Chapter 04 - Mariana _ a Piece of Work

7/25/2019 Chapter 04 - Mariana _ a Piece of Work

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Chapter 4 - A Piece of Work

Blayne got the truck back to the museum without incident, while I followed him back in the car. As we

headed inside, William once again answered the inner door to let us in. As we passed him, William called

softly, “Ms?

I turned to look at him as Blayne continued into the parlor. “It!s Mariana, William. What can I do for

you?

"e smiled shyly, “#es, Ma!am. $ust wanted to let you know, there are some clothes for you upstairs. It!s

%ust a start. I can get more later, if you!d like, or perhaps you!d en%oy doing the browsing. I can arrange

for a few places to be open late for you.

A bit stunned by the speed of his response to my re&uest, I thanked him, and told him I!d let him know.

William smiled again and bobbed his head. As I headed by the parlor and up the stairs, Blayne and 'li(ee)ited the parlor, apparently heading outside. *rom halfway up the stairs, I paused, ready to call down

and ask if they needed any help. +miling, I shook my head and continued up. f course they wouldn!t.

-he new clothes were laid out on the bed and hanging in an armoire. William had obtained se(eral

changes of clothes, including %eans, tshirt, sweatshirt, sneakers, boots, dress pants, dress shirt, shoes, and

another dress with shoes. Most could be mi)ed and matched with (arying degrees of success. "e had

done well with the si/es, and I thought most would fit well enough for now. I &uickly changed into the

%eans, a nice, long slee(e shirt, and sneakers. 0rabbing the same coat I had worn before, I headed back

downstairs.

Blayne and 'li(e had apparently decided to decrate the painting. A smart mo(e, considering how largethe crate was. -he two of them were carrying the portrait, still wrapped in paper, into the parlor as I came

down the stairs.

1ropping it against one of the bookcases, 'li(e mo(ed to unwrap the painting as Anneke stood at its foot

to (iew it. Blayne stood opposite 'li(e, watching Anneke. As the portrait was re(ealed, Anneke went

completely still. +ince most of Anneke!s motions were barely perceptible, this was not a huge change, yet

the stillness seemed to infect the whole room. 2o one spoke or mo(ed as Anneke stared back across

hundreds of years of e)istence. -hrough a whole life and death, ci(il unrest, plagues, wars, a %ourney

across the ocean. -ens of lifetimes. Back to a time when she possibly was still human, ali(e. I couldn!t

remember beyond the past 34 hours, and could only recogni/e a 56 s&uare block area around the museum.

+he was looking back o(er three&uarters of a millennium. -he disparity in the times, the e)periences,

was almost impossible to wrap my head around.

Blayne slowly approached her and placed a gentle hand on her arm. “Anneke, he said &uietly, calling to

her from where(er she!d gone in her mind. And then like that, she snapped back to the present, a slight

smile on her face. “I will ha(e to thank $onathan for this wonderful gift, she said, as if pleased with the

present. r as if she wanted to gi(e that impression.



“'li(e has your instructions for the e(ening, Anneke told Blayne, absently. Although she was looking at

him, it seemed that her mind was still focused elsewhere. I would guess in another time. Without waiting

for a response, Anneke made her way toward her rooms, closing the doors behind her.

If I thought Blayne had been hostile earlier in the e(ening, that was nothing to the murder in his eyes after Anneke left. -his wasn!t posturing, like before. I could feel the rage coming off him in wa(es, and I was

more than sensing it, I was feeling it.. I felt agitated, almost like it was contagious. It felt a little like that

instincti(e fightorflight reaction they talk about, e)cept the only option I was feeling was the fight part.

'li(e could either see it or sense it as well, or probably he %ust knew Blayne well enough, and said to him,

“"e didn!t mean anything by it. It!s %ust a gift, from one friend to another.

-heir con(ersation took place in &uiet tones, but for me, Blayne might as well ha(e been shouting.

“-hat!s bullshit and you know it. 2othing from outside this "ouse is ‘just’ anything. I didn!t know why

I was feeling this connection with Blayne!s emotions. Was it the fact that he +ired me, or because I was a

(ampire now, or 7indred, whate(er they wanted to call it, that ga(e me such a direct line to his emotions?

I!d felt something of $ulianna!s too. Maybe it was any 7indred, but stronger with him, either because I

was his 'hilde, or because he was younger and felt more? I didn!t know then. I only knew that it was

nearly o(erwhelming. I dropped down to the couch and lowered my head into my hands, as if that would

block it out. It didn!t help.

bli(iously, they continued, 'li(e trying to talk some sense into him, “#ou!re o(erreacting.

“It!s part of my %ob description. Blayne snarled, looking for a fight. “#ou don!t or won!t see it, and

neither does she. #ou!re her bodyguard now. When this is o(er in 55 years, what do you do? Where do

you go? Are you staying or heading off somewhere else? We!ll still be here when that kicks off.

'li(e responded, cautiously, “-hat is a long time off...

Blayne interrupted, ruthlessly. “2o it!s not. It!s a fucking blink of an eye.

'li(e calmly continued, as if Blayne weren!t talking o(er him, “...and I ha(e been a part of her "ouse

since before her current station. With a touch of sternness, he added, “#ou would do well to remember

that.

“Work. Blayne s&uee/ed his eyes shut, struggling to regain his composure. “$ob. +he said you had a

%ob for me. #ou can feel the completely irrational rage seeping out of Blayne. 'li(e was calm the whole

time, calm blue oceans to Blayne!s la(a rage. I was no longer being battered with it. Work, thinking

about work, whate(er it was, calmed him down. I thanked god for it. I think I would!(e screamed if it

had gone on much longer.

'li(e nodded in acknowledgement. “#ou!re %ob from the other night. We ha(e more information. -hey

are, of course, not again meeting on that backstreet where you... found... Mariana. We also now suspect

that they are +abbat.



Blayne!s eyes snapped open, distinctly focused on what 'li(e had to say. “-he +word!s here?

“-hey are e(erywhere, whether we admit it or not.

“What!re the details?

'li(e sadly answered, “2ot many, unfortunately. +ince you ha(e been occupied, we ga(e the %ob to Ma).

+he lost three and was wounded herself. -hat!s how we know who they are. -ricker has them under

sur(eillance, but we!d rather not lea(e him out there alone any longer than necessary. 'li(e handed

Blayne a folded piece of paper. “-his is -ricker!s number. It!s a burner, but do not use your name or say

his when you call.

Blayne was halfway to the door when 'li(e stopped him with the order, “Blayne, use the others.

Blayne turned his head back, eager to be gone. “2o, I!m good. I can do this alone. I could feel his

e)citement with whate(er he was anticipating. "e was ecstatic.

“2o. 'li(e contradicted him. “Ma) had four and now has three destroyed. #ou cannot do this alone.

Blayne wanted to get out and get on with it. "e turned back now and looked at 'li(e with con(iction. “I

can, and e)tra bodies will %ust slow me down.

With a (oice that brooks no further argument, 'li(e finally stated firmly, “8et me rephrase it then9 you

will not do this alone. It was a tone I could tell he was accustomed to using with Blayne. -here was also

a weariness that I could sense from 'li(e, as if this was an argument he!d had repeatedly with Blayne.

Blayne threw a hand up in frustrated capitulation. “*ine, fine, he sighed, and headed for the e)it.

Watching this back and forth, like a tennis tournament, was no less confusing than most of the other

con(ersations I!d obser(ed here. Blayne!s e)citement seemed to be contagious, because I really wanted

to come with him and see what this was all about. +till, I had the strong feeling he!d say no. "ummm,

maybe I!d try and make that a little harder for him.

I followed Blayne out the door, and back out of the rear of the museum. I intentionally walked a few

paces back from him, so as not to intrude on his thoughts, which seemed (ery preoccupied. "e flipped

open his cell phone and dialed a number, speaking &uickly into it. “It!s me. I ha(e a piece of work for us.

Where are you? As he hopped into the Aspen!s dri(er!s seat, I casually slid into the back seat, waiting

for the argument I figured would be coming. Both doors closed at the same time. :ither hearing or

sensing me, Blayne looked at the passenger seat, then into the rear (iew mirror, where he saw me and

frowned. -urning in the dri(er!s seat to face me, he spoke into the cell phone, “0et "atchet. I!ll meet

you in a few. "e snapped the phone shut as he said to me, “h nonono. Where do you think you!re

going?



I tried to speak with con(iction, unsure if he would buy it. “-o obser(e. And to learn. 8ike I!m supposed

to be doing. I ha(e more &uestions, but I can ask them on the way. I wouldn!t want to delay you, and I

sat back, looking forward and waiting for him to peal out.

"e tried to e)plain, “-here;s no room for a tourist in a %ob like this, Mariana. -his is a piece of work, not

an action. If it were the other way around I;d say <sure!, but it!s not. What you need to obser(e are other-oreador. We!ll do that tomorrow night. #ou don;t need to see this.

I knew this wouldn!t be easy. “I don!t know what the difference is between <piece of work! and <action,!

but it doesn!t matter. I!ll stay in the car. I need to see everything . 2ot %ust the pretty parts. "ow else can

I decide what I want to do, to be?

=ncon(inced, Blayne responded (ery calmly, “Mari, I!m going to kill (ampires from a different sect. -he

:nemy. -his shouldn!t be one of your first three memories in your new life.

+uddenly, I figured out why this was important to me. I was afraid. Afraid that the only person that I!d

connected to so far, the only person I trusted, wouldn!t be coming back. I thought about telling him that,

but reali/ed that probably wouldn!t change his mind. "e might e(en be offended by it. I thought about

the contempt he seemed to feel for most other kindred and reali/ed I didn!t want him to feel that for me.

+o I tried another tact.

“What is it you would like me to become? >o you want me to turn into the perfect -oreador? +arcasm

edged my (oice, “0i(ing parties and entertaining? I sat forward, looking at him hard. “Maybe I don!t

want to be that. Maybe I do. Maybe I don!t want to be 7indred at all, or maybe I!d like to fight for it.

"ow can I tell right now? I sighed, leaning back into the seat again. “If you won!t take me, I can!t make

you. It!s not like I!(e had a lot of choices, lately. I felt bad about that as soon as I said it. I knew he felt

guilty, and it was probably a low blow. If that didn!t con(ince him, I was out of arguments.

Blayne turned back around and stared blankly out the windshield, debating with himself. After a brief

moment of internal wrestling, he e)plained, “I want you to become what I am not. But, I!m not going to

force you to do anything you don!t want to. I could read you chapter and (erse from the <0ood 8ittle

7indred Beha(ior Book!, but I!m not going to.

“With a piece of work, someone gets hurt or killed. In an action, someone might get hurt, but shouldn!t.

An action can escalate to a piece of work and then you!re cleaning up blood and bodies, and e(en though

your memory!s a little spotty, I can bet you ha(en!t seen a dead body in person before.

“Wouldn!t matter if I had. :(erything!s new to me. =nless I ha(e some ma%or memory breakthrough,

e(erything will be, no matter when I!m e)posed to it.

Blayne sighed hea(ily, and started up the car. +till not happy with the answer, he put the car in dri(e and

maneu(ered the car somewhat sedately out of the parking area. I knew he still had to be bothered. "e

ne(er dro(e anywhere sedately. 1artly to take his mind off of the whole thing, I decided to ask him about

one of the things that had been bothering me. “Blayne, is it normal for 7indred to be...sensiti(e to one



another!s emotions? I mean, much more so than humans?

"e thought &uietly for a minute, “+ure. +ome ha(e the discipline to do it. +ome do, some don!t. thers

%ust are sensiti(e to that sort of thing. I was relie(ed. Apparently, it was %ust one more of those (aried

abilities he!d been talking about. I could see where it would be an ad(antage, not %ust knowing what

people were feeling, but likely whether people were being truthful or not. n the other hand, I wouldneed to be careful not to let someone else!s emotions carry me away. I could see losing myself in

someone!s anger, their passion, hatred, hunger. I shuddered.

I figured that it probably wouldn!t be long before we got to Blayne!s <friends,! so I hurried on to my other

&uestion. “+omething else...When I drank from you, I noticed...well was good, but then it hurt, burned

some. -hen, again with Anneke, the same thing, but worse. It felt like my throat was on fire. Is that

normal? Is that something that happens, maybe to pre(ent 7indred from feeding on one another too

often?

Blayne glanced back at me in the rear (iew. "is face didn!t show it, but I could tell he was a little

surprised. “2o, I wouldn!t say that!s <normal,! but it isn!t unheard of either. Actually, I ha(e the same

thing. I guess it!s an allergy kinda thing. I ha(en!t mentioned it. Anything weird I keep to myself and

you should too. +ecrets get traded and used to someone else!s ad(antage. #ou don!t want to let anyone

get a leg up on you.

“But it!s okay to tell you, right?

“:(eryone!s going to lie to you, e(en me. #ou can!t trust a single one of them. It!s all about power and

politics. +ome can look you in the eye and make think or do something you wouldn!t normally. It!s all...

contradictions and e)ceptions. If you consider that the last true thing I!ll e(er tell you you!ll be ok.

*rowning, I responded, “Well, I wouldn!t like to be controlled...and I can see how I!d need to be careful,

but...well, I smiled a little coyly, “let!s %ust say lying to me might be...difficult. I looked at him,

seriously. “#ou may not always be...forthcoming, but you ha(en!t lied to me. +atisfied for the moment,

I sat further back and thought about what he!d said.

2a(igating down to Boston 'ommon, we met Brendan and <"atchet! $ack standing on the corner. Blayne

pulled the car o(er %ust long enough for them to climb in. -he problem with twodoor cars is the people

in the front ha(e to get out to let people in the back, which is why I was glad I!d originally chosen the

back seat. As we stopped, I flipped forward the passenger seat and slid o(er behind Blayne. Brendan

climbed into the back ne)t to me, pulling the front seat back into place as Ale)ander s&uee/ed himself

into the front, his bulk practically hunching o(er in the midsi/ed car. >espite the coordination of the

whole thing, Blayne was pulling away before the door was fully shut. "e was back to his usual dri(ing

mode.

Before they could ask him &uestions, Blayne told them that he only knew that there was <a scrum! earlier

and that we would be getting more information on site from -ricker. nce that was out of the way,

Blayne made a brief phone call to -ricker, referencing the piece of paper he was gi(en, where he recei(ed



the information on how we were going to meet and where we should park. As 'li(e had instructed him,

no names were used and the con(ersation was brief.

As we dro(e away from the city and its surrounding suburbs, I looked o(er at the two (ampires who!d

%ust gotten into the car. Brendan, Blayne!s admitted friend, sat beside me, glancing my way e(ery once in

a while. "e!d smile ner(ously, then turn away. I could sense emotions from him, but they were so %umbled and changed so often, that I had a hard time getting a read on him. Ale)ander, or <"atchet $ack!

as Blayne liked to call him, was another story. "is emotions were simple. :)citement. :agerness.

'ontrolled anger. -he words felt similar to those I!d used for Blayne, but the sense was (ery different.

Where Blayne needed action as an outlet, like some people might need to run or listen to music, "atchet

%ust wanted to hurt someone. I didn!t think he was all that particular about who. "e made me ner(ous.

-he streets became ma/es of small, oneways, crowded with parked cars, poorly lit and littered with trash.

-he buildings were run down, built close together, gi(ing the impression of leaning on each other for

support. 8ea(ing Ale)ander and Brendan behind for the moment, parked on one of those streets, Blayne

signaled me to come with him. -he two of us walked down aways until Blayne motioned me to one of

the cars. It was another nondescript, midsi/ed car, but one with four doors this time. Blayne dropped into

the front passenger seat as I got into the back.

-he man sitting in the dri(er!s seat, -ricker, shook my hand and introduced himself. -he hand was warm,

and I reali/ed with surprise that he was ali(e, human. -ricker looked like I would e)pect an old time 1.I.

or newspaper %ournalist to look. -an trench coat, brown pants, rumpled button down shirt, tie. 2othing

about him stuck out.

“What!s the story? Blayne asked.

-ricker took a breath and launched into what happened. At first, I had a hard time following what he said."is (ery presence was distracting. I was aware of e(ery beat of his heart and breath he took. It was so

different than the stillness that accompanies 7indred. -hey breathe only when they need to talk or want

to smell. -he rest of the time they are as still as death. I tried to focus on what -ricker was saying.

“Ma) and a few of her group went into that building there, -ricker pointed to a yellow house on your

side of the street. A three story tenement building, the first floor has a open air porch whose roof is %ust

under the second floor windows. -he lights on the third floor were on, but the two floors below were

dark. “-he building;s empty e)cept for the third floor, where whoe(er it is is holed up. Ma) and her crew

went in. After a few minutes, Ma) came running out. $ust Ma). +he got to her bike and took off. 2o

one followed her out. +he called me a bit later to let me know what had happened inside and that 0abe,

-ycho and 7iko are dead. Ma) said whoe(er is in there, they aren!t local. +he didn!t recogni/e any of

them.

“According to her, it was all claw and fang. I heard no gunfire to contradict that. -hat!s about all I ha(e.

I probably should ha(e kept my mouth shut, but, well, I soon learned that %ust wasn!t me. “2o ideas of

numbers in there?



-ricker responded, “Ma) said she thought it was si). +he wasn!t completely sure.

Blayne rolled this around for a few seconds and nodded, “kay. #ou two stay here. We!ll be back.

Blayne looked at -ricker, “If it gets loud, you take her right back to the museum. "e pulled out his cell

phone as he climbed back out of the car. A few minutes later Brendan and Ale)ander caught up to himand the three of them entered the first floor of the ratty building.

-he house stayed e)actly the same, mostly dark, completely &uiet, for about a minute. -hen the lights in

the third floor room went out, plunging the entire building into darkness. With the car window down, I

focused hard, straining to catch any sounds from the inside. 8ike it was by the barrel fire earlier, the night

sounds e)panded, and the noises from within came at me as if I was in the room. Wet, meatsmacking

sounds of punches. -he crash of bodies tumbling o(er furniture. :(ery once in a while, a muttered curse,

as (ampires tried to murder each other. -he odd thing wasn!t the noise but the &uiet. -here were no

grunts, no gasps, or gulps of air. 2one were needed.

+uddenly, one of the windows on the second floor shattered, as three (ampires crashed through the storm

window at once, and fell out onto the porch roof, still fighting. -he one in the center was Ale)ander, who

had both hands wrapped around another!s throat. -he third man was latched onto Ale)ander!s back,

biting chunks of flesh out of his shoulder. -he scene looked so impossible that it was almost comical,

Ale)ander carrying the weight of two others, effortlessly. "e deli(ered two thunderous punches, and I

could hear the bones in his opponent!s face gi(e way. -he punching bag went limp. Before he could

reco(er, "atchet grabbed the unconscious (ampire, hooked his fingers around the cla(icle bone, and

pulled. At the same time, his other hand was braced against the bone, pushing, and with a sound that was

likely audible e(en to -ricker, the bone snapped like a twig. >igging both hands into the hole made by

e)posed bone, snapping other incon(enient bones as he went, "atchet made a couple sa(age twists and

tore the other!s head right off. -he (ampire disintegrated into glowing embers and ash, blowing away inwinter wind. It was done effortlessly, and he turned his attention to the one clinging to his back.

It was a shock, no doubt about it. I hadn!t e)pected this type of sa(ageness. -he (iolence I!d %ust

witnessed was (icious. 2ot e(en to mention the sight of someone turning to dust and ash. But this wasn!t

what I was really interested in. I needed to know what was going on inside. I refocused on the inside

sounds, to get past "atchet and the other guy on the roof, and into the room where Brendan and Blayne

were. -he last front facing window shattered as Brendan dro(e another!s head through the glass, and then

they both disappeared back into the darkness. I could pick out their sounds, hearing them wrestle back

and forth, which left the remaining noises to be Blayne. It was a mess of clomping footfalls, crashes, and

a steady stream of growled curses from Blayne.

A whoosh of a fast mo(ing arm, leading to a clang of metal hitting metal, followed by a surprised, “+hit.

I could see it in my mind, the mental picture of Blayne striking out with a knife and connecting with

something metal that blocked it. Blayne!s booted feet pounded across the floor, coming closer to a front

window. Brendan fro/e near the window and made a choked noise of surprise. A woman!s (oice spat

out, “*uck you, immediately followed by a short, painful, and deafening roar. :(ents seemed to mo(e in

slow motion. :(en as the gun blast was %ust starting to echo, Blayne, holding Brenadan by the shirt, came



tumbling backwards out of one of the pre(iously destroyed windows, backlit by the strobing mu//le flash

of a gun. Bullets came raining out the window and through the e)terior wall as the two fell, se(eral

striking Brendan. -he dilapidated porch roof couldn!t take all of their weight at once. -he roof ga(e way

under Brendan and Blayne;s impact, and all four bodies, including "atchet and his opponent, collapsed

onto the porch.

As the battle mo(ed outside, -ricker started the engine, but then hesitated. "e was likely trying to decide

if Blayne!s last instruction applied to this situation or if he should wait to pick them up. I swung my hand

o(er to rest on his shoulder, and said desperately, “Wait, not yet.

Brendan staggered out of the wreckage of the roof and porch, heading for the car. Ale)ander rose up like

a mountain erupting, undeterred by the fall, his opponent in a full nelson. +crambling to his feet, Blayne

grabbed "atchet!s opponent by the hair and dropped his other arm like a guillotine, the cur(ed knife

decapitating the enemy (ampire. -he two of them scrambled out of the pile of broken lumber. nce

going, Blayne mo(ed forward inhumanly fast, o(ertaking Brendan &uickly. "e snatched Brendan by the

collar once again and began pulling him rapidly along. "atchet lumbered after them as fast as he could.

+eeing them approaching, -ricker stomped on the gas pedal to close the distance and meet them.

:(erything was mo(ing at noticeably different speeds, and it was becoming e)tremely frustrating.

-ricker was so slow, I wanted to pull him out of the seat, but I also wanted to stay where I was to help

them all %ump in &uicker. *aster than -ricker, but still too slow for my liking were Brendan and

Ale)ander. Blayne appeared to be mo(ing at a good clip, e(en dragging Brendan behind him, but it still

wasn!t fast enough for me. Whate(er, whoe(er, was in that house was dangerous.

My eyes rose from the three (ampires closing in on our (ehicle to the window opening from which

Brendan and Blayne had %ust tumbled. A woman stood there now, looking down o(er the whole scene

with a cruel smile on her lips. +he appeared in her late 6!s, long blond hair pulled back tight into a ponytail, lean but muscular. +he was dressed in a black tank top and black fatigue pants and wore little,

circular, $ohn 8ennonstyle sunglasses. And there was an unusual mark on the outside of one shoulder. It

appeared to be a black tattoo of a handprint. I had no doubt whatsoe(er that this woman was the source

of the danger. :(en before she propped one foot up on the fractured window pane and sighted down the

barrel of an assault rifle. "er aim wa(ed o(er Ale)ander, shifted to Blayne and Brendan, and then settled

on our car. -here was the slightest pause as she steadied the gun.

@eaching o(er the front seat, I pushed -ricker a few inches o(er, s&uee/ed against his car door. -he burst

from her gun punched spiderwebs through the windshield and tugged stuffing out of the seat under my

arm and in front of me, as bullets passed between me and -ricker. +pinning back, I threw open the rear

passenger side door, as Blayne and Brendan crashed into the rear &uarterpanel of the car. Blayne sho(ed

Brendan at me. I grabbed him like a sack of meal then all but threw him o(er my shoulder.

I watched the dangerous woman as she lowered her aim toward the engine block. :(en though I!d %ust

seen these guys take care of se(eral (ampires while outnumbered, I knew that facing this one woman,

particularly with her firepower ad(antage, would not end well. We needed to get out of there. Watching

her aim, I shouted to -ricker, “+wer(e right 2W At the same time, I leaned o(er the front seat to grab



the door handle and throw that door open. Blayne slid into the back seat behind me while "atchet finally

closed on the car and do(e in the passenger!s seat head first, aided by the car!s sudden sideways

mo(ement onto the sidewalk. A burst of bullets hit the asphalt %ust left of the car. nce the guys were

inside, -ricker gunned the engine again, lea(ing wicked skid marks on the bricks of the sidewalk. I

looked out the rear window as we sped down the street. +he was still tracking us with her weapon, but

before she could shoot again, -ricker skidded us around a corner and we were out of sight.

-he interior of the car was &uiet, with only the sound of -ricker!s rapid breathing to break the silence. At

first Blayne seemed preoccupied, probably thinking about the total +2A*= that %ust happened. But as we

neared the highway, he told -ricker,“>on!t go back to the museum. "ead to the Beechwoood safehouse.

"is (oice was dead calm, as if he hadn!t settled yet on his mood %ust yet. "e looked at Brendan, whose

face was all scrunched up. “Brendan?

“#eah, he said, shortly. “I need to learn how to fly.

“-hat wouldn!t ha(e kept you from being shot, Blayne said with grim amusement.

“2o, but the landing would ha(e been a lot softer.

Ale)ander grunted, “What are you complaining about? #ou landed on me.

“Maybe if I landed on his head, it would ha(e been softer... Ale)ander growled a little, but didn!t rise to

the bait. *or myself, I was relie(ed to hear the banter, until I heard "atchet!s (oice. It was the first time

he!d actually said anything, but, I reali/ed, not the first time I!d heard his (oice. It was the (oice in my

head, that haunting auditory nightmare that had said, So, let her lee! out" #et$s go" I didn!t know what it

meant, but I knew instantly that I didn!t like him.

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Chapter 04 - Mariana _ a Piece of Work