The gang - Chapter 10- Cousins, Family and Probing

Singh looked at him for a moment. Geirmund blinked once then looked towards the door feeling slightly stupid. It was a few moments till Singh actually did anything. He leant forward on his desk, hands clasped in front of him.
“Define the word attack,” he said at last.
“Huh? Wha-” Geirmund said taken aback. “How can I define that? I’ve attacked some people.”
“I meant define as in, if you have killed them or just wounded-”
“Well just wounded a suppose-” Geirmund said scratching his neck.
“Who did you hurt?” Singh said looking distracted and rummaging in his draws.
“Um…how would you know them anyway?” Geirmund said.
“If your not going to tell me who you attacked then why did you bother coming down here?” Singh said.
“To get myself locked up,” Geirmund said simply. “So I hurt no one else-”
“The noble act ay?” a voice sneered.
They both jumped and a Keelo stood yawning like a cat. He scratched his yellow head and sat in the chair next to Geirmund’s one.
“Do you know where my special cousin Kraton is?” Keelo said leaning back and arms behind his head looking extremely cocky.
“No, I lost him in the Black market,” Geirmund said staring at his knees. “I was actually going to tell Singh what happened-”
“But you have seen Jackie?” Keelo said eagerly. “If you’ve seen Jackie then Kraton will be there-”
“Jackie told me Kraton, Nightshade and Eric have been kidnapped,” Geirmund blurted out to stop Keelo from talking over him again.
“Then why wasn’t Jackie if she knew about it?” Singh asked.
“Look I’m not here about Jackie!” snapped Geirmund angrily. His eyes suddenly turned all black. He blinked hard, eyes turning back normal, then looked weary. “Well I kinda am to be honest. I’m a dragon demon but my powers run on emotions. Back in Jackie’s flat she set me off and I attacked Jackie, Willow and someone called Jet-”
“Where’s this flat?” Singh asked suddenly.
“Don’t you want to know who these people are?” Geirmund said taken aback.
“I know them all,” Singh  said, though he lied about knowing Jet. “I have files on each one of you, but you’re my newest person to be added to my files-”
“The files you’ve lost,” sneered Keelo flaying with a pencil and flipping it into the air and catching it with one hand.
“I haven’t lost,” Singh said. “I’ve just misplaced them probably.”
      It fell silent as Singh got up to check about the office looking for the missing files. Geirmund felt extremely agitated and was even more annoyed as he could see Keelo smirking at him from the corner of his eye. Geirmund looked at him and Keelo grinned at him. It wasn’t the infectious grin that Kraton does, but a nasty arrogant grin.
     From out the office there were shout and the insane laughter of a man. Keelo and Geirmund turned there heads towards Singh’s office window. Jet was being dragged in by two men and he was acting like a naughty child. A woman with long black hair was walking towards the office and she opened the door swiftly and shut it behind her with a soft click. Her eyes opened in surprise then she relaxed and walked round the desk to Singh who looked as puzzled as she was.
“What is it Ekaterina?” Singh said.
“The boy found at the flat has been brought back from the hospital,” she said. “His name is Jet Ai and he’s just started flipping vhen ve told him he vos to stay in a cell for the night after his admitted he knew vot had gone on.” She stopped at looked at Keelo and Geirmund. “These are?”
“Geirmund Pedrosa and Keelo Riddle,” Singh said.
A looked dawned on Ekaterina’s face for a brief moment, then disappeared as fast as it had come. She just nodded curtly and made a mental note to find out more on Keelo. She hadn’t looked far enough into Kraton’s family.
“Would you come and help me for a moment please?” Ekaterina said.
“Sure,” Singh got up and left the office without a backwards glance at them both.
Keelo stared at Geirmund then said, “How do you know Kraton?”
“My friend Willow,” Geirmund said.
“Her!” snorted Keelo. “What a joke. He’s been after her for ever. Don’t understand why men just stick with one woman-”
“He might love her,” Geirmund said.
“How do you know?” snapped Keelo. “Have you ever been in love?”
Geirmund hesitated then said, “Yes.”
“Who with?” Keelo said. He waited but Geirmund wouldn’t speak. Keelo sighed then kicked his legs up on Singh’s desk. “No going to say? Was she really that bad?”
“I just don’t want to tell you-”
“Because you know I know her,” Keelo said leaning towards Geirmund. “Shy? She’s nice. I’ve kissed her all night at the triplets seventeenth birthday.” Geirmund didn’t answer. “No? Not her? How about Willow? Haven’t’ had the pleasure of kissing her.” In real life Keelo had tried but got his arm broken by Kraton. Keelo’s family had never really liked Kraton after that. “Nightshade? Well I call her Deadly Nightshade. I had a drunken fumble with her. Pity that stupid vampire decided he wanted to hide in the cupboard at that time.” He looked at Geirmund who was staring at him in slight disgust. “Not them two either? Alright then. How about the wonderful Jackie?” He grinned at Geirmund who averted his eyes away from Keelo’s blue eyes. “She’s the one I need to get. All those men she has been with and she hasn’t come to me yet. I wonder-”
“Why?” Geirmund cut in angrily. “Maybe because you’re a womaniser and think your big for being with these women. She plays the same game as you.”
“And that is?” demanded Keelo swinging his legs off the table.
“She uses men,” Geirmund said. “That’s it. So to her you’d just be another man. And she the same to you. That’s why.”
Keelo opened his mouth then shut it.

The door of the cell was opened. A squat looking woman sidled in with a tray. Eric being the only one awake leapt up and bounded over. The woman shrunk back a bit as she watched Eric snatch the bowl of cold soup of her, the ration of bread and his dirty spoon. He rushed back to his bed and sat down heavily. Nervously the woman put down the bowls and food on the floor then backed out of the cell, letting the guard outside lock it.
     Eric examined his bread. There was spots of green mould dotted on the slice of bread. He picked these off and flicked them away from him. Eric examined the bread again, then feeling satisfied ripped it in two a dunked one part of it is the cold soup. He wolfed the bread down and looked over at Kraton and Nightshade. Nightshade was curled child like next to Kraton who had his arms around her to warm her. Eric snarled to himself.
     He drank the rest of the cold soup, licked the bowl dry then climbed to his feet. He didn’t know why he was so hungry. Eric looked at Kraton and Nightshades bowls. He looked at the pair snuggled on the mangy bed, then sat on the floor and decided he’d eat Kraton’s for him. The only sounds in the cell was Eric’s spoon clanging on the bowl.
      Outside and down the corridor Magda sat with her father. They were looking over the files Ekaterina had stolen from Singh. Magda looked at her father who was reading through the files. At last he put them down, but held Eric’s file in his large hand.
“Well father?” she said lighting him a cigar.
“From the eyewitness statements from the other gang that was in the field at the time,” he said slowly and accepting the cigar from Magda. “We have one of the demons. He was the one who threw her body into the river apparently.”
“Kraton?” Magda asked.
“No, Eric,” he said. “A red headed woman was in the field before him. They only know she had red hair so she could be the one in the cell right now.”
“Shall we question them?” Magda asked.
“Yes, but don’t tell your mother,” he warned her. “She messed up the last statement.” Magda nodded and stood up when her father placed a hand on hers. She looked at him. “If a company called Lelows rings up, tell them I’ll ring back as soon as I can.”
“That’s the drug company isn’t it?” Magda said walking to the door.
He hesitated then answered, “Yes. Now get Nightshade ready. I want to question her about Magali.”
“Have you read her medical reports?” Magda said wary that her father would go easy on Nightshade.
“That she is pregnant? Yes,” he said curtly. “Now off you go.”
Magda nodded then left him.

In another place another meal was being set down. Though this meal was piping hot and home made apple pie was to follow it. The dinner table was crowded with children and Willow grinned sheepishly at Shy who was overwhelmed by Willow’s family. Willow’s mother was a beautiful looking woman though rather plump and all her brothers and sisters looked like mini versions of Willow.
“I’m glad you could come home today sweetie,” Willow’s mother said ladling Shy’s huge dinner with hot gravy. “Though why on Earth are you not at high school?”
“It was a inset day today,” Willow said, exchanging looks with Shy.
“And why haven’t you rang?” her mother asked.
“Mum! Your can’t expect me to ring every night,” Willow said. “I’m really busy with work.”
“What’s she like,” her mother said smiling at Shy as she sat down. “She’s going to make something of herself when she is older.” She turned back to Willow. “I was meant to pop into the florist the other day to see you. How is it there?”
“Oh its good,” Willow said vaguely cutting up her meat.
“Are you one of her little friends?” her mother asked Shy.
Shy nearly choked on food when she realised she was being spoken to. Shy swallowed hard took a drink of water.
“Oh yes,” Shy said. “We are in the same …um maths class.”
“Oh that’s good,” her mother said. “You should come down more often. What happened to your shoes anyway?”
“I told you mum!” Willow said. “We went trekking through a bog on the way home, fell in and lost it.”
“What are you like,” her mother laughed. She got up and went in the kitchen to check on the pie.
The front door opened and it slammed. A boy walked in then stared at Willow.
“What you doing home?” he said rudely.
“Shy, this is my twin brother Tay,” Willow said not looking at him and waving her hand towards him.
“I never knew you had a twin!” Shy said.
“Well you wouldn’t’ admit it if you seen you had a twin like him,” Willow said. She stopped one the little children’s from falling off. “Look me and Shy are going upstairs.”
Shy looked mournfully at her half eaten tea and followed Willow upstairs. Tay followed as well dumping his school bag outside Willow’s room.
        Willow’s room was very small like most of her house and very neat as she hadn’t slept in it. Her mother thought that Willow had won a scholarship from a boarding school. In actually fact Willow had made up the letter and had run away with others. It was very hard work lying to her mother as she had to make an excuse to why she was in town every weekend at the florist. A small desk sat in the corner of the room and a dead flower sat on the windowsill.
Willow put a finger on the stem and the flower stood up straight and alive. Shy shut the door when Tay flung it open hitting her on the arm.
“Tay! Get out!” shouted Willow seeing if Shy was alright.
“I know you haven’t been going to High school,” Tay said abruptly, arms crossed.
“W-what?” stammered Willow.
“You heard me,” Tay said. “You have been lying to mum. “I went to the boarding school. You wasn’t there-”
“Tay! Shut up!” Willow hissed shutting the door over, peering out to see no siblings were listening in. She put her back against the door and glared at Tay, who was glaring back. “Tay-”
“So were have you been then ay?” Tay said arms crossed. “Who is that girl then?” he said jerking his head towards Shy. There was silence. “Look, if you don’t tell me, I’ll tell mum-”
“If I tell you, you best not go back and blab,” Willow said. “Your promise?” Tay looked uncertain, but he eventually nodded, his lips tight. “I’m in a gang-”
“Go you,” Tay said sarcastically.
“Hey! Its not like them stupid little gangs!” Shy cut in angrily. “it’s a proper big one!”
“What? Consists of you two?” Tay said grinning.
“Tay! Shut up or I won’t bother to tell you,” Willow snarled. “We are in a gang and three of our strongest demon’s have been captured-”
“These are?” Tay cut in.
“Nightshade, Eric and Kraton,” Willow said sitting on the bed.
“I’ve heard of Kraton,” Tay said. “He’s the one that turned up here once that mum liked and you got pissed at him-”
“That’s Kraton,” Shy said smiling despite of the tense atmosphere.
“So what are there powers?” tay said. Shy and Willow stared at them. “Come on. They must have powers.”
“Nightshade can control shadows- what?” snapped Willow as Tay snorted.
“Shadows? Ooo! Scary!” Tay said.
“Well of course it would be if I shadow was ripping you to pieces,” Shy said smoothly.
Tay shut up.
“Kraton can control weather,” Willow said. “Lightening and stuff. Eric is a vampire-”
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Tay said. “Vampire! What’s he like? All in black? Stylish? Hair slicked back?”
Shy and Willow just exchanged looks of exasperation.
“Look it doesn’t matter,” Willow said. “We are only here for the night then we are out-”
“Why?” Tay said.
“To rescue them!” Willow said.
“Have you both seen how scrawny you both are,” Tay said. “You need someone like me to come. A real man.”
“Wonder were we will get a real man,” Shy said looking at Willow.
Tay glared at them both.

Hella slowly opened her fathers study and peered in. Jackie sat at his computer with an expression Hella had never seen her wear. Something along the lines on concentration and interest. Hella walked in and shut the door softly. Jackie didn’t look up but get scrolling down on the mouse.
“Jackie? I’ve brought some stuff to help your cuts around your mouth,” Hella said uncertainly watching Jackie. Jackie looked up at last and grinned. Hella smiled slightly relieved Jackie wasn’t about to snap. “Its strange having you back here.”
“Tha’ a good thing or a bad one?” Jackie said looking back at the computer screen.
“Good I suppose,” Hella said unscrewing the lid to the cream. “When did you say you were going out?”
“I’m no’ now,” Jackie said frowning.
“Why not?” Hella said putting a splodge of antiseptic cream on her finger.
“’Cause I’m tryin’ to find ou’ stuff abou’ this gang first,” Jackie said. She looked up at Hella who was wearing a bemused expression. “Wha’? There’s only me now so I hafta think cleverly to ge’ in.”
“Oh,” Hella said shortly. She dabbed Jackie’s mouth with the cream and felt Jackie tense up. “So are you going out till all your cuts and bruises have gone?”
“Nah. It doesn’t bother me,” Jackie said scratching her neck, but keeping still for Hella. “I’m normally battered an’ bruised. No bother.”
“What you looking up anyway?” Hella said.
“Newspaper articles,” Jackie said. “Tryin’ to ge’ anythin’ tha’ may ‘ave somethin’ to do with the demons I already know in the gang.”
“Anything so far?”
“Yeah, somethin’ abou’ an explosion,” Jackie said looking up again. “Plus I found one abou’ Kra’s apartmen’ an’ tha’ fight I ‘ad were I go’ Shade.”
“Did they mention you in it?”
“Nah. Just said abou’ the brick wall bein’ knocked down by the car and crap.”
Hella nodded and left Jackie to it. Jackie looked up, grinned and turned round. A tall woman with black hair horns and a tail like Jackie grinned at her.
-Have you tried looking at sites that the main boss might use?-
Jackie twirled round on the chair and put the search engine on.
“How can I get tha’?” Jackie said. “It’s too hard to find ou’-”
-Well I’ve been doing a little digging in other peoples heads- the woman grinned at her. -No need to thank me-.
“Who’s ‘ead ‘ave yer been diggin’ through?” Jackie said eyes narrowed. The woman ignored her. “Diablo!”
-Alright!- Diablo snapped. -That Jet Ai’s head. One of his lot told me a bit about the main gang. Apparently Jet used to work for them.-
“Really?” Jackie grinned leaping up. “Where’s Jet now?”
-Unconscious were you left him- sniffed Diablo folding her arms.
“The police ‘ave been there by now ‘aven’t they?” Jackie said tapping her bottom lip.
-Yes. So can you guess were he might be?-
“The police station!” Jackie gasped clapping her hands together. “Singh mentioned Jet being the only one left at the flat. Diablo! You’re a genius!”
-Me? Don’t you mean you’re a genius?- Diablo leant forward her lips next to Jackie’s ear. -After all, I’m only you. Part of your mind.-
Jackie turned to looked at Diablo, but she had gone.