Girl of Shadow Read online

  The fact is, Izabel may feel brave enough to try for that kind of attention, but who would be brave enough to give it? Not any man who values his neck. I think back to our brief, intimate moment in the hallway. How I would love to go back to that. I shake my head, hoping to clear my thoughts. I still have some unpleasant business to take care of tonight. Hopefully, it will end on a good note.

  I take one of the cars and leave the property, making sure I’m not followed. I stop by a rundown building where I have a few stashed bags. I grab one and leave the rest for another time.

  It takes me about twenty minutes to get to good ol’ Frankie’s house. At this time of night, not a single light can be seen from the outside. Good. It’ll make my job a whole lot easier. I leave the car parked in the street and make my way up to his door. I’m not here for a nice chit chat so rather than knocking on the front door, I kick it in and invite myself in. My eyes, having already adjusted to the darkness make it very easy for me to navigate my way through his home. I pull my sword and use it to break things along the way. I don’t need to find Frank, he’ll find me.

  Within moments, Frank is standing before me in his night clothes with his own sword drawn. I can see his family in the hall behind him, huddled together all dressed in white pajamas with startled expressions written all over their faces. I do feel bad for scaring them, though, but it can’t be helped. It’s all a part of the act.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Frank Orson?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m here on behalf of The Boss.” I show him my badge, the only proof of identity I carry on nights like these. His face pales and his wife begins to cry. They recognize the symbol.

  “I see. What can I do for you, Enforcer?” He sets his sword down.

  “First, I would like us to sit and have a chat.” I wave him over to the seat in front of me, but he doesn’t take it. “Your wife and children can go back to bed for now.” Frank nods in their direction and with much hesitation they do so. His wife lingers the longest, but she must realize there’s nothing she can do for him right now, but though she is out of sight, I would bet my pension she’s standing just around the corner listening. He walks to the chair I indicated earlier and takes a seat.

  “What do you want?”

  “You must know The Boss has sent me here to kill you.” He nods his head solemnly. I just barely make out his wife’s stifled weeping. “I would like to know why?”

  “Why would it matter? You’re his pet and you do has he wills. You just want me to entertain you for a bit; gather a good story to laugh about with your friends while my body is fresh in the dirt.”

  “True enough, but still I want you to share; enlighten me of your cause. Maybe I’ll make your death a swift one if you make the tale interesting enough.” He gives me an unbelieving look. “I would like to know before I kill you.”

  “Let me share something with you Enforcer; something you’re probably too young and dumb to realize. I live here very comfortably with my wife and two daughters and as you can see we have enough; more than enough, in fact, and yet we don’t own any of it. Not the house or the food in our cabinets, not even our lives. We have nothing and are nothing unless The Boss deems otherwise. My family has worked with The Boss and his family for a few decades now, the one thing I have found is The Boss cares nothing for his people. I want it to change for my daughters so they can have a better future. One day, when you have a family, hopefully you will know what I mean. So if you want to kill me then do it. My only request is you leave my family alone.”

  “Interesting ideals.” He rolls his eyes at me, thinking I’m being sarcastic. He’s probably feeling brave now that he believes his time has come, but I think we can help each other.

  Since the first night I began training with my father to lead Liberty, I was taught something very important. Don’t kill unnecessarily and especially not people who can be useful. Frank Orson can be incredibly useful and I have a feeling he wants to live.

  “Frank, why don’t you bring your wife in here?” His face pales. “I’m not going to hurt her, I swear by the Way. I have a proposition for you, one I think will work well for both of us, but especially you since it means you get to keep your life.”

  “You’re joking.”

  “No. Call your wife in. This decision affects her and the kids too and half the plan relies on her ability to act.”

  He clears his throat and calls, “Celia come here.” She stands in the doorway, her eyes puffy. He waves her over with his hand indicating the place next time him. She takes a seat, still shaking with fear even though she likely heard the majority of the conversation. With nerves like hers, we might just be able to pull this off. “What do you propose?” Frank asks.

  “How much would you like to see The Boss striped off his mantle? Because with your help, I think we can.”

  I discuss with him and his wife everything they need to know. They know they will be working for Liberty and only their cooperation will guarantee their protection. I’m glad to see they aren’t bothered by this. Often times in the past, when I have dealt with similar situations, the aristocrats have had problems working with a rebel group.

  “Now the difficult part of the plan is making everyone believe Frank is dead, which means you, Celia, must stay behind with the kids for a few weeks. You have to act as if you are in mourning. The kids should really help with the authenticity of the scene since under no circumstance are you going to tell them the truth.”

  “But how could I ever put my children through that? Lie to them and make them think their father is dead?”

  “Easy, how much do you value your husband’s life? Because I can still end it now.” She pales and I feel bad for being so aggressive about it. Trying to take a lighter tone, I tell her, “If it makes you feel any better just know this- it’s the only way. Otherwise, someone will catch on and not only will Frank’s life be in danger again but yours and your children’s as well.” And mine for that matter. It would be incredibly difficult to explain how someone I was assigned to kill is found walking around alive. So far, it hasn’t been a problem.

  As soon as both of them agree to my terms, I make Orson memorize directions to the warehouse he has to get to tonight. We go over the best way to avoid drawing attention and I provide him with a special pass to allow him to access the warehouse district.

  “Who am I meeting?”

  “You don’t need to know names. As long as you are in this location, they will take you to safety. Once there, they will expect your full cooperation.”

  “When can my wife and children join me?”

  “Don’t worry about that. When you have proved yourself to be trustworthy, someone will contact your wife with instructions.” I turn to her. “Don’t try and find the warehouse, we change pick up locations regularly and randomly. Someone will be watching you at all times so if something does go wrong, they will get you out as quickly as possible. Do you understand?” She nods. “Good. Celia, I’m going to destroy your living room.”

  “What! Why?”

  “Because I need to make it look like I killed your husband here. I have a bag in my car I need to grab. I’ll be right back.”

  As soon as I’m back inside their living, I begin pulling items out. Behind me, Frank asks, “What’s all of that for?”

  “I need to draw some of your blood and probably some of your wife’s as well. Remember, I killed you tonight, we need to make it look like it. I could just slice your hand, but this seems like a better way to do it don’t you think?” He doesn’t respond.

  I finish setting everything up before turning to them. “Who wants to go first?” Celia looks pale, but Frank looks determined.

  “I’ll go first.” He sits down next to me. I check his veins, trying to locate the best one.

  “I need you to hold your arm like this and just hold still.” I clean the area with alcohol and insert the needle, he doesn’t even flinch. After a few minutes, I have as mu
ch blood as I’m willing to risk taking. Slipping the needle out, I wipe the area and pass him a napkin. “Hold it in place until it stops bleeding. Celia, give me a minute to set up again and then it will be your turn.” I do the same thing to her and like her husband she doesn’t make a sound when I slide the needle in.

  After the blood is gathered, I pass clothes to Frank and tell him to change. I then take the bags of blood, using my knife to pop a whole in them before sprinkling it around the room and a little on myself to make it look like I cut off Frank’s head. I then mess up the space a bit, knocking over items here and there to complete the look.

  Frank comes back into the room, his eyes wide at the changes I’ve made to myself and his living room. “I’ll give you a few moments to say goodbye, but then Frank, you must be on your way. You’ll see your family in a few weeks.” I leave them to it. They move to another room where I can hear Celia crying while her husband offers her comfort. I get a body bag from the car and walk around their home, putting burnable items in it. I also throw in everything left over from my stash bag in before rolling it in the blood on the carpet. Once done, the bag looks like it could have a bloody body in it. From a distance, it’ll be enough to fool anyone. The blood on the bag makes it appear as if blood is seeping through and then adding the blood splattered on me there should be no question as to whether I completed my task or not. It’s just a precaution, likely no one will see me.

  Before leaving, I make sure Frank gets on his way, then I take the body bag to a property where bodies of traitors are burned.

  Chapter 13

  IZABEL

  “We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.”

  ― Heinrich Heine

  ~~~

  Early the next morning when the clouds still grayed the sky, I’m able to retrieve my weapons and cloak without a problem. The large basket I carry for fresh cut flowers works well to conceal my things.

  I take my time walking through the garden, checking out a plant here and there to hide my purpose. It also serves as a quiet get away for me to gather my thoughts before the day begins; a brief respite from my usual plots that never seem to end. Sometimes it all seems so exhausting.

  I pass guards along the way, they don’t pay me any attention. Stopping just within earshot, I try picking up any tidbit of information that might indicate the ongoings of last night. Okay, so maybe I can never really stop plotting. Some opportunities are too good to pass up.

  Since last night, The Boss increased the security detail. Something spooked him and I want to know what. So far it’s been a waste of time. The two guards don’t offer up anything useful either. Their discussion surrounds some maid they slept with. Giving up my search for useful information, I continue on my walk. I’ll figure out a way to get close to The Boss… or maybe Darick.

  I hide my weapons in my room and then drop off my flowers in the kitchen where the staff compliments me on my unusual thoughtfulness before joining Mirna for breakfast.

  “So did you ask?” She whispers between bites.

  “Ask what?” She rolls her eyes at me.

  “The party tonight. You know the one we talked about just yesterday?”

  “Oh, yeah…” It took a moment, but I did recall her mentioning it at breakfast yesterday. “Sorry, I forgot, but don’t worry I’ll ask.” Perfect cover for eavesdropping.

  I had wondered what excuse I could use to get close to The Boss. I rarely seek him out for anything, but this is perfect. A regular high school girl problem with Mirna to vouch for its authenticity. No one would realize the dual purpose of the visit, not even Mirna which will keep her safe if it goes south.

  An idea strikes me. “I’m sure he’ll say yes. I’ll just ask for Darick to come along.” Mirna frowns at me but says nothing. She knows I’ll tell her later. She doesn’t like that she’s only on a need to know basis, but at least she understands enough not to push.

  When Mirna leaves for class, instead of going to mine, I wait outside The Boss’s office. The door is partially cracked. I hear The Boss, Alroy, Darick, and another male voice talking in whispers at the back of the office, but I’m unable to make out their words. I can’t risk being found snooping outside his office. After knocking lightly on the door, I step back a bit. I only have to wait a moment before a guard opens the door to let me in.

  Outside of last night, when the office was so packed, I haven’t been in this office for some time. It never seems to change. The paint is chipped in places, revealing the old layers like a history of all The Bosses who came before. The walls are covered in war photos from history, there’s a rack of weapons on display, and a single photo of my mother sits on the desk the only reminder of family in this space. The photo is one of only a handful of the photos lying about. I never quite understood his reason for keeping the photo so close. Does he like to look at the face of the woman he destroyed? It seemed wrong and twisted from my perspective.

  The Boss is sitting at a small conference table with Alroy, Darick, and the fourth voice I heard was the chief of police, Aaron Gabaldon, going over a document. My brother, Michael is sitting quietly at the table as well. The Boss really wants him to take over after he’s gone so Michael shadows a lot of their meetings. All five men are dressed impeccably, the stress of last night’s events seem long forgotten.

  I stand a polite distance away with my hands clasped in front of me. It’s impolite to clasp them behind my back in the presence of The Boss. The action implies one has something to hide. My mother always said never to stand in a room with a man or woman who isn’t willing to show their hands. I didn’t understand the rule then, but now I know what she meant both literally and figuratively.

  I wait to be acknowledged as they discuss a new law. My interest is peaked. The law will require the oldest son of every family to train in a special school in intelligence and combat. It would seem my father is creating an army, but for what? He already has guards, police and security.

  I have to let Fernando know right away. The Boss is up to something and whatever it is, it can’t be good. I wonder if there’s a connection between the events last night and this new plan? For the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m missing things. I’m usually very on top of the plots going on in my own home, but somehow this one has slid by my notice long enough for them to have a very solid plan of action in place. It’s unnerving.

  Alroy clears his throat when he finally realizes I’m waiting. My thoughts snap back to the present. The Boss looks up from his work, “What is it? We are trying to work here.”

  “Sorry father,” I bow my head with a look of regret for bothering him. I try to play innocent and stupid. The perfect daughter.

  “Aaron, you remember my daughter Izabel?”

  “Yes, of course. Hello, Ms. Izabel. My have you grown! A beautiful young lady.”

  “It’s great to see you, Mr. Gabaldon.” The lie slips easily from my lips, turning my attention back to my father. “I was hoping to get permission to go to a party tonight with Mirna. It’s being hosted by a boy at Mirna’s school. Alroy already agreed for Mirna to go and of course I have no problem with Darick accompanying me.” I peek beneath my eyelids to see how The Boss is taking the request. He looks to be considering it. He makes eye contact with Alroy, who gives him a quick nod. They have worked together so long, no words need to be spoken aloud. I try and follow the silent conversation, but it just goes above my head. Instead, I watch Darick’s face. He’s watching the exchange just as intently as I am, but he has the benefit of being around The Boss and Alroy regularly enough to know how they think.

  I see something like frustration in Darick’s eyes and know, before The Boss even gets a chance to say a word, the answer is ‘yes’.

  A second later, Darick’s face goes back to his usual indifference. I wonder what’s going on with him. He’s usually the calmest and most controlled person I have ever been around with his late father as the only exception. Yet, within the last few days, I ha
ve seen his facade slip on many occasions, revealing someone with more emotional depth and something else I can’t quite pinpoint.

  Darick is not all that he seems. Something else I will have to explore further while at the party. If the enforcer is capitulating, then the Red Spider is at an advantage… but I suspect it’s something else. We might have a ticking time bomb on our hands and I would bet my mother’s things that when Darick explodes we will all walk away damaged. Better get a wrap on that one and fast.

  “You may go, but stick close to Mirna, and Darick will be going with you as well as additional guards.”

  I put a pouty face on, “But daddy…” let them think I’m fickle.

  “You will do as I say or not go at all.” He dismisses me. His head already back in his work. Alroy asks about dates for opening the school and Aaron points out possible places where his police force might be most effective.

  It’s only Darick’s eyes I feel on me. It’s unnerving. I walk out without looking back, afraid of what I’ll find in those eyes now. When, not if, the bomb goes off, I wonder if I’ll survive the explosion. I doubt I can get a wrap on the situation quickly enough. I leave the room quickly, wanting to get Darick’s stare off my back.

  As soon as I exit the room, my meek demeanor dissipates. I’m a girl on a mission. I have to leave a message for Fernando or someone he trusts to meet me tonight at the party, but before I can do anything I have to attend class with Anthony. He’s expecting a presentation on steam technology and the few advances we have made since then. I wouldn’t want to disappoint him.

  Chapter 14

  THE BOSS

  “It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”

  -Buddha

  ~~~

  “When can construction begin?” I review the blueprints of the proposed school. The plans are marked for a large structure for a re-education center and a long building for dorms with plenty of room for the boys to practice their combat skills outside. A fence will skirt the outside with guard towers on all sides to keep the boys in and all others out.