The music was empty—hollow beats bouncing off hollow
walls and hollow lyrics filling the hollows of my ears. Maybe it was what I
needed; I wished I could enjoy the numbness that was
washing over the rest of my friends. The pain was too deep; the guilt was too
vast. And the fear! It was one thing to fear the police or the factions… This mafia-esque
lifestyle was built on fear; I’d known that when I’d gone searching for
answers. The real fear was that I’d already found my answer and this was all
there was. But, I was in too deep for that to matter; no matter how many bodies
I saw, how many children I failed to save, how many friends I lost, or how much
blood stained my own hand. I took an oath—the music couldn’t erase that.
Kaine was across the room, inconspicuous to anyone who had never seen those eerie pale eyes. I knew them well. He was as close to the head honcho as I'd ever known. For a moment, his eyes were on Elle and Fi smiling and giggling, then his eyes met mine. I told myself to smile; he wouldn’t approve of anything less. He gave a slight nod—I knew that signal. I glanced around the room, casually locating other members of the faction. We weren’t part of Kaine’s plan for tonight and he wanted us gone. He’d taken on the role of big brother since learning who Elle was and he was the one who knew who killed her brother. If there was anyone in the faction I trusted, it was him.
I ushered my disappointed friends through the exit and nodded back at him. My curiosity was eating me alive, but they weren’t in the condition to go sneaking around for a more obscure view. I would have to take them home and come back if I wanted to see any action. Kaine worked fast; I doubted I had much time.
