Page 6 of Destroyer

"His father sent him with the letter." Nico drops his head for a moment, the memory of Carter acknowledging him as his son in such a dismissive way would hurt anyone. "He went first to Edward. They came to Knox house together."

"True. But what would Edward want with him?" And with Nico. I am beyond certain that Nico is the kid he claimed was putty.

Chapter four

Nico

IwanttoshowCaeo where I lived alone in the trees, not because I want to come back to this life, but to prove I am old enough to be part of his. He calls me a bumbling idiot in his kitchen, and while bumbling sounds cute and bee-like, I've been organising my own meals since I was twelve. I wouldn't quite call it cooking, it was more just heating food up, but it was surviving, and I think I did pretty good at it.

"This is the way." I lead him over my obstacle course beside the warehouse where Gavriil and I worked. I learnt so much inside that metal frame cube. My education wasn't conventional, but it was practical. "Gavriil did teach me. I am not stupid."

My words come out harshly as I surrender to a moment of sadness.

"You are anything but stupid, Nico. I really don’t think that. You didn't have a formal education, but you are one of the smartest people I know."

I hear his words, they sound genuine, but until I believe it, I can't believe anyone else does.

"Gavriil did teach me lots of things. We slept over two nights in here once.” I stop and look at the metal building with a mix of remorse and relief. I don't want to come back to this life. I'll miss it, but I want to move on so that I am able to miss it. I want to relish in tales of my exploits here, I don't want to relive them.

“Why would you want to sleep in there?” Caeo indulges me in this trip down memory lane.

“I asked how long someone could live with their hands above their heads. Next man for questioning, we string him up and watched. Gavriil gave me good lesson on all tools in kit."

"That isn't something I want to imagine," Caeo gasps.

I grin, wondering if he pictures the two deck chairs and masses of popcorn we had for the second night. In truth, it was really boring until the last half an hour of his life. "Anyway. Here Mama's home when we come here."

I wave at the rusty shell that had been my home for the first few months I was here. There is no need to show him in, there is nothing of mine there now. Not even the debit card I was using as a scraper.

What is there is brittle and rusty. It wasn't a good living option back when I was a kid; it needs burning now. But that isn’t why Caeo is here. He is here because he is interested in my old life.

"Come see my place." I jog along the makeshift path in the trees and climb through the opening to my home. Caeo takes longer to join me and then he stands there, hands on hips.

"You want cuppity? Or I show you my dinner?"

Caeo takes it all in, studying my covered hammock, my log seating, and the fire pit. He smiles with approval the whole time.

"Baby, this is amazing. Did you make it all by yourself?"

"I did." A smile beams across my face at his praise. "You did call me a pet name."

"I did, didn't I." Caeo sits gingerly in the hammock. "I want a cuppity, and then you can show me everything, including dinner."

He makes my eyes want to water with his words. Not even Porter was prepared to eat here.

I set up my stove and start boiling some water. The fire was damp and horrible after being alone for so long but my reserves under the tarp lit well enough. I use the bottled water to actually make the tea and hand Caeo the tin mug. "I have not been here so long, there is no milk."

"Nico, if you didn't have any money, how did you afford all of this?"

"Mrs Big Boss Man, she only wear clothes once and not again. She said it would be nice if all things disappeared to make room for new."

"So you steal her clothes?"

"And her handbags. They make good money. I sell to Russians, and they pay good for genuine designers." I set up two tins of ravioli in the boiling water. "It is not stealing when she say first I can take them. She even leaves out what she does not want."

"It amazes me how well you have done for yourself. I wouldn't have been able to do all this." Caeo takes the open tin and I allow him to use my only fork. I take the spoon and sit on my small stool.

"I give you wine, but no one will sell it to me. Even now eighteen, Gavriil has to buy his own booze." I pause at my words. "Had. He had to buy. We both were looking forward to the day I could get some."

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