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Jesper could hear his own pulse pounding in his ears. Every rapid pump of his heart sent his anxieties climbing higher. Maybe this is how Nina felt all the time. Maybe it was worse for her being surrounded by hundreds of heartbeats marching along in an unstoppable, disjointed rhythm. Even though Jesper could only hear his own, that was more than enough. And it was Kaz’s fault.
Jesper hated this plan, this scheme. Wylan’s role was demo-man. Period. Nothing else. And even on heists where Wylan was on demolitions, Jesper preferred that Kaz planned for both of them to be together. Wylan was perfect and so, so smart, but despite all of his many perfections, the merchling was awful at hand-to-hand combat. He could plant a bomb like a pro – and keep his fingers to show for it – but he couldn’t throw a solid punch to save his life. And he couldn’t shoot. Jesper had tried to teach him many times, and they both quickly discovered that without Jesper’s Durast abilities, Jesper didn’t really know how to shoot either. It made teaching an non-durast impossible.
But on this heist, Kaz hadn’t planned for a demo-man. He had six roles – a spider to sneak in first and disable the security measures; a Heartrender to stop any guards before they could alert anyone to the heist taking place; a bruiser strong enough to carry out the DeKappel with the weighted, bulky frame; a sharpshooter to watch from above; a thief and lockpick to unlock the Schuyler safe that the painting had been kept in until ready to sell on the auction block in three days’ time; and lastly a decoy to keep the lady of the house away whilst the heist took place.
Jesper had a problem with the plan from the beginning. Wylan wasn’t a decoy. He had a job that he was excellent at. Anything outside of that and Kaz needed to hire a different person. He had plenty of Dregs to draw upon, but Kaz insisted that it be Wylan.
Secondly, Jesper hated that the plan required that Wylan not only be separate from Jesper, but also that he was entirely separate from all of the Crows. While Jesper sat in an empty office building across from the house they were robbing, rifle positioned against his shoulder, Wylan was five blocks away in a fancy bar entertaining this woman who thought she could have anything and anyone. Of course, Kaz hadn’t asked Wylan to actually do anything of that nature with the woman, but she had guards. She was dangerous. And Wylan was chosen because he was exactly her type and Kaz knew it. Wylan wasn’t just the decoy – Kaz was using him as bait.
Jesper looked away from the guards at the front – the crew would be entering from the back so Jesper only needed to shoot these two if the plan went wrong and an alarm was trigger – and glanced at the clock tower. The heist was set to finish at 8 bells. Wylan was supposed to meet with Jesper fifteen minutes before. He was five minutes late.
Jesper was late often, but Wylan wasn’t. He was raised a merchant and, saints, if that hadn’t made him punctual. Having Wylan meet with Jesper after had been Kaz’s only concession and a piss poor one at that. But now it was proving distracting. Because instead of focusing on the job at hand, Jesper couldn’t think of anything except why Wylan was late.
Every instinct in Jesper told him to go find Wylan. But if he did and the plan did somehow go wrong, Jesper wouldn’t be there to bail the other four out. Kaz’s plan didn’t give Wylan a backup. Kaz’s plan had Jesper backing up Inej, Nina, Matthias, and himself. No one was watching Wylan’s back. Jesper shot another glance at the tower. 10 minutes now.
Jesper hesitated, considering the odds. He was a gambler, after all. He was a bit of an expert when it came to considering the odds of a bet. If Wylan was in trouble, he had been for 10 minutes now. Kaz and the others only had 5 minutes left to the heist. It was practically finished. They could survive without him. Wylan may not.
Jesper stood, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. He didn’t like it as much as his revolvers. He started out the door, then paused. It would gather too much attention. Instead, he stashed it in the corner for Inej to grab later.
--
Nina was leading the way out of the house. Her steps were quiet, but nothing like Inej’s. Matthias, however, made no attempt to hide the sounds of his footsteps. He was never meant to be a thief. Thankfully, on this heist, Kaz had not required much stealth. Nina had already taken care of the guards in the back, and Jesper was watching the guards in the front. It would be helpful if they stayed there untouched for as long as possible. It made the house look more normal. And hopefully Kaz and the others would be long gone before those guards were alerted to anything.
Nina led the way, so Kaz saw the moment her shoulders tightened just before she raised her hand to signal for the rest of them to stop.
“Kaz,” Nina whispered. Kaz looked past her. He could see there was too much motion past the drapes outside the window. He stepped around Nina and peeked outside.
Stadwatch lined the streets outside as they stormed in and out of one of the fancy neighboring houses.
“Must have been another robbery,” Inej said. Kaz hadn’t heard her come up beside him, but she was looking out the window too. Close enough to touch if either of them moved the wrong way, but she was perfectly still and keeping her distance. “We will have to leave through the front.”
“Go signal Jesper,” Kaz said. He slowly lowered the bit of the drape he had held.
Inej slipped past the others silently on her way to the front of the house while Kaz walked over only slightly louder and significantly slower.
“Change of plans,” Kaz said to Nina and Matthias. “We are leaving through the front.”
“I thought that was what we weren’t supposed to do,” Nina said.
“Low on options, dear,” Kaz said. He and the other two made their way to where Inej was standing near the front of the house.
Kaz could see the tightness in her frame as he got closer.
“Kaz,” Inej whispered. “There is only one guard.”
Kaz scowled, then took a step forward. She was right. Only one guard stayed in his post. The other was missing. “Perhaps they saw Jesper,” Kaz said. Jesper was so fidgety, it wasn’t impossible that a stray move had caught a guard’s attention. “Go to help him. Then have him take this one out,” Kaz said. He had barely finished speaking before she padded out of the room and disappeared to find Jesper. She was the only one who could make it out of the house and across to Jesper without being spotted. Hopefully, if Kaz’s suspicions were correct and Jesper had been spotted, she would get there before the guard got the drop on Jesper.
A moment after Inej had left, a shot rang out and the window above the door shattered. Kaz stumbled backwards, putting distance between him and the window. Jesper had missed. Not barely, but entirely. He missed the guard completely and almost shot Kaz instead.
“Nina,” Matthias said from behind Kaz, “are you okay? How bad is it?”
Kaz whipped around. Matthias was still holding the painting, but Nina had backed into the wall and had her head back as she gripped her left shoulder. Her left arm hung uselessly, and blood was leaking between her fingers.
“It hit the muscle,” Nina said, her voice was strained with pain. “Missed the bones. But my arm is useless.”
Kaz ground his teeth before speaking. “And so are your Heartrender abilities.”
Nina sent him a sharp look that, despite her aggravation with him, confirmed what he had suspected. She couldn’t lift her arm to do her job.
“Jesper doesn’t miss,” Kaz said, grimly. “That wasn’t him shooting.”
Kaz leaned forward, risking looking out the small window. The guard remaining at the front door was collapsed on the ground and had a knife sticking out of his throat. Kaz glanced up at the window where Jesper was supposed to be. He saw Inej, only for a second as she signaled that everything was clear.
“Let’s go,” Kaz said. “Matthias, don’t be a romantic. Nina can walk on her on. That painting is more valuable than your chivalry.”
“Bastard,” Nina growled.
“I’ll be more pleasant when Matthias is holding his share of the kruge instead of that atrocity of a painting,” Kaz said.
“I thought you said the painting was one of DeKappel’s best pieces,” Nina said, following Kaz out of the house, Matthias close on their heels.
“Most valuable, Nina dear. It was the last one he painted before he retired.” Kaz led them into an alley where he knew Inej was waiting. “He retired for good reason, if that piece of work is anything to go by.”
Inej stepped out the shadows. “Jesper is gone. The guard had his gun. I don’t know where Jesper is.”
Kaz felt his mood darken. He started toward the safe house where they planned to hide the painting. Jesper had one job on this heist and managed to blow it.
“Where are you going?” Inej asked.
“The safehouse.” Kaz didn’t slow down even as he heard Nina and Matthias struggling to keep up.
“Kaz,” Nina said. “Jesper could be hurt. And Wylan too. Weren’t they supposed to be together?”
Kaz shook his head. “Jesper abandoned his post to go find Wylan. He is the reason you got shot, Nina. I’d advise you to put your concern for him aside for now.”
--
“Thank the Saints,” Jesper said, standing as the Crows walked in the door. Inej followed behind Kaz, Nina and Matthias behind her. Matthias set the painting down in the corner. Jesper didn’t seem to notice Kaz’s dark mood or the blood staining Nina’s top. His eyes were wide and red rimmed with anxiety. Inej felt cold shoot down her spine. Wylan wasn’t in with Jesper.
“Wylan is missing,” Jesper said. “I went to find him when he was late and, instead, I found one of the Merchant’s guards dead and Wylan gone. He’s been taken Kaz, all because of your stupid plan!” Jesper’s voice cracked at the end and he tried to compose himself before continuing. “I told you he and I needed to be together and that this was too risky—”
Inej looked to Kaz, hoping to see some kind of plan of how to get Wylan back forming behind his eyes, but instead Kaz’s eyes were cold as he lifted his cane and poked Jesper firmly in the chest. “You abandoned your crew, Jesper.”
Jesper shook his head. “You guys were fine. You didn’t need me. Wylan clearly did—”
“Nina got shot because of you,” Kaz snapped. “The guard saw you leave and went to investigate and instead found your gun that he used to shoot Nina.”
Jesper shook his head. “What? I didn’t— Nina, I am so sorry.”
“It’s a small wound, Jes. I’ll be fine,” Nina said. Matthias was wrapping her shoulder in gauze from the first aid kit. It wasn’t a good patch up, but hopefully it would last long enough for them to find their missing member. “I can help search for Wylan. We need to go now before they gets too far.”
Jesper nodded. “I’m so, so sorry. I will pay you back for this after we find him. I promise.” His gaze shifted away from Nina to Kaz. “You don’t seem to care. Kaz, why don’t you seem to care?”
It was bothering Inej too. From the time Jesper revealed that Wylan was missing, Kaz hadn’t batted an eye.
“Wylan is the least of my concern right now,” Kaz said. Inej felt herself shrink back from the acid in his voice. “We were counting on you to do your job, and we nearly died for it. Again.”
Jesper recoiled, but didn’t last long. Inej saw the anger spark in his eyes. “This was your plan Kaz. Your plan that went wrong. Wylan is missing right now because of you. You see us as nothing more than pawns. You don’t listen to us. You don’t ask us our opinions. You do whatever you want and say ‘fuck the consequences.’ And this time Wylan is paying for your—”
“How was the guard killed?” Kaz interrupted.
Jesper shook his head. “Why does that matter?”
“Just answer the question.”
“Knife to the kidneys and his throat was slit.”
Inej put the pieces together and felt relief and exasperation at the same time. “Kaz, you didn’t,” she whispered. If Kaz heard her, he didn’t acknowledge it.
“Wylan is at the Slat,” Kaz said.
Anika was known for killing in very specific ways. It was her own form of communication. Only Kaz, Inej, and Anika knew what the different methods meant. Inej wasn’t explicitly told, but she never needed to be. She had tracked a pattern. If Anika killed someone by slashing their throat and stabbing them in the kidney, it meant that the job had gone right and she had the package – whether that be a person or a diamond necklace. If she killed someone with a garrote, then the plan went wrong and the crew had failed to collect the target. There was a dozen different methods that communicated other results such as a dead crew member, stadwatch interference, and even one for an unexpected guard dog that prevented them from entering the premises at all. It was a very elaborate code that Kaz and Anika had built, but it was flawless for leaving messages that Kaz may not be able to collect himself. Such as tonight.
“You didn’t think to tell us this sooner?” Inej asked. He barely spared her a glance.
“My plan accounted for Wylan. I had a second team with him watching his back all night. And while I was watching Wylan’s back, you were supposed to be watching ours.”
“Wait,” Jesper said. Instead of relief showing in his eyes, there was a new level of rage that Inej hadn’t seen before. “So, you had me worrying about Wylan for nothing?”
Kaz straightened his shoulders. “You only needed to trust the plan.”
“Why would I trust you when you use us like this, Kaz? I have been worried about Wylan all night. When I found that dead guard, I didn’t even know if Wylan was alive—”
“If you had followed the plan, you would have never even known that guard was dead.” Kaz’s face was the picture of composure even as Jesper stepped forward. There was no regret in Kaz.
“That is not the point, Kaz! You scheme and you plan with no regard to the feelings of others. You don’t care what we lose as long as you win.” Jesper spoke like he wielded his revolvers. There was no pause in between and they fired off faster than even Jesper himself could keep up with. His voice was full of vitriol and his eyes were filled with unshed tears. “You are no better than Pekka Rollins.”
As soon as the words left Jesper’s mouth, he froze.
Inej saw the flash of hurt in Kaz’s eyes before it was quickly concealed by something deeper and darker than rage. It was the all-encompassing look that Kaz had at any time Rollins was mentioned. Even after Kaz had managed to tear down his empire, Kaz still kept that grudge. Inej would too if she were in his place. Inej wasn’t sure if Jesper knew what Kaz had lost to Rollins, but Inej did.
Kaz’s hand tightened on his cane and that was the only movement before his face smoothed back into his mask of indifference.
“Wylan is waiting for you at the Slat,” Kaz said. There was a careful calmness in his voice that had Inej on edge. “The Dregs no longer need your services, Jesper. Your portion of the payout will be delivered to the Van Eck house. Tell Wylan I will find a new demolitions man.”
“Kaz—” Jesper said.
Kaz turned and walked out of the house. Jesper moved to follow him and Inej caught him with one hand on his chest.
“Inej, I didn’t mean—”
“Go find Wylan, Jesper. You and Kaz need some space right now.”
Jesper nodded jerkily and left too, hopefully in a different direction from Kaz.
“So does this mean I can fix my shoulder then?” Nina asked. She had a fake light tone even though her eyes bored into Inej’s with one question. What just happened?
Inej shook her head. “Yes, you can fix your shoulder. I’m going to find Kaz.”
---
Inej found Kaz a short distance away. He stood on a bridge, looking down into the harbor. There was a distant look on his face as if he was seeing something that existed only in his mind rather than actually seeing the polluted water below him.
“You should have told him,” Inej said. He didn’t flinch at her sudden appearance, but then he never did. He always knew when she was close.
“I’m not in the mood for your wisdom, Inej.”
“Maybe you need it.” She stood closer to him then jumped up on the stone bridge railing, so her feet dangled below her. The wind tugged at her, threatening to pull her over the side of the bridge. It tried to pull her backwards over the side. But no matter how hard it pushed, she stayed solid. She was unwavering.
“Jesper is your friend. So is Wylan. But at the end of the day, their loyalty will be stronger to each other than to any heist you ever design. They are not soldiers like Nina and Matthias and they are not as dedicated as us. If you want Jesper to stay focused on a job, you have to make sure he isn’t worrying about Wylan.”
Kaz stared into the water, but didn’t reply yet. Inej assumed he would. Ever since she asked him to take off his armor, he had tried. Piece by piece. Sometimes he removed his gloves. Sometimes he spoke and told her what he was thinking. Neither were easy for him. Since she had first asked him to remove his armor, she had learned more about Kaz than she ever thought was possible.
“I sometimes hear Jordie talking to me,” Kaz said. His voice was little more than a rasp and Inej barely heard him over the sound of the water rushing below them. “I don’t know if the voice I hear actually sounds like he did. I can’t remember his voice anymore. Some days the voice sounds more like Jesper than it does Jordie.” Inej looked at him but didn’t say anything. “When I first started killing, I knew Jordie would never forgive me. It’s why he died, and I lived. He could never have done the things it takes to survive in the Barrel. I know that.” Kaz sighed. “Jesper is the closest thing I have left to a brother. I lost Jordie because of Rollins. I think I’m going to lose Jesper because of who I have become to defeat Rollins.”
Inej nodded. “Then be something better.”
Kaz seemed to force the next words out. “I don’t know how.”
Inej hummed. This time she stared into the water, waiting to answer. “For someone like Jesper, sometimes letting him know that you care enough to try is enough.”
--
A few months later, Kaz once again had Jesper and Wylan on a heist. But this time, even though it was never discussed, Kaz’s plan made sure they were together.