The Broker

21. Any Ideas

October 12th, 2009

Merrimac, Virginia

Inin Residence

The house burned as Kaden stood staring. Inside, a girl was wailing, and her parents' screams could be heard. Kaden didn't move, couldn't. His father had told him to stand right there, and not move. He's the one who gave him the file, he told him to study every detail. Kaden's father said that if you didn't know a job inside and out, then the job wasn't meant for you.

But Kaden didn't want to see this job. The girl in the photo, barely as old as he was, stared back at him. One eye a beautiful sky blue, and the other, a brown that resembled the trees surrounding her house. Kaden turned his eyes away from the photo, and watched the flames swallow the building whole.

Kaden woke up drenched in sweat. His breathing was shallow, and the room around him became a blur. His father was sitting by his side, his expression worried. "Another nightmare?" He asked, and Kaden nodded. His throat was dry. "These have to stop, Kaden. You cannot have nightmares after every job. Jaxon will never hire you like this."

Daniel handed him a glass of water, and Kaden drained it. He still felt the heat of the fire on his skin, the sounds of agonized screams in his ears. "I'm sorry, father." Kaden apologized, and Daniel grunted.

"Just stop having these nightmares." He replied, and left Kaden to get ready for the day. He sighed, looking around his room. Kaden wondered if his father had ever been different. Normal. Unwilling to kill, protective beyond all measure. Had a sense of right and wrong.

Kaden shook his head, and supposed not. His father was trained the same way that Kaden had been trained. Which meant that neither of them ever stood a chance at normal.

__________

December 8th, 2019

Roanoke, Virginia

Unknown Street

Amaraya was standing at the edge of the road, her arms folded against herself in an attempt to conserve heat. Kaden had agreed to pick her up, which was surprising, given the fact that he had practically thrown her out of his house the moment he saw her eyes. Amaraya didn't know why, and she didn't want to guess. The whole situation had upset her more than it was allowed to.

Kaden's car pulled up in front of her, and she got in, closing the door behind her without looking at Kaden. He didn't say anything either, and so they sat in silence on the way to the bunker. Amaraya was still skeptical to talk to him, since she didn't believe that he didn't kill those people on the news. Yet it had been bothering her the whole night. She turned to Kaden, her hands on her lap. "Say I believe you, and you didn't kill those people. Who did then?"

Kaden slowly turned to look at her, before turning back to the road. His lips pursed. "First, I actually didn't kill them. And second, other than Zachariah, I don't know who would try to frame me. But it worked, apparently, since everyone believes it's my handiwork." Amaraya looked out the window after his words, almost as if she expected the person who framed Kaden to be sitting outside waving at her. She looked forward again, her eyes not focusing on anything.

"Why would Zach frame you?" Amaraya asked, her mind slowing. "Why would he do that?"

Kaden sucked in a breath, his eyes narrowing in thought. "I don't know. I know he hates me, but framing me for something I didn't do is taking it a little far." His hands clenched on the wheel. "This smells like something the Broker would do."

Amaraya's brow furrowed. "You think the Broker framed you? Why?" Kaden looked to his left, then back at the road.

"You're right. It doesn't make sense." He finally said, and then fell into a sudden silence. But his finger tapped on the steering wheel, his eyes lowering in thought. Amaraya watched Kaden think it over, and then shake his head.