Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Gotta Knock a Little Harder ❯ A Murder of One ( Chapter 5 )

A Murder of One

 

I dreamt I saw you walking up a hillside in the snow; Casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there counting crows; One for sorrow Two for joy; Three for girls and four for boys;Five for silver Six for gold and Seven for a secret never to be told ~ Counting Crows (August and Everything After)

 

 

 

Jet heard the boy out, and the two of them sat in silence. Ed's retelling of McKenna's story created more questions than it answered, and the older man wondered what she had left out.

 

He silently got up, and grabbed the mop bucket. Without saying a word, he stepped outside, filled it with icy river water, and returned to the lounge. He set the bucket down on the deck, and stared at McKenna with his arms crossed over his chest. “Ed, I think you might want to go back to the house.”

 

He caught the boy staring up at him with wide eyes just at the edge of his peripheral vision.

 

“Jet, you're not going to…”

 

He shook his head. “Nope. Not going to touch her, but I am going to get some answers, and it might not be a good idea for you to be here.”

 

Ed headed out. At the hatch to the bay, he stopped, and looked back at Jet. “For what it's worth,” he said. “I believe her.” Then he was gone.

 

Jet gave it a few more minutes, to make sure Ed was out of earshot, then he calmly lifted the bucket, and threw the entire contents on McKenna.

 

As was expected, she came up shrieking. What he didn't expect was the lightning speed in which she swung a foot square into his abdomen, knocking the wind out of him in a whoosh. Before he could recover, she was on her feet, on top of the couch, and sending a series of swift kicks to his chest and jaw. He reeled and shook his head to clear it. So she wants to play rough, huh?

 

[1.1.1.1]

 

She was balanced on the seat of the couch, wondering what the hell was going on, when he lunged.

 

She said, “Jet, wait—“ as he snagged her by the ankle, yanked her off balance and onto her ass. She bounced from the impact, and tumbled onto the deck.

 

Jet dropped her ankle, and snatched her up by the front of her tunic. She clipped his chin with the heel of her hand, and took advantage of the instant he was stunned to knock his hands off her.

 

He started for her again, when she jumped, spun, and attempted to land a kick to his head. He caught her by the ankle again, and slammed her to the deck, face-first. She landed with a grunt. Before she had a chance to recover, Jet was on her back, and pinning her neatly.

 

His breath was hot and rapid in her ear, and she shivered involuntarily.

 

“Now that I have your undivided attention,” Jet said. “I have a few questions for you.”

 

“Let me up,” she said, as she struggled.

 

“Not a chance, McKenna. Not until I get some cooperation.”

 

She squirmed more under his weight, and growled. “Let me up, you ape! I can't breathe.”

 

“Nice try, but you're breathing just fine.”

 

“Yeah, and I'll bet you're enjoying every moment of it. Pervert.”

 

“Don't flatter yourself,” Jet said with a harsh laugh. “I like my women with a little more meat on their bones. And honest.”

 

“Oh, yeah? Then what is that poking me in the back? A goddamn pickle?”

 

He leaned closer to her ear, and she could swear she felt him smile. It wasn't a nice one, either. “Keep squirming, and you'll find out, won't you?”

 

She froze, and her eyes went wide.

 

She went limp, her bluff was called.

 

“I never lied to any of you,” she said weakly.

 

“You never told the truth, either.”

 

“Try asking the right questions, asshole.”

 

“I love you too, McKenna,” Jet said.

 

She felt his hand sliding under her, along her belly, and she gasped. She started to struggle again, panicked. She felt him working the drawstring of her pants loose, and a whimper escaped her lips.

 

“Oh, shut up, McKenna. I've never had to force myself on any woman before, I'm not about to start with you.”

 

His hand came back out from under her. Along with the drawstring. He shifted some, and finessed both of her slender wrists into his cybernetic hand. A moment later, he had them both tied behind her back with the stolen drawstring.

 

He flipped her over as easily as if she were a sack of laundry, and then squatted back down on her hips.

 

He rubbed his jaw. It was quite red, and she figured it would be bruised soon. Serves him right, she thought.

 

[2.2.2.2]

 

Damn, Jet thought, as he rubbed his jaw. I didn't expect a hellcat. Stupid move on my part.

 

He glanced at her. Lying under him on the floor, shivering in her soaked clothes, and seething. He chuckled.

 

“Glad you find this funny.”

 

“Hilarious. Now, how did you convince the kid to get you that Red Eye?”

 

“Logic.”

 

“What's your story, McKenna?”

 

“Did Ed tell you?”

 

“Yeah, but I want to hear it from you.”

 

“Kiss my ass.”

 

Jet leaned forward and pinned her with a glare. “You were all accommodating before. Why the sudden change of heart?”

 

“I was rudely awakened.”

 

“Heh. Well, you've had your morning work out. That should have your blood pumping enough to help you talk.”

 

She just glared.

 

Jet shrugged. “Suit yourself. I can sit right here for as long as it takes.”

 

She closed her eyes, and thumped the back of her head on the deck in defeat. “I'm tired.”

 

“Cry me a river, McKenna. I want some answers.”

 

“Then ask the bloody questions.”

 

“Why here?”

 

Her eyes snapped open, and Jet could see she was working on an answer. It better be good, he thought.

 

“Honestly?”

 

“It would be a start, yes.”

 

She shook her head. “I don't know. I wasn't in any condition to make a choice at the time.”

 

Jet glanced over at the mop bucket. Then back at her. The message was clear, and he knew she understood it.

 

“I'm serious, Jet.”

 

“Thought you had control of this little `traveling' ability of yours.”

 

“I did. For a long time after I left Risembul. But the stones started losing their charge.”

 

“The Red Eye?”

 

“I discovered that it temporarily recharged them.”

 

“Is this where you were headed when we picked you up?”

 

She stared at him. The look was unexpected. Slowly, her eyes closed, and she shook her head.

 

“No. I was headed for Earth.” She turned her head, and stared off. Her eyes unfocused, and Jet knew she was looking inward, instead of out. “My home is… was Scotland. I was going back to what was left of it.”

 

She closed her eyes. “I was going home to die.”

 

Jet felt something akin to a lead boxing glove punch him in the stomach. “What,” he whispered.

 

When she finally opened her eyes again, he saw that weariness in them that he'd seen in the file photo. “I was going to spray the entire vial of Red Eye, and just….go to sleep. Never wake up.”

 

“No one sleeps on Red Eye,” Jet said.

 

She cocked a brow. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, almost nobody. You would be the one oddball in the statistics.”

 

She smiled. “I think that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

 

Jet just shook his head. “So, what do you have that Gate Corp wants back.”

 

“A biological Rosenberg-Einstein Bridge.”

 

Jet felt the blood drain from his face. It was becoming incredibly, horribly clear. “They found out?”

 

She nodded.

 

“How?”

 

McKenna squirmed a little and winced. “Look, this is nice and cozy, and all. But do you think you could get your hairy ass off me, now? I'm playing nice.”

 

Jet coughed out a shocked laugh. “What makes you think it's hairy?”

 

“A lucky guess. Can I get up?”

 

He got off of her. He stayed knelt as he pulled her to a sitting position by the front of her tunic. Then he leaned close enough to see the pulse in her throat speed up a little as he reached around to untie her.

 

In a fit of mischief, he brought his mouth close to her ear, and whispered, “Flirt all you want. I told you, you don't have enough meat on your bones.”

 

He felt her turn her head a little, and the light brush of an exhale tickled his ear. He felt the hair on every part of his body stand at attention. It wasn't entirely unpleasant.

 

“You couldn't handle me,” she whispered.

 

His blue eye met her green one, and there was a moment of indecision. A stand-off between the two of them.

 

Jet blinked first.

 

Slightly flustered, and feeling overly warm, he fumbled with the knot of the drawstring. Damn women, he thought. They all have their own set of rules, and no one knows what the hell they are. After a couple of fumble-fingered attempts, he managed to get her untied, and was relieved that she moved first.

 

She stayed on the floor, so Jet did the same, sitting back, and crossing his legs. He patted around the top of his jumpsuit.

 

“Right hip pocket,” McKenna said.

 

He dug in the pocket, and came out with a pack of cigarettes. He cocked a brow at her. She just smirked.

 

He shook one out, and put it between his lips. As he brought the flame up to the tip, he said, “So, how did Gate Corp discover your little secret?”

 

She took the pack out of his hand, and helped herself to one of the cigarettes.

 

Jet's brows shot up. “I thought you didn't smoke?”

 

“Seems like a good a time as any to start,” she said.

 

He struck a flame and she leaned in for the light. He waited for the ensuing coughing fit that always followed the first time someone tried to smoke, but it never came. McKenna took a deep drag, and then slowly let it out, thoroughly enjoying it.

 

After a silent moment, she said, “Irony.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“It was ironic how the Powers That Be found out. Seems that when I popped on Earth and caused the Lunar Gate to go boom, I was seen. That same person survived, and went on to become the CEO of Gate Corp.”

 

“That gate exploded fifty years ago.”

 

“Yeah. Funny, isn't it? Some tourists were at this old Scottish castle that's been turned into a crappy museum, and this 4 year old kid got away from his parents. I popped right in front of him.”

 

She took another drag off her cigarette, and looked down. “I guess some things stay with you all your life.”

 

Jet remained silent. Watching her.