Post by Bethany on Apr 20, 2007 20:36:24 GMT -5
- chapter 4-
assignment
People are group animals.
They belong in a pack.
A person without a pack is like a lone wolf.
That’s why everyone wants friends.
That’s why, sometimes, people choose to be around people they don’t like.
*****
“Boz!!” Jerez called form the bottom of the stairs. “Boz!”
“I’m getting ready!” Bozi’s voice echoed from upstairs.
“We’re going to be late!” Jerez yelled, unamused at his boyfriend’s seemingly cute little habits.
Jerez had a hard face, and soft arms; especially compared to last winter in Frostmare. He examined himself in the mirror on the wall. His hair was longer and kept nicely in a ponytail, not shaggy like it once was. His skin was a sun-kissed tan, and he had a patch of hair beneath his bottom lip and one under his chin. He was wearing sleek brown clothes that were not very unlike the ones Malachi wore when they met. Only his eyes were the same; grey like stone.
Would he even be able to handle a winter in Icemarrow anymore? Would Holly even be able to recognize him?
“I’m ready…” Bozi said in his sing-song voice, snapping Jerez back the present. Bozi was a short man, compared to Jerez, and had dark olive skin and light brown eyes.
“You’d better hope that we’re not late.” Jerez said, leading Bozi out the door.
*****
“You’re late…” said the slim, pale man behind the desk. Jerez and Bozi sat opposite of him in a room that was dimly lit by a pair of taper candles burning straight and steady.
Jerez was tempted to point a finger at Bozi, but concluded that it wouldn’t solve anything. “Sorry.” He said quietly. The man behind the desk shifted, making visible a long, old scar on the man’s left cheek.
“Have you two gotten to Synna yet?” he asked, running a hand through his obscenely think black hair. His brown, almost black eyes glinted in the candlelight.
“Umm… you see…” Jerez fiddled with his words.
“No, we haven’t, Ramses.” Bozi said, with a blaming look at Jerez, who didn’t notice. Ramses sighed.
“You two are holding yourselves back…” he said, “Which is holding me back too!” He was angry. “This is a fairly easy assignment, and you had better be done with it the next time you see me!” He sighed again, calming down, and straightened a few papers on his desk. “Then, I can give you your next assignment.” He looked at Bozi, who cast an eerie side glance at Jerez.
“I’ll see you next week.” Ramses said, ending the conversation. With that, the couple walked out.
*****
Bozi was keeping watch from a short distance away, leaving Jerez to do the dirty work.
Synna seemed to realize a little too soon what was going on. Jerez ran up and punched him swiftly in the gut, making him double over.
“You know what’s happening.” He whispered, “So I want you to listen very carefully.”
“Get off of me, you back-stabber!” Synna yelled, his short, blonde hair going everywhere in the struggle. Jerez was stronger, so he held on easily.
“Stop it! I’m trying to let you get out of here!” Jerez said, trying to be as quiet as possible. Synna stopped and looked up in disbelief.
“Pretend you’re in pain!” Jerez whispered urgently, looking to make sure Boz’s back was turned. Synna gave a cry, and let his body go limp so that Jerez could drag him around the corner, where he could make his get away.
*****
“See how easy that was?” Bozi asked, stroking his boyfriend’s cheek in compassion. Jerez remained silent, studying the bare trees across from the bench they were sitting on. “Are you even listening to me?” The older man asked, loosing patience. Jerez nodded. “I don’t know why you were so damn attached to him, but it almost cost us our jobs.” Bozi said sternly.
“I’m sorry.” Jerez whispered. He hadn’t realized what had happened to him over the past year. He never even knew how to break a person’s neck until he’d teamed up with Bozi; and now it was a weekly procedure. He felt guilty for being a part of this whole thing, but worse for letting Synna go. What if someone found him? They’d both be in deep shit. Hopefully Synna is smarter than he looks. Jerez sighed, trying not to sweat.
“Don’t tell me you’re sorry!” Bozi sneered. “You know what loosing your job means!” Jerez thought of Synna. He hadn’t been good enough; hadn’t been sly enough. He thought that he could make it in this business. Another victim of wishful thinking…
“I’m sorry.” Jerez repeated, looking his lover in the eyes. Bozi became overwhelmed with sympathy and held his hand as they walked home.
*****
The next week’s meeting came all too soon. They walked into the all-too-familiar room to receive their usual greeting.
“You’re late…” Ramses scowled.
“Sorry.” Jerez replied.
“We took care of Synna.” Bozi said casually.
“About time. Did anyone else see?”
“Nope, it was clean.” Bozi stated proudly. He was, by far, the best at following through with his plans flawlessly. Jerez was lucky to have learned his skills from someone like him.
“Good.” Ramses mumbled, more to himself than to the two sitting in front of him. “I’ve got a new kind of assignment for you two.” He said, sorting through papers. “You need to get information, preferably quickly; and you’ll need to travel…” Jerez tilted his head suspiciously. Usually their assignments were local. “Separately.” Ramses finished.
-
end chapter four
assignment
People are group animals.
They belong in a pack.
A person without a pack is like a lone wolf.
That’s why everyone wants friends.
That’s why, sometimes, people choose to be around people they don’t like.
*****
“Boz!!” Jerez called form the bottom of the stairs. “Boz!”
“I’m getting ready!” Bozi’s voice echoed from upstairs.
“We’re going to be late!” Jerez yelled, unamused at his boyfriend’s seemingly cute little habits.
Jerez had a hard face, and soft arms; especially compared to last winter in Frostmare. He examined himself in the mirror on the wall. His hair was longer and kept nicely in a ponytail, not shaggy like it once was. His skin was a sun-kissed tan, and he had a patch of hair beneath his bottom lip and one under his chin. He was wearing sleek brown clothes that were not very unlike the ones Malachi wore when they met. Only his eyes were the same; grey like stone.
Would he even be able to handle a winter in Icemarrow anymore? Would Holly even be able to recognize him?
“I’m ready…” Bozi said in his sing-song voice, snapping Jerez back the present. Bozi was a short man, compared to Jerez, and had dark olive skin and light brown eyes.
“You’d better hope that we’re not late.” Jerez said, leading Bozi out the door.
*****
“You’re late…” said the slim, pale man behind the desk. Jerez and Bozi sat opposite of him in a room that was dimly lit by a pair of taper candles burning straight and steady.
Jerez was tempted to point a finger at Bozi, but concluded that it wouldn’t solve anything. “Sorry.” He said quietly. The man behind the desk shifted, making visible a long, old scar on the man’s left cheek.
“Have you two gotten to Synna yet?” he asked, running a hand through his obscenely think black hair. His brown, almost black eyes glinted in the candlelight.
“Umm… you see…” Jerez fiddled with his words.
“No, we haven’t, Ramses.” Bozi said, with a blaming look at Jerez, who didn’t notice. Ramses sighed.
“You two are holding yourselves back…” he said, “Which is holding me back too!” He was angry. “This is a fairly easy assignment, and you had better be done with it the next time you see me!” He sighed again, calming down, and straightened a few papers on his desk. “Then, I can give you your next assignment.” He looked at Bozi, who cast an eerie side glance at Jerez.
“I’ll see you next week.” Ramses said, ending the conversation. With that, the couple walked out.
*****
Bozi was keeping watch from a short distance away, leaving Jerez to do the dirty work.
Synna seemed to realize a little too soon what was going on. Jerez ran up and punched him swiftly in the gut, making him double over.
“You know what’s happening.” He whispered, “So I want you to listen very carefully.”
“Get off of me, you back-stabber!” Synna yelled, his short, blonde hair going everywhere in the struggle. Jerez was stronger, so he held on easily.
“Stop it! I’m trying to let you get out of here!” Jerez said, trying to be as quiet as possible. Synna stopped and looked up in disbelief.
“Pretend you’re in pain!” Jerez whispered urgently, looking to make sure Boz’s back was turned. Synna gave a cry, and let his body go limp so that Jerez could drag him around the corner, where he could make his get away.
*****
“See how easy that was?” Bozi asked, stroking his boyfriend’s cheek in compassion. Jerez remained silent, studying the bare trees across from the bench they were sitting on. “Are you even listening to me?” The older man asked, loosing patience. Jerez nodded. “I don’t know why you were so damn attached to him, but it almost cost us our jobs.” Bozi said sternly.
“I’m sorry.” Jerez whispered. He hadn’t realized what had happened to him over the past year. He never even knew how to break a person’s neck until he’d teamed up with Bozi; and now it was a weekly procedure. He felt guilty for being a part of this whole thing, but worse for letting Synna go. What if someone found him? They’d both be in deep shit. Hopefully Synna is smarter than he looks. Jerez sighed, trying not to sweat.
“Don’t tell me you’re sorry!” Bozi sneered. “You know what loosing your job means!” Jerez thought of Synna. He hadn’t been good enough; hadn’t been sly enough. He thought that he could make it in this business. Another victim of wishful thinking…
“I’m sorry.” Jerez repeated, looking his lover in the eyes. Bozi became overwhelmed with sympathy and held his hand as they walked home.
*****
The next week’s meeting came all too soon. They walked into the all-too-familiar room to receive their usual greeting.
“You’re late…” Ramses scowled.
“Sorry.” Jerez replied.
“We took care of Synna.” Bozi said casually.
“About time. Did anyone else see?”
“Nope, it was clean.” Bozi stated proudly. He was, by far, the best at following through with his plans flawlessly. Jerez was lucky to have learned his skills from someone like him.
“Good.” Ramses mumbled, more to himself than to the two sitting in front of him. “I’ve got a new kind of assignment for you two.” He said, sorting through papers. “You need to get information, preferably quickly; and you’ll need to travel…” Jerez tilted his head suspiciously. Usually their assignments were local. “Separately.” Ramses finished.
-
end chapter four
