Heartbeats In Shadow - Kaz Brekker

an interrogation

The four of us began our walk to Dreesen's home slightly before midnight. I made sure to grab my gun and holster, you can never be too careful in the Barell. Kaz and I walk side by side, with Jesper and Inej following slightly behind, as always. We walk up to a huge gate in front of an even larger house.

"Who are you lot?" A man shouts at us from inside the gate. Kaz responds promptly.

"We're here to see Dreesen."

The man looks us up and down before saying, "You're not with Pekka's Crew." Luckily, Kaz came prepared.

"And you're not in Pekka's pocket anymore if you don't owe him." He throws a small bag of coins at the man, and Jesper and I look at each other chuckling in disbelief. The man opens the gate for us, and we walk towards the door.

Jesper catches up to Kaz and me, and quickly asks, "Hey, where did you get that coin?"

Not even a second after Jesper asks the question, the man shouts, "Hey! One of these has a hole in it!" I burst out laughing, with the boys chuckling behind me.

Kaz quickly says, "Inside, Inside," Trying to get us away from the idiotic threat.

I walk in first, following the maid to the room with Dreesen. I hang by the doorway and let Kaz enter first. I walk in second, with Inej next, and Jesper in the rear. We haven't even been in the room for more than a minute, and Dreesen is already making assumptions about us.

"One look and I can tell. Criminals." He pauses for a moment. "I'm not meeting anyone until midnight." Before he can be completely firm with his decision, Kaz interjects.

"We heard you needed a heartrender." I wave my fingertips from my spot between Jesper and Kaz, making sure to stand behind both of them for protection. Dreesen quickly stands up and places his fists down on his desk.

"Hmm. All right, she stays, the rest of you, out." I can hear my friend's heartbeats quicken at the thought of leaving me alone with this brutal man. I won't lie and say I don't think Kaz wouldn't do it for a job. Jesper would argue with him, but Kaz would win in the end.

Kaz puts his cane lightly in front of me in a protective manner that warms my heart.

"She stays, and we have an exclusive on this job."

"Mr. Brekker, no businessman worth his salt hires his first applicant."

"No, No I understand. Of course, I will have to report you to the guild for kidnapping and harboring a prisoner without chain of title." I lightly chuckled. Of course, Kaz would have some sort of way to stab our client in the back. There was a tense moment after Kaz said this, Jesper and Dreesen's sharpshooter reached for their guns in sync. I moved my hands together, ready to take action if needed.

"You wouldn't," Dreesen muttered in disbelief.

"No businessman worth his salt bargains for what he can take." Dreesen walked up to Kaz in a small act of defiance, although he had already made up his mind. His heartbeat was steady, unlike everyone else's in the room.

"All right, come on."

He leads us down to his basement, where I see a single man sitting in a chair with a bag over his head.

"Who's this?" Kaz asks the question that was on all of our minds. I can hear his heartbeat, but it is weak and very slow. Which meant Dreesen was taking horrible care of his prisoner.

"So you don't know everything after all," Dreesen says in a mocking manner. "This is Alexi Stepanov." Dreesen removed the bag, and Inej and I audibly gasped at the sight of his face, which was bruised and cut on every inch of skin visible. How much torture had this poor man been through?

"Two weeks ago, young Alexi here crossed through the fold on foot. Alone." I furrowed my eyebrows and my eyes widened in surprise. That shouldn't be possible. The Volcra are deadly creatures that hunt by sound, he should have been heard long before he reached the end.

Inej quickly asks, "How?"

"Well, they're keeping it quiet, but allegedly, he was one of a few witnesses to.... An event."

Alexi hoarsely whispers, "Water," and Inej immediately rushes to his aide.

"What kind of event?" I ask quietly. I'm supposed to let Kaz do all of the speaking while we are on a job, but this was close to my heart. Kaz harshly looks at me, and Dreesen answers.

"I know an expedition was swarmed by volcra. Should've been a total loss, but something happened." He took a sip of the wine in his hand. "Some device detonated. Obliterated the volcra, lit up the dark like a forest fire. I know it wasn't a fire, or else, no one would have survived. This was some invention no one had seen before." He gestured toward Alexi, saying, "He knows. But he doesn't seem to be able to articulate his account of events. Some form of traumatic lapse." He walked in front of Kaz and stood on the other side of me. He nudged me forward, saying "So..."

I looked to Kaz for confirmation, and he nodded his head in the direction of Alexi. I was terrified of what Alexi would say happened in the fold, obviously, there was no 'device'. Some Kerch are idiots. I walked over to Alexi, and Inej went back to Kaz and Jesper. I knelt down and looked into the scared eyes of Alexi. I moved my hand to over his pulse point on his wrist.

"It's alright Alexi, I need you to relax," I said in the kindest voice I could muster despite the circumstances.

"You're safe now." I focused on calming him and made sure he was comfortable enough, to tell the truth.

"Now you can just speak, and I will listen." His heartbeat slowed at my words.

"Okay," he replied.

"Tell me what happened in the fold. What saved you?" I asked of him. I had several strong emotions inside me at the moment, excitement for the possibility of taking down the fold, worry for the possibility of my father using whatever it is as a weapon, and contentedness coming from knowing I was protected by my boys.

"You won't believe me, but..."

"Go on," I urged

"It was a sun summoner." I could hear Inej gasp from behind me, and I glanced back at her and Kaz. Kaz had a look of disbelief, but Inej was in awe with the possibility of a living saint. Dreesen came down next to me and kneeled.

"Who was it?" He asked.

"If I tell you, you'll set me free?" My heart panged with sympathy for the poor boy. I knew Dreesen would never let more than the five of us out of the room alive.

"You have my word. I'll set you free. You're in Ketterdam now Alexi. You can go anywhere in the world from here" I knew it was a lie, but it calmed Alexi so I was grateful.

"Her name is..." I could tell he was trying to resist, so I pushed with my powers slightly more.

"Alina Starkov."

"Alina Starkov?" Dreesen asked. Alexi nodded as a response.

"Good boy."

"You'll set me free now?" Alexi asked in a very small voice.

"Thank you. Of course." Dreesen then turned very quickly and shot Alexi in the head. I wasn't expecting him to be killed that way, and I let out a minuscule scream. I quickly made my way back to Jesper, who pushed me behind him.

"Hmm..." Dreesen said. "We are now the only people west of the fold with this information. My ship sails for West Ravka at dawn. If you can prove that you have a way through the fold and back, I'll put you on that ship with an advance." Kaz glanced at us briefly. "If you don't, I'm giving this job to Pekka Rollins." I could hear all three of my friends heartbeats jump at Dreesen's last comment. We came to a silent agreement that we couldn't let Pekka Rollins get this job.

"Give me a day. I'll have a plan." Kaz said urgently.

"You have until sunrise, then your ship will have sailed Mr. Brekker." We were all extremely nervous as there was no feasible way to find safe passage through the fold in less than six hours.

"The prize is one million Kruge. Now bring me Alina Starkov."

We glanced back at the dead body of Alexi, wondering what we just got ourselves into.