The Assassin's Blade

by H J Peterson

  The officer holding Adelric snorted. “And why the hell should he do that?”

  “Because she’s an undercover officer,” Brooks said. The officer seemed surprised: he almost seemed to jump out of his skin when Brooks said that. “Now, get him to a private cell, and make sure he’s comfortable; we’re getting to Berkowitz.”

  With that, the two of them split ways, Adelric and the officer heading towards the basement cells, where they’d held him, before.

  He looked over his shoulder at him. “I don’t suppose you could take off the cuffs, now, can you?”

  XLVIII. HIRO

  “Ikeda, what the hell just happened?”

  Hiro didn’t know how to answer that question. What the hell had just happened? And what did Berkowitz know about what was going on? She was pretty sure that he already knew that Brooks had just shot a man while on duty, but did he know whether or not that man had survived? Despite the fact that neither of them really knew what was going on, though, the two of them probably still knew more about what had happened in front of St. Janika’s than anybody else in the city.

  And that thought was scarier than just about anything else in her life at the moment.

  “I don’t know,” Hiro said, gritting her teeth. “I have no damned idea what’s going on, anymore.”

  “Then, I guess that makes two of us,” Berkowitz said with a sigh. He looked back up at her, staring at her swelling face. “You sure you don’t need some help with that cheek? It looks awful. At least let a Doc look at that, make sure you’re alright.”

  “For the last time, I’m fine,” Hiro said, exasperated. Did she really look like the kind of person who couldn’t take a punch? “Besides: the New Dawn has a couple of Docs; I’ll have one of them look at it. They’ll get suspicious if I come back looking good as new.”

  She noticed just how much her jaw was throbbing right as she said that, but she still didn’t mention it: Berkowitz had enough to worry about without adding her being hurt to his list.

  “Is the protester Brooks shot going to be okay?” Hiro asked.

  “He was dead at the scene,” Berkowitz said quietly.

  She felt like she’d been punched in the gut. Brooks had actually killed a man, that day.

  “Does he know?” Hiro asked.

  Berkowitz shook his head. “I haven’t had the heart to tell him. The coroner said that Brooks shot that poor man in the lung. One of our Docs might have been able to save him, though, if it hadn’t been for the fact that everything in front of that church was so damned chaotic.”

  Hiro sighed, rubbing her temples. “The public’s going to have his head, aren’t they?”

  “He’s not the only one,” Berkowitz said quietly.

  Hiro looked back up at him, frowning. “What are you talking about?”

  “Something happened after you left,” he said. “I don’t know what, but something made the protesters attack the cops, and the cops shot more civilians. After that, there was a big rush to get out of there, and a bunch of people were trampled to death. All in all, forty people were killed, including two cops, and only heaven knows how many injured.”

  She was speechless.

  “Who died?” Hiro asked.

  Berkowitz didn’t respond.

  Hiro began to feel sick. She knew who it was, didn’t she?

  She swallowed the lump in her throat down. “Who was it?”

  Berkowitz looked back up at her. “Two people from your graduating class: David Hertz and Enrico Zanetti.”

  Berkowitz might as well have stabbed her in the heart and twisted the knife. She hadn’t known David Hertz all that well, though he’d always seemed like a good man: she wouldn’t consider him a friend, but he’d always been courteous to her. Enrico, though… he was like her brother. And after what Adelric had said about him, it seemed that he’d thought of her as more than that.

  Now, he was gone; just like that, the one person in her graduating class that had seemed to like her was dead, and for what?

  Hiro could feel her hurt beginning to burn hot with rage. Damn the Archangel. Damn him, and damn the rest of them!

  “You were close to Zanetti, weren’t you?” Berkowitz asked.

  She clenched her fists, hard enough that she could feel her fingernails digging into her palms. “We were friends; he was one of the only ones at the academy who didn’t treat me like shit.”

  Berkowitz sighed.

  “I’m pulling you out of your undercover work,” he finally said. “Things are starting to get too dangerous: we can’t afford to lose any more good people.”

  Hiro nearly missed that off-hand compliment, she was so taken aback.

  “You’re not going to do that,” Hiro said, tense. “Please, tell me you’re joking!”

  Berkowitz raised an eyebrow. “Ikeda, since when do I make jokes?”

  Hiro cursed, running a hand through her hair. Why was this happening now of all times, with her just now figuring out their plans?

  “You can’t pull me now, Berkowitz,” Hiro said quickly. “I’m involved in what’s going on at the Überhaus; I need to stay until I know exactly what they’re planning.”

  Berkowitz’s eyes got wide. Heavens, did he not look happy! “You what?”

  “I said, I’m part of what they’re planning for the Überhaus,” Hiro said. “And so is Biermann, and that Schultz character. You have to let me stay, so we can get these people!”

  “And watch you get yourself killed?” Berkowitz asked. “Not a chance, kid; not a damned chance in hell.”

  “So, you’re just going to let this chance to catch these guys pass you buy?” Hiro asked. She cursed. “Heavens, Berkowitz; this might be our only chance to figure out what the hell is going on. I can’t believe you’re willing to give it up just like that.”

  Berkowitz looked like he was on the verge of smacking her.

  “You don’t have to protect me, Berkowitz,” Hiro continued. “I’m a grown woman, for heaven’s sake: I can take care of myself.”

  “I know how you young people think, how you all forget that you could get hurt and never recover,” Berkowitz said. “Well, I haven’t, sure as hell.” He sat back in his seat and sighed. “I already have to go put two good men in the ground: I’m not burying you, too.”

  That surprised her. That really, really surprised her. He didn’t think he cared much for her.

  “Believe me, Berkowitz: I know just how badly I could get hurt on this job,” Hiro said, her mechanical leg suddenly growing very heavy under her pants. “I know that this might just kill me, but you know what I also know? I know that this might just be the only chance we have to catch these guys in the act.” She leaned forward. “Sir, I joined the force knowing that I might have to make that sacrifice. Don’t you dare try and stop me from doing my job for something I’ve already prepared for.”

  Berkowitz didn’t say anything. He just gave her a look, apparently trying to decide whether or not he agreed with that. She had a feeling that he didn’t: she knew that he wouldn’t like the thought of keeping someone in that much danger with two good men already dead. And considering the fact that her getting killed would make for one hell of a PR nightmare for the department.

  “Go with Biermann, and make sure one of those Docs with that movement of yours checks that cheek of yours out,” Berkowitz finally said.

  She stood up. “Thanks, sir; I will.”

  Hiro turned to leave.

  “Ikeda.”

  She stopped and turned to face him, again. His face was blank, trying to keep from getting all worked up. “Yes, sir?”

  “Get yourself hurt, and I’ll kill you, myself.”

  She would’ve smiled, if it hadn’t been for the fact that he was serious.

  “I won’t.”

  Hiro walked out of the office and shoved her hands into her pockets. She had to admit: the thought of going back made her really, really nervous. That day had proven that these people were more than willing to kill a cop while they
were in uniform; they wouldn’t give so much as a second thought to killing her if they found her out, too.

  She was going to have to watch her step even more than she had before.

  “Where are we going?” Adelric asked. She didn’t even realize he was right behind her until then.

  “Where do you think?” Hiro asked. “We’re going to go take down the damned Archangel.”

  XLIX. FRIEDRICH

  The reception that night was held in the ballroom at the Imperial Botanical Gardens, just a short drive outside the city limits. The flowers were all in bloom at that point in the spring, and the lanterns in the trees were all lit. It was enough to take Friedrich breath away.

  Of course, the gardens all paled in comparison to Katalin. She looked absolutely beautiful. She was still in her wedding dress, which almost seemed to glow in the candlelight. In fact, everything almost seemed to glow about her: her skin, her hair, her eyes; she looked like an angel from heaven. He hardly even noticed the blooming flowers around them as they walked to the ballroom together, arm in arm.

  “Katalin, you look absolutely stunning,” Friedrich said as they walked across a small bridge and over a running creek.

  She looked up at him and smiled. Friedrich could feel his heart melting. For the hundredth time that day, he wondered how he managed to be so lucky.

  “You don’t look so bad, yourself,” Katalin said. “You’re looking a little better, actually, now that you’re over your hangover.”

  Oh, no.

  “Y-you know about that?” he asked. “Did Maddox tell you?”

  “He didn’t have to,” Katalin said. “I have a few heavy drinkers in my family, Friedrich. I know what a man looks like the morning after drinking.” She put her head on his shoulder. “Besides: despite that little trick with the candy, you still kind of smelled like vomit.”

  Friedrich could feel his cheeks beginning to burn red with embarrassment. Oh, sweet heaven! How did she find out? He’d been so careful, hadn’t he?

  “I… guess you’re pretty angry with me, then, aren’t you?” he asked. “I know: I shouldn’t have drank as much as I did, but I…”

  She looked up at him, a frown on her face. “Friedrich, I’m not mad.”

  He looked down at her, more than a little surprised. “Y-your not?”

  “Of course not,” she said. “You’ve been so stressed about this wedding, I was almost tempted to get some of my cousins to take you out for drinks. You needed a night with Dries and Joost.” Katalin sighed and looked forward, again. “Granted, I don’t think you should’ve had nearly as much alcohol as you did last night, but if you want to go drinking with your friends, that’s fine. Everybody needs a relaxing night with their friends every once and awhile.” She looked back up at him. “Just… don’t get out of control, okay?”

  “I won’t,” Friedrich said. “I promise you: I don’t want to do that ever again.”

  And it was the truth. That had been the worst experience of his life, that morning. He wasn’t looking to repeat that. Ever. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to have wine that night.

  She put her head on his shoulder. “I love you.”

  He put his head on hers. “I love you, too.”

  They walked into the ballroom.

  “Good evening, and congratulations on your recent wedding,” the man at the door said. “You have some choices in food, this evening. For soups, you have a choice between Rocheran onion soup, borscht, Valtruscan wedding soup, and goulash, and for the main course, you have a choice between filet mignon, Sommerfest-style schnitzel, poached salmon, and… something called bryndzové halusky. Desserts will be ordered after dinner is served. What will you two be eating this evening?”

  “I’ll have the… I guess I’ll have the goulash and the poached salmon,” Katalin said. The man wrote it down on a small pad of paper.

  “And you, Lord Eltz?”

  “The borscht and schnitzel, thank you,” Eltz said.

  “Your food will be brought out as soon as it is ready,” the man said. He then turned to the rest of the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our newlyweds, Lord Friedrich Eltz and Lady Katalin von Thurzó! Congratulations, and make your way to the high table.”

  Everyone stood and began to clap for them.

  Friedrich nodded and acknowledged the people in the room with a wave of his hand, and he escorted Katalin over to the high table, where Friedrich’s parents and Katalin’s parents were sitting.

  “There’s our happy couple,” Viktoria said with a smile as Friedrich pulled a chair out for Katalin. “How has your day been?”

  “Absolutely wonderful, Viktoria,” Katalin said, beaming, as she sat down. Friedrich sat down between her and von Thurzó, and she looked up at Friedrich. She looked so happy; he could hardly believe that, for the first time in his life, he was making a woman that wasn’t his mother so happy. “Your son is quite the romantic. Did he plan this whole day, himself?”

  “Well, I made him run his plans by me beforehand, but yes,” Viktoria said. She looked past Katalin and at Friedrich. “I never thought he was such a hopeless romantic before all this: he’s just so… bookish.” She looked back at Katalin. “In fact, I think you were the first woman he felt comfortable around.”

  Friedrich sighed and looked at his glass as a servant filled it with champagne. Maybe having a drink wasn’t such a bad idea, after all.

  “So, what did you and my daughter do with one another, this afternoon?” von Thurzó asked as Friedrich took a sip of champagne and his wife and Katalin continued their conversation. “You didn’t… consummate the marriage, did you?”

  Friedrich nearly choked on his drink. Please, heaven, tell me that I misheard that!

  “We didn’t,” Friedrich said. “We didn’t c-consummate.”

  Von Thurzó frowned. “Then what did you do?”

  Friedrich was so mortified, he didn’t know how to respond. Luckily for him, though, Terézia looked horrified, too. She smacked him on the side of his arm, looking like she was about ready to kill him.

  “Honey, that isn’t a good dinner conversation,” she snapped. “He and Katalin are married now, for heaven’s sake; that’s their business, anyway.” She took a sip of her own champagne. “Besides: here in Vorbereich, they don’t do that sort of thing until after the reception.”

  Friedrich wanted nothing more than to crawl under a rock and never come out.

  “What did you and Katalin do this afternoon, Friedrich?” Terézia asked. “She seems rather excited about it.”

  “W-well, it was rather wonderful,” Friedrich said, trying to regain his composure after that… conversation. “Katalin and I spent the day at the spring palace. It was nice to just walk around in the fresh air with one another.”

  “Oh, that sounds just wonderful,” Terézia said, putting a hand over her heart. She looked over at her husband. “Tamas, why don’t we visit the Spring Palace, sometime? I’ve heard it’s absolutely lovely, especially at this time of year.”

  “Well, that’s probably why they call it the Spring Palace,” Tamas said. “I guess everything was in bloom at this point?”

  “It was,” Friedrich said, remembering the grounds of the old imperial palace. It had been a rather beautiful afternoon, touring the old palace, walking around the in-bloom gardens, arm in arm. And the best part was, the press wasn’t allowed on the grounds, thanks to the fact that it was still technically private property. For the first time in way too long, they didn’t have anybody hovering, making sure they were being appropriate; they didn’t have the press there, scrutinizing every single move they made; they actually got to spend time with one another without anybody else.

  If that was married life, then these were going to be the best years of his life.

  “So, what do you and Katalin plan on doing about your living situation?” Terézia asked. “Will you two be moving?”

  “I… don’t know,” Friedrich said, rubbing the back of his neck. He had to ad
mit: he hadn’t really thought past this week. They did need to figure that out: they couldn’t exactly live with his parents forever. “Katalin and I haven’t really talked about it. We’re planning on staying in the guesthouse on the Eltz’s estates until we figure it out.”

  Before they could talk any more about Friedrich and Katalin’s future together, Eltz stood up with his glass and a knife, and began to clink his glass.

  The room grew quiet, and everybody looked up at Lord Eltz. Oh, heaven: it looked like the time had come for a toast.

  Well, at least he didn’t look too drunk, yet.

  “Thank you all for coming to this momentous occasion,” Eltz said once everybody was quiet. “I’m sure that all of you can agree that this day has been a wonderful day in the histories of House Eltz and House von Thurzó.”

  The room got truly silent. Whether or not it was because everybody wanted to hear from Lord Eltz or because they were all trying to keep their own biting remarks about this marriage to themselves, Friedrich couldn’t tell.

  “When my son first told me that he wanted to marry this von Thurzó girl, I wasn’t so sure about it,” Eltz continued. “I’d been hoping that Friedrich would pick a nice Vorbereicher girl for a long time, so after hearing that he’d fallen head over heels for the daughter of a count from Magyar, I grew worried that this would be another girl after my son for the family fortune.”

  And, there they went, again. More humiliation for Katalin at his father’s hand.

  Friedrich put a hand on the pommel of the sword at his hip. If this went any further than it had already gone, he was going to defend her honor.

  “But, Friedrich and Viktoria insisted that I give her a chance, so I did,” Eltz said. “I met her, I met her family, had many wonderful conversations with her father, and I must say: I was rather surprised.” He looked down at the von Thurzós, the three of them looking up at him expectantly. Friedrich was, too: he was curious as to where his father was taking this. “For Magyarans, they’re rather enjoyable. Getting to know them better over the coming years will be… interesting, to say the least.”