Vale suggested going in with Shelanon. He was eager to have eyes on that underground fortress of his. Shelanon wanted choice info on Vale as well. They were two paranoid freaks. Besides that, I think Shelanon needed a right hand with brains as well as brawn. The guy he had...something Baker...was a real idiot.”
Bill passed a look to Caiphus and then back to Brogue. “We’ve met,” she said.
“Well Vale never said where I was headed- when I had my suspicions, I contacted Cap. I told him what I could and that I didn’t know how often I’d be able to communicate once I was there. I didn’t have much choice then, but to go-hanging out in the open wasn’t smart. The Cap and I…we thought it’d be useful to have me in place and I put off worrying about how I’d ever get the hell out of there.
They took my phone before I even got on the plane, but Cap had already told me he’d connect with me via email. In his first message, he told me to never reply-only read. It was risky enough logging into my account, but some things worked in my favor and Shelanon never called me on it.”
“How did Rain cut your neck?” Dena wanted to know.
“Well technically...she didn’t cut my neck but the guy selected to take the fall.”
“How the fuck did that work?” Hill demanded.
Brogue spread his hands. “A prick who would’ve otherwise been wasted over certain business decisions and other bad...habits would have the chance to redeem himself. This was all put together in a manner of weeks-the Captain’s people are damn geniuses at what they do. The guy went through the necessary surgery and was out of bandages in less than two weeks. They kept him so drugged he didn’t question a thing. He thought he was being put up in Vegas to meet about making a new deal.”
“Hmph, looks like he did,” Caiphus noted.
“I slept elsewhere, but I made sure to be seen-made sure it was known I was a guest of the premises. I knew Pike’s and Belle’s wedding was sure to draw them out-they wouldn’t have been able to resist making a move there. I saw Rain Su a couple of times. She was working at one of the bars. I pretended not to recognize her- wasn’t sure then if she recognized me. Second time, I think I gave her my name but she acted like she didn’t recognize me. I knew better though and I’m a big fan of the old phrase ‘better safe than sorry’.
The Captain’s staff kept the guy relaxed on all their excellent drugs and made sure he was a sitting duck if she showed-which we could only hope she would. If this hadn’t gone over, I’d have probably been stuck with an identical twin for the rest of my life. The guy-the mark-was so high, he wouldn’t have reacted to his throat being cut. Not sure how Rain spun that for Eva, but…”
“Well cousin...that’s some elaborate story,” Hill’s expression was unreadable. “Hope it never changes. You’re gonna have to repeat it for several interested parties, you know?”
“It won’t change.”
“See that it doesn’t.” Hill’s expression didn’t change. “My dad isn’t as even-tempered as I am. If he decides to snap your neck for putting my mother in a wheelchair, no one’s gonna stop him and trust us, we’ll make sure it’s your neck he snaps.”
“I understand,” Brogue’s features tightened with sudden tension and regret. “I never meant to hurt her.”
“But you did mean to hurt our father,” Caiphus noted.
“And I thank God I didn’t and that your mother’s alive and walking. I’m sorry for everything I put your family through, I know those words aren’t close to being enough. I can never change what I did. I can only work at being a better man- a better part of this family. What happened back there with Shelanon...I should be dead-again. I’m not and I won’t waste that chance.”
Silence held in the room once more. Persephone, sitting closest to Brogue, reached over to rub a hand across his knee.
Grateful for the contact, Brogue took her
hand and squeezed.
~~~
Lighter conversation made a gradual return. The unofficial plan seemed to be to converge on Brogue’s room. Bashir arrived with Dreck and Sandawe Webb to discuss follow up plans with Caiphus and SyBilla. Marcella joined her brother.
Drinks flowed more freely as did the
laughter. The dregs of the exhausting trip were beginning to slip
away as the gravity of what they’d all accomplished began to sink
in.
~~~
“Hey.”
Marcella had been admiring the mug she’d selected from the caddy. That she was completing a task as simple as selecting a mug from a caddy in a hotel where she was free to leave if she wished… was almost a surreal experience. The delight of that feeling was topped only by the sound of Brogue Tesano’s voice nearby.
“You okay?” Brogue looked as though he wanted to move closer, but resisted.
Marcella nodded, glancing down at the mug of aromatic tea before she scanned the room of old and new acquaintances. “Doesn’t seem real,” she said.
Brogue smiled his initial agreement. “I know what you mean,” his bright gaze settled on Caiphus and Hill. “Never thought I’d see some of these people again.”
“I know what you mean,” Marci returned his words.
“And Bashir’s your brother,” Brogue marveled once their laughter curbed. “Seeing him’s probably more unreal for you since you haven’t seen him-”
“Since I left home,” the remnants of laughter were easing from her voice then.
“What’s next for you?” Brogue didn’t like that he was the cause for the slight dip in her emotions.
“I’m looking forward to knowing my brother again,” her mood seemed to elevate a few notches. “Learning about his life and friends, I’m excited about that.”
“And getting reacquainted with your own friends too. Must be great seeing Perry again,” he smiled seeing the light fully return to sparkle in her eyes.
“I couldn’t have dreamed that would ever happen,” she sighed, shook her head. “It’s even better knowing she and Hill are together.”
“He’s loved her for a long time.”
Quiet rested between them for a moment and then Brogue was moving closer.
“I know you’ve got a lot of settling in to do and there’s so much about to happen in your life…”
Marci held her mug in a vice grip.
“Yes?” She prompted him when he didn’t seem able to continue.
