Fated: Karma Series, Book Three (6 page)

A lifetime ago—or more accurately, last month—I’d saved a man on a yacht. Thinking back on it now, it felt like a different person had done that. It had been my first “save” job, robbing someone from death’s hands—and by death’s hands, I mean the process of the body dying, not my buddy back at the office—so that I could deliver them into Malokin’s. He wanted them for his own nefarious needs, the exact details of which I had blissful ignorance of.

I’d never been a willing participant but Kitty’s life had been hanging over my head as Malokin’s noose had tightened around my neck. I hadn’t known until then how much I would hate being under someone’s thumb. How could I have? I’d never been a puppet before. If it hadn’t been for Kitty, I would’ve taken my chances and told Malokin to do his worst, even if that meant being strangled by the threads that held me.

And here I was now: new marina and agenda, same yacht and target. It wasn’t surprising that they had decided to move the yacht to a new location after what had happened.

I hesitated only a second before I turned off the engine, parked in a spot between a Mercedes and a Lamborghini.

Fate threw me a look that said,
yeah, we blend
, before climbing out of the car. The Honda was making some especially foul smells today so I followed quickly. He might have a point.

We walked through the parking lot and then toward the slips filled with boats.

One of the things I hated about remaining here, so close to where I’d been born and raised as a human, was it was filled with memories that flooded back when I least expected them. The last time I’d been at this marina was when my number could still be counted among the homo sapiens.

I’d gone on sailing trips from this place, back in better days when the only worries we’d had were if we’d brought enough booze and sandwiches. I wished those were the only things that came to mind now. I’d even settle for those memories to be the second or third of what came to mind, instead of being buried under a whole lot of ugly crap.

“This guy, this was the first time I did something for Malokin.” I walked down the dock, staring up at the changing sky and wondering about all of the things I still didn’t know. “It keeps me up at night wondering how my saves contributed to what’s happening now.” It might have been the most honest thing I’d ever uttered to Fate.

He looked at me as if he understood, right down to the sleepless nights. “Something was going on way before that. Maybe it helped him, maybe it didn’t, but this was coming either way.”

He sounded so sure of it that it was easy to cling to the belief he was correct. I remembered the day I went to Montreal on one of my first jobs. Things had seemed off then, even to my novice transfer sensibilities. “Maybe you’re right.”

“You know I’m right. I was searching for the cause way before you got involved.”

He had been. I’d thought at the time it was a fool’s errand. Now look at me; if he’d been a fool I was now a court jester dancing to the same tune.

“Even still, I didn’t help things.”

Fate stopped in the middle of the walk and grabbed my hand to stop me as well. “Kitty would be dead if you hadn’t done what you did. He would’ve killed her.”

“Would you have done it? Helped Malokin to save Kitty?” I asked.

He didn’t answer, and that was all I needed. I’d known anyway. As playful and flirty as this newer version of Fate could be, it hadn’t been that long ago for me to have forgotten what he’d been like when I’d arrived and what I knew he was deep down—black and white, all steel and sharp edges. He would’ve let Kitty die.

“You think I’m soft?” I didn’t know if it was a question or an accusation.

“No. Everyone has to follow their gut. You did the only thing you could live with.”

He looked at me like he believed in what he was saying, even if it was the exact opposite of how he would’ve dealt with it. I nodded and started walking again. So did he.

“Don’t judge your actions against mine. We’re different.”

Don’t judge. That was a joke. How could I not? Everyone judged whether we admitted to it or not, usually saving the harshest criticisms for ourselves.

“What about Murphy or Luck? What do you think they would’ve done?” I asked, fearing the worst. Was I the only one that didn’t have the heart to let her die? Or was what I called heart actually just human weakness? Maybe they were right; transfers were inferior.

“It doesn’t matter. It was your choice to make.” His eyes, that sometimes burned so hot, were cold as he said it.

“But it’s not what you think I should’ve done. Admit it.” I could see it there in his face, and I needed to hear it. “I can handle the truth but respect me enough to say it to me. I don’t need to be handled with kid gloves.”

“I would’ve let her die.”

That hadn’t taken much prodding. “Why?”

“Does it matter?”

“To me it does.”

He didn’t speak and I thought he wasn’t going to explain. We paused within view of the boat, he finally said, “Because I couldn’t let anyone have that much control over me.”

I’d expected something along the lines of sacrificing one for the greater good.

“You would’ve let her die because of your control hang up?”

“No. Not because of my hang up, because of what could happen if they did ever have control over me. It could’ve been much worse than arming him with a few more people. Like so many other things, it’s all in the numbers. Kitty’s life wasn’t worth the possible damage. No one’s life is worth that many, no matter who.”

It had been what I’d thought after all. I got it. In the larger scheme of things—as a whole—it made sense. But standing there, being the one that had to walk away and let the single one die, I wasn’t built that way and probably never would be.

The fact that he would make the same choice if I were the single life … . That was why I needed to keep my distance. Because if it had been him, I wouldn’t have ever given up.

“And what exactly are you that would be so lethal? I highly doubt you were ever supposed to be human. You finally going to tell me?”

“Depends. What are you willing to pay for the information?” He smiled.

I faked a smile in return, trying to forget what his earlier words had meant, that he would sacrifice anyone including myself if that was what it took to save the whole. I wouldn’t. Justified or not, it caused a hurt somewhere deep within. Seemed even if I didn’t acknowledge how I felt about him, it didn’t stop the feeling of it.

“There it is,” I said, motioning towards the large yacht I remembered. The door I’d crashed through had new glass and lights were shining inside.

“Do you want me to do it?” Fate asked as we got to the ladder that would lead us up to my target.

“No. I saved him; I should kill him.”

He paused with hand on a rung. “It’ll be easier for me.”

He had no nerves. He was calmer than the water in this inlet, gently swaying the boats to and fro as if they were rocking a baby to sleep.

“I know. But it still has to be me.”

He wasn’t human; he never had been, and I doubted he ever would be. The idea that he would be capable of having a relationship with me was ludicrous.

Even watching him now, I could feel something potent growing. Preparing for obstacles, it replaced the flirting Fate, who had just resided in his place, with a more ruthless creature.

We were so different on the most fundamental level. It was pointless to pine for something that could never be. I’d fallen into this position by some crazy twist of luck. I’d do my time, see if I could get Paddy to spring me early for good behavior, and go back to a normal human life. There was something animalistic in Fate that took to this life. The two of us would be like a bunny and a wolf mating. Even if I were to become the most vicious bunny in the warren, it just didn’t work. We were different animals.

“You ready?” he said, but I could tell he was wondering what had made me pause.

“Yeah,” I said as I nodded, trying to shake off my thoughts and get my head back in the game.

He nodded and started to climb up onto the deck. I took a deep breath and followed after him, thinking of how sturdy the ladder was this time around. The Universe really didn’t like when you messed with its plans. Now that I was trying to correct them, it seemed much more magnanimous to my presence here.

We hit the deck and crossed to the door, then made our way into the lavish interior of the boat. A guy walked into the room and stopped short, clearly startled to find us standing there. I recognized him immediately. It was the man that would’ve shot his partner. I wished he were the one I needed to kill. Pulling the trigger would’ve been a lot easier.

“You!” he said, looking directly at me.

“Where’s your partner?” Fate asked.

The guy threw his hands up. “I don’t know what beef he had with you people but I don’t want any trouble. He’s gone. I know he was involved in some shady things but I just want you all to go away.”

“Gone where?”

“He’s dead.”

I advanced on the guy, ready to bang his head into the wall until I got the truth. “Dead? Why didn’t I see an obituary?” I’d done extensive research and nothing I’d found had led me to believe Malokin had got to him already.

“He disappeared a couple of weeks ago. They declared him today.”

The guy was sweating bullets, and I was starting to believe his story. I’d known my target was missing but I’d thought that he was hiding on the boat. “Fate?” I asked.

“On it,” he said, pulling out his phone and checking. Only a couple of seconds elapsed before he confirmed the information. “Yep, declared today.”

I turned toward Fate, not caring if the guy took off anymore and knowing my reflexes were quick enough to stop an attack from a single human, back turned or not. “Let’s go. Nothing left to do here.”

“Would it make you feel better to kill him?” Fate asked, pointing to the guy.

I watched the potential target’s back as he ran from the room. I waved my hand to let him go when Fate raised his eyebrows. “No. I wanted to kill
my
target.”

He walked over and patted me on the shoulder in a slightly mocking way. “It’s okay. There’ll be other murders.”

“I know. It’s just so disappointing.” I’d really thought this one would be a slam-dunk.

“Come on, I’ll buy you an ice cream.”

The Honda spluttered like it was on life support as we pulled out of the parking lot. The disappointment was so thick that I was having a hard time keeping it contained.

“I think we need to focus more on Malokin. These names on your bucket list mean little to nothing.”

I knew what he was trying to accomplish but it didn’t make me feel any better. “Maybe by themselves they don’t but as a whole, they can’t be helping the situation.”

“It’s more important to locate Malokin.”

Frustration and disappointment warred within me, and I wanted to bang my forehead into the cracked vinyl of the steering wheel. It did always come down to finding him, slippery eel that he was. I’d hunted him down before. Malokin didn’t get found until he wanted to.

“Turn left over here,” Fate said, pointing.

“Why? What’s down there?”

“You losing your memory? Ice cream.”

“I thought you were kidding. I really don’t want any.” Ice cream would sit like cement in my stomach the way I was feeling.

“I want it.”

I turned my head toward him. “You don’t eat it.”

“I do once in a while.”

“What, once every century?”

“No, once a decade or so.”

The sound of my phone vibrating in the middle console filled the car. We both looked down. It was ringing but no number came up on the caller ID. That could only mean one thing. Maybe he was coming to us.

I hit speaker on the phone. “Malokin.”

His voice was as smooth and genteel as ever as he spoke. “I’d like to offer you a proposition.”

Propositions from Malokin never leaned in my favor. “Which is?”

“I’d like to discuss it in person tomorrow night.”

“She won’t be coming alone,” Fate added making his presence known.

“Didn’t expect her to.” And from the sound of his voice, he really hadn’t.

Malokin rattled off a time and place before hanging up abruptly.

I let the shock of what had just happened filter slowly into my system for a minute before I spoke. “I’m not sure how I feel about that. Why would he agree to meet us when I’m sure he knows we want to kill him?”

Fate threw his hands up as I passed the ice cream stand. “Where are you going?”

“My condo.”

“I still want ice cream.”

“You
still
want ice cream?”

“Yes.”

Those calm waters must be a really nice place to dock your psyche, I thought to myself as I whipped a U-turn.

I parked in the crowded lot and we got in line, me still pondering the situation and waiting for Fate to voice an opinion about something other than ice cream.

“Order me a hot fudge sundae, extra whip and cherries,” Paddy said. “Tell them double fudge, too.”

“I hate when you do that,” I said, as I turned to see him standing beside me when no one had been there a second before. I looked around, wondering why no one else noticed him just appear.

“And sprinkles. I want a lot of sprinkles. The rainbow kind. Open table! I’ll go grab it before someone gets it.”

His cane barely touched the ground as he ran toward the four top, nearly knocking a couple of kids who were eyeing up the same space out of the way.

Crazy, rude misfits, the whole lot of them, even the ones at the top. Of course things were falling apart. How could they do anything but if we were the ones in charge?

Fate handed me a bowl of cookie dough ice cream I hadn’t ordered as we made it over to the table that Paddy was actively protecting, waiving his cane around like a senior samurai. He plopped down a bowl in front of Paddy as we both took a seat.

“Are you two aware that the chaos breaking out around here isn’t a limited occurrence?” Paddy asked right before a shovel-sized spoonful hit his mouth.

“Obviously.” Fate took a spoonful of his ice cream then made a face. He turned and dipped his spoon in mine. He raised his eyebrows and nodded his approval.

“Do you have anything to add that we don’t know?” Fate went to reach over and eat more of mine. I slid the cup towards him, not caring if he took the whole thing.

“Not exactly, but I think we should be cautious about trying to completely do away with Malokin.”

Fate shoved his spoon in my ice cream and left it there. Finally, there was something that dimmed his appetite.

“What do you mean, we can’t kill him?” he asked. “If this is happening because of him we have to. If we don’t, what then? You know he’s at the heart of this somehow. We can’t let this keep building and have everyone going crazy.”

While Fate had been speaking, two ten-year-old boys had started going at it. That wouldn’t have been anything surprising except both fathers, who I’d thought were heading over to break it up, were now punching each other as well.

“Why can’t we get rid of him?” I asked, glad that the brawl was a good fifteen feet away but keeping my purse in hand in case we needed to dart out of the way.

“Everything is connected. Every leaf, bug, speck of dust, it’s all part of the same whole. I’ve been searching around through the most basic make-up of the Universe, looking for where Malokin originated and, well, when he formed, something pretty severe must have happened. He seems to be integrated into the fabric of things more than he should be. If you kill him, I’m not sure what will happen. Killing him could be like a mortal taking a gut shot. You wouldn’t just take out the small intestines, the poison would spread and kill all the other tissue. It might make things worse.”

“How sure are you?” I asked.

“I can’t be a hundred percent sure unless you kill him, but I’m not eager to be proven correct in that manner. I need to keep digging. Until we do know for sure, don’t do anything irreversible.”

“So we’re stuck with him?” I asked, as he continued to stuff his face with ice cream.

“Sort of.” Paddy pointed an arthritic finger toward both discarded ice creams. “Are you going to eat that?”

I shoved both bowls his way and Paddy dug in. With a mouthful of ice cream, he said, “I’ve got some people you—”

“She isn’t going,” Fate answered.

Before I could say anything, Paddy gave Fate a sour face and disappeared with his ice cream.

***

After almost twenty-four hours of debate, Fate and I finally agreed that we couldn’t take the risk of killing Malokin as we pulled up at the designated restaurant. The place was known to have the best steaks in all of South Carolina. Malokin was seated in the corner but his elegant looks, set off by his expensive suit, commanded as much attention in the room as if he were on a stage. An open bottle of wine sat on the white clothed table in front of him, a glass already half full of red that probably cost more than I made in a month.

We all nodded in greeting, none of us speaking yet as we sat. The tuxedoed waiter came over within seconds of us settling in. Neither Malokin nor Fate ordered anything and then the waiter turned toward me.

“Miss?”

I was sick of having Malokin ruin my appetite. I was going to eat a meal, even if I had to chug a gallon of water to get it down. I suspected Malokin had been behind the train accident that had killed me and he had been responsible for both mine and Kitty’s mental anguish. I’d leap over this table and kill him right in the middle of the restaurant before I let him take my dinner, too.

“I’d like a Caesar salad to start and for my main course, I’ll have the filet, rare, with a side of the garlic mashed potatoes and French cut string beans.”

The waiter nodded and walked away.

“Thank you for meeting me,” Malokin said.

Fate leaned back in his chair but said nothing. I couldn’t speak. I’d just dunked some bread in the dish of seasoned oil in front of me and was too busy chewing.

“You’ve changed,” Malokin said to me. “You used to be so nervous when we met.”

It aggravated me that I’d been so transparent and that he’d clearly enjoyed my unease. “Yeah, well, we’re all young and stupid at some point.” I forced a smile as I picked up my phone and sent a text. The smile came naturally after that.

“Your manners were better as well.”

“I’ve learned to conserve my energy for those worthy of the effort,” I replied, adding to the insult by not bothering to look up from my phone as I made sure my message sent.

Fate was silent but I felt his hand come to my leg under the table and give a squeeze, telling me silently to not let him goad me into anger.

Fate cleared his throat before he spoke. “Move on or this meeting is over. You were the one who wanted to talk, not the other way around. Get to your point.”

Malokin nodded stiffly. “I asked you here because I know that you two are the only real threat to me. But let’s be clear, if we went head to head, I’d win. I just don’t see why we need to expend our energies.”

I took another bite of bread, having no desire to speak to him. I might laugh if I did. He was offering us a truce when we couldn’t do anything to him anyway.

“I think we can come to some sort of agreement,” Fate said, stone faced.

“I propose non engagement, at least with each other.” Malokin leaned back and brought his glass of red wine with him. “Before you answer, I’d think really hard on this. You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

“And what about everyone else? Do you plan on increasing your numbers while we do nothing?” I asked, feeling forced to speak because I wasn’t sure it was very high on Fate’s list of priorities.

“I’ll stop actively recruiting if you stop actively trying to reduce my numbers.” He pulled a cigar out of a case and lit it up. “You mind your business, and I’ll mind mine. I don’t touch any of yours and the same for anyone with me.”

“Agreed,” Fate said. I couldn’t speak as I was already mourning my bucket list.

I knew we didn’t have a choice. Not much of one. If we could hold everything in check, at least for a while, until Paddy could figure out what our options were, a truce would protect our people and hopefully stop the downward slide of the human race.

I waved toward the waiter. “Pack my order to go please?” I asked as Malokin stood to leave, no one feeling comfortable enough with the other to touch hands.

As we watched him leave the restaurant, a flash of bodies zoomed by one of the windows.

Fate looked at me. “Did I just see the Jinxes skating by?”

“Yep.”