The Magpie's Death

Sam, the Magpie (2)

"Huh?" Jack looked up, confused but still wearing his cheerful smile.

"The questions." The Magpie received a nod and Jack continued to stare, expecting more of an explanation. He cleared his throat. "I was a bodyguard. It's a bad habit."

Jack nodded again and turned back to the window with a hum. "My sister thought you were intimidating. I guess that explains why."

It could have continued into a conversation, but the Magpie turned toward the window as well. There was no need to clarify any further and a tug on his sleeve cut off any other thoughts about Sam and his past. Ellie was staring at him and pointing out to the yard. The rabbits were gone, spooked away, so he lifted her into his arms.

"They went home," he told her.

She slowly lowered her hand, looking back out the window. Her gaze didn't change, but there was less sparkle in her eyes, almost as if she was disappointed.

"Do you want to go play outside?" Over the past two days, she had never once seemed interested in playing. It seemed like something all children did naturally, but he wasn't sure she even knew how. "I need to talk to Jack, so let's go play on the lawn, okay?"

She gave him the faintest nod to agree, whether she knew what she was agreeing to or not. Putting her down, her little hand grabbed at his pants, always clinging when she could.

Like that, they made their way through the room and out the back door. On the short, wooden deck, there were a few café tables and stools, then a line of Adirondack chairs. A thin strip of lawn separated them from the creek ahead. Leaning back in a low chair, Jack motioned for him to sit. He did and Ellie shuffled over, crawling onto her fake father's lap.

"You can go run around if you want," Jack encouraged her, gesturing out ahead of them.

She only stared motionless at him in response, then turned her attention back to the creek.

He chuckled, his eyes darting between his guests. "You two are definitely related."

Looking down at the girl on his lap, the Magpie compared their features in his mind. They looked nothing alike. He had dark brown hair and eyes, a tall, heavy build, and his face was sharp and angled. Everything about Ellie was light and soft. Dusty blond hair and grey-blue eyes, and though her baby fat was gone, she still had a smooth, button nose, and round ears and cheeks. Their temperament seemed to match, but he had no idea who she was before all this.

"I'm her stepfather."

He didn't know why he felt compelled to explain. It wasn't that it needed to stay hidden. He had a solid backstory and a paper trail to support it. But a forged identity was for answering questions, not making conversation. Still, he kept speaking, as if Jack deserved to know. As if he wanted to tell him.

"Our last name is the same because I adopted her."

Because Sam adopted her.

"Ah. I just figured she looked more like her mom."

It was a casual response. Jack's eyes said he was interested, but his tone wasn't pushy, suggesting he wouldn't ask questions. It was on the Magpie now to keep this chat going.

"Yeah."

His reply was followed by awkward silence. As expected, Jack was too polite to say anything more. Instead, he broke the tension by asking, "So, you wanted to talk about something?"

"Yeah." The Magpie leaned back and Ellie crawled onto his stomach, curling up against him like a cat looking for a warm place to sleep. His hand automatically rested on her back. "I'm okay for now, but if I stay, I'll need to find a job."

Sam will need to find a job.

"Sure, that makes sense," Jack agreed, then he let out a soft hum. "We don't really have many open positions around here though, outside of some seasonal, part time things for teenagers. What are you looking for?"

The Magpie shrugged. He was well aware his skills weren't suited for regular employment. They definitely weren't things he could put on a resume. Sam had at least graduated high school and worked a few random part time jobs before becoming a bodyguard for a private company.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I guess no one here needs a bodyguard."

With a light chuckle, Jack nodded. "Good guess. You seem pretty strong. The season officially opens in a few weeks and it can get busy, so what about an odd jobs business?"

He eyed him, not understanding his meaning. Odd jobs were his specialty, but in his world, they were always illegal and usually violent. It was doubtful that Jack was referring to those.

"You know, helping people with things they can't do or are too busy for? Like moving heavy things, or watching their pets, or transporting stuff..."

"Watching pets?"

He was sure he wouldn't be good at that. It was difficult enough taking care of a toddler who didn't speak. What was he going to do with someone's dog? He was also sure Mirror Falls had a limited number of heavy things that needed moving.

With another chuckle, Jack sat up straight, swinging his legs off the side of the chair. "It was an example. Maybe you're not made for walking dogs." His smile was bright and curious and he tilted his head, wondering what his guest thought of his suggestion. When there was no response, he sighed and stood, stretching his arms. "Anyway, it was just an idea. You could check at the sheriff's office and see if they have something. Since you have experience."

The Magpie definitely could not do that, wanting to stay as far away from law enforcement as possible. "No, it's a good idea. Odd jobs. I would prefer no one find out that I carried a gun for a living."

"Oh?"

There was that curious stare again, so the Magpie pointed to himself. "I'm scary enough. I don't need to add to it."

Jack laughed, taking the comment as a joke. "Sorry, but you say everything so seriously and with that straight face... I couldn't help it."

"I was being serious."

Did it come across as funny? He couldn't remember a moment in his life where he hadn't spoken seriously, so he wasn't sure what that would even sound like.

"But I don't think you're scary," Jack said with a playful grin.

The Magpie wondered what that expression was supposed to mean. His words sounded honest, but his eyes seemed to tease him.

"You're probably an intimidating bodyguard." Pointing down at Ellie, Jack's grin softened into a smile. "But right now, you're lying there with your adopted, three-year-old stepdaughter asleep on your chest. A girl who obviously loves you. That person isn't scary at all."

He didn't respond. What would Jack think if he knew who he really was? That "adopting" this child involved killing two men without hesitation. That he had, without a thought, taken an uncountable number of lives before those. Would he be scared then?

Or if he knew he had been one of the elite for the most powerful crime syndicate on the east coast. That his only job was to create or eliminate threats, trained from the age of sixteen, with his first kill at eighteen. Would that scare him?

Or maybe if he knew his "adopted, three-year-old stepdaughter's" real mother had been raped and murdered by his former brothers and the two were here hiding from that same group of killers. Would that be scary enough?

"Sam?"

The name broke through his thoughts and he blinked to see Jack's head hanging above him, his red hair loose in his face. How long had he been trying to get his attention with that foreign name?

Or if you knew I had a knife hidden in my boot and could end your life before you breathe your next breath...

"I should let Ellie nap in the room."

Sam, the Magpie, carefully lifted his fake daughter into his arms and stood. He was uncomfortable with the direction of this conversation and of his own thoughts. Without saying another word, he turned and headed back into the house, leaving Jack standing alone on the back deck.