ready to cry. She found it difficult to contain jealousy as he stroked a vaporous hand through Nila’s thick black hair.
“Tell her she is beautiful, and if she does decide to go back to active duty, not to perform summaries.”
Kirsten relayed the message.
Nila wiped her nose. “He only killed three. They all deserved it, what they did to innocent people.”
Dorian found the floor intriguing.
“It’s not that,” said Kirsten.
“It’s not what?” Nila looked up. “Div 1 officers perform summaries on Lace dealers, cop killers, some of them even on anyone that hurts a kid.”
Pale thumb rubbed a caramel-colored hand. “Nila, it’s not about the law. I mean, yeah, we can
legally
kill people in most circumstances, but it’s just
wrong
to do that.”
“You’re telling me you’ve never killed anyone?”
“I have.” Kirsten gazed down, her voice almost a whisper. “Only when I had to, when they were trying to kill me. Heat of the moment, immediate danger. Never premeditated, never with malice or vengeance.”
“Is that why Dorian’s still here?” Tears slipped down Nila’s cheeks.
Dorian tensed.
“He’s got unfinished business. Besides, he wasn’t ready to retire.” Kirsten tried to smile.
Nila nodded.
Dorian relaxed.
A child’s whispering echoed in the hallway. Kirsten looked over, then back to Nila. “I’m afraid it could still be a mark on your soul to kill a defenseless person, no matter how evil they are.”
“Some religious people insist on eye-for-an-eye,” said Dorian.
“While some say ‘turn the other cheek.’ It’s all guesswork, Dorian. None of us
know
. I don’t wanna risk it.” She faced Nila. “He wants to get Rene for what he did to you.”
“Is that why he’s haunting? Guilt?”
“Yeah, but not about what he did. He is worried about your recovery.”
“Kirsten…” Dorian held up a hand.
Nila squeezed her arm again. “It’s fine, the lasers just made tiny holes. Bullets would have blown my whole arm off and I’d have a metal one now.”
Kirsten shuddered.
“Bullets wouldn’t have gone through the damn armor plated car.” Dorian scowled. “It’s bad enough they let everyone and their mother have ballistic weapons. How the hell did he get laser rifles?”
“He was holed up in a grey zone; there’s about two hundred people in this city to every cop, and politicians are what they always have been―for sale.”
Dorian and Nila nodded in agreement. After a moment, he found the strength to whisper loud enough for Nila to hear him. Kirsten left them some privacy, heading down the hall to the daughter’s room. She nudged the door open, finding the girl flopped on the bed on her stomach, propped up on her elbows as if reading a datapad.
At the sound of Kirsten’s approach, the girl flipped over, clutching a stuffed white unicorn. She wore a guilty expression, and tried to block a small mound of stuffed animals with her body.
“What’s wrong?”
She pouted. “I’m too old to play with dolls and make them talk.”
Kirsten leaned on the wall.
Aww.
“It’s okay, Shani. You’re still little enough to have an imagination. I’m sorry you got scared; my friend was angry someone hurt your mommy.”
“You have an invisible friend?” The girl blinked, as if calling Kirsten nuts.
“Yeah, something like that. Were you talking to your invisible friend?”
The girl looked at the unicorn. “No. I was being stupid, talking to a piece of cloth.”
Kirsten edged through the door, taking a seat on the end of the comforgel pad. “Your mom is feeling better now. Someone did something bad to her, but it’s gone now.”
“Can we still go to the pool?”
“That’s up to her, but I think so.”
Shani smiled. “Watch this.”
She set the unicorn down on its legs and stared at it. A ripple spread through the plush white fabric an instant before the stuffed creature pranced around, apparently on its own. The telekinetic animation was precise
“Tell her she is beautiful, and if she does decide to go back to active duty, not to perform summaries.”
Kirsten relayed the message.
Nila wiped her nose. “He only killed three. They all deserved it, what they did to innocent people.”
Dorian found the floor intriguing.
“It’s not that,” said Kirsten.
“It’s not what?” Nila looked up. “Div 1 officers perform summaries on Lace dealers, cop killers, some of them even on anyone that hurts a kid.”
Pale thumb rubbed a caramel-colored hand. “Nila, it’s not about the law. I mean, yeah, we can
legally
kill people in most circumstances, but it’s just
wrong
to do that.”
“You’re telling me you’ve never killed anyone?”
“I have.” Kirsten gazed down, her voice almost a whisper. “Only when I had to, when they were trying to kill me. Heat of the moment, immediate danger. Never premeditated, never with malice or vengeance.”
“Is that why Dorian’s still here?” Tears slipped down Nila’s cheeks.
Dorian tensed.
“He’s got unfinished business. Besides, he wasn’t ready to retire.” Kirsten tried to smile.
Nila nodded.
Dorian relaxed.
A child’s whispering echoed in the hallway. Kirsten looked over, then back to Nila. “I’m afraid it could still be a mark on your soul to kill a defenseless person, no matter how evil they are.”
“Some religious people insist on eye-for-an-eye,” said Dorian.
“While some say ‘turn the other cheek.’ It’s all guesswork, Dorian. None of us
know
. I don’t wanna risk it.” She faced Nila. “He wants to get Rene for what he did to you.”
“Is that why he’s haunting? Guilt?”
“Yeah, but not about what he did. He is worried about your recovery.”
“Kirsten…” Dorian held up a hand.
Nila squeezed her arm again. “It’s fine, the lasers just made tiny holes. Bullets would have blown my whole arm off and I’d have a metal one now.”
Kirsten shuddered.
“Bullets wouldn’t have gone through the damn armor plated car.” Dorian scowled. “It’s bad enough they let everyone and their mother have ballistic weapons. How the hell did he get laser rifles?”
“He was holed up in a grey zone; there’s about two hundred people in this city to every cop, and politicians are what they always have been―for sale.”
Dorian and Nila nodded in agreement. After a moment, he found the strength to whisper loud enough for Nila to hear him. Kirsten left them some privacy, heading down the hall to the daughter’s room. She nudged the door open, finding the girl flopped on the bed on her stomach, propped up on her elbows as if reading a datapad.
At the sound of Kirsten’s approach, the girl flipped over, clutching a stuffed white unicorn. She wore a guilty expression, and tried to block a small mound of stuffed animals with her body.
“What’s wrong?”
She pouted. “I’m too old to play with dolls and make them talk.”
Kirsten leaned on the wall.
Aww.
“It’s okay, Shani. You’re still little enough to have an imagination. I’m sorry you got scared; my friend was angry someone hurt your mommy.”
“You have an invisible friend?” The girl blinked, as if calling Kirsten nuts.
“Yeah, something like that. Were you talking to your invisible friend?”
The girl looked at the unicorn. “No. I was being stupid, talking to a piece of cloth.”
Kirsten edged through the door, taking a seat on the end of the comforgel pad. “Your mom is feeling better now. Someone did something bad to her, but it’s gone now.”
“Can we still go to the pool?”
“That’s up to her, but I think so.”
Shani smiled. “Watch this.”
She set the unicorn down on its legs and stared at it. A ripple spread through the plush white fabric an instant before the stuffed creature pranced around, apparently on its own. The telekinetic animation was precise
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