“Then why do I feel horrible after killing Stalo?” she sobbed.
“Because you’re a good, caring human being. It’s never easy to kill someone. No matter if he or she was trying to kill you first. But it was either you or him.”
“Yes, it was either me or him,” she muttered.
Nat tightened his hug around her. “I’m glad it wasn’t you.”
Laughter started to bubble up Anouk’s throat. “Only glad? Not thrilled or exhilarated?”
Nat held her at arm’s length and his concerned expression melted into a wide grin. “Aye. Both thrilled and exhilarated.” Nat leaned forward, and for a moment, she thought he would kiss her even despite her recent stomach purge. She closed her eyes expectantly. Nat pressed his lips on her… cheek. Anouk’s eyes flew open. What?
Nat stood and offered his hand to Anouk. “Let’s go down to see the body and calm the workers.”
Anouk accepted it with a sigh. As disappointing as it was not to taste his lips again, this was for the best. After she had kissed him in the carriage and he had responded with hot passion, he had promised not to do it again. And indeed refrain he had. A perfect gentleman. Too damn perfect!
She wiped the blade in her handkerchief and sheathed her katana. “Yes, let’s do that.”
They walked down to the factory floor. No one was operating the machines and the deafening noise had subsided to a tolerable level. The workers had gathered around Stalo’s body, talking and waving upwards. Anouk and Nat approached the group. One of them turned to look in their direction and then said something to his colleagues. They all turned to look at them. Anouk swallowed hard. What would happen next?
The workers gave way to Anouk and Nat, revealing a gruesome sight. Stalo’s whole upper torso and face had burned into a bloody mess. Smoke rose from the splatters of solidified metal where they had burned their way deeper into his flesh. The former warlord and Anglea’s most wanted man was now beyond recognition. Anouk spun on her heels and purged again. One of the men jumped out of the way, just in time to avoid getting Anouk’s half-digested dinner on his shoes. How was there anything left?
“Sorry,” Anouk croaked.
“Are you alright, ma’am?” the man asked, his soot covered face frowned in concern.
Anouk wiped her mouth and nodded. “Yeah.”
“I nearly dropped a load when the body fell. Me hand slipped off the crank, the cauldron stopped sudden and spilt a bit,” one of the workers explained to Nat.
“He was already dead, so it doesn’t matter,” Nat said to him.
“Who was he and who are you?” the man asked.
“He was the former warlord, Stalo De Meriweth.”
The men looked startled. Even on this isolated island they had heard about him.
Nat continued, looking satisfied with the men’s reaction, “I’m Nat Walla and this is my associate, Miss Herring. We are bounty hunters, especially assigned by the Royal Enforcers to track Stalo De Meriweth and his associate, Captain Biddulph. Do you have a telephone here on the island?”
Epilogue
Anouk stood by her office window, watching the steady stream of cars, buses and people on Uxbridge Road. Four weeks had passed since she returned to London, to her home. Three since she went back to work. Nothing had changed during the two weeks she had been away, and slipping back into her normal life had been easy enough. Only, it was far from it.
She struggled to get excited about her ‘dear’ numbers again, her home, her safe life. No one tried to hire her as a prostitute or threatened to kill her. Streets didn’t stink, they weren’t littered with God knows what. There were no strays fighting over a half-rotten carcass. No extreme poverty. She had all the modern conveniences at hand. She could bathe every day as many times as she wanted.
So, what was the problem then? Stalo was out of the way and she was back in London. Like she wanted, right?
Her thoughts drifted back to Anglea and Rondon as they so often did ever since Nat had brought her back. She missed Vari and Fitzwil, and Amanda and her quirky general store. A smile spread on Anouk’s face. How many ‘general’ stores truly sold everything anyone could ever think of needing? Then her smile faded. Rose… the bravest woman in the whole universe and her daughters. And Lila. Anouk hoped they were readjusting.
But Nat… she missed him the most. His quick smile, his chocolate-brown eyes, his quiet humour, his presence. She missed having him around. But what could she do? Her life was here in London and Nat’s was in Rondon.
After the enforcers picked up Stalo and Captain Biddulph’s bodies, Nat had got his bounty. Well, not quite. Nat had spent a good hour convincing Chief Constable Loka that the smouldering remains of a human was indeed Lord De Meriweth, Anglea’s most wanted. As the chief constable pointed out, all the evidence—the Phines Stalo had snatched from Anouk at Madam Valeria’s, the lone gold cufflink that matched the one they had found and the presence of Captain Biddulph—Nat presented were purely circumstantial. Only the signet ring of De Meriweth found in Stalo’s pocket forced the chief constable to hand over the reward albeit with mutters that it too was circumstantial and anyone could have put it there.
With the hefty paycheck in Nat’s hand, he offered Anouk her share. She refused.
“I’ll be going back. That was our deal, remember?”
Nat’s expression was unreadable when he nodded. “Yes, that was the deal.” Then he flashed his charming smile. “Hate to lose you. You’ve been a good partner.”
“Really?”
