Ill Wind

The next morning Reno was again awakened by Kerri jumping out of bed and running to the bathroom. He yawned, stretched, and got up to go get her a glass of ice water from the kitchen, wondering how long she would have to suffer with morning sickness. By the time he returned to the bedroom with the water, she was back in bed, curled up into a ball with her arms crossed over her stomach. Reno set the glass down on her bedside table and crawled back into bed himself, curling his lanky body around her smaller form and slipping a hand under her crossed arms to rub her belly. “My poor Kerri,” he said. “We have to get you to a doctor soon.”

“I know,” she answered, and raised up enough to get the water he had brought and drained half of it.

“What do you think it is?” Reno asked when she laid back down.

“I think it's a baby,” she said dryly, “but a doctor will know for sure.”

“Very funny, bitch,” he said, and Kerri giggled. “You know what I meant, yo. You think it's a boy or a girl?”

“I don't know, Reno. What do you want it to be? Any preferences?”

He was silent for a moment, then answered, “I've never thought about it before. I didn't expect to ever have a kid. Either one is okay, I guess, especially since it won't have to grow up the way I did. It'll have us to take care of it.”

Kerri sighed. “That's assuming the boss doesn't kill one or both of us.”

“He won't,” Reno said, grinning. “It's too hard to replace us these days, yo. He's got too much gil invested in us to throw it away.”

“He's going to be pissed, though,” she said, unconsciously moving closer to him. “I'm scared, Reno.”

He kissed the back of her head and said, “Don't be. He's been pissed at me before. He gets over it.”

“Not that,” she said. “I never planned on having a kid any more than you did. What if I don't have what it takes to be a mother? Emotionally, I mean.”

Reno snorted. “If you didn't have what it takes, you wouldn't be going to a doctor, you'd be going to have an abortion. But the idea never entered your mind, did it?” Kerri shook her head, and he spread his long fingers and gently squeezed her stomach. “You can't get cold feet just as I'm getting used to the idea, babe.”

Kerri turned onto her back so she could see his face. “Are you really getting used to the idea?” she asked.

He looked at her for a moment, a little smile on his face, then lifted his hand a few inches off her stomach, pulling the covers up with it until they arched in a bell shape above her. He stared speculatively at this.

“What are you doing?” Kerri said.

“Just trying to see what you're going to look like when you get fat, yo,” he answered, and Kerri gave his chest a backhanded slap.



Elena stepped into the corridor outside Darkin's cell. Kerri's father sat on the bunk, staring at her with his habitual hostile expression. The delicate looking blond gave him her sweetest smile in return. Darkin, who had been on the receiving end of her torture techniques, wasn't fooled. He knew from painful experience that she was as cruel and deadly as the male Turks. “What do you want?” he snarled.

“President Rufus sent me,” she replied. “He thought you might like to know that in spite of the assassin you arranged for, he is still alive and well.” Elena's smile widened at the look of fury that crossed his features. She continued. “That's what he wanted you to know. I would like to tell you that your daughter shot your flunkie herself. She saved the boss's life. You should be proud of her.” She paused a moment, but Darkin said nothing. “No? I was afraid of that. There is one more piece of good news.” Elena was grateful that Rufus had chosen not to accompany her to the prison, or else she wouldn't have been able to say this. “Kerri is going to have Reno's baby. You are going to have a grandchild.”

Darkin shot to his feet in rage. “Don't call any bastard of hers my grandchild!” he yelled.

Elena looked wounded at this. “I only thought you might like to know that you're going to be a grandfather. At least...you would be if you were going to live.” His eyes widened and fear replaced the rage as he realized just why she was there. Elena pulled her gun from the hidden holster behind her back, her small hands a blur, and put a bullet between Darkin's eyes. He collapsed to the floor, and blood seeped out from the exit wound, quickly making a puddle on the floor. Elena holstered her weapon and turned to leave. As she passed the guard she said, “You're going to need a clean-up crew.” She felt a bit let down; if it had been left up to her she would have preferred a slow, painful, lingering death for the terrorist. Elena felt that he hadn't suffered nearly enough for what he had allowed to happen to his daughter, her fellow Turk. But Rufus had ordered her to take care of it quickly, and it was her job to obey his orders, whether she liked them or not.



“It's done, sir,” Elena said when she entered Rufus's office. “Quick and clean, as you ordered.”

“Thank you, Elena,” he replied. “The man had far outlived his usefulness. News of his death should throw GALEFORCE into chaos for a while. It's too much to hope for that they will disband completely. Groups such as that rarely do.”

“Yes, sir,” Elena said. “Should I inform Kerri of his death?”

“Please. You might also inform her that I want to know the reason she was unable to stay in Kalm as I wished. I do not like being in the dark. I don't suppose you would care to enlighten me, Elena?” he said.

“I'm sorry, sir,” she replied, “but it's her place to tell you. Not mine.”

Rufus frowned. “As I thought. But tell me this: is her loyalty in question?”

Elena shook her head. “No, sir. If it was, I would have already informed you.”

“I'll trust your judgment. You may go now,” he said, and turned his attention to the files on his desk.



Elena knocked on Reno's door, and Kerri opened it a few moments later. She smiled when she saw Elena. “Come in,” she said.

“Where's Reno?” Elena asked when she had sat down in the armchair.

Kerri took a drink of water from the glass on the table next to the futon and said, “He called a cab and went to pick up his car from the...from the bar he was at. Did you need to talk to him?”

“Not really. I have something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” Kerri asked, looking a bit apprehensive.

In a low, gentle voice, Elena said, “Darkin is dead, Kerri. President Rufus ordered him killed this morning.”

There was a brief flash of sadness in the other woman's eyes, there and gone in an instant. “He deserved it,” she said matter-of-factly. “You did it, didn't you?”

“I'm sorry, Kerri,” Elena said, but the brunette waved this away.

“It doesn't matter. But thank you for telling me,” she said.

“There is one other thing,” Elena told her, and Kerri looked at her curiously. “The boss wants to speak with you. He wants to know what's going on.”

Kerri nodded. “Reno and I decided to tell him about my pregnancy today. He's taking me to see a doctor first, then we're going to talk to Rufus.”

“So Reno is okay with it now?” Elena questioned.

“Kerri shrugged, an amused look on her face. “You know Reno. He's already making jokes about how fat I'm going to get, and planning on asking the doctor how much longer we can have sex.” Elena had to laugh. That was Reno, all right.