day 13 continued
Lily sat in his lap, face burried in his shirt, stone quiet in the room for a good fifteen minutes.
"What was that?" He asked her.
She said it a bit louder but he still didn't quite hear.
"Lily, look at me." She sat back and he felt the urge to pull her back into a deep hug. Tears flowed from her eyes, he hadn't even realized that his shirt was soaked.
"Lily?" He asked, now very worried.
"Rusty has been touching me." It was still quiet but this time he heard it, moslty read her lips. "He said he would hurt you and the others if I said anything." She sniffled.
"How... how did he touch you?" Lincoln asked trying to keep calm. "Where?"
"I was home with Luna, and he came over. He was nice for a while then he sat me in his lap." It was obvious she was telling a story. "He rubbed my front." He watched as she ran her hand over her chest. "And my leg." Her other hand went up her leg, over her bottom then down her leg. "He was saying stuff. How pretty I was. I smelled good." She looked lost and far away. "He unbottoned my pants and I got up to run." She rubbed her arm. "He grabbed my arm and squeezed. I started to yell and he covered my mouth. He said luna was sleeping, and he could walk up there and make her stay asleep. then he pulled my pants down."
She stare at the floor. "He rubbed me for a little bit then the door opened. He pulled my pants up and told me he would hurt Lisa, or the twins too." She trembled. "He said Lola might like it, that she was probably used to it." Lily looked up at him. "The next time... after the next time, he said he would hurt Lucy because Rocky likes her."
"How many times?" He asked with a waver in his voice.
Lily held up her hands, seven fingers went up. "He..." She sniffled again. "He took my necklace, Lincoln, with grandma's ring!" She wrapped him in a tight hug again and cried. "After the pictures he took her ring!"
"Lincoln, the guys are almost here!" Lynn called from out in the yard. "Put on some pants and come on down!"
'Well that didn't sound right.' He thought as he set Lily on his bed. "Stay here!" He kissed her forehead.
Lynn passed him as he came into the front room. "Need to stay hydrated!" He heard her comment.
He arrived at the door just as the guys got on the porch. There was no thought, just rage as he felt his fist collide with Rusty's jaw. Vaugly he heard Clyde, Eddie and Liam but didn't register what they were saying.
"Hey what was that for?!" He heard rusty say as he fell back on the porch.
Lincoln started stomping on the redhead. Drawing cries of pain and pleas for help from the boy. His sisters were stopped at the door by Shinji. "Uh uh, personal stuff." The woman said as she looked on.
Lincoln managed to shake off Clyde and Liam without hurting them but Eddie seemed to sense something and moved to stand just by the door.
Rusty was finally trying to fight back. He had regained some senses and landed a couple blows but Lincoln's rage was stronger. He really shook the redhead up with some strong blows to the temple and gut, taking the fight back out of Rusty. Clyde and Liam managed to stand Lincoln up, but they had trouble pulling him away. Lincoln kicked and stomped on Rusty until there was a crack. Rusty's leg moved to an odd angle and the white haired boy slipped. He Clyde and Liam fell over.
"You were my friend!" Lincoln pointed angrily. "How the fuck could you do something like that, you sick bastard!"
"Lincoln calm down!" Clyde held Lincoln back as he tried to stand again.
"She's three! A child!" Lincoln spit on Rusty.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Rusty groaned. Lincoln pulled free and rushed over, taking rusty's cell from his pocket. The screen had a crack, but you could still see the screen clearly and operate it. Lincoln found the gallery and went white.
Lily wasn't the only one Rusty had pictures of. Several of the girls he knew. Some had video. Most were candid, upskirts and what not. "Hey, Eddie, remember what you said about who uploaded that video of Jordan the other day?" He tossed the phone to his friend.
Eddie stare at it a moment then passed it off to Liam. "Somebody call the cops." the black teen said as he scrolled a little more. "I think I'm going to be sick." He ran into the house and for the bathroom.
"I say we hang him." Liam passed the phone to Clyde.
Clyde turned the screen off. "You guys don't need to see this." He said as he started to cry. "Nobody should."
"Hangin's too good fer 'im!" Shinji said with a perfect southern drawl. The Louds had heard her and her sisters slip into the accent from time to time but Liam was a bit insulted. She had seen a bit of the things on Rusy's phone. She was dialing hers.
"Reggie, hey, got a live one for you. You know the Loud residence?" She um-hummed. "Figures. Well, the redhead with the broken leg and uglied up face, you'll need cuffs for him. The Loud Boy, Lincoln, I can vouch for him. I'd have done worse to that Rusty feller." She waited. "Send a squad car to..." She looked to Liam.
"Spokes, Rusty Spokes." Liam glared at the wounded boy in the yard. "They know him." Liam spit off to the side. "They know him."
"Rusty Spokes' house. You'll need a warrent. I need someone with the special victims unit, perferrably good with children. We have the guy's phone, it is full of bad shit!"
"So a car is on the way. Someone over there somewhere called the po-po already." She waved her hand along the street. "Linc, I suggest you go sit in the house. Don't wash up. They could get you for evidence tampering."
She took the phone from Clyde, went into the kitchen and slipped it in a sandwich bag. A little masking tape and her name written down sealed the bag and she put it aside letting everyone know not to touch it any more.
Lincoln found Lily in his room, at some point she put his headphones in and was hiding under his sheet. She flinched when he pulled it back then jumped into his arms. "You're okay!" She felt him wince and backed up some. "You're okay?"
"I'm fine. Are you alright?"
She nodded but seemed unsure.
"Rusty is never coming around again!" He told her with authority.
Her eyes lit up. She smiled and he could feel the warmth. It was different than the ones he had been getting for some time. The pain that had lingered behind those smiles were soon over shadowed by the loss of their parents. Now he knew why and he would carry the grief with him of not being able to protect his little sister.
"Hey Lincoln." He looked at her. "I was scared to tell you guys. I didn't want to get you hurt." She frowned. "I should have 'spected more of you." She hugged him again. "My hero!"
"Hello." Came from the doorway. A middle aged woman in an officer's uniform stood by the door. "I'm Officer Green. I'm here to speak with Lily."
Shinji and Lori could be seen signaling that it was okay.
"Okay, Lily, remember what you told me, tell her, and be honest." He kissed her forhead and stepped out of his room. Watching the door close and knowing that she had to relive that a second time that day stung.
"I'll take your questions, Linc." Shinji put an arm around his shoulder. "Rusty is gone, ambulance took him to the hospital, squad car in tow."
Shinji didn't question him at all. They sat in Lori's room and played checkers.
Shinji checked her phone about a half hour later. "They found Lily's necklace. A bunch of other stuff too. An ID from an elementary school the next town over..." She cringed. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but it looks like Rusty is being booked as an adult." She set her phone down.
"Why?" he asked.
"That poor girl didn't make it." Shinji didn't look at him. The room for the second time that day went quiet.
Day 14
Yesterday was rough with everything that had happened.
Nobody talked about what had happened and everyone focused on Lily. She seemed to be taking it better than everyone else. Much more full of life and energetic.
Breakfast was interesting. The Loud children came down to find Mika had made them each a plate and was just putting Lincoln's down as everyone entered. She sat down to a plate of scrambled eggs and Lori looked over.
"Want a bite?" Mika held up a forkful.
Yuki nudged Luan and pointed with a wicked little smile. They watched as Lori took a bite and instantly her face turned red and she began to sweat. She was up and at the frigde drinking right from the carton.
"I guess she doesn't like your hot eggs, Mi." Yuki chuckled. Luan herself had yolk come out of her nose as she broke out laughing.
Once breakfast was done, everyone spent time with Lily until Luna went back to bed and Lincoln literally passed out.
"Who gave that kid an energy drink?" Lynn groaned and flopped on the couch.
Yes, everyone was tuckered out excpet Leni and Yuki. They had paced themselves in their turns with the energetic three year old.
Shinji had disappeared the night before. It came up a couple times.
Mika left to tend to getting the restraunt running.
So the fashion designer and photographer took Lily along to the mall around noon.
Lily helped fold clothes. Yuki chatted up the boss. Leni had to step away often to help customers. Lily would inch closer to the model each time her big sister was gone and a stranger came near.
After work they went to the park again.
They watched Lily play with the girl from yesterday. "She protected her little friend there." Yuki said with a smile.
"Like Lincoln!" Leni said dreamily.
"You really love your big sister and little brother, don't you."
"Well he's my brother, of course I do!" Leni said innocently.
"I mean REALLY love them."
Leni turned her attention to the paper she had been marking up designs on.
"Leni, it's okay. I love my sisters too." She put a comforting arm around Leni. "Just wanted you to know that you can trust me with stuff. You aren't alone."
Leni sat there quietly for a bit. "You, um, like, do stuff with your sisters?"
"Yeah. It's fun!" She hugged Leni. "And I have never felt more loved!"
"You ever been with anyone else?" Leni asked.
"A few. I'm kind of picky. I really need to like them first." Yuki said unabashed. "I've shared a few with Mika and Shinji."
"You don't think it's weird?"
Yuki laughed at the blonde's question.
"Some people think it is, that's why I don't kiss and tell, but, I feel I can trust you. I only decided to tell you, because Shinji already spoke with Linc. That's also why I need to tell you something." Leni turned to better look at Yuki. "I want to put on a show, featuring your designs. I bought them all from the company that owns the store you work at!" She took a slip of paper from her hand bag and presented it to Leni excitedly. "I'm giving them back to you!"
Leni looked the paper over. It looked like a bunch of big words and a copy of a check was folded up in it.
"I don't understand?" Leni looked over to see Lily pushing her friend on a swing.
She gazed at her sister. "Does this mean I won't be able to sell my designs at the store any more?" She said sadly.
"Oh, no! You still can sell them at your store, and work there if you still like to, but now, you own your designs and you can sell them all over, in many stores!"
Leni smiled, her eyes still on Lily. "Any store?"
"Yes."
"But what about..."
"Leni, you're rich, and you'll be famous. No more store brand in place of your name! I want to wear, and show off, your clothes and accessories." Yuki held up a check of her own. "This is for the show, for everything you need and want to make anything you like!"
"Can my sisters and brother model them?" The gears in her head were turning, finally catching on to what Yuki was saying.
"Leni, my sweet, it's your show. You can have anyone wear whatever you like!"
"Lori looks good in powder blue. Lincoln, he looks good in orange." She smiled dreamily and licked her lips. "What do you think our kids would look good in?"
"Our kids?" Yuki put her finger to her lips. "Leni, I'm sorry, but I don't have the equipment to get you pregnant." Leni looked at Yuki blankly. "But if I could, she would be a beautiful half asian baby with green eyes. She will have the freckles from your family on skin like mine. She will have your lovely personality, but Lori's hair. She would be as smart as Lisa and as brave as Lincoln, Lynn and Shinji combined. She would have your mother's name and... and cook like your father. Most of all, she will look absolutely adorable in everything you make for her and Love You To Pieces!"
Leni was actually surprised at Yuki's words. She imagined the girl that had been described. "She would." Leni said with a hushed tone and soft smile. "Though I totes ment one made by Linky and me."
"Everything I said, but with white hair that acts like Lori's and skin more like Lucy's."
"Why Lori's hair and Lucy's skin?" Leni asked.
"So she can share something with all of her aunts." Yuki shrugged and handed Leni a bottle with chocolate written on it. "Careful, I put some rum in there."
"Trying to get me drunk?" Leni asked playfully.
"If I were, I wouldn't have told you." She admitted.
"Well, it will totes take more than a little rum to do that." Leni took a big, confident drink and started to cough. "I thought you said a little!" She exclaimed.
"Sorry. I gave you mine." She swapped bottles with the fashion designer.
"You think Lily will be okay?" Leni asked sadly.
Yuki shrugged. "Shinji is the shrink. I just picked up a few things over time. I do know kids are resilliant."
The topic changed again as Leni looked over the papers. "Why are you doing this for us?"
"Because you guys deserve it." True and to the point. "Also, Aunti Love gets free Leni Brand fashion?" Yuki smiled playfully and placed her hands on her own chest while giving the designer a hopeful look.
At the restraunt Mika had just gotten the recipie going. All the dishes and new appliances were now washed. The tables were set. The flyers were printing in the office to announce the Grand Reopening of Lynn's. The kids hadn't wanted to change the name. The accountant slash chef tasted the glaze and was startled by a noise.
She turned to see Lori in the doorway. She looked like she was having a flashback. "That literally smells just like Dad's!" She sighed.
"His recipie. I just followed it." Mika took a spoonful of the glaze over to Lori. "Does it taste right?"
Lori sipped the liquid from the untensil and teared up. "Oh My Gosh!" She pulled Mika into a hug that the older woman returned. "It's like he's here!"
"I'm pretty sure Lincoln already pointed that out." Mika placed a hand over Lori's heart. "He and your mother always will be." Lori nodded in agreement. "Hey, want to help an old woman out?"
"You, old? Seriously?" Lori asked in disbelief.
"Early forties."
"Bull shit!" Lori stated with shock. "You and your sisters are twenty five at least."
Mika shook her head no and pulled a photo album out of her wallet. It featured five girls and two boys.
"That is Thatch, my eldest niece. Twenty-five and just back from a deployment." Lori looked the young woman in her navy uniform over. She had some weight, but it looked natural and she carried it in all the right places. Mika's finger moved over the tallest boy. "My nephew Billy!"
"My gosh! Billy Maximoff!" Lori yelled and mika laughed. "He was MVP for the Dodgers last year! Graduated highschool early and is the youngest pro in the sport! He just turned seventeen!"
"A fan?" Mika asked. Lori blushed. "Oh I gotta hear this." Mika chuckled and gave Lori a gentle poke in her tummy.
She giggled then got shy. "Leni bought me a pair of underwear, with his number, when last season started." She mumbled and Mika laughed heartily and soon Lori joined in. "So who's that?" Lori pointed to a baby girl who was being held in Thatch's arms.
"Carolyn, Marry's and Huey's youngest, Billy's sister." Mika stopped to point out a few things. "They all are siblings, Thatch and Hot-Pepper belong to Shinji and Huey." She tapped another confident looking girl with a bat and short black hair. "She and Billy play ball all the time. Pepper is captain of her baseball team."
'Hot-Pepper?" Lori asked. Mika nodded. "Seriously?" Lori asked again.
"Thatch won the pool, she got to name Hot-Pepper. Shinji ate food so hot even I couldn't stomach it. Kid still eats the stuff. Other than her mother, we're all still playing catch up to that girl!"
Lori was amazed. She had drank half a gallon of milk after just trying Mika's hot eggs.
"Billy and Carolyn are, well, I explained that." Mika got Lori's attention again. "Ida, Yuki got to name her after our aunt. Poor little darling has mild narcolepsy, it's on Huey's side of the family. She still made the swim team! An energy drink goes a long way, and the water keeps her awake. A specialist in Prague believes it isn't narcolepsy at all." The girl looked like she had just been pulled from the pool, her hair was wet and she had a onepiece swim-suit on. "Ida is the oldest out of the middle kids. Pepper is next, then there are mine!" She placed her finger under a boy in a white suit and a girl in grey suit. "Kanako isn't her real name, she got into an anime and started using it when the kids at school couldn't say her real name. She's named after our mother, Himeneko. Peter-Jun is her twin brother, and the youngest of the middle children. Named after Uncle Peter and our father, Jun. Kanako makes these amazing collages, Jun plays football, both of them excel academically, they all do really, but these two go above and beyond. Pepper does the minimum and pulls D's while Ida keeps herself around the middle with C and B grades."
"All of them are Huey's?" Lori asked in disbelief. "You are polygamists?"
Mika laughed. "No, not at all! Marry is a dear friend of ours since Junior high, might as well be family. She moved in after her grandmother passed. Huey served with Shinji, they got close, real close, and Thatch was born. Long story there. Huey met Marry when he moved in, short story, they fell in love, married and had Billy." Mika sighed. "Marry took some personal time, gave Huey a free pass, and well..." Mika fidgeted. "After a few months Huey got to be with Yuki, I enjoyed his company as well... I really do mean that I enjoyed it! Several times!" She blushed. "Then, at some time, he got a repeat with my big sister. Tadaa, four more little blessings!"
"How do the kids feel about this?" Lori asked.
"They know. Ida is a real little crack-up and is always making jokes about it."
Mika turned to the next page. "Andrea, she's Pepper's good friend and also the kids' adopted sister. Another long story." The girl had strong Eastern European features, dark brown eyes and hair with fair skin. She was older than The Middle Kids, but not by much. She wore her hair in a faux mohawk and had a vest with buckles and loops over a long sleeve fishnet shirt, under which was a sports
bra. "She stole Harumi's bondage pants." Mika said with a chuckle.
"And Harumi's vest!" Lori joked.
Mika frowned. "No, that belongs to her. She didn't have any clothes to wear when she was released." Lori gave Mika a look, but the older woman just stare at the photo. "I don't rightly know why she keeps it."
They spent the next few hours going through eachothers photos while tending to the food that would make up the next days main course.
"Hey, Lincoln!" Lincoln almost turned his bike into the bushes in surprise. "Careful!"
He stopped and saw Shinji in her rental car.
"Where have you been?" He asked walking up to the car.
"Work." She answered.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"Work." She huffed. "Gotta strike while the iron is hot, didn't expect it to get hot so fast."
He pointed to her shirt. "Is that blood?"
She looked down at her shirt. "Could be. One of the guys I took down was eating a hotdog, with ketchup." She looked up at him. "Seriously, ketchup! Who does that?"
"Apparently that guy." Lincoln told her and she laughed.
"Good point."
"What do you eat on your hotdogs?"
"I prefer mine with mustard and onions, but I add sweet relish now and again. If they're grilled, just mustard, goes with them plain or coated with B B Q sauce. Of course if you go to Coney Island you get the works! With Jalapenos!"
"I'll keep that in mind." He was imagining what the works looked like.
"Hey, here." She tossed him something. "Have a great day, tell your homies I said hi! Oh, see if Farm Boy can hook Auntie up. I'm running a little low." With that she drove off.
He looked down at the envelope. when he opened it he counted out several hundred dollar bills. The envelope had a red spatter on the outside. He pocketed the money and tossed the envelope in the trash. 'What in hell does she do?'
"How's Lily, Lincoln?" Liam asked as soon as he saw the white haired boy roll up his driveway.
"She seems great! She wore everyone out today. Even Luna and Lynn!"
"Dang!" Liam looked shocked. Luna and Lynn usually ran circles around everyone.
He relayed the story about Lori trying Mika's eggs.
"Sound's mighty good!" Liam smacked his lips. "Mind if I come over for breakfast?"
"Sure! Oh!" He handed Liam one of the bills he got from Shinji. "Shinji wants some smoke."
"A hundred smackers, shoot, all she had to do was ask!" He went to hand the hundred back bit lincoln declined. "I like her for the short time I've known her. I really didn't know that's how she talked, like me that is."
"Yeah. I've heard her go into it on a few times. Mika and Yuki too. Shinji says her oldest has a heavier accent, being raised in Georgia for a while."
"An asian lady with a southern accent!" Liam's eyes slitted and he grinned.
"Takes the place of your aunt?" Lincoln asked.
Liam looked at him sternly. "Now don't get crazy." He relaxed his stare. "Second best though."
"When is Clyde getting here?"
"Oh, he's taking Jordan's coworker out, that Bonnie girl." Liam filled lincoln in. "Didn't you get the text?"
Lincoln checked his phone. "Oh, good for him!"
"Yeah, that boy has game!" Liam led Lincoln to the barn. "Have you heard from Eddie?"
"Not since yesterday." Lincoln told him. "Actually, I'm worried."
"Me too. Usually he'll send a text of a video or something." Liam looked at his phone to see if he had missed something.
By the time dinner time neared, Lincoln was strolling home comfortably buzzed. He knew Luna and Luan smoked pot, but he hadn't told them about his use of it. He stopped by Eddie's on the way, only to not recieve an answer. He stood outside the window to Eddie's room and sent a text. "Dude, everything okay?"
He then sent one to Shinji, letting her know Liam had given him her stuff.
By the time he got home, he smelled dinner wafting out the open front door.
Mika and Lori stood in front of the stove, the older woman was talking Lori through a recipie. He greeted them as he grabbed a juice. Lori gave him a sweet hug and then Mika engulfed him in an embrace. She had really lost the aloofness since he had first met her.
As soon as he was loose, Lori shoved a spoon into his mouth and he had no choice but to chew and swallow. He knew that look. "Tastes great!" He told her honestly. "What is it?"
"Calamares en Su Tinta!" His eldest sister said happily.
"What?" He asked as he stuck the straw in his juice box.
"Squid in its own ink." Mika answered for Lori as she sampled a side dish. Mika smirked at how his face changed. "It's Spanish. From Spain, not Mexico. I have a couple nice bottles of Navarra Joven to go with it, or make Tinto de Verano for the kids."
He was going to reply but Lori excitedly had him sample another dish from the counter.
His eyes perked in surprise at the flavor.
"Dessert. Leche Frita!" Lori said excitedly. "Fried milk, can you believe it!?"
He heard Mika chuckle behind his sister.
"Go on upstairs and wash up for dinner." Lori kissed him quickly and he rushed from the room.
He stopped at the top of the stairs to lick his lips. A stupid smile spreading across his face. He headed for his room and started to gather clean clothes. He came across a brown bag he had forgotten about. With a guilty blush he made his way to Lana and Lola's room. He didn't find either so he slipped the magazines under Lana's mattress.
He then scrawled a quick note on the box of the pink personal massager, 'From Lana' and placed it under Lola's pillow. Lana had conned him into aquiring them, so, it was from the tomboy to her sister. The other one, a red one, he put under Lana's pillow.
Luan was just leaving the bathroom when he approached the door. She grinned and flashed him. "Week's almost over!" She said saucily. "Honk honk!" She squeezed his nose, gave him a kiss and sauntered into her room.
Lincoln reached up and ran his finger across his top lip. when he looked at it he saw blood. He knew she hadn't done it hard enough to make his nose bleed. 'I'm turning into Clyde...' He looked down at his tented pants. 'Do I... take care of this myself?' He glanced at Luna and Luan's room. 'Maybe a quick handy from...' a door behind him opened and he rushed into the privacy of the bathroom.
He wasn't in there long before the door opened. He stuck his head out to see Luna rush to the toilet and vomit. Violet rushed in after and asked Luna what was wrong.
"You okay, Luna?" He asked.
Luna just shook her head no. She rested her cheek on the seat and Violet stroked her hair.
Lincoln felt something was up and turned the water off.
"Dinner!" Came the call. "Get it while it's still here!"
Luna skipped dinner, though she took a couple glasses of the wine and a six pack of Mika's beer.
Everyone else ate making quiet talk about what was probably bothering Luna, or about how good the food was.
After dinner they all had their own things to do. Lynn finally got the call about her archery tournament, she didn't make it. The news resulted in her spending the next day practicing until she couldn't hold the arrows any more.
She was, however, listed as an alternate.
"You think we should be concerned with Luna drinking like that?" He asked Lori and Yuki as he waited his turn to take on the winner. They were the only three still up and Violet had went home after a small argument with Luna.
Yuki tossed her phone to Lincoln when it chimed.
Dearest: "Luna home?"
"It's Shinji." Lincoln told her. "Wants to know if Luna is home."
"Let her know, Snowball." Yuki said without taking her eyes off the TV.
Lori snickered. "Snowballs!" Yuki snickered and they broke out in giggles.
ME: "Yuki is playing game, it's Lincoln, Luna's home."
Dearest: "Hey Linc! She okay?"
ME: "Got sick. Then got drunk. What's going on?"
Dearest: "Be there soon"
Lincoln looked at the clock on the phone. He hadn't realized it was so late. The time switched to 12 and it was officially Saturday.
Day 14
"Lori, shouldn't you get to bed?" Lincoln asked.
"Five more minutes."
He grinned at her response.
Lori wasn't joking. She and Yuki finished up and Lori tossed him the controller.
Yuki ate a portion of a chocolate bar. "You know the little pieces you break off the chocolate bars are called pips?"
"I did not know that."
She yawned. "One more round then I think I'll try getting to bed?"
"Where have you girls been sleeping anyway?"
"Treehouse." Yuki stated. "It's fun! Like camping!"
"Tell you what, you win, I'll let you use my bed."
"If you win I'll..." She held the edge of a pip to her lips. "Suck your dick?"
"Won't you get in trouble for that?"
"Only if you tell, Lincoln, besides, I doubt you'll win." She slipped the chocolate into her mouth with her pointer finger.
He ended up sleeping on the couch. At least he was trying to. He could swear that Yuki was the evil one in the bunch, and he didn't dare call her a cheater. She had to reload and hustle for health packs too many times to be accused of that.
But his loss wasn't what was keeping him up.
A bunch of things went through his mind. What was with Luna? Would Lily remain alright, would her nightmares return? Where was this going with his older sisters and Lucy? Where was Eddie?
The front door opened and Shinji walked in. "I need a thick barrel and some gasoline." She stated. He flicked on the light to see that she had put her feet in garbage bags. She had a towel wrapped around her torso. It was already stained red. "Also, where's your first aid kit?"
He got up and ran to her when she stumbled. A glance out the door and he asked. "Where's your rental?"
"What rental? I rode down with Mika." She said in such a way that said 'That's the story.' She stood up straighter and he heard a pop. She rubbed her hip then strode into the kitchen. "I'll explain in a minute."
A minute ended up being fifteen. The clock hit 2 a.m. and she was still sitting bare assed in front of him as she fed a five-hundred dollar suit into the fire, one article at a time while she used tweezers to pull debris from her abdomin.
"What happened?"
"I underestimated todays work." She replied. "I also got a bit distracted when some punk rocker came down the alley." She pulled a nail from her side and he was the one that cringed. "Spent the rest of the day chasing him down. Fucking parquor! Not as practiced as I should be."
"Shinji, what do you do?"
"For real?" She asked setting the tweezers aside and opening the rubbing alcohol. He nodded yes. "I kill people. Do most of my work for the governent, do the rest for the family and allied powers." She didn't smile, there was no smirk and there was no tone to betray the seriousness of her words. "He was going to shoot her."
"Shoot who?"
"Luna, when she stepped into the alley." Lincoln's eyes grew wide. "He knew I wouldn't have let someone bleed out, he could have escaped." She turned and handed him the tweezers. "See that hole?"
"Yeah." He trembled.
"Stick those in there until you feel something hard that moves, get a good grip and pull."
Lincoln watched as she winced and listened as she groaned. He felt what she had explained and it took a few minutes but he got a grip like she had explained. He pulled and out came a distorted piece of metal.
She took it and looked it over. "Twenty-two." She tossed it in the fire.
"Twenty two what?"
"Seeing as he had a Ruger, I'd say rimfire, solid slug as it didn't mash all to hell on impact." She explained. She rested her arms on her legs and her head drooped. "Damn!" She looked at him with sad eyes. "She saw me stomp out Friedrick! Wonder how that's sitting with her?"
"I'm confused." Lincoln had some ideas at the same time his imagination was running wild.
"I ran across this guy I had worked with, Friedrick, one of the few krauts I don't like. Guy went rogue, but there was no proof and the investigation ended when he started working for the asshole who done this!" She pointed to the bullet wound. "Richard Scholz, a hoity toity, sadistic fuck that knows how to cover his tracks." She took a swig of the rubbing alcohol and made a face. "He abuses his diplomatic immunity. Courier for various bad operators in exchange for cash or whatever. Did I mention he's a serial killer?"
Lincoln shook his head no.
"That's why I had him on my list. Unfortunately, no one can link his death to the U.S. and the Germans don't want that scandal. A traitor is one thing, but a serial killer with a government pass is another, apparently."
"She probably hates me!" Shinji groaned. "I like the little rockstar too! Been meaning to introduce her to Jodi."
Shinji motioned to her black grocery bag. "The grey book, please. And a pen."
He handed them over and watched as she copied symbols from the book onto her body.
She handed him the book and pen. "Think you can put those around there?" She pointed to the bullet wound. He nodded.
As he drew she giggled. "A little harder, man, that tickles!" So he pressed just a bit more.
When he was confident that they matched he told her so with a skepticle "Okay."
Then she repeated a few words from the book that sounded like gibberish and he watched with rapt attention as the wounds glowed white and healed without leaving a scar.
"Wha..." He stopped to wipe the drool from his chin.
"Magic, Linc, I showed you the fire, water and sand thing." She slipped on the pink top, it fit snugly and he could see the outline of every small change in her body. it wasn't long enough to cover her abdomin though. She stood and slipped on the grey sweats his mom had owned. She had to adjust the string and they were still a bit loose. "Your mom had an ass!" Shinji said like it were a compliment. "Imma get a beer. Mika leave me a plate?"
He nodded that her sister had left her a plate.
She grabbed her grocery bag and headed inside.
Lincoln sat there until the embers in the barrel died out.
He bumped into Luna while he was heading upstairs. She looked horrible. she pulled him into a hug. "She's dead, Bra!" She hicupped. She really was drunk.
"Uh, who?"
"Shinji! I was coming down the alley to piss behind a dumpster, she was there. this guy shot her!" She was struggling to keep her voice down. "I just ran and I haven't told anybody! Pretty fucked up, right?" she was weeping.
"She thinks you hate her for killing that guy." Lincoln slipped.
"Linc, bro, Mick told me about her. Her cousin too. I can't hate her, look what she did for us." She pulled him back into a hug. "That's why I feel so bad, Bro, I just left her there. Didn't even go back!"
"She's down in the kitchen eating." He patted Luna's back. "I have to pee." He looked toward the bathroom. "You talk with Violet?" He asked figuring he could hold it a little longer.
Luna nodded. "She got mad because I didn't talk with her about things." The rocker let Lincoln go. "She's doing okay. More concerned about me but how do I tell her that..." She let out a loud burp and his nose filled with the scent of beer.
"Luna! Downstairs, in the kitchen, Shinji's eating." He patted her back. "You should too. Be good for you." He smiled at her and then hurried to relieve himself.
Luna stood there until she heard a noise. she decided to check it out.
She was so relieved to see the woman but noticed how Shinji crossed her arms and looked nervous.
"Sorry I left you in the alley."
"Are you okay?"
The two had spoke at the same time.
"You're sorry?" Shinji asked. "You don't care about..." She stopped.
"You and Mick go back a long way, huh?" Shinji nodded yes. "He told me about what you do. Plus, I just get good vibrations from you, you know."
Shinji nodded and smiled. "You have got to try this!" Shinji took Luna's plate from the fridge. "Lori did a great job!"
Luna figured that the assassin was done with the conversation and accepted it as that.
They ate quietly with little conversation. It was when they were putting the dishes away that Luna spoke up.
"All those agents at the funeral were talking about my mom."
Shinji turned to face the rocker.
"Was she really CIA before she went to the secret service?" Luna asked the woman.
"I don't know all of the secrets. I'll ask around." Shinji wiped a tear from luna's eye. "Now your Aunt Ruth, that's a scary bitch!"
Luna looked taken aback.
"If I had been around in her day, we would have tried to kill eachother." Shinji laughed lightly.
"Seriously?"
"Ruth had moved to Ukrain when in high school with her mom, your great grandma, after the divorce. From there to Russia with her boyfriend for university. She joined the military. She ended up as KGB working in Southern Asia, until they tried to kill her for some reason. She made it state side, traded a bunch of KGB secrets and became a CIA operative. She only retired when your mother's parents died."
"How do you know all of that?"
"She's a ghost story, kid, and one of the few things that scare me." Shinji pulled her sketch book from the grocery bag and opened it to a drawing. "I like to keep informed about such things."
Luna inspected the aged drawing of a woman looking like a younger version of her Aunt Ruth. She was wearing a Russian style outfit and holding a man by the hair with one hand and a knife with the other as she pinned him with the full weight of her body.
"That is what Sergeant Zhuikevich described to me." Shinji eased the book away from her. "He was just a boy when he witnessed his father's death at her hands."
"No way, dude!"
"Way!" Shinji told her.
After looking over the drawing, Shinji closed the book herself. "I confirmed it with Ruth after the funeral. She threatened to kill me if I said anything so, keep it hush hush."
"Mum's the word, Deary!" Luna saluted.
"Wanna burn one down?" The asian asked.
"Sure!"
As they sat outside Luna stare up at the treehouse. A soft glow came from the window and the hatch.
"We built that early last year. Didn't use it that much." Luna took her hit.
"We've always wanted one but our trees were never big enough or were non-exisitant." Shinji explained.
"Aren't you guys cold?"
"We cuddle. Good blankets. Just like when we go camping." She smiled. "You like camping?"
"It's okay. No place to plug in my guitar. Headset dies and I have to deal with it."
"You play accoustic."
"That's not rock, though." Luna told the older woman.
"You need to ask Mick about his sessions in Osaka."
"I never heard of those." Luna gasped.
"Limited copies, recorded on site, given only to the people who were there. He'll give you a copy, you are his favorite song bird."
"Violet tell you about that?"
"Yuri. She listened to his stories for a good hour, then he played her the songs you had sent him." Luna beamed with pride. "Sad really."
"What is?" Luna watched Shinji's eye twitch.
"His first marriage collapsed because of groupies. His second due to the drugs. His girlfriend left him for someone younger and not quite as tallented. He got cleaned up and his two kids still don't want to talk to him because they believe him touring was more important than them." She sighed. "I actually blame the agent he just fired, Bob, and his previous accountant, Dobbs, I think."
"How well do you know Mick?" Luna asked her.
"Met him once when I was younger, Uncle D had taken my sisters and I to Jolly Ol' London Town. Then I was his bodyguard on one of his tours. My handler, Walkur, is a big fan. He had heard that Mick had a serious stalker and got me on the job. Freaky thing is, it was Mick's temporary bassist."
"Whitefield!" Luna said excitedly. "The guy was arrested for poisoning Tully and had possession of an illegal firearm."
"Luckily he used a low dose of a weak poison. Tully was back on tour after a month." Shinji said while nodding yes to Luna's conclusion.
"What about the stalker?" Luna asked.
"It was Whitefield."
"Oh, yeah." Luna took in Shinji's outfit. "Why are you dressed like that?"
"Didn't want to get arrested for public indecency getting my suitcase from the car, couldn't hang out any longer in gore covered clothes." Shinji stood up and kissed Luna's cheek. "Bed time. G'Night, Luv!" Luna watched Shinji climb the steps to the treehouse before she went in.