The Edge

Gideon: Part Five

He didn't like going through the front door like this.

Gideon's mind had already switched to combat mode. He should've been taking a side entrance, or waiting for a crowd and going in with them for even a little cover. Even breaching the door would've made him feel better; even if it was a display of active aggression, it would be something he had control over. But no, they were going to just walk in the front door.

Just get it over with, you'll be going in first, you can take any bullets they throw at you...

Gideon pushed through the door. Apparently he did it a little too harshly, because all conversation in the small space ceased. It was as if they'd walked into an old-timey bar in a damn western movie. Well, they know you're here now. He couldn't tell how many of the stares were curious and how many were hostile. He met them all with the same level look. Some might call it threatening, and they wouldn't be wrong. All things considered, he felt like being threatening was justified.

Take a good look. Am I really the guy you want to fuck with? You should seriously consider your next move...

Matteo rested his hand on Gideon's shoulder. The sudden touch jarred him out of his racing threats. "Breathe, big guy," Matteo said quietly.

Shit. Damn it. He'd gone too far again. He might have blown this whole thing. Damn it, damn it...

Fortunately, Arian took over, pushing his way to the front and examining the room with a much more friendly expression. "Sorry about that, gents. Anyone want to make a few bucks for a few minutes of their time?"

A lot of the patrons looked skeptical. One–young looking, thirteen, maybe, though what a kid that age was doing in a bar was beyond him–looked a bit more receptive. Arian honed in on that instantly. "How well do you know this place?" he asked as he sat down across the table from the kid.

"Depends." The kid–brown skin, dark brown or black hair, vividly blue eyes–looked at all of them. His gaze lingered on Helen. "What are you looking for? Or is this a who?"

"We're looking for a guy who runs a radio broadcast out of here. This one?" Arian pulled out his phone and showed the kid the station name. Smart; saying it aloud might get them unwanted attention. "It's kind of important."

The kid glanced at the phone. "Oh, you're looking for John?"

Arian nodded. "I take it from your tone of voice that a lot of people have been looking for John lately?"

"On and off. Funny." He pointed at Helen. "One of them looked a lot like her."

That sure got everyone's attention. "Her name didn't happen to be Cassandra, did it?" Matteo asked in a tone that only his close family would recognize as nervous.

"Yeah, that's the one. She was nice. Tried to pay me for the help and everything."

That did sound like Cassandra. "Did you help her?" Helen asked. "Do you know what she wanted to talk to him about?"

"I did. I guess she heard something in one of his broadcasts. Didn't ask though, not my business."

"So you know where to find him?"

"I do, but it's not that simple. John's a private guy. I don't just throw whoever at him.

Of course not. Of course not. Helen even had to stop to take a breath at that sentence. "Can you ask him if he'll speak to us?" she said with a strained not-patience in her voice. "It's really important."

"I can, but I don't want to make any promises. Just to be perfectly clear. The kid pulled a phone out of his pocket and started tapping at the screen. "Please don't try to force the matter, because if you do, we're gonna have a problem."

That was big talk coming from a kid who looked like he was 5'5" at most. "Where are your parents?" said Adoette, who was definitely thinking the same thing. "Should you even be in here?"

"I'm twenty-two, so legally, I'm allowed."

"...you absolutely are not twenty-two."

"I am."

"You're not."

"I definitely am."

"You look like you're ten."

Without looking up from his phone, Matthias pulled an ID out of his skirt pocket and placed it on the table. "See for yourself."

The ID didn't look fake, not to Gideon's very experienced eyes. And the date of birth did make the kid twenty-two, as he said. It also listed his name as Matthias Christon, no middle name listed (then again, Gideon didn't have one either). Adoette picked up the ID, examined it, and handed it off to Arian, who also examined it. His appearance seemed to shimmer slightly as he did, hair briefly darkening, eyes becoming more silver-blue than silver. That happened sometimes when he was examining people–almost like he was absorbing their features into his catalog to mash up later. "Okay , you're twenty-two," he said finally, his appearance slipping back into a shifter colors but face could be related to Adoette neutral as he handed over the ID. "That or you know someone who does impeccable fakes...if so, can I have their number?"

Adoette "nudged" Arian in the ribs, earning her a disgruntled ow. Matthias grinned at the exchange. It was mischievous, but more conspiratorial than malicious. It made Gideon feel like he should be in on the joke, not that he should be nervous. Or it would've, if he hadn't been on such high alert. He was wired up enough that he flinched when Matthias's phone chirped. Matthias checked the message. "He's in the middle of some stuff, but he'll check back in before the day is out."

"That's fine," Helen said briskly. "Do we get his contact info...?"

"No," Matthias said bluntly. "You get mine, and I'll pass everything along. Scout's honor."

He said it like someone who'd never been a Boy Scout, and like someone who was not keen on backing down. Helen seemed to sense that, too, because she sighed and pulled out her phone without arguing. "Fine. Where can we reach you?"

Matthias started giving her his number. Gideon tried not to get impatient, he really did, but he suddenly found his mouth moving: "She didn't tell you anything about where she was going?"

"Nope, not me." Matthias looked at Gideon. His eyes were so blue, so vividly blue. It was unnatural. They must have been body mods or contacts or a mutation. Something like that. "We didn't interact much."

"And were you this cautious with her, too?"

"Well, he had to switch locations to get away from a cult, so yeah. I've been cautious with everyone lately."

...Fair. "One of them has gotten violent, just to warn you," Gideon said. "Lanky redhead, tall, likes knives?"

"Alistair?" Matthias snorted dismissively. "Yeha, we had words already. Guess I didn't make my point strong enough." He shrugged. "If he shows up again, I'll handle him."

And how exactly do you plan on doing that? Alistair had given Gideon a run for his money, and Matthias was a full foot shorter than the most of them. The skepticism died when Matthias met his eyes again and smiled that conspiratorial smile. Gideon wasn't sure where the conviction had come from, but somehow he knew: if Alistair went up against Matthias, he'd lose.

"Well, here you go," Matthias finished suddenly. He passed Helen back her phone. "I promise I'll text when I've heard more from him, okay? You guys focus on looking after each other.

Easier said than done in this family.

Helen smiled thinly as she took her phone back. "Thanks for your help," she said, in that I'm being polite because I have to be tone. The others followed, some giving their goodbyes, some not. Gideon lingered, leaving only when the others were safely at the door. He risked glancing over his shoulder as he left. Matthias was staring after them with a cool, confident expression, unphased by any part of the interaction.

John may not have been the strangest person on this planet. Seriously, who is this guy?