Chereads / Forge of Shadows / Chapter 17 - Flip

Chapter 17 - Flip

"What?" Soren stood to his feet too quickly that he knocked the chair he was sitting on over. "What are you talking about, Issac?"

"I told you that I am not going to do that a long time ago," Zadie said, looking at the table sadly. "I made a promise."

"Yes, and 'accidental' death will not cut it." Issac continued before looking at Soren. "Sorry. We were just talking about the old man's instructions to everyone before he died. He told me to not die unless I find this person."

"And he told me to kill him once he found this person." Zadie shrugged before turning to Araya. "And to hand this person over to her."

"What did he tell you?" Soren asked, turning to Araya who shook her head.

"I don't know. He told me and then mashed my head in with a hammer. So my memories are a little bit … mashed up." She said, smiling. "But I think it is better that I don't know. Otherwise, I will be bugged by it like these two."

"Why would their father tell you to kill him?" Soren turned quickly to Zadie. "And why are you all even trying to follow that he says to?"

"I respect the man," Zadie said, frowning. "He took me in when no one wanted me. He saved me and I owe him my life. I would do anything he asks me to."

"Ok … so are you going to kill Issac then?" he asked, looking over at Araya who looked completely unbothered by the conversation.

"I will not." She said firmly. "I may owe a lot to his father but I owe some things to him as well."

"She was mulling it over for six months." Araya chuckled while shoving something into the microwave. "Pizza, anyone?"

"I will have a slice," Soren said, holding his hand up while looking at Issac and Zadie. "I thought you guys were really close friends from the way you hung out in high school."

"She was monitoring me to make sure I do not get in trouble, the wrong kind of trouble," Issac said plainly. "I do the dirty work and she cleans up after me."

"Clean up?" Soren asked, frowning. "What are you talki-"

"Ok! Here is chicken sausage pizza." Araya suddenly came in between them and placed the box in front of them. "How about we see what is on T.V."

Without waiting for the others to say anything else, she grabbed the remote and turned the news station on.

The anchor began to speak, making everyone in the room fall silent.

"A woman has been found dead in the alley of the street between Dorbert and Vlueway. Her face is unrecognizable as it looks like a gun blew her face clean off. More information to come soon."

Araya quickly turned the television off as she turned to the others, "That is not nice to hear first thing in the morning, don't you think so?"

"That sounds brutal," Soren said just as his phone began to ring. He walked away, picking up the call.

"What do we do?" Zadie asked, hand on the gun strapped to her thigh. "I can take him down an-"

"No," Issac said, stopping her. "Do not touch him."

"What will you do then?" Araya asked, frowning. "He could betray you, you know that?"

"I know," Issac said, looking at the direction Soren walked away in. "And I am prepared to be betrayed."

"But?"

He turned to Zadie, raising an eyebrow, "You were given a chance at life. Why not do the same for someone else?"

"I promised to keep you safe, not to be merciful." She said, taking her hand off the gun. "I will not hesitate next time I feel like there is something suspicious about him."

"You've known him as long as we have," Araya said softly. "How can you not trust him by now?"

"The only ones that I trust are you two." She said, looking at the brother and sister. "Only because I was there when you two were created."

"Why not go back in time and watch him get made?" Araya said with a cat-like grin on her face. "I didn't think you were the type to be into those freaky things. Damn, Zadie."

"I did not mean it that way." She sighed as they heard footsteps approaching. "I will leave this to you, Issac."

"Who was it?" He asked, looking at Soren's distraught expression with a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.

"It is the police." He said, staring at his phone. "They told me that the woman from the news has my card with her. They asked me to go to the police station."

"What for?" Araya asked, the same amusement in her eyes.

"To give my testimony and … my connection to her." He looked at Issac getting to his feet. "Do you know anything about this woman, Issac?"

"She was the one I last slept with. You gave her your card so you must have been deemed a suspect." He said, chewing on a slice of pizza. "Let me ask this, did you give your card to all my previous partners?"

"I might have." He said, reaching for a slice as he began eating. "None of them ever contacted me back."

"They are all dead," Issac said plainly, making the man drop his pizza.

"What??"

__________

"He said what he did," Zadie said, taking the gun off the holster as she began taking it apart. "I am guessing you figured who killed them."

"Why would you kill them? And how did you do that without being detected?" Soren asked, looking at Araya who was just smiling proudly at Zadie. "Now really isn't the time to be proud, Araya."

"She has come so far though," Araya said, wiping imaginary tears from her eyes. "I remember when she was just a child and could hardly carry a gun. Now … so proud."

"You flatter me, Araya," Zadie said, smiling at her. "But I did learn from the best."

"I just had a good student." Araya grinned, patting her on the head.

"I think we are forgetting something important." Issac interrupted them, holding the refrigerator open.

"Thank you, Issac," Soren said, looking at Issac and, instantly, his face fell. "You are not talking about the-"

"We are all out of cakes."

"I knew it." Soren sighed, shaking his head. "Please just tell me that you had a good reason for killing them."

"I killed them because, if I didn't, they would be stuck in the In-Between. That is what happens to anyone that … sleeps with Issac." She said the last words almost like she could not believe that they came out of her mouth.

"What? Do you have some kind of magic di-"

"Ahh!" Araya closed her ears with her hands quickly. "Let's not be talking about my brother's … private life like that. Ok?"

"You always talk about how good your husband is in bed though." Zadie laughed as Soren's eyes widened.

"You have a husband?? I thought you were single."

"Oh no, I am in a very committed relationship with my husband." She said, innocently beaming at him. "I should introduce you to him sometime."

"O-ok." He said, looking away. "Anyway, back to the main point at hand. You are telling me that I am suspected of her death?"

"Not just hers," Issac said, taking out a bottle of juice as he began to drown it down. "Every person I ever … slept with. If you gave them all your cards."

"Do you think I will be summoned to court?"

"Maybe." Issac shrugged. "If you do, I can hire a lawyer for you. I know someone."

"I hope they call me to court." He said, smiling. "I have always wanted a courtroom experience."

"And you call me the weirdo," Issac said, looking at the two before turning back to him. "I am coming with you. If only to keep you out of trouble."

"The actual culprit is following the accused to the police station. The irony of it all." He mused. "Well, at least I will have company."

"You are not going to rat me out?" Issac asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Is that why you are coming? To keep me in check with your secret?"

"Na," he said dismissively. "But I was thinking that you would and I wanted to see their reactions."

"Do you not care if I rat you out?? Do you not care about your life?" He almost panicked but then calmed down instantly. "You know what, that is the least surprising thing about you."

"Go on. We are leaving in five minutes." Issac said, walking to his room with the bottle of juice in his hands. "Let's see what chaos ensues. And Zadie?"

"Yes?"

"Please book our tickets to that boy's place. The earlier the better. Oh, and call Haiti to come here. There are some things I need to tell her."

"How many tickets?"

"I don't know. Flip a coin or something."