I swear, I am absolutely exhausted! I went to a sleepover, and stayed up until six, and then have school this morning... and yeah. Lovely, and so on. But I did have fun. We went to the bookstore until about midnight, and had coffee and cake, and those good things.
This is not an explicit chapter, so don't worry, or be disappointed. Either one. I didn't want to change the rating of the story… so yeah. Anyway, the idea for the end of the chapter was smashing, as far as I'm concerned, it's sad, it's sweet, and I think it makes sense.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the things I own. The things I own are the things not owned by Colfer. Colfer owns everything except the things I own. The things Colfer owns are the things I do not own. :) Try that one, all you people who think you're the next Artemis Fowl.
She was by far the most blunt person he'd ever met. It was a decidedly unusual request. "You would like me to shag you?" he repeated, as though he had not heard her correctly.
"That's right. I would like you to shag me."
Two hours later, she was lying underneath him in the dark, sleepy, and quite satisfied, really. Though she personally had no one to compare Zane with, she would guess he was on the better end of the spectrum. Oh yes, and he was very gentle, which scored plenty of points with her, considering the tremendous amount of pain she was in.
Zane shifted slightly, and kissed her throat. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Shoot," mumbled Valerie drowsily.
"Why do you kill people?"
For a while, Valerie thought about this. "Why don't you?"
"I do." His face was close to hers, maybe an inch away at most, and it was almost like he was backing her into a corner for interrogation. Only, she didn't exactly mind. It was comforting, really, to have him so close, between her and the rest of the world.
"Then what's the difference between us?" Valerie arched her back slightly, and settle with a yawn. She was warm, and she was comfortable. A perfect time to philosophize.
Slowly, he sifted her hair with his fingers, feeling the silky black strands slip through his fingers again and again. "You only take, but I always give something back."
"What do you mean?"
"When I kill, I take a life, and I save a life. One for one. It comes out even in the end. You don't give anything back when you kill, though. You only take." Zane sighed. "Am I making sense?"
Valerie nodded. "Except that you're wrong about me. I've been taken from. It'll never be even."
"They're all dead," whispered Zane, remembering that phrase. Someone should have shot some child, and because they didn't, the child had told someone something, and a whole bunch of people were dead— even the baby. "Even the baby."
Valerie shuddered, but she didn't say anything to contradict him. She'd let things slip early on. He had a general idea of what had gone wrong in her life, even if the details were rough.
"You kill for the wrong reasons." He sounded so serious about this… so concerned. Patronizing. Valerie didn't like it.
"Do I?"
Zane sighed and turned on his side, pulling her with him. "Someday, you'll have to do something to give back— before it's too late. When people take and take, it finally snaps back at them, and they get hurt. You can only take things so far, you know."
"I know."
"Do you kill for revenge?"
She shut her eyes, suddenly wondering this for herself. "I don't know. I might. If I'm not, I may someday. No, I know I will someday. I wouldn't kill people just because they're dead. This is my job. But I'd kill their killers for revenge. I know I would."
Zane kissed her. "Do you know who killed them?"
"The people who killed them— they had no idea why, or who, or anything. It was a higher-up. It was a transcontinental operation. The actual killers didn't even belong to the Sun Ye On. It was through a contact through a contact through a contact type of deal."
"So who do you blame for their deaths?"
"The Sun Ye On," answered Valerie without hesitation. "I blame the man who ordered it."
"Do you think you'll ever find the man who caused their deaths in the first place? The first man to give the order to kill them?" Zane finally rolled onto his back, and decided he was comfortable there. He tucked her head under his chin, and lifted her onto him, pulling the covers up to her nose.
Valerie bit her tongue. She'd wondered that too. "I hope I will in the next few days. And I hope I'll kill him. I hope I look him in the face, tell him what he did, and shoot him down, and I hope it's painful!"
Zane said nothing, but he let his finger slide across her cheek in a light caress, telling her that he had no objections to this idea in the least bit. He seemed to be encouraging it, in fact.
"I'm tired."
"Go to sleep then." Zane kissed her again, and leaned back, wrapping his legs around her, and pushing his face into her hair.
Valerie woke up around four in the afternoon knowing it was almost time. Suppertime was a traditional time for exchange. She sat up slowly, careful not to lose her balance. Beside her, Zane shifted. "What's the matter?"
"Turn on the light."
He sat up obediently, and turned it on before falling back comfortably. "What?" She looked worried. Naturally, if she were worried, he ought to be more so.
"Soon." She looked down, and shook her head. "Dress me. I'm not getting out of bed naked in front of any of them."
Zane grunted something, and slid on his pants under the covers. "What do you want to wear?" He grabbed her bathrobe, threw it around her, and swung off the bed, picking her up.
"Jeans. Tennis shoes. Don't bother with a shirt. I don't need it. From far away, I'll look like I'm wearing white anyway." Valerie waited patiently for him to dress her, smiling as he fumbled here and there. There were things at stake. Everything depended on what happened next, or what didn't. Perhaps she shouldn't have tried to take things so far. Perhaps she would have been smarter to forget the diamond.
"Is that good?"
Valerie nodded as he lifted her upright, and steadied her. "Thank you. I'll need this later." She sighed. "Getting back will be rough. Much more rough than filching the diamond and getting out of the country."
They heard a noise in the next room, and knew she was about to leave. "Hurry up," called The Tyrant, raising his voice slightly. "You obviously know why."
"I hear!" Valerie looked back at Zane. "Be out in a minute!"
Zane looked at her for a few seconds without saying anything. This was very possibly the last time they'd ever see each other, and things were about to start happening. "Um… Madam? If you don't make it back, regardless of why, I understand."
"Thanks." She hesitated, wondering if she ought to. "Zane?"
He waited.
"I will come back for you if I'm alive. I swear."
For a moment, he studied her. Then he crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall. "On what? What do you swear on?"
Neither of them moved. In the other room, they could hear The Tyrant talking to Dr. Hinesburg, and the impatient but polite shuffling of the bodyguards waiting to leave. They weren't anxious for it to happen. They had time to waste thinking.
"On what?" he repeated.
Valerie took a deep breath, and shut her eyes. "On the baby."
"Hurry up!" The Tyrant banged on the door. "Two more minutes, and I'm coming in there!"
It didn't matter. Zane didn't move. Valerie didn't move. This was more important.
"Who was the baby?" His eyes drilled into hers, demanding, and searching, and she knew he would be able to tell more than she had said from her answer alone.
"My… my brother," she whispered.
"And what was his name?"
Valerie stared at him. She didn't know how to answer, and she didn't know what to say.
"His name?" he repeated.
Slowly, she shook her head, and then faster. "No! I can't!" She spun around, showing him her back, shoulders shaking. "You don't understand, Zane! I want to forget about that! You don't know what happened… you can't understand. I can't— can't tell you."
Zane wrapped his arms around her, and held her tightly. "Alright. It's fine. Forget it."
Valerie relaxed against him and shut her eyes. "I don't want to go out there."
"Why not?" He tightened his grip even more, ignoring her flinch, and began to rock back and forth.
"I'm scared."
He kissed the back of her neck. "Obviously. How on earth are you hoping to stay alive longer enough? I mean, if you know something, why shouldn't they just shoot you right away?"
"Because they think I know something more. I hope."
Zane frowned. "Why?"
"They think the CIA is involved somehow, and that killing me will set off a chain reaction." Valerie sighed. "They'll keep me long enough to decide I was bluffing. By then, I should be gone, unless something happens, and… and they kill me."
"Are you afraid to die?"
"Only if I can't kill the person responsible first." Valerie set her head on his shoulder. "You've been really great, Zane. You really have. I'm glad I didn't kill you."
The Tyrant banged on the door again. "Hurry up already!"
Zane sighed and reached for the door knob. "Maybe we'd better go. He's going to get angry. You've already made a fool out of him several times, and the Sun Ye On is probably waiting."
"Yes." Valerie paused, eyes still shut, collecting her thoughts, and then opened them, nodding her head sharply.
Zane opened the door.
The escort waiting for her was really quite large, especially considering the fact that she was even more wounded than before. They weren't all the Mafia's men though. There were some Chinese, and she was sure the Sun Ye On had subtly rubbed it in by suggesting that their own men come along to make sure she didn't escape. She stood in the doorway for a few seconds, looking every man in the room over without blinking. They squirmed. Behind her in the doorway, Zane waited, and smirked.
"As you can see," The Tyrant said finally, breaking the uncomfortable silence, and turning to the Chinese man beside him, "she has been rendered completely helpless, especially without even the use of her arms for balance, and she should be no problem."
"Should be, but then, she should have been several times before, and she was after all." He looked down at a picture he was holding, and then back at Valerie who glared at him. "It's her."
The Tyrant beamed. "Well then, if I may have the cash, you may have her. I'd like your men off my land within three hours though."
"Certainly."
Valerie laughed and shook her head. "They'll be here for a while, Tyrant. They want your pretty diamond, but you're not going to find it. I don't think you ever will."
Suddenly, the tension could be felt again, and The Tyrant was sweating. So were the Chinese. If he refused to hand her over, then they could possibly lose her, since she knew they were looking for her now. They needed her dead so badly; she was getting more and more dangerous each day!
Zane kept smirking. It was exceptionally amusing, really, to see these men in distress when they had the supposed upper hand in this situation. They didn't. Madam always did.
"You're lying," The Tyrant said finally. "You looked to the right."
She'd done it on purpose, but he didn't need to know that. Valerie shook her head, and turned around to look at Zane. "Three days at the most, understand? I swear."
"On who?" Everyone knew he was challenging something. Everyone knew he was challenging her. Why, they did not know, but they knew it was important.
For a moment, their eyes were locked. Neither of them moved, and the others waited, because they felt obligated to by the importance the last few words had emitted.
Valerie finally dropped her eyes, and stepped away, allowing herself to be surrounded by the Mafia and the Sun Ye On. She hesitated, as she turned with them, and stopped suddenly. "It was…"
Everyone waited. "Zane."
"What?" He looked slightly confused. Hadn't they talked over everything in the closet?
"No—" Valerie shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. Rules were about to be broken… "The baby. That was his name."
Feel free to sniffle loudly.
You who do not review: Your evils will condemn you on the day of judgment. :)
