Errand Runners

Chapter 9

“Looks like you did well,” Betty deemed as Zane slid the file folder across the kitchen table. Thinking about the danger of the errand, for such little reward, made Nole shake his head. “Any problems?” she asked the group, tucking the folder under her arm.

“None,” Valerie answered almost too quickly. Betty glanced at her curiously, but didn’t question her. Nole’s eyes shifted to Zane, who was giving him a dirty look. Speak now or forever hold your peace. To his surprise, and relief, no one mentioned his and Zane’s minor altercation. I guess he doesn’t want to look bad in front of Betty, Nole surmised.

“Alright then, looks like you guys are done for the day,” Betty announced, her glance falling on Nole. “You’re free to do as you please.” She exited the room, with Olivia following shortly thereafter.

Surprised that she kept her word, he couldn’t shake the feeling that their deal was running too smoothly. He got the sense that Betty knew about his run-in with the boy, and even that he knew that the boy was connected to them. Even if he was being used for information, no one had approached him about it yet. He hadn’t even thought about the boy because of his primary goal of finding Caden.

Making his brother the priority meant he had to use every resource possible, which included Betty’s information on Nova as well as her runners. If the errand had shown him anything, it was that Betty not only had precious knowledge of the city, but also had the resources to use that knowledge to her advantage. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he’d be able to find Caden with her help. But he didn’t want to push his luck. In order to get on Betty’s good side, he had to take his time in earning her trust. That meant doing his part and getting along with the other runners, which included Zane.

He was aware of the difficulty of the task. Betty hadn’t even clued him in on the mission, and the others weren’t very descriptive when outlining his part in it. He didn’t care about the folder they had retrieved, but the fact that he wasn’t briefed of its contents proved he was still on the outs. He needed them to trust him. He needed their help.

“I think Suri’s up,” Valerie mentioned. “You should go see her, Nole.”

“You go ahead. I’ll catch up,” he replied.

“A-alright.” She walked out, hesitant to leave Nole and Zane alone in the room.

Standing against the counter, Zane kept an eye on Nole. His slouched pose was as still as a statue, and his unmoving gray eyes further amplified the comparison. Although Zane had attacked him, Nole wanted to make amends in order to keep the possibility of his helping find Caden open. Knowing he needed Zane made him bitter, but having to fix an issue he hadn’t started made him frustrated.

“Listen, I don’t know what you have against me, but get over it. I know we didn’t exactly start off as friends, but we’re past the cellar.” Zane’s expression didn’t change, so he went on. “I never got the chance to thank you for saving Suri, so thank you.” To his surprise, Zane stood straighter and crossed his arms. A grim smirk spread across his hollowed face before he spoke.

“If you ever try something, I will stop you,” he challenged, the smirk disappearing. “Don’t think that you’ve earned anyone’s trust just because you’re living here.”

Before Nole could try and reason with him, Zane left the room. Shaking his head in frustration, Nole snatched the newspaper off the counter and left the room as well.

Betty had told them they were done for the day, so he would reconvene the search. After the recent developments involving the fountain, not to mention the backlash of their job, Nova was swarming with Enforcers. With that in mind, Nole thought it best to wait an hour or two before going out again.