Page 113 of Avenging Devil: Part 2

The voice on the line is shouting at him, but I can’t make out actual words.

“You’re fuckin’ kidding me!” Niran shouts, throwing back the sheet. “When did this happen?… How the fuck’s Grumbler taking it?… Yeah, okay. I understand…” He casts a look my way, his eyes flaring with both anger and sadness. “I’ll talk to Snatcher and Saffie. I’ll do anything, anything, you hear me, Prez?”

He ends the call and puts his head in his hands. “Can you grab me my clothes, Saffie?”

“What’s going on?” He’d told Lost he’d talk to me. Surely this must be something he can share? As I speak, though, I’m out of bed, and gathering up his underwear, sweats and a fresh t-shirt. I hand them to him and for good measure, put his prosthesis and crutches close at hand.

“Talk to me, Niran.”

He puts his head through his shirt, then slides in his arms. He’s breathing heavily. I slide to my knees, helping him to put his cast through his boxers and pull them up over his stump. I then pick up the prosthesis. He takes it from me, strapping it on, but he allows me to take charge again as I help get him into his sweats.

“What’s happened?”

This time he looks at me. “Saffie,” he starts, his eyes creasing and filling with more pain than I’ve ever seen. “Fuck, Saffie. Duke didn’t come yesterday as he had something else planned. He must have fuckin’ guessed he was walking into a trap.”

When his voice trails off, I prompt, my voice monotone, my gut roiling with dread. What has Duke done? “What else did he have planned?”

“He’s trying to force us to go to him,” Niran says, blankly, as if his brain’s too busy trying to process what he’s heard to divulge it to me. “He’s taken Mary from the hospital. He wants to exchange her for you.”

My legs give out from under me. For once it’s not fear for myself, it’s fear for her. Mary, trying her best to bring her child into the world, should be on bedrest and being cared for, not in the hands of a homicidal maniac like Duke. As I fall to the floor, I wail. All my own hopes and dreams are coming back to me, as I know that’s what Mary will feel.

“No, Niran!” I try to protest that what he’s said is wrong, but when he reaches down and his strong arms pull me up to sit beside him, I know it’s only the truth that I heard. I swallow, then ask, “What time do we leave?”

“Saffie, you’re going nowhere—”

“No, Niran. This is down to me. Grumbler must be beside himself. Duke wants me. It’s not fair that anyone else is involved.”

“I’m not going to let you give yourself up to that bastard,” he snarls.

“What else can we do? Mary’s not well, she needs care. She could die, Niran, or lose the baby at least.” My eyes widen and fill with tears at the thought of all that could go wrong. At least I’m young and have another chance. Grumbler and Mary won’t have that luxury.

“I need to talk to Snatcher,” he states, his brow creasing, his jaw working as if he’s trying to get control of himself. “See if we can come up with a plan.”

“There’s no plan other than to go to San Diego and I’ll do whatever Duke asks.”

Niran takes hold of my hair and uses it to position my head so I’m looking straight into his eyes. “You think Duke’s just going to give her up? You think he’ll make the exchange? You know him better than anyone, Saffie. He’ll take the easiest way out, which might mean he’ll kill her.” That horrific thought hadn’t occurred to me.

“What can we do?”

“Get brains on this for a start.” He pulls his crutches toward him and gets himself upright. “Wait here.”

“No.” Standing too, I take his arm. “This involves me, Niran. You’re not leaving me out. Whatever I need to do, I will. But we’ve got to do what we can to rescue Mary, and fast.”

He gives me a sharp look, then a raise of his chin. When he opens the door to exit the room, Bolt’s standing there with his hand raised.

“You heard?” he asks grimly, reading our faces.

“Yeah.”

“Snatcher’s convening church.” Bolt glances at me.

“She’s coming,” Niran informs him, his eyebrow rising in challenge.

Bolt grimaces, then nods and seems to agree.

It’s early. At another time I might be amused at the state of the men who arrive in the meeting room and take their places around the table. Most are dishevelled, some just woken are yawning and wiping sleep from their eyes. The one thing lacking is one word of complaint, and all look sympathetically at Niran and me.

Honor raises his hand. Snatcher nods down the table at him.

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