“He followed her, took her by surprise. He’s dead.” Ash turned to walk out the room. Lucca and Raphael stopped him.
“You’re right,” Mick said, acknowledging his words. “He is dead, but we don’t know where he is yet and shaking the tree won’t help as long as he has Brook.”
“Then what do you suggest we do?”
“We go to your place,” Jaz chimed in. “That’s the one place Roy knows you will eventually come back to. I’m betting he left a message for us there.” She wrapped her arms around herself.
They all looked at her for a moment with obvious pride in how she was holding up.
“I’ll go see,” Ash said, trying to get out the room.
“No!” Mick said. “We have to go in a hover; he can’t expect any of our abilities and the three of us have to go. If the rest of you show up, we’ll scare him off.”
Ash nodded, agreeing before looking pointedly at Lucca and Raphael who finally let him go.
“I want to go now,” he said quietly.
“So do we,” Jaz agreed with him. Mick led them out of the house until they came to a hover parked close.
“I didn’t know Sin City had hovers.” Jaz climbed in; she had never seen one in the sky the entire time she had been there.
“That’s the interesting thing about Sin City; you can find anything here.”
Mick lifted off with steady hands, while Jaz placed her hands under her thighs so he wouldn’t see them shaking. She watched as the hover went straight up until it looked like it would crash into the dome. A circular hole appeared, and they were able to leave.
“How will we get back into the city? There’s no opening in that dome. It’s forbidden to leave the city.”
Mick smiled at her and Ash shook his head. “Jaz, you still insist on thinking the men at the top play the same game like everybody else. Believe me, it’s been rigged from the very beginning. You’ve seen Sin City, and you know what you have to do to get into it. Do you think the rich and powerful men and women from the city don’t go there often?”
Mick approached the dome of the city. It was laid out covering thousands of miles. The beauty of the city called to her. The lights twinkled; the levels were shrouded in fog, and looked mysterious to her. They circled the dome, and she realized there was a darker section, something no one would ever notice from the inside of the dome. He approached, and a section of the dome retracted letting them in before it closed as if it was never there.
“Outside the dome the air is toxic, if even a slight bit got in we would all die horrible deaths.” She choked out the words that every citizen human or clone were forced to memorize. She focused on the facts keeping her mind off of Brook until they could reach Ash’s property.
“People don’t always tell the truth, Jaz.”
She knew he was right, but she couldn’t drop it. “Mick, when you took me into one of your memories, your brother said he couldn’t lie. What did he mean by that?”
“He can’t lie. Under the right circumstances he can bend the truth, but as far as I know, it’s only happened twice.” His shoulders stiffened as he waited for her next question.
“Can you lie, Mick?”
“I can, and I have. It has saved my brothers and me more than once.”
She nodded and turned her back to face out the window. Mick sighed. He wanted to assure her that he would never lie to her, that he wasn’t that type of male. Instead, he let it drop. He could say he was innocent as much as he wanted. The only thing that would vindicate him was his actions, and if she didn’t know who he was by now, they were both in trouble.
He slowed down and circled Ash’s property before setting the hover down. They climbed out to take in the complete devastation of the land around them.
“How could they call themselves human after doing this?” They burned the surrounding land. It looked like they poured an accelerant over it and set it on fire. There wasn’t one green patch of anything left.
“Sometimes the mark of being human means being able to act out in your ignorance,” Mick said, taking in the barren fields in front of him.
They started walking in the direction where the house once stood. There was nothing left. The walls looked they had been melted down. There would be no salvaging anything.
“Ash,” her voice caught in her throat at the sight of the destruction. “I’m sorry.”
“Your life, Brook’s life, is worth this and so much more. I simply want her back.”
“Then I have something for you that will allow you to get her back.”
Neither of them jumped or even turned around fast. Mick and Ash were able to hear him the minute they got out of the hover. Mick had warned her that they weren’t alone. Harold had approached them. Jaz was disappointed; she had hoped he wouldn’t be a part of this.
“Jaz.”
“Harold, I hoped you wouldn’t be involved in this.”
“I wasn’t. This is not how I would have captured you. Unfortunately, Roy changed the game, and now we will have to play it out to the end.” Harold gave a sigh and shrugged his shoulders as if to say there was nothing he could do.
“The fact that you believe messing with someone’s life is a game bothers me.” She looked at him; a look of censure for his words crossed her face.
“It’s always been a game. It’s simply beings like you who think that the galaxy is more than a toy, but you’re wrong.” Harold gave her a smile. “We manipulate the galaxy and the beings in it to our satisfaction.”
“We will exchange Brook for Jaz. It will happen tonight.” Harold turned to leave, then turned back to look at Jaz. “I had hoped to spare your life, but you left us no other choice.”
“Why do I attract crazy?” she asked as Harold walked away. “Is there an invisible sign on my back? Hi, if you’re crazy, I’m interested.”
Ash’s tablet went off. He pulled it out of his back pocket and enlarged it.
Mick walked up to her and held her tight while Ash read the instructions for the exchange.
“They want to do the exchange in Sin City.”
“Well,” she mumbled. “We know they aren’t innocent.”
“I never thought they were.” Mick held her close while stretching his other arm out to grasp Ash. “Let’s go home.”
Relief poured through her when they reached 22 Cherry Lane. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she felt safe here.
Dante and Eli came in the living room just as she took a seat.
“The Clone Council has Brook.” Now that everyone was present, he could tell them what was in the message he received.
“They stated they received Brook as a gift but are willing to trade her for Jazlyn Summers. They want the trade to happen in Sin City. They also intend to carry out the execution of the clone in Sin City. She is no longer to be harvested but to be killed on sight. Only three people are allowed to come to the exchange. They want me because they don’t want to be looking over their shoulders for me,” Ash told them.
“They want Mick for the same reason and, of course, they want Jaz. It will happen tonight at first dark.”
The hours worked a little differently in Sin City than they did on Earth. They had a time they called first dark. It was the signal used for the sinners to get up and prepare themselves to come out and play. It wasn’t until second dark that they left their houses. First dark was also a signal for the other members of Sin City—the law abiding citizens to retire to their houses. That was the time the city truly slept.
“There’s an old theater on 4
th
and Main that is no longer in use. That is where the trade will occur. Good luck to all of you.” Eli turned and walked out. He couldn’t be seen showing support for either side.
“What do we do now?” Jaz asked.
“Plan,” Dante said as they all gathered around.
The day dragged by. Everyone tried to be upbeat and positive. There was no doubt that Brook was coming out alive, but no one knew for sure what Jaz’s fate would be, except Mick. He made it clear that her remaining alive was the only conclusion he was willing to have.
His total belief in her ability to make it out alive encouraged her, but it did something else. It was time to settle the debate that started the day she drew her first breath. To be or not to be…no wait, she smiled; that’s the wrong debate.
This debate was about her right to life. If someone in authority felt they had the right to collect her life simply because of who she was, did she have a right to protest? That debate kept her up at night. How many times had she watched Mick sleep with the sick feeling in her stomach that she was doing something wrong? That she should bend her head and bow to authority because they didn’t like the way she held herself or who she was.
It had been too many times that she walked down the street praying to escape attention although she did nothing wrong. She feared walking into a Galleria because society would condemn her. Now she was being asked to trade her life for that of her sisters, and she would.
She wasn’t going to let anyone hurt Brook or her unborn child, but she refused to bend anymore. To beg for a scrap of humanity which others took for granted. This time, her head would be held high, and she’d stand tall for what she believed. If they thought killing her would make everything “normal” again… They should rethink that. You can only abuse a person, people, and clones were people, so long before they rose up. That was life.
She stuck her hands in her pants pockets looking for a piece of candy, but it was all gone. Her eyes came up, and she looked at Dante who was sitting on the other side of the room.
“You don’t need it anymore, Jaz. I’m so proud of you for finally coming into your own.”
She smiled at him because she knew he was right. She didn’t know what was in that candy but whatever it was helped her when she was unsure, but now she felt stronger.
He gave her a wink and went back to his conversation; that’s when she realized no one in the room heard him talking to her. He had some wicked power; she made a mental note always stay on his good side.
Mick stood up. “Are we ready?”
Ash stood up and nodded. “Let’s go get Brook back and kill the Clone Council.”
Well as far as plans went it was a simple one. Jaz had a smile on her face because she felt stronger. Tonight she would do whatever it took, and if she died she knew Mick would mourn her. A frown covered her face at the thought of causing him pain.
She walked up to him and laced her fingers with his before snuggling her head on his arm. He leaned over and wrapped her in his free arm kissing her, claiming her for all to see.
“We live or we die together,” he whispered in her ear before heading for the door.
They walked out in silence, the brothers sitting in the living room with a look on their faces that plainly said they wanted to be there. Dante had simply said no. The three of them had to do this on their own.
Sin City was quiet. No children were laughing in the rural areas, no music coming from the main city. There was no sound as they walked.
“Fourth and Main,” Jaz said. “We’re here.” The building in front of them looked official. It was square with columns in front of it. The white façade was clean and inviting, but she knew what waited for them inside.
Taking a deep breath, she walked up the steps. There were seven of them that led to a nice porch area and double doors. Mick went in front of her and opened the doors. The foyer was simple, plain. It looked like it could have been grand at one time but now it was stripped down. There were stairs off to the right and left with hardwood on the floors, but the grand furnishings were gone.
“Come in,” a deep voice called to them from the room behind the closed doors in front of them. It would be the main theater where all the shows in the past played out, and now it would have the legacy of this farce playing out in it.
Mick opened those doors, pushing them wide so they could see the room before them. There was row after row of seats; on the floor was a large stage it held three people she never saw before as well as Harold, Roy, and Brook.
Brook was tied and gagged sitting in a chair in the middle of the stage. The roar that came from Ash plainly said someone would pay for this atrocity.
“Please be calm.” The stately gentlemen who spoke was dressed in the best suit credits could buy. “It is unfortunate that we had to tie your mate, but we did not want her to hurt herself or her unborn child. We were also concerned that her words would drive our companion,” the male pointed toward Roy, “to hurt her. Believe me, she is well and will leave soon.”
“Jazlyn Summers, allow me to introduce myself, I am Sloan Jones. The self-appointed head of the Clone Council. Unfortunately, we have never had an opportunity to meet.
“You are here to do a simple swap. We will trade your friend for your life.” His voice was smooth as though he did this every day, and no matter what she said the outcome would be the same.
“She’s my sister, and I am willing to trade my life for hers, but after that, I have a few demands of my own.”
“Perfectly understandable. Come to the stage and we will allow Brook to leave.”
Jaz moved down the sloped floor, with Mick following her.
“No one asked you to follow her.” A female who hadn’t been introduced said.
“No one has to ask me. Jaz moves, and so do I.” Mick continued to follow her until they both stood on the stage.”
“Let Brook go.”
“Sloan,” the female said in warning.
“A promise is a promise, my dear. Besides, as of right now there is nothing more she can do for us.”
The female turned and looked at Ash. “He’s powerful, but he can’t stop us.”
“Your right but together they can.”
“His brother isn’t here; he is somewhere traveling the galaxy.”
“He’s on his way home. Aran doesn’t like what has been happening without him on the planet and wants to be around in case Dante needs any help.”
Sloan cursed, and the other female agreed with him.
“I told you this would happen,” the second female said.
“He’s not here now, and we have the one we want in our hands. Jaz, please set your sister free.”
She walked over to Brook and untied her, then took the gag out of her mouth. Brook opened her mouth to say something, but Jaz shook her head.