The Mighty Kanes: Part Two
Friday, December 17, 2010
Bradley's sobs broke the cold silence of the graveyard as a baby cries in a solemn church; the sound found a way to steal away all the other senses... Oh, if only Bradley was not alone.
He had cried here many times before, but not like this: not with the weight of his mistakes, not with true repentence.
It was only now that death truly listened...
... granting him the one opportunity he longed for.
Her sudden presence was noiseless and motionless, giving Bradley no warning to her coming. And for quite some time, she did not let him know; she only watched as he cried, trying to feel as he might -- emotions, something she had not felt in some time.
It wasn't until his lungs heaved a deep sigh that the ghost of Emerald Greenwood extended her cold, briefly corporeal hand towards Bradley's slacking arm and touched her fingers to his elbow.
"It's okay to cry, Bradley," came softly from her lips, as if an echo across a vast distance of water.
The touch -- the voice -- they startled Bradley so much that he almost stumbled backwards over the grave when he spun around. "What the--" he exclaimed, his voice cracking in fright... But when his eyes suddenly realize what he saw, his entire body froze.
"E... Em?" he asked, disbelieving.
"The one and only," she said, her voice no less eerie than before; but, Brad still couldn't help but find it comforting. "Why, aren't you happy to see me?"
"I, I--" Of course Brad was happy to see her... But wasn't he just still dreaming? "... But are you even real?" He finally asked.
When she only shrugged in reponse, Bradley reached foreward a hand towards her, and there he rested his fingers, drawing them slowly down the cold, icy fog of her temporary state.
His fingers felt strange -- almost as if they were numb -- but that didn't change the fact that he really was touching something. She was there... She was real.
"It really is you, isn't it?" Bradley asked, rhetorically. "Oh, Em..." He wanted to cry, but the joy that overcame him from holding her hands in his was so much that not another tear could leave his eye. "I missed you. I've... I've really missed you."
"I know," she responded softly, smiling so sweetly and yet so sadly. "I know."
The quiet breeze in Twinbrook's graveyard was a stark contrast to the sudden noise that bellowed from Jebidiah Kane's lungs in the depths of the railroad warehouse; it had been quite some time since Jeb had shown such fury, for he was usually such a contemplative man...
... Yet there was little about Carolina Leman that was not worth screaming about.
"How dare you bring my wife into this, Carolina! She has done nothing wrong... Nothing against you! She doesn't deserve to be a part of your foolish, stupid games!"
"Ah, but... You aren't really giving me much of a choice, are you, Mr. Kane?" she responded tiredly, as if a cat quite boredly playing with a mouse.
"So, that's really how you want to settle this, hmm, Carolina? A battle of blackmail?" Jebidiah was quite tempted to spit at the woman's leather shoes, but with his wife standing next to him, such crudeness would probably not be seen as chivalrous as he'd mean it to be.
Carolina simply rolled her eyes back at him. "That's how I do business, Kane. You should have known who you were dealing with before you tried to stick your hands where they didn't belong. Twinbrook is Leman territory, now!"
Jeb opened his mouth to offer a sour retort, but his teeth clamped shut when he noticed that Meredith had begun to cry. Under his breath he muttered curses; she'd made this unduly complicated, but he wasn't just about to let her stand there alone.
When he took her into his arms, she whispered a muffled, "I'm so sorry, Jeb," but he only shook his head at her. If only she'd understand how such a not big deal it was... Yet for some reason, their family was held on a leash by this secret. Well -- Meredith and the kids. He couldn't care less about it, anymore. Not now.
"Man, are ye done wich yer bickerin' already?" Max Racket finally piped up. "They just wastin' ar' time, Mrs. Leman. Why don't we just pack up these crates'n git outta here? M'tired of this bull crap."
But it was Max Racket that was the first to jump when a sudden voice of husky alto erupted from the shadows behind them:
"Bull crap... Seems like there's a lot of that floating around in here, tonight." And with the sultry words came a small laugh, and an even more poisonous smile.
The woman in boots had arrived.
As the gang suddenly wheeled around to see their new opponent, Sinbad Rotter's eyes grew even larger than if he'd seen a ghost; and at this moment, that's probably what he would have preferred it to be.
"You!"
The graveyard again went quiet. Everything seemed to fall into stillness, even though the wind still blew and the fog continued to circle the trees around them.
Them. Not 'him'. Brad never thought he'd be here with someone... Especially not his love. His Emerald.
For the longest time neither of them spoke, only gazing into each others' eyes and grasping tightly each others' hands; for Brad she felt cold; for Emerald, he felt like fire to her skin... Well, whatever it was that she was made of.
Bradley couldn't understand what was going on, but he really didn't even want to -- all that mattered was that she was there.
But, without warning, she drew her hands away. His brows furrowed in confusion; what was going on?
"Brad, I don't have much time. I'm sorry... I would love to sit here with you, to just hold hands, but... I can't," Emerald said, her voice sounding shaky even overtop the natural cascading sound of her ghostly words.
"What do you mean, you 'don't have much time'? You're here, aren't you?"
"I am, yes, but only for a moment," Emerald said, and continued with a shrug. "I'm not sure how long I have."
Brad still looked confused. A moment? Why only a moment?! She was here... He could touch her! Hear her!
"What's going on, Em?" Brad's voice began to shake now as well, and his nerves felt like they were on ice. He couldn't lose her again... Not only after a few moments. "How are you even here?"
"I'm here to give you a message," Emerald said slowly. "Well, sort of. Death heard you, Brad. I heard you. About your sorrow, about what you've done... And it needs to stop. You're going down a terrible path, Bradley, one that can only end in more sorrow and more pain."
Bradley's eyes closed; he could feel the corners of his eyes growing stiff from his dried tears, but it was quickly becoming less and less dry again. "But I had to save you, Em... I was only doing it for you."
"Bradley, that's not what I wanted. This isn't what I wanted, not for you, for anyone." Emerald shook her head, and then made a quick, decisive movement with both hands. "It needs to stop."
"But it can, now... It can, Em! You're here! I don't have to do it anymore if--"
"Brad..." The ghostly echoes in Emerald's voice carried away like waves, a painful euphoria to Bradley's ears.
"Bradley," she said, finally continuing. "I'm no longer meant for this world. For life. My life is in the Reaper's hands, now. Even if I wished to stay, I cannot. I was sent for one chance, Brad... Just one chance to try to help you."
"But--"
"Brad," Emerald said, insistent. "For once, it's time for you to listen."
Sinbad Rotter barely had time to turn around before the woman in boots made her way across the warehouse floor, her high-heels clicking and her anger growing stronger by the second -- so the moment that Sinbad was facing her, that face was hers for the smacking.
Her being none other than Tatianna Solez: Bounty Hunter.
"I. CAN'T. BELIEVE. YOU!" Tatianna screamed as her hand made sharp contact with Sinbad's face. "I could understand dumping me for Marta, but then you dumped her for Rosy?! And then you betrayed Jeb for someone as slimy as the Lemans?! I knew you were stupid, Sinbad, but this is just disgusting!"
The poor boy couldn't get any words out until his face was done being swatted by Tat's Flail of Fury, but the only ones he could manage were, "Aagh, I'm sorry!" before stumbling away from her.
"That doesn't cut it! You always were so thick!"
It was at that moment that Thomas finally broke free of the trance of Tatianna's distraction -- and what he saw was not something to be amused about.
Four cops clad in black emerged from all sides of the building, creeping up around them. They were locked in -- all of them.
"Tatianna-- What have you done?" Thomas whispered, angry.
"Only giving you what you deserve. You two have been giving me the slip for quite some time... It was only fair that I give up on one bounty for a much, much larger prize."
"You're a rotten liar, Tatianna! When we left Sunset Valley, you told me you'd given up trying to bring us in! You told me you were going to leave us be!"
"Well..." Tatianna looked into Carolina's eyes without remorse. "Turns out the pay for bringing criminals in is a lot more than being empty handed."
"Then you've--"
"I've made a deal, yes," Tatianna said with a sickened smile. "One that would make any amount of Simolie's you could ever offer me look veerrryy, very small. I'm afraid it's time for the Leman's life of crime to finally catch up with them!"
As Tatianna spoke the magic words, the entire building was flooded with darkness; the doors slammed shut, the window shutters closed, the lights went out; and as their eyes all suddenly became useless, an indistinguishable voice cried out into the void:
"Get them!"
Emerald's words stung Bradley's heart -- she'd said many things to him in life that hurt him, but somehow, them coming from her ghost was even worse. Now was the one opportunity to see her after she'd passed away, and she was refusing him all over again. Why?!
"I don't get it. So... The Grim Reaper, like, made you a ghost so that you could tell me to stop going back in time to save you?"
"In a way, I suppose yes," Emerald began, though her voice didn't sound so certain. "To be honest, I know very little. I know he heard your pleas. Death knows little mercy, but you've shown him far more respect than many that walk these grounds. But maybe he just heard mine, that I wanted to stop you before he took you for his own."
Bradley shook his head. This didn't make any sense... The Grim Reaper was just a fairy tale -- like Santa, the Easter Bunny... But then, Ghosts had always been fairy tales, too.
"I... reeaaaallly don't understand what's going on, Em," Brad said in disbelief. "But... You are right. I don't know what I've been doing, lately. I've just been so lost. Ever since you died, I felt like part of me died, too. You were everything to me, and I never told you that. All I wanted was to tell you, Em."
"I always knew, Brad. You never had to tell me." She smiled briefly, but then continued, "We both made mistakes... But they're mistakes you shouldn't have to pay for anymore." Emerald paused for a moment, taking a breath even though she didn't need it.
"So... What now?" Bradley asked. "I stop trying to save you and I stop trying to bring you back... What purpose is there left in my life?"
"Oh, Brad," Emerald said, her voice sad yet amused. "I was only one girl in your entire life. There will be others. And, there already is another. You can't spend your entire life obsessing over a dead girl. I mean... Look at me. This is all that's left of me. A shadow. You can't love this, Brad. You have to realize that there are better things than this."
"But.. But Em..." Bradley began to plead, his voice rhaspy. "I want you. I just want you. There's no one else in this world I could care for as much as you."
"Yes, Brad, there is. You're just lying to protect me, and to protect yourself." Emerald's face became cold, yet her eyes still seemed so full of caring.
"I know your heart, Brad. I know there is someone else out there you could care for, even more than me if you really tried. You're just afraid." Bradley could feel his heart sting as she began to finally speak what he knew to be the truth -- he just had never understood it until now. "You're afraid of losing someone else you love. You know I can't break your heart again, so you cling to me... But you need to let go, Brad. You need to let go, for both of us."
"W.. What do you mean?"
"Brad... There's something else that you don't seem to understand; until you let go, neither of us can rest in peace."
As those two words -- 'Get them!' -- resounded through the empty, lightless warehouse, a sudden eruption of noise suddenly surrounded them.
At first it was mostly scuffling, but as people fell over boxes, others cursed, punches were thrown and hair was grabbed, the darkness of the building became a myriad of other sensations... Most of which incredibly unpleasant.
The noise was nothing compared to when the power breaker was flipped again, though.
The hum of the lights returned, the rolling doors flew up, the window shutters reopened; and the sight that anyone lucky enough not to have a fist in their face saw was quite something to be seen.
The entire warehouse was full of flying dust, as cops battled criminals... And criminals battled criminals.
With everyone now able to fully see, the fights got even more destructive -- and the yelling even more desperate when certainly Sinbad Rotters realized they were having their butt kicked by certain Tatianna Solezes.
But, the fighting couldn't last forever; as the dust began to clear, the final battle was finally won... And it ended brilliantly with Thomas Leman being skyrocketed up away from the floor, with Jebidiah Kane smiling devilishly at his handiwork.
He may be gray, but Jebidiah still hadn't lost his touch.
However, in the clamor of the fight he'd lost something a little bit more precious to him... His wife.
"Hold it! Hold it all of you!" Carolina's voice cried from the corner of the room. "I've got the woman! Don't anyone move, or I swear, you'll regret it!"
The entire room froze as they realized that in the scuffle, Carolina had escaped -- with Meredith. Meredith struggled to get away, but she was having no success; she was both too frightened and too weak to get away from Thomas' wife.
As Carolina strongly dragged Meredith towards the exit, she yelled, "Let Thomas go, and she won't be harmed!"
"Carolin--" A cop began, his voice wheezy.
"Just shut up! The woman's mine until both I and my husband are free to go!"
"Don't listen to her, Thomas -- honey," Jebidiah spoke, this directed at Meredith. "You're going to be fine. Just stay calm."
Each police officer had their grasp on at least one criminal -- all but Thomas, who stood opposite his wife, with Jeb the only thing standing between them.
"And why would I listen to you, Jeb?" Thomas growled. "Carolina isn't going to give up your wife until she has me. Only one way out of this, Kane."
"No, I think not," Jeb said, his eyes looking back towards his struggling wife. "As I think I have suitable leverage to ensure both you and your wife make it safely to prison." Thomas looked at Jeb quizzically, but it was soon explained when Jeb pulled a thick computer tablet from inside of his jacket.
"What is--" Thomas began, but was cut off when Jeb tossed the computer (iPad? Gasp!) to the floor, which skidded up to Thomas's feet.
Thomas was still confused, his glare turning from Jeb to the floor; slowly, he bent down to begin picking it up...
... but he stopped once he suddenly realized what was on the screen.
The small speaker on the front of the device rattled as the sounds of crying began to pour out of it.
"D-d-daddy... Please... Help me!" The face of Naomi Leman stared back at Thomas through the screen, but she immediately hid it behind her hands as she began to sob. "I'm s-s-so scared," she stuttered, her voice still muffled through her cries.
The image of Naomi faded away for a moment as the camera apparently was moved -- and this time, a different voice came through the speaker.
"I got her hear just liked you asked, Kane," said Shark Racket, smiling evilly. "Just gimme the word when yer ready."
"N..No, you couldn't... You wouldn't!" Thomas yelled, his reddened face turning towards Jebidiah Kane -- but he was only met with a cool, calculated expression. No words; no emotion.
Thomas looked from his daughter's face to Jebidiah's, but as his momentary anger wore off, he felt his knees collapse to the ground.
"Please... Please, I'll do anything you ask, Kane... Anything... Just don't hurt my daughter!"
Jebidiah didn't move. He continued to stare at Thomas down his nose, but he stood, motionless, arms crossed. "You know what I want, Leman. I'll only ask once."
"Don't listen to him, Thomas! He's bluffing! Just get up and c'mon! Let's go!" Carolina screamed, her hand still clutching Meredith's arm so tight that she could feel her nails coming through her gloves into her skin.
Meredith was horrified -- but not as horrified of her husband as she was of being taken away by this... This woman. At this point, she didn't care what was going on as long as she got out of it -- soon.
But, Thomas ignored his wife. "Please... My daughter is everything to me. You know, Kane. You know what it's like, your daughter, she--"
"You mean the one that was used, by your daughter, to get information on me? Good thing I know how to plant false evidence, hmm? False trails? You have nothing, Leman."
"Al...Alright, Kane. The shipment... The files... They're all yours," Thomas stuttered, his hands breaking open in pleading gasps to the man standing coldly before him. "This town is yours. I-- I don't care, anymore. I just beg you... Please, let my daughter go."
A smile slowly crept up on Jebidiah's lips as Thomas Leman finally relented -- and as he heard the cops descending on both their wives behind him, he breathed a deep sigh into his lungs. Though it was a rough beginning, he knew won thing for certain: tonight, he had won.
Tonight, Jebidiah Kane ruled the world.
As he pulled Emerald close to her, Bradley couldn't help but notice the texture of her hair; it was like strands of frost... They felt so fragile, but even the warmth of his hand could not melt them. But, even as he held her, he could feel her growing softer and softer...
She was beginning to fade away.
"I don't want to lose you again, Em," Brad said through the painful tightness of his throat. "I wish... I wish so much you could stay."
"No, Brad. You don't." As Brad pulled away, he could hardly stand to look at her face; she was smiling. She was smiling; why?! "There are so, so many things in life waiting for you. You have an amazing life ahead of you. Things that even I couldn't give you, if I were alive."
"But--"
"It's okay, dorkbrain. You need to stop feeling guilty about living your life!" Emerald continued to smile, looking deep within his eyes. "After a while, you won't even miss me anymore. Besides... As you find peace... So will I."
Brad's throat closed against his words as he tried to find something to say -- but everything he thought of, he knew it wasn't true. Emerald was right, as much as he hated to admit it.
Her lips still pulled into a sweet smile, Emerald pulled herself up close to him and reached out her hand to grasp his; she leaned in close, and pressed her frozen cheek against his.
After a moment, she closed her eyes and finally found the courage to say, "Brad... It's time to let go."
The moment their eyes locked lasted a century. Bradley knew, he could have lived a lifetime, happily, in that gaze.
There were no words left to say. It was all silence between them -- in their hearts, both wished to say it, to say the words they'd longed to for years. Just three words. 'I love you'. But it was no longer right. No longer fair.
But that didn't change the fact they each knew it in their hearts.
She didn't -- couldn't -- turn to watch him go. Her eyes closed against tears that weren't there, the tears she couldn't make; but they would not have been tears of sorrow.
Emerald Greenwood was finally free.
It was the hardest steps that Bradley Kane had ever taken in his life, but for once he was not afraid to make them. He knew behind him the girl he had loved still stood, but he would not watch her fade away. It wasn't time to look back, anymore.
It was time to look ahead.
The numbers glowed under his thumb, but he found it hard to press them. 'It's not that hard, Travis. You either do it, or you don't. But you gotta do something.'
He stared at her name on his phone; but, although it drove a sickening pit through his stomach, he had to do it. In a way, Travis felt like he had no choice -- but he did have a choice.
And she was his choice, for better... Or for worse.
"Um... Um hi," he stuttered as he heard her voice on the other end of the line. "So... I think we need to talk."
