The Phoenix

‘Athena Petridis never drowned my mother. My mother was still alive, two years after that summer. That whole story, the file you showed me, the pictures, the “evidence”. It was all faked. Wasn’t it? WASN’T IT?’

‘Yes.’ There was no point denying it. She clearly already knew the truth. And it was freeing in a way to be able to admit it, even if he was about to have his head blown off for it.

‘And you knew from the beginning?’

He could deny that part, or at least try to. But that might anger her even further. He decided he might as well risk the truth.

‘I did. Yes.’ He looked down, conscious suddenly of his nakedness. ‘May I get a towel?’

‘NO!’ The shout vibrated with rage. ‘Don’t move. I mean it.’

‘Well would you throw one to me, then?’

Ella hesitated for a second. Then, grabbing a hand towel from the basin behind her, tossed it towards him.

He caught it one-handed. ‘It’s not very big.’

Ella looked directly at his penis. ‘Yes, I’ve certainly seen bigger.’

D

espite himself, he grinned, tying the tiny towel around himself as best he could.

‘Come on, Ella. Put the gun down. You don’t really want to kill me.’

‘Don’t I?’ Anger burned in her eyes. ‘You deceived me, in the worst way imaginable. I killed a woman because of you. You made me a killer.’

‘Athena was a monster,’ Gabriel shot back. ‘She deserved to die.’

‘That’s not the point!’

‘It is the point. Do you regret it?’

Ella stared at him in astonishment. ‘Of course I regret it! Do you think I enjoy murder?’

‘Well, you certainly enjoyed the thrill of the chase.’

Ella blushed scarlet, hating the fact that this was true.

‘That’s not fair and you know it! I thought I was avenging my—’

He hit her before she knew what happened, flying across the bathroom, the full force of his still-warm body slamming into Ella’s, pinning her back against the tiled wall. She felt a sharp pain in her back and head, heard the gun clatter to the floor. He kicked it away, securing her arms behind her back and manhandling her effortlessly into the bedroom.

‘Stop fighting me,’ he commanded. ‘Stop it or your arm will break.’

He forced her onto the bed, his face inches above hers.

‘Listen to me, Ella.’

‘No!’ She shook her head furiously, closing her eyes like a petulant child, refusing to look at its parent. ‘I won’t listen to you, ever again. Why should I? You’re a liar.’

Gabriel let out a groan of exasperation. ‘You’re right. I am a liar. I lied to you, to get you to join The Group, to get you to help us. I had to.’

‘You didn’t “have to”. You had a choice and you made the wrong one.’

‘No, Ella.’ His voice softened. ‘That’s not how it works. If the boss gives an order, you follow it. The Group votes for the leader, but day to day we’re not a democracy. We’re an army. It’s the only way we can operate and stay safe.’

‘Bullshit.’ Ella shot back. ‘You break plenty of rules. We broke them together.’