Chapter 13
"Just one more mile," Jeremy urged, trying to encourage to Avon. "Then we can both clean up and get into some clean clothes. I'd like to finish healing my leg. It's still a bit tender."
"I want some real food and a long soak in the tub. I think every muscle in my body is screaming in protest," Avon groaned as she pushed forward, each step heavier than the last. "I have dirt in places I didn't know existed," Avon added with a chuckle.
"But do you feel stronger? More confident?"
"I guess in a way I do," Avon smiled slightly proud of herself. Then she frowned. "I just wish Daddy was going to be here tomorrow for my birthday."
"I forgot about that," Jeremy replied solemnly. "Do you usually have a big celebration?"
"Sometimes but usually it's just me and Daddy and Iramy, of course. Iramy makes the best birthday cakes." Avon was smiling again.
"I know Iramy is great in the kitchen but I didn't know she bakes. You mean your cakes aren't from one of the bakeries in the city?"
"No, Iramy has made every birthday cake and they are soooooo good. She replicates the ingredients and then makes it from scratch. You've never tasted anything like it."
"I sure I haven't but then I've never had a birthday cake," Jeremy sighed sadly.
Avon looked at Jeremy surprised. "Never?" Jeremy only nodded with his lips pursed.
"I'm sorry Jeremy, really I am," Avon stated sincerely. "When is your birthday? Maybe Iramy will make one for you."
"Next month, right before I go back to my real job with ICE."
Avon ignored Jeremy's slight and remember her position as the ultimate hostess. "Then I will make sure Iramy makes you a cake for your birthday. It will be special, just for you. We’ll have a party and make it a special day. My cake will be chocolate with white icing and lots of colorful roses and flowers. Iramy is really talented. She could make a lot of credits if she opened her own bakery, but she doesn't want to. She refuses to leave us; me and Daddy."
"You're lucky to have her," Jeremy agreed. "She cares about you a lot. Even I can see it. She loves you like you are her family."
Avon pondered Jeremy's statement for a moment. "In a way we are family. I guess I never realized how lucky I am to have her in my life. She has always taken care of me, spoiled me, and loved me. Growing up I sometimes wished she was my mother."
Jeremy felt a tear pooling in his eye. He had been raised by his mother, without a father. Avon had been raised by her father, without a mother. In that aspect, they were alike. Still where they grew up was so much different. Avon had been raised with wealth and privilege. He had grown up poorer than poor. He just couldn't shake the chip on his shoulder. He had worked hard for everything he had. Avon just took everything for granted, assuming she would always have everything she wanted, not just what she needed.
"I can see the mansion," Jeremy announced in a hushed tone to disguise his angst. "We're almost there."
Avon looked forward and saw the home she had been raised in. For the first time in her life, she appreciated what she had. "Let's pick up the pace," she laughed. "I have a sanitation stall and a hot tub of water scented with lavender calling my name. All I want to do is get clean and soak away some of this pain. And tonight we get to sleep in a real bed and not on the ground."
Jeremy nearly laughed as Avon started walking faster. He hoisted the pack up on his shoulders and kept up with her. Soon they were nearing the front door. Seeing the door open, Jeremy pushed Avon behind him.
"Something's not right," Jeremy whispered. "Why would the door be open?"
"Maybe Iramy saw us coming?" Avon mused trying to see past Jeremy.
Jeremy moved slowly towards the open door. Peering in, he quickly realized everything was wrong. The foyer clearly showed signs of a home evasion. Furniture was broken and freshly cut flowers were strewn everywhere. "Stay back," he whispered as he lowered his pack. Reaching inside, he pulled out his laser.
"I'm not staying out here by myself," Avon refuted. "I'm going with you."
Jeremy was surprised by Avon's declaration and unexpected surge of bravery. While he was afraid of the unknown dangers inside the mansion, he smiled. She was becoming a soldier. He waited while Avon dug through her pack and found her laser. Entering the mansion, both could see the home had been thoroughly ransacked. Furniture was broken, overturned. Broken glass was everywhere. Avon started crying. "Iramy?" she whispered. "Where is Iramy?"
"I don't hear anything," Jeremy whispered. "We'll search the bottom floor and make sure no one is here and then we will go upstairs."
Room by room, the two searched, finding more and more destruction. But they did not find Iramy. They were relieved they hadn't found an intruder. Still they both feared the worst.
Returning to the foyer, Jeremy pointed to a trail of blood which started on the stairs. Both nearly stopped breathing. Someone had been hurt. Avon could barely hold back her tears. She paused for a moment as she dug deep to find the nerve to ascend the stairs. She took a deep breath to steady her hands which were now shaking. She nodded silently to indicate she was ready.
Slowly and quietly, they climbed the stairs to the second floor. Every door to every room was open. Each room was destroyed much like the one before it. Together they followed the blood down the hall. With each step the amount of blood increased. It quickly became evident whoever had been injured had been injured badly. Jeremy's fears grew with each step. Avon could barely breathe.
Approaching Avon's room, Jeremy could hear soft tears, sobbing. He peeked into the room. In the middle of the room, he saw Iramy, sitting on the floor with her arms wrapped around her knees. Iramy was covered in blood. There was more blood all around the room. Jeremy rushed to Iramy and quickly kneeled beside her.
Jeremy had never seen Iramy looking so weak and vulnerable. She was a strong woman, adept with weapons, a fighter. "I was outside in the garden collecting flowers. I wanted lots of fresh flowers to welcome you both home," Iramy explained seeing the confused look on Jeremy's face. "They caught me off guard. I had nothing to protect myself with but a pair of scissors I had in my basket. I tried to fight, but there were two of them and they were big, really big. I managed to stab one of them in the leg. I aimed for the femoral artery, but I missed. Still there was a lot of blood."
Jeremy looked at the wet blood-soaked carpet. He was relieved to know most of it was not Iramy's blood. Iramy's face showed she had repeatedly been hit. Blood had dried around her eyes, her nose, and her mouth. Her face was bruised. Her arms were bruised. Her clothing was torn and covered in blood. She was covered in blood. Jeremy could only think the worst; Iramy had not only been attacked but raped.
Avon moved towards Iramy, to comfort her. Jeremy pushed Avon away. "Go get the medical kit. And some water."
"But..." Avon started.
"Go. Now," Jeremy insisted. He needed a few minutes alone with Iramy. He didn't want Avon to hear the delicate conversation he needed to have with Iramy. "Go!" Jeremy repeated.
Once Avon left her room, Jeremy sat on the floor next to Iramy and pulled her into his arms. "Are you okay?" he asked. Iramy nodded yes. "We're you raped?"
Iramy said nothing for a moment. "No," she finally whispered. "They were looking for Avon. When I told them she wasn't here and I didn't know where she was, they beat the crap out of me and then they tore the place apart looking for her. I'm so glad she wasn't here. They would have killed her."
"Who were they?"
"Zarcon assassins," Iramy revealed. "They came to kill Avon."
Avon had entered the room just has Iramy uttered the last words. "What?"
"We'll talk later," Jeremy demanded, taking control. "First we heal Iramy and then we sort this out."
Every time Avon tried to ask a question, Jeremy quickly shushed her. Avon's impatience was quickly increasing. She wanted to know why the assassins wanted her d
ead. Why were the Zarcons hunting her? Was this about her father? What had he done to anger the Zarcon Empire? Avon tried to think of every story her father had told her about his travels, his battles, his adventures. Nothing came to her. She was clueless.
It took nearly an hour to heal all Iramy's injuries. There were more bruises on her ribs and back. It was evident the assassins had used Iramy like a soccer ball. Even her legs were bruised and cut.
Once Iramy's injuries were completely healed, Jeremy took a few seconds to heal the Taroldyte scratch on his leg. The he escorted Iramy to her room. "Find some clothes and clean up. Meet Avon and me in the kitchen. I think we need to talk. I need you to tell us everything. If Avon is in danger, we have to protect her. I have to protect her. Apparently, it is my job to keep her alive whether I like it or not."
"Thank you," Iramy replied. "I know you don't think much of Avon but it's not her fault. Her father and I raised her. It's our fault. We just wanted her to have the best life possible. But I'm begging you, for me, for her father, please protect her."
Jeremy took a deep breath and set his shoulders back tightly. This was not what he signed up for. This was supposed to be a summer of physical training so Avon could pass her evals.
"The General?" Jeremy asked succinctly.
"I've contacted him but he won't be back for another week, maybe longer. And we need to keep this under wraps. You'll understand in a few minutes why we can't solicit help. No one can know what happened today. No one."
Jeremy knew instantly he was now in the middle of a conspiracy. He looked at Iramy, his eyes angry and feral. "I didn't sign up for this," he muttered, wondering just how deep in shit he was.
"Promise me Captain Hanson," Iramy begged, hoping to reach his sense of duty.
Jeremy's jaw became tighter. "I promise," he seethed through his clenched teeth. He felt trapped. However, he knew he could not just step away and allow assassins to kill Avon. Even though he had no feelings for Avon, it would be unconscionable to allow the assassins to murder Avon in cold blood. He was honor-bound to protect her.
Jeremy turned on his heel and left the room. "Let's go to the kitchen," he told Avon, who was standing in the hall.
Fifteen minutes later Iramy entered the kitchen. She found Jeremy and Avon cleaning up the broken dishes and trying to return at least one room to normal. "Thank you for my cake," Avon stated sincerely as she glanced at the smashed and broken cake sitting on the counter. "It was beautiful."
Iramy tried to smile. While her injuries had been healed, she was still tired, weak. She sat in one of the stools at the kitchen island. Iramy looked at Avon and then at Jeremy. She knew she had a tough conversation ahead of her. Today was the day she had hoped would never come. It was the nightmare which had haunted her for nearly twenty years; nineteen years and 364 days to be exact.
Still she could not open her mouth to speak. She did not know where to start. Instead, she stared at Avon. Finally, Avon asked the question which would reveal all the secrets Iramy and the General had hidden all of Avon's life.
Avon could barely utter the question. It was a question she never thought would cross her lips. "Why did the Zarcon assassins come here to kill me?"