Chapter 10
Kate
She kept facing the flames, well at least when there were flames. She hadn't notice that they were put out. Nor had she noticed that Bane and the tumblers had left. The snow on the ground was light, but still she didn't feel the cold. She found herself feeling the rage creeping its way through her. It was frightening that whenever it showed, she didn't care about anything. She didn't feel a thing. Right now, all that matter was that she now knew the truth. Her father was murdered because he wanted to do the right thing, and it was those who abused the badge that set the game in motion. She now wanted those who pulled the trigger and those that were responsible for putting the gun in their hands.
The morning sun was just minutes away. Looking at the light sneaking over the roof tops of the city. She realized that today was a new day, not just for her but for those whose time had come. Today she wasn't looking back on the what 'ifs', she was stepping into the now. Now she was going to make things right.
She pulled herself up from the ground. The horizon was a beautiful; she watched and waited until she felt the sun light shine on her face. The light was blinding so she closed her eyes and took in the warmth. She tried to remember a time when she had taken the time to enjoy the sun, but there was no memory. She smiled to herself and laughed, everything had to turn dark for her to find the light again. She opened her eyes, grabbed her AK47 off the ground and turned around. Barsad had fallen sleep on the sidewalk with his back against the wall for support. She walked up to him and kicked his boot. He jerked awake and glanced around before he looked up at saw Kate.
"Time to go, we have to make a stop by City Hall and see Bane." She said and reached out to help Barsad to his feet; instead he rubbed his eyes and pulled himself up. Kate looked up the street, "Gather the others." She ordered and pulled out another cigarette. She took in the long drag giving into the smoke that filled her lungs. She watched the smoke she released she continued to watch until they faded into the air and were gone.
After ten or fifteen minutes had passed her team had gathered. "Let's go. We have work to do." She said and started walking ahead. Not a word was said, they followed behind her. She was glad that they didn't question her, she was sure that Barsad had filled them in anyway. If they wanted to leave that was their choice, today she was about her father's business.
Barsad
He followed Kate at a distance, he watched as she walked ahead of him. He couldn't put his finger on it but something had changed in her. The way she walked, the way she carried herself. Everything was just different; he was surprised that Bane had even showed up at the sight last night, especially with man that Kate had beaten up pretty bad. He remembered how everything went down.
They had stalked out the Strip Club called The Kitty Cat for two days then finally decided to go in and have a look for themselves. Instead of the named Miles Miller they found a bouncer who told them that he was keeping an eye on the place and that Miles was locked in his apartment building around the corner on a three day drinking spree.
The bouncer had led them right up to Miles's door. They knocked at first but there was no answer they kicked in the door. Barsad and Ivan were first through the door, the kitchen and living room were clear, they made their way down the hall to the bedroom located in the back. Ivan checked the bathroom. Barsad waited for Ivan before he kicked in the bedroom door, They entered the room and found Miles in his black silk robe, white tank top and briefs. He had a revolver 38 in his hands, "Put the gun down." Said Barsad as he held the assault rifle aimed right at Miles' head. Miles's grinned and kept the gun aimed. Barsad smiled back, and then he heard Kate come into the house. "Is it clear?" she shouted from the front door. Barsad had his rifle on Miles. "We have him back here." He shouted back.
Kate walked into the room, "Put the gun down." She said in a calm voice when she saw Miles with his gun in his hand. "Holy shit, Your Gerry Messner's kid right?" he asked and tossed the gun onto the bed. Kate smiled back at him, "Hands in the air, take off the robe and turn around slow." She ordered. Miles took off his robe, raised his hands then turned around in a circle slowly. When didn't see another weapon Kate went in and padded him down him down her glock17 in hand. "Can I get my robe back on?" asked Miles when Kate was satisfied that he wasn't armed.
Miles had gone out into the living room and sat down on his black leather couch, Barsad took the time look around at the apartment. He had met many strip club owners and seemed that they were all the same, they dressed sleazy, always had a gold and diamond pinky ring, they were fat, bald, and always had shagged rugs. Miles was exactly the same. He sat down and reached for the pack of Marlboro cigarettes on the glass coffee table, he looked around for a lighter, Kate smiled and pulled out her lighter and lite Miles' cigarette for him. "Thank you doll." He said, Kate sat herself on the arm chair across from Miles. Barsad stayed beside Miles. Ivan and Conner stood beside Kate. Micah and Johan were posted out in the hall. Arben, Riley and Olvai were in the kitchen.
"So, you knew my father?" she asked, Miles exhaled and sighed. "Yes I did." He replied. Kate nodded with a smile. "So you know the current police Commissioner?" Kate asked as she stood up from the chair and walked to the kitchen. Miles continued on his cigarette. "Yea I knew him. I heard he slipped pass that guy Bane." He said and flicked his ash into the crystal ash tray on the coffee table. Kate opened the cupboards and found a bottle of Bacardi. "Do you mind?" she asked Miles, he snickered "Help yourself." He replied. Barsad saw the beer cans and vodka bottles that littered the apartment. Kate came back into the living room with the bottle of Bacardi. "So. I hear that you know everything that goes down in the City." she said and took a sip from the bottle. Miles smiled and flicked his ash again. "Yea, I do. And what I heard is that Jim Gordon went underground." He said looking at Kate, "When?" she asked. Barsad watched Miles as he glanced up to the ceiling. "About the time that everything went to shit." He said, Kate watched him, "Where?" she asked and had another sip "Down at the docks, where they unload the cargo." He said. Kate stood up and sat down on the glass coffee table. "I guess what they say is true. Once a rat, always a rat." She said with a smile. The smile on Miles' face dropped. "Yea. So they say." He said and blew the smoke in Kate's face. She turned her head and sighed. "They say that you were in Falcone's pocket." She said.
Barsad didn't like where this going. Miles chuckled "Yea, half of Gotham PD, the Lawyers, Judges and many other City Officials were in his pocket." He said, Kate took another long sip, "All but my father and Jim." She said and looked at Miles. "They were like American Boy Scouts." He snapped. "My father was a good cop." She said. Miles chuckled, "Yea, He and Jim thought they could take on Falcone. But that's what got a bullet in your daddy's head." Miles said raising his voice. Barsad never saw it coming. Kate smiled then punched Miles in the face.
Miles laughed, "He always thought he was too good for the pay." Said Miles looking at Kate, She punched him again. "You were WEAK!" she shouted. Miles laughed again. "Living on shit pay. Ever felt that? Huh? When you can't keep food on the table?" Asked Miles with his voice raised. Kate punched him again. "My father was honest. He always made it work." She hissed grabbing his shirt. Miles chuckled. "You weren't there sweetheart. You didn't see what Falcone could do. He ran this City. Not the Mayor." He shouted back, Kate spit in his face. "Fuck you! You rat fuck!" she shouted. Barsad kept to himself.
"Your ol man and Jim were fuckin fools. But I'll admit he earned the name Gotham's Finest. What would he say if he saw you now." Said Miles laughing again. Kate stood up and turned to the window, "Fuck you!" said Kate almost at a whisper and punched him again, and again and again when Barsad counted at least nine punches he jumped up and pulled Kate back. Miles was still laughing as blood ran down his face.
"FUCK YOU!" screamed Kate. "I had my family's life depending on me!" shouted Miles as he tried to get up from the couch. Conner pushed Miles back down on the couch. "I have my hands tied; I have five fuckin lives on my hands. Fuck you!" shouted Kate. Barsad had Kate in his arms and pushed her to the door and out into the hall.
Kate tried to force her way back into the apartment but Barsad kept stepping in front of her. "You are dead Miles! You hear me FUCKIN DEAD!" Screamed Kate. Barsad had never seen her like this; he blocked the door as Kate tried to go back in. He turned around to see that Ivan and Riley were holding back Miles as well. "You're a shame to your father's name Kate!" Miles shouted back with a bloody face.
Barsad pushed Kate to the stairs. She sat down on the steps and tried to lite a cigarette. He wasn't paying attention until he heard her cry. Her body was shaking. Her hands were shaking dripping blood. He saw her hide her face in hands. He stood there and didn't know what to do. She had dropped the cigarette. He sat down beside her and didn't say a word.
He sat there for what seemed like forever; Kate had stopped crying, "The more I see what these people are capable of. The more I understand why this City needs to burn." Said Kate out of nowhere. Barsad figured that was the Bacardi talking but he wasn't sure. He wanted to put his arm around her but it wasn't his place. He let her cry on stair case.
Later as they all calmed down he wrapped her hand her hand up with a torn up rag he found in Miles' apartment. She sat there and didn't say a word, if she was feeling pain she didn't drop a hint, instead she was silent staring at the steps below. "At my father's funeral reception, cops from all over the city were there. Our house was so crowded that the neighbors came over and brought tables and chairs so they could sit down and eat." Said Kate suddenly, Barsad kept quiet and sat down on the step below Kate. "I remember them all telling me that he was a good man and great cop. Thinking about it now, My father and Jim didn't realize that they were in the pit with snakes." She said with a smile.
Barsad dug through his pocket for the pack of cigarettes. Kate offered the light. "It's funny how food has to be rationed, but it's the cigarettes that we seem to have plenty of." Said Kate laughing, Barsad laughed too.
"I never had what you did. My father was a drunken bastard." Said Barsad looking into the smoke, Kate knew it was her time to listen and not say anything. She just lite herself a cigarette and waited.
"I had an older brother once. No matter how times my father beat us, my brother always made sure that he helped the man to his bed. Took his boots and covered him with a blanket. My mother was too afraid to say a thing so instead she lost herself in her silence." Barsad paused to take a drag, "I hated my father. On a good day he'd only beat us once. Then one night he was so drunk he had us all get on our best and paraded us to the kitchen, He sat at the head of table with a loaded luger pistol. He just sat there and continued drinking, I was sure that he meant to kill us all and himself. When he passed out, I grabbed the gun. I pointed it to his head with my finger on the trigger. But my brother took the gun from me and hit me across the face." Kate remained silent.
"The next day he was so angry that he took his belt and was beating me with it. I curled up and cried because he kept on hitting me that my back and legs began to bleed. My brother and mother ran in they tried to stop him; he turned the belt to my brother and pushed my mother away. The pistol was in his room in the dresser. I ran in grabbed it and came back out. He was still beating my brother when I aimed the gun, it off but missed him and hit the window. Everything stopped. He looked at me, and for once I saw fear in his eyes. I held the gun with both hands, aimed again right for his chest. Everything happened so fast, I didn't see my brother get up. The second shot hit my brother in the neck." He said and paused again.
"The police came, took me away to the boys home. It was a detention center for kids. I was smaller than most my age, every day they beat me. Once during dinner one of the other boys walked behind me and poured hot soup down my back. Later he had his friend jumped me. I figured out then what I had to do to survive. I fought back, but that kid. I waited until we had time outside in the yard. I had made a shank from two plastic forks, spent days shaping and sharping it. I wrapped them together with a shoe string. He had his group around him, so I waited. Then the bell rang I got in line behind him. I remember stabbing him over and over again." He said and chuckled.
"A year later, the priest from my village came to visit me. He told me that my father had shot my mother and himself. I didn't cry for them, I lost my family the day I killed my brother. I was at the detention center til I was sixteen. Those five years there weren't so bad; it was just that first year. I went out and started stealing, killed a few men here and there. I jumped around a lot, everything changed when I met her. Cilara, if it weren't for her I probably would've died in the streets. She was a nurse, smart, funny and beautiful. I married her and we lived in small run apartment but I could never get a steady job, it was hard. When she got pregnant I had to do something to provide for us. I found Talia and Bane. Back then they had only a handful of men. I discovered my talent with a sniper rifle and so did they. I did a few jobs with them, they paid well. But the jobs always took me away from Cilara. One day I was packing up for another job when she told me that this path I was going down, she couldn't follow. I left did the job and came back weeks later and she was gone." He said and put out the cigarette. Kate watched him leave. She stayed there a little longer than followed.
Barsad kept wondering to himself why he told her about his past. Not many knew that story. Kate never said a word to him about it, she didn't question at him all. She just heard the truth and accepted it. She kept her promise that Miles was dead man; she pulled the trigger and left him in the street. But Barsad knew that Bane wanted this. Bane was always right; he knew what it would take to turn her. She didn't know it yet but she would soon enough. There was no turning back from this. She will never be Agent Kathleen Messner again.