“Did you fall asleep?” she asks.
“No, lass. Just thinking about you torturing someone.”
I don’t mention that the person she’s torturing is me.
“Did you have someone in mind? Any criminals you need to get intel out of?”
An idea strikes me, and I smile. “Aye, I might just. Let’s go check out Jim’s little book.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Quinn
Aven and I sit at a table in Jim’s suite, hovering over a binder full of criminals. Jim sits on the couch with Kenny, the massive white cockatoo. He pets the bird’s head and speaks softly against its beak, and as the bird closes its eyes and listens, it’s the sweetest sight I’ve ever seen. The fact that someone once abused this animal is beyond my understanding.
Jim catches me watching them and smiles to himself. “They have problem-solving skills, you know,” he says with a sad smile. “The cockatoo’s cognitive abilities could be compared to that of a young school-age child. Terribly, terribly smart animals, the cockatoo.”
“Seems like you two have developed a bond,” Aven says. “Might not need that other bird after all.”
Jim shakes his head. “Kenny and I have a bond, that’s true, and I plan to keep him around, but the other bird still needs us. So many do.”
“Aye. We can’t save them all, but we’ll save the ones we can.” Aven flips to the back of the book, and yellow suits fill the pages. His finger drags over the faces until he stops on a man. “Terrence Brickle...Was he the one with the lemur colonies that magically disappeared?”
Jim stands and delivers Kenny to his perch. “Yes, and we still haven’t discovered their location. He seems to believe we’ll have to let him go eventually. He fails to realize we aren’t the authorities and are under no such compunction. His release is inevitable, but only his release to Satan himself. Until I know the whereabouts of those animals, we have to keep him alive.”
He pulls a few cashews from his pocket and offers them to the bird, who accepts one with a gentle squawk. Jim pops the remaining cashews into his own mouth. The bird bobs his head in approval and goes back to munching.
“At least we can save the other bird. Our team is en route as we speak.” Jim palms a few more cashews, then stuffs them into his pocket. “Maybe I’ll set up a bird sanctuary on Devil Horn Island.” He turns to the bird. “You’ll like it there. Very warm. I’ll spare no expense.”
“Let the wee lass have a crack at the lemur bloke,” Aven says. “The other egg broke a little prematurely.”
“We can save the lemurs,” I say with a crack of my knuckles. “Give me a few minutes alone with this guy, and I’ll get the location out of him.”
“Someone has developed quite the bloodlust,” Jim says as he rocks on his heels with a pleased smile. “Are you handling the mental aspect well? I have psychologists on staff if you need to speak with someone.”
“Oddly enough, my time here has been more therapeutic than the eons I’ve spent with my therapist. I think it’s time to cut ties with her.”
Jim gets an odd look in his eyes, like I’ve nearly touched a hidden live wire, but he recovers and smiles at me. “Yes, well, if you change your mind, just let me know. For now, I’ll get an area set up so that you can practice your torture skills.”
I tuck that look into my back pocket for later. Right now, it’s time to enjoy my new hobby.
“Of course, it might be fun if we turn it into a game,” Jim offers.
“No need to turn it into a group activity,” Aven counters.
I shrug and turn to face Aven. “I don’t really mind if others are there. So long as Desmond isn’t invited.”
We filled Jim in on the Desmond situation before we started going through his big book of bad people. Aven wants to take out Desmond immediately, but Jim says we have to wait. As long as he hasn’t been witnessed trying to take my life, we aren’t allowed to act, and no one saw him put the turmeric in my meal the other night.
“I’ll speak with King and Frankie regarding the Desmond information,” Jim says, “but I can assure you he won’t be at this event. The invitation will be extended to our insiders only.”
I look back at Aven. “I’m fine with that.”
With a sigh, he relents. “Aye, call them in, then. If it’s what she wants, make it a game.”
Jim practically explodes with joy as he flitters off to begin preparing. Meanwhile, I’m exploding with excitement. I get to torture a piece of shitandrescue endangered species. I’m living the fucking dream, and I don’t know what could make this any better.
But then I feel the phone in my pocket, and I remember what’s to come tonight. What started out as a horrible day is turning into one of the most exciting days of my life.
