Death (9) - Scorched Earth

I'm not sure of how we arrived at Andrei's place. I was deeply lost inside my own mind, replaying over and over what had just happened. Torn between the euphoria of having passed the worst of the tests, and the realization that... she was no more. I felt empty inside. Sick, in more than the literal sense.

I just found myself lying in the bed, eyes fully open, incapable of shutting my mind down. I closed my eyes as I realized he was there too, sitting beside me. I didn't know how to feel. I had thought I would feel liberated. I just felt empty.

I felt his arms wrapping around me, in a sweet caress. I hugged him back. And I understood. Key's death was just the price for this. I tightened my grip, I couldn't let him go. If that was the price, then so be it.

He probably felt my overly-enthusiastic grip. "How are you feeling, Sandy?"

"I..."... I'll miss her. No. NO. It's over. "Good." I smiled. "There's no going back now. So, good."

He hugged harder, almost taking my breath away.

- - -

A couple weeks later, I received a call from one of my informants at the hospital. I rushed there as soon as I was sure it would not raise suspicions. Sandy was out on a job, and would not be back for a few hours. Good.

My guy greeted me right before the room's door. "Hey, Boss. So, she's in pretty bad shape, but she's awoke."

She rolled her eyes as I opened the door. "Now you care about me, too?"

"Don't be silly." I joked.

She closed her eyes, not caring about her worries showing anymore. "Does he know?"

"No, and he must never find it. I'm sending you to a faraway place. You will NOT call me. I won't call you either. You'll be able to live your life away from this... place. You're NOT to draw unwanted attention. I'll offer you a job with some of my guys. That said, you'll be strictly following orders. Don't mess this up, or you know what happens."
 
"So, where's that faraway place?"

"I was thinking... I know a guy in South America. Colombia. You'll probably like him."

She smiled sadly. "Guess I can do that."

- - -

Couple weeks after... she passed away, I was at Andrei's place, pacing around. He was quite late from work.

I kept having those damned flashbacks, reliving all the good times over and over. It was somewhat easier when he was around, especially since he'd been really nice to me since that day. The handful of jobs he gave me helped in keeping me distracted. But I couldn't work 24 hours a day.

It was late at night when he finally came home. "Hey. How are you."

"I... Shit. I can't get over it. I keep having those flashbacks."

He sat beside me, took my hand. It made me feel a tad better. "That's normal, Sandy. You don't... you don't lose someone and get over it in a day. I know what she meant to you, kid. I know what you truly did. And that's why I couldn't be more proud of you." He hugged me.

"It hurts. A lot."

"I know. But, look deep inside, and you'll find something else than pain."

Yes, of course. Deep inside, I was proud of it, of having conquered myself, but that didn't make me forget about her, didn't make it hurt any less. I hugged him harder. I knew he couldn't understand. I didn't care.

Death (8) - Decisions

I made the mistake of sending Sandy to pay a visit to Key. You see, I needed a file from her, but I figured she was still mad at me, so sending the boy seemed like a sensible idea.

Not an hour later, they both came see me. More like, she barged into my office, dragging the poor Sandy along. She took a deep breath, visibly upset. "Now, can you tell me what the hell have you done this time?"

"Key, dammit, how many times I have to tell you, I asked for it!" Sandy yelled at her.

I looked at her, dead serious. Her attitude annoyed me to no end. "First, it's none of your business."

"If you tell me that one more time..." She interrupted me, barely containing her anger.

I sighed, trying to avoid the upcoming fight. It was always like that with her. "Calm down. What are you exactly going to do, anyway. It's not like you haven't already tried. And lost. So get over it, Sandy gets to make his own decisions, whether you like them or not."

"That's a pile of bullshit. You..." There was something in her eyes. Something dangerous.

I pressed the button. Her ring's trigger. It knocked her out. I signed at Sandy to help me move her to the safe room. Tied her to a chair. I could easily keep her under control, but I didn't have to take risks. Her attitude wasn't helping anyone.

"Sandy. Convince her to stop being such a blockhead, will you?"

He still had a long way to get to where I needed him. Facing her was another step in the right direction.

He awoke her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"Now, will you at least listen instead of yelling at me, Key?" Sandy crouched before her, in an attempt to be friendly.

She sighed. "Do I have a choice?" She was still visibly angry at the world, but being in a rough spot did wonders to her bad temper.

"Not really, you know. Anyway. I've told you. It's my life. I don't work for you anymore, so stop telling me what to do."

She was about as hard-headed as a rock, but that didn't mean she couldn't adapt. She took another deep breath. "Sandy. Listen to me. Okay? ... You know it. You know where this path leads."

"Yes." Sandy's voice was cold as an iceberg.

She sighed once more. "And that's it? You don't even care anymore?"

"Oh, I do care," said Sandy. I saw his smile. The kid was good at this. "But... I've told you, I'll do whatever he asks." He grabbed her chin, his eyes locked on hers. He drew a knife, gently placed it against her throat. "Even if it means I have to kill you."

Damn if he wasn't making me proud of him.

She couldn't help closing her eyes for a second. Trying to keep up the fight. Idiot. Why the hell did you have to be such a bullhead? ... She opened her eyes again. Cold as ice too. "Then do it already. You know that's what he wants of you."

"Sandy." I stopped him. "Take a step back. Now."

He reluctantly did, though he was clearly not expecting this. I went on to explain. "You do that - you'll have to take on her job, since I don't really have anybody else. I'm pretty sure you won't like that, it's mostly paperwork these days."

She too was confused, but decided to play along. "That's true, Sandy. It's been days since I did some real work. It's driving me crazy."

"Sandy. Wait outside, will you?"

He looked at me, visibly puzzled. Yet he managed to keep up the facade and simply nod at me as he left the room.

"Kid has got himself a character, huh?" I smiled. 

She had dropped the mask. "Why did you stop him. Why do that for me."

I couldn't help smirking as I circled her. Time to have fun. To be honest. I planted my hands on her shoulders. Gave her a little soft caress. I felt her shiver. Good. "I'll be blunt, Key. I didn't do it for you, I did it for him."

"Now you tell me you care for him?" She scorned.

I let my voice become a terrifying whisper. "Will you stop being a jerk for once in your life, Key? Anyway. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing I'd like more than to see him kill you. But, the thing is, I don't want him to do it for me. I want him to do it for himself. Then... I've lied to him. There won't be a price." If I have to be honest, I kinda lied. Well, I just skipped the part where I didn't really want her dead.

She froze. "You're a sick bastard."

I laughed as I untied her hands. "Now go and let the kid live his life, will you?"

We both froze as we opened the door and saw Sandy, with a gun pointing at her head. She closed her eyes, visibly shaken. We all say we're not scared of Death, until you look at it in the face. Then your whole view of it changes. Every single time.

Sandy could have been an iceberg. He looked at me. All emotions well hidden under an impenetrable mask. "What's the price."

Holy. Shit. I was not expecting this. I tried to keep my own mask in its place. "I've told you. Office work, at least until I manage to find someone else willing to do it."

He took a step forward, placing the barrel against her forehead. I couldn't read him, at all. He was the very image of a faceless doll. Key was frozen. Else she could have easily done something. But she didn't. I froze too as I heard the loud bang. She collapsed onto the floor, dead. He had done it.

My face turned white. "Holy Shit, Sandy." And my heart, that one that wasn't there in the first place, broke as I saw him smile. Holy shit indeed.

Death (7) - The Ring

"Well... That explains quite a few things, Andrei."

He looked down. Silence.

I smiled, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "I mean, like your obsession with the suits. I hate those, you know."

He grinned at me. "Well, Sandy, you have to look presentable. If it were up to you, you'd look like a hobo." He teased me.

"Hey, it's not that bad!"

"Well... quite close, if you ask me. I think you're better than that, boy."

I looked down, not sure on how to ask the obvious. "May I... Ask a question?"

"Ask away, Sandy."

"You admire that guy, don't you?"

He looked into my eyes. I again saw a glimpse of the Void, though this time mixed with gloom. "He made me what I am, Sandy. I'd never be here if not for him."

"Key always says you're not your past, but your decisions. I think she's right. I could make the choice and leave this..."

He laughed at me. "But, could you?"

I sighed. "You know what I mean, Andrei. Thing is, I don't take that choice. Neither do you. You're not the past. You're what you decide to be."

"Well, I would have never decided I wanted to be in this hell if not for him." He grinned. "Anyway... I need to get something."

He came a few minutes later. "Here. You wanted this?" He offered me a small jewelry box.

"Holy shit! Are you gonna ask for my hand, or something?" I joked.

There was something else in his smile. Something I could not pinpoint. "Open it."

I opened it. A ring. ... No, not a finger ring. The other kind. Shit. He had a thing to always chose the worst possible moment, completely disarming you in the process.

"You want it or not?" He grinned. He knew the answer, of course he did.

"Do it."

- - -

A couple days later, Andrei had sent me to ask Key for a file. I opened the door to her office. "Hey. So..."

"Come in." She said without looking, too absorbed in her work.

"Key... Andrei wants to know how long will that take. He needs it ASAP."

"I'm working on it —" She froze in horror as she looked up and saw me. I guess I looked like I was in pretty bad shape after the other day. "The hell has happened to you, Sandy?"

"Life has happened." I shrugged.

She stood up with such rage that she knocked the chair down. She grabbed my arms before I could react. "It was that bastard, wasn't he?"

"Key. Listen to me, okay? It's not his fault. I asked for it."

"That's a pile of bullshit, Sandy. You don't deserve this." She stared at me for a second. Then she practically tore my shirt open, grabbed the chain. "What's this."

"I'm telling you, I asked for it all. Like, literally."

She turned me around like a puppet and pulled my shirt up, revealing the recent wound in my lower back. The ring. "You telling me you asked for this?" She seemingly hadn't heard a single word I had said.

"I'm telling you, Key. Yes. It's my fault. It's my life—"

She didn't listen. She grabbed my hand, and pulled me out of her office, toward Andrei's.

Death (6) - Andrei

"Hey, so, you never told me. What brought you here? How did you end up, you know, in the Agency?"


"That's one long story, Sandy."

A smile crept into my lips. "Well, I think we have time."

"Well... technically I should go to work. But to hell with it. Paperwork can wait."

I smiled in response, as I twisted and turned around a bit so I could see him.

He sighed, trying to recollect his memories. "Well... I was never an exemplary kid. Always on my own, never really had any friend. But it all took a turn for the worse when my father got himself killed. ... I've never dug too deep into it, but as far as I know, he was doing stuff for the mob. I guess a rival family killed him."

"That's why you're hellbent on destroying the mob?" I looked into his eyes. He had that grin of his, but it was cold this time. Sad, even.

"Nah. That would grant a bullet, a few at most, not a full all-out war. Anyway. He was the one who brought the money. Once he was gone... we had nothing."

His grin was now gone. "My mother struggled to make ends meet, but she never really managed it. In those days, I always went hungry to bed. I soon started stealing. At first minor stuff, you know. A sandwich from this kid who had two. Some money from that uptight man. Whatever. I tried to do it nicely. But... sometimes I got caught, and I soon learned to fight back. I figured it was the only way to avoid a beating." His lips curved into a smile, but his eyes were full of gloom.

"Guess it... makes sense." I managed to say. The story was not important anymore, seeing him like that... it was heartbreaking.

He kept talking, though it was clear it was not easy for him to open up. "Time made me go further and further. Soon I didn't try to play nice anymore. Scaring the people into giving me money was easier than staying undetected." Those glistening eyes again. I thought I had saw a hint of regret before, but now it was gone. "I also dipped my toes into the mob, doing minor jobs here and there. It all got me arrested a few times. Last one... okay. Wait. I should show you, that one got into the newspapers and all."

He got his phone and searched for the old article. A kid, probably underage, had been badly beaten up. I looked a him, waiting for the inevitable explanation. 

"Yeah, it's not a nice pic." He joked, but his somber eyes betrayed his words. "Yes, that was my first kill. I... two days before, the idiot had ran to his brother when I had politely told him to give me his money or else. The brother was a beast, he beat me up pretty badly. That day, I saw him alone. I don't know what the hell I was thinking, I just sort of went into a frenzy. Beat him to death. Thing is, I didn't realize there were quite a few witnesses, so I got sent to that place again."

I kept listening. It was hard to see him like this. Broken.

"I was about fourteen then. I was expecting the same as always. The same idiot counselors that just told you how your actions hurt people. That sort of moralizing nonsense. But this time was different. The guy was none like the others. He was in a suit, for a start." His eyes lightened up.

"So that's where it comes from." I joked. He almost always wore a suit, and kept insisting I had to wear one too. I hated them with a passion, but he didn't really gave me a choice.

"Well, I've always respected those who can rock a suit, but... no, that part comes later." He smirked, for a split second back to his usual self. "Well, thing is. He showed me the newspaper. I told him everything. And then he went and offered me a contract. A full time job, at the Agency. Didn't pay too well, at least during the training, but it included food and lodgings. I didn't have to think it twice."

"And your mother?"

He closed his eyes for a long second. "I honestly don't know what was of her. I was angry at her, I always thought she was the cause of our misery, so I mostly ignored her. I didn't thought of her when I got into this place, you know."

"So... how was the training?" I decided to move on.

"Hell." He smiled, as if hell was the best thing ever.

He made a long pause, trying to figure what to tell. "As in any other training plan, I guess. A strict schedule, and some creative punishments for those who didn't follow the orders to the letter." He sighed. "Screw it. This is what he did, over and over." He grabbed my hand, ran it through the back of his head. It was invisible under the hair, but obvious to the touch. A thick scar, clearly a brand, in the shape of an x.

I looked into his eyes, realizing where his obsession with the marks came from.

"As for the training, at first it was mostly physical stuff, but soon enough it became apparent that there was something... not right." He now had a half-sided smirk in his face.

"Like?"

"Well... we started practicing with dummies, but sometimes they were... a little too real. Anyway, we kept ignoring those things, knowing well that saying anything was not a good idea. And then... " And then his smile was gone again, bitterness taking its place. "I think I was like sixteen by then. Three of the guys had had enough and tried to escape. I... I'll never forget that day."

I just stared at him, curious about what was it that broke him.

"The instructor called the rest of us to his office. Led us to the safe room beneath it. He had rounded up the three guys like human livestock. Blindfolded, hands tied... you know the stuff. He made us sit on the floor right before them. And then he killed them. Cut their throats. Their blood splashed everywhere."

I swallowed hard. Not really at the scene, but at him. It was obviously painful for him to retell the old tale.

"And then he just told us something along the lines of 'that's what happens if you mess up', and left. The worst was, from that day on, they didn't bother with the false dummies anymore. It was painfully obvious they were... people. And it was painfully obvious we couldn't really do anything about it."

"Holy shit."

"Yeah. He kept pushing us farther, though. Soon we were doing... actual interrogations. Real files, I mean. I think at least three of the guys killed themselves when they saw what the man did." A smile crept up to his lips, a hint of shine was back in his eyes. I think I know who wore a suit too. "The man could have been the Devil, if you ask me."

I couldn't help to smirk at his remark. 

"Though, I soon started liking the job. For the first time, probably in my life, I felt... in control. I had power. It did not help that the man knew well what to say to... lead us forward. He kept praising me. Telling me how I had a future there. And... Well, I guess I fell for it." His grin was now obvious.

I bit my tongue. Someone had obviously learned much more than how to torture and kill in that place.

"I was like eighteen when I was called to the Head of Detentions' office. Long story short, he said he had been watching me work, and felt I could fit in his department. And so, he signed me a contract. And that's how I ended up working in this place. Skip a few years, and he got seriously hurt in one mission and thought it was time to retire. He called me again, and offered me the position, and as I guess you can figure, I accepted it."

Death (5) - Wounds

I awoke sluggishly, turning around in the bed, not really realizing where I was, just the weird thought that something was not right. I felt my whole body aching, even flat out burning with pain in some places. My back was by far the worst.

Still half asleep, I tried to recall why would all my body hurt. And I had a sort of a flashback: his eyes. Far wilder than I had seen them ever before. My mind snapped into reality, the night before as a flash in front of my eyes. I couldn't help a smile as my back throbbed. I hadn't given in. ... My will hadn't, at least. I could not remember the ending. Guess I'd have to ask.

I sat up on the bed, looking around. The big room in Andrei's house. Was that good or bad news? ... I didn't really care. I winced at my back's pain. Had it ripped, or something? It hurt a lot and a half.

I was thinking whether to go find a mirror or wait for him, when the door opened.

"Speaking of the Devil." I greeted him.

He smirked at the joke. "How are you feeling, Sandy?"

"Well, my whole body aches and my back feels as if I had been thrown into a fire pit, but other than that... fine, I guess. ... Andrei, I was meaning to ask you... what happened? ... I mean, I have no clue on how I got here."

He sat on the bed, a friendly smile in his eyes. "You're such a bullhead, you managed to black out."

My chest got full of pride. "So, does that mean I won?"

"You silly, I could have awoken you and keep trying." His eyes let show a glistening hint of cruelty. "But I figured you had had enough. Brought you here. Figured a hospital would attract  too much attention."

"You sure I don't need a doctor? ... My back feels in quite bad shape."

"I already fixed you up, Sandy. You just need some rest, okay? Say, you want drugs?"

"I'm fine, Andrei. I've been through worse."

He rolled his eyes, dismissing the idea. "That doesn't mean you couldn't use some pain relievers, you know." He leaned on the bed, beside me. I stared into his eyes. They were warm, friendly.

I had a sort of a flashback. That night. I saw the Devil himself in his eyes. I couldn't help smiling at the huge difference. Night and Day.

Guess I was inside my mind again, 'cause I never saw him move, I just felt his hug, making me snap back into reality. "I'm sorry, Sandy. I shouldn't have done that. That said, I have to tell you, I'm really, really proud of what you did. Not everybody can pull that off."

I hugged him back, as hard as my aching body and my burning back let me. "It's not your fault, you know."

He pulled back. "Sandy, seriously. Stop trying to justify everything I do. Look at you. Sure it will heal, but right now you're a mess, and I was the one who did it."

I didn't respond. I knew he wouldn't listen, so I let it go. Just took his hand, and leaned back onto the bed. My back burned with the fury of a wildfire. I couldn't hide a wince.

He saw it and went for some meds, kept insisting 'till I took them. "You'll feel a bit better in a minute, trust me. There's no need to go through that, boy."

He sat back on the bed, his back against the wall, slightly slouched. Comfy. I couldn't help but to curl against his chest, as a lazy cat who just wants some heat and company for his nap. He petted my head as if I was indeed a cat, and I felt really tempted to purr. Too bad it was one of those things I never learned to do.

Death (4) - Pain

"Play with me." I whispered, almost to myself. "Take my soul."

"You don't have to do this, you know." Andrei's voice was back to normal.

"Please... make me Feel..." Alive, I guess is the word that I couldn't find.

A hint of creepiness appeared again, even though quite subtle. For now. "Why, Sandy. Why do you keep wanting to get hurt."

"You know why."

My heart started racing as he drew a knife, let it glimmer before my eyes, softly letting its edge rest against my throat. "Yes, Sandy." He was back to his hair-raising murmur. "You like this, don't you? ... You want yet another test. But one of these days, this is going to get out of hand and you'll get hurt."

"I'd trust you with my life, Andrei..." I managed to mutter.

He sighed. He couldn't really be trusted, could he? I got a chill when his breath hit my neck. "So this is your version of 'let's see what a bullhead I can be'. Fine. I'll play along. I'll make you stop me."

I fell to my knees as he freed me from his vice-like hug. I couldn't help staring at him. He too was soiled with blood. He walked to the girl and tugged at her, ripping her skin from the hooks, then coldly threw her aside as if she was a broken doll.

"Get up." He was dead serious now.

I complied, visibly shaking.

He looked into my eyes, and yet again I saw the Void, but there was something else. I also saw bitterness. "Stop this, Sandy. Stop it before you get hurt."

I couldn't help but to smile. Yes, I would get hurt. So what. There was no other way forward. "I won't."

He sighed again a second before he harshly turned me around, grabbed my hands behind my back, the too thin rope digging into my wrists. "You think you're more hard-headed than me, Sandy? ... News flash, you're not. But, if you want to go through hell, I won't stop you." His voice was low, almost a whisper, but it was cold as ice, not the usual grinning murmur. It made my heart skip a beat.

He brutally dragged me below the hanging hooks. Then untied the big rope, lowering them. "You're going up. Or, you can stop this now. Your call."

"Do it."

He circled me, took the knife to my chin so I had to look into his eyes. The Void, again. His creepy grin, his ghostly murmur. "Ask for it." No matter how many times he dismissed the idea as silly, I had the feeling that he was indeed the Devil himself.

"I already told you to do it." I smiled. The direness of the situation gave me strength. I knew I couldn't win, but I would put up a good fight. I'd give him that.

"Words, Sandy. Say it."

Shit. He sure knew how to disarm me. "Hook me up." My voice trembled.

He ripped a hole in the back of my shirt, exposing the skin below so he could put the hooks in there. "This is going to hurt, Sandy. Ready?" He didn't wait for an answer.

I felt a sharp pain as the first of the hooks pierced my back - grabbing much more skin than I had grabbed from the girl.

He noticed the deep breath I had to take, the lowest whimper I didn't manage to hide. "Told you this was going to be Hell, Sandy." His voice was now calm, but not without a hint of bitterness just below the surface. "I'm not gonna repeat myself over and over. You want to stop, you say it."

I felt his pinch on the other side of my back. Again, much thicker. I clenched my teeth, getting ready for the sharp wave of pain. But it didn't come. Not sharp, anyway. I just felt the tip of a needle, slowly but surely applying more pressure. It soon hurt, badly. I clenched my jaws tighter, trying not to wince too hard. I had been through worse. Or so I thought. The pain kept increasing. He was doing this one slowly. Soon I started whimpering.

Eventually, the hook went through. I was in tears by then. I may or may not have screamed a couple times.

Again, he made me look into his eyes. That grin again. "You ready for this?"

And I knew. I had to. Failing him wasn't an option. "Do it!"

Oh, boy. He tugged at the rope. In a split second, I was in the air, suspended only by two huge meat hooks pierced through my skin. Adrenaline was nowhere to be seen, the pain so overwhelming that I let out a scream.

The rope still in his hand, he looked at me. "Stop this, Sandy. It will only get worse."

But I had this. The worst of pain is always the first wave. If you can stand it... the body soon shuts up. "Show me." My voice was now completely calm. Yes, I had this. Or so I thought.

"You're nuts, Sandy." He tied the rope, and violently cut the rest of my clothes, nicking my flesh on purpose a couple times in the process.

"Come on! Show me your worst!" I said, way too sure of myself.

His eyes gleamed, full of cruelty. And then, out of the blue, he slapped me in the face. Hard. Taking all my determination away. His voice was ice-cold. "You really think you can win at this game, boy?"

He went to the cabinet without waiting for an answer. I froze when he turned around and I saw what he had picked up. His grin unfaltering, his eyes... I can't even describe them anymore. My heart started racing.

But I didn't knew how bad it was 'till I felt the first lash of the short whip on my skin, as the metallic blades attached to the tip hacked their way into my skin. I let out a scream.

"Stop it already, Sandy." His voice was steady as a rock, his grin, his eyes...

I could not fail him. "I won't."

"Your call, then."

Next lash was to the face, one of the blades almost hitting my eye. I winced at it, screamed again in pain. And again, and again, over and over as the lashes kept coming, pain overwhelming my senses, I could only see his eyes anymore, glistening, deadly, making me realize he would not hesitate to kill me.

But not today. That day, I mean. Eventually, he stopped. Ready to move on to the next thing, his eyes said just that much. "Sandy, stop it already, dammit. You'll get hurt."

Silence. I couldn't even hear his words anymore, I couldn't answer. I didn't even realize he had tied my feet too. I just felt his hug. His foot between mine. And the sharp pain that burned at my back as he climbed onto me, as the hooks now supported not only all my weight but also his. It was too much, even for me. And I blacked out.

Death (3) - Trance

I sat on the bed, just staring at her. The flying doll. Her sexy dress really added to the whole doll look.

She took a few minutes to finally get that screaming wouldn't get her anywhere, and then just started sobbing.

I gently took off her dress - as gently as I could, considering she was still in the air, and wasn't really in the mood to help. She was just perfect, other than the handful of scars that adorned her body. I traced a couple of them with my fingers, making her shiver, before taking out the knife once more. Yet again I rested it's tip against her neck.

This time she didn't have the strength to say anything anymore. She was practically in shock. I had to get her out of her trance. I slowly ran the knife down through her skin, from her chin to her belly. A shallow cut, barely skin deep, just enough to snap her back into reality. She started whimpering, again mumbling nonsense. Good. That was better than silence.

The door opened abruptly. Andrei. Who apparently couldn't keep his word. He was grinning, as always.

"What the hell are you doing here, Andrei. I thought you had said you wouldn't so much as look?"

He pat my shoulder. "Well... Of course I couldn't help looking, Sandy. And since you were doing such a great job... I had to come and see it firsthand. I'll just sit in a corner and stay quiet, I promise."

I tried to focus back on the girl, but the madness, the trance, had been shattered. Now I knew for sure, yes, this was another test. I took a deep breath. I had to go further.

"Hey, honey. Look who came to see you." Shit. Why the hell did he have to come? ... Still, I had to do this. I Had To. I tried my best to sound confident, to hide the slight tremble in my voice. "Aren't you happy? Didn't you say you like him?" The grin finally came back to my eyes. "Well. Let us walk you to hell, then."

She kept sobbing, not really hearing me anymore. The whole suspension thing had taken a huge toll on her sanity. I mentally glanced at Andrei. Her state couldn't stop me. I took a deep breath and went on to slowly carve a big x on her back - this time in deep cuts, to the point it started bleeding quite a lot. All she did was whimper pathetically.

I was so deep inside my mind, thinking on what the hell could I do next, that I jumped in place when Andrei hugged me from my back, his hands like vices clamping onto my arms.

"Holy shit, Sandy. Look at what you've done."

It was his usual eerie murmur, but this time it was full of pride - for me. I couldn't help closing my eyes. His strong grip almost hurt, making me clench my teeth.

"Now, don't let her bleed out, boy." His hands slowly but surely crawled up to my shoulders. "Kill her." His grip ever tighter, my heart skipped a beat as he went on, his voice ever so more disturbing. "Let her blood taint your soul, Sandy. Let go."

I went into a trance as his hands let me free. Andrei could be a master of words when he tried. For the last time I made her look into my eyes, raising her chin with my hand. She was still mumbling nonsense. Guess she hadn't heard him. I slowly raised the knife to her neck, and in an even slower motion, cut through her throat, letting her blood soak me, always staring into her eyes. I saw the flame smothered, life turned into ashes.

I closed my eyes. No matter how many times I saw it, I would have sworn I'd never get used to it. I felt his arms wrapping around me, this time a soft, lovingly caress. Still in a trance, I let my head fall back into his shoulder as his embrace got slowly tighter.

"Feel it, Sandy. Let it drown you." He softly guided my hand, the knife, to her belly. I couldn't do anything other than watch as the knife cut into her abdomen, as he let it fell to the ground. My hand still into his, we reached inside her, took her entrails. His steady breath sent my heart racing as he gently guided my hand, full of bloody guts, to my face, smearing it all over as I closed my eyes, blood and bits dripping everywhere.

Death (2) - Nightclub

Out of habit, I knocked on the door. A sensual, almost silly voice greeted me. "Come in, it's unlocked!"

The room was a sight to see. Fully decorated in deep red tones, with some notes of black, I couldn't help but to think of an old cabaret's private rooms. Guess that's kinda what the club was - minus the old part.

Laying on the satin bed covers was the girl. She too was a sight to see - her bright red dress made a perfect contrast with the deep crimson of the room. She too looked like taken from an old, elegant cabaret. I took in the sight as she sensually signed at me to come closer. Man, she was gorgeous. Too bad I was there following orders, and not on an innocent pleasure night.

"Hello, cutie. Want me to carry you to heaven?"

Damn, she knew how to be sensual. I died a little on the inside, knowing too well I wasn't there to play that game. I handed her the VIP card as I sat on the bed.

Her expression changed, too subtle for most people to notice, but obvious enough for me. "Oh, so you're a VIP, huh? Well, I'm willing to play that game too, cutie. Just don't forget that there are rules in here."

I looked into her eyes. Poor thing. I felt bad for her. Doing special clients was bad enough, but... this was something else. I laid beside her, her hand sensually caressing my chest, a hint of what she could do. "So, what's it you want for tonight, darling?"

With a big effort, I managed to put on the at-work mask, hoping that it would become a reality soon enough. I petted her cheek softly, retracing the x-shaped scar with my fingers. "Why do you do this. Why do specials, I mean."

She was sensual as hell. Yet I could tell she was lying. "I like this, darling. Makes me feel good."

I smiled at her. "Okay. So, tell me, what's the worst you've... seen."

"Boss is always the worst, darling. But, oh, how I love when he decides to pay a visit...."

"Then you'll have a hell of a good night tonight, honey." I smiled as I pulled out a knife, gently placing the tip against her neck, almost forcing her to raise her head. My heart dropped as she smiled back. She was too used to this. Who the hell gets used to that stuff?

"You can do whatever you want with me, darling..."

I barely managed to keep my mask on. "Honey, I don't think you realize..." I started opening my own shirt. She couldn't hide a loud gasp when she saw the tattoo on my chest. "I don't think you realize Andrei sent me."

"Well, darling, he's the only one who hands VIP cards, so..." She winked an eye, back in character. Damn she was a good actress.

"Yeah. Your problem is, he said there are no rules tonight." I said as I immobilized her, the knife pressing hard on her throat.

And she broke down. Her mask was gone in a snap, panic took hold of her. "No... No, you can't..."

My mind snapped too - but in another direction. Her scared eyes got the best of me, and I couldn't help wanting more. My voice turned itself into an eerie whisper. "I can do whatever the hell I want. Honey. Now, be a nice girl and cooperate, will you?"

She let out a muted whimper as the knife nicked her skin. "Please..."

I got up, my heart racing, longing for more. I heard her sobbing as I opened the cabinet. I couldn't help but to whistle at it's contents. Holy shit. We were way less equipped than that at the workplace. A couple of the things made clear that Andrei's hand was behind the selection.

My eyes stopped on a plastic box. I hesitated a second before I reached for it. Sure this was hardcore stuff, but... technically it was still well below any red line.

She froze when I showed her the box. "Oh, god, please..."

"Look, Honey. Technically this is still within the rules, isn't it? ... I mean, it sure hurts like hell, but that's about it. It won't send you to the ER or anything, you know."

"Te-technically I... I can just... say... say no and... and walk away..." Tears filled her eyes as she realized her words wouldn't change anything.

I grinned at her. "Well, but I told you there are no rules tonight, didn't I?"

She started sobbing as I left the box open on the bed, while I went on to prepare the thing. A few minutes later, it was ready. I offered her my hand. "Come here."

She wouldn't move, so I took her hand and pulled her onto my arms. "I said come here, honey. Didn't you hear me?" I said in an eerie murmur as I petted her hair, gently, a subtle hint of what would come next. I took the knife once more, making her look into my eyes. She was frozen, terrified. She'd obviously been with Andrei quite a few times.

"Now, will you be nice and stay still?" I circled her, tied her hands in her back. I needed her to cooperate. Or at least it would make everything much easier.

She kept sobbing as I marked two symmetrical spots on her back. It was a good thing that her dress showed so much of it. I then took one of the meat hooks that now dangled from the thick rope I had hung from the ceiling, pinched her skin, and drove the hook through it.

She let out a scream of pain, which made me smile. This wasn't even that bad.

"Does it hurt?" I petted her shoulders in yet another hint.

"Please... oh, god, please, I can..."

"Shut up." I whispered into her ear. Then went on to put the second hook.

She screamed even louder this time, now just mumbling a continuous "no, no, no...."

I took the thick rope, and made her look up again, directly into my eyes. She was paralyzed with fear. My own voice didn't sound as threatening as it should have. "Now comes the worst part, honey. Are you ready?"

"Please...." She closed her eyes out of pure terror.

I pulled on the rope, lifting her in the air, suspended only by the two metal hooks pierced through her skin. She started wailing in agony. For a second, I closed my eyes, just listened to her. A smile came to my lips, a madman's grin, as I secured the rope, leaving her hanging.

Death (1) - Chained

Sometimes... Memories are the worst form of torture.

There was no other way, I'm sure of that. But that doesn't make it hurt any less, that won't make me forget the hardest decision of my life, nor its consequences. How could I possibly forget.

Things were already bad, Key had never been the same since... what happened with John. But still, life kept going on, like that old car which just refuses to stop working.

I guess the point of no return was when I went to see Andrei after a random job. We were in the safe room, discussing... whatever. I... no. It was not a mistake.

"I got a question, Andrei."

He just looked into my eyes. He already knew what I was going to say.

"So... why didn't I got a ring?"

Now, let me explain. The ring is, simply put, a control device, essentially a miniature taser. So far, nothing new under the sun - every one of the big players have been using similar devices since they managed to make them small enough to implant. Oh, yes. Same as you can put a comms chip under the skin, you can put one of those things. Again, nothing new.

But this one has two characteristics that set it apart from the other versions. First, it's more powerful, it can easily knock you out. And second, it's a ring, wrapped around the spine, somehow locked. Once in, there's no way to remove it.

Andrei looked at me, baffled. "Sandy. I've told you. I trust you. There's no point in..."

"Okay. But. Hypothetically. What if I asked you?"

"You're not speaking hypothetically, Sandy." He sighed loudly. "Look, boy. There's no point, I've told you."

"But what if..."

"Stop it. What the hell is wrong with you, Sandy. Why on earth would you ask for that?"

"You know the answer."

"Yes. You keep trying to hide behind the lies. You keep telling yourself that you have no other options than to do what I say. You keep wanting that to be true, Sandy. You keep wanting to get hurt so you can't change your mind." He smiled sadly, then woke up and went to a cabinet. He came back with a gun.

"Tell me to stop." He pointed the gun at my head.

I closed my eyes for a moment before calling his bluff. "You're not doing that."

He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. "Are you sure, Sandy? ... Tell me to stop."

My racing heart almost betrayed my smile. "Yes, I'm sure. You want me to believe you? ... Then do something that's believable, at least." ... I was a sure as one can be with him, which is not a lot.

He sighed deeply as he lowered the gun, pointed it at my stomach. "Okay. This won't kill you, but it will send you to the hospital for a while. A vacation, if you wish." His eyes were glistening. "Now, tell me to stop."

I couldn't possibly answer. Guess he was right, I had made up my mind and just wanted to fit in, do anything he asked... no matter the price.

He sighed, almost exasperated. "Okay. Ask me to do it, then."  

Shit. No. Shit. A million times shit.

He looked into my eyes, trying hard to appear cold. "Sandy, You want me to do it?"

"N-No..." I barely managed to stutter.

"Then stop me." 

"I won't." I was dead serious. Guess I thought it was the only thing I had. His trust. I could not fail a test.

"Shit, kid. What the hell is wrong with you?! ... Okay. Oh-kay." He got up and went to find something in the cabinets. "You know... where the hell is this shit now?... Sandy, I'm not putting a ring on you, you silly. But I may have something for you. If I manage to find it in here, that is. Damn. Where the hell did I leave it?"

He kept searching and cursing for a while. I just looked at him, amused. It was a sight to see. The man who never got carried away, cursing to himself 'cause he couldn't find something.

"Aha. Here it is." He finally came back to the couch. "You want yet another reminder? Here. Be happy." He handed me a thick steel chain and a padlock.

It was something, I guess. "Okay. Do it."

I felt the cold steel against my nape, slowly circling my neck. A shiver ran down my spine as I noticed his warm hands, unintentionally caressing my skin. Of course I was scared, terrified of the memories of his hands giving away ominous hints, but... there was something else. A high that left me breathless.

He threaded the lock through the chain ends, and then stepped back. "I'm not gonna do this Sandy. You're not a dog, boy. This is..."

I toyed with the lock for a couple seconds. "Where are the keys."

"Somewhere in here. It's taken me at least ten minutes to find the chains, you expect me to try and search for the keys? ... Not going to happen." But his smile betrayed his words.

I gently took his warm hand, wrapped it around the still open lock. I froze in a high as his fingertips brushed my throat. "Do it."

He tried to make it harder. A test. I closed my eyes as he leaned onto me. His voice turned into an eerie whisper, I could feel his warm breath hitting my ear. "Beg for it."

My heart went into a frenzy. I was both terrified and thrilled at the same time. I tried in vain to steady my shaky voice. "Please... Andrei... Please, close it..."

And I heard the click. I opened my eyes to see the keys dangling before my eyes, his playful smile behind them.

"I don't want them, you know." I smiled.

"Well, I'm not having them. Hide them here if you want, I don't care what you do. But I'm telling you - if I find them, I'll leave them in your bedside table."

"No. You keep them."

He sighed, but stashed them in one of his pockets. "You're nuts, Sandy."

"Look who's talking." I smirked. 

He handed me a black flier. A VIP card, and free pass, to one of his clubs. "Here, go have some fun."

Shit. "You know, I..."

"You want to be free from yourself, to get over that inner voice of yours? ... Have some fun. Break the rules. There will be no consequences this time, Sandy."

I looked at him. Shit. Another test. I hated those. I've never liked harming innocent people.

"Or don't. Be nice if you want. I won't keep an eye on you, boy. Do whatever the hell you want."

I kept staring into his eyes. "We both know, if I break the rules, you'll hear about it. So..."

He interrupted me. "Okay, then. Don't break the rules. But have fun, will you?" Another push forward, hoping I would finally admit I didn't do it all for him, but for myself, hoping he wouldn't have to tell me what to do anymore.

Yet he didn't really leave me a choice about going to the club, so there I went.

The Mission (7) - Payback

A few minutes later, we had Valera shackled to a metallic chair. The police station didn't cease to amaze me - what the hell was a metallic chair doing in a clinic? Anyway, Sandy had managed to fix the door and lock it again. We didn't want any surprise. I had one of my men posted outside, with explicit instructions on not letting anyone get in, no matter who or what or how.

Sandy looked at me, silently asking for my opinion.

I grinned at him. "Do as you wish, boy. It's up to you. I couldn't care less about what you do." I gave him the green light.

Sandy took another chair, and put it in front of Valera. Then he went behind our man, and  leaned onto him. Valera was still unconscious when Sandy softly caressed his cheek. His voice was almost a whisper. "Hey. Hey, man, wake up. We don't have all day, you know."

The man awoke in a jolt. He froze upon seeing me. Sandy put a hand on his shoulder, making him jump in place.

Sandy kept whispering. "Shh... it's okay, man. Life happens, doesn't it?"

"Sandy, Sandy, look, you don't want to do this. You don't want to be like him, you know that."

Sandy looked at me for a split second. His eyes cold as ice. I couldn't help smiling. Sandy, the shy boy, too scared to admit what he was. Now he had finally torn the leashes of the prejudices. Of the education of a system thought to produce mindless livestock. Finally himself. A hunter.

He sat in the empty chair. His eyes gleamed with malice. "I'm just following orders, man. You want me to not do this?" He subtly pointed at me with his chin. "... Ask him."

The poor Valera had started to sweat. "You don't have to do this, Sandy."

Sandy smiled softly. Almost sadly. "Then he'll take care of you, man. You see. I'm doing you a favor." He drew a knife and got up. "Am I not?"

"Sandy, look, I'm... sorry about what I did, okay?"

"Stop lying. Nobody believes that, Valera."

The man closed his eyes for a moment, unsuccessfully trying to appear calm. Idiot. Nobody could fool us. Especially not such a bad liar.

"Sandy, I swear, I'm sorry. You're not the only one who has to follow orders, you know."

"Oh, about that. I don't really have to, you know. I just want to."

The look on Valera's face was priceless. Sandy was being blunt as a hammer. And I couldn't see a hint of a lie in him. Wow. I almost couldn't believe it. Sandy grinned again. "So, welcome to Hell, my friend."

"Sandy, listen... listen to me." Valera's voice trembled.

"Shut up. I'm the one doing the talking in here." He took the knife to Valera's face. "You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna make your life Hell. I'll show you the mistake you've made, you piece of trash."

The man was almost in tears by now. "Don't do this, okay? ... Please. Sandy. Please. You don't know..."

"I DO know, Valera. I told you. I'm gonna wreck your life." He went on to carve the mark on Valera's face. Slowly, so it would hurt. I couldn't help but to smile as the man started shrieking.

The man's eyes were red and full of tears by the time Sandy was done. I looked at his work. Wow. He couldn't have cut deeper. I winked at him, and he winked back. I couldn't be more proud of the kid. He sat again in the empty chair.

Valera kept looking at the floor. Heh. Guess he couldn't possibly look at Sandy. "Please... oh, god, at least tell me what do you want from me..."

Sandy took his chin, forcing him to look into his gleaming eyes. Valera couldn't help closing his. This was too much for the poor thing. And it had just started. I smirked at the whole situation.

"Hey. Hey, look at me." Sandy said, softly. Almost a caress. Wow.

Valera finally opened his eyes. "Please... at least tell me what you want from me..."

Sandy smiled softly. The kid may well be the best actor I've ever seen. "Nothing." His voice was almost an insinuating whisper. I felt a chill going down my spine. Holy shit, Sandy.

"What-what do you mean.... Please... I... I'll do- I'll do anything, but please..."

Sandy's smile was like a hammer. A sledgehammer, actually. It tore through everything. "No, no. That's not enough. I want you. Your life. Except I'm not gonna take it."

Valera looked at him mostly confused. 

"You think I'll just break you? Hah. You'd wish that. No, no, no. First, I'll break you, into pieces, you know. Then I'll step on the pieces so they become the tiniest shards. But that's still not enough. I'll then take the shards to a grinder, so they become dust."

Our man froze in terror. He got the idea. His very soul. I smiled at Sandy's words. The kid was good at this. Like, really good.

Sandy continued his brutal monologue. "It's once you're reduced to dust that we can build something. You see, with the pieces, you can just try and build the same thing again. But, it's pointless, you know, we don't want the same piece of shit, we want something new. With the shards, well, you can start building something. But it won't last, the shards are too big for it, and it will soon crumble. The shards aren't malleable enough. It's with the dust, that you can properly build something else, something different. A new you."

Valera was sobbing, too terrified to listen.

"Are you even listening to me?" Sandy whispered eerily into his ear. I got another chill down my spine.

"Please... Please..."

"Andrei, you got that briefcase of yours?"

I simply pointed at the bedside table with my head. Sandy silently took it and placed it open, in full display, on the empty chair.

Valera made the mistake of looking at it. "Shit. No. No, no, no..." He started mumbling at its sight. I guess it's kinda scary too see all that stuff together.

"I don't know if you're familiarized with our... tools." Sandy took a syringe out of the open case. "You've ever tried our serum?"

"Please. Oh, god, please, no, no, I'll do anything, I swear, but don't do this, please...."

"Shut up. That nonsense won't get you anything, I've told you. I'm gonna assume you've tried it. But, how much? A full syringe? Two?"

"Please..."

Sandy gave him a shot. Valera started mumbling again, clearly in pain. A single syringe was almost too much for anyone not used to it. It was physically harmless, mind you. But the nervous system went into frenzy. The result? Pain. Lots of it.

Sandy took a second syringe. "How many shots do you think I'm going to go for, Valera?"

"Oh, god, please..."

Sandy took his chin and again forced the man to look into his eyes. "How about, five plus a dose of crystal? You think that will be enough to break you?"

Holy. Shit. We had never got that far. A single dose of serum plus crystal was already too much - for anyone, period. Crystal was like our emergency plan for the few people who could stand high doses of serum. It also acted on the nervous system. Technically, it was the fancy new drug in the streets. Supposedly it produced physical pleasure. But, together with the serum, the pain was something you couldn't possibly forget.

Valera let out a scream as the second dose got into his bloodstream. "Oh, god, kid, please, you don't know what you're saying, you'll kill me..."

Sandy smirked. "This doesn't kill, man. It's the good thing. It just causes pain." In silence, he injected three more doses into Valera.

After the last one, he was whimpering pathetically. It was painfully obvious he was not used to our serum.

Sandy got behind the man. Leaned over him, resting his forearms - and letting most of his upper body weigh rest on - Valera's shoulders. He hunched a bit so he could murmur into his ear. "Does it hurt, Valera?"

The man could barely mutter a nearly unintelligible "Please..."

"Well, then I have bad news for you." Sandy said, showing him the white syringe of Crystal in his hand. "That's nothing compared to what you'll go through once I give you the last shot. For now, you know. See, you think this hurts? ... Yeah, you do. Well, it can get much worse. I'll make it last for days. How about that?"

He slowly let the needle pierce Valera's skin. The man started mumbling "No, no, please..." He already had too many chemicals running through his veins. And this... this would be Hell. The very definition of it. I held my breath as Sandy slowly pressed on the plunger, letting the drug get into Valera's body.

It took almost a minute for him to react - for his blood to start flooding his nerves with the chemical. Then he started whimpering. Lost in his own mind. In his own hell of pain.

The Mission (6) - The Clinic

Sandy had been moved to the clinic. Why there was a clinic on a police station, I could only guess. The good thing about the clinic was it had a fire exit. It was wired to an alarm, but disabling it was incredibly easy. I had also told my man to setup a hidden camera inside the otherwise "dark" room. Sandy was in a safe place. Especially since I was outside, ready to barge in at the first sign of trouble.

A while later the doctor came. But something was off. He locked the door. It didn't make sense, Sandy was strapped to the bed. He was under arrest, after all. There was no reason to lock the door. Unless...

And I saw it. I saw Sandy froze upon seeing the doctor. The fool thought Sandy was alone. I rushed in. A simple key lock wouldn't stop me, I already had the habit of kicking doors open.

They both jumped when the door swung open with a loud thud.

"Why, hello there. Valeriy, is it?" I greeted him.

The false doctor froze.

I deliberately leaned against the broken door frame. "Now, if you would please take a couple steps back, and put your hands where I can see them..."

He slowly did as I told him. I saw the bulge under his white coat. A gun. Idiot. Like that could help him.

"Look, we already got you. Sandy here kindly helped us, you know? So, for your own good, it would be better for you to try and hide like the rat you are." His voice spat hatred.

I let out a good laugh. "Yeah, he told me you scared him. Poor thing was a wreck this morning."

"He sold you, Andrei."

"He told me that, you know. He's not an idiot like you, Valera."

He turned slowly, visibly angered by the nickname. "You filthy rat, we will tear down everything you have, 'till you have nothing left. And then..."

"You and who else." I interrupted him. "You think you can do this to a friend of mine, and then nothing happens? ... Think again, Valera. You've made a big mistake by coming here alone."

"So the rat has a heart. Who would have guessed. I've always thought you vermin only had anger and guts to spill."

I smiled at him. "Well, you do have a gun. Why not try and kill me already, if you hate me so much?"

He grinned back. Hatred mixed with cruelty. Those made up for a good mix. If only he wasn't such an idiot, I could have offered him a job. Too bad he'd never accept... right? "Andrei, today I'm not here for you. I'm here after the thing you seem to care most for." He drew his gun and pointed it at Sandy.

I laughed. Idiot. That's exactly how you get yourself hurt. You don't stand a chance, you moron. I got ready to act - I would only have a second or two at best.

He got closer to Sandy. The boy was looking at me. Silently pleading for help. His teeth clenched to avoid sobbing. His eyes betrayed him when a stray tear managed to get out. Valera looked at him with a cruel grin as he placed the gun against his temple.

That was my clue. I thrown myself onto him, sending us both to the floor. I quickly grabbed his hand, and easily ripped the gun from it. I unloaded it, and threw it away. Then I squeezed his neck, hard. It took me seconds to render him unconscious. I quickly got up and went to check on Sandy.

He was almost laughing. "I nearly had a heart attack, you know."

"I won't let anything happen to you, Sandy. I swear."

He chuckled. "So, you did grow a heart, didn't you?"

I looked at him, trying to appear serious, until I too burst into laughter. "Yeah, I guess. But don't tell anybody, or they'll all come looking for you, boy."

He laughed harder. "Well, that doesn't have to be a bad thing, that way you don't have to go looking for them!"

"There you have a point. Anyway, Sandy. How are you?"

"Told you I'm fine. Physically. Other than that, I've never been more happy to see a friend."

"Here, let me help you." I proceeded to undo the straps that held him. "That said, I still want a doctor to see you. But it would be a shame to let this opportunity pass, you know." I pointed at Valera with my head.

Sandy gleefully smiled. "Yeah, I know."

The Mission (5) - Confession

The next morning, the cam was finally up again. I rushed to the screen. Sandy was there, hopefully fast asleep. I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't wake up. I couldn't really visit him, so I decided to let him sleep and keep trying to figure what the hell had happened to the surveillance systems. They had been off since last evening.
It was another long couple of hours 'till my earpiece beeped. "Boss? Are you there? Can you hear me? ... Please, tell me you can hear me.... " Sandy. I could tell from his voice he was a complete wreck.

I took my phone in a rush and opened the interface with the surveillance and comms system. "I'm here, Sandy. Calm down, I'm here for you." Shit. What the hell has happened to you, boy.

Poor thing was a mess, shivering, in tears. "Boss, please, please. Tell me it was a test, tell me..."

"Calm down, boy. Explain yourself, alright? ... I have no clue on what you're talking about."

"I lost comms, and I thought..."

"Yeah, comms have been off since yesterday evening, but I swear I haven't had anything to do with that. In fact my guys have been working non-stop on getting them back up."

I heard him swear under his breath. Then he started sobbing loudly. "Oh, shit, no, Boss, no. Tell me it was a test, please..."

"Sandy, I have no clue on what you're talking about, but calm down. Alright? ... Tell me what happened."

He took a really deep breath. I could feel the panic in his voice. "I... they took me. This guy, Valeriy. He... he made me sign a... a thing. ... Pointing... pointing at you. Boss, they want you, and I... I failed you, I signed the... the confession. I'm sorry, I... I didn't want to, but..."

I took a deep breath. Shit. Who the hell could have done this? I needed to calm Sandy first. "Calm down, Sandy. Alright?... I'll deal with that, don't worry. Everything can be fixed. Okay?"

He closed his eyes, definitely a bit less shaky. "You... You're not mad at me?"

Shit. No, boy. Of course not. "Sandy. Sandy, I trust you completely, you know. I just wonder who the hell has done this to you. That's it. Well, I'll have to deal with the consequences, but those aren't as pressing. If they wanted a confession, they'll want to use it in the trial, so we have a bit of time to deal with that. I'm more worried about you, boy."

His face changed. He was now beaten up, but had calmed down. "Thank you, thank you, I'm sorry, I ..."

"Stop it, boy. You did what you had to, I'm sure of that. Alright? Now, I'm arranging a move so a doctor can see you, just in case. We've been a lot of time without comms and I'm not risking you having something broken or whatever."

"I'm... I'm fine, Boss."

"Yeah, well, I'm making sure you are."

The Mission (4) - Valeriy

After a few hours in the cell, a man came to see me. The attorney. Or at least he was not a cop.

"Hello, Sandy. Name's Valeriy, I'll be your attorney."

I looked at him as the cop who escorted him unlocked the cell door.

He signed at the cop to leave once he was locked inside. Then he sat by my side. "So, I need you to tell me all the details, Sandy. Else I can't possibly help you."

That... did not make any sense. I knew Andrei had been watching the whole thing from the distance, he surely had even more details than me. Was it a test of some sort? I decided to be cautious, just in case. "Boss already has all the details, you know."

"Of course. But as your attorney, I need your version of the facts, Sandy. I want to help you out of this, but the only way seems to be if we point at him, you know."

Confused, I looked into his eyes. Stupid me. I never saw the syringe, I only felt it piercing my leg's flesh when it was too late, as everything faded to black.

I awoke in a standard interrogation room. Empty except for the metallic table and two matching chairs, mine with leather binds in the armrests. They were tight, I promptly checked. Same in the legs. And a last one, much thicker, in the waist. Shit. What the hell? Was this a test? Andrei had told me to trust him... I was definitely not expecting a test. Oh, well.

Valeriy soon realized I was awake. "Sandy, I've brought you here since I realized you may want to talk in private. Despite the generous light, this is a dark room. No mics, no cams, nothing."

Not even comms? Andrei hadn't said much since I got arrested. Still, I decided to test. "Boss? Can you hear me?"

Silence. Was it all part of the plan? ... Was Andrei listening but did not want to respond, just to see what I'd do? This man couldn't block our comms, could he? Valeriy smiled at me. He had that kind of creepy grin too. He could perfectly work for Andrei, so I kinda assumed he did.

"Sandy, let me help you. There's no other way to get you out of this. You just point your finger at him, I'll do the magic."

But the idea had never been to get out. Was the guy an idiot? Or was he acting?

"I won't betray him, you know. It doesn't work that way."

I did not see it. I just felt it, an even pressure in the back of my neck. A gun. Shit. I waited - it was about the only thing I could do.

Thankfully, he didn't make me wait too long. "Sandy, I want him. You will point your finger at him, or you're dead."

Shit, shit, shit, what the hell was this. My mind was racing. "Look, I..."

"Can you take the risk, kid?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Okay. I had this. A lie. Yes. That was the answer, no one had to get hurt. "Okay, okay, I'll do it, but let's both calm down, okay?"

He left the gun on the table for me to see, while he took a paper out of his briefcase, which then handed to me. Except I was tightly bound to the chair, so I couldn't possibly take it. He soon realized it, and placed it - and a pen - in front of me.

"Let me help you, Sandy. Just sign this."

I quickly read it. Long story short, it said I had been following Andrei's orders, and that he was the only responsible for what had happened. I sighed. Shit. Could this really be a test? Had Andrei drank again, or something? Or was it... real? I couldn't possibly sign it either way. Failing a test was bad, but betraying him... yeah. Nope. I knew too well what would happen.

I looked into Valeriy's eyes again. He was dead serious now. As if a warning. "Sign it." He took the gun again.

I sighed. "Look, man, I can't. I do that, Andrei's gonna kill me."

"Well, I'm gonna kill you if you don't."

Again I felt the gun against my nape. SHIT. What the hell do I do. I decided to do the only thing I could. Keep talking. I tried to put on a sweet, sad smile. "Look, man. I sign that, I would wish Andrei would just kill me, you know. I've seen what he does to those he can't trust. You see, from here, a bullet to the head doesn't seem that bad."

"Oh. So, you're willing to die for him. How kind of you."

I sighed. Okay, that didn't work. My mind kept racing, and I focused on not (fully) letting my breath betray me. "So... you want me to sign that paper... how, exactly?" I pointed at my wrists with my chin.

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't realize that." He proceeded to unbind my right hand.

I had to try. I quickly reached to grab his arm.

But at soon as I did, he drew the damned gun again. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Oh-kay. Another thing that didn't work. I let go of him. I felt the gun once more. "Sign it, Sandy." He held the paper with his left hand so I could actually sign it.

I took the pen, toying with it. I couldn't possibly do it. And then I noticed a detail. His pinkie. It was missing a big chunk. Andrei, I knew it. You bastard. I pointed at Valeriy's hand with my chin, almost laughing with relief. "So, this is a test, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're following his orders. That's why he hasn't said anything in this whole time. He wants to know what I'll do."

He took out a pen of some sort from his pocket. An inhibitor. One of ours - the only ones designed to block even our comms' frequencies. I smiled at the sight of it - nobody else had those. Oh, boy, was I mistaken.

"I got this from one of your guys, Sandy. I'm not working for that madman, I'm trying to stop him."

I froze in place. Shit. Shit. No. Nope. Not... What the hell was I gonna do now? Signing it was out of the question... wasn't it?

"I know you're scared of him, Sandy. I can give you a way out. Some sort of witness protection."

I started breathing fast, my heart raging. I could barely think. "That won't work, he'll find me. He's good at finding people." Namely, the comms chip also had a transponder. So, nope. hiding was not an option. Plus I didn't want to.

"Well, you can risk him getting angry, or you can just get your head blown up. It's your call."

I closed my eyes, trying to think. I could not form a single coherent thought. No. I couldn't... Shit. I had a sort of a flashback, Andrei telling me how thank god nobody had nothing to legally get him. And then I saw the paper. A confession. That would get him. The first nail in his legal coffin. I couldn't possibly...

Valeriy's voice brought me back to reality, away from my thoughts. "Sandy. I technically have all day, but I'd rather not spend it here, you know. Sign it already, or tell me you won't and let's get done with it."

"No, wait. Wait." I needed time. I needed to think. Even if Andrei didn't get... mad at me, this would be the end of his world. I couldn't do that... Right?

I tried to focus. Took a few deep breaths, but it did nothing to calm my heart, raging in my chest so hard it hurt. I had another flashback. The hug. I couldn't betray that man. I couldn't possibly... Shit. Shit. No. I couldn't do anything.

I never made up my mind. My body just went on by himself. Tears flooded my eyes as my hand took the pen and signed the confession. And my vision quickly faded to black again. I guess I was too focused on the events to notice the needle piecing my arm.

The Mission (3) - The Kill

Sandy was waiting outside the building. Most of the time he was leaning against the cars parked just in front, but from time to time, he walked up and down the sidewalk, to lean onto a different car. It took a while until people started getting out from the place. Dripping at first, soon a full stream of people too busy to notice anything. Sandy now leaned against the huge columns that adorned the main entry, waiting for his prey to show up.

It didn't took long until he saw it. A man in a suit, apparently a random guy among the crowd. So would think the people at first. Sandy followed him, fast, through the ever-growing crowd. He touched his shoulder, as if asking for a question. Heh. The kid was pure theatrical gold, I tell you. The man turned around, confused. He was not used to people addressing him, and much less on the middle of a crowd. It was not a polite thing to do, you know.

And then it happened. In a split second, Sandy drew a knife and slashed his throat. Holy shit. What a sight. The kid almost beheaded him. Blood spurted everywhere, splashing all nearby people. They stopped in their tracks, screaming in horror. It was pure chaos. Many people froze, unable to look away. Many more ran in all directions, scared, thinking they could be next. And Sandy was just there, waiting, a stupid grin in his eyes. Oh, how I like the kid. Nobody could have done it so perfectly well.

Ten seconds later, the guards rushed out of the building, shoving the people aside. Sandy just lifted his hands and dropped the knife. Fighting was not in the script. The bastards were treating him as if he was dangerous. Little did they knew, he could have easily killed them all. But that was not the plan. He had to let them catch him. They harshly threw him to the ground, and then proceeded to immobilize and handcuff him. Just a little too tight. Idiots, there would be consequences for that.

Police came too late, so the civilians can thank them for their response times. Poor Sandy had to wait like ten minutes for them to show up and finally take him into custody. They were even more brutal than the guards. I tried to guess their badge numbers, but they were too far away. They finally shoved him into a police car and went away. To the Central - that is, the central police station, not our Central. Can you imagine? That would have been REALLY fun.

The ride was completely uneventful. Sandy followed the script to the letter. Don't say a word. Just smile and nod. Once at the station, they shoved him into a detention cell. Alone, in semi-darkness. Good thing he was used to both things.

A cop came to talk to him. "Jesus, kid. You have a clue on what you've done?"

Sandy simply smiled at him. The script was to not say a word 'till his attorney came. Or whatever. Dozens of people had seen him - there was no way to try for a not-guilty plead. So, he knew going out on a madman's rant was not out of the question.

The cop sighed loudly. Exasperated. He was obviously not used to deal with our kind. "Kid, do you know who he was? You have any clue on who you just killed?"

Sandy's eyes were gleaming. He was too damn good at this. "Why, of course." His smile gave me the creeps, I swear. He was THAT good.

The cop was clearly upset by Sandy's reaction. "So. You admit doing it."

Sandy kept grinning. "Dozens of people saw me, it would be silly to try and convince you it wasn't me, don't you think? ... Dozens of people who won't ever forget the sight, the blood soiling their clothes. Their faces, even. You can't really forget that, you know." His eyes turned into those of a madman.

The cop's resolution, years of hardening experience, started to falter. "So, why have yo done it. You do realize..."

"Yes. I realize the consequences of my acts. I'm by no means above the law... Am I?" Sandy raised his head slightly. Just enough for the soft light to fully hit his face.

And then the cop seemed to realize something. He noticed the still open wound on Sandy's cheek. A crudely carved x. The mark. Of the madmen. Of the people who would do anything they were told to. The most dangerous of the mob families. Or so they said. The very same wound that I had carved there not even two days before. The cop left in a hurry. Consequences indeed. He realized this was way above his pay.

And Sandy was left alone again.

The Mission (2) - The Videos

Andrei finally broke the silence, the moment that couldn't last. "So, Sandy. Got any more questions?"

"Yeah. So... what's he done, anyway? Even if it's politics..."

"Well... life is always a bit more complicated than just sticking the politics tag onto stuff, you know. Let me..." He switched on the computer and proceeded to search for something. A video.

The target was happily toying with a stripper. It was sensual, but I couldn't see anything wrong with that. I looked at Andrei, confused. "Now that's a crime?"

He fast-forwarded almost to the ending. And I understood. Shit. It looked like a scene taken from one of our worst jobs. I had to look away as the cam focused on the aftermath, I still wasn't that used to such crude images of mangled bodies.

I looked at Andrei, taking a deep breath to try to forget what I had just seen. He proceeded to explain. "You see, this is not exactly politics... This is... well, no, you won't really do justice. He doesn't deserve a quick death, you know. But, you'll stop him from doing it again." He opened the folder again and drew a photo of the girl. "You'll put this on the body. Nobody will really know what it means... nobody but a few. For those few, it will be a day to celebrate."

And I had one of those dangerous lightbulb moments. "Andrei, okay, yeah, I can see that, but, you know. What about... The stuff with the special clients. At the clubs, I mean. How is it not the same?"

He sighed. "I see where you're going. And I guess you're half-right. But, there are two differences. First, the girls who do special clients do it because they want. They can always say no, it's not my fault if they're so greedy to take specials. And second, there are rules in my clubs. Red lines. A girl ends up in the ER, and the idiot who did it will get what he deserves. I'll make damn sure of that. So, you see... yeah, I'm not proud about the whole specials thing, but I tell you, it's totally not the same as this."

I nodded, kinda absentmindedly. The man was an expert at bending the rules - his own included. You see, lots of ... stuff happened with special clients at his night clubs. But I guess that's a story for another day.

Andrei was staring at me, amused by my reaction. "So, any more questions?"

I snapped back into reality. My ingenuity and the surprise got the best of me. "Yeah. How's prison?"

He seemed confused. "You've never been there?"

"Nope. For one reason or another... I always got away with everything."

His second of silence said it all. A hellhole. Shit. But oh man, was I wrong.

"Okay. Here's the rules. Keep your head low, don't get in trouble, I'll get you out long before anything happens. Okay?"

I looked at him. His instructions didn't make sense at all. I guess he saw my confusion.

"Sandy. You have to trust me. Don't get in trouble. A guy wants you to get out of the way, you get out of his way." He sighed hard. "Okay. You don't believe me. Well, let me... show you something."

He searched for another video. Before hitting play, he looked at me. "Sandy, word of warning, this doesn't exist. But... well, see for yourself."

About a dozen guys in uniform, brutally beating an inmate. The video ended before the beating, so you could only guess how it ended. Best case, with the guy in intensive care, I would dare say. Shit. That was way worse than I had imagined.

Andrei went on to explain. "See, the inmates aren't usually a problem. But the guards... They'll go after you at the smallest trouble you make. And, there are quite a few inmates working for them, trying hard to make you cause trouble."

I looked at him. "So, why doesn't anybody do anything about this?"

"This is high-security, Sandy. Nobody gives a shit about what happens there, most of those guys deserve it, anyway. Almost everybody has heard about it, but no one is willing to change anything."

I sighed. "Okay. I'll keep my head low, and don't get in trouble. That should do it, right?"

He let out a long sigh. "Sandy, there's also this... thing. They'll know you work for me, and... quite a few of them are there because I sent them. So... they'll want to get you."

"Shit. Okay. So, what do I do."

"Head low, don't get into trouble, and if trouble goes looking for you... Sandy, you'll have to bit your tongue and take it. Except... There's one more thing. Fights. Whatever, and I mean whatever, ... whatever you do, for all that's holy, don't get into the fights. Here, let me show you this."

He put another video. A fistfight between two guys, one of them a big-ass thug. It would haven't been shocking to see that in a bar fight. Except there were a couple dozens of guards, and even more inmates, surrounding them, most of them cheering at the big guy. Again, the vid cut before the end, but... I looked at Andrei.

"Yeah. It's to death." He looked into my eyes. "You can't possibly win, Sandy. You just can't. The price is tempting, that's why those idiots keep trying, but you have no chance of winning at all. You see, whenever they think someone could win, they rig it."

"Why haven't YOU done anything about this, Andrei."

"Told you. Nobody gives a shit. Most of those guys deserve it, that's high-security after all. Nobody's gonna do anything, Sandy, and I'm not an exception."

I couldn't help sighing at is words. Okay. Oh-kay. "How do you... know all that. Where do those came from." I pointed at the screen.

He smiled at me, winking an eye. "I don't know anything, Sandy. That said, I told you we'll be in touch. You get in a fight - I'll take you out of there, even if I have to fly you out in an helicopter. Problem is, it's about a two hour ride from here - by the time I get there, I may be too late. So, don't get into the fights, okay?"

"Okay. So... how are you gonna get me out of that hellhole?"

"I... have quite a few contacts, Sandy. I know a guy or two in there. They got me those, if you were wondering." He pointed at the screen. "They'll get you out."

The Mission (1) - Briefing

"Hey. You wanted something?" I said as I opened the door to Andrei's office.

"Yeah, come in and close the door." He greeted me.

"So, what's it?"

"Sandy." He looked at me as I sat. I could see the doubt in his eyes. Oh-oh. "Do you trust me?"

Well.... yes? "Yeah. You know I'll do anything you ask."

"Well, this is a... special mission. It won't be easy. Well, the actual mission is as simple as it gets. Go to place, kill the guy. The consequences, however...."

Oh-oh indeed. Andrei talking about consequences. Shit. "You know, I'll..."

He gave me the file on the target. More like he threw it to my face, except it actually landed on the desk, before me.

I opened it, and couldn't help but to let out a loud whisper. "Holy Shit!"

"Yeah. Big fish. But the target is not the problem. The problem is the how. Sandy, I'll be blunt. I want to make a statement. A public statement, if you follow me."

I stared at him, words stuck in my throat. Shit. This was going to be a mess.

He seemed to read my mind. "Yeah, I want you to make a big mess. To let everyone know what we do. You're to wait for him right outside his workplace. Once he gets out, you'll walk up to him and slash his throat."

I looked down, uneasy. "You know, I can think of another way to make a statement. Take him to a safe place, place a camera, let people actually see..."

He smiled candidly at me. "It's not the same. Watching it on TV, I mean. People forget everything as soon as the next big news appear on their screens. No, I need something else. I need people to see it firsthand. To get soiled with his blood, so they can never forget."

I took a deep breath. Man was as nuts as they come. "So, this is why Key never wanted to get into politics."

"I'd guess so. But you're not her, are you? You don't mind that nonsense, do you?"

I sighed. I did. But oh, well. "Okay. ... So... you said this will have... consequences."

I could see he was trying hard to keep his creepy expression, but something was different in it. "Yeah. We're... following the legal procedures this time. We'll go to trial. We'll make it big news so everyone knows what happened."

He continued his discourse, his smile unfaltering on the surface, belied by the doubts in his look. "You'll plead guilty, Sandy. I... Yeah, I'll pull on some strings to make sure the sentence is a bad joke. For the audience, I mean. But, you'll have to go to prison."

Silence. Shit. I couldn't say anything either. After a while, he resumed his briefing. "Don't worry. I'll break you out of there as soon as I can. Couple days should do it. But, worst case, make it a week." He closed his eyes, planting his elbow into the desk and letting his forehead rest on his hand, softly massaging his temples. "Sandy, I want you to know... I'd do it myself, but I can't. Legally I can't do shit. Come here, will you?" He patted his arm rest.

I took the chair to his side, and sat beside him, not really understanding his reaction. Yet. I waited for more, but he was waiting for me to say something, so after a while, I broke the uneasy silence. "May I... ask a question?"

"Go ahead."

"What would happen if... I said no?"

He looked into my eyes. And I froze in place. There was no sign of the Void this time, there was... distress. Remorse. Things I never thought I'd see in his gleaming, twisted look. But they were there, and they scared me way more than the brutal sickness I was so used too see there.

"Sandy... I have no one else to do this. Nobody is up to the task."

I pushed a bit further. "You mean nobody's willing to do it."

He smiled, but it was the saddest smile I've ever seen. "I could convince quite a few guys, you know. But... nope. They can't possibly pull it off, they can't do what you can. They're not you, Sandy.

"So... why not do it yourself."

"Because then, it's over. The war. This place. I could do that if it was about the families, but above all, I'm the head of detentions. The family is just a way to fight - but... this place, this is the only thing I truly have. And if I were to make such a statement myself... legally, this would be over. And I can't let that happen, Sandy."

"But everyone knows I work for you."

"Yeah. But they don't have anything. Legally, this mission is a families thing." He unbuttoned his shirt, showing his tattoos. "Legally... this isn't here. The few people who have seen this, are friends. The rest may 'know', but they can't prove it."

I sighed deep. I needed answers. "Okay. But you still haven't answered my question. What happens if I say no."

"You don't want to hear that answer, Sandy." He looked down in shame.

"Yeah, I do."

He sighed hard. "Well, I've told you I don't have anybody else. So... either I convince you, or... it doesn't get done. And... Well, it needs to be done, Sandy. Someone has to do something. So... I guess I'd have to convince you."

I kept staring at him. I needed to know.

"Sandy... Don't make me do this, okay? I don't want to. I swear, I have nobody else, I can't do it myself, I need you Sandy. What else do you want me to say?" He paused, thinking on what to do next. And then he had one of those lightbulb moments. "Okay. What do you want? ... I'm willing to negotiate a deal."

Wow. This was a first for him. Could I...? ... I had to try. "What about Key?"

He looked at me, his eyes full of sadness, of woe. "What about her?... She's mostly on her own. She never calls. She sometimes sends news, a note or something, with a guy, never by herself. That's about it. I haven't called her, given her any kind of file to take care of. I know she'd tell me to go to hell."

That was another first for him.

"So, what's it. What do you want, Sandy."

"Forget it. I just had to know. I'll do it."

The look of relief on his face, on his eyes, was a third first. His smile was almost back to normal, if a bit bitter still. "Thank you, Sandy. You... you don't know what this means to me."

I hugged him in a soft caress that seemed to last forever, my head against his chest, I could hear his heartbeat, steady, soft, and I realized this was indeed the right place to be. No matter the hardships of work. This was well worth it all.

Storm

The rain came falling down, unaware of my pain and despair, washing away the blood on my hands and the faith in my heart.

The blood that could never be washed, and the faith that was never there. I looked into the gray sky, letting the rain soak me, drown me. The war was lost, there was nothing left to fight for. That was the worst. Losing him was bad enough, but losing my own war....

Tears came to my eyes once more, melting with the rain, and I knelt before his grave. I couldn't care less about the puddles forming. All I cared about was now dead. All hope gone. There was nothing left to do, nothing to fight for. No hope of winning any new battle.

That was clear from the beginning, but I guess I've always been too damn stubborn to accept defeat. To not fight 'till there's nothing left to lose. Especially when apparently, the only thing to lose is myself. But I was wrong. I had lost much more. Not only all hope, but also my best friend. The only thing I would have happily given everything for.

I sat on top of the grave, unable to put any thought in order, the nightmare flashing over and over before my eyes. I let the pain surround me, drown me in tears. It was the worst kind - the one that rips your heart, never to heal again. I lay down on the cold stone, face up, letting the rain vainly try to wash it away.

- - -

The soft moon glow cast faint shadows into the darkness, when distant footsteps stirred me in my nightmarish sleep. I gasped for air as I relieved his death for like the hundredth time. Seconds later, I realized what had awoken me. I sat, trying hard to find the origin of the noise. The heavy rain drowned most of it.

I waited, uneasy. Nobody should know I'm here, I thought. Well, where else would I be. Moments later, a hooded shadow appeared on the path. I stared at it, chilled from the rain that had been soaking me since hours ago. It could only be one of two people.

Sandy, who had looked the other way. I guess that was to be expected, he had finally gotten over himself, and that meant... not giving a damn. Not even about me. It didn't make it hurt any less, no matter that I should have felt proud of him. But I couldn't. The pain was too strong, and my heart kept telling me he could have stopped it - and saved me.

Or the bastard who brought me here. Please, no. Not him. Not again.

I didn't want to talk to any of them.

The figure kept creeping ever closer. I closed my eyes. I couldn't just walk away. That would be too obvious, would get me nowhere. I turned around, foolishly trying to avoid that moment's fate.

The footsteps grew steadily louder, and suddenly I was not there. I was back in the cell, hugging his dead body. Broken. Shattered into a million pieces.

The shadow's voice brought me back to reality. "Hey."

I closed my eyes, and tried to sink them in my hands, as he kept walking to me, 'till he sat by my side. I had another flash of John, this time whimpering in pain as I stared, too stubborn to... Shit.

A hand in my shoulder brought me back into reality. A chill went down my spine, even though I knew who it was. I had nothing to fear... did I?

"Hey. It's okay. It's over. I know... I know all too well how much it can hurt. But soaking yourself to the bones won't make the pain go away. Lying on his grave won't bring him back."

I looked into his eyes, and I saw the kid he once was. The one that would be no more, that was now dead. That had let this happen. And my heart broke again, knowing all too well it was my fault. I taught him to appreciate work. I brought him back one too many times. I offered him a position here. With that bastard. And now, Sandy was not that kid anymore.

Yet his eyes were still the same as he hugged me. "I'm sorry, Key. I..."

I cried on his shoulder for the first time. Knowing I had lost him too. And it dawned on me. That was the worst of it all.

The Attorney

There are two types of jobs. Those you shower before, and those you shower after.

This one was supposed to be of the first kind, for a change. Go to the attorney's office. Tell him to drop the case. Make a good enough offer so he would accept.

Except he didn't, not even after adding one too many zeros to the check.

Official orders were crystal clear. Do not make a mess - keep it civilized. Unofficial ones were clear too. Do whatever is needed. Shit, I should have known what would happen when I heard that part.

The attorney was as stubborn as a rock. I sighed as he refused the check for the fifth time. "Look. I... I have orders to not make a mess this time. So, please."

"Sandy, right? Look, Sandy. You can't touch me. You can't threaten me. You're wasting your time. I won't accept your very generous offer, I've already told you that."

His words brought a smile to my lips. Yeah. Legally, I couldn't do anything. Not even offering him a bribe - but that's exactly what I had been trying to do for the last fifteen minutes. I pointed that to him.

"Well, it's about time you stop trying before I lose my patience, and..."

"Call the guards?" I inquired, pointing out the fact that he couldn't do much either.

"I was gonna say, politely ask you to leave, but the guards will do, too."

I sighed, trying to appear defeated. "Okay, okay. I'll leave. But please, do reconsider your position. You've got a lot to win if you..."

"I've already told you, I'm not interested in your money." He interrupted me.

It was time to pull on the strings. "Before I go, may I see your ID?"

He drew an ID card from a well-beaten wallet. "Sure."

I took it, smiling, as I noticed a pic on his wallet. "Oh - is that your wife? She sure is gorgeous!"

He stared at me in horror as he realized what he had done. "You can't... I... I have contacts, you know. I can make sure everybody knows who did it."

I kept grinning at him. "Well, it's not like nobody knows I'm here, you know. It's not like nobody will ever know why you dropped the case in the first place."

"I'll go after you - legally."

I burst into laughter. "Don't be so naive. You know it doesn't work like that."

"I swear, I'll..."

The man was more hard-headed than a rock, I swear. Time to step up the game. I took a couple steps towards him, and drew a knife. He froze at its sight. I grinned at him. "You can't do shit. You do anything, Boss will pay you a visit. When you least expect it."

I noticed his hands trembling, his eyes locked onto mine, silently pleading. Finally.

Now I just needed to be sure he didn't forget. I gently took his hand, my eyes still locked onto his, and softly forced him to open it, palm side up. I glanced at it for a split second as I softly placed the edge of the knife against his palm. He was as lively as a dummy, so closing his hand around the blade was easy.

I kept staring at him. "You will drop the case. Or else."

He let out a silent scream as I yanked on the knife, letting the blade slice his flesh.

"Please, I'll do it, I swear...."

I winked at him, my creepiest of grins on my lips, and left. Guess that was my mistake.

- - -

That evening, Andrei came to my room and put the news on the TV.

"What the hell did you do, Sandy?" He pointed at the screen with his chin.

I froze as I saw the crawler text. I had misjudged the attorney - seems he hadn't changed his mind after all. Shit. I told Andrei what had happened.

He didn't seem to mind it too much. He smiled at me, a tranquilizing look in his eyes. "Well... you messed up, Sandy."

"I saw him snap, I swear...."

"Don't fuss over it, boy. It just means we have to fix it."

I looked into his eyes. He wasn't angry at me, at least. Still, there was no way this wouldn't have some sort of consequences.

He broke the silence first. "I'll meet you tonight, front door of his place. We'll make that idiot realize what a mistake he has made - and the public see that fighting us is never a good idea. You get some rest until then, I'll be only supervising you and making sure everything goes according to plan."

I managed to smile at him, shoving my concerns aside from view. "I'll be there."

I cursed at the screen as Andrei left. Stupid attorney. I knew all too well what would happen that night.

- - -

It was near midnight when I reached the building entrance. I triple-checked the address - the old tower's decaying aspect contrasted heavily with the minimalist luxury at the attorney's office. Andrei greeted me with a smile and a sign to get inside as he opened the door for me.

Once inside, he got me into a dark corner. "Okay, let's go over the plan again."

I raised my eyebrow at him. "Now we have a plan?"

"Yes. Kick the door in and make a big mess."

Guess it was indeed a plan. I sighed. "Do we have to let the whole building know that we're here? I'm sure I can open the door without making a sound, you know."

He looked at me in awe. "I like your plan better, Sandy. Let's stick to it."

I had to cover my mouth to avoid laughing out loud.

Once we reached his front door, I spent a few minutes fumbling with the door lock. I looked at Andrei in satisfaction as it finally clicked. I had to bite my tongue when I glimpsed the huge knife he had drawn. "Shit, Andrei. Are you gonna behead him, or something?"

I could clearly read a "maybe" in his smile. Shit. I sighed as I followed him through the darkness. This was gonna be a huge mess.

The bedroom door was closed. He silently opened it. The couple were inside, fast asleep.

Andrei handed me the knife, signaling me to enter the room. "I'll be waiting here if you need something. But, this is your mess, so you have to fix it yourself."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I took the knife. Shit. If only the attorney hadn't been such a bullhead. I walked up to the bed, and stared at the couple for a second. Look what you've done, I thought. This is all your fault.

I leaned over the man as I covered his mouth with one hand, the knife in the other, far enough so he could see it.

He screamed in silence under my hand as I gripped his mouth tightly. I took a finger to my mouth, the knife gleaming under the window's soft light. He froze at the sight.

"Good night, mister." I whispered. "I told you we'd pay you a visit if you made a mistake, didn't I? Now, I want to talk to you. So let's say, wake her up, and she dies. okay?"

He nodded awkwardly under my hand before I lifted it.

"So, I need to make sure you don't fool us this time, you know."

He was visibly shaking, but still tried to put up a fight. "Look, kid. You know who I work for. You do anything, and..."

"And what." Barked Andrei, leaning on the door frame.

The woman turned around. Our man cursed under his breath.

I pointed at Andrei with my head, my voice still a whisper. "He wants to make sure I don't mess it up this time, you know."

The attorney closed his eyes for a second, then started mumbling. "Please, I'm sorry, that was a big mistake, I shouldn't have, please...."

I gave him a tranquilizing smile. "Well, what's done is done. No point in trying to change that, is it?"

"Thank you, oh, thank you, thank you...."

"That said, we still need you to drop the case, you know. And, after today... I think I need to make myself clearer, don't you think?"

He froze at my words. Then he started mumbling again, his breath fast and shallow. "No, oh, god, no, no, no...."

"Look, I really don't want to do this. But, after this morning, I don't think I have a choice, you know?"

His eyes were in tears as I unbuttoned his pajamas' shirt. I jabbed the big knife into the mattress - too big for anything except scaring people and probably cutting limbs off. I drew a smaller one, much more suited for everyday uses. I pointed at the woman. "Remember, you wake her up, she's dead. Okay?"

He started whimpering as I sliced an x into his chest. His wife turned around again, with such a  luck that her hand landed on the edge of the big knife. The sharp edge cut deep into her hand, jolting her awake in screams.

The attorney stared into my eyes, pleading in silence, as Andrei quickly seized the woman, covering her mouth so she would not wake the whole neighborhood. He shushed her in an insinuating whisper.

She finally fell silent as Andrei drew a gun, caressing her temple with its barrel.

The attorney started mumbling again at the sight. "No, no, not her, no...."

I shrugged at him. "Could be worse, man."

"WILL be worse." Corrected Andrei. "Sandy, this time make sure we can trust him."

Shit. I didn't sign up for this. I took a deep breath. "You heard him."

"Look, you don't have to do this, I have a friend...."

Yeah, give us their number so we can track him down too. Nope. I sighed loudly at the thought. "Man. Andrei is literally here. You think I'm gonna stand up to him? Answer is Nope."

He froze at the name. "Wh-what?"

I gently smiled at him. "Oh, don't tell me you didn't know it was him? Well, news flash, Mr. Attorney, this is Andrei. Andrei, this is our guy."

The attorney started mumbling nonsense again, as Andrei offered his hand in a condescending gesture, his grin betraying his apparent manners.

"My friend," I started again, "we really need to make sure we're all on the... same page, if you will. We can't simply trust you again after this morning, you know. So, this is a test of sorts for you. You do as we say, and we'll be on our way. You try anything stupid... And I'm guessing you'll deeply regret it."

I got up from the bed - freeing him. He wasn't moving. I offered him my hand, got tired of waiting, and took his, then pulled him into a sitting position. "Hey. Hey, you gotta cooperate, man. You can't be a rock, that doesn't help anybody."

He looked into my eyes. I tried to appear calm and friendly, but knowing what would happen didn't help. He kept staring, frozen in terror. Guess I wasn't that successful.

I pulled him from his hand again and got him to stand, and then dragged him to the other side of the bed, directly before Andrei and the woman. It was almost like moving a heavy dummy around.

Andrei handed him the gun. "Take this, man."

Our man started sobbing. "No, please, no... I'll... I'll work for you.... but.... don't do this..."

"Of course you'll work for him." I said softly into his ear. "And this is your first job. Take the gun."

He was still sobbing incessantly, and wouldn't move.

"You deaf now? I told you to take the gun. Don't make me repeat myself, or I can assure you it will be worse." I suggested.

"How... how can it be worse than this... Please... don't do this, no, no..."

Andrei grinned at him. "You really want to know?"

Our man shivered at the words, and looked at the floor as if there was nothing else to look at.

Andrei's voice turned into a ghostly murmur. "Then take the gun already. Or I'll show you how much worse this can get." He discreetly pointed at the big knife with his chin.

I got a chill down my spine. The man could be really unnerving when he tried. The attorney probably thought the same as he slowly raised his hand, and finally took the gun.

I leaned to whisper into his ear. "Now, you think you can try anything? Think again. Think what will happen if you fail. So, don't be stupid. Things can always take a turn for the worse, man. Trust me, for him, this is actually being nice."

He was still sobbing as I took another breath. I knew I had to do this, but that didn't make it any easier. I glanced at Andrei, and briefly caught his eyes, saw the Void in them. There was no other way, at all. I whispered again, my voice almost trembling. "Kill her."

I swear I had him properly held, yet he fell to his knees, his sobs turned into a pathetic wailing.

I crouched behind him as I took the knife Andrei handed me, softly grazing his throat with it. "Last chance. Kill her - or else."

He slowly raised his hand, gun pointing at the woman's head. She started sobbing, mumbling nonsense too.

"Do it."

He pulled the trigger.