Several minutes passed in complete silence, William listening only to his breathing. Slipping into meditation his mind wandered and played events over. Before he could stop himself, he could see her. In an instant, that sweet smile that brought tears to his cheeks was consumed by flames, sending William into a violent rage. Leaping to his feet, he screamed and shook his fists indignantly. "REBECCA!!!!" he shouted until his voice was raw. He punched the nearest wall until he pulled back blood. He'd accidentally punctured his hand with his ringblade which only served to make him feel even more out of control.
The kultist dropped to his knees, grief overwhelming his senses. He wept for a while, remembering their time together, mourning her just a little bit more than the last time. After he could not cry further, William searched for the lost inhaler to bring him the much needed solace of Crucible. "Fucking crutch," he said, inhaling the dose and tossing the canister to the ground for a later mental battle.
*beep beep*
As the drug coursed its way through him a serene state of peace and calmness overtook his psyche. Answering the vidphone with a, "Speak," William began to tend to his wounded hand. "I am Lord Deron. Your credfix was kind enough to part with your information." The typical hooded figure the he was accustomed to was not on the screen, instead replaced with a pompous-looking corporate suit. "I only deal with-" William said before being cut off. "Do not interrupt me. The House of Verbatim calls upon your services. An employee of a highly sensitive company has just uncovered information she doesn't need to know. The House demands you torture and end her. You will broadcast the event via vidphone. We want her to grovel for her life before you take it. Are my instructions clear, contractor?"
It had to be a woman, didn't it? Please not a brunette...
"I'll serve the machinations of the circle of Internal, but the House will pay triple. Don't make me repeat it." William was to the point and ruthless, some of the only things Internalists valued. "Very well, 15,000 credits. Half now, half at completion. Use some of that to buy a better phone," the man replied snidely. "Put the details in a node and message-" he began before being cut off again. "I don't have time for that, merc. Sue Hathoway, 33-1-306, middle-aged, brunette, soft on the eyes. Don't fuck around on this one merc. The House needs this to happen tonight. Eight o'clock sharp," the man demanded before ending the transmission abruptly. Gripping the bridge of his nose, William sighed heavily.
William began to pace the room and speak to himself. "There's no time to stake it out. I'll have to go straight there and... and... and what?" He turned and stared at the wall, his eyes eventually trailing off toward the Crucible inhaler. A shiver ran through him; a remembrance of a previous life of addiction, pain and lust. He tried to stop himself but after only a scant minute he was on the floor taking another hit. The rush of peace and serenity washed over him again and he was in control.
Shroud. There's a chance she will be too frail and die on the spot, but its the only option.
Pulling on a flowing black cloak, William left his abode and made his way to the nearest sector lift. Massive blast doors slide to the sides to reveal a large freight elevator with room enough for three large vehicles and passengers. LAW officers were stationed inside each one, equipped with two-handed ordnance and stun grenades. Making his way to the far end of the lift, William sat and waited as the two-feet thick doors grinded back into place before the lift rose methodically to Sub-Level 1. His eyes avoided contact with the armored officers, not wishing to draw undue attention.
The creaking doors opened after several minutes allowing the kultist to roam the streets freely. LAW officers walked the roads in pairs, just as heavily armed as the ones at the sector lift. The presence of forced complacency and overbearing guiding hands weighed upon William as he strode out into the light. He made eye contact with no one and kept to himself as he made his way across town. Finally he came to the three hundred block of residences, his eyes scanning the well-secured entryway of the building that contained 306.
The apartment building was large and impressive, built of a sturdier concrete formula and reinforced with rebar wire. This was the only Sublevel that could afford to be built using such techniques, as the other three levels had to make due with simpler materials. The door that allowed entrance had a small screen with a display of numbers. Beside it was a list of whom lived at each address and a call button. William arched an eyebrow and tried pressing the button for 302, hoping the door would buzz him in. After a moment of silence he decided to try a less subtle route. A reassuring glance over his shoulder was followed by a hand-sized electrical storm as the kultist pulled all the energy from the device. Punching a few buttons was enough to trick the sensor, unlocking the door as the power died which would also prevent it from shutting and locking him inside.
William stalked up to the door that was labeled 306 and breathed out a calming sigh. He knocked twice and to his surprise the door was opened, albeit with a chain-lock still in place. "Yes?" came a female voice from within the dimly lit apartment. The soul within the ringblade was damned upon the kultist's command, bringing onto him the power of Shroud. Stepping before the small opening, William merely stared the woman in the eye and let his convokation do the rest. the woman's eyes went wide and she shivered violently, her body shifting into view. A white streak passed through her hair as she toppled to the floor. Using a small device he was able to cut the chains with little effort and enter the room. Thankfully she was alone, giving William ample time to tie her and riffle through her house.
The woman awoke to a face full of water, gasping for air loudly. She found a hand quickly over her mouth and a voice in her ear from behind. "You will do exactly as I say, as quietly as you possibly can. If you don't follow my instructions I will come back and I will flay your son. Do you understand me, Mrs. Hathoway?" William said as he held up a picture of mother and son. The woman shivered and cried, attempting to keep it quiet out of desperate fear. She finally mustered enough courage to nod, prompting William to help her up. "I am going to untie you and you will follow me to Sub-Level 4. There are some people that want to have a chat with you." The woman looked at the scared man that was her captor. Her eyes traced the lines that draw over his left cheek and across that eye. She was horribly scared but didn't want anything to happen to her son. Sue Hathoway, once up-and-coming businesswoman was now nothing more than a submissive toy. William did not miss the irony as he grinned wickedly at her.
The two arrived on Sub-Level 4 in complete silence, the woman too numb to be able to respond. Several minutes of travel brought the two upon a door in an alleyway which lead to an abandoned home. Rust-brown stains covered the floor of the kitchen, including a noxious odor that made Sue cry out. William locked the two inside and dropped his veneer of trust. His eyes met hers and an unspoken conversation went between the two, the woman understanding that she was not going to leave that room alive. She trembled but the kultist would not tolerate any further delays. He was ready to be finished with this job and it had only just begun. Gripping the woman's wrists he tossed her unceremoniously to the floor and followed it up with a quick blow to the back of her head.
Hours passed and Sue dreamed. She dreamed of an insane plot to hold her captive for money and felt an overarching malignant force. She was awoken this time with a harsh slap to the face, eliciting a scream. "Mrs. Hathoway, are you with us? Good. From this point on, I want you to be as vocal as humanly possible," William said as he knelt beside her. "You see, you're being punished. I'm sure you don't understand why, but that's not what's important now. What is, is you putting on a good show for the partners of your company. They're watching you right now," he continued, pointing to a brand-new video camera set on the counter. Her eyes widened and she screamed, lashing wildly at William, but finding she was chained to the floor at her wrists and ankles. "NO! Why are you doing this to me!?" she cried out.
Sue Hathoway was tortured over the course of 46 minutes. William stared at his handiwork as his mind raced. He looked at each wound he had inflicted, each bone broken, each pain created. Blood stained his hands and cloak, pooling at his boots. She'd screamed for as long as she could and screamed even after her voice completely gave way.
*beep beep*
William answered his vidphone, saying nothing. He knew whom it was. "Most excellent work. Your pay is well deserved indeed. Have a nice night, killer." William put his phone away and shook his head. He finally settled on a look of disgust as he took in the details of the room. Taking the disc from the camera, William looked down at the woman one last time. Her features shifted and superimposed over her was a vision of a woman he'd once cared for. Crushing the disc, the kultist strode out of the room to the streets, haunted by a life that had once brought happiness and meaning.
Disraeli, you are a cruel master indeed. I do not fully understand your path for me. May your wisdom guide my actions.
Fan-fiction for Obsidian: The Age of Judgement
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment