Price of a Bounty

-Guy-

Killing Is Never Good



I closed the door behind Keira and Eberhardt and went to the front window. Tonight went better than expected. I watched them walk to the car together. If anyone could convince her of the benefit of team operations, it would be him.

I was glad Keira had not killed Elaine Ramsey. Killing was never the best option. And Ramsey was too high profile. Removing her was too risky.

We would have to do something to make her lose interest in Keira though. Probably the best way would be to get Keira a new identity, whether she wanted one or not. If Keira Maddock couldn’t be found, Elaine Ramsey would not be able to control her and could not use her as leverage against Scott.

Keira had also demonstrated her loyalty to the Resistance tonight, in more ways than I had anticipated. She was definitely an asset. Scott should have told her a long time ago.

I had to admit, I was starting to like her. Keira had a spark, an energy that I was drawn to. She forced me to think about situations from different perspectives, and she kept me on my toes. I smiled and turned away from the window.





-Keira-

My Apartment!



As Eberhardt pulled the car away from the curb and accelerated, I turned and glared at him. It was one thing to keep secrets, yet another to lie. “You told me you’d never met Scott,” I accused. “Why?”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I haven’t met Scott.”

“What? When you walked me home that day, you told me he wasn’t part of the Resistance.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Well, you implied it. Do you keep secrets too?”

“It really is for the best. You don’t need to know all the facts to follow orders.”

“I don’t follow orders. If I wanted to do that, I would have joined the military.” I thought for a minute, and then said, “If you had met Scott before, you still wouldn’t tell me. You would probably even lie to protect that secret, right?”

Eberhardt turned his head and gave me a steady look. “I haven’t met him, but I know who he is. I’ve only ever seen him from a distance.” He returned his attention to the road.

I sat back in my seat and mumbled under my breath, “I hate secrets,” even though I knew very well that I had many of my own.

When we arrived in my neighborhood, the streets were nearly deserted, and it was very dark. Streetlights didn’t work around here, so the unexpected light was almost blinding, and the noise left my ears ringing.

My heart jumped to my throat.

Eberhardt swerved to the side of the road and pulled to an abrupt stop.

My apartment! I pushed open the door and leaped out of the car. The sky was aglow. I pushed forward into the heat to witness the devastation that had been my apartment building.

My mother’s locket, her music! I moaned and fell to my knees. My stomach reeled. Elaine Ramsey was still one step ahead of me. I stood and stumbled blindly to some low bushes. I threw up again and again, until there was nothing left.

Strong hands on my shoulders pulled me away from the bushes. Eberhardt turned me around so that I was looking him in the eyes. He held my gaze until I was steady. Then he guided me back to the car. I collapsed onto the seat and bent forward with my head on my knees.





-Guy-

Bringing Her Back



I was just about ready for bed when I heard someone at the front door. No one other than Eberhardt and my parents had a key, and my parents would have called first. Did Eberhardt need to tell me something without Keira present, something that couldn’t wait until morning? I hurried into the living room to see what he wanted but stopped short when I saw Keira. Eberhardt led her to the sofa. Her face was ashen.

“Her apartment just exploded,” Eberhardt informed me.

“It burned down?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“No, it exploded,” he repeated, “just as we arrived.”

“Elaine Ramsey…” I began. “Could she have?” If there had been any doubt before, it was gone now. Keira was right. Elaine Ramsey had ordered a hit on Rose – there was no doubt about it. And this…this was more than a warning.

I sat down on the sofa and put my arm around Keira’s shoulders. Eberhardt dropped into a nearby chair. Keira leaned into me and began to sob. Eventually, she settled and grew quiet.

“She’s asleep,” Eberhardt whispered.

“Thank you for bringing her back.”

“Do you want me to stay?”

“No, you can go home. We’ll talk tomorrow.” He reached over and squeezed my shoulder.

I lifted Keira and carried her into the bedroom. She was so light and fragile-looking. One would never guess she was a Freelancer. I set her on the bed and gently removed her shoes. Then I sat down to watch over her.

Would this strengthen her resolve or weaken it? It was obvious that she’d been shaken to the core, but why exactly? Was it because of the attempt on her life? No, I felt it was something else. The building was just an apartment, wasn’t it? I’d have to ask Scott exactly where they’d lived when their parents were still alive. Maybe the building itself had been important to her. Perhaps it was one her father had designed or maybe there was something important within her apartment. What had Keira lost tonight?





-Keira-

Needs



I woke when Guy set me gently on the bed, but I didn’t open my eyes. The locket, my mother’s music, they’re really gone. My last ties to my parents, gone. I felt myself sinking. Breathing became difficult.

I was aware that Guy had not left the room – that he watched over me. After sinking and sinking and sinking some more, I realized I could no longer feel anything. I was just hollow, empty, gone. I needed to fill the void, to feel something other than the emptiness and the suffocating pressure on my chest.

I listened to Guy breathe: inhale – exhale – inhale – exhale. He sat next to me on the bed and held my hand. He kept me tethered to the world. I began to breathe in sync with him. It released some of the pressure. Scott said I could trust him. April suggested that I should seriously consider him. Even Guy had talked about trust.

I kept my eyes closed, pulled my hand away from his and reached out to caress his thigh. I willed him to lie down next to me, to gather me into his arms, to make me feel something.

When he didn’t respond, I opened my eyes and looked deeply into his. I wanted to sink into that sea of blue rather than into the blackness that surrounded me. I wanted to leave this world behind, if only for a little while. I stretched my hand toward his face and cupped his cheek, rough with stubble. Couldn’t he understand what I needed? Didn’t he want to help me?

He stood and backed away. I let my hand drop and just looked at him. I’m wrong. He doesn’t want me. He turned and walked away.





-Guy-

A Decision



No, not like this. Not tonight and not as an act of desperation. I was shaking, but I refused to do something we would both regret.

I walked into the bathroom, closed the door behind me and leaned against it for support. When the shaking subsided, I walked over to the sink and turned on the faucet. The background noise helped me think. I leaned forward and gazed into the mirror until I’d made a decision.

I’ll give Keira a place to stay for as long as she needs. Not here. One of the safe houses will be fine. I’ll be there for her. We’ll take it slow. She’s loyal and trustworthy, Scott said. Maybe soon, I can trust her with more.

When I returned to the bedroom, she was already gone.