by Ethan Egorov
She wasn’t a houseguest though. This wasn’t a vacation. She had to remember that Augustin, despite his charms was a dangerous man. At least that’s what she knew of him from Cassandra. What if he were right though? What it there were two sides to every story? She bit her bottom lip and walked out of the bathroom and went back into her ‘room,’ with purpose. She was going to figure out what was really happening. What if Cassandra had been lying to her all along about Augustin? Maybe she had a different reason for finding them in their Vegas hotel. What if her friend had been playing her all along? Cassandra quickly pulled on her socks and found a comfortable pair of sensible sneakers in the closet, in which she found fit her perfectly. She suddenly felt better about the situation in general having given her body a time period to adjust to the shock. It seemed Augustin had been right about that as well.
She sat on the edge of the fainting couch and reclined. She suddenly felt the urge to look out a window only to realize that she was indeed a prisoner. There were no scenic views. She didn’t even know where she was in the world anyway. She didn’t hear anything from outside the room that would give her any indication of her own whereabouts. Of course, she didn’t have access to her cell phone or her weaponry. She was quite certain that Augustin’s hired thugs either destroyed them or they were locked away somewhere. She didn’t like the idea of being boxed in. In fact, that’s the reason why she did enjoy her job as much as she did. It gave her the freedom to travel and do as she pleased with her time. If she wanted to see snow she’d take a job in the Rockies or if she wanted to have some ocean time, she’d take a job near any major beach. Now though she was restrained and that alone would surely kill her unless she could find a viable means of escape.
Before Kristina could go too far down that rabbit hole, she heard the key turn in the lock and the lock click. It was Augustin followed by one of his housekeepers. “You can set it up over there if you’d like. Thank you.” The maid followed his instructions to the letter and then nodded at him silently as she left the room. “Ah it is good to see you again Kristina. I see that you have decided to take advantage of your accommodations. I hope you are indeed feeling somewhat better, yes?”
Kristina nodded her head in response yet remained silent. “Good. Excellent. You’ll find that even though the instructions I give may see a bit out of the ordinary they are actually for the greater good. That’s why I’m such a good teacher. I have to say that I’m sorry Cassandra wasn’t a better teacher for you.”
“She was—is fine. I enjoyed our time together.”
“Hmm. Well that is done, but I’m glad that you brought her up. Come sit with me and we’ll have lunch. I told you I wanted to hear your side of the story concerning the time you met.”
“Okay.”
“First though, I do insist that you make yourself a plate. I didn’t know your favorites, though I assure you I will learn them all over time. Have some tea or soda and enjoy these cucumber sandwiches. I found them to be pleasant enough for a nice noontime tea.”
“It’s noon?”
“Eh, a bit afterwards now but yes.”
“Wow, for some reason it feels like midnight to me.”
“That’s because you’re still a bit disoriented, I assure you you’ll acclimate soon enough. Now eat.” Kristina did as instructed once more. She didn’t want to upset her host, nor did she want to turn down his hospitality. He was being, actually more pleasant than she feared at first. “Thank you. I appreciate the shower and of course lunch. I do find myself quite hungry.”
“Good. Enjoy it. So when you first met Cassandra what were you doing in Paris?”
Kristina took a few bites of her cucumber sandwich and gave a sound of approval. She then took a drink of the soda that Augustin had offered and nodded her head appreciatively. “Mmm. This is excellent. Thank you again….what should I call you?”
“Call me by my name. Augustin. There’s no room for formalities any longer. I’m afraid we are not strangers, nor are we fated to be just mere acquaintances.”
“Okay… well thank you Augustin. So I was in Paris for a job that I’d been hired to do and let’s just say there was a bit of a mix-up in the paperwork. This official was slated to be killed and of course, I knew I could handle the job without any assistance, but as fate would have it whomever set up the hit didn’t realize they’d already hired someone. When I arrived at the scene, I’d just finished setting up my gear. You see it was at a business meeting with other dignitaries and it was highly important that the job be completely quick and cleanly. For that type of work I decided a high-powered sniper rifle with a silencer would be my best option. I wanted to blend in, get the kill shot and be on my way quickly. I had just finished setting up my tripod when Cassandra blindsided me. Of course I wasn’t prepared for any opposition. I wasn’t even prepared for anyone to realize I was in the balcony of the ballroom the meeting was taking place in.”
“So what was the first thing she did when she discovered you were already on the scene?”
“This was the first time, and I swore in that very moment the last time that anyone would ever get the drop on me. She walked up behind me and the first thing she did was cover my mouth with her hands. Then she whispered in my ear, ‘We can do this the easy way.’”
“Hmm…see that surprises me. She must have taken a shine to you when she first noticed you, otherwise she would have just slit your throat where you stood. That was a favorite thing of hers to do. She’d always look so satisfied when she’d see the drops of blood pooling around her victims whose eyes had already grown quite wide with shock. It was one of her passions…the blood patterns that is. I’m sure it appealed in some way to her artistic nature. Pardon the interruption. Do go on.”
“I knew that I was in no position to challenge the person who clearly could have broken my neck or as you said, sliced my throat in two for that matter, so I only nodded my head. I felt her grip on my mouth lesson and I took several ragged breaths when she released me and I turned around. I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe that I was standing face-to-face with another assassin.”
“You mean you couldn’t believe you were standing face-to-face with a woman, yes?”
“Yes. In a way I think I was shocked by that fact as well. For the longest time it felt as if I were the only assassin of the fairer sex. I was also shocked at her…well I suppose you’d say, features. She wasn’t only deadly. She was beautiful.”
“Ah yes. I’ll admit that was one of the things that first drew me to Cassandra, but she also didn’t acknowledge it. I feel she had a lot in common with you in that way, Kristina. I don’t think you acknowledge your beauty enough.”
“Hah! Well you’ve never seen me binge shop at a Victoria’s Secret to be fair. I acknowledge it more than you may think.”
“Is that why you felt you could let your guard down around her…that perhaps you two could have bonded over your distractions and trifles?”
“No…it was something else. Something that I’ve yet to be able to put my finger on. She had a certain charisma I suppose. She appealed to an aspect of me that I wasn’t sure even existed. I suppose you could say that she appealed to my romantic side.”
“Hmm…interesting. Do go on.”
“Anyway, after I had calmed down she knew that we didn’t have much time to sort out the details. She did something that no one had bothered to ever do for me in the past. She let me take point on the kill. She nodded her head as I continued to set up my equipment and actually kept watch. After the job was completed and we both scattered, she met me on the rooftop. She didn’t really say much at all. She just handed me a card with an address on it. It was her apartment. For the rest of the evening, after I had collected my paycheck, of course, I sat and I thought about Cassandra. She was so mysterious, yet so inviting. She had left me that card with a purpose so I just couldn’t turn her down. Had I ignored it completely she may have been alive still, am I right?”
“Ah no. That’s no way t
o think Kristina. Her aliveness or her in this case deadness, didn’t depend on any backward logic or even predetermined fate. Her state of being is simply that. There’s nothing anyone can do to change it, nor could it be predicted. When you have been in this business as long as I have, and trust me I have many years on you, you will learn also that there’s no logic. It’s just that simply one day your number will be up. There’s no amount of crying or remembrance that will ever stop that fate. So what happened when you arrived at her apartment?”
“When I arrived she opened the door and immediately ushered me inside. She grabbed me by both shoulders and pulled me into what would have been her mud room and slammed the front door behind me promptly locking it before I could protest. She whispered harshly in my ear, ‘I knew it was you. Now, if you’d be a dear and take off your shoes I’d appreciate it. I like to keep the living room as tidy as possible.’ Of course I listened to her. She just had that commanding tone, so I naturally obeyed. I took off my shoes and allowed her to take my hand, leading me to her posh living room that had dim lighting and a very plush beige sofa. It’s funny, I’ll never forget how inviting she made her space feel.”
“Ah yes that was definitely the romantic side of her coming out. Please continue.”
“Once I sat down and got comfortable sans shoes she sat immediately beside me. I thought it was funny that she didn’t seem to have any concept of a bubble or personal space. I did note that she had already taken the liberty of lighting some candles which set atop a small bureau against a wall. She only had fine art on her solid white walls, there was no family photographs to speak of, which again I found somewhat odd, but didn’t think to question it at the time. She offered me a wine glass which I took with only a nod of thanks. She then began telling me why she wanted to see me.”
“Ah okay…so you didn’t have any idea as to why she wanted you to visit her to begin with?”
“No. I was honestly clueless. Of course, that is one of my faults… I’m not very…observant I suppose.”
“We’ll work on that. Now be sure to finish you lunch while we talk. I don’t want you to be hungry a few hours from now.”
“Okay. Thank you. So…yes, she was very inviting and gracious. Once we were settled she looked at me earnestly and asked, ‘Do like music?’”
“I smiled at her and was caught off-guard at her question. ‘Sometimes I do, it really depends on the situation and the kind of music.’”
“Hmm… I see well then, let’s say that it’s a meeting between two people with similar interests and hobbies. What if it’s two people who are strangers, but have the opportunity to finally address the destiny which has brought them together?”
“Then I’d say a little light jazz would be appropriate. Something classic.”
“Sinatra okay?”
“Yes… but not too loud. I may be fighting a headache later.”
“Okay, I’ll keep it low. Also I’ll try to keep this as brief as possible.”
“Well thanks, I appreciate that. It’s been a rather long day.”
“I agree. Though I hope you realize that you do owe me one.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That was my kill I just let you take free and clear.”
“No…you’re mistaken I was contracted for that job.”
“So was I. Though…I’m glad that you did get some experience from it at least. It seems as if you could use it.”
“Oh my God! Did you ask me here so you could insult my technique?! If so then I’m leaving, I really don’t have time for this right now.”
“Oooh. Now there’s some spark you didn’t seem to have earlier. Did I touch a nerve? If so I’m glad.”
“This is all very…intriguing, but frankly I’m tired, so just tell me what you want from me.” She then made it a point to turn off the music and turned to face me. I almost didn’t want to look in her eyes because they were almost bewitching.”
Augustin stirred his tea and then cleared his throat. “Yes. That was one of the things I admired about Cassandra as well. She had a look that could certainly freeze a person in their tracks. Her eyes searched your soul and if you lingered in them enough I swear they could exorcize your demons.”
“Yes. Exactly. I looked at her and took a deep breath. She then said in all seriousness, ‘I want to help you.’”
“Help me? I’m doing just fine on my own, thanks though.” Cassandra reached out and touched my hand. It was all it took…in that moment I became hers it seemed. “No…you’re not doing fine. I know that you’re a bit underwater in this because I’ve been there too. Stay with me tonight…maybe even a bit longer and we can work on some of your issues together.”
“I told you I don’t have issues.”
“I think you do, but that’s okay. I’ve got you.”
“Sigh. Really I’m tired and just want to go home so can you please just tell me why you invited me here tonight?”
“Fine. I want to be your… I suppose you’d say your friend. I mean I have things to teach you that I think you could benefit from and honestly I’m a bit lonely here in Paris. I mean… my family well let’s just say I don’t see them much.”
“Okay, um…yeah. Ya know, what the Hell. I think it would be nice. After all, I may have a couple more jobs here before I have to go back and visit my own family.”
“Excellent. I’ll meet you at Café Society in the morning for breakfast. I’ll text you.”
“Text me? You don’t even have my phone number.”
“Yeah I do…I found out most everything about you quickly, Kristina. We’ll talk in the morning. Have a good night.”
Augustin stopped sipping his tea and put his cup down with a hard clank on the saucer. He smiled slightly then asked, “She didn’t really beat around the bush did she? It was always one of the attributes that I admired in Cassandra. She was very forthright about everything in life.”
“Yes. I almost felt as if I didn’t have a choice, but the strange thing is I didn’t want one. I wanted to be with her, she drew me in from that moment on and I was hooked.”
“So the next day went well?”
“It did. We went to breakfast and from that point on she went with me on jobs and I followed her to some of her own. She gave me tips and tricks that I still use to this day. She even taught me how to be quiet…I always had trouble with my breathing being too loud in tense situations. She taught me how to control that nicely.”
“Hmm… I see. So tell me, Kristina where did it go wrong?”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course… I’m not objecting to answering any of your inquiries.”
“Why are you so concerned about how everything ended?”
Augustin stood up for a moment and walked to the corner of the room. He returned with an object in his hand. Kristina cringed for a moment, she didn’t know what his intentions were and she’d hoped she hadn’t triggered his rage. He walked calmly back to the table and showed her a snapshot that he had framed. It was of him and Cassandra together at some dinner party. She looked glamourous in her solid black gown. Her smile gleamed and sparkled in the camera as did the diamonds she wore around her neck. Augustin had his arm wrapped her shoulder and appeared years younger than what he was. His eyes glistened with light and his smile too, was genuine. He seemed to be enjoying himself and it looked as if even for that one night they made quite a pair. He sighed and handed her the photograph. “This is why I need to know Kristina. Look at this…we were happy and life was full of joy. I’m not saying that you had anything to do with her betrayal, but at the same time, I’m always saddened that maybe I didn’t know her as well as I thought. I hate to admit it. In fact it took me many months to come to terms with it as well…but I’d fallen in love with her. I suppose you can say that I’m still in love with her. I don’t think that love is something you can ever fall out of…not entirely.”
“Wow. I’m sorry, I didn’t know you felt that way in regards
to Cassandra. I always just assumed that your relationship was strictly professional.”
“It was mostly. I suppose though that over time, the relationship evolved into something different. I’m sure that you’ve experienced that same thing in your life at some point, Kristina. I’m guessing you’re thinking about that person now aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Ah. We shall have to have another chat about that person also. I do think that we are going to be good companions for one another. Now please…do tell me where you and Cassandra had your falling out. I know that I have a bit of a sweet tooth now. Let’s have some pie shall we? I’ll call for my housekeeper to bring something down.”
“Um…sure. I mean, I’m not really at liberty to say no now am I?”
“Haha! Oh you are witty. I do enjoy that. If I were you, I definitely wouldn’t despise my hospitality. You see Kristina, things can be either really pleasant for you or miserable. That choice is yours. You do have a choice in the matter, it’s just that I prefer if you are agreeable. I do hate breaking my companions in. It brings out an ugly side of me that I’d rather not visit.”
