Volumes of the Vemreaux Complete Collection: A Dystopian Adventure Trilogy, page 54
The cell door slammed shut. As he listened to his lifelong friend bleed to death from the fresh cut across his throat, the last vestiges of Killian’s sanity left him to the cackling darkness.
13
Baird in Europe
The private airplane was due to land any minute, and it could not be said who was more nervous – the brother or the sister. Baird was the only person in the cabin of the plane, which he counted as a blessing. This way, the twitter of his thumb would not be observed by anyone. The excited call that came from his owner the morning after he ran out of the kitchen surprised Baird, which was not an easy thing to do. Then it was as if a switch had been flipped. Instead of aggression, his demeanor calmed to a calculating cool that stunned both girls with its sudden appearance. Over the next few days while arrangements were made, he began problem-solving in his head. Training Vemreaux would be different than training his sister had been, but it was exactly what he needed. The anxiety calmed as more plans cemented in his mind.
The wheel lowered from the foreign machine, making a thudding jolt as it hit the runway. Baird tensed, but otherwise gave no sign to the empty cabin that he did not care for airplanes. Liam had told him to try to get some sleep on the long flight, but Baird had no use for rest when there was work to be done.
A flight attendant walked past his chair, flashing a friendly Femreaux grin at him. His lips tightened to give the appearance of a smile without having to actually conjure one up. He’d brought two changes of clothes, a handful of toiletries and a modest wad of cash in the burlap sack he’d been dismissed from The Way with. After the flight attendant informed him that he could walk about the cabin freely, he swung the sack over his shoulder and moved to the exit. The fresh air and natural light hit him like a punch of adrenaline as he stepped off the luxury aircraft.
He was not sure where he was supposed to be walking to until his foot touched the bottom stair. Alec and Blue were waiting for him half a kilometer away by a black car with tinted windows that he had never seen the model of before. The first unlabored breath he’d taken since their goodbye filled him up until he almost permitted a smile to betray the peace he felt at being reunited with his family and their common purpose. Alec shook Baird’s hand when he reached them, and he could tell that despite Blue’s carefully composed demeanor, she was hopping inside.
Though it was still his sister, she was not the same girl that had left them three weeks ago. Instead of the edge of aggression that she always kept tucked beneath the surface, a touch of serenity painted her thinned features in an odd way that seemed to change her entire appearance. Then there was the fact that he’d only ever seen his sister wearing either the orange jumpsuit Wayward uniform or her blue polo and jean shorts from Joe’s Diner. This morning she wore regular civilian clothes: a fitted lavender cotton t-shirt with jeans that looked like they’d been recently purchased from a store that predicted fashion trends accurately. Baird was relieved that at least he recognized the sneakers. He cocked his head to the side, sizing up the odd animal. “You look so…different. What happened?”
The question came out sounding like a criticism, and Blue’s face fell, as if she’d known all along that she looked ridiculous, but no one would tell her. The heels of her shoes that raised in happiness to greet him dropped to the asphalt as her entire personality shifted back to the emotionless girl they’d been introduced to weeks ago.
Alec shot him a look that told him not to be such a jerk, but Baird was unconcerned. Alec opened the back door and motioned for the two to get in. He sighed as he watched all of their hard work spent trying to pull Blue out of her shell being gambled on Baird’s unkind nature.
The interior of the car was charcoal leather, fit for optimum comfort. Alec began to see traces of Blue in her brother as he added up all of the ways he could escape from the vehicle if the need arose. Once Alec was behind the wheel, Baird spoke to his sister. “Liam told me that you’re doing a little better out here. Is that so?” Blue nodded, but did not speak. “How much muscle mass have you lost?” he asked, getting right down to business.
“Just over one percent by my guess,” she admitted shamefully.
“You look like you’ve lost weight,” he commented.
Blue nodded once again to confirm that she was, in fact, not being looked after as she needed to be.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Liam’s got your training area all set up the way you asked. They’re all kinda anxious to start,” Blue informed him with her eyes fixed on her knees.
“That’s fine. We can get started after you eat something. Did you get your rations this morning?”
Blue nodded. His tone was exactly as she remembered it. It was her immediate response that felt unnatural now after all the time spent apart. It was odd; she’d been away from him for longer periods of time after he’d been purchased and she was still underage. In just three short weeks, though, she felt like a vastly different person than the one he’d said goodbye to. It was a bit of a struggle to get back to the person he needed her to be so she could train properly.
Alec answered a few perfunctory questions from the man in the back seat halfheartedly. The girl who allowed her excitement at being able to see her brother to finally poke through all her fear and nerves vanished the moment Baird stepped off the plane. They worked tirelessly to convince her that he would be happy to see her no matter what the circumstances, and that she had not failed just because he was being brought over. The way Baird spoke to her in such clipped tones made Alec wonder how Sam had been able to draw any softness out of her at all. It was amazing to watch the two lovebirds together, which was usually how they came.
After the difficult night in the piano room, there was a noticeable shift in Blue, and a magnetic pull between the two that no one could get between, not that any of them would dare to try. They were always physically attached in some way, though Sam still had not kissed her lips (this drawing many taunting remarks from Brody). Their connection transcended Sam’s normal need for physical progression, and he contented himself with holding her hand and kissing the blushing cheek that he found so endearing. They all would have found it sweet if it wasn’t so foreign. Liam had to lay down the royalty card to keep Sam from coming with Blue to pick Baird up, reasoning that since Baird hated him, it was best to give the siblings at least a moment to be reunited before dealing with the mess he was certain would come.
Things in the mansion were plenty messy already. The morning following their agreement to bring out Baird brought something they were not prepared for. The media caught wind of Killian’s absence, and he officially became listed as a missing person. The very next night, the king himself went on television to make a very public speech about the dangers of the island and the progress that they were making building the new O-blood facility in Asia. A few pictures were shown of them breaking ground, but the structure was, as of yet, unimpressive. Even Frederick cringed when Killian’s name was spoken aloud by the king. He said it in a manner that made Blue suggest he was trying to use emotional sway with the viewers, using Killian’s disappearance to further his support in vacating the O-blood island that was quickly becoming a danger.
When the three arrived at the mansion, Baird had a hard time keeping his face unaffected by the sheer enormity of the grounds. The grass was perfectly watered and cut with no uneven patches or telltale weeds threatening the utopia. He stiffened at the small gathering of reporters that Blue had learned were pretty much a permanent fixture on the front lawn. Baird postured and leaned forward to shield his sister from the prying eyes. Alec had to remind him that they could not see through the tinted windows to the interior of the car. He had the tensed look of someone who was constantly waiting for a bomb to explode, unable to relax in the comfortable heated seat.
They drove past the reporters, through the gate and into the garage, where Baird was further bombarded with the extravagance of wealth his sister was being exposed to. Alec led them past all of the shiny cars and into the house, where Josephine was waiting for their return.
Josephine never addressed Blue’s obvious change in status at being able to eat at the family table. She also never said anything about mistaking Blue for a household servant instead of the esteemed personal servant. The silence between them did not cause Blue any disquiet. On the contrary, she was relieved that there was at least one person in the massive house who did not want to further investigate her story. The severe-looking woman took Baird’s burlap sack and greeted them with the cool professionalism Blue had come to expect from her before she exited, while Alec pulled out his phone and began texting to the others that they were back.
Liam and Sam came down the stairs together. Their hurried footsteps slowed as they both sensed the change in Blue as she stood concealed behind her brother. Handshakes were doled out, but little in the way of pleasantries were exchanged. Baird’s purpose was clear in his electric blue eyes. Liam tried to get conversation out of the man, but Baird evaded answering anything directly. “Is there some place more private?” he inquired, uncomfortable that he could not see if there were any eavesdroppers behind the many walls.
“Sure,” Liam answered, smiling at the man’s lack of cordiality. “Why don’t we show you around first? Let you get settled and all.”
Baird cocked an eyebrow at the prince, which lightened his expression. “Did you bring me all the way out here for tea time? I only have three days a week here, you know. I’m not a huge fan of wasting the emperor’s time, being that he arranged for all this.” He looked beyond the men in front of him quizzically.
“Seven,” Blue informed him.
“Seven what?” Liam asked, trying to get a better look at the girl.
Baird held up his pointer and middle finger to indicate the hallway and nearest living room. “Seven rooms close enough for eavesdropping.”
Alec and Sam were perplexed at this odd state of constant awareness that the siblings possessed.
Just then, Brody came flying out from behind the wall and tackled Blue around the midsection, thrusting them both to the ground with his force.
Baird, Sam and Liam shouted, but Blue just grinned. Brody’s attack threw her off-balance for a moment, but she recovered by flipping him off her gracefully. She leaped atop him before he could reassemble his bearings, and shoved his face into the carpet hard. “I win,” she declared with a grin. It was the second time in the past day that he’d tried to catch her unawares with an impromptu brawl. Despite Sam’s resistance to this extension of her training, Blue loved the challenge.
“Fine,” Brody huffed. “Thought I’d get you with the element of surprise.”
“Silly, deluded Brody,” Blue simpered, patting his cheek that was not mashed to the floor. “When are you gonna learn? I’m a better fighter than you.” She laughed at his venomous mumbles.
Blue helped him up, making eye contact with Alec to be sure he made a mental note of her victory.
Alec nodded. “Alright, kids. Downstairs before you break something.”
“Well, that’s interesting,” Baird commented. “Never had the space for tests like that. Good thinking.”
“Yes. Let’s make her feel unsafe in her own home. Attack around any corner. Smashing idea,” Sam griped sourly.
Alec led them down to the room they had set up according to Baird’s instructions. It was one of the sound-proofed rooms, which Baird insisted upon. It was similar to the setup of the storm cellar that they’d dismantled before Androo came to live with them. A major difference was that Baird and the girls had sifted through much Vemreaux garbage to acquire the items they’d used for training. Liam’s assembled preparation area was newly purchased down to the shiny knives, the variety of which Baird had never seen.
“How many you got in you?” Baird asked his sister.
“I don’t know. Three hundred?” she guessed, her eyes traversing over the floor to pick a large enough spot.
“Then I want three-fifty. You can’t be losing muscle mass just because you think you’re on vacation. You didn’t come here to kick back and relax, Blue.” The four men watched as Blue stretched out her shoulders and dropped to the ground. Twisting her left hand behind her back, she began a series of paced one-handed push-ups. She moved up and down easily, but methodically, so her muscles received the full punishment. Liam rubbed his slightly pouched beer belly guiltily. Even Alec looked uncomfortable at Baird’s level of expectation. “Left handed, cheater,” Baird tossed in her direction.
Blue switched hands mid-air, masking her disappointment at how difficult they would get toward the end. She did not complain, however, for she knew from years of experience that he would demand more if she protested.
Brody opened his mouth to speak his reservations on behalf of the four, but Baird cut him off. “Why has she lost weight?” Baird questioned with no preamble of politeness. When no one had an answer, he continued. “Does she eat four meals a day, like I said?”
Liam looked blameworthy, but Sam spoke up. “She hasn’t been running at night. She mostly reads.”
“Well, then what are you feeding her for the two meals that aren’t her rations?” He flexed his jaw when neither of them had a ready answer.
“I don’t know, Baird. She eats what we eat.” Liam shrugged, as if it was not his responsibility to monitor the food intake of a grown woman.
“What you eat or what they eat?” he demanded clarification.
“What they eat,” Liam muttered, realizing only then that she could not eat a full meal from the aged and acrid tasting Vemreaux food. The silver tray of unchanged food was never passed to her, so he consumed every morsel. Chagrin lowered his voice as his hand covered his mouth. “Oh! I guess I wasn’t paying attention.” Liam turned to Blue. “Kitten, I’m so sorry! Why didn’t you say something? I’ll go out and get you something to eat right now.”
“I’ll take care of it. You had your chance to look after her, and you failed.”
“But Baird, I –” Liam began.
“Failed!” Baird repeated without leniency. Glancing over at his sister pushing up and down on the floor, he sighed. “She’s lost more weight than that, though. Did she get the flu or something?”
“We were, uh, sort of gone the first few days we got here. Our housekeeper gave her Grade A rations. How was she supposed to know?” Brody defended Josephine’s ignorance. “Besides, it’s not like she couldn’t speak up if there was a problem.”
“The housekeeper would have known if she’d been told by the people who promised me that my sister would be rightly looked after.” His eyes closed as he struggled to reign in his volume. “You left her alone?”
Again, the four looked uncomfortable at having their carelessness brought to light. This was not turning into the joyful visit that Sam envisioned. He had hoped that Baird would warm to him eventually, but that possibility was a long way off. The affection he lavished Blue with was partially self-serving, and while they both enjoyed it, her basic needs were still not being met.
Liam cleared his throat. “Well, not alone, alone. Josephine was here. It’s been rough from the minute we landed, Baird.” He took in a deep breath and said the thing no one wanted to say. “My older brother disappeared on the island. It’s been a couple weeks now, and still no word. There’s no sign of him. He was just declared missing last week.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I sorta took off when I found out, and these two have to go with me when I go out of the house. Then my dad sent Sam to bring my sister home, so for a few days Blue was in the house without us. Believe me, she was better off given the…uh, the state of things.” He looked guiltily over to Baird to judge how much trouble he was in.
Baird met Liam’s identical indigo eyes and tried to decipher the emotions Liam was attempting to suppress unsuccessfully. Finally, Baird nodded. “It’s done. Do you understand that it can’t happen anymore? You can’t leave her alone. This is a foreign country and she’s new to the world outside of The Way. Grettel was so scared that she didn’t leave the hut for a week after she got out. Waywards aren’t Vemreaux. We don’t ask for things, especially her. That implies weakness, and we don’t tolerate that. Asking a Vemreaux Supervisor for food in The Way? Never happens. It’s not allowed.” Baird’s shoulders relaxed, and the boys sensed the worst of it was over. They had not counted on a lecture after flying the man overseas. “What’s your brother’s name?” Baird’s tone softened, but his face remained stony.
“Killian.” Brody answered for Liam.
Baird sized up all four of them. “Well, let’s see what we can do about bringing Killian home.” The three men were excited for the mission, the glory of their former battle days shining like gold brandishes in their eyes. Baird knew that they were not ready, but he was up for the challenge.
Liam looked reluctantly down at Blue and then back up at Baird as if to clue him in to the fact that he could not do twenty one-handed pushups, let alone three hundred fifty.
“First off, you three are wearing the wrong clothes.” He signified everyone save for Liam, who wore jeans and a t-shirt. The others wore black slacks and dress shirts, since technically, they were on the clock. “You listening, Blue?” he called over his shoulder.
“Yeah,” she answered, careful to keep the breathiness and strain out of her voice.
“We should lay down a few ground rules for this room before we start. One, don’t wear anything you can’t climb a wall in.” He indicated their dress shoes and slacks. “Two, outside of that door, it’s all ‘yes, sir’ from me, but in this room, you do what I say. You didn’t fly me out for a power struggle. You brought me here to help. If you bicker with me or don’t take my advice, there’s no point in pretending you’re ready to go to the island. We’ll leave your Vemreaux asses here, no problem. So in this room, be ready to work.” Liam looked a little uncomfortable with his untrimmed belly, but the others were ready for the challenge. “I won’t ask you to do anything that you can’t do, so don’t bother arguing with me or complaining. Blue, what happens if you complain about the training?”
