Chapter Forty-eight
Questions
8:20 P.M...
Somewhere on the Light Side of the planet...
Voice sat in a dark hotel room in front of a laptop, peering at incoming information from the Assassins League's Closers. Voice's white gloved hands were the only things visible in the faint light as fingers typed rapidly across the keyboard.
An e-mail popped up on the screen from a Guild Prep/Cleanup Crew, and it said, "As instructed, we returned early to the Bes Hotel's rooftop, and we discovered the sniper rifle we placed for the Phoenix as we left it. The rifle has not been fired. What are your instructions?"
"Remove the rifle," Voice typed. "The Phoenix will not be needing it."
An urgent e-mail arrived, and Voice noticed the sender; it was from Thanatos. It had been ages since he made direct contact, so Voice clicked on the message and went over it.
Minutes earlier...
In the center of Noir and several miles underground...
Thanatos laughed. It was going to be most amusing. He stretched, wiped his hands on his black leather pants, and cracked his knuckles. Thanatos moved the swivel keyboard into position and typed, "I had an interesting conversation with the Phoenix." He sent the e-mail.
"What sort of conversation?" Voice questioned.
"It was mentioned that the Closing you issued for the Phoenix is unfounded. Did you order someone's death with no grounds? The Phoenix is one of your own."
"What would you know?" Voice typed back.
"The Phoenix contacted me and made his or her plea for help." Thanatos rubbed his hands together and finished typing. "It was the only course you left for the Closer after you sent the Raven and the Wolf to close the Phoenix."
Voice's view...
The nipple pierced punk hacked into my system! I'll need to change my security protocols again.
I type, "What do you know?"
End Voice's view...
"I know lots of things," he replied. "Now... What of the Phoenix? Why has a Closing been issued for this assassin?" Voice didn't reply to him, so Thanatos typed, "Are you going to answer me? No. Why not?"
Thanatos' view...
I can't help but think why indeed? What reason could there be? Where is the evidence the Phoenix violated the contract with the Assassins League? Could it be personal revenge? But the Phoenix is one of Voice's best assassins. What else could it be? What reason would he personally break protocol? I can only think of one.
I type, "The Closing is a favor for someone. It would have to be from someone very important for you to break protocol. Is that not right?"
End Thanatos' view...
"That's nonsense," Voice replied. "I would never break the rules that govern the Assassins Guild, not for anyone."
"What about the Phoenix?"
"What about the Closer?" Voice questioned.
"Are you going to rescind the Closing? You have no grounds for it."
"Do you have any grounds why I should cancel it?"
Thanatos typed, "No."
"Then it stands, and there is nothing you can do about this Closing, Thanatos. It's up to the Phoenix, the Raven, and the Wolf, and they'll decide the turn out."
Thanatos' view...
I push the swivel keyboard to the side. I did try, but as my counterpart stated, it's all up to them. I swing the keyboard back into place. Unless... I enter the Virtual Hall of Records for the Assassins Guild. Unless I can find something more on Maestro, and here it is. The record says as much as the other one I found in Voice's Archive. Maestro's alias has been retired for ten years.
I tap my chin. I'm missing something. Maestro's specialty was killing children, and with that in mind, I have to consider that the hit on Mrs. Serqet's kid wasn't a mistake but a deliberate act. If it was deliberate, what could be the reason, and who could hire a Closer who's believed dead?
End Thanatos' view...
The Light Side of the planet...
Voice removed a cell phone from a briefcase and dialed a number. "It is very urgent, I would like to speak with R.G."
After a few moments, a distorted voice spoke, "This is R.G."
"Thanatos contacted me about the Phoenix's Closing. He suspects I ordered the Closing as a favor to someone."
"He doesn't know you did this for me," R.G. said. "Do not worry about it. There's no paper trail to find." R.G. paused and asked, "What have you heard from the Raven and the Wolf? Is the Phoenix dead?"
"There has been no report."
"And what of the other Closing? Ms. Odin's? What have you heard about it?"
"The same. Nothing."
"I see..." There was a long pause. "Voice, at this time I would like to amend my request."
"Of course R.G. What is it?"
#2 Shades of Gray: From Moscow, With Love Page 57