The Young Lady is a Reborn Assassin

When I finally managed to climb back to my feet and stagger out of the courtyard, the first sight I was met with was not the bloodied body of Kelly. Everyone was going about their business as if nothing were amiss. It was a small victory given the events of the day. It meant she was smart enough to get the hell out of dodge when trouble came knocking.

On the other hand, it was a complete disaster. I’d failed to restrain the attacker and now I was injured for the futile effort. It would have been better for me to step back and let them get away. I stopped on the corner of the road and out of the way of the other people passing by to collect my thoughts and fix the kink in my back. Perhaps my new-found youth would see that injury healed promptly.

What a bust.

Adrian wouldn’t want to hear the information I gathered as it didn’t directly connect Cedric to the information leak. I wouldn’t want to hear someone sketching in the margins either given the urgency of the problem. The only direction I had was that Cedric intended to win over the residents with a big cash handout. Was he going to push that further and directly bribe Robert Van Gervan?

Sticking my nose into that was no guarantee of getting the answers I wanted, and that there was a group of assassins apparently trying to kill members of the gang was exactly the type of incident that I would invariably be pulled into given some time. This had the hallmarks of something that held wider implications for Walser as a whole. In other words – Durandia was expecting me to get my hands dirty again.

There was no getting around it if that was the case. I was simply counting down the days until a more significant movement forced me into direct action. I considered heading back to the carriage and meeting with Adrian again. There had to be another way to handle this.

My thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of an unexpected face cutting through the crowd. She wasn’t expecting to see me either judging by her expression. The urge to walk over and speak with me was too great for her to ignore, so she crossed the street and strolled over to me.

It was Veronica.

“Oh dear. Not you again.”

Veronica wasn’t amused by my joke, “This is no time for frivolity, Maria. What are you doing wandering these streets alone?”

I smiled, “Shopping.”

“Uh-huh. And that’s why you look like someone just threw you through a window? I could spot that limp from a mile away.”

“Since when did it become your job to babysit me?” I replied, “Shouldn’t you be focusing on more... important work?”

Veronica sighed, “I am. It doesn’t mean I can’t come over here and warn you about getting too close to this messy business. Of all the places to be right now, this is the worst. Don’t tell me that’s why you’re here.”

“Okay. I won’t.”

Veronica’s eyes rolled back, “For goodness sake. Why is it so hard for you to stay out of trouble?”

“I have been staying out of trouble. I simply decided to visit a mutual friend and speak with them about an important matter that’s arisen.”

“And would you mind telling me what that matter is, specifically?”

“I don’t see why not. Adrian Roderro is worried that his Uncle has been dispensing compromising information to bad actors. He asked me to help him.”

“His uncle? Cedric Roderro?”

“That’s right, but all I’ve learnt is that he’s tangled up in some foolhardy real estate scheme in Church Walk. That’s hardly evidence that he’s been collaborating with some ruthless monarchists.”

Veronica’s face said it all. That story was dangerously close in proximity to the case that she was working on at that exact moment. She must have known most of what I was talking about. You couldn’t sneeze in this city without WISA hearing about it.

“How are the monarchists connected to this?”

I shrugged, “They’re not, not directly. The information Cedric supposedly leaked was used by the monarchists to steal something extremely valuable from him. That’s a story entirely too long for me to explain on a tight schedule. The point is, we’re attempting to draw a line between him and them so that his suspicions can be confirmed.”

Veronica was not happy, “I know first-hand how capable you are, but this is a dangerous path you’re walking. I strongly recommend that you leave it there and allow the authorities to handle the rest.”

“I’d be more than happy to,” I replied.

“Really? Just like that?”

“Yes. I am capable – but I’m also not the type of person to seek out conflict for the sake of it. We’d all be better off if the police and WISA could close the case without us having to lift a finger. But you don’t have probable cause to drag Cedric Roderro into the proceedings, beyond his financial interest in seeing the redevelopment project succeed.”

Veronica, for what it was worth, seemed to genuinely consider the angle of Cedric being involved with the trouble happening in Church Walk. That was a strong motive. He was heavily invested both monetarily and emotionally into seeing the project through.

Our relationship was on rocky footing after what happened at the fort though. It wasn’t the type of outright manipulation that damaged it beyond repair, but she was inevitably going to be sore about the way I pushed Genta into destroying the book before she could retrieve it. I assumed she wasn’t used to failure.

How badly did she want to actually deliver that book to WISA? She had her reservations about giving that type of power to the people she knew well, but she didn’t have a choice in the matter. Perhaps Genta destroying it himself was the best outcome for her. She could avoid taking direct blame for it while also avoiding the potentially disastrous consequences.

“I’ll consider it if you tell me why you’re limping around.”

No harm in telling her.

“I was speaking with a bystander when another stranger came across us and started talking about murdering the poor girl. I stepped in to help, but they blew me halfway across the city with a concussive blast. I have no idea how they generated such immense magical force...”

Veronica pinched the bridge of her nose, “Did this bystander happen to have a white cloth on them?”

I knew what it meant but was playing ignorant, “She did. Is that important?”

“And what did the attacker look like?”

“About my age, male, a head taller than me, pale skin, wearing a hood. I didn’t get the best look at their face during the scuffle. I should be able to walk this injury off without an issue. There was a fence there to break my fall.”

“That explains the bang I heard,” Veronica responded, “I shouldn’t be surprised that you managed to blunder headfirst into the case I’m looking into. Stay out of my way, please. I mean it this time. There’ll be no back alley deals or cooperation. I’m under strict oversight.”

“Of course. I’ll be satisfied with that so long as you give the Cedric issue some thought. It’s extremely convenient for him that the organized resistance to his real estate plan has been meeting a grisly end.”

We both knew that there was rarely that type of coincidence in the world of nobility. Either he was the one who initiated the killings, or someone else involved in the scheme was interested in ensuring its success given the large amount of capital that had been invested into it.

There was a worrying sense that the person who attacked Kelly just moments before was special in some way. That type of magical firepower didn’t simply appear out of thin air on demand as it did. It would have caused significant fatigue at best or outright killed them if they didn’t possess the right amount of magical energy.

“I mean it. I don’t want to see you here in the city again until this situation is resolved.”

“Then you’d better hurry and see to it that I don’t have the opportunity.”

“I can’t say I approve of this rebellious attitude of yours.”

“Take it up with my Father. This is hardly the time to be offering parental advice.”

Veronica was angry about my reply – but she knew better than to belabour the point when our relationship was already established as it was. ‘Veronica’ could not be a mother figure to Maria. Gwyneth, on the other hand, may have been able to. The problem was extracting herself from the lifelong creed of working with WISA.

 I presumed nothing so modern as retirement was on offer for people like her. She’d seen enough classified information and scandalous manoeuvring to make her a high-risk asset for the rest of her life. Even if they did allow her to leave their employ – it would be on an extremely tight leash, and the last thing she wanted to do was clue them into the fact that she had snuck away from them for a few months to give birth.

“I see no reason to stick around now that my quarry has made their escape. I hope to read some positive news in the paper soon.”

“I’ll try,” Veronica muttered.

There was no more time to spare. Veronica peeled away and disappeared back into the shifting tides. Too much talk – not enough results. I clicked my tongue and set off at a slow pace towards where the carriage was parked. I tried to straighten out my hair and clothes on the way so that Franklin wouldn’t barrage me with questions.

My next target was the eventual meeting between Cedric’s people and Robert Van Gervan.

---

Cedric was red-faced. He was already frustrated with the ways in which the monarchists were toying with his needs and wants. They sold him a palatable story about being equal partners in the arrangement, but now he knew that they were talking a load of old rubbish.

Cedric responded by launching into a lobbying campaign to meet with the man a step above Ferrand in the chain. Gerard Verner Welt. As far as Adrian knew, he was the one calling the shots and telling Ferrand what to do. Ferrand resisted his initial attempts to meet with Welt, but the second attack in as many days pushed him over the edge.

Persistence paid off. Ferrand was eventually told to lead Cedric to a meeting in the Theatre building the following day.

“Be careful with what you say around Welt. He can be temperamental,” Ferrand warned as they approached the door.

Cedric refrained from pointing out that all of the monarchists he’d met were the same. Welt was hardly going to pose a challenge given that context. He brushed away the advice and walked through the heavy wooden doors that led into Welt’s office.

Gerard Verner Welt was a tall, willowy figure. He had a gaunt face, pale skin, and thin blonde hair. His most distinctive feature was his cleft palate, which caused the right side of his mouth to turn upwards. His stern brown and booming, bass-filled voice commanded attention from those who followed in his wake.

He was also a long-standing veteran of the monarchist movement and a senior member of the conservative party. He was held in high esteem by many of the other, less violent members of the wave. He was also seen as the singular figure who understood what was demanded to bring about the monarchy’s restoration. Welt was not interested in gimmicks. He preferred results.

“I don’t need to say that I’m not well pleased with this, Welt.”

“Mister Roderro – to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“And pleasantries aren’t going to smooth it over either. You already know what I’m here to talk about. This is about the Church Walk project, and what you’ve decided to do to get rid of the gangs that live there.”

Welt’s sour expression said a thousand words.

“Do you not approve?”

“What do you think? I wouldn’t be here chasing after you if I did.”

Cedric was in no mood to take a seat, so they were both left standing.

“This room is soundproof, and isolated from the others, so we may speak freely about the incidents. It is unfortunate, but it was assessed to be the best way to handle the criminal element in the shortest amount of time. It is intended to kill two birds with one stone, as they say.”

“I feel that you didn’t understand my approach,” Cedric contested, “We’re trying to improve that area of the city – not plunge it into even more criminality.”

“Church Walk has always been an embarrassing stain on the character of our fair city. I was extremely enthusiastic about lending you our support when I first heard about the plan.”

“That hardly explains the sudden escalation into violence. I’m imploring you to hold back on any further schemes at least until the end of this week. I have another idea in mind for removing them from our path.”

Welt tried to argue his side of the matter; “Mister Sloan was insistent that we launch a practical test.”

“I only asked for your help because you told me that it wouldn’t be intrusive. I think you and I have very different definitions of what ‘intrusive’ means. I’ve got every police agency in the country sniffing around the place because of you!”

Welt held out his hands and played the diplomat, “I understand your concerns – but you aren’t connected to us. I have a reputation for keeping everything nicely segmented for a reason. It wouldn’t do us any good for our most ardent supporters to be caught in the backlash should something go wrong.”

“My idiot brother thought the same thing until it bit him in the arse. You couldn’t have possibly picked a worse time to do something like this. They’ll not be giving you the slap on the wrist treatment after what he did.”

“I’m not here to belabour the point, but I do disagree with your assessment of the timing. Trust in Parliament is the lowest it has been in some years, and our partners in the other restorative parties are gathering more support from the working voters. There are a lot of people who long for the glory years of Walser, and anything that shakes their confidence in the democratic path is advantageous to us. Church Walk is indicative of the decline of this nation.”

“How so?”

Welt turned and looked out of the office’s window to the street opposite. The working MPs all received rooms at the back side of the building complex, most of which faced out towards the main avenue that ran along that edge of the property. Welt liked to observe people going about their business from his high vantage point. It took him a long while to enunciate what he meant.

“Church Walk is a symbol; a symbol of our industrialization - and a symbol of our decline. It was once a street that boasted a proud and long history, even a holy one, but those times have long since past us by. It has been allowed to fall into disrepair and squalor through inaction. The democratic men across the aisle speak of compassion in preserving it as it is now, but what is kind about allowing people to live there?”

Cedric nodded, “I agree. That’s why we’re going to change all of that.”

“A nation that allows a place like Church Walk to fester has no right to exist as it does. Paralysis has come for our society when quick and decisive action is needed. If for a matter as straightforward as this causes consternation, what hope do we have should any of our foreign rivals attempt to strike at us with force?”

“I agree,” Cedric repeated.

“Yet, despite our best efforts to offer these citizens a better alternative, there are some within their number who only seek to drag the rest down with them. It’s a craven thing, is it not? These ‘gangs’ they speak of disgust me. Their loyalty should be to Walser and the royal family, and nothing else!”

Cedric was starting to feel that Welt was more on board with the aggressive approach than he wanted to let on. He was trying to calm Cedric down and win back his support without admitting that he was going over a red line that he felt strongly about. Part of it was his ideology, but the other mystery was Mister Sloan – whom Cedric was not acquainted with. He was clearly important if Welt was taking pointers from him.

It sounded as if Welt wasn’t in full control of what he was doing at least, which did not bode well for Cedric’s efforts to keep them from escalating the situation any further. A rash of murders ostensively disconnected from him would still arouse the same type of suspicion. He had a clear motive that would turn him into a prime suspect.

Cedric really believed that they were simply going to threaten them a little, or maybe beat a handful in a brawl. It took no time at all for them to surpass those expectations and start murdering them in broad daylight.

“I don’t get it. Why does Sloan need your men to murder the gangsters?”

Welt was elusive, “We’re working on a personal project. Your requirements served us perfectly.”

“What type of personal project? What does that have to do with killing them?”

“I’m afraid that the existence of that project is a closely guarded secret. Did you not tell us that you were happy to let us reach your goal as we saw fit?”

“That was before I found out what you decided to do.”

Welt sighed and steepled his fingers, “As we speak – there is a lull in our activity on that front. There will be no further killings for some time while we recalibrate. I hope that you will use this time wisely. Should you reach a peaceful solution with the gang and the residents, then we will have to find a new testing ground.”

Cedric nodded, “I will. I appreciate that your time is precious, so I’ll take my leave.”

He bowed politely and left the office. Ferrand was nowhere to be seen, so he leant against the corner of the corridor and exhaled heavily. The pressure that Welt exuded was enough to make him break out into a cold sweat.

“Goddess damn it. What were they thinking?” he whispered to himself.

Ferrand told him that it was easy. A ‘sure thing’ that would minimize his liability and solve his problems at the snap of a finger. Instead, every government agency that could dispatch people onto the streets was scurrying around the place like rats. There were eyes and ears everywhere and it was only a matter of time until they started to breathe down his neck.

It wouldn’t be Ferrand and Welt taking the fall in that situation. It would be him. The only reason Cedric agreed to Ferrand’s offer was because of the promises he made about how it would be basically invisible to the authorities. Ferrand and Welt were out of their minds. A single gang murder wasn’t going to attract attention, but a pattern of high-profile massacres certainly would!

Cedric was no ally of the working class, but he didn’t hold them in such low esteem that he saw their deaths as an easily ignored blip that the police would overlook. That was evidently not the case. Welt and his gang were going about their plot whilst attracting as much attention as they could in the process. There were police all over Church Walk because of them.

Worst of all was his heavy investment in property in the area. He’d presented his plan to dozens of investors too. If they were looking for a man with a reason to kill members of the Church Street gang then they needn’t look any further than him. It was only a matter of time until one of those potential investors talked to the police and he was subjected to a terse interview about his involvement.

Cedric was resolute. He had to come up with a way to extract himself from this situation before it was too late. His only hope at that moment was the potential for Robert Van Gervan to accept a payout to stop getting in his way. If he could defuse the gang problem without violence, then there’d be no need for Welt to kill any more of them.

“Oh! Cedric, did your meeting with Welt go as planned?”

He glared at Ferrand from below, “Yes. I suppose it was as good as one could expect on short notice.”

Cedric redonned his mask of impassive drive and followed him back out of the building. They didn’t have to know what he was planning, and they were already content to leave him in the dark as it was. He did not owe them any level of transparency now. In a game like this – someone was going to pull the trigger first.

Cedric intended to be the one laughing.