice said from the doorway. Jesse turned to see George Hunter leaning in the doorway, cane in hand. With one glance at the woman, he noted that she looked about as surprised he felt.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
Hunter ignored her question. Instead, he said, "He's done what you wanted him to do. He killed Slater for you, so give the boy a break."
The woman-Minerva-stood, glaring at Hunter. "I will not have you coming down here, allowing him-" she pointed an accusing finger at Jesse-"to break the promise that he's made. We had a deal."
Hunter snorted. "Ah, yes. Either he works for you, or you'll hurt his wife. Quite fair, I must say, my dear."
Jesse had the distinct feeling that there was more to this conversation than there seemed. But he really did not have time to figure out what it was.
Minerva opened her mouth to say something, but Hunter-moving surprisingly fast for an old man with a cane-came forward to stand in front of the desk. He gripped the edge, and said in a voice that Jesse knew all too well, "Let him go."
Jesse thought for a moment that she would say no, but after a moment, she looked at him, jaw clenched so tightly that he didn't know how she managed to speak, she said in a voice that didn't seem quite like hers: "You can go."
He stole one last glance at Hunter, and then dematerialized without another word.
***
"How did you get down here?" Minerva demanded as soon as she was in control again.
Hunter snorted, shaking his head. "My dear, I would think that at this point you would realize how much I can do." He gazed at her, wondering for perhaps the millionth time what had happened to make her as cold and. . . well, evil, he supposed. "You know, you are nothing like your mother," he informed her.
Minerva turned away. "Yes, well, I never wanted to be."
Hunter let out a bark of laughter. "That's really too bad. You could have done much better had you taken after her." He limped to the door.
"You're a bastard, you know that?" she said from behind him.
He smiled. "It seems to run in the family, doesn't it?" Then he limped out of the office, without a backward glance.
***
He asked me to wait for him. He said that if he could, he would try to come back. So I waited. But as the hours slipped by, I was starting to think that maybe he wasn't coming.
I sighed, lying back on my bed. I knew what he was thinking about. I knew that he was probably thinking nonstop about what he had had to do to Paul. I couldn't stop thinking about it, either.
It wasn't that Paul hadn't deserved it, because he had. But Jesse shouldn't have had to be the one to do it.
I closed my eyes. I didn't know what I'd do if Jesse didn't come back. College was starting soon, and I guess I would have to occupy myself with that. But, as I'd found out over the past two years, things got rather lonely around here without Jesse.
***
"Father Dominic."
Father Dominic looked up, obviously surprised to see Jesse standing there in his office. It had been more than two years since they had last seen each other, and of course, he had seen first hand the effects it had had on Susannah.
"Jesse." He offered him a small smile. Then, he saw the pained look on Jesse's face. "What's wrong?"
Jesse sat in Father Dominic's office for hours, telling him everything that had happened-everything that he had done-in the past two years. When he was finished, Jesse sat, staring at the priest, waiting for something-censor, pity, anger. Anything.
To Jesse's great surprise, Father Dominic sat back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "Something has to be done, of course."
Jesse frowned. "Father Dominic?"
"About the Agency," Father Dominic amended. "Something has to be done about it."
Jesse shook his head. "We have already tried to destroy the Agency. It hasn't worked."
"No, no. Mr. Ashley's methods will not work in this case. But, Jesse, there are other ways of dealing with the Agency besides . . . er, blowing it up. Ways that are legal."
Then he told Jesse what he was thinking of, and by the time Jesse left Father Dominic's office late that night, they had formulated a plan.
The only problem, though, would be getting Susannah to agree to it.
***
A/N: Yeah. I don't know if I liked this one. Oh, well. I'll try to write a better chapter soon.
Would someone, anyone, PLEASE review? I only got one review for my last chapter.
"It's finished."
The women-the same woman who was the real head of the agency-looked up and smiled at Jesse. Jesse returned her gaze with his own hostile one.
"Good, good." She nodded, looking very satisfied. "Then you'll just be getting back to--"
"No," Jesse said, his voice sounding rather hoarse. In the few hours since he and Susannah had left the ranger station, he had tried everything he could to push the memories from his mind. He didn't want to think about it, not now, not ever. "I won't do anymore of your dirty work for you. I refuse to stay here any longer."
She narrowed his eyes at him. He knew that she had every power to keep him there, and that he probably should not be making demands, but he held fast, meeting her gaze unblinkingly.
"We had an agreement, Mr. de Silva," she said slowly. "One that's not easily broken."
Jesse stiffened. "Yes, I understand that, but. . . "
"Oh, let him go, Minerva," a voice said from the doorway. Jesse turned to see George Hunter leaning in the doorway, cane in hand. With one glance at the woman, he noted that she looked about as surprised he felt.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
Hunter ignored her question. Instead, he said, "He's done what you wanted him to do. He killed Slater for you, so give the boy a break."
The woman-Minerva-stood, glaring at Hunter. "I will not have you coming down here, allowing him-" she pointed an accusing finger at Jesse-"to break the promise that he's made. We had a deal."
Hunter snorted. "Ah, yes. Either he works for you, or you'll hurt his wife. Quite fair, I must say, my dear."
Jesse had the distinct feeling that there was more to this conversation than there seemed. But he really did not have time to figure out what it was.
Minerva opened her mouth to say something, but Hunter-moving surprisingly fast for an old man with a cane-came forward to stand in front of the desk. He gripped the edge, and said in a voice that Jesse knew all too well, "Let him go."
Jesse thought for a moment that she would say no, but after a moment, she looked at him, jaw clenched so tightly that he didn't know how she managed to speak, she said in a voice that didn't seem quite like hers: "You can go."
He stole one last glance at Hunter, and then dematerialized without another word.
***
"How did you get down here?" Minerva demanded as soon as she was in control again.
Hunter snorted, shaking his head. "My dear, I would think that at this point you would realize how much I can do." He gazed at her, wondering for perhaps the millionth time what had happened to make her as cold and. . . well, evil, he supposed. "You know, you are nothing like your mother," he informed her.
Minerva turned away. "Yes, well, I never wanted to be."
Hunter let out a bark of laughter. "That's really too bad. You could have done much better had you taken after her." He limped to the door.
"You're a bastard, you know that?" she said from behind him.
He smiled. "It seems to run in the family, doesn't it?" Then he limped out of the office, without a backward glance.
***
He asked me to wait for him. He said that if he could, he would try to come back. So I waited. But as the hours slipped by, I was starting to think that maybe he wasn't coming.
I sighed, lying back on my bed. I knew what he was thinking about. I knew that he was probably thinking nonstop about what he had had to do to Paul. I couldn't stop thinking about it, either.
It wasn't that Paul hadn't deserved it, because he had. But Jesse shouldn't have had to be the one to do it.
I closed my eyes. I didn't know what I'd do if Jesse didn't come back. College was starting soon, and I guess I would have to occupy myself with that. But, as I'd found out over the past two years, things got rather lonely around here without Jesse.
***
"Father Dominic."
Father Dominic looked up, obviously surprised to see Jesse standing there in his office. It had been more than two years since they had last seen each other, and of course, he had seen first hand the effects it had had on Susannah.
"Jesse." He offered him a small smile. Then, he saw the pained look on Jesse's face. "What's wrong?"
Jesse sat in Father Dominic's office for hours, telling him everything that had happened-everything that he had done-in the past two years. When he was finished, Jesse sat, staring at the priest, waiting for something-censor, pity, anger. Anything.
To Jesse's great surprise, Father Dominic sat back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "Something has to be done, of course."
Jesse frowned. "Father Dominic?"
"About the Agency," Father Dominic amended. "Something has to be done about it."
Jesse shook his head. "We have already tried to destroy the Agency. It hasn't worked."
"No, no. Mr. Ashley's methods will not work in this case. But, Jesse, there are other ways of dealing with the Agency besides . . . er, blowing it up. Ways that are legal."
Then he told Jesse what he was thinking of, and by the time Jesse left Father Dominic's office late that night, they had formulated a plan.
The only problem, though, would be getting Susannah to agree to it.
***
A/N: Yeah. I don't know if I liked this one. Oh, well. I'll try to write a better chapter soon.
Would someone, anyone, PLEASE review? I only got one review for my last chapter.