Kin

“Oh fuck you,” Kara said, and this time he knew she was going to hit him. But he didn’t move, and the strike didn’t come. Inside she turned, cursed under her breath and walked a few steps, then turned.

“This is typical you.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

“Say nothing. Go home. Check yourself into a mental hospital. Do something other than this.”

“I can’t.”

She stepped close again, the fury making her face ugly. “No, you can’t, can you, and the last thing you’d ever consider would be getting help. It’s far easier for you to fuck up everybody else’s lives.”

Finch folded his arms. “Look, I’m sorry. I told you I wasn’t letting this go. I tried to talk some sense into Claire but—”

“Talk sense into Claire?” Kara raged. “How could that happen when you don’t have any sense yourself? Think your age and experience makes you wiser? Sorry, Finch, but you’re still a kid, a goddamn brat with a temper and everybody has to pay for it but you. Finch the Almighty versus the World.”

That annoyed him, and this time she couldn’t hang up on him before he got to defend himself. “Hey, I’ve already paid for it, all right?” he countered. “I lost my brother. You got Claire back, so don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t do, or what’s wrong with the way that I feel because you haven’t a fucking clue.”

She smiled bitterly. “Danny. I know you loved him, Finch, but if it weren’t Danny, it would be some other cause. Someone or something needs to be destroyed because God forbid you should look in instead of out for a change. Well,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Do what you have to do, I guess. But sooner or later you’re going to run out of mirrors to shoot at. Then what will you do?”

“Wow…watching Oprah again, are we?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know who you are, Finch. Not sure I ever did. But I recognize this part of you, and I should. It’s why I left you. That was something else you destroyed.”

“This isn’t about me, Kara.”

“Really? You sure about that?”

“Yeah.”

She nodded slowly, a grim smile on her lips. “I’m sure you believe it too.” She stepped past him, headed for her car. “Stay the hell away from Claire,” she said without looking back. “Or I’ll call the cops. And don’t think I won’t if it means protecting her from you.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but the glare she threw him before getting into the car dissuaded him, leaving him standing alone on the street. Only then did he find his voice.

“I’m not the bad guy,” he said, and wondered who he was trying to convince.

After a moment, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Beau’s number. “Hey,” he said, when Beau answered. “We’re leaving.”

“Now?”

“Now.”

“Why?”

“I just spoke to Kara.”

“And?”

“And I don’t trust her not to put the kibosh on this whole gig just to piss me off.”

“Savin’ your life would piss you off?”

“You going to be ready to go, or what?”

“Give me an hour, okay? I’m standin’ here with my uncle Leroy. Negotiatin’ the acquisition of the tools we’ll need.”

“Remember, John Kaplan’s footing the bill so don’t feel obliged to be frugal.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll pick you up at your place in an hour.”

-29-

They were in the park.

Pete didn’t know what had gone wrong, or when, but the world in which he moved now was not one he recognized, or liked very much. It seemed everyone he loved had died, or was hurt, or walking through the same nightmare as he was, as if mere contact with him was enough to drag them into the dark. He didn’t want that for Louise, but it was already too late. In the time it had taken her to take care of her “private matter” at the pawnshop, it seemed she’d grown older. She looked sick, tired and old, and he knew it was his fault.

“You drive real good,” she said now, easing herself down onto the park bench beside him. “I’ve seen it, I know. Sometimes I think your daddy taught you to drive before he taught you to walk.”

The mention of his father pained him, and it seemed from her feeble smile that it pained her too. Pete wished she wouldn’t mention his Pa. He wished she wouldn’t mention anything but getting to the girl, so he could be sure what was coming next. So there was a set plan. Because something about her now didn’t sit right with him. It made him uneasy, because he couldn’t tell what it was. Had she called the police on him, or changed her mind about taking him to see the girl? She must have. Why else would she be talking about him driving?

“You can get yourself a car,” she said. “In that lot over there. I know the guy runs it. But I wanted to talk to you first.”

“What’s to talk about?” he asked. “We should just go before the police find us. If they do, I ain’t never gettin’ to the girl, and those folks who hurt my Pa’ll get away.”

“I know that,” she said, and winced as she took her hands in his. Light snow drifted down around them. She was shaking from the cold. Pete drew close, hoping the heat would be enough to warm them both. The park was empty but for the bare snow-laden branches of oak trees and narrow concrete paths rimed with frost.

He looked down at her fingers, her clothes. “You’re bleedin’.”

“No,” she said. “It’s not my blood.”

“What did you do?”

“There’s no time. You’re gonna have to go soon,” Louise told him. “It isn’t safe around here anymore.”

“You’re comin’ too,” he reminded her, the fear already seizing his heart. He could tell by the look on her weary face what she was saying, but refused to believe it until the words took away the choice.

“No, I’m not.”

“Why?”

“All you need to know is that I love you, and I would go with you if I could, but I can’t. It’s too late. Too much has happened, and I need to go where the road is takin’ me. Unfortunately, it ain’t the same road as yours.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do. Trust me on this, okay? Have I ever lied to you?”

He shook his head.

“Okay. Then please just do this for me. I’ll catch up with you in a few days time if I can. And here,” she said, withdrawing Red’s gun from her pocket. “Take this. You might need it, but I sure hope you don’t. Hasn’t exactly brought us much luck, has it?”

He did as she requested, though the weight of the gun felt ugly and unnatural.

Sirens pierced the chill, icy air and she flinched, looked around. Quickly, she turned back to face him, her eyes wide and imploring. “Here,” she said, digging into her coat pocket. Into his hand she stuffed a large wad of bills. Pete had never seen so much money in his life. “Take this, and get yourself a ride. Guy’s name is Mike. He was a regular of mine when I worked in the Overrail. Tell him Louise sent you. Tell him your story. He’ll believe you. You got an honest face. People like him…they recognize honesty, seein’ as how they got so little of it themselves.” She gave him a weak grin, and shivered.

Panicked, Pete grabbed her coat. “You left me before, ’member? Please… don’t do it again. Come with me.