Chapter 13

Now You Got Some Blood On Your Hands

"Is that a new hat?"

Kaz straightened the hat in question, he was preparing to go meet Radmakker. "My other one was getting worn out." He wanted to look his best as he gloated, but that was his business.

Inej was perched on the window observing him as he put his coat on and began to do the buttons up. "Where do you want me to be?"

"Here." He spoke and focused on the last of his buttons to avoid seeing the anger pass her face.

"I thought we spoke about this."

"So did I, and yet here you are, asking me again."

"Kaz."

"Do I need to be any clearer," He turned to face her, grabbing his cane as he did, "You are not coming with me to the Harbour, I do not want, nor do I need you there. Stay here."

She scowled at him and if that wasn't enough to tell him he had made her angry she took a step off the sill and moved out the window without another word, leaving him standing in his attic room alone. Good, she could be angry although he thought she had no reason to be, if it meant she stayed holed up in her room in anger then so be it.

Kaz made his way out of the Slat and headed towards the harbour with no further interruption. His nose wrinkled at the smell of the water, it always began to stink at this part of the year, settling into clothing and hair.

The like hood of retaliation was something Kaz weighed in his head as he made the walk towards the harbour. No doubt that RadMakker knew it was the Dregs that were responsible for his losses, but the man was old fashioned, held by an honour that had not stopped him from ripping the dregs off but may stop him from trying to seek out a hit or admit that he had ripped them off in the first place. Kaz wasn't going in blind, he was not naïve or hopeful this would go without retaliation, his main thought, as he stepped into the harbour, was in what form the retaliation would be given. So it was no surprise that Radmakker was scowling as he met Kaz by the shipping containers.

"You have some nerve showing up here Brekker."

"I don't have the slightest idea what you mean, is this not the time we agreed on?" Kaz made a show of pulling out a pocket watch and staring at it inquisitively, it would have been an innocent action if anyone else had done it. Or if the watch had not been part of a set that Kaz had kept from the Dregs hauls. RadMakker's eyes bulged at the sight of it.

"I've lost multiple clients! My reputation is tarnished, I know it was Haskell's Dregs."

If Kaz's mouth twisted slightly at the phrasing used, Radmakker did not notice, his eyes were too busy being trained on the head of Kaz's cane, eyeing the way his gloved fingers tightened around it.

"Really Mr RadMakker, I did hear about what happened to your merchandise, but what reason would the Dreg's be having to take from you, when we are already getting the first choice of the items?"

Radmakker grew tired of waiting for a confession, he snarled and threw himself at Kaz, pinning the crow against the door of the container.

"I know it was you, one of the thieves had a cane, confess, you demon!" His pudgy sweaty hand was against Kaz's neck, Kaz gritted his teeth but allowed the action as his collar prevented any skin-to-skin contact, he grinned at the merchant, baring his teeth in such a way that the man's hand faltered.

"No."

Radmakker dropped his hand back, the look in Kaz's eyes was enough to send him several steps backwards. Kaz took the time to straighten his collar and hat, brushing his chest to get the wrinkles out.

"If you're done with the accusations, I did come here to collect." He spoke calmly, his heart still beating fast.

Radmakker still looked furious, but a smug glint had entered his expression.

"Very well Brekker, no confession, but you were still foolish enough to show me that watch, a stolen item is enough for an arrest."

"If only there were someone to arrest me." Kaz chose to infect as much boredom as possible into his tone.

When Radmakker opened the crate and a group of Stadwatched stepped out, Kaz's expression didn't change in the slightest, although he took one step back. He had expected the flare for dramatics, knew he wouldn't be getting into that crate today.

"Gentlemen." He began to speak, still walking steadily back towards the exit side of the harbour.

"None of your distractions this time Brekker." One man snarled at him, stepping forward in an attempt to grab his wrist. Kaz twisted back and reached into his coat.

"Perhaps one distraction." He responded, throwing down a smoke bomb and covering his eyes as he turned and began to run. Shots followed him, missing him with every step he took.

The Stadwatch began chasing him into the night, he ran ignoring the ache in his leg, only pausing when he heard another shot not aimed at him, and a shout.

"He has backup!"

Damn it all. He kept running, deciding the idiots could fend for themselves when they were ruining his plan after he had explicitly told Inej not to come.

He heard another shot, a bullet whizzing past his ear. The sound was deafening. He felt the body push against his back before it hit the ground. At first, he thought one of the Stadwatch had decided to change the game and attempt to tackle him, but when he wasn't grabbed again, he looked back and saw the Stadwatch had knelt, falling face-first to the ground, with a knife embedded into the back of his skull. A knife with a familiar hilt. Kaz stepped forward and pulled the knife, it came free with small resistance, the Stadwatch slumping fully to the ground as blood began to pour from the head wound, his body was unmoving. The all too familiar knife glinted up at him.

The owner moved out of the smoke, staring at the body with a hand over her mouth, her eyes moved to the knife and back to the man.

"No…no, I didn't mean to!" Inej made to move towards the body and Kaz stepped in the way, he shoved the knife back into her hand firmly, closing her reluctant fingers over the hilt.

"Back to the Slat now." He growled at her. Her eyes didn't leave the body but she stepped back into the fog, when he couldn't sense her and Jesper's own shots slowed down, he continued moving away from the Harbor, a scowl set into his features as he allowed his anger to fill him.

It was that anger that pushed Dirtyhands to the forefront as he met Inej and Jesper at the front of the Slat. Inej still held a hand up to her face, the other holding the offending knife as if she couldn't bear to sheath it back onto her body.

"I killed him."

"I told you to stay here." Kaz snapped at her.

"They ambushed you! He was going to shoot you, I only wanted to disarm him."

"He was never going to hit me. I have those Stadwatch in my pocket, they told me Radmakker's plan days ago. Blood may be on your hands Wraith but don't claim it to be anyone fault but your own."

Tears threatened to spill from Inej's eyes, in anger or hurt he did not know. "You didn't tell me."

"Why would I tell you my plans when you can't even be trusted to follow simple orders or aim a knife properly." Ice filled each word.

Inej threw the knife at his feet and turned, moving into the Slat and away from him. Once she left Kaz turned his anger to Jesper.

"You handled that like crap," Jesper spoke, sticking his hands up when Kaz stepped forward.

"What were you doing there, you should know better."

"She was going to go, either way, I was trying to stop her from doing anything stupid."

"Look how well that turned out."

"Watch it, Kaz, it's not our fault you don't tell anyone your plans."

"No. It's your fault that you can't follow basic instructions or listen to a single damned order."

"I was looking out for Inej!"

"If Inej needs that much looking out for then she shouldn't be here."

Jesper scowled at him, "You don't mean that, boss."

"I don't say anything I don't mean Jesper, which is why you can trust that the next time you come after me and ruin my plans, I'll take your trigger fingers."

Jesper's hand twitched like it itched to hit Kaz, he would have welcomed the fight, but Jesper stood down. Breathing heavily Kaz turned away, stooping slightly to pick up the knife on his way.

"You should check on her, she didn't want to kill anyone."

Kaz didn't respond, and when he heard Inej's cries echoing through the Slat that night he did not go to comfort her. He stared at his window, the lock firmly on as he had placed it when he had stormed in, angry that he would have to find more Stadwatch to blackmail, angry that he had lost his deal with RadMakker, although that was to be somewhat expected. He didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but he was angry that she hadn't listened to him, trusted his judgement enough to not follow him.

Kaz cleaned the blood off the knife and left it by her door the next night, he waited from the staircase until she opened the door, the knife was gone when he checked later. It was a few more days before he unlocked his window, he hadn't felt her presence in that time, didn't feel any guilt for having kept it locked, he ignored the twist in his chest when she didn't come after he had unlocked the window.

AN: Kaz, pushing away everyone he cares about because of an issue he could have easily avoided by communicating? It's more likely than you think. I was going to make Jesper and Kaz get into a physical fight in this chapter but when I was writing it just did not come naturally so I decided to scrap it and keep it verbal instead. I am really enjoying the way the flow is going, this leads into another scene that has been in my head regarding Kaz's choice to not give Inej her tattoo.

Responding to reviews:

Thank you to Guest, Dejede and aspiring geek for your reviews!

Helianthus7: Thank you for your review, I really appreciate the compliment on my characterisation as I'm constantly stopping and thinking, would so and so say this. Yes, I love that I get to show how Kaz grows increasingly suspicious of Big Bol! I'm tossing up on a spying stalking scene where Kaz follows him, obviously a bit further down from the track but it's there! The window scene is honestly the best thing I have ever written out.

Cat K: Yes I loved the shot scene, I actually cosplayed as Kaz at a bar and did the shot scene with a friend! Kaz was definitely showing off in his own little way. You were right about Inej's first kill happening! I hope you liked it, I'd love to read it from Inej's perspective but I fear if I switch POV's too much it will become dull. Don't worry I have no plans to abandon this story!

Thank you, everyone, see you soon!

~ ThisMayFlower