Queen of the Living

Chapter 7

    “We keep moving, never staying for longer than two nights,” Jack was saying.  They had walked to a parking garage a couple of blocks away where Jack had parked his Honda SUV.  Jack was going to drive, and according to his new found rules of charm, insisted on opening the door for her once they arrived at his car.

    One thing Nawal could appreciate about Jack: he didn't understand tension or the possibility of uncomfortable silences.  He just talked right through them.  “The boss says our best bet is to zig-zag our way north-west.”

    “The boss?”  Nawal asked.

    “You know what I mean,  he acts like it enough.  Vermilion says it's our best bet.”

    “I'm not his.  He's mine, they all are.”

    “I'm sorry, I was making a joke.”  Jack had turned the ignition and placed the SUV into reverse.

    “It's okay, but we aren't running to Seattle yet.  I need you to drive me to Baltimore.”

    Jack stopped, put the car in park, and stared at Nawal.  “You're kidding, right?  Wouldn't it be better not to return to the scene of the crime?”

    “They've either not been telling me the whole truth, or they've been lying to me this whole time.  And where the hell is the guy in the black suit?”

    “What?”

    “I inherited all this crap from someone, right?”

    “Okay.”

    “He was at my apartment that first day.  Where has he been since?  And who put Vermilion in charge?”

    “You did.”

    “What?”

    “You put Vermilion in charge.  Look, I'm not saying you meant to, but you don't have any experience in fighting the hordes of the underworld, so when you woke up in this whole new world with no idea of what to do, Vermilion took charge.  I would've done the same thing, and I could see it in your flashy new green eyes when you showed up in the RedRoom.  You were lost and scared.  It's why I stepped out on a limb and invited you to stay over, I could see you wanted to ask.”

    “I don't need a lecture, Jack.  You weren't there.  I can't just let this go.”

    “Fine.  I understand, but clearly something happened last night and things have changed.  I'm with you no matter what, but really?  You want to go to Baltimore?”

    “Yeah.  Didier, that was his name.  I'll never forget it.  He knew something.  He was meeting someone.  Something was going to, or did happen there.  An exchange, maybe.  Anyway, Didier's dead, so that puts square one in the park where he died.  That's where we go.”

    Jack put the car in reverse and began pulling out.  “Alright.  We're off to Baltimore.”

    “Before we get too far, I have to say it, even if it's cheesy,” Nawal said.  “You don't have to take me.  You don't have to get involved anymore if you don't want to.  I almost died last night and I'm supposed to be the strong one.  But you, I don't want you to go if you don't want to.”

    “Forget about it,” Jack said.  He smiled and patted Nawal on her knee.  “I'm with you.”

    And so they were off to Baltimore.  Nawal was happy to be able to count on Jack.  He had changed a lot since she first met him hanging around the Starbucks next to her work.  New Jack, as she thought of him, actually seemed concerned for her interests without resorting to riddles and vague explanations.