Mana Tapu

Chapter 4

I hadn't realized how long I had been inside of Pakanga's house until I burst through the window. The gentle moonlight was slowly warmed by the rising sun. Stars were glittering like the shards of colored glass around me. Beautiful tropical birds began to welcome the morning with harmonious melodies. I imagined they were singing for me. They were a lot louder in the outskirts of the city. Their roosts were delicately balanced in branches at my eye level. It would have been beautiful, breathtaking even, if I hadn't jumped out the third story window. Panic filled my lungs and I opened my mouth to scream. The notion was cut short as my momentum suddenly jerked upwards. I watched the tiny, glittering stars tumble onto the marbled steps. They landed and skittered around my mud tracks from earlier. I was suspended midair. Had I snagged a metal bracket in the window? Looking up I glimpsed Captain James Arlo's fist. It was taut and tangled into the hood of my jacket.

Through gritted teeth he grunted. "You're not allowed to die."

Oh sure, now the universe wasn't going to let me to fall. My whole life I've been slipping and sliding as a mode of transportation. Falling was my gig. In the moment that I needed it the most - it vanished. Fate was set on keeping me alive which was probably the reason why I was hanging by a thread. "Well," I thought to myself, "technically it's a bunch of woven threads." I loved my lucky jacket.

Not being allowed to die and humane treatment lived in two different worlds. Captain James Arlo didn't have a kind inch in his body. Ducking my head I was pulled back into the office and thrown against the the wall. The decanter of not-lemonade toppled to the ground, spilling onto the plush carpet. That was definitely going to stain. I focused on the pooling liquid as Captain Arlo slapped cuffs onto my wrists. The metal bit into my skin but I wasn't going to let him have the satisfaction of knowing that. My blood started to drip into the spilled drink. What was that phrase? Don't cry over spilled milk? Did it apply to spilled blood? In this situation I thought it would. Captain Arlo was a villain. No, he didn't deserve that title. James was a villain. I wonder if he knew that.

For as quick as the night had passed the walk from my office to the front doors took an eternity. The destruction in the house was almost comical. At this point it would be more cost effective to take a wrecking ball to the thing. At least the beautiful, baby grand was untouched. My initial count of twenty three men was substantially short. I lost count at seventy as I strode next to James. I tried my best to look intimidating. I was no criminal. The eyes of every man followed me as we walked past. The stammered awe gave me reason to smirk. These guys had no clue who I was. They were about to be humiliated by their own blunder. A false arrest like this would mean riots. I'm sure all of my clients would at least picket in Central for me... right?

We reached the now open doors and stepped onto the marble. James must have been daydreaming. I could see him thinking about the rising sun and undeniable victory. Combine those two into one and you have the dawn of a new era. He didn't see my little stars though. I planted my feet and stood tall; his feet were swept out from underneath him. There were a few gasps around us. I didn't let his momentum pull me down as his head smacked a stone corner. Grinning I chirped, "You're not allowed to die." Utter humiliation. It was wonderful.

James grunted and picked himself up from the staircase. My tiny stars were embedded into one of his palms. A ruby blood welled up near his eyebrow. He was more careful as we traversed our way to Ruthless. It was a beautiful car. I've always wanted to ride in it. In my dreams I had imagined stealing the keys from their bowl and taking it for a joy ride. I would be a red streak in the distance before long. For the first time in my life running would do me no good. James pulled out the key fob and grimaced when he hit the alarm instead of unlock. That fall shook him more than I thought. Brilliant, hopefully he can drive in a straight line. My view was tinted as he popped open the door and threw me inside. I'm grateful that I've learned how to duck my head. Fifteen minutes later James hobbled into the car and took off. This car was built for speed.

James spoke up from the front seat. "Hey Beast, I need to know how old you are. It'll determine what exit I take." The casualness in his voice shocked me.

Staring out the window I asked him what day it was.

"Uh, Thursday."

"Date?"

"September 22nd"

Sighing I met his eyes in the rear view mirror. "That makes me 18."

I imagined a pang of sorrow thrumming in the depths of his soul. Perhaps it really existed somewhere deep, deep inside of him. He turned on his blinker. There was a curt nod and he steeled his eyes on the road.

"Happy birthday kid."

We rode in silence. The last few minutes of my freedom ticked away. Time is such a fickle thing. If I had been apprehended a week ago, a day ago, even a few hours before I wouldn't be as doomed. It was just my luck. Taking a spin in Ruthless at legal age meant a life sentence. When he turned towards Central I knew our destination. I wasn't going to Juvenile Prison - I was on my way to Tadmor.

Onyx black gates swung open when the speck of speed came into view. We passed through four guard shacks and a dog post before pulling into a reserved space. James put the car into park and spoke for the first time since he had wished me happy birthday. "Welcome home, we'll see if we can get you some cake."

Unlocking the door he yanked me to my feet. I hit my head that time. As we walked into the fortress I got the sinking feeling I wouldn't be getting a fair trial. So much for justice.

"Woah woah woah! Just what do you think you're doing?" I yelled at a nearby guard as he started to pull off my jacket. "That is my property!"

"You no longer own property. In fact it is quite the opposite. You are property to the Crown."

I definitely wasn't going to be getting a fair trial. I struggled to keep them off of me. They forgot I was cuffed to my jacket. One of the idiots unlocked the right cuff and slid a sleeve off. I used the moment to land a blow to his jaw and take off running. The crackling sound of a taser whizzed past my ear and thudded into the arm of another guard. A second taser hit me in the chest. One of the wires must have shorted because it didn't do anything to me. I casually tore the prongs out of myself, tossing them over my shoulder. My jacket thief had snuck up behind my back in a futile attempt. The prongs stuck to his outstretched arm and floored him with a crisp zap. I was met with another taser to the chest when I turned to face James. My hatred bubbled up as I sank to my knees, holding my heart. That demon had my jacket.

The next few days combined into a considerable headache for me. I woke up at a small table in black pants. I was freezing without my shirt but it made sense when I took a breath. Actually it was more of a gasp. My side was bandaged and blood was seeping though the white fabric. It took me a moment to see James behind the bright light. He was one to put on a show. "Okay menace, what is your real name?"

"Does it matter at this point?" I tried to snap back at him but it hurt to breathe.

"Do you want another laceration?"

"You know I can take it."

"I'm not a fan of blood so I'd rather be civil. Would you agree it's hard to have a conversation with someone you don't know?" James was trying too hard to play good cop. I wasn't in the mood to fight.

"Calum. My name is Callum Edwards."