Flock of Wolves by Emily Kimelman

Author:Emily Kimelman [Kimelman, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Emily Kimelman
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Love is a Battlefield

Anita

The light from my computer screen cast a blue flickering glow over the living room. London in February was wet, cold, and dark. The sun, which had only managed to cast a dull gray gloom into the room, had set and now darkness encompassed the space.

Huddled under a blanket, a glass of red wine in my hand, I'd started watching videos of the Butcher after reading Lenox's update; Mulberry had started physical therapy, and Lenox still couldn't reach Sydney or Bobby.

I'd also checked #IAmHer and found the numbers even higher—it felt like a tsunami was about to be upon us, and now was when the ocean was pulling back, gathering for the giant wave that would wash everything away.

I'd set up meetings with several friends who'd known Rida, so I had nothing to do now but wait.

My melancholy had drawn me to the Butcher's videos. Over 6'5”, broad, a former Iraqi soldier in Saddam's army, he'd earned the name the Butcher two years prior.

In all of the videos, he stood on a stage, his trademark machete in hand, a woman at his feet, her face and hair exposed, her body at his mercy. A crowd cheering him on. How many in that crowd could do what the Butcher did? Could exact the justice for which they screamed?

What percentage of the population could actually do it?

Had I always had it in me to kill? Or was it my life on the line, the repeated violation of my body, that let me strangle my captor to death?

I pulled the blanket around me tighter, the wet chill of London creeping in on me. Putting down my glass of red wine, I closed the computer. I needed to take a break.

The darkness settled in, and I blinked against it, my eyes slowly adjusting. It was a small space, with modern furniture and sleek lines. Apparently, Sydney had owned the apartment when she worked here as a private eye, and Joyful Justice had decided to keep it.

I didn't know much about Sydney's history. The few things we'd spoken about in the time we spent together had been vague. She was the center of so many people's lives. But in her apartment there wasn't a single photo, no knick-knacks, nothing personal at all.

The one thing I'd seen that could be remotely considered personal was a dog dish with Blue's name on it. But that could've been a gift. A small smile crossed my lips as I pictured Mulberry giving it to her, trying to make her life homey.

I pushed off the blanket and stood, clicking on a lamp. I needed to order some food, get out of this funk. Get out of my head.

Waiting for Zerzan or anyone else to drop the video felt like torture. Part of me wanted to do it myself just to stop the anticipation. I made my way into the kitchen and pulled out the takeout menus. A good London curry was what I needed. Something nostalgic.

The years I'd spent in this city had been some of the best of my life.

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