(((Got the go ahead from Draconian too. Time skipping in this post.)))
Gabe seemed unsure at first. A tremor of worry as Sharon considered what he had said. More wood on the fire. More blood, more violence. More innocent lives gone; more Emogenes, who would simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Adelaide. And even when she had it, the power and the control she sought, it wouldn't be over. It would be an ordered carnage, but still carnage. Those who broke her rules would have to be put down, those who made power plays against her would have to be put down, those who attempted to compromise her operations to the Reajh guard would have to be put down. Quickly. Violently. Enough to send a powerful message to others with similar ideas. A message that, if she were lucky, might buy her a small time of peace, before the next crackdown was necessary.
But the alternative was Deegan, and men like him. Unrestrained. And the abuses and atrocities they would commit. That they
were committing right now.
Sharon took heart when he came around to the idea. Smiled and embraced him as he came close. An encouraging warmth in her chest.
"Thank you, Gabe," she said. "Good to know you've got my back."
And she closed her eyes. Savored the moment. One of the few in her life she could cherish.
* * * * *
Rain fell on a small abandoned fort in the foothills of the Kilanthro mountains.
Reese walked into the underground dungeon of the fort. Two metal hooks in his right hand. He sung a ballad to himself as he walked. Taking his time. He wore only pants. A big man, bristling with muscle. Close-cut hair, piercing hazel eyes. A massive black tattoo on his chest and stomach: that of the Circled Snake. Eating its own tail.
A lantern hanging from the ceiling of the room. A man, naked and bound by chains at the wrists and ankles to the wall. He had a name. Once.
The man looked fearfully to Reese. "Please. I have a family."
Reese stopped. Stood in front of the man. "Do you know why you're here?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stolen from Mr. Winters. I just needed to make ends—"
"No. Ask me."
"What?"
"Ask me why you're here, and I will tell you the truth."
"Listen to me, listen, it won't happen again—"
Reese brought up his left hand. Laid it gently over the man's entire face. Spread his fingers so he could see through them.
"Ask me."
"W...why am I here?"
Reese let his hand slide down the man's face. "Because you have always been here. And now you are here again. You've lived this moment countless times before. And the last time was merciful. This time, it will be worse. The next, worse still."
The man's lips trembled. "What?"
"We cannot see the cage we are born into. It is shrouded from our eyes. Disguised as dirt and grass and trees and sky. And there is no escape from it. Our eternal prison."
The man's arms and legs shook as Reese grabbed hold of his chin and forced his mouth open. "No, no, no—!"
Reese slid one of the hooks into the man's mouth and jerked it down. The pointed end tore through the man's tongue and the bottom of his mouth and burst out of the skin beneath his chin. Blood dripped to the floor as the man cried out. Reese slid the other hook inside the man's mouth on the other side. Punctured the soft flesh in the same way.
Reese grabbed two thin ropes from the table on his right. Secured them to the bottom of the hooks. Then tied them to twin loops of iron on the floor. Made sure the ropes were taut.
And Reese looked back to the table. Grabbed a pair of crude iron pliers.
"Samsara is the name of this prison. The gilded cage for all who live and die. And it knows only one King."
Reese clamped the pliers onto the first of the man's teeth.
"Monarch."
And pulled.
Screams in the dungeon.
It was only when Reese had a bowl full of the man's teeth that one of his men opened the dungeon's door. He had a note in his hand.
"Boss, you're gonna wanna see this. It's important."
* * * * *
Sharon had a difficult time sleeping. She tossed and turned in bed, thoughts of the upcoming assault making her restless. It wasn't so much a feeling of nervousness or unease, strangely, but one of a quiet and persistent eagerness to get it done, and get it done right. She hopped out of bed several times, walked over to one of the large windows of the room in just her shirt and underwear, and peered out the glass at the dark night sky. The storm clouds had blotted out the stars, rain fell at a steady pace, and mostly silent lightning illuminated the Kilanthro mountains lurking in the distance. Only the low rumble of thunder every few minutes or so.
A pattern. Trying to sleep. Standing by the window. Sitting and thinking on the sofa. Repeat.
This had to work. Everything depended on it. Not only did she need to successfully kill Reese, but rumors of The Maitri being ultimately responsible needed to be spread effectively, or else what was the point? A tricky balance.
Now Sharon started to understand why Rains was always on edge. Why she liked to destress often with working girls. This anxiety, this hyper-vigilance, frayed the nerves.
And she tried to sleep again.
The faintest sliver of light to the east. A tiny purple tide in the sky, pushing up against the black.
Sharon walked out onto the deck of
The Overlook fully dressed, a cloth mask down around her neck and ready to be pulled up to conceal her face. The wood of the deck was still wet, the smell of fresh rain thick in the cold air. Half the clouds were gone from the sky now, allowing the meager light from the exposed stars and the moon to shine down.
Jorge followed her out. Stood next to her by the railing of the deck. Looked out over Twin Rivers with her.
"Mornin', Sharon," he said.
"Good morning, Jorge." She glanced over at him. "You look...huh, well-rested. I was expecting you to look like shit."
"That's 'cause I know my gut. Drank just enough yesterday to help me find a nice, cozy spot in my pillow and knock out early. Maybe you ought to've tried it, love. You look fuckin' beat."
"I'm fine."
"Jus' sayin'." He waited a bit, then added, "So did you go one round or two with Gabe? Ow! Fuck me, Sharon, that's my good arm. Now I'm gonna miss both my shots."
"Maybe you should've kept the commentary to yourself then."
Zhang ascended the narrow path leading up to The Overlook. Reached the top. Saw Sharon and Jorge out on the deck again. He arrived just in time to see her punch Jorge in the arm.
A minor dispute, it seemed.
Zhang entered the inn, the lobby illuminated by a couple lanterns. He crossed the distance to the door to the deck. Opened it. And stepped out.
"Good morning," Zhang said, standing by the door in same spot as yesterday.
"Mornin', mate," Jorge said as he turned around.
Sharon didn't. Kept her hands on the wooden railing and her gaze out over the town.
Zhang could only hope that she was prepared for what was in store.