rr (ON HOLD)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Soon she was away from the mountain. Her heart was thumping, and she felt sick as the busy lights of Twinford blared at her and cars rushed past.
Kaina rested against a wall, closing her eyes and panting slightly.
Where would she go?
It was such a stupid idea... running from the Count. Why did she even save Redfort's life in the first place? She was an idiot.
But then the girl shook her head.
No, she thought determinedly.
Our relationship has been getting worse anyhow. What I did wouldn't have made a difference in the long run. He still would have nearly killed me for one reason or another.

And then she still had to ask herself, where would she go? There was nowhere, surely. She couldn't go to Spectrum, of course not; they'd arrest her, or kill her. So what was she to do?
"You okay?"
Kaina gave a jump and open her eyes.
"Crew? Clancy Crew?" she said in disbelief, staring at the boy in front of her. Her blue eyes twinkled with surprise.
"So," Clancy said, shrugging his shoulders awkwardly, "what are you doing out here? It's pretty late."
Kaina didn't answer, and instead retorted,
"What are you doing out here?"
"I was looking for Ruby," he frowned. "You haven't seen her, have you? Hitch suddenly left the Redforts' house without a word, and I figured something had gone wrong. Hey? K-Kaina? Do you know what happened?"
"She's safe," Kaina replied quietly. "Redfort is safe and alive."
She turned to go.
A hand was placed on her shoulder.
"Wait."
"Crew, let go of my shoulder."
"Stay at mine."
She turned to Clancy and stared at him incredously.
"What? Are you crazy? How could I stay at yours?" Kaina spat the last word sarcastically, as if it were a foolish thing.
"We could arrange things.. with Hitch?" suggested Clancy nervously.
"With a Spectrum agent? Why don't I just stay at Redfort's house instead?"
Clancy beamed at her.
"Great idea!"
"You fool! They wouldn't let me, they'd think I'd kill her!"
"But why would you? Doesn't the Count want to do that, personally?"
"Actually, it's Lorelei who gets to date Redfort's death," Kaina corrected.
"Exactly! And isn't that psycho - sorry - like your best friend? So obviously you'd let her kill Rube, right?"
Kaina didn't reply.
"C'mon, please," pleaded Clancy. "Even if it's just for a couple of days... it's the only safe place here. Anywhere else and the Count would find you."
She sighed. He was speaking the truth, she knew. The Count would never dare to visit the Redforts.
"Alright. Let's speak to Hitch tomorrow."
"But-"
"No. Tomorrow or I ain't doing it."
Clancy smiled.
"You win."

Everything had been sorted. Kaina would move in to the Redforts' house on a temporary basis, as Hitch's niece. Sabina was over-joyed to have another 'lovely girl' in the house.
"Oh, how wonderful!" she had exclaimed. "I'm sure she and Ruby will get along like a house under water!"
"On fire," Hitch had corrected.
"Yes, that too!"

Of course, there was one person who wasn't fine with it.
And that was Ruby.
"Thanks a lot, bozo," Ruby muttered on the phone to Clancy. "I'm gonna kill you for this."
She hung up.
There was a knock on Ruby's door.
"Yeah? Come in but make it quick, buster. I'm busy."
Kaina barged through, slamming the door behind her.
"Redfort."
"Von Leyden."
"So. I presume you know why I'm here?"
"Cause you're running away from daddy?"
"Yeah, 'cause I saved your's and Blacker's ass. He's gonna kill me, or worse, now."
Ruby was going to reply with a snarky comment, but stopped, remembering this girl was her boss' kid.
She's also the Count's, a little voice inside her head reminded her.
Shut up, voice.
Another knock on the door. Ruby gave an irritated sigh.
"Hurry up and come in."
Hitch opened the door and came through, a grimace on his face. He raised his eyebrows as he saw Ruby and Kaina staring daggers at one another.
"Nice to know you two are getting along," he said cheerfully. "Hey Redfort, LB wants to see you."
He left the room, and Ruby followed him, without giving a backward glance to Kaina.
The remaining girl sighed.
This was going to be a long week.

Ruby sat outside LB's white office.
"Wait here," ordered Hitch. "I've got to speak to LB quickly first."
As he disappeared into the room, Ruby looked around.
No one was there. She approached the door and put her ear against the cold wood, listening.
"Is the plan working?" LB asked
"Everything seems fine, yes."
"Run me through everything which happened."
Hitch: Clancy Crew, Redfort's best friend, found Kaina von Leyden in an alleyway. For some crazy reason or another, he offered her to stay at his, guessing she'd ran away from the Count for something or other.
LB: She declined?
Hitch: Yes. So then he suggested she stay at Ruby's. Miraculously, the kid somehow managed to convince von Leyden to do so.
LB: Right, and we know that Kaina von Leyden ran because she helped and assisted Agent Redfort and Agent Blacker; naturally the Count's proned reaction would be to kill her. We need to make sure von Leyden is safe and that the Count cannot get her.
Hitch: LB? Why, though? Why don't we just give her to the Count, let him kill her? She's unstable and unhinged; she's a murderer, a ruthless one at that. Wouldn't it just be best to - well, let her go?
LB: No. She is still young. She is a child. There is still a chance that - that we might be able to redeem her. Bring in Redfort.
Ruby, shocked, quickly sat back in her seat as the door opened. Hitch nodded at her demurely.
"You're up. Good luck, kid, you'll need it. LB seems pretty ticked off."
Ruby entered the entirely white office.
"Am I-"
"No, Redfort, you're not in trouble," cut in LB. "We need to discuss Kaina."
Ruby inwardly gave a groan.
"We need to keep her safe. We cannot let the Count know of her location; if he finds out, make sure he in no way attempts to find her and bring her back. He will kill her, or much worse."
Ruby said nothing, so LB carried on.
"If our theory is correct in that the Count needs the Mars Mushrooms in order to use Kaina for whatever use, now he has accquired the location of the Mars Mushrooms, he will no doubt need Kaina, and will most likely go to extremes to get her back. We cannot allow that to happen."
"Hey, uh, LB, and this probably sounds crazy, but I think that Kaina can grant him immortality, if combined with the Mars Mushrooms." Ruby had decided it'd be best just to say it straight, no matter how unrealistic it might sound.
"I worried that that might be his plan."
Ruby raised her eyebrows.
"You knew Kaina had this 'gift'?"
"I didn't know, no, but I had suspicions. Why else would the Count go to so much effort to adopt her when she was in that orphanage?"
"Right. So we just make sure he doesn't find Kaina?"
"Correct, Redfort."

Meanwhile, Ambassador Crew was talking to the man who controlled the government of Spain...

...they were discussing enrichment plans; how they could combine America's military weapons with Spain's intellect and cunning.
As their meeting came to an end, the government man, Mr Pérez passed Clancy on the way out. Lowering his glasses, he gave a sly wink to the boy and tipped his hat at him, before leaving the Crews' household.
Clancy froze.
No.
No, no, no, no, no.
It couldn't be.
He had to check, to make sure.
Clancy rushed out of the door and onto the street, but it was too late; there was no sign of Mr Pérez; it was as if he had disappeared into thin air.