Summary: Jacques is a hired assassin. He specializes in poison in order to kill his victims without a trace. This time he's hired to take out a member of the Nordic Council in order to stop an expedition into the Silent World.

Warnings: Character death. Stairs. An old church.

Jacques stirred the liquid in the pot carefully while glancing at the clock. A can stood next to the stove and when his concoction was done he filled the can with it. Another glance at the clock. Nine thirty. Four more hours until his meeting. He read the note again. Peter had been blackmail into voting for something that the Nordic Council didn't want. Jacques' mission was to stop Peter from attending the voting. There wasn't much time left since Peter was leaving with the ferry early next morning.

Jacques hummed quietly, put his best clothes on and brushed his hair. He massaged in some dye to get it a slightly darker shade so he'd be a little harder to recognize. He packed his bag, putting a gun he'd only used once and a rope in it. Just in case the poison he had just prepared wouldn't work or he couldn't get Peter to drink it. He put the can into the bag as well before leaving the apartment he was currently "borrowing".

I need to clean it after it's done, he though. Before the owner comes home.

Mora was calm, most people were at work, and Jacques took his time, checked a couple of stores, had lunch at an almost empty restaurant. He wasn't worried about anyone recognizing him, he had the kind of face that people forgot about. The church bells rang, signaling that he only had half an hour to get to the meeting place and he hurried his steps.

There were few places in Mora where you could get some peace and quiet and still be at neutral ground. Jacques had spent days locating one and in the end he had decided that the church tower was the best spot. It was empty between the times when the bells rang, which happened each hour, but the meeting should go quicker than thirty minutes. He had already met Peter a couple of times, had already gotten the other to start trusting him. It should be over quickly.

In another life we could have been friends, he thought.

He wouldn't let his feeling hinder his mission and he climbed the stairs, looked at his watch. One twenty. Ten more minutes.

Jacques leaned against the support beam, kept as far away from the windows as possible. People would start to wonder if they saw someone up there, even though they wouldn't be able to figure out what someone would do there. It wasn't illegal to climb the tower, it just rarely happened. He put his bag down, closed his eyes in order to prepare. Quick steps echoed from the stairs and he smiled as Peter reached the top.

"Good day, Peter", Jacques gave his most ingratiating smile and shook Peter's hand. "I'm glad you could come."

"I don't have much time though, they want me back at the office in forty five minutes..."

Peter looked out the window and Jacques studied his back. He almost regretted what he had to do, but if he didn't do it he would get the Nordic Council after him and then they'd just hire someone else to get Peter out of the way. He stepped up to the open window, looked at the city below them.

"I heard you were in trouble."

Peter laughed nervously.

"Where did you hear something that ridiculous?"

Jacques didn't laugh and Peter leaned against the window sill.

"What have you heard?"

News didn't travel fast in the Known World, but Jacques knew he wasn't the only one out at this mission right now. Several assasins had been hired in order to take care of the people who had gotten blackmailed. It would have been wiser of his employer to hire someone in order to take out the person behind the blackmail, Trond Andersen, but there wasn't any real proof that he was behind it and several attempts had already been made during the now old man's lifetime.

"They're sending an assassin after you."

Peter got slightly paler and Jacques put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just... Assassins? Why?"

"You're not fine. Here", Jacques took the can out of the bag and handed it to Peter. "Drink, it'll make you feel better."

Peter's hands shook as he accepted the can and Jacques looked away again.

"Assassins, I never... How do you know?"

Peter's voice was shaking and Jacques turned his back to the window, looked at Peter. He felt his elbow bumping into something as he leaned against the window sill. He heard the sound of metal sliding over wood and turned around. The can slid over the edge and both Peter and Jacques leaned out, watched it fall.

"Look out!"

The warning from Jacques came too late. They watched in horror as the heavy can hit the blonde man who had chosen just that moment to go past the old church, saw the can lodge itself into his head. He stopped, stood still for a couple of seconds before falling to his knees, to the ground. Jacques and Peter exchanged glances as blood ran from the young man's head onto the ground and without another word both of them ran down the stairs and disappeared into the streets of Mora. Left behind was a can full of poison and the broken body of Emil Västerström.