Dominions

33-2

The man struggled, but Rodin held him, his arms tight and hot. Through gritted teeth, he said, “I have no desire to kill you.”

The curtain rested against Rodin’s arm. It felt heavier than it looked, more solid than it should have been. Like it was pushing him.

Rodin spun. He grabbed the assassin‌—‌the one by the sofa‌—‌and pulled, then thrust him toward the curtain. There was a grunt, a cry that stopped abruptly.

The second assassin, still half-hidden by the curtain, was tall and thin, with long hair tied in a ponytail. In his left hand he held a blade. But the first assassin held it too, tight against his chest.

Blood already flowed from the wound.

A scream from food prep. No‌—‌two. One deeper, a shouted demand to stop. The other higher, gasping, terrified.

The big man gurgled, staggered against the sofa, then collapsed to the floor. The thin man stared at the b****y blade in his hand.

Rodin stepped away from the sofa, giving himself more space. Ponytail barely glanced down at the dead body before stepping over his fallen colleague.

Shae yelled for him to stop. Someone whimpered. Movement, just to the edge of Rodin’s vision.

Ponytail saw it too, and he leaped round the sofa. Rodin spun, already knowing what he’d see. Knowing he’d be too late to stop it.

The assassin grabbed Paskia and turned, one hand grasping her close, the other holding a blade to her throat. He pulled, lifting her until only her toes touched the ground.

Her face was pale, lips trembling. Her wide eyes stared.

“No!” Shae, standing to one side, hand up, but rooted to the spot. “I won’t have innocent blood shed. Not in my rooms.”

“Then he lies down.” The man’s voice was rough. Rodin noticed the scar tissue across his neck. “On his front. Hands clasped over his head. Just in front of the sofa. Now!”

Rodin stayed where he was. Before making a move, he needed to know more about this other mercenary.

Ponytail grinned, pure violent pleasure. “You don’t care for her?”

Rodin jerked his head to Shae. “Ask her.” He saw Paskia’s head tremble, heard her sharp, desperate breaths.

The thin man didn’t take his eyes from Rodin, but twisted his head a fraction. “You said he cared.”

“I said he appeared to care. But he’s a liar.” She spat that word, and Rodin was tempted to laugh. Rich, coming from someone who used an innocent girl as a spy.

“You going to get down?” Ponytail tightened his arm, the blade pushing against Paskia’s smooth skin. “Doesn’t bother me if she dies,” he said. “I only get paid to remove you, but a bit of fun, a bit of practice‌…‌why not?”

Rodin shrugged. “She’s in your hands.”

“Terrell?” Little more than a whisper.

“Shut it! And no, she’s in your hands. Lay down, and I let her go.”

“You think I can trust you?”

Rodin knew the type‌—‌tough, but liked the show. He would play along, wait for the inevitable mistake.

Paskia squealed, and the blade pushed harder. A red drop ran down her neck.

Rodin felt the blade in his own hand, tight by his side. He nodded towards Paskia, looking at the blood. “You’re going to mess up her clothes.”

The man leered, and a cackle escaped his lips. “You want to take them off? Hey, girly, looks like this guy gets off on your suffering. You want to make him happy, get n***d?”

“Been there, seen that,” Rodin said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. He saw a flicker in the man’s eyes, knew he’d read Ponytail well.

“Yeah? Like that, is it? Oh, I’m sure he whispered so much in your ear. How much it meant to him. How he’d never leave you. How he’d never felt like this before. And all along, all he wanted was a bit of relief. He used you, girly. He used you, and now he’s casting you aside. What do you think of that? Bet you’d like to see him squirm, wouldn’t you. See him bleeding like a stuck pig. How about we get a little closer, you tell him what you think. Then, when I’ve stuck this blade into his black heart, you can do what you want with him. How does that sound, girly? I bet your aunt would like to watch, too. What do you say, Shae?”

Ponytail glanced to one side. And that was all the opportunity Rodin needed. His arm uncoiled, and his blade flew through the air, end over end.

The man stayed upright for a moment, the smile frozen on his face. His fingers loosened, and his blade clattered to the floor. Then his legs crumpled.

He fell, dragging Paskia with him. She squealed when she landed on him, but he made no sound.

Rodin saw her eyes move to the blade sticking out of the man’s head. It was one of his better blades, but the damage from the man’s skull made it worthless now.

At least it had served its purpose.

Rodin took a step forward, but Paskia backed away, shuffling into a corner. Then Shae was with her, helping her up, guiding her to the sofa.

Two bodies on the floor. Ponytail’s open, unmoving eyes said he was dead. Rodin walked over to the one behind the sofa, nudging the big man’s leg with his foot. Nothing. But he needed to know for sure.

He stamped, hard, and heard the bone c***k. The man’s face didn’t change its expression. That was good enough for Rodin.

He walked back into the centre of the room, sat on the easy chair, facing the two women on the sofa. Paskia had her face buried in Shae’s chest, the older woman rubbing her back.

“I meant what I said. I didn’t want to kill them.”

Shae shook her head. He doubted she’d seen anything like this. Maybe she thought it would be quick and easy, a single stab to bring the victim falling gracefully to the floor. She didn’t expect the blood, or the violence.

“You hired those men to kill me. Did you really expect me to let them do that?”

She gave no answer.

“You knew it would be me or them.”

She found her voice. “But not in my home!”

He shrugged. “At least there are fewer witnesses. And I’m sure you’ll remove the evidence. It’s not as if they’ll be missed. Those two and myself, we’re nothing but ghosts in the system.”

“You’re not a ghost, you’re a monster. Rodin‌—‌the name of the beast.”

Paskia turned her head. Her eyes were bloodshot, face streaked with tears, and there was a thin red line on her neck. But behind the face were so many emotions struggling to break out. Rodin could see her features twitching. Then she hid her face once more.

But she spoke. He could barely hear her. Three words. One question.

“Who are you?”

“I’ll let your aunt answer that one.” Shae flinched at the stress he put on the word ‘aunt’. But she spoke.

“His name is Rodin. He’s not from Ross, or any other Dome. He’s an outsider, hired to infiltrate Society in order to assassinate Councillor Leopold. Everything he has done has been with that aim in mind. He is nothing more than a hired killer. Did I miss anything?”

“Mainly accurate. Paskia, I don’t like deceiving people, whatever you or Shae may feel. Yes, I come from outside, and yes, I was hired to remove Leopold. I’ve killed many people, both men and women, mostly for money. It’s my job, and I’m good at what I do. Certainly better than these two,” and Rodin waved an arm across the room. “But that’s not the whole story. I didn’t come here tonight to kill, but to talk. Shae, I have a proposition for you.”

She snorted. “What‌—‌I do what you say and you promise not to kill me? You think I trust you? You don’t care about anyone but yourself. You almost let Paskia‌…‌have her throat cut.”

It was Rodin’s turn to laugh. “That would’ve been the easy option‌—‌let him kill her, then face him one-on-one. But think‌—‌she’s alive, he’s dead. What does that tell you? You know my name and my job, but that doesn’t mean you know me. So just shut up and listen. Okay?”

He waited. When she nodded, he continued.

“Leopold has dangerous enemies. They hired me to remove him, and if your mercenaries had stopped me, they would simply hire someone else. In the long run, killing me won’t keep the man safe. It’ll only delay the inevitable.”

Shae avoided his eyes, looked at Paskia most of the time. He couldn’t read the woman, but he had to make her understand. He needed to wield these words as firmly as he wielded a blade.

“I’m a professional, which means I research the target. I learnt a great deal about Leopold. I spent time with him, listening to his ideas. And I became interested. He spoke a great deal of truth.”

Both women had their eyes on Rodin now.

“I dug deeper, discovered that Leopold wasn’t alone, either here or in other Domes. Many people, all questioning the restrictions on movement. Of course, they couldn’t question too loudly, because Authority is always listening. But they were talking in the shadows, working together, people from all over the Domes‌—‌including many in positions of power and responsibility. And all had a common node.”

Shae’s eyes widened, and her mouth hung open.

“You’ve done an impressive job, Shae‌—‌subtle, careful, and determined. Ruthless, too‌—‌the mess in this room shows that. As does Paskia’s presence. Pretending she was your niece, bringing her in to this Dome, setting up the modelling position with Sertio, and all to exert information.”

Rodin saw Paskia’s body tighten, and realised he was going too far. He didn’t want to antagonise Shae.

“But I know you were doing what you thought was right. It takes courage to look beyond your own interests. I see that in Leopold too. Maybe he’s overly idealistic, but he genuinely wants what’s best for everyone‌—‌including those on the other side of the glass.”

Rodin paused. Shae was fighting a smile, and he knew he’d got through.

“I know what it’s like out there, and it’s not how you imagine it. Yes, it’s violent, and there are many who deserve to die. But there are also many, many good people, fighting to do the right thing. They help others, they raise their children as best they can. They do whatever they can to make their district a better place.

“They don’t deserve to be pushed aside and forgotten about. They deserve their happiness, their security. And knowing that, how can I work against them? How can I turn my back on my own people?

He hadn’t meant to say that, but it felt appropriate. Opening up like that made him more human, less of a killing machine.

But he still needed to win Shae over.

“I was brought into the Dome to remove Leopold. If I fail, his enemies will hire someone else. Take me out of the way, and you only delay the inevitable, Shae. But I have a plan. I know how to solve this‌—‌maybe not ideally, but it’s the best option available.”

“How?” Her voice was quiet, but the question was genuine. Shae was with Rodin on this.

“I need to see Leopold again. But after our last meeting‌—‌you know how that ended‌—‌I’m going to need someone as a go-between. I need someone he trusts to pass on my message, and to persuade him to meet with me. I know you still have your doubts about me, but please believe that I no longer want to see Leopold a corpse. His ideas, and his voice, need to be heard. I truly believe that.”

He opened his arms, a sign of surrender. He leaned in, lower than Shae, so that he was forced to look up into her face.

“Shae, will you help me?”