1Here's the next part of the Chances storyline, explaining the events that led up to Clara's survival (see the end of the previous fic).
As I was approaching the Merlaut hotel where the entire thing had started less than a year before, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I sighed, pulling it out and hitting the accept button as I put it to my ear. "It's me".
Clara's voice filled my ear. I paused. I was furious with her for the part she had played in my niece's death, that much I knew. But she'd risked so much by helping me track down the other people who had been involved in the conspiracy. She'd risked her own secret being leaked, something which we both knew had happened only a short time earlier. God, no wonder she'd been so scared of me. "Where are you? We should meet".
"I've always made my money finding information for people. The harder it was to find, the more money I made" she said softly.
I knew she was trying to help me understand what she'd done. And why. "You didn't know what they'd do" I replied.
"I'm going to fix things".
"There's nothing to fix" I assured her as I walked towards the hotel.
Her voice was tearful when she next spoke. "I'm sorry, Aiden".
A chill ran down my spine. The fact that she was apologizing was weird enough, but… shit. If she meant what I thought she meant, then that couldn't be a good thing. "Clara, what's going on? What are you going to do?"
There was a soft beeping sound from the other side of the line as she hung up. Immediately, I hit redial, determined not to let her go so easily. The call went straight to voicemail. Part of me knew it would. "Clara. Nicky's safe. She and Jackson have left Chicago. T-Bone and I were able to find out where Damien was keeping her, and we got them out. There's nothing to fix. Call me back. Please…"
I hit the 'end call' button and paused on the other side of the carpark from the hotel's entrance, carefully planning my next move. First, I would have to determine where in the hotel Quinn was, then I'd focus on taking down the security system. And from there? Take down the guard at the door before slowly and methodically making my way through the rest of the guards to where my target had secured himself. Once I was there and able to confront him, I would finally be able to kill the man who had ordered the hit on me, the same hit that had led to the death of my niece.
-Roughly half an hour later-
After escaping from the police who had surrounded the hotel after Lucky Quinn's death, as I was starting to pilot my borrowed boat back to shore so I could hopefully meet up with Clara once again, my phone rang. One glance at the caller id screen told me all I needed to know. "So, there I was, scribbling Mandelbrot's set from memory when your girlfriend called. Explain to me how you didn't know – what's her fucking name – Clara – was the one who sold us out?"
"What are you talking about? Why would Clara call you?" I snarled.
"You didn't know? She thought I'd trade for your sister. You think that's touching? I think it's fucking sad. How could you let her play you?"
"Leave her. Damien, I'm serious. Leave her out of this".
My former mentor's voice was cold and firm when he replied. "Did you forget? We're not partners any more. All bets are off".
Before I could reply, the line went dead. I swore angrily. Those emails that I'd read between Quinn and the head of his security teams back at the hotel, combined with everything Damien had just told me, made it easy to tell what had happened. Clara had tried to redeem herself in my eyes by going to Damien and offering to exchange herself for Nicky's freedom. Only I had already freed Nicky. And Damien, after learning that Clara had been the one that originally sold us out by blowing our cover at the Merlaut on that fateful day, had informed Quinn and his men of her whereabouts. Pulling out my phone again, I quickly dialed Clara's number. "Clara! Please, pick up. Quinn's security team is after you. Damien gave them your location".
There was no reply. I didn't really expect there to be. Ending the call and slipping my phone back into my pocket, I gritted my teeth in frustration and began to steer the boat towards Parker Square. If I was right about where Clara was going, she was going to need all the help she could get.
-About an hour later-
As the last of Quinn's men fell, I ran to Clara's side. Her phone, on the ground by her hand, lit up with a voice recording. Quickly hacking into the phone through CtOS, I hit the play button. "Hello, Aiden. I can't decide where to begin. The first time I saw you, you were playing chess with Jackson in the park. Both of you still very sad from the – funeral. I could see how you made him feel safe. In our world we hide in the dark, behind monitors. That's the only place we feel safe. It isn't enough to say that I didn't know. That lives would be lost or that it was only a job. I thought if I could help you heal, help you find answers – maybe I could heal myself. But I can't. When this is all over, I hope we can at least talk. Or if not… at least I can disappear. That's something I'm good at".
There was a quiet groan from by my feet, and I stepped back, drawing my handgun. "Aiden".
I looked down at the girl in surprise. "Clara? You're alive? But I saw you get shot, right in front of me".
She grimaced, slowly moving her hand up to her neck where the Fixer's bullets had hit her, and it took me a second to realize that there was less skin exposed than she normally had. "You're wearing a bulletproof vest?"
She nodded, hissing slightly at the motion, as I helped her into a sitting position. "I am. It's going to be bruised and tender for a while, but I'll be okay".
"I'm glad to hear it. I have a car parked nearby, do you want to go and find somewhere quiet? I think we both need a chance to sit down and talk, and a graveyard isn't exactly the place for that".
She nodded, and I reached down and took her hand, helping her to her feet. "I think that's a good idea".
Songs for this update:
I Could Not Ask For More, by Edwin McCain
Because Of You, by Kelly Clarkson
