“No, of course not,” Court panted nervously. “As you can appreciate, I had to hide them pieces away, otherwise my family… my family… they do not know…”
“They do not know that you are a thief,” the man finished Court’s difficult statement. The words came out blunt, but somehow cut through the mechanic like Japanese steel. He could do nothing but nod like a fool, knowing that there was no other way of describing what he had become. With a sharp leer, the man addressed Court. “Well, thief, meet the hunters.”
“Please, gentlemen, let us go in?” the sweaty Alan Silver suggested, looking around frantically. “We can continue the transaction inside, away from prying eyes.”
The gaunt man nodded at his bodyguard and the huge man planted himself at the door, on the inside, to make sure that nobody could show up while the deal was underway. Better still, he could assure the safety of his employer, Major Johannes Rian, master collector of bladed weaponry of all eras.
Alan led the two men into a small, brightly lit office where he usually appraised prospective artifacts. Shelves lined the wall behind his chair, separated into four sections, filled with trinkets, ornate utensils, hand-carved clocks and the like. Court could not help but conclude that Alan Silver was far from the financial caliber of the men he had invited over. The Major introduced himself, as did Court, given that Alan Silver did not know more than Court’s first name and had him vouched for by a reliable businessman, Tony Hamish.
As Court laid out his stolen goods, he silently realized that he had made a terrible mistake. Perhaps it was the snide menace of the Major, or maybe the fact that Court had entered the jaded world of murder and larceny. All plausible reasons, however, Court’s sinking feeling may have come from the look on the Major’s face… and the black Swastika tattooed on his neck.
11
Impervious
School was over for the day. Usually a time of relief for kids, one child was far from relaxed as he exited the building into the early afternoon drizzle. Brian was very worried that his grandfather would discover that he took the scabbard, but if he made it home on time, all would be well. Grandpa Court only got home after five o’clock, so he had plenty of time to return the scabbard to where he had found it, provided he could evade the bullies just for one day.
It had become ritual for Jimmy Leonard and Percy Klein to bully the frail Brian Callany. Even the soft rain that wept all over the moist footpaths cutting through the weed-riddled lawns of the park did not deter their malice. At least, Brian thought, he would be free of their bullying when it rained, but he was disappointed to see them trail him anyway.
He was wearing his grandfather’s newly acquired scabbard around his small waist. It was far too loose, but instead of buckling the belt, he had tied it in a knot to keep it from falling off him. The long sheath was dragging on the ground and Brian held it up for the most part to keep it from getting damaged.
“You look so stupid!” Jimmy yelled from a distance behind him.
His cry drew the attention of Nina, who was outside the school, busy unlocking her car. Frowning, the historian watched the two boys follow Brian into the canopy of foliage. She did not like the look of it, and decided to follow them. After all, it was not as if she had to be anywhere in particular after school. Tiptoeing carefully to avoid detection, Nina snuck in behind the drooping tree branches, taking her time to catch up to the children.
Most of her hair had gotten wet anyway, so she did not care for the inconvenience. Her heart raced uncontrollably, fueling her natural fiery temper, because Nina despised bullies, having suffered at the hands of their cruelty herself, when she was young. However, what aggravated her the most, was the fact that she was not allowed to strike out at these children. If it were up to her, bullies of all ages would simply get a good, hearty ass kicking and sent on their way. Old fashioned or not, in her opinion, there was no better discipline than a little physical pain, and she would love to give these juvenile tyrants a punch in the crotch.
“You know that piece of junk is worthless, right?” Jimmy kept going as his accomplice laughed ruggedly. Alongside him, the podgy Percy trudged, picking up stones. He would hurl them at the determined Brian, who kept his eyes straight ahead and hastened on to put distance between them. Nina passed from shrub to shrub, pausing behind thickets, growing increasingly pissed at the bullies.
Above their heads, the clouds grew heavier. Thunder warned of what was coming and Brian hoped to make it home before the rain started pouring. His mother always got upset when he got soaked, fearing that her son’s timid immune system would bring him ill health. After all, it was an unfortunate flaw Brian inherited from Pam. Pneumonia or chronic flu hit the mother and son with ease, even when the rest of the immediate family were unscathed.
Nina could not believe what she was doing. Like a proper stalker, she was trailing a bunch of young boys. Feeling like some pervert cougar, but she had to protect Brian if she could. Even just this once. Across the park, they pursued him while he dragged the heavy leather artifact along. Brian pulled off his woolen sweater and wrapped it around most of the scabbard, trying to keep it dry. Mud clung to Nina’s boots, but she had steady feet and made good time in catching up to the boys.
The skies roared above Glasgow. All the cars frequenting the overpass to Brian’s neighborhood had their headlights on. This is how dark the afternoon had turned. Every now and then, one of Percy or Jimmy’s rocks would strike Brian, pushing Nina into secret fuming at the injustice. Lightning pulsed behind the clouds as the boys marched through the wide trench of mud and rain pools to reach the other side of the park. Brian would cower under the rocks that hit him, yelping, but it was the lightning that terrified them all the most.
He turned suddenly, forcing Nina to stop in her tracks and wait. In the hiss of the rain and the crack of thunder she could not discern his words, but he angrily screamed something at Percy and Jimmy. They stopped, waiting for him to approach them, still mocking him. To Nina’s surprise, young Brian clobbered Percy with a sudden and powerful punch to the face that took the fat bully down for the count. Before Jimmy could do anything, Brian kicked him in the groin, undeterred by the scabbard’s uncomfortable burden.
Nina gasped, catching her breath with a smile she was a little ashamed of. “Right in the bollocks,” she giggled softly to herself. “Well done, Brian!”
Percy Klein struggled back onto his knees in the brown mess of mud and stones, holding his nose. “You broke my nose! You faggot freak! My dad is going to sue your dad and take all your shitty stuff!”
“Go fuck yourself!” Nina heard the small-framed Brian defy in response. He looked enraged. His wet hair dripped over his wild eyes as he seethed. Nina could not believe the transformation of the child, as he spat on Percy and pointed at the wailing Jimmy Leonard, still writhing on the ground. “Stay down, Jimmy! Or I swear to Christ I will kick your jaw off!”
‘Maybe it is time to interfere now?’ Nina’s inner reasoning kicked in. She was still in shock by the way in which the frail boy turned the tables without warning.
“Brian?” she shouted through the rain, stumbling to the trench to break up the fight before it became deadly. Lightning split the sky again, sending Nina into an instinctive bob as she walked.
“Miss Nina?” Brian frowned, looking completely taken aback. “What are you doing here?”
“Just checking that you boys all go home without any more ugliness,” she replied, trying to sound firm, but compassionate. She helped Jimmy to his feet. “Go on, get home you two.”
Reluctantly, the bullies obeyed, still groaning and nursing their injuries. Brian was still standing in the trench, looking like a lost puppy with his wet clothing drooping from him. His lean body was shivering from the cold, but his eyes pinned hers down once more. Just like he did in class, Brian Callany’s demeanor seemed to change into that of a stout mature man and again it stunned Nina.