Page 80 of All Saints Day
While the criminal underworld might offer us avenues for stolen vehicles, false papers, places to stay, and illegal drugs, etcetera—when it comes to ponying up enough muscle or metal to go toe to toe with the Windmill? Nobody on the wrong side of the law who would be worth having for help would be willing to take the risk.
To add insult to injury, it had been my old pal Yhtzak who had sold me and my packmates out to the Windmill. He had promised us safe passage and sanctuary, while he planned on collecting the bounty on us for the tidy sum of three million.
My first order of business as soon as we escaped from the Country Estate was to make a detour to old Yhtzak, and give him a belly full of lead to send a clear and definitive message to any of our other peers in the underworld: I'm harder to kill than I look, and I have a long unforgiving memory.
With no real options on either side of the law,and our recent revelation about the identity of the White Knight, we have one very important decision to make.
All of us stand back and allow Louise to take the helm.
Of anyone who might understand our plight, anyone who might have some of the resources we would need, there was really only one choice.
Should we gamble on the White Knight, Martin Penny—Louise's uncle?
Of course, there is the consideration that there had been truth in Lowry's words—that Martin might move to eliminate his niece if he thinks she is a security risk.
There is also the chance he'd turn her in to the Feds and report the foul play surrounding her supposed death and the Zeitnot virus—putting all of us in danger of pursuit, and Louise in danger of being whisked away to a clandestine lab to be experimented on and worse.
Then again, there is also the distinct possibility that we are still missing a crucial part of the picture—one that shows that Martin would be more willing to help Louise.
“I don't know if I can face him,” Louise finally admits as we sit watching the sun go down on the deck of the rickety old houseboat on Lake Powell.
“No one is saying you have to,” Sébastien soothes, holding Louise against him, running his fingers through her long scarlet hair.
“No one is saying I have to, but we're just about out of options.” Louise leans into Seb, her eyes fixed on the setting sun on the horizon.
“We can always try to reconnect with Doctor Perla in Florence, as we originally planned,” Dennis adds.
“And if we can't call in the favors to get across the pond? Well, then we get the doctor to come to us.” Caz does his best to console her.
There's a long time where nobody says anything.
We all just sit, connected to Louise in one way or another—Seb with his hands in her hair, Caz sitting beneath her chair on the deck, leaning against her knees. Dennis stands behind her at the railing—one hand over her shoulder, and of course I myself perch on the opposite side as Sébastien, gently kneading the muscles of her left forearm.
We all watch the golden light of sunset dance over the rippling water—connected by the glow.
“I think I need to know for sure whether he did it,” Louise finally speaks, more to herself than anyone else.
None of us wants to ask her if she still plans on getting her revenge after wanting it for so long.
“What if he did do it?” Caz's voice is small, and as gentle as he can manage.
Louise's fiery lashes flutter downward, her eyes moving slowly beneath her closed lids.
“Even if he did do it—” She swallows unsteadily. “I'm not sure that I could…” She trails off, her eyes snapping back open, suddenly fixed far away.
“What happens if he doesn't want to cooperate?” Sébastien floats the idea uncomfortably into the still air.
“I-I'm not sure,” Louise sighs. “The only thing I know for certain is that I'm going to put the safety of myself and my pack first.”
Tears spring to her eyes, and she lifts her hands to touch Frank's healing bite at her mouth.
All of us wince as a ripple of pain flows through us via the bond.
“It's only a matter of time before they realize they can use him as bait to bring me in. I'd like to play right into their hands; to bring them a fight that they will never expect.” Louise curls her hands into fists. “But we can't save him as things stand now. We need help, and if I need to use the White Knight to save Frank and get all of us far away from the Windmill—then so be it. If need be, I can dispose of him—but only once my pack is safe.”
“That settles it then,” I hum thoughtfully, rocking up and outof my seat. “I'll make the arrangements. Caz and I will open lines of communication with Martin. The rest of you should go get some sleep. More likely than not, we will be moving on in the morning.”
My sleep is fitful.
