The incessant sound of heavy footsteps against the wooden floor echoed in cabin thirty-five of the Deep Spear ship. Lizandra and Sophie walked divergently around the room trying to understand the situation they found themselves in.
The discomfort on Liz's face was evident, her long time friend and teammate had been murdered by someone unknown to her, her only suspect being the woman in the towel next to her.
The silence was deafening. The two women in that environment seemed to be searching for magical answers coming straight from their heads, something that bordered on the irrational, since nothing could be done before investigating the body and the crime scene.
Von was sitting on the mattress on the floor. His eyes were staring at the wall, ignoring the anxious movements of Sophie and Lizandra. His thoughts were filled with self-reproach. How could he have failed so badly? As leader, it was his duty to ensure the success of this mission, and so far, everything seemed to be headed for ruin.
Three deaths, three of Cermina's best assassins were killed in a mission led by Von. His pride was slowly sinking, similar to Sophie last night.
Last Night.
It was from there that the answer to Klen's murder would come, but for that he would need to see the body.
-Lizandra, where did you find the body? - Von's voice was dry and indecipherable, the same tone General Norgard usually used.
Lizandra and Sophie stopped walking in circles and looked at Von when they heard his voice.
-In front of the door to the food depot. - Lizandra's answer revealed a mixture of turbulent emotions, mostly anxiety.
Von stood up and walked to his backpack. He opened the zipper slowly and looked for a small black wooden box. When he found it, he took it out of his backpack and opened it.
For the assassin, this act sounded like a ritual. He felt pleasure in doing this. He felt pleasure in having in his hands his first passion: the blade. Von's eyes contemplated his "Blade Glove". Perhaps the eyes of a mother holding her newborn child were not as bright as Von's at that moment.
Slowly the assassin put the glove on his right hand, arranging it on his wrist as if he were fitting something in its proper place. -I'm going to see the body. - As Von walked to the exit of the cabin, he noticed that Sophie and Lizandra accompanied him. The assassin turned to the two women, causing them to stop walking. -I will go alone. Liz, lend Sophie some of your clean clothes.-
-No way, we'll go with you. - Sophie's tone of voice revealed her dissatisfaction with Von's decision. They had literally spent the entire morning together, so now he wanted to be alone? She would not agree to this.
-This is not a request. Sophie, it's an order. - At that moment it was possible to mistake Von for General Chasseur. The authoritative posture of the patriarch of the Chasseur family was carved on Von's face. Sophie did not fail to notice this latent aspect in the man in front of her. She felt fear. Afraid that Von was more like her father than she thought. If he was, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her if he had to.
All Sophie could do was keep silent as she watched the man in front of her walk out of the cabin. Her thoughts went from heaven to hell in a matter of seconds. Deaths didn't usually take away her peace of mind as much as Von did. And just imagining that at some point he might kill her like her father had done to her mother froze her. And just imagining that at some point he might kill her like her father had done to her mother froze her body. Slowly her feelings became confused.
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A group of seven crewmen stood in front of the food depot. The men's voices blended into dissonant noises, each questioning the other about the scene before their eyes. Everyone was around, but still far away from what had once been an easily identifiable body. Pools of blood on the floor, marks of blood on the walls, and a disgusting smell painted the room. It was truly disgusting.
Slow footsteps were heard by the men present, making them look in the direction of the noise. A shadow took shape as the noise grew louder and closer to the seven crewmen. Finally, Von's presence silenced the murmuring in that place.
-I want you seven to leave here immediately. - Without question, the seven men walked quickly out of the room, but before they left, they heard a few more words from the man wearing only a glove. - Tell everyone to gather on the main deck. I don't want a living soul in any room on this ship. -
The men nodded in agreement and in quick steps went to execute the assassin's orders.
Von put the handkerchief tied around his neck to his face, in an attempt to soften the smell of the environment. Unsuccessfully. That death did not seem common. The body looked as if it had been wounded by an explosion, as if he had been lying on a grenade. Von even considered this possibility, but someone would clearly have heard the noise of the explosion if there had been one.
Firearms and grenades were out of the question.
Von removed the handkerchief from his face and reached into one of his pants pockets for his pack of cigarettes. He took one out, put it in his mouth, and lit it. Smoking always made the assassin think better about things, and for this situation, the smell of the cigarette would also help disguise the odor.
-It can't be...- Von took a drag on his cigarette - It doesn't make sense...- he looked up and let out a puff of smoke. - Or does it?
Von struggled internally not to accept the evidence he had found. He had made no effort to do so. The information was thrown in his face; apparently this was the murderer's intention. There was no mystery killer. Strands of hair and cloth, traces of battle camouflaged occasionally by blood. That was an invitation. A body made of invitation. An invitation to determine the future of two people. And perhaps, of two nations.
Von heard someone approaching the scene, and turned slowly toward the approaching person.When he saw the presence of Klen's murderer, a smile formed on his lips.
-Why are you smiling, boy? - Klen's murderer looked at Von, who smiled wryly.
-War suicides amuse me...-
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- What the fuck is this all about?- Tilian said indignantly as he watched the crowd on the deck form.
-Apparently it's Von's orders.- Liz's voice was heard approaching where Tilian was standing. Beside her, Sophie, who was wearing a white blouse and beige pants borrowed from Liz, was walking silently. Restlessness was still stamped on her face. Her questions about Von were so relevant to her life that for a few moments she forgot that a member of her team had been murdered.
-What is your boyfriend planning? - Tilian questioned Sophie who looked at him instantly when she heard the term "boyfriend".
-He's not my boyfriend.- Sophie realized that she had given more importance to what Von had associated with her, than to Von's intentions. - I really don't know anything about him.- the words came out weakly, not in a sad tone. She was just confused.
-Where is Gior? - Liz asked.
-He's still taking care of Rudder with old Denver.- Tilian looked again at the crowd of people on the deck. - Do you know what happened, Liz? -
-This morning while I was going to the galley to get something to eat, some of the ship's cooks informed me that there was a wrecked body at the entrance to the food storage. When I got there I recognized Klen's clothes. - Liz's eyes revealed pain and rage.
-What? KILLED KLEN?- Tilian looked at Sophie as if she was accusing her, because of what had happened last night.
-Yes... I also thought that Sophie was the culprit,- Liz said while looking at Sophie. - But she has an alibi. Von decided to investigate the murder on his own, and apparently he sent everyone from the ship here. -
-Before you accuse me of anything, I spent the whole night in the navigation cabin with Gior and Denver.-
-I imagine... But if not us... -Who would be left?-
Sophie, Tilian and Liz looked at each other as if they had discovered the murderer. Spontaneously the three of them uttered the same word.
-Holy Crap!-