Chapter Eighteen
Karmas' A Relaxing Thought
Content Warning: Beeastiality- Scroll to end notes to find out
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"I told you I wasn't desperate for your company, Brekker." Zenik's greeting was far from cheery as she opened her door to Kaz that morning.
"That's a shame, Zenik, because I have found myself in need of yours. Get dressed, I have a job."
"I am dressed." Zenik wore a long dress with a plunging neckline with a confidence that some might envy. It was hardly the picture of inconspicuousness that Kaz was going for.
"Dress…better. Your goal is to not be seen." Kaz followed her into the room as she walked to a trunk and began to rifle through it. He cast his eyes around, and took in his surroundings. His experience with The White Rose was limited to eavesdropping on occasion. Kaz could reflect now on the benefits of having the Heartrender here. Having a Crow working and manipulating the emotions of merchants would be more beneficial than he had originally thought. The White Rose was more esteemed than other pleasure places, filled with Grisha who provided help and peace of mind to influential figures.
Whilst Kaz was inspecting the room, Zenik had stepped into the bathroom to change. She came out in a plainer outfit, frumpy and modest. Kaz was surprised she owned it and he raised an eyebrow in question.
"I thought it might appeal more to the court when I was petitioning for Matthias." She answered.
"Let's go," Kaz jerked his head towards the door, following behind Zenik as she exited. He had to move a little faster as he shut the door, keeping her in his sights as they made their way out of the building and onto the streets of Ketterdam.
"So, do I get to know why you have woken me up before the shops are open?"
"True business doesn't sleep."
"You might have abandoned the idea but some of us benefit from beauty sleep." Zenik slowed her step to match his. Kaz made sure to remain behind her. He thought of how Inej and Jesper would have known to be in front of him where he could assess threats. Inej had begun to hang back in missions, knowing that she could react quicker with her daggers than Jesper could with his gun. Kaz had found it unsettling at first, having a member out of his sight. It had taken him time, but he had eventually acknowledged the benefit of Inej pulling back and he allowed her to continue.
Zenik had supposedly fought in the Grisha army and yet she displayed no knowledge of walking in rank. The alternative was that she didn't care and Kaz supposed it was just as likely as her being ignorant.
"We've got a house to observe, and we need to be there within a timeframe. If the sun goes up then we'll have missed it and you will suffer through my company for another morning. I find that one walks quicker when they aren't talking."
"Was that a long-winded way of telling me to shut up, Brekker?"
"The short-winded way involves a lot more teeth being lost."
Zenik snorted as if she seriously doubted that he could manage it. Kaz was confident he could get a swing in before she had even her hands up.
They did manage a silence for most of the walk, Kaz running through the plan in his mind as he listened to the tap of his cane along the cobble street. The Heartrender was surprisingly light on her feet, though not the comfortable silence he found with Inej, but a quiet step nonetheless.
"Oh, you are gorgeous!" Zenik cooed, breaking the silence, and causing Kaz's head to shoot up to see whom she had decided to waste her time flirting with when they had a schedule.
Kaz blinked, and processed. He stared at the shoes in the shop window and then flicked his gaze to the Heartrender who was making eyes at them. The expression matched the way he imagined someone would look at a person they loved. He looked away and kept walking, not missing a step. He cleared his throat and she continued on, her head turning back occasionally to glance wistfully at the shoes as they moved further away.
As the pair walked, the shops lessened and soon the scenery had begun to change from the elegant shops' doors to the pushed together houses of the Zelver District. If he breathed in, Kaz could still smell the hutspot wafting through the windows of Pekka's decoy house. He could picture the ghost of the fake mother waving him in. He pushed forward, pulling his hat down.
"Stay close to the shadows." Kaz hissed to Zenik. Sunrise would be soon, he waited to hear the bell that warned him he was cutting it too close.
They reached the fence of the fifth house and Kaz moved towards a gap between the fence and the wall of the sixth, he gestured for her to move into the space first and then followed. Crouching down closer than he would have liked, he kept his body rigid to avoid brushing against her.
"Keep your voice and head down. When the man comes out of that door, I need you to make him feel safe and relaxed, he needs no reason to suspect anyone is following him. His guard should be down."
"Who is he?"
Kaz shushed her as the door opened right as the bell rang. Holst was early this morning and Kaz thanked himself that he had thought to leave earlier than planned. He ignored the twinge in his leg and nodded at Zenik, who lifted her hands up and pulled a face of concentration. He had no real way of knowing if it worked, but Holst let out a soft whistle as he headed off. Kaz let him make some distance before straightening up.
"The whole way?" Zenik kept her voice low as they walked casually. Her hands were in front of her waist, only those who already suspected something untoward would have found the placement odd. She had her eyes fixed on Holst, and Kaz knew it was important to keep the targets within your line of sight as a Grisha.
"That would be ideal. It should be no problem for someone with your talents."
Zenik grunted, "I've never tripped a man with a cane before, but I think my moral compass could take it."
"You would need a cane after attempting it, Zenik." her response could have been a laugh and Kaz wondered if wielding her power left her mentally lacking.
They followed Holst at a distance, Kaz keeping his head down and relying on the cheery casual demeanour that Zenik radiated, to ease any curiosity among the pigeons who frequented the area. Holst walked with a skip in his step and kept up his jaunty whistling that reminded Kaz of Jesper on a stakeout as he did so. The walk itself wasn't too far.
Kaz resisted the urge to swear when he realized Holst was heading towards the Stadhall. This stakeout now officially had no time limit. This meant Kaz had no time limit to this interaction with Zenik. A daunting thought.
"When we get to the Stadhall you'll be able to take a break, you need to cross the road from him. Head for the café, order a coffee and sit down," Kaz pulled a book he had stolen from Anika and handed it to her, "pretend to read this and keep an eye on the entrance to the hall. When Holst exits, follow him and I'll join you. You'll need to start up the feeling of ease the moment we start following. He's already going to be on edge."
"Where are you in all this?"
"My sitting in a café across from the Stadhall would raise more attention than I need. There is an alley next to the building. I'll be waiting there. When you stand up, I'll join you." More conveniently, Kaz wouldn't have to sit next to the Heartrender for however long it took Holst to go on break.
"Do you have a time frame?"
"Yes." Kaz turned and walked away from her, and headed quickly towards the alleyway. He would be standing against the shadows, at the ready. His legs would cramp but he would also be alone. He positioned himself close to a window of the Stadhall and busied himself listening to the conversations that passed through it.
"… needs more guards outside his house…"
Kaz tilted his head, listening to whoever was on the other side.
"Not sure why Van Eck even needs a guard, his house is foolproof, Schuyler combination locks on all the doors. No one is getting in there."
"Well, Van Eck likes to be cautious. Plus, he's paying good money so I'm not going to argue."
Idiots, Kaz wasn't surprised that the Stadwatch couldn't shut a window before sharing vital information. He took mental notes of everything they said and made another to debrief with Inej after. Plans were already connecting in his mind. He continued to listen in, although nothing else of any real value was shared.
Sooner than he had expected, when the afternoon sun was beginning to beam down and chase away the shadows of the alley, Zenik began to move. She closed his book and brought the coffee cup back to the server, and appeared to thank him. She moved out of the café and Kaz snorted at how she blatantly attempted to look anywhere but the alley. Subtle.
A quick glance confirmed the area was clear, so he stretched his leg out and walked forward until he was a metre behind her. She glanced back once and he glared at her, maintaining it until she looked away, her eyes rolling.
The walk was long, but Zenik must have been doing her job correctly. Holst never looked back throughout it. She did not look back again, her back was stiff, and her attention focused entirely on Holst. They moved out of the business sector and kept walking, past busy shops, and bustling harbours; Kaz flittered in and out of view as needed. He was a lot more conspicuous to see than Zenik and so he couldn't always follow directly, therefore ducked through alleys and kept out of sight where he could. Finally, when what meagre sunlight the smog let through had begun to set, Holst changed his direction slightly. He walked downhill, towards what looked like a makeshift shack. Kaz kicked at the ground slightly, which caused Zenik to look back for a second. She frowned at him as if he had interrupted her. Kaz raised his hand, telling her to pause. It was just in time, as her reaction had caused Holst to look behind him before he entered the shack. Kaz breathed a small sigh of relief, he hadn't seen the two of them as they stayed just out of sight. He watched the door swing shut.
"Whatever is in there, he really doesn't want people to know. That was the most I have had to work since coming here."
"I don't doubt that."
Kaz watched the building for a moment, Zenik next to him. She was near enough that he had to move back when her hand flew up to her mouth as a loud squeal left the shack.
"What did you put in there?" She demanded of him as he began to move down the hill.
"As surprising as this may be for you to hear, I'm not behind whatever we are about to see, only what will follow." He moved further down the hill, Zenik close behind as they hurried towards the noise. When they reached the shack Kaz circled it slowly as he searched for something to look through. He was rewarded with a small part of rotten wood he was able to push at with his glove to make a hole. Kaz peered through and gagged. It was a testament to everything he had seen; a lesser exposed man would have thrown up on the spot. Zenik moved to look, and he held up a hand to stop her. He moved instead, away from the hole and towards the door.
"Do you know what the locals call this place, Zenik?" He spoke loudly as he leaned on his good leg and cane, giving a kick at the door that snapped the lock. "They call it the Shrieking Shack. So, I thought, when I saw this esteemed Stadwatch officer walk in here, that surely, he was coming to stop the shrieking. Of course, he had to be coming to save the locals from this horrific shrieking."
The sight that Kaz had revealed was apparently too much for Zenik. The Grisha could be heard retching behind him and for the first time, Kaz did not blame her for it.
"But here he is, Zenik. I guess what they say about Stadwatchers is true."
In Holst's rush to remove himself from the animal, he tripped ass first, still scrambling to pull his trousers up as Kaz moved forward. The Stadwatch could do nothing but swear as Kaz leant down and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, dragging him up off the ground and towards the door.
"They're all pig fuckers."
Holst struggled against Kaz, hands still gripping at his trousers as if he could save his dignity.
"This is assault, I'll arrest you for this!" He spluttered as Kaz threw him against the outside of the shack.
"You seem confused about how this is going to go. I talk, you agree."
"Brekker! You don't! A misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding is a wrong meal at a bar, you were balls deep in a pig." Zenik chose to speak, wiping the back of her mouth as she glared at the man.
"Who the fuck are you?"
Kaz sighed, he wanted this done with. He swung his cane forward and hit Holst in the stomach. "She's my guarantee that you are going to do what I say. Felt oddly at ease today, Holst? Comfortable whilst you planned to have sex with a defenceless animal?"
"Grisha!" he hissed.
"That's right. Now here is what's going to happen. You are currently blackmailing Van Buskirk, that ends now." Kaz held up a hand to stop Holst as he started to speak, "I am talking, remember?"
Holst glared but remained silent.
"Very good, you won't approach or even look at Van Burskirk again, now we move on to our transaction. Consider yourself, permanently, in my pocket, Holst. When I say jump, and I will say jump, you better find new heights. Now is the part where you ask, 'what if I don't?' go on, ask."
"You smug, scummy bastard."
"If you don't, I will tell everyone you know about your sick 'scummy' desires and just where it is you go after work. How are you going to look your little girl in the eye when she knows what you do?"
"Who is going to believe you over me?"
"But that is what my Heartrender here is for if you try to double-cross or go against me in any way. She will crush your heart and force you to scream the truth from the Goedmedbridge."
Zenik had been glaring at Kaz and presumably for his use of the word 'my'. But at his words, she raised a hand and wriggled her fingers at Holst. Her smile conveyed a level of intimidation that aligned with Kaz's threat quite nicely.
Holst nodded, a furious but resigned look on his face.
"Brilliant. So remember, not a word to Van Buskirk. Now pull up your pants and hurry along."
Holst sent a look towards the door of the shack. Kaz shook his head.
"Leave the pig, Holst."
Holst pushed himself up, rushing past Kaz and up the hill. His hands were clumsily buckling his trousers as he moved. A fool. Kaz had met plenty of low lives, he was a low life himself. This was different. Bestiality was not common, and it genuinely disgusted him. Kaz turned to Zenik who was still looking slightly green.
"Can you stop its heart?" He asked.
She shook her head, "My powers don't work on animals."
"Right then." Kaz opened the door to the shack and stepped inside, pulling out his knife from the pocket lining his inner sleeve. He raised one hand, shushing at the pig as he walked towards it. The animal was still distressed, and it moved in fear as he got closer.
"What I am about to do, is kindness compared to what you've been through," Kaz whispered, voice low enough that Zenik wouldn't hear. He placed a hand on the pig and calmed it. His other hand moved, knife firm. He moved behind the front leg, pierced the skin and stabbed upwards. He twisted the knife and lowered the handle, so the blade was pointed towards the tail of the animal. The animal let out a sound of pain before it passed slowly.
"How do you know how to do that?"
Kaz was reminded of a different person, crouched on the farm learning how to humanely euthanize animals. He had never been as interested as he should have been, never so eager to spend time with his father as he had been to learn magic or show off to Jordy. Despite his reluctance at the time and squeamishness as a child, the knowledge had sunk in. He could remember his father explaining how to move the blade to cut through the right parts of the heart.
"It's not that different to a human."
Kaz stood up and wiped his knife on his jacket before he put it away. He left the carcass on the floor of the shack and made for the street. Zenik hovered by the door for a moment before she moved to follow him. They began the walk back up the hill together, this time heading for the Barrel.
"That was gross… but not what I expected for a mission with you, Brekker."
"I don't care."
"The others said I could expect breaking of bones, torture, stakeouts in vents. You basically just acted like a muscle for hire." Zenik continued as if he hadn't spoken.
"Don't expect me to explain myself to you." There was a snap in his voice.
"I mean, we didn't even rob him, aside from the whole… pig thing… it was just a-" Zenik was cut off as she threw up a hand to catch the bag that Kaz had pulled from his bag and thrown at the general direction of her face.
"Who said we didn't rob him?" He arched a brow at her before he continued on, "Consider that your payment; feel free to spend it at the Crow's Club." There were two ways to make it back to the Barrel, one was a substantial amount longer than the other. Kaz headed that way, away from her.
"Where are you going, Brekker?" She shouted after him.
"Away from the pleasure of your company."
Kaz moved forward, the long walk would be worth it for the peace. Aside from the irritation that was Nina Zenik, the day had been successful. He had another Stadwatch in his pocket. This one was someone that no money would be able to sway. A sure thing of continuous favours. Kaz had time now to move his thoughts to Van Eck. He hoped Inej would be waiting for him so they could begin planning. His reminder of the life of Kaz Reitveld had him wondering for a moment why he really wanted this painting. He pushed the thought away, he wanted it for one reason only, because Van Eck thought no one could steal it.
It couldn't be said that Kaz responded to challenges with grace, but he always responded.
Notes:
Content warning- Cop has sex with a pig, and gets blackmailed.
Back again!
Thank you to those who are still reading this. I have no intention of stopping at any stage, but I am a teacher, making writing difficult. I actually finished this chapter in January and have yet to have time to upload it.
In honour of the second season of Shadow and Bones being released... I made the time to upload this!
This was a difficult, disgusting and interesting chapter to write. Let me know what you think!
~ ThisMayFlower