Sui Generis – 6

 

Mag's eyes widened when Brand leapt onto the dumpster as though it was only a couple of feet tall. When Brand knelt to give him a hand up, Mag said with a bit of awe, "You're a lot stronger than you look."

"Naw, just lots of practice," Brand replied off-handedly, as if it was nothing unusual. He grabbed the handrail of the fire escape, swung onto it, and started up, with Mag right behind him. "Stay low," he said, when they got to the rooftop, hunching down as he made his way to the corner where they'd have a view of both the alley and the street.   

 "Yeah I know. We don't want to be hassled by cops."

"Them or punks. But we also don't want Fedor to spot us if he's around. We'd lose the element of surprise."

Mag crept up beside him, trying not to let his fear of heights get to him as he asked, feeling foolish for not having done so before, "What does he look like?"

Brand chuckled wryly. "Yep, knowing would help. He's tall, has pale, blond hair, and an aquiline nose, sort of like Dante's."

"As if I know what Dante's nose looks like."

"Okay, good point." Brand took out his penknife and scratched a sketch of what he was talking about into a brick on the side of the roof's parapet. "Like that."

"Got it. That should make him stand out. At least somewhat. It sort of reminds me of Professor Caine, but he's short and dark-haired."

Brand thought for a moment then chuckled. "Yeah, I don't see him prowling the streets looking for victims."

Mag watched as Brand carefully leaned over to look up and down the alley. They'd chosen it because there were some people settling in for the night. From where he was kneeling, away from the edge of the roof, he could still see two boys at the end of the alley who looked to be in their late teens. They were leaning casually against the wall of one of the buildings, eyeing the male pedestrians who were walking by.

Mag asked softly, "Could they be working for Fedor?"

Brand shook his head. "Doubtful. He never let… He doesn't put anyone out on the street with someone else."

Mag wanted to ask why, but there was something in Brand's expression—a tightness—that made him change his mind. Sometime, though, I'm going to make him talk about it, for his own good. He didn't know how he'd accomplish it, but he'd figure it out.

"Anything?" Mag asked when Brand sat back on his heels.

"No. But we have all night."

"We're going to spend it here?"

Brand shrugged. "It's a catch-twenty-two. If we do, he'll be somewhere else. If we move on, he'll show up here ten minutes after we're gone."

"Can I ask something?"

"Sure."

"Why don't we just stake out wherever it was he kept you?"

"Because—" Brand glanced away, "—it's too dangerous."

"Now tell me the real reason," Mag said sharply.

"Okay," Brand replied with a dark look. "Because I don't know where that was."

"Hang on a second. How could you not know? I mean he sent you out to do… what those guys are doing." Mag pointed in the direction of the two teens they'd seen.

"I wish it was that easy," Brand murmured so softly Mag could barely hear him.

"Then explain it to me so I understand."

"I…" Brand stopped talking suddenly, leaning forward, his gaze locked on something below them in the alley.

Mag reluctantly inched forward, trying to see who had caught his attention. There was no one in sight as far as he could see except a raggedly dressed, white-haired homeless man who was shuffling away toward the entrance to the alley. "That's not him," he barely whispered, his lips brushing Brand's ear as he pointed to the man.

Brand sat back on his heels again, frowning. "No. Still, I was certain for a moment that he was down there."

"If so, he's either a ghost or invisible, because I didn't see anyone but that guy."

Brand's look was sour when he replied, "Trust me. Fedor's not a ghost. I guess… I suppose I thought I saw him because I want to so badly."

Mag smiled, giving him a fast hug. "Imagination plays tricks on us all at times. But unless he's an expert at disguises, that man wasn't him."

"I know that," Brand replied testily. "Maybe it's time to find another alley and try again."

Chuckling, Mag replied, "Catch-twenty-two, but maybe."