Rogue's Passion(2)

“And it was easy money to offer up a guy for the army to kill.”
“Kill? What are you talking about? They interrogate them. You know, find out what targets they’re planning on bombing next.”
Asher and Toryn both bristled. The Pacifican army liked to spread the rumor that Cascadians were responsible for terrorist activities in New Seattle, but it wasn’t true. Iron Guild warriors did not kill innocent people. They only killed army soldiers searching for portal locations into Cascadia.
“They did interrogate him,” Asher replied. “Right before they forced him to take weapons through the Iron Portal to be used against my people. He died from iron sickness on the other side.”
“That’s too bad,” the man said flatly. His utter lack of conviction made Asher seethe with anger. “But how do you know it was me? Most people I know wouldn’t hesitate to turn in a Cascadian.”
“How stupid do you think I am? You’re Eddie, right? And—” He twisted the guy’s arm, making him howl in agony. “You’ve got a broken wrist that hasn’t healed yet, right?”
“Fuckin’ A.” The guy jerked his arm away.
“My friend wasn’t quite dead when I found him.”
Asher tried to keep the memory of Fallon curled up on the cold floor of the antechamber out of his head, but it was no use. After Fallon hadn’t shown up at the rendezvous point, he’d known something was wrong, so he stepped through the portal and that’s when he found him. He’d held his friend’s hand as he slowly died. Having suffered minor bouts of iron sickness himself, he knew Fallon was in terrible pain, but there was nothing he could do about it. He’d felt so helpless.
“He told me he broke your arm, when he realized it was a setup. So you do the math. Chances are, I’d say you’re exactly the person I’m looking for.”
The guy’s mustache twitched and resignation dawned in his expression. “So what if I am? What are you going to do about it?”
Asher counted to three under his breath in an attempt to keep his anger in check. At least for a few more minutes. “Who’s your army contact?”
“I don’t know his name,” Eddie replied.
In one motion, Asher sliced through the buttons on the man’s shirt, exposing a hairy chest ready to be splayed open.
“Eeaahh! Hold on. I…I remember. They call him the Fixer. Hangs out at the Apocalypse Tonight Club. He’s one scary motherfucker, though. Half his face is scarred.”
The sirens were louder. Someone in this crappy neighborhood had called the Night Patrol.
Toryn cleared his throat. “Hey, man, we got to go.”
Asher twisted the knife point. Just one little shove was all it would take.
“Please, mister.” The guy’s voice went all high-pitched and whiny again. “I didn’t know they were going to kill him. I swear. You gotta believe me. Like I said, I got kids who depend on me.”
Fuck. Seriously?
Asher’s conscience began to kick in. If he did what he wanted to do and wasted this bloke, he’d leave some kids fatherless.
What poor luck to have this weasel as a father. But would it be worse if the guy died? And where would that leave the ex-wife? She probably had the kids—he couldn’t imagine this loser being responsible enough to have custody. Asher’s life was definitely worse because his father had died and his mother had remarried. His father, a former Iron Guild warrior, hadn’t been perfect, but his stepfather had turned out to be the asshole of all assholes.
As much as he’d love to drive this thing home now, he just couldn’t. He’d killed many men, and some were probably fathers. But that was in battle and they were soldiers.
“If your name comes up or I even hear you mentioning Cascadia again, you’re going to wish I’d ended your life today. The agony I’ll put you through will make your broken wrist feel like a fucking splinter.”
Conry gave two quick warning barks.
Fine. He had what he’d come for. He’d save his wrath for the scar-faced army sonofabitch.
Asher gave the guy one last shove, then he and Toryn sprinted down the alley toward Conry. They hadn’t gone more than a few steps when gunshots rang out, hitting the nearby garbage cans.
He dove behind a Dumpster. “What the fuck?”
“That little shit,” Toryn said, scrambling after him. “Didn’t you check him for weapons?”
In his haste to find out what had happened to Fallon, he hadn’t thought about it. He pulled out his crossbow and peered around the corner. The asshole was fumbling with the clip on his gun. Asher took aim and released an arrow. It caught the guy in the throat, dropping him to his knees.#p#分页标题#e#