Ginger felt as though her head were pounding mercilessly inside itself, trying to break her up. Tears ate away at the insides of her eyes but refused to come out, and for that she was glad. Better not to have them show, better not to show what she felt.
For the first time in her life, she was afraid. Not shaking, but afraid all the same. After seeing what had happened to Trae, her mind kept bringing up pictures of the others and herself, dead or dying. Involuntarily her mind brought up the various gore-filled pictures, and though she tried to push them away, and to keep them away, they kept returning.
If Felicity had killed once, she could kill again, and Ginger didn’t want to see that happen, not to her friends. Not to Dan, Mike, Shadow… And not to Matt.
For his sake, she hadn’t wanted to leave. There had been a breed of fear in his eyes that was his own, and it was for her. She wasn’t even sure he felt the fear, but it was there as definite as her own fear.
There had been a deep longing, too, the same longing she felt. All she wanted was to sit beside him, to hold him to her, to have him hold her, to have it all be as it had been before.
That was impossible, though, and she knew it. All because of what had happened, the way everything had turned out. They would all be busy rebuilding the team, all be busy watching their backs…
Part of her knew that he’d always be there, though, even when she felt like she’d never be able to see him. Matt would always be waiting when the day was over, waiting to talk, or to simply sit together and relax. Waiting for her.
She didn’t want all of that to be destroyed by a crazy agent and her gun, though. Couldn’t stand to see it all go down. And it could, too. With one shot, one bullet, one pull of the trigger, all of their dreams could be burned, could end in a bloody mess.
What she wanted was to find Felicity before it was too late to do anything, before the woman killed again, killed someone she knew, someone she loved.
Because it hurt to even imagine a scenario without Matt. If he was killed, she felt it inside that she would be dead herself… Maybe not physically, but emotionally.
As she strode quickly down the sidewalk, following the direction Dan had pointed out, she heard her footsteps echo across the deserted street, followed by Dan’s. At midnight, everyone else was sleeping.
“How ironic,” she thought. “They’re all resting peacefully while we’re hunting down a mad murderer.” The thought almost struck her as funny, only the fact that she had just seen the victim of the first murder kept her quite. She had never liked Trae, and had seen people killed, had killed people herself. When she thought of the murder, though, she realized it was unlike any she’d ever seen or been part of. When she had killed, it had been for revenge. Part of her mind continuously told her that it was wrong, that she shouldn’t kill no matter what. She had ignored it, though, always ended up killing anyway.
In the case of Felicity’s murders, though, she saw that there was an emptiness, a wastefulness. There had been no reason for the murder, except that Felicity was insane. She had simply killed Trae. And if she had killed Trae, she’d kill them too. Ginger wanted to find her before that, wanted to wring her neck, stab her with the Veneblade she had taken along… That was getting ahead, though, and she realized that there was a sort of urgency to stay on guard in the present. Felicity could have been anywhere, hiding, waiting to shoot them both. Would she kill them in the middle of the city? Of course she would. In her state of mind, it would be perfectly logical. They’d be ‘taken care’ of, and anyone who walked out of their houses would get one hell of a shock when they walked out to investigate. They’d all see the work of Felicity Bearge. Felicity, who’d be standing by a wall, laughing.
Shaking the thoughts away, Ginger looked over at Dan, who was about half a foot behind her stride. His face was concentrating, probably thinking deep into what was happening. Ginger realized that she wasn’t the only one with a lot on her mind. Dan had apparently been hurt just as bad.
In his eyes was a flame that was very unlike him. Usually he was calm, sensitive, and ready to accept what happened while retaining a fair amount of sanity. What she saw in his eyes was different, though. It was the flames of hate, of merciless anger, of a will to kill. She had seen it before, had seen it in Shadow as she walked out, in fact. She felt the anger as deeply, and didn’t doubt that the flames showed in her eyes, too. They probably burned with as much or more force than Dan’s, but she didn’t dwell long on that particular subject.
The crisp, cool air worked at clearing her mind, but seemed unable to get in. It was blocked by the massive torrent of thoughts she felt inside, twirling around manically. She wanted to give it a chance to clear her mind, to let her think straight, but couldn’t. Every time she tried, the thoughts rushed back in readily, willing to keep tearing at her, hurting her.
Dan hadn’t spoken yet, which did surprise her slightly. Normally he’d have said a lot by that time, would’ve been asking questions nonstop. Hell, he normally wouldn’t have followed her. Maybe there was something to that destiny thing. Some sort of demented truth that lay beneath it. Maybe everything they did was inevitable, that their paths were chosen.
If that was so, than she felt she wanted to know what happened next, and what would happen. Destiny was a fairly new idea for her, Dan and Shadow had brought it up on many occasions. Both seemed to have believed in it firmly, and she was starting to feel a sense of it.
“No,” the part of her mind that remained calm under all circumstances spoke for the first time since the murder. “Don’t think about that.”
She didn’t want to, she realized. Didn’t want to believe that there was an unbreakable force that bound their lives, that made them do what they did. She didn’t want to believe that she wasn’t in control of her own life. So she simply chose not to.
“Ginger?” Dan finally broke the silence, and Ginger felt a strange sense of relief as he spoke, as if everything wasn’t falling apart.
“Yes?”
“Where is she?”
That question had occurred to her. How would they find her if they didn’t know where she had gone. There were thousands of places in Celadon alone that she could hide, not counting the forests and the towns outside of it. It would be virtually impossible to catch her as they were going. “I don’t know. I don’t even know how we’ll find her.” There was silence for a moment as they walked on, than Dan spoke again. “I feel that we’ll find her. Like we have to… as if it were destiny.”
Ginger felt her mind cringe back at the word and finally realized how much she loathed the idea. In the next second she replied back, not thinking about what she was saying. “We’ll find her, all right…” And she did feel that they would find Felicity, felt it in her soul. But she didn’t think it was destiny,. Wouldn’t let herself believe that. So she said what she believed.
“I think she wants to be found. If we don’t find her, she’ll find us.”
Dan looked at her, and she looked at back at him for a moment before looking forward again. “I think you’re right…” he sounded afraid, yet somehow ready.
“I know I am.”
Chapter 22
Giovanni stared out the window of the car as it drove through the darkness.
They’d been in the car for over half an hour, and he was beginning to wonder
exactly what his brother had in mind, and if he was in his right mind.
After all, Geoffrey had never done anything before the trial. What if it was
some sort of trick? What if he was taking him in to the people at the
agency?
“You idiot,” he chided himself, feeling a growing sensation that he was
steadily growing insane. “Why would he take you out of jail to get you to
the government?”
Of course he’d been stupid to think that, and he knew it. Still, he couldn’t
help wondering. After all, someone who works for the government doesn’t
usually help anyone against it, family, friend, or not.
And if he was doing this for him, than why? What did he think was in it for
him? The question wouldn’t keep from plaguing at Giovanni’s mind, and he
snarled inwardly at it. He hating not knowing, hated wondering…
There was only one thing to do if he wasn’t going to sit and be quiet. He
could sit and ask. Feeling that he could be quiet no longer, he spoke the
question that had been engulfing his mind. “Why are you doing this?”
Geoffrey didn’t turn, but Giovanni thought he saw something change in his
expression. For a moment he didn’t say anything and the silence crept back
in. Just when Giovanni was ready to ask again, his brother answered. “For
starters, it’s one of the only good things I had left to do.”
For a moment he just stared across the darkness of the car, than Giovanni
laughed unwillingly. He hadn’t wanted to, but he found himself unable to
contain it. What Geoffrey had said struck him as hilarious, the first humor
he’d heard in what seemed like years.
This time Geoffrey did look at him, and there was a steel discontentment in
his eyes, one that confused Giovanni. He’d never seen his brother like that
before, had never seen such an intense look of concentration. “What’s so
funny?”
“Good?” Giovanni raised an eyebrow.
Geoffrey shrugged, turned his head back, and resumed driving in silence. He
had closed the matter then and there, at least for the moment.
Something HAD happened to Geoffrey, he couldn’t shake that thought. Why else
would he be looking like that? He was serious, dead serious, something he’d
never been when he was younger.
Of course, a lot had happened since then. More than Giovanni liked to
remember, and, he figured, more than Geoffrey liked to remember.
And he himself had once had good intentions, had wanted to stay away from
anything that would be disapproved of… When his mother had caught up with
him, though, all of the good intentions had vanished, and he had taken up
her offer immediately.
Her offer had been for him to become the Boss. The head of an organization
of criminals who would do what he said, when he said it. It had been
irresistible, that idea of power like that. Without thinking, he had plunged
into the work.
That was how he had lost her, his wife. That was how Ashley had gone. Why
she had gone, the reason she had left him alone…
Absently, he rubbed the brass ring on his finger. Though there were
scratches, he had never gotten it redone, had never replaced it. That ring
was from Ashley, the symbol of her love for him, or what love she had once
had.
That ring reminded him of the past with a sharpness that hurt like a spike
driven through his chest. He didn’t want to think about it again, didn’t
want to be reminded, but he found himself thinking back anyway, found
himself unable to stop…
The first memory he saw was their wedding. God, their wedding… That seemed
like so long ago to him, but really, what was time?
They had taken their marriage vows with the strength of two who wished to be
together forever, or at least thought they did. When they had kissed, it had
been passionate, not simply for display.
Everyone had been there, it had seemed, even the Professor. Hell, even
Geoffrey had made it there with his wife, Mable. Friends and family had all
congratulated them wildly, cheering them on and wishing them the best of
luck.
And when they had said ‘I love you,’ they had both meant it with a passion
that ran deep and true… for a while.
Giovanni felt tears begin to sting at the edges of his eyes and felt a
slight amount of disgust that was pushed away by another memory. The
reception.
It had gone excellently. Everyone present had been able to have a good time
somehow or other, whether it was off the alcohol or just from the
atmosphere. There had been much hope, many promises, and many dreams.
He remembered the courtyard alongside the river where they had held the
party. The lush green grass had seemed to gleam under the dew from the
river. Flowers grew in bunches across the yard in a variety of gleaming
colors, while bees flew around lazily from one to the next.
The river itself had been beautiful, flowing swiftly in the serene setting.
They had chosen the sight because of it. Ashley had always loved rivers, had
always said she thought they held some sort of majestic beauty…
And then there had been Ashley herself, with her own beauty. At that time
she had been everything to him, had been his world. He had wanted no more
than to be with her for the rest of his life, and for them to hold their
love true.
God, it hurt him to think about her again. Hurt to think about their love,
and how he had wanted it to stay true… Because in the end, it was he who had
broken it.
Another time was floating in, one he knew he didn’t want to see and knew
that, as before, he couldn’t possibly resist. As it came on, he shuddered
involuntarily, not noticing the look Geoffrey gave him when he did so.
It had been a night during the time he was learning what Maria would tell
them, finding everything he could about being the leader of the
organization. At that time he and Ashley were raising two children, Ginger,
who had only been around two years of age, and Ash, who was less than a year
old.
He had been neglecting his family for the most part, taking time for the
business. Even though Ashley had discussed it with him, he hadn’t seen what
she did coming, hadn’t seen it at all.
That night, he remembered too well, had been cloudy, with raging gusts of
wind, the perfect night for disaster to strike. He had been coming home from
a day of work, had walked in the door preoccupied as always.
As first he hadn’t noticed anything different, had simply walked into the
kitchen to get something to drink. When he was taking a glass down, however,
he realized that the house had been quieter than usual.
That was when he had found that Ashley wasn’t in the house. He had looked
around for her, had looked for Ash, too. Because his son was gone, gone
wherever his wife had left to.
There had been a note on the kitchen table from Ashley, written in her
beautiful, dancing script. “Gio, I don’t want to do this, but I have to. Farewell, my love.”
That was all, no more. A short, simple note, and one night. It was only
later, when he was sitting on a couch looking at a stack of papers, that the
reality had hit him. It was than that he realized he was alone with his
daughter, and that his wife had left and taken his son.
It was than that he realized that Ashley had left him.
Giovanni had to bite his lip to keep from moaning out loud. The memory hurt
him bad. He hadn’t seen it coming… That was one of the worst parts. He had
ignored all the discussions she had with him, had gone on working in crime…
She had seen the danger; she had begged him to stop. When he hadn’t, she’d
left him, realizing it was safer.
Why hadn’t he listened?
He knew. He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but he knew. It was the
business. The whole deal with being the boss had gotten him wrapped up, had
made him work towards goals instead of listening to his family. At the time,
business had been the most important thing to him.
“How could I have been so deluded…?” he thought miserably.
“Best to stray from these thoughts,” his mind warned, and he sighed. Of
course it was better. There were other things to think about, things that
were less painful…
Like why Geoffrey was doing what he was doing.
He had closed that matter once, but Giovanni determined that, in order to
keep himself from slipping again, that he’d reopen it.
“Geoff, you didn’t give me a good answer. Why are you doing this?”
He hoped his brother would give him a real answer. -
Geoffrey considered the question. His last answer hadn’t been good enough,
he knew that himself. He didn’t want to say, didn’t want to think about
anything, but apparently Giovanni wouldn’t stop asking if he didn’t.
Anyway, they were almost at their destination. There wasn’t much for him to
lose.
“First off, I’m doing this for Mable. She would’ve wanted me to,” he spoke
as if it were matter-of-fact, and saw, from the corner of his eye, that
Giovanni seemed to understand well.
“Of course he does,” Geoffrey thought. “He must, what with Ashley…”
There wasn’t time for that sort of thing, though, and he knew it. “Second,
I’m doing it because there’s nothing else for me to do.”
“Nothing?” Giovanni sounded slightly annoyed, and Geoffrey predicted what he
would say next.
“Nothing,” he confirmed.
“What about the agency?” Giovanni sounded slightly confused, but Geoffrey
nearly smiled despite how he felt. He had been right about what would be
said.
“I was fired,” he replied simply.
He saw the look of immediate understanding on his brother’s face, and
listened as he spoke again. “They fired you because you were a witness for
me…” Giovanni spoke slowly. “I just… God, Geoffrey.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Geoffrey sighed. “Nothing does… not anymore.”
He knew Giovanni was looking at him strangely, but chose to ignore it. “What
are you going to do?”
That was the question he had expected. It was business-like, in a way.
“Whatever I come upon.”
That seemed a satisfactory answer, and Giovanni looked as though he would be
quiet. It was too late for that, though. Geoffrey pulled the car over, next
to the curb. “We’re here.”
“Where exactly is ‘here’?” Giovanni’s voice held a strong level of
suspicion.
“Just get out,” Geoffrey opened his door and stepped out into the cool air
and onto the sidewalk. On the other side, he saw Giovanni get out, than walk
over.
“So, where are we going?”
“That house,” Geoffrey pointed to the one in front of them. They were on the
edge of town, at a two-story house with a garden beside it. The lights
inside were all turned off, and Geoffrey hoped the inhabitant of the house
was simply asleep.
“Do you know this person?” Giovanni asked cautiously as they walked up the
short line of tiles to the door.
“We both do,” Geoffrey stepped onto the porch, followed by Giovanni, and
knocked on the door.
“Sorry to bother you, Miss,” he had raised his voice enough so that someone
inside could hear him, but not so much that anyone else would wake up.
A light upstairs flicked on rapidly, and Geoffrey nodded. “Now we wait for
her to come down.”
-
Ashley bolted up quickly, aroused by the knocking on the door and the loud
voice. She had been sleeping lightly, unable to sleep any more deeply. After
what had happened with the Rockets, and what she had seen on television…
As much as she had thought she hated Giovanni at times, she knew she wanted
him back. It was lonely in the house by herself, with Ash out on his
journey. She missed how it was…
The voice called her name again, and she thought she recognized it. It was
someone she knew, that much she was sure of.
Jumping out of bed, she hurriedly pulled a change of clothes out of the
drawers on the right side of her room. Anyone coming out to the house in the
middle of the night had to be there for a good reason, and probably would
stay for awhile or tell her she was needed somewhere.
She hoped Ash wasn’t hurt. The thought that he was, or that he had gotten
into trouble, crossed her mind, but she whisked it away uneasily as she
slipped on a skirt and blouse.
“Probably just a problem with the neighbors,” she thought. “That would
explain why I think I know the voice.”
Opening the door to her bedroom, she walked down the empty hall quickly,
nearly gliding over the carpets. As she reached the door, she heard the man
outside speak to someone else, telling them to be patient.
So there were two… Part of her mind went off in alarm, telling her it was
danger, but she decided against it. “Anyway,” she thought with a shudder,
“If they want something, they’ll break in here anyway.”
Reaching for the knob, she unlocked the door and opened it slowly, than
looked out onto the porch. The man standing in the light looked tired, ready
to drop down somewhere. “Oh my God…” she realized she did know who it was.
“Geoffrey?” It was her brother-in-law.
“Hello Ashley, we’ve come to pay you a visit,” Geoffrey’s voice was calm,
and she felt a strange twinge inside of her.
“We? Who…”
Geoffrey stepped aside, and the other man stepped forward. When she saw who
it was, she nearly fainted. So did the man, in fact.
Standing outside her door was her husband, Giovanni.
Next chapters n/a 16.8
