by S King
By the time Dristan and I walked through the door of GGHQ, everyone was on their way home or already gone. The sun would break over the horizon and light up the world for another day.
“Have fun?” Svenia didn’t bother looking up from her reports as Dristan fell into his desk chair in front of her and I took residence in my own seat three rows up.
“Another night in paradise,” Dristan rubbed his hands over his face after handing off the sword to a junior member of the guard for cleaning.
Svenia snorted, “well, we got our invitations to the ball.”
“Joy,” I rubbed my eyes, turning on the computer and leaned back into my chair.
“What’re you two going as?” Svenia wasn’t letting it go. The last thing I wanted to talk about was costumes or the damn ball.
“Handsome over there will probably go for the usual—yet classic, Phantom of the Opera. While I, myself, will…” Dristan trailed off and frowned.
Narrowing my eyes, I stared at my best friend, “why do you make it sound like I don’t do any other options?”
“I’m just saying,” Dristan shrugged and made a face, “it is classic, and nobody ever realizes it you. Not to mention, you are kind of the biggest phantom within the three guards.”
Rolling my eyes, I started typing the report for the night’s events. Maybe my costume was outdated, and I chose it every year. But at least there was never two different phantoms floating around the dance floor. Besides that, I looked damned good in my suit, cape, and white mask.
“What about you, Nia?” Dristan leaned back into his chair looking at the woman in question.
She crossed her arms and twisted her mouth for a moment, “probably the fallen queen.”
“What?”
“Fallen queen, she’s somewhat like Maleficent. But without the horns and with a mask.”
Dristan grunted, “I need to figure out something, when is it?”
“A month from today.”
“In the dead of winter?”
“It’s not the dead of winter,” Svenia said as she rolled her eyes. “It’s at the beginning of winter.”
Tuning out of the conversation, I allowed my mind to wander. The marque ball was the only night, every member of the three guards got together without executing red, diamond, or black orders. In reality, it was the one night we were all friends and could carry on a normal conversation without confrontation. I’ll admit, it was a fun thing to do, but at the same time. When the following day came along, it was back to business and our own sects.
“Well, one thing you can give him,” Svenia pointed to me, “anyone that had a connection or decent enough conversation with him over the last few years can easily find him.”
“True,” Dristan agreed as he typed his own report. “I’ll probably just follow the same lead.”
“What another phantom?”
“No, go as the same thing I had been within the last few years.”
“V?”
“Yes.”
I smirked, sending the report to the high officials of GG and shut down my computer. “Good luck finding the outfit.”
Recollection dawned on his face as he submitted his own report, “shit, I forgot about that.”
“What happened?” Svenia, genuinely confused, looked between the two of us.
“Karina or whatever her name is, set the thing on fire after last year’s ball.”
“That’s breaking the rules.”
“No,” Dristan shook his head as he grabbed his duster and punched his arms through the sleeves. “Some of us had stayed late and got caught in the sun. Needless to say, a robbery and several murders happened. One thing led to another and I got into a fight with Karina; next thing I know, I’m ripping off my cape because that little pyrokinetic bitch decided to set up a roman candle rite and my dumbass walked right into it.”
“She tried to blow you up with fireworks?”
“In an essence.”
Svenia frowned looking between my smirking face and Dristan’s aggressive behavior toward his gloves.
“Wait, how did you know it was her?”
“She ripped off her fucking mask during the fight,” he snapped, still mad about the costume that didn’t survive another year of fun.
Svenia shook her head and grabbed her things, “then I’d advise you to not go as V, if you don’t want a repeat performance.”
“I’m going to get her back,” Dristan warned as he stalked from the office, tossing a good night over his shoulder.
“He’s really that upset about a costume?” Svenia asked me, falling in step to my left.
“He made it himself and didn’t want to say anything about it. To him,” I set the security code on the door and waited for the confirmation beep before putting my hood on. “It was like her spitting on his school project right before the presentation.”
She nodded, shoving her hands in her pockets, “makes sense then.”
“Yep,” I fell silent and narrowed my eyes against the biting wind.
Being almost four months away from Christmas, the weather was something of a bitch. I wasn’t looking forward to the cold and icy air, nor did I particularly care for the snow and ice along with the gray toned sky.
However, when I was sitting in the comfort of my house, in the mountains, I did enjoy watching the snow fall over the cliffs and blanketing the world in diamond like flakes. I just didn’t want to be out in the stuff.
Svenia pulled her light jacket closer and hunched her shoulders.
“Listen, Demir,” she cleared her throat and glanced up at me. “The next time we’re off—”
“I’m going to stop you right there, Svenia,” I stopped and turned to her. “You are well aware of the orders about internal affairs. Starting down a road that isn’t going to end well, is in neither of our interests. I’m flattered but the answer is no.”
“But—”
“Have a good night, Svenia,” I spun on my boots and headed for the main road.
I wasn’t going to continue standing in the biting wind and falling rain just to endure her futile attempts on trying to start a relationship with me. I wasn’t interested and there was no way in hell I was going to drag the poor girl along.
§§§§§
I fell into my mattress after a thirty-minute shower and closed my eyes. By the time I had trekked my way through the main roads and caught the bus to the county limits, it felt as if my bones were frozen and my face was going to fall off.
The winter months may have been only a few weeks away, but it seemed like the rain was getting a head start on the frozen temperatures.
During the winter months, I seriously considered getting a beater SUV just to get down the mountains and to the office. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do when I was fulfilling my orders; all jobs were meant to be handled discreetly with no trace being left behind.
Groaning I rolled over and stared at the floor to ceiling windows at the soft snowflakes falling. Apparently I had missed something last night in the weather forecast. On the bright side I didn’t caught in the snowstorm. But why in hell’s name was I hoping Luminous hadn’t gotten caught in the horrid weather? It wasn’t like we were dating. It wasn’t as if we were even acquaintances. Whether she got caught by the snow or skinned her knee from a fight was none of my concern.
I cursed under my breath and got off the bed; I was not going to spend my night thinking about Silver Guard or their sect leader. Nor was I going to stew about the warning from the judges of BC when I challenged their authority on Luminous’s Diamond Order.
I pinched the bridge of my nose as I remembered the conversation.
“Mr. Losett, are you insinuating the courts do not know what they’re doing?” Judge Theo Holt raised a bushy brow to me and waited for my response.
“No sir, I’m strictly saying, there is no solid evidence to point to sect leader River for the killings of Gold Guard senior members.”
“It sounds as if you’re ques
tioning the court’s decision,” Judge Kemph Sooter, the youngest of the judges commented
Clamping my mouth shut,3 I addressed the court as a whole, “I would never question the court’s if their decision is justified. But for this specific case, there is no proof she was the one to kill the members.”
“Given the viciousness we saw on the victims, there is no question Miss. River was the one to commit the murders.”
“What was the weapon used?”
“Excuse me?”
“The weapon. What weapon was used during the attacks?”
“A gun and a bowing knife.”
It took everything I had not to laugh or—at the very least—smile. Luminous didn’t do this and now, with the judge’s own words and confirmation, I let a heavy breath leave me. I didn’t have to kill her as repayment to Silver Guard.
“She didn’t do it.”
“Excuse me?” Holt sat forward, clasping his fingers together, “Mr. Losett, you seem to be forgetting we are the ones to investigate such cases. Who are you to tell us we’ve gotten the wrong criminal?”
“I mean no disrespect,” I kept my tone neutral as I looked at each of the six judges. “However, I’ve gotten into disputes and all-out fights with Luminous River over the years and I know for a fact she would never execute someone with anything other than her whip.” I shook my head, unable to keep the smile from my face. “You’re pointing the finger at the wrong one.”
“You are out of line, Mr. Losett, I would advise you to rethink your suspicions.” Judge Holt warned.
“I mean no offense, sir, but I will not execute a Diamond Order on an innocent individual.”
“Sect Leader.” Judge Sadvidge, an older woman at the end of the bench looked at me over her glasses. Like Holt, she had snow white hair and her face and neck were free of lines, wrinkles, or imperfections.
“If you are given a direct order, you will adhere to it or you will face the repercussions.” Holt warned.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to remain calm. “Sir, ma’am, I respect your positions as well as the courts as a whole. However,” my face turned hard, and my tone held my own warning. “I will not execute an order involving an innocent target.”
“Mr. Losett,” Judge Sooter crossed her arms across her chest and tilted her head. “How are you certain Miss. River is not guilty?”
“Because I know her like the back of my hand.”
“And you’re assuming because of your relationship with her, you know she would not assassinate your guard’s senior members?”
“Yes.”
The three judges that had been speed-balling me fell silent and just stared at me. I knew if they wanted to, the judges could bring in the honor guard and execute me right now. It wouldn’t be unheard of and I was half expecting it. But to my surprise, Judge Sooter smirked and turned to her fellow judges.
“I suggest we be lenient with this order. Miss. River is a sect leader after all, and she has a proven track record of only using her whip as the weapon of choice.”
Judge Holt visibly bared his teeth and rubbed a hand over his face, “Mr. Losett, you are being afforded a rare opportunity. I would suggest you use it wisely. The courts have decided to delay the Diamond Order due to lack of sufficient evidence. Should you fail to adhere to future orders, you as well as your sect will face dire consequences. Do you understand?”
With an internal breath of relief, I straightened my back and nodded. “I do, thank you for your understanding.”
I opened my eyes and started pacing the floor, thinking about what I had done. Defending someone from Silver was like shooting yourself in the face and expecting to be able to just walk off the pain. Why had I done it? It wasn’t like I owed anything to Luminous. She didn’t save my life, she didn’t do me any favors. She just didn’t do anything to warrant me going against BC—and essentially the honor guard. In reality, the truth was, everyone—no matter their guard—was afraid of the honor guard.
The bastards in question were ruthless mercenaries who didn’t think twice about executing any level of order just to get blood on them. I didn’t know how anyone could fall into the category of honor when they had an affection for violence over reason. The short story? Members of the honor guard were like rabid dogs filled with steroids.
Ripping my fingers through my hair, I braced my arm on the window and leaned my head against the glass. Why was I protecting her? Better yet why were all of my targets bringing up her name before their deaths? What did they know about the sect leader that I didn’t know?
“What the hell is going on?” I breathed against the glass as I watched the snow fall at a steady pace. Little did I know, more whys and what the hells were coming down the pipeline.
Chapter 5 No Really, I’m Good
I pressed my back against the wall and waited. Just waited for the security guard to open the door so I could slip in.
Sneaking into a military like facility was always the hardest thing to do, but I wasn’t complaining. At the very least, I was shaking with adrenaline. It had been so long since I took on a serious assignment. But nothing like this.
When the courts had made the decision to send Silver on Gold like orders, I nearly laughed in their faces. Maybe it was because I didn’t believe people easily. Maybe it was due to my inability to comprehend the fact the judges trusted Silver not to screw up the orders. We hadn’t done anything to prove to the courts we were competent at our jobs. In turn, all the courts had to go off of was my word.
The door popping open caused my mind to snap out of its questioning thoughts and brought me back to the task at hand.
“Ready?” I whispered to Karina who was busy shimmying up the ladder to the roof access door.
“Honey, I was born ready, just make sure you get out of the way when it’s time.”
I didn’t need to be told twice when it came to Karina and her weapons. The woman was something of a black genie when it came to her devices and methods.
Not bothering to answer, I flipped over the railing, knocking the guard out—not killing him—but hitting him hard enough to blackout for a couple hours. His death was not on my roster tonight and I wasn’t going to kill an innocent.
As the door began to swing close, I slid into the darkened hallway and scanned the area for another guard. I was expecting someone else, but to my surprise, there wasn’t.
“What?” I breathed, frowning, I got up and grabbed my whip from the back of my coat and took a few cautious steps before stopping altogether and radioed into Karina.
“What?”
“Do you have a visual on the lower level?” I kept my voice low as I started for the lab entrance.
Thankfully, the courts had given us a blueprint of the lab and even forewarned us about the infrared lights hiding in the darkened rooms.
“Right now, I’m catching movement to your left, three steps back. No white coat, so don’t kill them.”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me and ducked behind a rack holding chemicals and other crap. If someone were here witch me, I needed to focus on that instead of bum-rushing the lab for the scientists.
Calm Lumi, stay calm I kept warning myself, catching sight of the other guard making his way toward me. I took a deep breath, counting back from five before making my move.
In a split second, the poor—attractive—guard looked around the very stand I was hiding behind. My fist flung out while my other arm wrapped around his neck to put him in a choke hold. Surprisingly, the guard tried to get away instead of fighting me; I’d never known anyone who chose flight over fight in these situations. Nonetheless, his body slumped against mine while his weight forced me to grunt.
“Easy big guy,” I whispered and eased his body behind the stand before standing straight and cracked my back. “Rina? Where’s the closest lab?”
A few moments of silence before she said, “fifty paces through the door, hook a left and you’re there. Miss. Ursyla Heinz is behind lucky door number two.
You have roughly twenty seconds before lights come on again, so make it quick.”
I clenched my teeth on the name and thanked my friend quickly. While I was busy running through the darkened hallways, Karina was going to be busy rigging up her signature explosives. Element of surprise she had called it when I asked her what she could possibly use the devices for. Add the element of surprise with a blast of death? Well, the lab would be wiped of anything remotely close to what the experimental children were made of. It’d take years on top of years to rebuild the lab, let alone the data and testing that had been involved.
I didn’t waste any time as I burst through the door, hooked a left and crept into the lab. Unlike the hallways, the lab was fully lit and operating as if nothing were wrong outside of the four walls.
Sterile white sheets, coats, tools, beakers and the works spread throughout the interior of the room while three doctors milled around reports on their computers and tablets further in the room.
If I were being honest with myself, I would hightail my ass out of this room, this building and hand the order over to the GG idiots three cities over just so I didn’t have to smell the room anymore.
I didn’t like being here and I didn’t like the fact I was responsible for ensuring the job was complete before the building blew to shit and back. But I had opened my mouth and I had explained to the courts that myself as well as my team were capable beyond their realm of assumptions. So, now was the time to either put up or shut up. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to shut up and needed to finish this as soon as possible.
Sending a quick text to Karina to kill the lights, I watched the three scientists talk back and forth about one thing or another. However, I was zoned in on one scientist in particular.
Ursyla Heinz was a thin woman with light caramel skin and graying dark brown hair. Faint frown lines pinched her once smooth forehead while crows’ feet and smoker’s lines filled the edges of her eyes and mouth. She had been the main scientist I had grown up with and had been the one to push me into training for eighteen hours a day with my whip.