rr (ON HOLD)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hitch," came LB's gravelly voice. "Bring in Redfort."
Hitch nodded at Ruby and they got up from their seats, and headed to LB's office.
He knocked at the door, and at, "Come in," he entered with Ruby.
"You can go," LB nodded curtly to Hitch. Raising an eyebrow, he left the room.
"I'm not in-"
"No, Redfort, you're not in trouble," interrupted LB. "You told me that the Count wanted to meet me."
"So you went to see him?"
"Correct. As usual, he was helpful as ever. But, I believe from what he spoke I have found you a job; work this code; 'there was a child who could not choose, between a spider and its food. In the end, the question remains; will it have the almightiest reign?', and tell me what it means."
Ruby blinked at LB.
"That's just like the message he left on the wall, about Buzz - Casey Morgan. You want me to tell you its meaning?"
"That's what I said, Redfort," replied LB impatiently. "So explain."
Ruby thought about it for ten seconds, before then saying, slowly,
"The Count meant for you to tell me this. He wanted me to decode this. But why, is the question - is it a part of his plan?"
"That isn't what it means," interrupted LB. Ruby tried not to roll her eyes.
"It's very similiar, as I already mentioned, to the chalk message about Casey. Basically, there's this kid who doesn't know whether to be a spider or a fly, i.e good and bad, Spectrum and psycho, agent and villian. But something could happen to the kid, for the question, 'In the end, the question remains; will it have the almightiest reign?' must mean something could change the kid, something real bad, because the Count is asking, will this child become the strongest of us all, villian and agent alike, because of how bad, how evil, they will become?
"And you know that he's not referring that something good happens to the kid, to make it have an 'almighty reign'?"
"Because when you're good, you're not almighty," answered Ruby simply. "And when you're good you don't reign. Unless you're royalty or somethin'. Unless..."
Ruby paused.
"This kid, it's Kaina, isn't it?"
LB sighed. There was no point denying it.
"Yes. Yes, Redfort."
"Two parents. One good, one bad."
"What're you saying?"
"I'm saying the Count means Kaina has a choice. Good or bad. I get it now; he means something's going to happen to her, which can be good or bad. And whatever happens will determine whether the kid will be good, or bad. But, from what the Count said," Ruby paused, before continuing. "I have a feeling that if what happens to her is bad, it'll be real bad. Especially if the Count's got something to do with it."
"So now our question is - has the Count found out what will influence her to make her 'bad'? Or is he the one who can influence her?"
"Yup. The thing is... you. You've gotta influence her, to be good. Because you're the good parent."
"And he's the bad one," finished LB. "How fitting. And how very dramatic. You can go, Redfort."
Before Ruby walked out of the room, LB called,
"Wait. Sit down again... I've something you should probably know."
"I have a theory-"
"You theorise?" Ruby sounded mildly surprised. LB gave her a look.
"I believe the Count needs Kaina for something. Something big. Bigger than the Mars Mushrooms."
"Or, something to do with the Mars Mushrooms? As in, the Count needs the Mars Mushrooms to get what he wants from Kaina," interjected Ruby.
"Precisely," LB's voice was emotionless as always, but something about her monologue changed. "Either way, you need to find out what he needs her for, and more importantly why - what has that girl got that's so special?"
"Me? How am I supposed to find out?"
"Redfort, you can do it," said LB firmly. "Count von Viscount is not sentimental - from what you told me about your encounters with Kaina, there were multiple times where the Count would have normally killed anyone in that situation, but he didn't when it was her. He wouldn't have missed the opportunity to kill, no matter who the unfortunate victim was. If you won't do this for me, Spectrum, your family, your friends, or even Kaina, then do it for Baker, Redfort."
"For Baker," Ruby muttered as she left the room.

Ruby couldn't sleep that night. For some reason, she felt like someone was outside the house - her sixth sense was telling her so. It was only a few weeks till her birthday, and anyone else would tell her it was excitement, but Ruby herself knew differently.
She swiftly got out of bed, opened the window, and looked out.
No one was there.
Sighing to herself, she closed the window and began to go back to bed. But then she paused.
Was that a sound from outside?
She shook her head. Calm it, Redfort. Remember, panic freezes the brain.
Ruby opened the window again; this time, she thought she could see a dim silhouette. Her heart began to race. She should tell Hitch, she knew, but there was no time - this figure did not resemble the Count. If anything, this figure resembled Kaina.
Ruby Redfort climbed out of the window and scaled skilfully down the wall. Her room faced the back of the house, so she hoped no-one would spot her.
"Who's out there?" she whispered.
"My, isn't that rather careless of you, Redfort? What if I were someone else... like Lorelei, perhaps? Too much curiosity can be fatal," the figure gave an angry sigh. "I learnt that lesson myself, only far too recently."
Ruby's heart skipped a beat. She was about to give a deep sigh of relief before remembering that this girl was a brutal cold-blooded killer. And what made it worse was that she was extremely young.
Ruby realized she was not safe.
Not safe at all.
The only thing that made Ruby realized this figure was Kaina, rather than the Count, was that all too close miss of "Ms Redfort". Kaina disliked Ruby, that was the trouble. It was scary - ironic, even, how similiar Kaina and the Count spoke.
"So," said Ruby, only one tremble in her voice betraying her fear, "what brings you to my backyard at twelve fifty five p.m on a Monday?"
Kaina stepped into the light and gave Ruby a kind smile, a smile which might have looked geniune if one did not know how that it belonged to a crazy murderer.
"Oh, you know, just felt like it. Being cooped up in one place isn't good for the mind, is it?" the girl gave another smile.
"He not letting you out much?" Ruby asked, trying to keep up conversation. RULE 44: WHEN IN A TIGHT SPOT, BUY YOURSELF SOME TIME: ONE MINUTE COULD CHANGE YOUR FATE.
"No, sadly. He seems to worry for my safety all of a sudden. At least that makes a change," Kaina frowned. "But enough about me. How are you, Ms Redfort? I hope school hasn't been too much for you. I've heard it can be quite tough on the mind."
And there it was again.
That chilling resemblance to the Count.
"I'm great, thanks, though it's always quite thrilling to find a serial murderer in your backyard," replied Ruby calmly. "I forgot you don't go to school, but you're real clever. How's that?"
Kaina narrowed her eyes, "Oh, you know, I was taught."
"By him?"
"By Lorelei, mostly, but yes, sometimes him. He taught me the real stuff," Kaina gave a thin-lipped smile. "Isn't that what you sort of children say?"
Ruby shuddered. She'd hate to imagine what the Count taught his kid. If Lorelei, a murderous, cruel psychopath, taught Kaina, what on earth would the Count teach her?
"So what do you want?" blurted Ruby. This time she couldn't keep the fear out of her voice.
The older girl gave a cold laugh, which had genuine amusement in it.
"Who says I want anything, little Ruby Redfort? Here," Kaina threw a business card into Ruby's hand. "Meet me in the Japanese Gardens, behind the Scarlet Pagoda, tomorrow, at eleven forty six, p.m."
She turned to go, and before disappearing into the shadows, she called,
"Oh, and don't call us, we'll call you."

Somewhere else, later in Twinford

The phone rang. She picked it up.
"Did you do it?"
"Of course. I've done what you asked, now keep your side of the deal."
There was laughter on the other end of the telephone. She scowled.
"Who knew you could sound so feisty. Keep in mind, dear child, I owe you nothing. This was merely me being kind. There was never a deal."
"Think that if you want," the girl spat. "I'm not doing the rest. You're on your own."
She hung up.