Fury and Flame | 3

0 | 7

D E L P H I N I U M

Our visitors walked out, the door snapping shut behind them. We were in a long room with a wide table inside, perfect for meetings to be held in. Outside the windows, the world beyond the plains circling the fortress could be seen. The world that we'd soon conquer.

We'd been having a conversation with the owners of a weapons plant. Orion wished for them to create weapons for us again, after what had happened to all our other weapons factories. Since they'd been destroyed, we'd had to make most of them inside the fortresses. Thankfully, Orion had foreseen the attack on the Russian fortress and had moved almost everything of importance here.

The owners hadn't given in to Orion's demands yet. He was very close to forcing them with the blackmail he inevitably had on them. The only reason they weren't dead was because they were indispensable. If they were out of the picture, so would be the factories they owned.

I'd sat at Orion's right side the entire time. Never speaking, hardly moving. The owners had kept shooting me worried glances. That was the point. I was an instrument of fear, something to make our enemies fall into line. I was a weapon designed only to kill and I loved that I was able to serve Imperium in that way.

     Now that they were gone, we could talk freely. I waited for Orion to address me, not wanting to be disrespectful and speak out of turn. "There will be a United Nations meeting in two days," he told me, still not moving. "They are meeting to decide how to destroy us. It cannot happen. You will be sent out to stop it, but we need the factories running before then."

     "You wish for me to convince the owners?"

     "The four owners are to remain alive. Anyone else that came with them is free game for you, Secerător."

"They came with at least twenty people," I remarked, remembering how the people had flanked them as they'd entered our fortress.

His masked face turned toward me. The moon design on his forehead glittered in the dim lighting. "Are you questioning my order?" Orion's voice was low, grating with something dangerous underneath.

"No, of course not, Unul Exaltat. Your wish is my command. If you wish for them to be convinced, I will do anything necessary to convince them."

     "Do not disappoint me, Delphinium. You know what will happen if you do."

     I did. I held back a shudder at the thought. But I would not fail. "Yes, Unul Exaltat." I swept into a low bow, hand over my chest, before I was dismissed out the door.

     As usual, the hordes of soldiers and agents traveling through the hallways parted for me. I didn't spare any of them a second glance, singleminded in my job. I was aware many of them were staring, most likely getting their first glance of the famous Reaper since I'd arrived. Not only in the criminal world was I known. Everyone within these walls knew exactly who I was. And what I'd gladly do to them if they stepped out of line.

     It was quite a trek to go from the meeting room out to where our trucks had transported our visitors in, as my home was massive, much bigger than the Russian fortress.

     As I neared the massive front door at the bottom of the fortress, the wind from outside blew my hair back and whipped my cape around my tight black clothes. I pulled up my hood.

     The factory owners and their entourage were just getting to the trucks. When one of them caught a glance of me, he alerted the others of my presence. Soon, they were all turned toward me with varying degrees of fear worn on their faces.

     "Have you come back for something?" asked a man I knew was one of the four that would be untouched. His eyes roved my body, taking in the many weapons I had: my primary daggers hanging from my belt, two more strapped to my thighs, another smaller one hidden up my sleeve. The rifle that was usually slung over my back was replaced with a cape today, meaning that I only carried one handgun. But it would work just fine.

     And it did, as I raised it and shot the man closest to me dead. Everyone flinched at my sudden movement. A warning and a demonstration. "I've come for your word that we will be working together from now on." It had been a while since I'd spoken English. The words felt strange in my mouth.

     "I don't..."

     In his hesitation, I shot another one of his men dead. "Your word."

    "Your master is very persuasive, but the facilities belong to us, not you. That means it's our final decision."

    Two more men dead. "I think you'll find I can be persuasive as well."

    "Touch another one of my men and I'll-"

    I cut off the new woman who'd spoken by interrupting her threat with another gunshot, another body falling. "You can do nothing." The rest of the men raised what little firearms they had toward me. "I am the Reaper. You cannot touch me." One thought, and those guns were blasted away from them, landing around my feet.

"Murdering our people is not helping your case," the woman hissed, shaking with anger. But what I'd said was true; they could do nothing to stop me. They were doing nothing to protect themselves because there was nothing that could be done.

Even though they were starting to smarten up and run away, I picked off the rest of their men. They flew forward with the impact of the bullet as they ran, planting their dying faces into the ground. I wasn't sure of the number I'd killed, but the bodies lay everywhere, twisted in agony as they'd tried to escape the jaws of death and failed.

      "Your master is a raging madman," one of the men said, frozen in his place, yet still bold enough to say, "So are you."

      "You have to be at least a little mad to accomplish such ambitious, bold things—the things we have planned." I cocked my head. "Perhaps you aren't ready for it. There's no worry, I don't mind more target practice."

     I aimed the gun between the man's eyes. "Rethink your decision."

      Through clenched teeth, he spat, "You won't kill the four of us. You need us."

      Turning to glance over my shoulder, I saw a spare chain from one of the machines laying inside the fortress. Whipping back around, I dragged it forward with my mind and let it wrap around the man's throat. Orion said he had to be alive, but not unhurt.

All eyes went to him as he clawed at his neck, spitting and gagging. I let the chain slowly tighten like a snake. His face was red now, all the blood rushing to his head. Only a few more moments now and he'd collapse...

Snapping out of her shock first, one of the women screamed, "Fine, we'll do it!"

"Do what?" I was slow, lazy in both my stare and movements. The strangling man fell to the floor.

"We'll work with you. We'll give you whatever you want, but for God's sake, don't kill any more of us!"

That was it. All life left the chain and it fell uselessly to the ground with a clank. With a gasp, the man I'd nearly choked to death massaged his neck like he was grateful to be alive. As he should be. I didn't take kindly to people that denied Imperium.

"An agent will be by your place shortly to discuss the terms of our agreement." With a sweep of my cape, I turned my back on them, not caring to watch them leave.