Dark Empathy by Archibald Bradford (inspiring books for teens TXT) 📕

leaning against the press so that all Rebecca could see of her lover was her back and side.

The older woman was all but snarling at her by this point.

“You mean my losses Bethany!” She spat out the name; “I bankrolled all of this and you, my little slum-rat, have so far shown me nothing but failure!”

The muscles of Carol’s jaw tightened.

“Look, your majesty, you have to spend money to make money, and you of all people know there are no guarantees in this business.”

It was her voice, but it was ice cold, not the Carol that Rebecca thought she knew.

She blinked back tears as her eyes watered from the stress. After she wiped away the moisture she saw Carol’s hand slip behind her back, ostensibly scratching at her waist, but the Lapine's angle was such that she saw her grip something stuffed in the back of her pants.

The old woman didn’t catch the movement and continued with the argument.

“Enough! I am tired of these endless excuses! You owe me nearly three hundred thousand coins, and I expect to be paid in full by the end of the month!”

“Or?”

Her voice was colder than ever and the eavesdropping bunny swallowed at the intense exchange.

The old woman’s eyes narrowed as she leaned forwards with both hands on her cane and smirked.

“People disappear in the slums every day. Do I really need to say it?”

Carol drew in a deep breath as the silence widened between them.

“No I suppose you don’t.”

Without flinching, she pulled a lost-tech pistol out of her waistband and shot the old woman between the eyes.

Rebecca’s world ended.

She drew in a sharp gasp, both hands shooting to her mouth to stifle her own scream of horror at the sight of the old lady’s face turned into a bloody crater.

The dead woman fell backwards, her cane clattering to the cold stone floor before she followed it with a thump.

The Lapine’s eyes were fixed on her still form.

The murderer turned and leveled the weapon on the well-dressed men now looking distinctly surrounded standing by the crucible, a few had weapons drawn, though none had them aimed at Carol.

“Looks like it was your boss that got lost in the slums. She thought that money meant power. But I know better. Between money and guns, I pick guns every time. Now, you can either come and work for me, or get lost with her. What’s it going to be?”

Rebecca didn’t catch their response, when Carol had turned to face them, her face was also revealed to her bunny lover.

Already fighting to repress a scream, she couldn’t hold back a sob; this definitely wasn’t the woman she knew.

She had just killed someone, and it meant less than nothing to her.

After the men had apparently agreed to her terms she lowered the weapon and turned to the others, her own rough employees were all standing now, some openly smirking at the dead woman.

“Yes, we lost a fortune when the operation in Oakridge was blown. But the dumbasses used an elemental to get the fire under control, so there was nothing left there that could have lead them to us. Business resumes, and now we can continue without that old bag of bones holding us back. Once Tristan and his people get back from their desert adventure, then we’ll be rolling in the dough.”

Carol tossed the lost-tech weapon off to one of her lackeys and kept talking.

Rebecca was sick, she wanted to flee, but she couldn’t move.

This is the woman who she had considered gifting her heartstone to?

The thought ran through her head over and over as her heart broke into a million pieces.

Her love for Carol was still there, she could feel it, but now it was heavily tainted with fear.

She had no idea who that person was.

“What about the courier?” One of the men asked.

Rebecca flinched at his words, holding her breath for a long moment as she awaited the response.

“Our people say she found the parcel, but she should have been here hours ago, so something might have gone sideways. It’s a minor setback. I still think using the shipping companies can work if we can get a toe in the door.”

“It’s risky.” One of the well-dressed men said cautiously.

“Hence the experiment with my pet Lapine.” She said confidently before turning to Gregory; “I want bodies on the street, find her. But play nice. Bring her to me, I’ll think of some explanation to give her.”

“And if she doesn’t buy it?” The same man crossed his arms over his chest.

Carol shrugged and her response was enough to shatter Rebecca’s heart all over again.

“Then she gets lost in the slums too.”

Chapter 30:

Assaulting Midnight

Over the course of the day Nameless and the girls had gotten to know their three travelling companions.

Bruti and Linda were both laconic and spoke in short sentences, when they spoke at all. While in contrast Grant was garrulous and outgoing; when he wasn’t drilling regulations with Nameless he was telling stories about his work with the Aegis.

His personality was a far cry from the stern instructors at the academy, though Nameless never doubted the man’s role as his training officer.

As they traveled he constantly felt that he was being measured: Grant would be telling one of his stories and would turn to Nameless or occasionally one of the girls and casually ask what they would do in his place.

With each time it happened Nameless’s answers grew more confident as Grant was quick to tell him when he was right, or wrong, and if he was wrong then the patient man would walk him through the why of it instead of simply berating him.

Not wanting any more Lambda to suffer, they traveled until the sun