But this young man, this Xander Drew, had lost everything to the madman known only as Genblade... and yet he forgave. Defended, even. As she struggled to wrap her mind around that, she also started to see things differently. Something twitched in the back of her mind and wouldn’t let go. She saw a way that Genblade might not be guilty.
“Hello?” came a familiar voice from the doorway. She looked up at the door, even though she didn’t need to to know that it was Tony. “How you holding up?”
“I’ve been better,” Megan revealed, frowning.
“Don’t stay in too early tonight, okay?”
“You mean too late.”
“No, too early. It’s past midnight.”
Megan stared down at her watch in shock, then re-buried her face in her hands and pretended to scream. She raised her head again to see Tony about to leave. “Tony?” Megan asked, her voice following him.
“Yes?” he turned, opening the door again.
She paused, turning from him and then looking over the files and folders and documents she spent weeks preparing for Genblade’s prosecution. “I can’t do this anymore.”
He frowned. “Megan, you’ve had a rough day. Every lawyer wants to quit after what you’ve just gone through. It’s perfectly normal. You’ll be fine in the morning.”
“I don’t want to quit being a lawyer,” Megan blurted, saying the words before she realized what she was saying.
A puzzled look came over Tony. “What do you mean then?”
“I want off the case. Genblade’s innocent.”
Mike held Cathy close to him, rocking her back and forth. It had taken hours, but he had finally gotten her to go to sleep.
Her parents had called to tell him that she was at her grandparent’s home, hoping that maybe he’d be able to sooth her. She lay with her head on his lap, still sobbing in her sleep. His jeans were soaked with two little puddles from where she had cried herself to sleep again, but since then she’d tapered off.
As he watched, he wondered what she was dreaming of. He saw her expressions change rapidly, guessing that they weren’t happy dreams. So, his sleepless mind thought, it’s official. Genblade has infested every aspect of our lives, right down to our nightmares.
He forced his mind to stray from Genblade, wondering if Xander had been able to keep the Black Womb at bay for another night. He guessed that they would find out in a few short hours. At that moment, the sleeping form of Cathy Kennessy outstretched her arms and wrapped them around Mike, squeezing him tightly. He smiled, brushed her hair back behind her ear, and kissed her.
“I’m coming!” Xander growled angrily as the knocking at his front door continued, groggily walking down the stairs. His eyes were bloodshot and baggy, his hair poofing off on either side so much so that it almost stood on end. He was wearing an old, loose T-shirt over pajamas that he’d had since he was in grade six, with ruts in the knees and that only came down to his shins.
The knocking continued even after he shouted, a steady rap of knuckles against wood.
“I swear by all that’s fucking holy, Mike, this had better be good after the shit I’ve - -” he opened the door fast, and as soon as he did his scowl loosened.
Megan Greene raised an eyebrow at him, a small smile twitching along the side of her mouth.
Xander squinted at her, leaning his head out the door to see if there was anyone else there.
“May I come in?” she asked finally, clutching her briefcase close to her chest. She looked him up and down, smiling again at his appearance.
Xander frowned, then stepped out of the way. He waited for her to enter and then closed the door behind her, turning on the hall light. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Wanted you to know I quit the prosecution after today,” she said, taking a quick scan of the home before turning to meet Xander’s gaze head-on, smiling her very best smile.
Xander tilted his head, unsure what to make of the information. “The case against Genblade is being put on hold?”
“No, the D.A.’s taking over. I quit the office after that mess at the courtroom today.”
“Can’t say I blame you. I’d quit if I could.”
“Why?” she asked quizzically, unable to hide her grin.
“Today was just ridiculous. That was probably the worst day I’ve had in a long time. Maybe ever,” he said, almost smiling himself. “I mean, besides the fight, just sitting next to him is like some kind of slow, nagging torture. Well, you must know. You’re quitting.”
“Not quitting,” she said, handing him the briefcase. “Switching sides.”
Xander stood dumbfounded for a moment, looking from her to the briefcase and then back again several times before reaching out and taking it. “You wanna run that one by me again?”
“I think you’re right. I think he’s innocent.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You think he’s innocent.”
“Yes.”
“Based on today.”
“Yes.”
He looked at her for a moment, then started to laugh. He laid the briefcase down on the floor and walked over to the stairs and sat, burying his head in his palms to try and hide the sound.
“Something funny?” she asked, taking a step closer to him.
“Life,” he said, stroking his rough-hewn face for a moment before taking his hands away. “Life is funny. And, apparently, insanity is contagious. You’ve obviously got it.”
“You’re one to talk, he’s done the most to you and you’ve been defending him from the get-go,” she reminded him, pointing one of her brightly-coloured nails at him.
“Defending him and believing in him are two different things,” he said, looking down at
