“Fat chance,” said Colt.
“Is it really so ridiculous? With you, I finally have someone reliable who can never betray me. With me, you finally have an employer who appreciates your finer talents. An employer who will not hesitate to show his generosity.”
“You have a strange idea of generosity.”
“I like guarantees, Colt. A man in my position shouldn’t trust anyone when he has the opportunity not to. I’m sure you can understand that. But when I have my guarantee--” He placed a briefcase on the desk. It was full of cash. “--I am free to show my gratitude.”
Colt eyed the money. By the size of the bills, there must have been at least five thousand troas. “Money isn’t enough,” he said.
“Of course. I believe you have earned another two hours.”
Colt took the briefcase. “Where are they?”
“Today, they’re here.” Rofal motioned toward the broad double doors behind him, ornately wooden with brass lamps on either side. “Tomorrow, they’ll be somewhere else.”
Colt proceeded through into what could only be Rofal’s bedchamber. Four guards looked up as he entered, and then put away their cards, book, and newspaper in order to watch him in silence. He approached the crib in the middle of the room.
Two babies lay sleeping, twins boy and girl. Colt took a relieved breath. He could not smile at them. Not here. He touched his son’s forehead and then his daughter’s.
Two hours, he had. It wasn’t enough. He wanted to spend it as efficiently as possible, but he didn’t know how to do that. So before it drove him mad, he decided to just sit down and watch them sleep.
Garovel merely continued observing.
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every day at noon PST by ~400 words.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Page 71
Rofal sat down. “Leave us,” he told Swank, who promptly exited. He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his red and gray hair. The weathered lines of his face made his expression all the more foul.
“You sure Swank wasn’t followed?”
“He said he wasn’t, but who knows. Do you remember anything about this person? You said he was young.”
“Looked like a teenager. Seemed really intimidated by me. Before he started beating the shit out of everyone, anyway. But it can’t be the same guy. He must have had a partner.”
“Then what’s their objective?”
Colt shrugged. He couldn’t help grinning. “Can you think of any reason why someone would want to hurt you?”
Rofal did not look amused. “You are obviously not the person to discuss this with. Tell me how your assignment went.”
“I contacted some of my old colleagues in the department. Told them I was innocent, like you said. I’m pretty sure none of them believed me.”
“I didn’t expect them to. But now they will be conflicted. And perhaps more malleable.”
Colt furrowed his brow. “You mean to coerce them.”
“Empires are not built on alliances. They are built on conquests.”
Colt just looked disgusted.
“Three of your fellow officers and two teenagers,” Rofal reminded him. “And you felt nothing when you killed them, no? I’m sure a bit of surreption won’t pose too much of a moral dilemma for you.”
He stared back coldly. “I expect I’ll feel something when I kill you.”
“Careful, Colt. Do not jeopardize the understanding we have.”
“I apologize,” he said through his teeth.
“I’m aware of your current hatred for me,” Rofal said. “But in time, I believe you will see the situation as I do.”
“You sure Swank wasn’t followed?”
“He said he wasn’t, but who knows. Do you remember anything about this person? You said he was young.”
“Looked like a teenager. Seemed really intimidated by me. Before he started beating the shit out of everyone, anyway. But it can’t be the same guy. He must have had a partner.”
“Then what’s their objective?”
Colt shrugged. He couldn’t help grinning. “Can you think of any reason why someone would want to hurt you?”
Rofal did not look amused. “You are obviously not the person to discuss this with. Tell me how your assignment went.”
“I contacted some of my old colleagues in the department. Told them I was innocent, like you said. I’m pretty sure none of them believed me.”
“I didn’t expect them to. But now they will be conflicted. And perhaps more malleable.”
Colt furrowed his brow. “You mean to coerce them.”
“Empires are not built on alliances. They are built on conquests.”
Colt just looked disgusted.
“Three of your fellow officers and two teenagers,” Rofal reminded him. “And you felt nothing when you killed them, no? I’m sure a bit of surreption won’t pose too much of a moral dilemma for you.”
He stared back coldly. “I expect I’ll feel something when I kill you.”
“Careful, Colt. Do not jeopardize the understanding we have.”
“I apologize,” he said through his teeth.
“I’m aware of your current hatred for me,” Rofal said. “But in time, I believe you will see the situation as I do.”
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Page 70
Joseph Rofal’s chamber was just ahead, two guards at the door, Molester-stache and Baldie, as Colt remembered them. He entered after they patted him down.
Rofal and Swank were having a heated conversation. Rofal ripped the glass lamp off his desk and threw it against the wall. “That money was for a seat at the table!” He saw Colt approaching. “You! This is your fault! You said you killed that asshole!”
Colt raised an eyebrow and looked at the swollen-faced Swank. “What asshole?”
“A guy in a mask showed up and stole seventy grand earlier tonight. Same guy I saw before.”
“How do you know it was the same guy?” Colt asked.
“Well, I guess I don’t, but he was definitely wearing the same welding mask. I saw the bullet hole that I put in it.”
“Bullet hole.” Colt thought back. “Yeah, I remember that, too. Bottom of the mask?”
“Yeah.”
“Couldn’t be the same guy, though. I definitely killed him.”
“I don’t know,” said Swank, rubbing his purple cheek. “That guy ain’t human. We must have shot him at least five times, stabbed him like six. He had knives sticking out of his fucking chest, man! Didn’t even slow him down. I have twenty men out of commission. Broken arms, legs, ribs. Fucker gave Rogers a concussion the other day.”
Rofal glared at him. “This is your responsibility, Colt.”
“What the fuck do you want me to do?” said Colt. “Do you even know where he is?”
Swank shook his head and looked at their boss. “He said he was coming for you. And no disrespect to Colt, but I’m not sure he’d stand much of a chance, anyhow. The guy took down, what, an eighth of all our muscle? In the span of a few days?”
Rofal and Swank were having a heated conversation. Rofal ripped the glass lamp off his desk and threw it against the wall. “That money was for a seat at the table!” He saw Colt approaching. “You! This is your fault! You said you killed that asshole!”
Colt raised an eyebrow and looked at the swollen-faced Swank. “What asshole?”
“A guy in a mask showed up and stole seventy grand earlier tonight. Same guy I saw before.”
“How do you know it was the same guy?” Colt asked.
“Well, I guess I don’t, but he was definitely wearing the same welding mask. I saw the bullet hole that I put in it.”
“Bullet hole.” Colt thought back. “Yeah, I remember that, too. Bottom of the mask?”
“Yeah.”
“Couldn’t be the same guy, though. I definitely killed him.”
“I don’t know,” said Swank, rubbing his purple cheek. “That guy ain’t human. We must have shot him at least five times, stabbed him like six. He had knives sticking out of his fucking chest, man! Didn’t even slow him down. I have twenty men out of commission. Broken arms, legs, ribs. Fucker gave Rogers a concussion the other day.”
Rofal glared at him. “This is your responsibility, Colt.”
“What the fuck do you want me to do?” said Colt. “Do you even know where he is?”
Swank shook his head and looked at their boss. “He said he was coming for you. And no disrespect to Colt, but I’m not sure he’d stand much of a chance, anyhow. The guy took down, what, an eighth of all our muscle? In the span of a few days?”
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