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Seth checked his watch. “Funny, Solomon should have been done by now.”
Hyienna turned to Seth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize there was an average time for carrying out a murder” he said sardonically. “So, what happens to me? How do I factor into your plans?”
Seth’s face twitched in disgust. “You make this sound like we’re moustache-twirling villains looking to hold the world to ransom. This is nature taking its course. Your petty issues with the Moirae are no different than if you were holding a grudge with a storm. And returning to your earlier question, you will be free to go. We have no use for you.”
“Um, thanks, I guess” said Hyienna. “And what will you do?”
“Me? I shall go back to what I have always done. Life is one big wheel. You’re either being crushed underneath, or you’re the one turning it. I know which one I’d rather be-”
Seth stopped, for the first time in his life at a loss for words.
Solomon was walking back to the car, but he wasn’t alone. Nathaniel was walking alongside him.
“Please tell me I’m hallucinating,” said Seth. “You were supposed to kill him!”
“It’s nice to see you too, Seth” remarked Nathaniel.
“Why is he still alive?”
“We need him,” said Solomon. “And he’s no good to us dead.”
But Seth was starting to panic. “Do you realize what you’ve done? You were supposed to settle a debt! They will come for all of us, and-”
“I know,” said Nathaniel. “And unless you want to stick around to see what we can do, I suggest you find a way to help us through this mess and get our lives back.”
“Your lives were never your own to begin with!” shouted Seth. “You cannot outsmart the Moirae. Doesn’t matter how many years they wait; they ALWAYS settle all debts-”
He was silenced by Hyienna elbowing him in the face, knocking him out. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that.”
As Seth slumped down in the car seat, Solomon and Hyienna climbed into the car and drove off.
***
YASMINA TOOK A LONG drag on the spliff, letting its spacey air fill her lungs and easing the mental burden she was experiencing.
Everything she thought she knew had been called into question.
“How you doing, Yaz?” asked Ermina, who had come round to see Yasmina in her hour of need.
“I’ve been better” admitted Yasmina, taking a long drag.
“I don’t know why you’re bothering with that piss-poor shit. I can get you in touch with the holy trinity.”
“Ermina, I’m not turning to bloody religion. If God exists, he’s probably laughing at me.”
Ermina looked quizzical. “No, I was thinking pills, powder and grass. The perfect push to send you flying out of reality.”
“I’ve been thinking about Solomon.”
Ermina raised an eyebrow. “OK, I think you’ve been smoking too much of that shit if you’re still holding a candle for him.”
“I’m not” protested Yasmina, knowing that she would be earning Ermina’s eternal disproval. “But he seems different. Ever since I got that blanket, he seems remorseful. Like he wants to be better.”
Ermina interrupted, having been brought up to speed on the blanket. “So, let me get this straight; you’re saying Solomon’s out-of-control libido was cured by a bone-lined blanket.”
Yasmina shrugged, too zoned out to grasp the ludicrousness of the statement. “You could say that.”
Ermina shook her head. “Actually, no. I never want to have to use that sentence ever again.” Turning serious, she said, “Look, Yaz. You’ve given him chance after chance after chance. And he’ll make all these fancy promises, he’ll say that you’re the girl of his dreams. But how long will that last? How much time do you think you two will have until he starts wondering that there’s always someone better on the island? How long until that little voice in his dick starts reminding him of all the bimbos he could be fucking?”
Yasmina couldn’t bring herself to disagree with Ermina. She knew Solomon well enough to know his patterns.
But this time was different. He hadn’t known about the possibility that he might be a father, that he had been shown the life he could have led. It was easy for her to say that she didn’t have feelings for Solomon anymore. But she still held a candle for him. The intimacy that they had shared, and the life that they could have led with their child... one didn’t experience that level of intimacy and not come away with lingering feelings.
Before she could protest even further, the door opened and in walked Solomon, Hyienna and Nathaniel. “Yaz, you all, right?” greeted Nathaniel.
Taking in Nathaniel’s swollen lip and mildly torn clothes, Ermina commented, “You look like someone’s knocked ten types of shit out of you.” She turned to look at Solomon, her distaste palpable. “So, you were trying to kill him and chickened out?”
Solomon and Nathaniel shared a look as Ermina had no idea how accurate her statement was.
“Yaz, we’ve got something we need to discuss,” said Nathaniel. “I think it would be better if Ermina left the room. The less people know, the better.”
“Oh, no, I’m not going anywhere” said Ermina. “The second I’m out of sight...” She pointed to Solomon. “...he’ll be forcing that silver tongue of his down your throat.”
Ignoring the comment, Solomon said, “This is for your own protection.”
Ermina scoffed. “You’re joking, right? You’re the one who needs protecting. From me!”
“I’m not here to cause any trouble,” said Solomon.
“Bullshit. You’ve never laid eyes on a woman you didn’t want to fuck!”
“Things are different now” insisted Solomon.
“How? You padlocked your crotch?”
Nathaniel did his best to stifle a laugh, at which point Solomon looked in his direction. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”
Seeing the desperation in Solomon’s face, Yasmina turned to Ermina and said, “Look, I can handle this. I promise.”
Seeing her sister’s pleading expression, Ermina relented. “Very well” she sighed. “But I’ll keep in hollering range if he tries playing hide the sausage.” And with that, she left out the back.
“Yaz, do you know anything about where Sarah has gone?” asked Hyienna.
“Should I?” she asked. “I thought you never let her out of your sight” she said to Solomon.
“She went off with Kate” Solomon replied.
“We need to find her” said Hyienna, quickly making for the door, leaving Yasmina alone with Solomon and Nathaniel.
“How come you two are so chummy all of a sudden?” she asked.
“We’re not” insisted Nathaniel. “But I think all of us might be in danger. Including Sarah.”
“I knew it” said Yasmina. “This is all about protecting her. You just want me as your bit on the side before you go back to her!”
“It isn’t!” protested Solomon. “Sarah is carrying my baby! I’ve already lost one child to those Moirae bitches! I don’t want to lose another!”
Nathaniel bit his lip. He knew that there was a 50/50 chance that Sarah was carrying his child, and indeed, had this conversation taken place hours ago, he would have gleefully rubbed it in Solomon’s face.
Instead, he said earnestly, “I’m so sorry, Solomon. I know how it feels.”
“Do you?” said Solomon, turning on Nathaniel. “Do you know what it’s like to lose your child?”
“Thankfully, no,” said Nathaniel. “But... I do know what it’s like to have your childhood taken from you. And... I know what it’s like to lose someone you love to the Moirae. I lost my brother Ben because of them. There were so many things I wanted to do, so many things I wanted to be. But my fate was decided for me. And I thought that if I came here, I could reinvent myself, maybe start afresh. But I see now I was just kidding myself. They will always be coming after me.”
“Why?” asked Solomon. “No offence, but what makes you so special? What is it that you’ve got that makes them want to chase you down?”
“I’m like human jewellery to them” said Nathaniel, shrugging. “So was my brother Ben. Only they didn’t get him in the end. You know, the night we ran away, I often asked Ben what would happen if we got caught. But he refused to even consider that option. He said he’d rather die than go back to the traders.”
“I’m sorry, mate” said Solomon heavily, feeling a kinship with the man he had once loathed. “Is there any way we can move forward through all of this?”
“Honestly, I don’t know,” said Nathaniel. “Our best option is Seth. He’s the most visible player in this sorry game.”
“Seth?” asked Solomon, then shook his head. “No, no, no. Me and Seth are like brothers. He’d never go against me.”
“You really sure about that?” asked Nathaniel. But Solomon couldn’t bring himself to answer, so Nathaniel continued. “His loyalty is to the Moirae only.”
Hyienna came into the bar, dragging Seth’s prone body. “Speak of the literal devil” remarked Nathaniel as Hyienna slumped his body on the floor.
“We’re going to need to restrain him” said Hyienna.
Before anybody could answer Yasmina said, “Ermina has some handcuffs from when she had a guy round last week.”
“Please, don’t add anything else to that sentence” pleaded Nathaniel.
Within a short space of time, Yasmina had retrieved the handcuffs from Ermina, handcuffed Seth to one of the poles in the lobby of the inn. Nathaniel kicked at the body with his foot. “Get up, you bastard.”
Seth stirred as he came to. His eyes opened, settling on the four faces looking down on him. “So” he said confidently. “It seems we’re all about reopening old wounds.”
“What do you know about the Moirae?” asked Nathaniel.
Seth scoffed. “Have you not been paying attention? You really need me to spell it out for you?”
“We’re know you’re connected to them. We know that you’ve been helping them” said Hyienna.
Seth did a mocking clap. “Bravo, Hyienna. For an interloper, you’re surprisingly astute. The Moirae may see value in you yet.”
“You son of a bitch” said Solomon, kneeling down in front of Seth. “Did you know that you were helping the bastards who took my child? All the times you were in my home, drinking my wine, you knew that you were making it possible for them to get away with this? DID YOU!?” he demanded, gripping Seth by the shirt.
But Seth’s demeanour did not change. “For what it’s worth, Solomon, I’m sorry you had to go through all that pain. I’ve always liked you. In another life, we might have been friends. But when the Moirae set their sights on what they want, it’s not a question of if they’ll get it, but how many bodies they’ll leave in their wake to get it. Your son had more value among the traders than the life he would have led beforehand.”
“How many children?” The question came so quietly, delivered in the form of a whisper, that it took everyone a few seconds before they realized Yasmina had spoken. “My baby was obviously not the first to be taken. And neither was Nathaniel. So, how many families have you demolished for the sake of the Moirae.”
Seth shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you. I don’t keep a tally.”
“You know,” said Nathaniel. “For a guy that is being threatened, you seem alarmingly calm.”
“Because I know that whatever you plan to do to me is incomparable to what the Moirae will do to me,” said Seth.
“I think you’re overstating yourself,” said Solomon. “They can’t be that powerful.”
Now Seth roared with laughter. “You want to tell us what’s so funny?”
“You really don’t know anything about them!” said Seth between laughs. “You know, they’re on the other side thinking that they need to be looking over their shoulders, taking extra measures, when the truth is, you really don’t know anything about them!” He burst out laughing again.
“Well, we’re quick learners,” said Solomon.
“Oh, sure, sure, if you say so,” said Seth. “Well, the first thing you should know about them is that they settle any and all debts. You can’t cheat the Moirae.”
“So, why are they after me?” asked Nathaniel. “Last time I checked, their business was kids, and I don’t exactly fit that mould anymore.”
“Yes” said Seth slowly, taking Nathaniel in as though really seeing him for the first time. “I had heard so much about you from the Moirae. You know, your little great escape had dire consequences for the Moirae.”
“Oh, my heart bleeds” said Nathaniel dryly.
“It should” assured Seth. “One of the sisters was killed because of your folly.”
“So why has it taken this long for the Moirae to kill me?” asked Nathaniel. “After they lost me all those years ago?”
“’Lost you?’” repeated Seth. “They never lost you, Nathaniel. What they did was tantamount to giving you the afternoon off. They always knew where you were. They just wanted to make sure all their targets were in the same area.”
“Who else, then?” asked Hyienna.
“The collector Kal. He purchased Nathaniel and his brother when they were boys. And then the two ran away, Kal managed to kill the younger brother. But disobedience should not be possible for these children, so Kal assumed that there was some foul play on the part of the Moirae. He tracked them down and was able to kill one of them. He marked himself for death that day.”
“So, how do we kill them?” asked Solomon.
“You can’t” said Seth simply.
“Kal managed it” said Hyienna.
“The Moirae have taken precautions ever since Kal’s run-in. You underestimate the power that these people possess. You act like they operate in the shadows, but in fact, quite the opposite is true. We live in their shadows. We live and die by their beck and call.”
“And who are you, in the grand scheme of things?” asked Hyienna.
“I’m a Hammer of God,” said Seth. “Guided by the Moirae’s hand.”
“Oh, I get it,” said Nathaniel. “You’re the Moirae’s pet.”
Rather than blow up at Nathaniel, as everyone present had expected, Seth studied Nathaniel. “It’s actually a miracle you’re still alive, Nathaniel.”
“What do you mean?”
“You defied the Moirae. And yet they still saw fit to let you live on borrowed time. You know, I never met your brother, but I know that he was braver than you. Ben was willing to face down Kal, own his defiance and die for it. You, you were just content to skulk around Barcelona like rats through a sewer, squandering the borrowed time you’ve been living on, living a life that was never your own. Even willing to abandon your own brother to his fate so you could-”
That was enough. Nathaniel screamed primally and started pummelling Seth over and over. But Solomon grabbed Nathaniel and pulled him back. “STOP!” he commanded. “I feel you, Nathaniel, I really do, but this man has information we need and we’re not going to get it from him if he’s fucking dead.”
In between deep exhales, Nathaniel said, “Sure. Sorry.”
Seth added spitefully. “Of course, if you had stayed with Kal, you would have learned about self-discipline.”
“So, how do we kill the Moirae?” asked Nathaniel, trying to keep calm.
“You can’t” repeated Seth.
“Kal managed it,” said Solomon.
“Kal got lucky. He didn’t overcome them by skill or intelligence. I can assure you; the man falls considerably short regarding both those faculties. He won by the same luck as a child handling his father’s gun.”
“Well, we’ll just leave,” said Solomon. “Pack up, take Sarah and go somewhere where they can’t reach us.”
“For God’s sake, Solomon” said Seth, exasperated. “You’re not trying to outrun a Starbucks. They have links wherever you go. The only option you have left is to go to them to fulfil your debt. You’ll only make it harder for yourself, if you resist.” He paused, before deciding on his next few words. “You know, Nathaniel, you are a lot like Kal.”
“No, we are nothing alike” insisted Nathaniel.
“You both thought you could fight fate. Kal is determined to outrun his fate, doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the Moirae... even if it means going after Sarah.”
“What?” said Hyienna, Nathaniel and Solomon simultaneously.
“You heard me. He took her, thought he could use her to settle his debt.”
“You’re lying” said Hyienna. “Sarah is with Kate. She’s on another part of the island.”
“One thing I’ve learned about Kal is when he sets his mind on getting something, he normally gets it.”
“We’ve got to stop him,” said Solomon. “We’ve got to get Sarah back.” And immediately started for the door.
“Hang on” said Nathaniel, holding up a hand. “Somebody needs to stay here and keep an eye on him.” He gestured to Seth.
“Well, I’m not leaving Yasmina alone with that animal” said Solomon, and Yasmina found herself touched by Solomon’s concern.
“I’ll stay” volunteered Hyienna. “You both need to try and get Sarah back. I’ll stay here and make sure Seth doesn’t go anywhere.”
“Good man” said Solomon, grateful.
“Just one thing” asked Hyienna. “Can you guys get to Kal without tearing each other’s heads off?”
Solomon and Nathaniel looked at each other before Solomon said, “We’re good. We’ve both got a mutual fucker to take out.”
Hyienna looked down at Seth. “Where can we find Kal?”
“As far as I’m aware, he should be hanging around La iglesia de San Miguel. It’s funny, him spending a fair bit of time around dead people, while working so hard to avoid joining them.”
“That’s all we need to know,” said Nathaniel.
“You can’t keep me here” said Seth.
“Watch us” said Hyienna as Solomon and Nathaniel set off with Yasmina.
In the car, Yasmina once again handled the rucksack containing the blanket, tears dropping onto the garment. “My baby...” she whispered, reliving that same heartbreak.
Solomon turned round in the passenger seat and said, “I promise you, Yaz, we’re going to get justice.”
“Yeah” said Yaz, nodding her head. She felt a sudden urge to numb the pain she was feeling and downed some of the pills Ermina had given her. Within minutes, she was experiencing a mild high. She leaned over to Solomon and whispered in his ear, the winds have changed, the sky, the sea, all are the same once you are under it and your tide has come in, swim to shore, swim to me."
Solomon did not think he had ever heard a statement that had simultaneously reassured and terrified him.