***
Catherine has been thinking of asking Sam about what he knew about her father and about what has been happening lately. His face looks smothered and like something weighed down his thoughts. Something he needs to say and let the burden off. Then she decided to go to him to ask him about what has been happening to him.
She thought she could get into his mind. He's not secretive for a man that talks about his love affair when he was a teenager. Though that's not something one couldn't talk about but coming from Sam, she thinks it's odd. Perhaps because he hardly talks about anything before. She heard him talking to Damien, smiling, and a new guy that joined them after the rain in the bar.
Things have been slow since the overwhelming event plunged lots of people away. It affected her. She became too cautious, she couldn't manage to remember the names of people encountered in the past few days. Some are suggesting another protest but since Elvira told them it's not necessary and provided another way out they stopped talking about it. But, somehow, Catherine thinks some of them are meeting secretly behind them to stage a grand plan of how to retaliate against Batök and the elites.
It's dark now, she needs to get to Sam before he goes to the bar or perhaps before he meets Alpha and the gang. Lately, they've been discussing so much that she thought they might be plotting her dethronement. That thought became a joke, at first, when she saw them playing chess later one night. Her fears grew but she managed to hide them. Later most of the plots in her mind turned to joke but the thought of Sam's lingered.
Sam stood in the night mopping at something behind the trunk of a chestnut. She moved closer, clearing her part as the thorny bush that remained after the rain wanted to pull her in. She smiled and touched her gun. Sam giggled and it reached her like a shock wave only that it's not but she felt it. He continued mopping the thing but seemed to have noticed her presence. Catherine walked faster to get to him before he put whatever it was away. She couldn't tell why she was spying on him through the patterns she's been seeing led her here.
"My data is correct. I nabbed him." She said silently walking briskly now with hope to reach him.
Before she got to him he turned to face her, his eyes reddened like he was ready to turn into a wolf and devour her. She got startled but he brightened with a smile at her. The stars were smiling on them too.
"Why have you been after me, Catherine?"
"After you?," She said. "What are you saying?" She staggered back, nearly falling into the thorns flanked by the tree he stood behind.
"I have been observing you for days now. You've been following me. Though it's great. We need someone like you around but you have the wrong person."
"What are you saying?"
"Tell me why you've been spying on me? It's been days. I have been wondering."
"You did nothing but lately you've been different. You talk more with Elvira and smile a lot with her. I sense something is happening. Just can't place it."
"You have great instinct, Miss. Your father will be proud of you. I'm not the bad guy here and I've plans to tell you what's happening when I have full information on it. Do you observe that some of Alex's men have started rebelling against your commands?"
"Yeah. Noticed that but my focus was on you and her. What's happening?"
"Last week I saw Elvira talking to Zed, Gregory, and Mark. You know Gregory, that second scientist you discussed particle physics with the first day he arrived from 7th Alley?"
"Yeah, but I could barely remember his face now."
"Him. He doesn't go out much. He's a master strategist. Quiet and calculative. I have noticed that life here, now, doesn't suit him. He wants something bigger."
"Elvira made a deal with them?"
"Yes. A quick deal. Didn't know what it was then but after getting closer to her she told me everything. I'll warn you not to let her know you know. Because that might be part of their plan."
"Oh."
"Don't worry much. I've got this. Elvira will not get what she wants. Now, will you stop spying on me?"
He smiled and stopped mopping the thing before me. It's something in a duffel bag.
"Sorry about that, Sam. It'll not happen again."
"It should. Humans change but it's hard that I'll compromise on my allegiance. Your father took me like a son. I can't be bad. I'll watch over your sister. Not even Alpha should know about this."
"You have my words. Now I have got to Sarah. We have something to cash you on."
"Oh, she asked me to join too. Isn't it about the book you are reading?"
"Damn! She gave this away too."
She walked away with another strength reserved for another time to deal with the world around her. Sam told her the truth. She saw it in his eyes. She saw it in her too, what Sam said when she stumbled on her in the hallway making a call. She was startled but quickly hid it thinking Catherine heard everything or some of what she had been saying over the phone. She ended the call and disgruntledly said, "This man is a fool."
She turned to her giggling.
"Catherine, men are fools. Do you agree?"
"A lot of us are foolish till we find reasons not to be."
"Yeah, that. This man asked me out for the seventh time now. What should I do with him?"
She giggled again hugging Catherine with most of her hair falling in her face. She wore heels and looks taller because of that.
"I should get going. Meeting a friend in twenty minutes."
"Alright," Catherine said looking at her as she left through the door holding a duffle bag.
That action got her thinking for days then seeing her with Sam kicked off her spying on him not knowing he's loyal to them. But then the duffel bag was the same as what Elvira carried. What is happening?
She went back down the hill, the night owls patched in trees and bats flying around while the stars dotted around to give the sky tranquility. That same sky that rained wrought on them.
Alpha understood what she had been doing but hid it from her. He noticed he had also changed lately. He wasn't that bossy again and kind of wanted to see things from others' perspectives. Damien has been more inward too. He thinks about nothing much. He just wants to be being around Alpha forever and he has accepted to be celibate for them. Alpha stood there gazing at the stars, hoping she'll come back sooner and thinking about their first kiss.
She looked back and saw Sam running to reach her.
"Wait Miss, you should know this too. The old woman that died here was a close relative and she knew your father. They've been friends since…"
"Friends?"
"Yeah. They go way back. After her death, I went into the morgue and found this tattoo. He showed her the picture of Martha's pale skin with the tattoo of curly like a grid with an inscription saying: To die is the goal.
"Look," he said, pointing to the inscription. "I understand her puzzles. She's great at that. Your father was with her in 7th Alley. He wasn't dead before but she's saying his death was a goal he planned to give you the seat. She once told me Alex is the smartest in Smallsvile."
"Why will he want me to rein when chaos is around?"
"He could have solved that before throwing the bat at me."
"I understand your plight but chaos can't be solved. He was aware you are calm and have empathy. That's what will make you a great leader."
"I'll like to visit her house."
"Will take you there tomorrow. Alpha is over there waiting for you."
"Butz, what was in that bag? I saw Elvira with it."
"That? They are… I'll tell you later. He's waiting."
***
When she entered the fortress Alpha ran over to hug her. He kissed her head too and she melted over that.
"When have you been, Cathy? I have tried your phone."
"Left it in. How are you?" She heaved out of his grab. She knows remaining there will make her lose her senses and she'll want nothing but more.
"Was worried about you but I know you are safe."
"You have great instinct," she teased and touched his shoulder.
"Come here now. I have something for you."
"No. No," she laughed, running away. He followed her.
"You need to be in my arms. My chest needs you."