Hidden Rage: Kindred Tales

“Oh, I haven’t come to save your life,” the Saurian Mob boss said causally. “On the contrary, young lady, my wife and I have decided that we’ll all be much better off when you’re dead.”

“What?” Bobbi was certain she must be mishearing him. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I’m going to have to kill you.” Komendant Vizlar was still speaking in the same tone of voice you’d use to discuss the weather. “It’s nothing personal—just business,” he added. “You’re dividing our family—you’ve all but ruined the excellent relationship between my two sons and I’m very much afraid if I let Dragon wed you, the rift between them would only widen.” He shrugged. “So, you have to die.”

“But if you’re going to kill her anyway, why can’t I spike her first?” Zerlix whined. “Why stop me, Sire? I was going to be sure she was dead when I finished with her!”

“Because we do owe your brother some measure of respect,” Komendant Vizlar said, shooting his son a reproving look. “He is a good enforcer and a member of our family, even if he is a mammalian. It will be hard enough for him to lose his bride on the eve of his wedding, without finding out she was spiked by another male before she died.”

“But—“ Zerlix started, but his father cut him off.

“Listen to me!” the Komendant said sharply. “Her death will be quick and clean and completely untraceable. I’ll shoot her in the heart and we’ll dump the body into the East Canal after we strip it of jewelry, to make it look like a robbery. Your mother has already told Dragon that his bride went out to the Market—he’ll think she was taken from there.” He looked at Bobbi, who had retreated to the couch where she and Keelah were clutching each other. “I’m sorry, my dear—as I said, it’s nothing personal. You’re just not a good fit for our family.”

“This isn’t fair!” Zerlix stormed, stamping his foot on the tiled floor. “You never give me anything I want! “

Komendant Vizlar turned a cold eye on his son.

“On the contrary, you’ve always gotten almost everything you wanted—I think that’s half the trouble with you.”

“Excuse me, Komendant,” Rep. Wheezler said smoothly. “If I may be so bold as to interject, I’d like to offer your son the use of any of my Pleasure Girls that he likes. To help him get over his—ahem—disappointment.” He nodded to a recessed staircase at the front of the house that Bobbi had passed on her way in. “Please go up, Rep. Zerlix—my entire stable of girls is completely at your service.”

Zerlix glared at everyone one last time and then shoved past his father and stomped up the staircase, for all the world like a spoiled kid having a temper tantrum.

His petulant mood no doubt made him dangerous but Bobbi couldn’t seem to feel much concern for the Pleasure Girls upstairs—she was too busy being scared to death.

“Please!” she begged as the Komendant stalked towards her. “Please, don’t do this! Can’t you just send me back to Avria Pentaura where Dragon found me, instead of killing me? Please, I never wanted to come to Saurous in the first place—please just take me back!”

“I’m afraid not, young lady,” Komendant Vizlar said. “If I did that, Dragon would only follow you and bring you back again.” He shook his head. “He’s quite tenacious, my mammalian son. This way, when he sees your body, washed clean by the waters of the canal, he’ll be able to move on with his life and go back to being the excellent enforcer he’s always been for our Clan.”

“So you’re killing me so your son can have closure?” Bobbi demanded.

Komendant Vizlar nodded thoughtfully.

“I suppose you could put it that way, yes. Now please stand and let’s get this over with quickly.” He had drawn a bulky, silver blaster and now he pointed its blunt, ugly muzzle at Bobbi’s midsection. “After all, I wouldn’t want to hit your friend at the same time and accidentally kill her as well.”

Bobbi felt faint with fear as she stared down the barrel of the blaster gripped in his scaly, six-fingered hand.

So this is how I die, she thought. But she had enough presence of mind not to want to take Keelah with her. Slowly and carefully, she disentangled herself from the other girl’s grasp.

“Bobbi, no! No, please, don’t go!” Keelah begged, clutching at her.

“I have to, Keelah. I’m sorry.” She spoke numbly as she stood and took a step away from the couch. “I’m sorry. I wish I could have saved you,” she said. “You’ve been a good friend to me and I wish I could have been a good friend to you.”

“You have been! Oh, Bobbi!” Keelah’s voice was breaking with sorrow, but it all sounded very far away to Bobbi. “Please,” she begged Komendant Vizlar. “Please, don’t shoot her! Please!”