TEN SECONDS , The Kenny Ackerman Story BOOK ONE~ ORIGINS ,by Melly O'Hara

HOPE

CHAPTER 14 HOPE

It had been a long time since I'd been back, near two an' a half years, workin' for Uri o' course an' makin' life betta for the Ackermans, but it were mainly 'cause I wanted ta be near Uri. I wanted that understandin' that were always jus' outta reach, that I were so sure he could give me; if only I were in his presence long enough. My reputation that had once inspired fear, now inspired respect, 'cause it were for the good o' the King, 'cause I served on the King's Council."

" People are such fuckin' sheep, Jas", I exclaimed. "No shit, they really are! Like I said, I were doin' the same shit, different name! Once I were an outlaw, hated an' despised, now I'm a hero! An' all 'cause my boss has changed! That's it, that's all! God knows, I'm still the same shit-bag, garbage disposal I always were! It's jus' that their perception o' me has changed!"

Jas opened her mouth ta contradict me, but once again I silenced her with my finger on her soft lips, an' a shake o' my head, smilin' at her trustin' face. She hugged me tight an' I continued.

"It may not have looked like it, but that day - the day I went back ta get Kuchel an' Levi from the Underground, I were so happy. It had been over thirteen years since my dream o' getting' us ta the suface had firs' began an' it were finally happenin'. I had made it happen. An' taday were the day, when I would go ta her an' there were no more dreams an' plans, no more blood- money from the rackets. It were all jus' as I promised her all them years ago. Her words floated inta my mind, "...and on that day you'll be able ta come ta us, without any dreams that don't come true, without blood- money". An' today, were it!

Sure I were essentially in the same business, even if it were a differen' name, but it were for the King...for the Ackermans. For Kuchel. I'd made it safe for her, for them. An' today they was comin' up inta Mitras, with their heads held high, with me.

I remembered how Kuchel had loved hearin' the stories o' Mitras; the ladies with their finery,their manners, their customs, the clean, wide streets, filled with little shops an' neat rows o' Tudor style homes, the manicured gardens, the green o' the trees an' the blue o' the sky. An' taday, it'd all be hers, theirs.

Goin' inta the Underground, I even sorta smiled, as I looked 'round, knowin' that this would be the las' time I would be back here, an' made my way quick as I could ta Kuchel's. Walkin' past ' Honest Jo, Johnas' an' up the stairs, he made some comment 'bout Levi bein' one o' her customer's kids, an acciden' that she prob'ly didn' even know who the father were, an' said that she hadn' worked in a couple o' months.

But I were in such a good mood, I didn' even hit him!

Her room were dark an' bare an' Kuchel lay asleep in bed. The healthy glow, the shinin' hair were gone an' she looked so thin I joked, "Geez, you lost weight!" an' smiled, waitin' for her ta wake.

A small voice behind me said," She's dead".

I turned ta see Levi, ragged, skin an' bones, his eyes as big as saucers; sad, pleadin' an' scared, huddled in a corner.

My legs gave out an' I slumped ta the floor.

"My name's Levi", he said softly.

"Yeah. I know", I answered flatly.