[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

that way. It was just that Ghost, the cold-hearted and efficient little genius, had lost his heart to a
civilian... the general populace of which were, in Arch's mind, funny but not really worth his time. The
only reason this particular civilian meant anything to him at all was because of what the guy meant to
Ghost.
He paused, hesitating, before he said at an even lower pitch, "When you went looking for him, he knew
somehow. He knew every time you showed up; I think he sensed you, the mites, I mean. And when Gale
broke the news to him, when he found out that you knew the 'truth' of his actions that night, he lost
what little life he had left."
"So basically you're saying this is up to me, then," Ian commented, sitting back in his seat and folding his
hands over in his lap. "After everything, I have to be the one to lower my head and "
"Do you even know what that bastard Artois did to him besides take his eye?" Arch hissed, suddenly
incensed. "I bet your sister hasn't said a word about Kazuhi since she came home, has she?" Ian seemed
startled, eyes flying to meet his. "Yeah... you know what I'm talking about. She knows. She doesn't know
96
Andra Sashner Dragonfly
the whole picture, no one outside of RIG except you does. She doesn't know about the trick behind the
mites, but she knows what Artois did."
Arch stood, shaking his head and giving up. He tried not to wonder what would happen now he'd done
all he could, and it was now out of his hands, or if he could do more. Ian watched him, a pensive half-
frown on his face.
"You go have a little chat with your sister, maybe then you'll understand the weight of Ghost's guilt." Ian
seemed embarrassed, half-standing to try and stop him but Arch said, "You know where to find him, of
that I am certain." He turned and as he walked away, Arch called over his shoulder, "It's going to be hell
for you to catch him off the clues he left you, so good luck, bastard, you're going to need it."
*~*~*
Ian studied Eileen's profile in disbelief.
And then it washed over him. Kazuhi's strange behaviour in those few moments before they'd... the
fleeting but truly haunted look in his eyes and the sudden withdrawal immediately after...
Shit. It wasn't supposed to make sense.
Something in Ian's mind short-circuited, made him stare at his sister's elegant features, imagination and
mind seeing images of her screaming. What she must have seen and been unable to turn away from.
Lifting a hand over his mouth, he leaned back on the couch, not needing to try not to think because he
had always been a person who went with his instincts... and he was reeling. Eileen glanced at him
fleetingly, as though afraid to really take in his expression. And she resumed her speech, voice so low he
had to strain to hear it at all...
She need to vent, he understood that. In some part of himself he realised she'd probably not even been
able to talk to her therapist about this, it hit a little too close to home. Kazuhi was personal, someone
she knew and liked.
On a low tone she spoke of the way Kazuhi looked, the expression in his eyes, the things he said and the
distant look in his eyes as it happened, as Artois used him, that it had frightened her. There had been a
moment where Artois had grasped Kazuhi's face, turning it up to his own. The lack of expression had
shocked her and even Artois himself had roared in outrage... and Kazuhi hadn't noticed.
And he understood suddenly.
Kazuhi hadn't had a choice, could do nothing but to endure that humiliation, and had later sought refuge
in him... Kazu had stiffened when he'd spoken about the RIG operatives knowing how he felt. It must
have been then Kazu realised what the plan was, the plan he unknowingly relayed. Closing his eyes, Ian
scrubbed a hand over his face, only then just realising his sister had finished speaking and was now
watching him carefully, warily.
"I'm as big a fool as that idiot," he muttered. "I was the one. I didn't know it then, it took Arch and you
together to get it through my thick head, but I get it." Running a shaking hand through his hair, he told
97
Andra Sashner Dragonfly
her, "I have as big a part to play as Kazuhi did in all this mess." Then he growled, "But I deserved to hear
it from him, not from anyone else."
Eileen spoke gently, "You know, I never thought I would see the day you this shaken, little brother, and
over someone like Kazuhi."
"Hmph!" he snuffed, "Don't start with me. This isn't over yet." Glowering, he told her, "You should have
spoken to me about this sooner."
"Don't you remember, Ian?" she asked, worry in her voice, "He warned me in his own way not to tell
you."
"Eileen," he murmured into her hair, "Ian and I... we were together." She looked up into his face as she
hiccupped, trying to get control over her tears. Kazu sounded hesitant for all that his face remained
impassive, gesturing to the bed they'd shared and softly saying, "Here, not too long ago. We were...
together."
"That little idiot," Ian mumbled again, tousling his own hair once more, a grimace crossing his face.
Eileen reached to pull his hand down and clasped it in her own before gentling telling him, "He's an idiot
over you."
"That's the sappiest line I have ever heard you utter," Ian replied, yanking his hand back but she didn't
let it go.
"And if you don't figure this out and decide what you're going to do very soon," Eileen replied, a flare in
her eyes reminiscent of her usual temper, "It'll be the stupidest thing you have ever done."
"This is way beyond us, 'Leen," Ian replied, annoyed. "This is his job, do you understand that? He does
this, suffers things like this, for a living! In what way can we really understand him and these people?
They're not normal!"
A horrible expression crossed Eileen's face then and she tossed his hand away from her, recoiling. She
moved slowly away from him and down the couch until she could lean back on the armrest at the far
end, a hand over her mouth as she stared at him with wide eyes. "You can't mean to tell me you're..."
"This was a job," Ian ground out, "He did what he'd been ordered like a good military dog." He scoffed,
"Dog!"
Eileen got to her feet suddenly and swung at him, but Ian was too wound up and managed to dodge her
attempt. "You bastard!" She hissed, "I saw him! I watched him! And you sit there talking about him and
what happened like its acceptable!" She took a step back, breathing heavily, "In what way can anything
of what happened be possibly seen as sane, Ian? It was all orchestrated by a madman!"
98
Andra Sashner Dragonfly
He moved back along the couch, further away from her, and crossed his arms, glaring up at her
infuriated expression.
Giving a disbelieving and humourless laugh, she raged, "He's still human, you said so yourself!" She
paused, and her eyes narrowed as she drawled, "Oh but wait. That was some of your 'compassionate'
talk, wasn't it? Your understanding side until you can come home and rage about him here and to me."
Curling her hands into fists, she told him harshly, "Well, you can't talk to me about it because I know
better. I know what he did and I understand a lot better now, but did you ever stop to think he followed
those orders because it would keep you alive? Keep us both alive?!"
Ian refused to say anything as his sister withdrew further.
Backing away from him, she turned away as she fired, "I can't believe you're so selfish and narrow-
minded enough not to see he would have made those same choices just out of his feelings for you!" She
scornfully added, "If that wasn't already the reason!"
*~*~* [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

  • zanotowane.pl
  • doc.pisz.pl
  • pdf.pisz.pl
  • moje-waterloo.xlx.pl

    •