corvus//kaz brekker

eleven

In the morning Kaz tells us to meet him at a pub. Nothing more than that. I sit in a booth with Jesper. It's only a few minutes before Inej slips into the booth beside me.

"Mm. Started to wonder if I had the wrong time or place," Jesper remarks.

"This is where Kaz left word to meet," Inej states. "So you know. It's worse today."

"Worse how?" Jesper remarks. "We had to sleep on that novice's floor. This body deserves a proper bed."

"Word is we also killed a constable," I inform him.

"What?" Jesper asks. "I have so many questions. How? Why? Who? Where? When? I guess... Yeah, I guess that's all of them."

"Last night, after you escaped from the wagon. Constable Sem was his name," Inej tells him. "Shot with his own weapon."

"Stadwatch are shaking down every informant they know," I add.

"I would never shoot someone with their own gun," Jesper insists. "Besides, it's not even a good frame-up." He pauses for a moment. "Have you seen him today?"

"Avoiding questions, I suspect," I tell him.

"Yeah, from all three of us," Jesper says. "Blowing up the Crow Club..."

"Makes you wonder what else he's willing to destroy," Inej states.

Kaz finally shows up followed by Nina and Wylan.

"Made sure none of you were followed?" Kaz asks.

"Always," Inej tells him.

"Please," Jesper remarks.

"Ooh. Is this place still serving breakfast?" Nina asks.

"Jes has a question to ask you," I tell Kaz.

"Look, a lot has happened since last night," Jesper says. "We found out we lost our home, and then you blew it up just to piss off Pekka Rollins."

"And?" Kaz questions.

"Have you heard we also shot a Stadwatch with his own gun?" Jesper asks.

"All Stadwatch carry the same gun and it's standard issue," Kaz states. "This is Pekka Rollins firing back at us."

"Who is this Pekka Rollins?" Nina asks. "Every time you say his name your blood pressure skyrockets."

"That's not part of your purview, Heartrender," Kaz tells her.

"You're right. But I tend to have opinions and... here's one, anger clouds judgment," Nina tells him.

"Pekka Rollins runs the Barrel," I inform Nina.

"He cheated his way into an empire by running cheap cons. He isn't a boss, he's a scourge," Kaz insists.

"If you hate him so much, why not just hire me to kill him?" Nina questions. "Or why hire me at all? Your sharpshooter or your Wraith or your Shadow could take him out, easy."

"It's not enough to kill him," Kaz states.

I look at Inej worried. I don't know how but this is personal for Kaz.

"Killing him doesn't help us clear our names," Kaz reasons. "That's why I need all of you, so I can hang everything back on him."

"And we are the pawns who enact your personal vendetta?" I question.

"The four of us are under equal jeopardy," Kaz tells me. He looks at Wylan. "And if they catch us, we can't protect you." He turns to Nina next. "And you'll have to turn to Pekka to see your man. No doubt with some very unappealing conditions attached."