Before Beasts, There Was Metal--Book 5

War in the Air

"You're right," she said quietly, eyes downcast.

He didn't need to ask why as he took up his clothes and waited.

"If I had known what it would do to you and Max, I would have never sung that song. I was okay being the last. It was a relief."

He sighed. "If I can't get away with a lie, you shouldn't be allowed to either."

Her smooth eyebrows rose. "What?"

"No one wants to be alone. You hear idiots celebrating being unique, but the truth is people would rather be clones; with everyone just like themselves." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Unless you're telling me you're not human enough to be that predictable."

She wavered, her lips twitching and arms crossing. "You have such an interesting way of saying things."

"I wonder from where you are saying that." He shifted his laundry to one hip. "From someone who has lived hidden among people or far away from them, isolated with her family, the last."

The twitching lips gave way to a soft smile that jerked his insides. She did that so easily to him. "You could just ask, you know."

"And put up with Tyson all that time? I don't think so. I'm going home."

She cocked her head, confused. "Don't you love him?"

He literally jumped, and she exploded in that same, trill like laughter he had heard before, somehow different from her usual mirth.

"I meant it as a friend," she added.

"Yeah, well," he shifted his laundry, eager to leave and wanting to stay. "I think your word choice is a bit wanting." Yeah, don't say 'love' so easily.

A bland, default ring from his pocket made her jump. He frowned as he slipped out his phone, a rather recent acquirement after losing his other one who knows where. Not expecting to recognize the number, only knowing a severely select few knew his own number, he flipped it to his ear.

"Hiwatari."

"It's Ivanov. I don't have much time, so don't talk. You need to get out of Japan, now."

"Tala? What the hell, you expect me to listen to you with no explanation?"

"I was getting to that if you'd just give me a second to breathe! Cain wasn't the idiot we thought him to be, and Russia and America's about to pull out some real shit, and before that happens you need to get out of Japan. The details aren't exactly clear, but I know there's a hidden arms factory there. Japan's breaking the treaty and Russia knows it—Cain made sure of it."

Ayah had gone deathly still. "Arms?"

"I highly doubt that Japans the only one," said Kai. "You're not doing a good job at convincing me to book it."

"Then how about this: Russia knows who killed the American president, and they've traced it back to Cain's godforsaken Japanese island. They've got plans to fire, and since America is Japan's ally, we're looking at nuclear war. But if that's not enough to scare you into shitting yourself out of there, they know about us. Japan does."

That gave Kai pause. Something suffocating and cold clawed its way up to his throat.

"How?" he heard his mouth say.

"Who do you think? The only thing Cain didn't do is put a strong enough firewall on his secrets. I've never met a more twisted mix of wit and stupidity in my life. Look, I know a ship that's leaving dock in three hours time, if you can slip on—"

"Hold that thought, where are you?"

"Like I'd tell you that over an unsecured line. Look, don't worry your head about me, princess—"

"Just shut up and answer the damn question, be clever if you must, I can handle it."

"...just get out of there. I don't know when they're going to fire. But you need to get out before Japan pieces together that they're harboring several members of an illegal assassins ring—which is hilarious."

Kai closed his eyes, a wry un-smile tightening his lips. He understood. It was one thing about their teachings in the abbey he did understand.

"I can't tell you where I am, but I'll meet you...I'll meet you on Igarov's lakeside."

There was a click and the line went dead.

Kai gave his smart phone one last look before slipping it back into his pocket and stepping past the weak-kneed Ayah.

"Kai, what does—what's nuclear? What's—"

"You better come too," he said quietly. He felt more than heard her bare feet padding behind him along the dojo floors as he re-entered the main practice room, where Tyson looked to be about to wrap things up on Skype.

"Hold it, Max."