The road to Silvercoast was silent in the armoured car. Inside were Maya, Corwin, and other military officers. 'To think that a monster like Andrew would be engaged in such a game.' Corwin's eyes landed on Maya, even now he found her words unbelievable. "I was told to play a game in which I had to kill Andrew and Brittany. My targets would be on the move, a time limit of a year to do this while on my own. That's what they would tell me every day during my capture." Her words rang in his head.
"So it would seem that there is more to this. Andrew, just what secrets are you carrying?" Corwin's murmurs went unheard. "Sir! We're approaching Stillwater!" The driver relayed to the back. "As for the targets, they've made their way into the city and abandoned their car, now on foot. From their current direction, they seem to be headed to the beach." Another spoke up from the car, on his lap a laptop, his focus never leaving the monitor.
'What do they plan on doing at the beach?' Maya couldn't help but wonder. "There seems to be a set of houses on the beach, high end ones at that." Both Maya and Corwin's attention were jolted back into the car. "They could meet Charles or Drissel, after all those two seem to have a taste of luxury." Corwin posed, his face heavy from the task at hand. 'To think that I would face someone like this! From his actions, it would seem that he has a great understanding of what is going on in the world.'
. . .
The air between the three was silent, Andrew in the lead and Lara at the back. Brittany didn't have her usual playful smile, but a bothered, neutral line on her lips. "How far do we have to keep on walking, given that there were no checkpoints? I doubt anyone could be alive in this city?" Her tone laced with disdain as they kept on walking through the deserted streets. "Not for long. We're nearly there." His response the same ever since they got into the city. 'Should I keep going with them? Would Andrew force me into going with him?'
Lara at the back was lost in thought, her arms folded as she looked all around her. The three got out of the dense concrete jungle and into an open area, not far away from them was a pier that led to the beach, to the right a funfair was present though now in ruins with the ferris wheel plunged halfway in the sandy beach.
The three made their way to the end of the pier before silence settled. Brittany impatiently looked around, getting more and more agitated while Lara was in her own world of thoughts. "How long are we going to be here! It's been thirty minutes already!" Brittany shouted, her figure slouched on a bench next to Lara while Andrew stood, waiting for something. "It won't take long; just have a bit of patience." She shot up, her hands reaching for the hem of his shirt. "I've had it with you, Andrew! Just tell us what we're supposed to be waiting for already!"
Lara watched the two, feeling the tension that grew between them. 'Looks like they aren't getting along as usual. Did something happen between them at the motel?' Before Brittany could go on with her ramblings, the sounds of footsteps on the wooden floorboards echoed through the air. Looking at the source, a frown formed on Brittany's face while Lara was stunned at the figure. "Andrew!" The lady chirped in excitement, an ear to ear smile forming on her lips as she crashed into his figure.
"I wanted to intervene earlier, but Charles wouldn't let me!" Andrew raised his hand and gave a light pat, and much to Brittany's surprise, a smile formed on his face. The same Andrew who had his aloof temperament was now smiling, though a small one, a smile. "I'm sure it was hell for you, Drissel." He chuckled, the air between the two akin to old friends reuniting after a long time. "Who the fuck is this?"
Brittany shot glares at Drissel, the ash-haired lady now noting Brittany with a smile on. "I'm Drissel, Andrew's little helper. You must be Brittany. A pleasure to meet you." Drissel extending her hand was left alone by Brittany, her focus landing back on Andrew. "Oh, so when were you going to tell me about any of this? Not to mention, where's your silent mask gone?! Or is there something going on between the two of you I don't know about?"
Lara watched the scene unfold, a sigh escaping her lips. "Andrew! I can't keep going on with you anymore! As much as I know you mean well in your own way, I just can't. I'd rather go back to my old life; as mundane as it was, it's far better than what this new one is! The killing, the blood and the pain, I just can't bear it anymore." Her words attracted the attention of the rest. "Andrew! Why would you torture a girl like her like this? For someone who cares about her, your way of showing it hasn't been very considerate."
Drissel chuckled as she looked at Lara. "You're free to leave, Lara. I'm so sorry for any damage or trauma that my Andrew has caused you." Lara had a look of disbelief wash over her face, now looking at Andrew. "You can leave if you want, Lara, since you wish for death, then who am I to deny it? I hope it is what you wish for, given your life after this won't be the same." Lara stood on her feet, looked at the three as she clutched her chest and walked away back into the city.
"Andrew!" Brittany's voice cut through the air. "Have you been cheating on me with this woman?" Her hands gesturing at Drissel, who seemed in pure bliss in his embrace. "I take it that Charles has given up on her." Drissel gave a small nod. "Yeah, he has lost all hope in her. I could kill her right now should you want." Drissel flashed a small smile, dangerous in Brittany's eyes as she felt the weight of death gnaw on her being. "No need to kill her; she'll die later on." His words flat as he looked at Brittany.
"Come with us or leave with Lara; I'm not forcing you." His figure turned and left the pier. Brittany looked at Andrew, the silver-haired woman in his hands sparking something she couldn't quite name. Her eye drifted to Lara, who was slowly getting out of vision before she disappeared into the city. 'There's no way that I can go back to my old life. I need his blood!' Her gaze fell, looking at the ground with her fists clenched.
"I'll come with you!" Her words made the two stop. "Well, then, come on." This time a smile was on his face. Something that her brain was adjusting to before the image of Drissel came into view. "Are you two in a relationship, given how touchy you are?" Her figure closing in with the two. "Define relationship. I mean, we're pretty close; we've gotten intimate and even married." Her words elicited something hard in Brittany's throat. "You told me I was your first Andrew! I should have realized back then that you were lying!"
Drissel chimed in, her smile replaced with something mocking. "Dear, if you think you can claim Andrew the way you picture, you should be ready for a rude awakening. He's slept with multiple women if that's what's bothering you. Orders from Charles." Her tone dropped, her eyes widening in pure horror, revealing her glassy azure eyes. "So you can come with us, or you can go with Lara; the choice is yours." Andrew remained silent as his figure disappeared in the sleek black car Drissel had driven.
'So he really has been fucking around! Charles, when I get my hands on you!' She took a long pause before she got in the car, which drove off into the luxurious estates.
. . .
"Lara Grale, you are required to put your hands where we can see them!" The moment Lara took a few turns in the city, looking for a means to go back into Stillwater, she ran into an army with their guns aimed at her. She complied, beads of sweat trailing down her face. "I'm not a killer! It's all a misunderstanding!" A pair of footsteps inched closer to her tense figure. "Of course you aren't a killer, just a small mishap of you being at the company of the wrong people. Drop your guns!" Corwin's figure came into Lara's view, the commander sending shivers across her spine.
"I'm glad that you see the truth! Is there a way of clearing my name then?" A smile formed on her lips, only for it to be shattered. "I'm sorry, but we can't do that at this time, Lara, given that you as well are charged with murder. A caretaker from Willowfen and another tenant at the motel you were staying at have your prints all over them, or should I say silk."
Lara's heart dropped, her breathing rough and shallow. "I just want a normal life! I didn't mean to kill them! I had to! Andrew forced me!" Corwin took a long look at Lara, dissecting her face before a small smile formed. "Of course we know this, but we can't just send you back home as if nothing ever happened. You'll be taken into military custody and tried for your crimes. After that, you will be given a different alias to live under."
The reality of facing crimes she was forced to enact didn't sit well with her. "I didn't mean to kill them! I had to! There was no other choice!" She broke out in rage, her hands balled into fists. "We know you had to act on the spur of the moment; however, lives were claimed and you should face your crimes, or are you willing to claim more lives by killing me?" She fell silent before a helpless sigh left her lips. Military officers approached her and cuffed her before placing a bag over her head.
"That went well; however, for the actual culprits, we can't just wantonly barge at them should we want to avoid what happened at the last city." Corwin said, his eyes landing on Lara's figure now hauled away as Maya approached her. "With Lara now gone, the only weakness that they have is Brittany, and she doesn't have a clean record, so it'll be difficult to reach out to her." She urged, covering her face.
"In these changing times, it would seem that the only way that we can fight someone like Andrew is with people like him. However, we have no confirmation on what Drissel's skill set is." Maya recalled the resort and Matteo. "Other than spontaneously knocking me out and popping someone's head off, there aren't any other skills I can think of."Corwin made his way to the armoured car which took them to a base erected within the city. "Find people who are awakened and can face Andrew. As for Drissel, now, we can only assume that her skill set is equal to Andrew's."
. . .
The car came to a stop outside a well-off mansion that had a great view of the beach beneath. Brittany followed the two, her eyes narrowed before going inside. "By the way, Brittany, I have to ask: when you were telling Andrew to commit those murders back then, I thought that you would have been more explicit with your orders. I guess you saved me a lot of time and effort." Brittany's guard rose. 'To think that I would be with such anomalies. I don't have a means of protecting myself, and Andrew isn't as reliable as I'd like him to be.'
She mused before her attention was brought back. "Brittany, I'm sure you've met Charlotte, right?" Drissel's hands gesturing at another lady who seemed to be in her twenties.