They sat in the silence, looking out, and Caitlin was surprised at how comfortable the silence was between them. It was almost as if he were a part of her family.
“Do you wait for your Dad here every day?” she asked.
Jade shrugged. “Mostly,” he said. “He said that when I’m bigger, next year, I can go with him.
This island is boring. I want to train. I want to learn how to fight,” he said, a determined edge in his voice.
Caitlin looked at him, surprised at the sudden strength in his voice.
“Why would you want to do that?” she asked.
“Because I’m going to be a great warrior one day,” he said. It wasn’t bravado. He stated it as simply as if he were stating a fact. And Caitlin believed him. She could sense it, coming off of him, off of every pore in his body. This was a proud, young child, a born warrior. He felt like an ancient soul, and a noble being.
“And what does your Dad think of that?”
Jade shrugged. “He wants me to go to school,” he said. “I hate school.”
Jade’s eyes lowered to Caitlin’s neckline, then suddenly opened wide.
“Wow!” he exclaimed. “What a necklace. It’s beautiful. Can I have it?”
Caitlin reached down and felt her necklace; she had forgotten, as always, that she was wearing it.
She was surprised by how transfixed the boy was to it; she felt bad saying no, but she couldn’t give it away.
But then again, why couldn’t she? And to Jade, of all people? If anyone else had asked her, she would have refused—but there was something about the way he looked at it. Somehow, for some odd reason, it suddenly felt right for her for him to have it. Perhaps, in some small way, it would connect her to Caleb, complete some sort of chain.
She gingerly removed it and handed it to him.
His eyes opened even wider as he took it.
“Really?” he said, clearly surprised that she had agreed. “My Dad would kill me if he knew that I asked you for it. He says I shouldn’t ask for things.”
Caitlin smiled. “I won’t tell.”
Jade put it on, and immediately, it looked like he’d always worn it. He was thrilled.
He turned back to the water, and they sat there in the silence, looking out. They watched together as the sky grew darker.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, he turned to her, and fixed his intense eyes right on her.
“Are you going to be my mommy?” he asked.
Caitlin was shocked. She was so caught off guard, she hardly knew how to respond. She was utterly speechless. Why would he ask such a question? Was he seeing something in the future? In the past?
As she opened her mouth to speak, suddenly, a noise came from the water.
“Daddy!” exclaimed the boy, leaping to his feet, nearly jumping out of his skin with excitement.
Caleb suddenly pulled his gondola right up to the side of the dock. He secured the boat and jumped onto pier.
Caitlin quickly jumped to her feet, too, caught off guard by the quickness with which he approached.
Jade hugged Caleb’s leg tightly.
“Daddy, did you meet Rose?” he asked.
Caleb looked down, as Rose licked his hand.
Caleb placed a hand on Jade’s head, and stared at Caitlin.
He paused. “Jade, can you give us a minute?” he asked, his eyes on Caitlin. “Run home to mommy. I’ll be right there.”
Jade hurried across the plaza, practically skipping with excitement.
“Come on, Rose!” he yelled.
Rose took off at a sprint after him. Caitlin was shocked. Rose had never left her side before, for anyone. It made her sad, but it also pleased her that Rose had found someone she loved so much.
Caitlin stood there, facing Caleb, who stared back at her with intensity. Her heart pounded, as she wondered what he would say. She had no idea what to say herself.
Did he, finally, remember her?
Kyle hurried down the staircase, deep into the Venice jail, and as he reached the lower levels, he saw that it was exactly as he remembered it. There was a low, arched ceiling, like a wine cellar, and on either side, were dozens of cells, behind thick iron bars. It was loud down here, hundreds of prisoners’ hands sticking out through the bars, yelling out to Kyle as he walked down the aisle.
He wasted no time. He tore at the iron bars with his bare hands, and the iron gave way as he bent it back with a groaning noise, just enough for the prisoners to squeeze out. He did this with each cell as he went, opening one after the other, and in moments, the corridor was flooded with rowdy prisoners, thrilled and bewildered. They all looked to Kyle, all seeming to wonder who he was, how they had earned such good luck. They were jubilant, shouting, victorious.
Kyle held up a hand, and they quieted.
“I have freed you all tonight,” Kyle began in a loud, commanding voice, “to fulfill a mission for me. The streets of Venice are yours tonight. You will rape and loot and rob and destroy and cause as much trouble as you possibly can. You will not get arrested again, I assure you of that. This is why I have freed you. I have done you a great favor. I expect you to do one for me. Does anyone here object?”
There was a brief, stunned silence.
“What makes you think you can tell us what to do?” suddenly shouted one particularly nasty-looking prisoner, a large bald man with a huge scar across his nose, approaching Kyle threateningly.
Kyle leapt towards him, and in one motion tore the man’s head clean off his body. Blood spurted everywhere, as the corpse dropped to the ground.
The crowd of prisoners stared back at him, shocked.
“Does anyone else have any objections?” Kyle asked. It was not a question.
No one else dared defy him.
“Then go!” Kyle yelled.
With a shout, they all scattered like mice, turning and racing up the stairs. Based on their jubilant yells, Kyle could tell they would cause the trouble he wished for.