Vengeance
'.'
Ready yourself for the falling—
It's time for your judgement.
He's stepping out of the shadows now…
And he brings vengeance.
.'.
He stands at the feet of his death, his twinkling eyes drinking in his surroundings and he sees the light.
Yes, he sees the light – it spills rebelliously into his darkened room and his smile grows at the irony of his thought. What does man see in the light? Does the light not blind? Does the light not fade unfaithfully day in, day out? Does the light not give birth to the shadows man fears?
Man is stupid. He waxes poetic to lessen his irrational fears.
What's so great about the light? he thinks. If you near the sun does it not burn and destroy? And yet, the night remains a friend, cloaking as we take solace in the solitude it offers. That killer of man, the foe of the nectar of life, that caster of shadows...
He rejects it. He does not respect it. And he cringes from it. But not because it forces him to face his own shadow. He does not fear his shadow.
What is his shadow except the blackness of his soul? For blackness resides in all – it is there for anyone to discover and master. Like a past, it remains forever attached to one's being, and never lets go. Careful, my friend, he warns; what you do in the so-called purity of sunlight or the darkened abyss of your lair, your shadow will re-enact your every move, tracing your sin upon and tainting the sunlit ground before you. And it will mock you.
And he dares any to scoff. He dares any to smile in pity. He has never confused reality with fantasy. He has never hidden from the truth. He knows what lies in the dark. He was born in the dark and in the dark he has lived. Each sin he has committed, his shadow has performed for his pleasure.
And when his shadow mirrors his death, he shall watch with a smile. Contentment will tug at his lips, drawing from him his last smile at his shadow's final performance.
For he shall be content… at last.
.'.
Gale and Simon were the last to return to the execution chamber; the Gavinners, Ema and Kade had been waiting for several moments and when the door opened, all their eyes turned to the quiet couple. Klavier saw their bloodshot eyes and despite the distance between their bodies, they both looked composed and still very much at one with each other.
Simon's eyes met with Kade's as soon as he set foot inside but Klavier knew, through that one glance, they wouldn't fight now. The Latino's eyes were fixed on his friend's with an almost deadened expression and then he nodded curtly as if he was proclaiming his forgiveness, however inadequate it may be.
The prosecutor didn't look to see Kade's reaction; instead, he gestured vaguely at the guard outside who nodded his understanding and disappeared.
"You sent for the doctor?" Seren guessed.
Klavier who nodded. "Ja."
His eyes still fixed on the open door and, as if in response, the officer returned, followed by an older man whose serious face remained devoid of expression. Klavier wished he didn't have to invite anybody who wasn't directly related to the case but he knew procedures required a qualified doctor to pronounce Rafael legally dead.
"Herr Doktor," he said in greeting.
"Prosecutor." The doctor inclined his head in acknowledgment.
Seren walked to the door and, with one backward glance at his colleagues, nodded to the guard and muttered a command. Again, the officer disappeared and then the British Gavinner closed the door followed by a beeping that signalled it had been locked.
"They're bringing him in," he said, turning back and looking at them all.
Klavier felt a shiver run down his spine and his eyes sought out Gale who was staring at the ground intently as if she wanted to say something but didn't know if she should. Slight curiosity stirred in him and he remembered the conversation he'd overheard earlier; his interest increased when he recalled the way David's name had cropped up and he wondered what it was that had her and Simon so wound up that the latter had turned to David for help.
"Is that door open?"
Klavier saw Deston pointing at the one behind them, the one Kade had used earlier. He nodded reassuringly.
"Ja. David will have no problem opening it from his side."
And because there were no words that could fill the void of anticipation opening up in the silence, they said nothing. As if they all knew each other's minds, the group swept around one another, subconsciously falling into a line before the glass that would soon play the movie they'd all been waiting for.
One last time, Klavier swept the room with his searching gaze and took in the stiffness of their backs, the air of impassiveness. Each of them looked into the execution room, their eyes flickering to the door beside the platform through which Rafael would walk in a few short moments.
Out of the corner of his eye, Klavier saw Deston shift, and Ema followed his gaze: the drummer was staring straight ahead, his eyes hard and cold. Without needing to ask, Klavier understood why Ema let go of his hand and moved to stand beside the man who was, without a doubt, her best friend. He wasn't bothered when Ema's fingers lightly touched Deston's nor that the drummer seemed to start in surprise and smile at her affectionately. The sight warmed him and again he was thankful that she slid into the chaos of his life so perfectly. That one of his best friends was also hers was a comfort to him. With them, she was safe…
"Thanks, Em," Deston murmured so quietly that Klavier only caught it because he was paying attention. The other Gavinner brought her hand to his lips for a kiss and then he slid an arm around her shoulders. However, the content smile that had begun to grow on his fa ce froze when a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention: he turned slowly towards the sound that had everyone so transfixed and his back arched.
Rafael was staring at the ground, not a frown nor scowl in sight to mar his smooth features. If Klavier wasn't mistaken, the man looked almost intrigued by the floor and he paid no attention to the guards that escorted him to the platform, their hands placed securely around his unbound wrists. There was, Klavier noticed, a slight apprehension flickering in the guard's eyes, leaving him to wonder exactly what Rafael might have said to them both. But that was not his concern right now — what bothered him was the determination with which Rafael's eyes remained downcast.
A great shadow fell across them like a blanket; under its weight, they almost buckled. The rectilinearity of their backs was now a rebellious display of strength and a reminder that weakness had no place in their beings, a show of their togetherness and brotherhood. Rafael would find nothing to exploit here.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The sound of steady footsteps floated over the intercom and it echoed like a frightening drumbeat in the darkness that shrouded them. The metallic platform groaned almost as if in protest of the burden it now bore; the confident weight that strode up the stairs to their death were unwelcome even to the lifeless element.
They stopped. The officers retreated leaving Rafael's powerful figure on the platform where he faced the inadequate-looking noose and the window in between him and the spectators. Yet, still the eyes remained lowered to the ground and there was a frozen moment in which the guard behind him stepped back, looking ill at ease. Klavier, lost in his scrutiny of the underworld leader, forgot what was required of him.
Why is he not looking up?
The question unnerved him. What could be so interesting to the man on the floor and why…
Why was he smirking as if he wasn't just about to die? What was going through his mind?
As though he knew what Klavier was thinking and was feeling amiable enough to answer his unvoiced questions, Rafael slowly lifted his head and his intense eyes fell on the prosecutor, the smirk erupting into a grin that shone too bright and unnatural in the shady room. For several split seconds, the man just stared at Klavier and Klavier stared back with all of the indifference he could manage.
Just a few more moments, he told himself. This will be over soon.
Without warning, Rafael's gaze switched to Deston and the moment their eyes met, his grin widened.
"Deston," he said and the cordiality of his voice disturbed Klavier; he looked at Deston whose face wore the same expressionless mask. "I think congratulations are in order. "You managed to procure a cocoon under impossible circumstances."
How the hell does he know that?
"It takes a lot of willpower," Rafael continued, "to persevere when your friend is dying."
"Was dying," Klavier corrected.
Rafael's gaze remained fixed on Deston. "I can't help but wonder if you're trying to make up for the past."
Deston smiled then, as if he'd heard a joke. "I'm sure you can't help a lot of things, Rafael," he said with the first traces of amusement. "Dying being one of them."
Rafael let out a laugh. "Ah, such quick wit." His eyes twinkled. "There's no doubt you could have been great if… Well." He paused with a good-natured shrug. "That's all in the past, isn't it?"
"Kind of like you, Rainsford," Raoul sneered, stepping forward and drawing Rafael's attention to himself. "You're slippin' into history and all you can do is make desperate jabs." His eyes flashed. "Save your breath."
"Ahh…" Rafael nodded, crossing his arms. "Marquis of Lerova, am I right?" Without waiting for an answer, he fell into an elegant bow and then flashed another perfect grin. "Signore, it is an honour to be addressed by royalty."
Raoul laughed. "Don't patronise me, you self-serving asshole." He took another step closer to the glass separating them, looking right into Rafael's smiling face. "I know your type, Rainsford — the smaller the pip, the louder the squeak."
"I'm certain you do, Signore," Rafael replied, inclining his head. His mouth curled maliciously for the first time. "You were born of one, weren't you? I hear he squeaked louder than one of your concerts when he was killed."
Alarm bells went off in Klavier's head as Raoul stepped right up to the glass and hissed wordlessly; his past was a subject he had forbidden any of them to repeat. That it should be brought up now, by this man, should have come as no surprise to Klavier but the foresight he'd had to research Raoul was disquieting.
"Is that the delicious Ema I see?" Rafael said suddenly, his gaze reverting back to Deston where Ema was still holding onto him. Klavier turned to them sharply but he needn't have worried about her reaction; she was staring at him without a hint of fear. "I've heard a great deal about you, Ema," he said, his voice and expression still friendly. "They told me you're nigh indestructible."
"Or you're just incompetent," she shot back.
"You intrigue me, Ema," Rafael said, is face rearranging itself into a representation of this fact. "What is it about you that has so many desperate for your death?"
Klavier's blood ran cold at those words and, from where he was standing, he was certain he saw the others react to Rafael's odd interest in her. He made it sound like…like…
A thrill of fear shot through the prosecutor: he made it sound like he wasn't the only one who wanted her dead.
"You won't hurt her," Seren said, his voice ever-calm and ever-dignified. "You won't hurt anyone again."
Those steely eyes didn't move from Ema's but when Rafael spoke again, he was addressing Seren.
"I don't quite remember saying I'd hurt anyone, Mr Aded," he said serenely. "I just remarked on Ema's… fascinating personality." He paused. "You're very beautiful, Ema."
Klavier's fists clenched as rage began to seep into his skin and he forced himself to remember what Gale had told him: Rafael was doing this to get a rise out of them. No matter how much he wanted to march over to Ema and thrust her behind him, to shield her from Rafael's gaze, the act itself would be a small triumph for the bastard.
"I hope you aren't expecting a compliment from me," Ema snarled.
Rafael's smile became dazzling. "No, sunshine," he laughed. "Compliments are for the insecure."
"And you are so confident of your own self-worth, aren't you, Rafael?"
Rafael's gaze shifted beyond them to the trio at the back and he looked elegantly delighted by what he saw: Simon stepped forward and the Gavinners in his way stepped aside to make room for him, not a word to stop him. The Latino stood tall but there was something different about him, something that Klavier had glimpsed but never seen in its entirety.
Icy fury radiated off Simon in overpowering waves. Energy and fire raged in his eyes and he trembled like electricity gone wild — everything about him was chaos and out of control and it was a wonder his body didn't fall apart with the visible rage that expanded from inside. Klavier had known that part of Gale's unwillingness to tell Simon of Rafael's threat had been in fear of his reaction, in the way he would retaliate if she'd told him the truth but he'd never fully been able to understand — until now.
Everyone in the room was noticeably unsettled by the sight of him; his form shuddered uncontrollably and he stood there, tall and dark and terrifying, like a fallen angel.
"Simon," Rafael said, feigning surprise. "I didn't see you there."
Nobody was fooled by the blatant lie.
"In case you didn't see me either," Gale said suddenly, moving to stand beside Simon, "I'm here too."
Rafael's eyes swept her form, taking in her perfectly fitting but modest suit and Klavier thought he saw a flicker of bewilderment in the man's eyes. He smirked then, realising what had probably bothered Rafael: in her attire, one could have easily been fooled into believing she'd never really died.
"Gale Rainsford," Rafael murmured just loud enough for the words to float in over the intercom.
"Gale Sanders," she corrected calmly. "I kept David's name out of love for him."
"And now that he's dead, you don't want it anymore?" Rafael guessed.
"Wrong," Gale contradicted. "My love for him has changed."
"How delightful," Rafael laughed before looking at Simon, his eyes shining, his mouth turning cruel again. "Don't you ever wonder if David and her are living out their happily ever after in ghost-land while you rot away in prison?"
Seren made a sudden movement as if he was going to jump in Simon's way and Klavier understood the alarm his friend portrayed at once — for someone who was quivering with rage from head to toe, Simon was an easy target.
But the Latino just let out a bark of laughter. "No, Rafe. I don't."
"Oh?" Rafael looked impressed. "Fallen out of love with her, have you? Wise choice."
Simon just laughed again. "You're not that stupid, Rainsford."
Rafael shrugged. "Many things can happen when you're facing the noose."
"Rafael."
Her voice was low, soft. With steady eyes set on her killer, Gale stepped forward and like the red sea, they all parted, leaving a chasm-like space before her. Klavier felt odd looking at the large circle of emptiness that she stepped into and the odd thought crossed his mind that it wasn't yet filled. But he banished the thought from his wandering mind and focused on Gale.
"I don't know what made you this way," she said quietly, her face raised to his. "I tried to understand you at first… I couldn't imagine someone could be so fallen without a reason."
Rafael seemed amused. "Did you have any luck?"
"What drove you to this madness?" Gale shook her head. "I tried but I don't understand."
Rafael suddenly moved closer to the glass between them and neither of the guards stopped him. Klavier frowned, reminding himself that Rafael couldn't break through the barrier, even if he tried. Still, as the elder Rainsford dropped to a crouch, looking into her face with a slight frown between his eyes and a genuine smile on his lips, Klavier felt unease curl in his stomach.
"In the dark I was born," Rafael said in an equally soft voice. "And in the dark I have lived."
Unlike Klavier, Gale wasn't the least bit perturbed by the intense scrutiny of his eyes nor the proximity of him. "I gave up a long time ago," she said, shaking her head. "Whatever drove you to insanity, you're too dangerous to let live, Rafael."
"I agree," Rafael said, suddenly flashing a smile. "But so were you, Gale."
Her only response was to stare at him calmly.
"Look at him," Rafael gestured at Simon without taking his eyes off her. "He's still mourning you, still in love with you." He leaned back as if to assess her features. "You turned Dave into a simpering coward and Kade into a back-stabbing bundle of emotions."
Still, Gale said nothing.
"You've brought some of the most heartless bastards to their knees," Rafael said softly. "You ruined them without lifting a finger."
A heavy silence pervaded the room in which everyone knew they should say something but nobody felt it pertinent. Klavier glanced at Simon and Kade, both of whom stood stock-still, their hands curled into tight fists but their lips remained pursed — because this war of wills was between Rafael and Gale.
"Yes," Gale agreed, sending a ripple of shock through the room. "It's true, I sacrificed too much to try and bring you to this moment." She turned then and looked at Simon sadly. "I made decisions that affected more than just my life... but I would have burnt towns and forests to destroy you." Her voice was like silk over steel and her eyes were flashing like lightning now. "Do you know why, Rafael?"
"Please, tell me," he replied almost gently.
"You would burn the world for your pleasure, Rafe," she said, her voice rising. "You would tear apart families and friends for fun. You would take a woman from the man she loves just because she suits your purpose! You would take a child from her mother because you have a plan! You would hunt your brother for sport!"
Gale was breathing heavily, her chest heaving with the effort it took to remain calm.
"You would do it all for no humane reasons."
She shook her head, disgusted and then she spun on the spot to look at Simon who was watching her with an unfathomable expression. One steady hand lifted through the air until it was pointing at her partner and she faced Rafael again.
"But this is why I would burn the world to destroy you."
And then she was standing before Simon and looking into his eyes; Klavier felt it again, that feeling like something was tugging on the very energy in the atmosphere. Simon was looking down into her face without a trace of the rage he'd exuded moments ago and when she spoke it was soft and full of love and Klavier saw it tear at the seams of his being. Simon was undone by her.
"He's the reason I was born," she murmured. It looked like she was going to add more but then Simon shook his head — ever so slightly — and her eyes fluttered close as if she couldn't comprehend the love in his eyes.
"And he's the reason you died," Rafael whispered with an indulgent smile. "How perfect."
The moment broken, they all turned hateful eyes on the unmoved Rafael. There was a collective hiss around the room but, surprisingly, it was Kade who stepped forward to challenge Rafael. "You should know better than to try and play her, Rafael," he said in his deeply quiet voice.
Simon joined him then, stepping into the chasm beside Kade. "She's the woman who's brought you to this point," he sneered, crossing his arms. "Your petty word games won't work on Gale."
As Klavier watched, the brunette moved in between them and suddenly the void felt almost complete. But not yet, he observed, his eyes snapping to the trio standing side by side, facing the crouching Rafael fearlessly.
"Kade…"
Rafael's eyes hadn't moved from the man since he'd stepped forward and a calculating sort of expression came over his face: he was searching Kade for something, something Klavier didn't quite understand though something told him he should, that there was some secret in his gaze that was significant to him somehow…
"It's a shame you allowed yourself to be dragged into this hole, Kade," he said without a hint of a smile or mockery. "You're a very intelligent man."
"Thanks." Kade's voice was dry, sarcastic.
"But…" Rafael shook his head and rose to his feet, stepping away from the glass. "It's not enough."
"Your daughter is intelligent," Kade acknowledged with a bow of the head, "but she's still human."
Rafael laughed, moving further back still until he was facing the noose again, and then he looked at a space over their heads. "That's proof beyond the shadow of a doubt that you will never win." He smiled, closing his eyes. "If you think my girl is human, you're getting senile, Kade." He laughed. "She's a Fury."
Klavier was sickened by the pride in the man's voice, the smirk on his face and the easy, comfortable pose of his form. Something wasn't right in the way he had positioned himself for the noose, something that told him they were missing something…
And yet, what could he possibly do now? Rafael was surrounded and trapped in a room with enough guards to force him into the noose should it come to that. There was no way for him to escape short of summoning the armies of Hell to break him out. He was just being paranoid — like Rafael wanted him to be.
Klavier threw a glance at Deston who had watched the entire exchange with a grim expression, to Ema whose eyes were wide with disbelief and shock. He didn't blame her — the madness of Rafael had come like a disaster, attempting to drown them in its disease-ridden flood. To his left stood Raoul and Seren, both of them watching coolly though the stiffness of their backs spoke volumes about their emotions. And just behind them, so silent Klavier had forgotten him, was the doctor he had summoned — his make-up of indifference wasn't the least bit convincing but the prosecutor knew better than to ask if he was okay.
"Are you guys having second thoughts about this?" Rafael opened his eyes and looked down on them all suddenly. "I'm all ready to meet my Maker."
Gale let out an unexpected laugh. "I don't know about meeting your Maker, Rafe," she said with mirth. "I do know you'll be meeting me."
"Well, then," Rafael said, winking at her. "That's a comfort."
"Herr Rainsford," Klavier said, drawing all attention to himself. "I have a question before we begin."
Rafael cocked his head to the side. "Certainly, Klavier."
"Where is Gordon Mazzare?"
He saw his friends visibly jerk with shock at the mention but Klavier kept his focus, refusing to break eye-contact with Rafael. It was a long shot, a crazy question to which the answer was as elusive as the air he breathed but it couldn't be contained — it came to him unbidden and powerful like a fire blazing out of control.
He had to ask. Even if he didn't get an answer, he had to ask.
"Gordon?" Rafael's mouth twitched and the prosecutor had a horrible feeling the crime lord was comparing him to Kristoph in his mind. "Gordon."
Klavier waited, his insides in a million knots while Rafael considered him and he felt the years of uncertainty swimming in him and a voice in his head was telling him something was wrong, that he shouldn't have mentioned it here and now. But where and when else could he mention it? Rafael would die now and if he didn't ask, the young Gavin knew he would be forever plagued by that damning 'what-if'.
"I suppose it doesn't matter which Gavin delivers," Rafael said with a sigh and Klavier's eyes narrowed. "All that matters is I know David is gone. And you brought me that news, Klavier."
The prosecutor turned cold. "What are you talking about?" he said harshly.
"Find my daughter," Rafael said nonchalantly, "and you find Gordon."
"What the hell did you mean 'it doesn't matter which Gavin delivers'?" Klavier snarled.
"I don't divulge secrets, Klavier," Rafael said with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Why don't you talk to your brother? Now, let's get this started." He laughed. "I'm anxious to talk to my brother."
And then, all the rage gathering inside Klavier dispersed at the reminder of David and the delusion Rafael was labouring under. A part of him had known — even before he'd asked it — that he would get no answer to his question, so it was easier to accept the vagueness of Rafael's response and the sinister remark he'd made about Kristoph. In this moment, nothing else mattered.
Only vengeance.
"That can be arranged," Klavier said with a smirk, turning to look at the Italian.
Raoul saw the resolute expression on his friend's face and nodded at the blond. Silently telling him to begin, Klavier glanced at the smiling Rafael whose eyes were closed again. Being the only one who had the legal power to command it, Raoul pierced one of the guards with his emerald gaze and nodded.
In response, the guard moved toward Rafael and, grabbing his hands, pulled them behind him. The older Rainsford didn't resist the metal of the handcuffs that clasped around his wrists nor did he complain when the man guided him closer to the hanging rope and slipped it around his neck. Though the sight should have been satisfying to him, Klavier fumed at the dignity with which Rafael donned the noose.
No matter, he reminded himself. We will soon remedy that.
"Hey, sunshine," Rafael said unexpectedly, looking at Gale with an icy sparkle in his eye. "See you on the other side."
Klavier smirked and across the room, Deston laughed harshly. Raoul looked at Seren and both of them nodded as if in agreement though it was nothing more than a ruse to unsettle Rafael. Taking charge, they both stepped forward to face the guards, one of whom still stood behind Rafael while the other held a lever beside the platform, an expectant look on his face. Seren suspended a hand in the air while Raoul dropped his eyes to the watch on his wrist.
Klavier looked at his own: 9:41.
"Rafael Ian Rainsford," Seren spoke quietly. "You have—"
"Not so fast, Mr Aded," Gale said suddenly in a voice so laden with sugar that it reeked of deception. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Rafael's eyes snapped open and fixed on her, dark with suspicion.
"Buggeration!" Seren cursed exuberantly. "You're right!"
"You forgot something?" Deston quipped innocently.
"Ja, natürlich!" Klavier added, deliberate exaggeration in every syllable. "We almost forgot to grant Herr Rainsford his last wish."
"You idiot!" Raoul chastised Klavier, his smirk growing. "How could you forget something like that?"
"It's understandable, I guess," Kade excused.
"No it isn't," Simon argued. "It's unacceptable, is what it is, boys."
"An almost catastrophic oversight on our part," Klavier agreed and turned to Rafael whose expression had turned menacing — nothing had bothered him until this faux display of… something he didn't understand. Those eyes of his swept over them probingly as if he was willing one of them to explain just what the hell they were all so pleased about but they did nothing except stare back at him with eyes riven with contempt and cocky smiles.
"You always save the day, princess," Simon said, dropping a kiss to Gale's forehead.
Deston threw her a dazzling smile. "You are an exceptional woman, Miss Sanders," he complimented.
"Bunch of fops," Ema grumbled in contrast and Klavier smirked at her, satisfied she was talking again. "So filled with their own egos, they can't get anything right."
"My apologies, Herr Rainsford."
"For what?" Rafael said icily, the first chink in his soon-to-fall-apart armour finally revealing itself.
Klavier blinked in a fake display of bemusement. "You wished to talk to David, ja?"
Rafael's eyes were slits now. "I might be tied up, Klavier," he said in a dangerous tone, "but you don't want to piss me off."
Klavier grinned offhandedly and ran a hand through the hair that fell across his forehead. "Angering you is not my purpose, Rafael," he lied.
"We're just trying to fulfil a dying man's wish," Deston added. "You shouldn't be angry, Rafael. After all," he continued darkly, "it's more than you gave any of your victims."
Rafael's eyes lowered to the ground again until nobody could see the expression in them and he suddenly looked like he had when he'd entered the room. His features dissolved into hilarity and then he was chuckling calmly as if he'd just understood a joke.
"Ahhh," he sighed. "Go on, Klavier. Show me what you have planned. I'll pretend to be surprised."
"Oh, you won't need to pretend," Deston reassured him.
They waited for Rafael to say something but there was nothing, not a word nor movement from the man — he became utterly still and just kept his gaze fixed firmly on the space between his feet. It was perfect; Klavier could hardly have asked for more. Walking backwards and keeping his attention focused on Rafael, he raised a hand and rapped on the door three times. The sound echoed around them dauntingly and Klavier spared a glance at Rafael who still hadn't moved.
And then the door opened.
Though nobody looked at him, David's entrance changed the atmosphere; his footsteps were slow and quiet, his breathing even but his presence was like crackling electricity. Ema was the first to look at him and then everyone followed her gaze.
He looked as terrifying as Simon had.
David's stance was just as powerful and threatening. His steely eyes were narrowed into slits of menace, his mouth pressed together in a hard line and there was a violent tick in his jaw. Determination in every step and menace curling his fists, David approached the glass. His feet carried him to the space his friends occupied and just as he stepped into it, the void ceased to exist; beside the triad of Gale, Simon and Kade, he finally stopped.
"Hello Rafe," he said in a beguilingly soft voice.
His brother didn't move, looking almost as if he was dead already, and were it not for the way his neck tautened, Klavier might have worried he was, worried because he didn't want Rafael to go anywhere until he'd experienced the wonderful reunion they'd all planned for him. He laughed inwardly at the thought, his hand rubbing the smile off his face.
"Klavier."
It wasn't the hardness of his voice that took them by surprise but that Rafael had addressed him first — with another swipe of his hand, the prosecutor suppressed a smile and, hooking a thumb through his belt, answered as sombrely as he could; "Ja?"
He didn't expect an answer; Klavier could see the way Rafael's body was beginning to shake, rage beginning to visibly consume him and a rush of satisfaction flooded him. This made all of my effort worthwhile, he thought, taking a step forward.
"Your brother is going to die."
Klavier turned cold. "What?"
Of all the things Rafael could have said to him, this shocked him the most; stunned into silence, he could do nothing but watch when the elder Rainsford looked up. The inhuman glint in his eyes froze him right where he stood. The mask slipped away, leaving behind the true face of his opponent — chillingly evil and filled with dark promises.
"When you realise how Kristoph used you," Rafael hissed, "you'll kill him yourself."
Another thrill of fear shot through him but he concealed it. "The last words of a desperate man," Klavier bit out coldly.
"I'm far from desperate, Klavier." Rafael's mouth curled into an ugly expression. "Pissed off but never desperate," he snarled. "Unfortunately for you, pissing me off was a bad move."
"What are you going to do?" Ema sneered. "Haunt us?"
"We're not afraid of ghosts," Deston laughed.
Rafael's eyes snapped to his. "Those are some mighty big words for someone still holding onto one, Deston," he mocked.
Deston's jaw tightened. "I've buried the past."
"I see that," Rafael whispered.
"You're pathetic," Ema snarled, stepping forward and looking Rafael in the eye. "Striking out like a cornered snake!"
"Then let me change my tune, Ema," he said softly, leaning as far forward as the noose would let him. "Here's a word of advice: run."
"From what?" Ema retorted. "Your failed attempts to murder me? If you think you can haunt me to death, you—"
"I've only tried to kill you once," Rafael interrupted, the first flicker of amusement returning to his eyes. "The first time there was an attempt on your life, that was me."
Klavier knew he should move forward and stop the exchange but he was still frozen by Rafael's unexpected threat — they were all enthralled by his outburst of hellish comments. They'd thought themselves prepared for this but none of them seemed to know how to respond to this unveiling of his true personality.
"Something about you has caught my daughter's attention, Ema, and I can tell you with absolute certainty," he growled threateningly, "that that isn't a good thing."
"I'm quaking in my shoes," she sneered.
"She marked you didn't she?" Rafael said suddenly and laughed when Ema jerked, instantly touching her wrist. "Yeah. I thought so." He leaned forward again. "I'll be waiting for you on the other side, my lovely detective."
"Shut your mouth," Klavier snarled, jolted out of his reverie by the threat.
"Rafael," Kade cut in curtly. "That's—"
"Enough?" Rafael laughed. "You should know by now, Kade. It's never enough." His eyes glinted dangerously. "She will never have enough."
Raoul let out a sharp laugh of derision. "Your daughter sounds like a first-class whore, Rainsford."
"My girl," he intoned softly, "is a first-class killer."
"And that's relevant, how?" David spoke quietly and the atmosphere in the room changed again. The silence grew thicker. Rafael's eyes were downcast again.
"You're boasting about the capability of your daughter," David continued, uncrossing his arms and gesturing around, "but where is she? Why isn't she here to save you?"
"Ah, brother," Rafael answered and — to everyone's surprise — laughed quietly. "How are you?"
"Perfectly fine, Rafe," David answered, his voice emotionless.
The elder Rainsford looked up then, his eyes glinting equal parts malice and amusement. "Where have you been?" he asked genially. "Your niece has been wanting to meet you for a long time."
David raised an eyebrow.
"I have to admit, brother," Rafael murmured, sweeping his audience casually. "It isn't your style to be so… dramatic. Was this all your idea?"
David cocked his head to the side and jabbed a thumb at Klavier.
"Ah, but of course," Rafael said as if a great secret had been revealed to him. "Life is so deliciously ironic."
Klavier felt another stab of paranoia. "Your riddles are unappreciated," he snarled before he could stop himself.
"Ignore him," David said calmly. "He's just trying to cause trouble."
"The day you and Deston came to deliver the order for my execution," Rafael went on, his smile steadily growing again. "Do you remember? You accused me of having had Ema kidnapped which — by the way — I had no idea about until then," he added, glancing at Ema and Deston with a laugh. "Whatever you've done to annoy Irina, it wasn't a wise move, Ema."
The cold swirling in Klavier's stomach turned to ice.
Rafael turned back to him without waiting for a response. "As I was saying. That day, you thought I was waiting for you…" Klavier felt his body turning to stone. "I was waiting for Kristoph."
His heart dropped to his feet, crashing into the block of ice.
"Everything you know is about to change, Klavier." Rafael looked at all of them. "Everything you're all trying to prevent has just been set in motion."
"Rafael," David interrupted. "Stop it."
"You're right, Dave," his brother replied, nodding and bowing his head in mock-shame. "It's been a while since we spoke. How are things with you?"
"I have kids too," David answered surprising them all. "Though I don't think any of them want to meet their uncle quite so much."
"Why didn't you bring them to see the show?" Rafael asked with a smile.
David's only answer was to stare at his brother stoically.
"Isn't that something they would have liked to see?" Rafael continued. "It would have been a nice family outing."
"This isn't a show, Rafe," David said softly.
"You sure went to a lot of trouble, Dave " he replied. "The grand entrance, the greeting…"
"I wouldn't have done any of it," David said, shaking his head. "I never wanted to see your face again. You've hunted me like an animal for all my life. You destroyed all my hopes of being happy. You tried your hardest to drag me into the dark with you."
"Brothers should stick together, Dave " Rafael answered calmly.
"I could have ignored all that," he went on. "But the moment you approached Gale, you signed up for this. From that day on, this was the only end you could have had." David's voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "You'll regret laying a hand on her."
Rafael smirked, looking at Simon. "Doesn't it bother you that he's talking about her like that?"
"SHUT UP!" David roared. "YOU'RE ABOUT TO FUCKING DIE AND YOU STILL WON'T SHUT UP!"
Rafael straightened, a satisfied look on his face. "Careful, Dave," he cautioned. "You might blow a gasket."
"You're a fucking loser," David spat.
"Eloquently said, brother."
"Don't call me that," he snarled. "Dad was right about you — you're nothing but an abomination!"
And then Klavier saw it — the real chink in Rafael's armour. It dented under David's words as if he'd been struck by a mace and the subsequent expression of rage flowed into his features.
"Don't talk to me about him, David," he commanded in a hard voice.
"Why?" David sneered. "Because he hates you now that he knows your true colours?"
"Hate me?" Rafael jeered. "If he hates me its only because I left him with no choice but to leave his empire to a weakling!"
David drew back in shock but before he could retort, Gale and Simon were at his side like a forbidding wall.
"What a low-level comeback," Simon scoffed irreverently. "My pinky could do better."
"Look at the noose," Gale said, cocking her head to the side as she examined it. "It looks surprisingly good on him, doesn't it?"
"I agree," Ema added unexpectedly. "It almost completes him."
Ema's voice was all the incentive they needed to break themselves out of the spell that had been cast over them. The Gavinners stirred and Klavier shook his head a little, taken aback by his own momentary ineffectuality. Anger rushed through him when he realised how easily he'd allowed himself to be affected by Rafael in spite of Gale's warning that he would try to dismantle his confidence; when he looked at Raoul, the man looked almost as annoyed as he felt.
"Are we all done here?" Raoul asked David.
"Not yet," Gale said before David could answer; her eyes were fixed on Rafael with something akin to disconcertion.
"What the hell else is there to do?" Raoul demanded. "Every time this dick opens his trap, he pisses someone off."
"What are you up to?" Gale said suddenly, her voice sharper than it had ever been.
Rafael cocked an eyebrow but instead of answering her, he unexpectedly turned to Seren and smiled evilly. "Maralie is going to die. "
A ripple of shock flittered through them and Seren's face turned white.
"And the late Marquis?" Rafael laughed at Raoul. "He refused to back off and for that, I killed him myself. He was begging for death when I finally gave it to him."
The Italian's body shuddered and Klavier grabbed hold of him when he snarled and launched himself at the glass but Rafael, unperturbed, had already moved on to Kade, his smile instantly disappearing.
"You're an idiot, Richards," he snarled. "Irina is going to gut your family for this betrayal."
"I welcome her to try," Kade said icily.
"Don't invite the devil," Rafael whispered. "Especially not when the devil comes with an army."
"Be quiet," Gale snapped, the alarm in her voice barely disguised.
"And you." Rafael turned burning eyes on her. "Your Lana isn't going to see the light of day."
Klavier's insides clenched with fear and suddenly the ground beneath his feet rocked. His wide eyes swung to Gale just as a rush of air escaped her; she was staring at Rafael, utterly petrified, a deluge of horror distorting her face.
"How—?"
"You think I didn't know?" he asked with a mocking laugh. "Did you really think you were that clever?"
"Enough," Klavier snarled, turning to Seren. "Get the gua—"
"And Ema…"
Klavier froze midsentence, his eyes turning to the now frozen detective as she stared at Rafael blankly.
"You're going to watch all the people you love die before she comes for you," Rafael promised darkly. "Deston, Lana, Klavier… You'll bury them all before the end."
Ema's lips parted but no sound came out except for a heavy exhale as if someone had punched her and before Klavier could say a word to intervene, Deston had grabbed her by the arm and pulled her behind him, using his body to shield her against Rafael's murderous glare.
"Hiding won't change anything," Rafael laughed. "My blood will spill his. Your sisters. Your friends. Do you hear me, sunshine?" He leaned as far forward as he could, trying to look past Deston's frame. "They're all dead men walking."
"Shut up!" Ema cried, losing her composure.
"I've had enough of your claptrap," Deston thundered, suddenly marching across to where Seren stood. "You've said more than anyone should have let yo—"
"Do you want to know why Raina came to me alone instead of telling you about it?" Rafael said suddenly, his voice inviting.
Deston froze mid-step and then slowly turned on the spot to face Rafael, tension lining every facet of his handsome face. "Raina has no place in this conversation," he said tightly.
"Does she have a place in your heart?"
Klavier's hands slipped from around Raoul's arm but when he made to go for Deston, the Italian stopped him, wordlessly staring at the drummer who was now shaking, his hands curled into powerful fists.
"Nothing you say about Raina will get to me, Rainsford," Deston said in a hard voice. "I've moved on."
"You wouldn't if you'd heard her screams," Rafael goaded, not the least bit convinced by Deston's claim. "She screamed and screamed until she lost her voice," he whispered. "And when she couldn't scream anymore, she cried."
Up until that point, Klavier hadn't thought his stomach existed anymore but when it clenched nauseatingly at the sickening words, he realised there was still more the bastard could do. Even when he'd thought himself most hollowed out, Rafael had managed to make him feel worse; pain shot through him as his mind unwillingly visualised the beautiful woman he'd once known, bloodied…dead. The idea of her crying, screaming, possibly for them, pained him more than he could ever convey and he felt the old sense of shame return.
"Did you ever see her cry, Deston?"
The air stilled in the silence that followed and they were all frozen with the disbelief of Rafael's cruelty, frozen by the alarmingly stony expression on Deston's face.
When he moved, Klavier knew what he was going to do but his body wouldn't respond, maybe because he didn't want to stop his friend from doing what he did; with one even move, Deston reached into the waistband of his pants and drew his gun. Time seemed to slow down because Klavier saw everything that happened next with startling clarity. Without pausing to think, Deston turned his gun to the corners of the glass and shot with deadly precision.
There was a pause then, when nothing happened and they all stared at the bullet holes in the thick barrier of glass, entirely too stunned by Deston's behaviour to move, to say anything to him. Then Klavier, who saw the way Deston's face darkened with harrowing purpose, jumped across the room to where Ema stood, transfixed; his arms wrapped around her and, just as Deston turned his gun to the centre of the glass and pulled the trigger, Klavier shouted, "Get down!"
A final shot rang through the silence and they all ducked; the pane shattered and fell and with it the room exploded into chaos.
"Deston!" Ema screamed.
"GRAB HIM!" Klavier yelled.
But Deston had already flown through the broken barrier, up onto the platform where Rafael calmly stood, a triumphant gleam in his eye. Without hesitation, Raoul shot forward, leaping onto the metal surface but before he could pull him back, Deston had swung around and caught him around the neck. There was a moment of pause in which Raoul made to free himself from the head-lock but then Deston threw him backwards through the air, whirling on the spot as he did so and giving them all a glimpse of his face; rage thundered in his every feature and lightning struck in his eyes. Raoul landed with a painful thud among the glittering glass shards. Ema gasped, racing to Raoul's side and helping him up but just then, Seren launched himself at Deston. Again, the agent was ready and the Brit didn't stand a chance; Deston spun on his feet and his elbow knocked right into Seren's face, knocking him off balance and sending him through the air to land a foot away from where Ema and Raoul were.
Breathing heavy, Deston stared at them furiously, his gaze sweeping over them all with uncharacteristic contempt as Ema helped Seren to his feet.
"Don't get in my way," he threatened in a dangerously low voice, before piercing the guards with fierce eyes, leaving them in no doubt that the warning included them.
"Deston," Klavier said, carefully stepping forward. "Get away from him. This is what he wants."
"Don't talk to me like I'm a fucking kid, Gavin!" Deston snarled. "I'm not going to shoot the fucker."
Klavier took another step forward, cringing at the chink of the glass beneath his boots but Deston had already turned back to Rafael, completely uncaring of his advance.
"You want to play games with me, old man?" he said viciously. "You want to see real pain?"
Rafael smiled.
"I'm not going to kill you, Rainsford," he added, his face taking on an uncharacteristically ugly smile. "No matter how much I want to. That would be too soft a death."
"I'm curious, Deston," Rafael answered. "Does this mean you did see her cry?"
Klavier watched with a deepening sense of foreboding as Deston took one step backwards and froze, as if thinking about something. He wanted to move forward — could see the others staring at Deston with fear — and wanted to stop him but the look on his face was enough of a warning. He was unreachable; if they approached him now, he wouldn't hesitate to give them more than just inadvertent cuts and bruises. He'd been trained with lethal design and Klavier knew that, even together, they were no match for him.
And then, suddenly Deston swung violently, one leg rising through the air so fast they barely saw it — there was a loud crack! as his heavy boot connected with Rafael's face and even before Deston stilled, blood was gushing from his nose.
"How's that for an answer, Rainsford?"
Unable to wipe the blood that trickled over his lips, Rafael tilted his head to the side as if in an attempt to change the direction of the flow. "Not bad, Deston," he murmured. "You did train in the SS."
"I would love to kill you," Deston whispered, murder dripping from every syllable. "I want nothing more than to slowly rip you limb from limb for everything you've ever done." He paused as if he were imagining the satisfaction that would bring him but then he shook his head and took another step back. "But that's what you want."
Rafael spat at Deston's feet, blood staining the metal disgustingly. The Gavinner didn't even glance at it.
"David," Deston said softly, never taking his eyes off Rafael who visibly tensed. "Would you come up here please?"
Klavier's eyes snapped to David; his facial expression was blank. And then his insides broiled with a frenzy of horror and disbelief when he realised what Deston was planning; he looked to Raoul and Seren, their expressions frozen into a mix of morbid fascination and astonishment.
No, surely he does not mean…
David was already moving, the sound of crushing glass beneath his shoes resounding forebodingly. Everyone's eyes were on him as he neared the broken window and stepped onto the elevated platform until he was level with his brother. His eyes were fixed determinedly on some point ahead and he refused to meet Rafael's gaze despite the intense way he was staring at David — all of the mockery and amusement was gone, leaving only a dark expression of brutal rage that befit the blood gushing from his broken nose.
"Step away from there," Deston commanded, pointing at one of the guards whose eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. He glanced down at the lever and then back at Deston uncertainly. "I said," the Gavinner hissed, "move."
"Deston, stop this," Ema spoke up and her voice was shaking. "This is what he wants."
"Look at his face!" Deston shouted, rounding on Ema while pointing into Rafael's distorted expression. "Does it look like this is what he wants?"
"Deston," Klavier interrupted, taking another step forward, now almost close enough to step into the other room beside his friend. "This is wrong. You will—"
"Shut up, Gavin!" he barked. "Your plan failed. It's not enough to just show him David's alive!"
"You do not have the authority to do this," Klavier said firmly. "And neither does David."
"Stop this, Deston," Seren added, his voice soft. "This isn't what Raina would have wanted."
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE'D WANT!" Deston screamed, his anguished words like tiny knives. "SHE'S DEAD! HE KILLED HER AND HE'S THREATENED TO KILL EMA! ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME THIS IS INJUSTICE?"
"Des," Raoul said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. "Come on, man. Get down from there."
But Deston had turned to Simon, his eyes wild. "Tell me what I'm doing is wrong,"
All eyes were on Simon now who, to Klavier's discomfort, was looking on the scene with a remarkably closed expression. "You're not."
Klavier turned to Gale then, ready to beseech her but her eyes were burning with a fire he'd never before seen and he knew he couldn't count on her support. Still, something inside him hoped and he paused, before quietly speaking. "Gale?"
"He's right, Klavier," she answered coldly, staggering him.
"B-But he's doing what Rafael wants!" Ema cried.
"Rafael doesn't want David pulling that lever," Simon contradicted, shaking his head. "His face says that much."
"How astute," Rafael spat ferociously. "If my brother touches that lever, I can promise you, you'll regret it."
"Whatever he really wanted," Gale continued icily as if he'd never spoken, "he's accomplished it."
"What are you talking about?" Raoul demanded bluntly.
"He's done something," Simon said in disgust.
"Done what?" Seren asked.
"Set something in motion," Kade answered. "Whatever Rafael was up to, he's managed it. It only stands to reason he should get his comeuppance."
"This is not the—"
"Klavier," Gale cut across him sharply, piercing him with her eyes. "This man has murdered people we love and he's threatening to murder more. And believe you me when I say," she emphasised, turning to look at Rafael again, "that he means every single word of it."
Klavier opened his mouth to argue again but nothing came out.
"He's chased David across continents," she added, looking at her ex. "He's snatched the world from Deston. He deserves this pain."
Under these words, the protest died in him. Klavier looked at Deston but his friend had turned his back on them again, apparently satisfied with the answers he'd received. The prosecutor's gaze shifted to Seren and Raoul whose expressions were closed off in an inadvertent sign of consent and to Ema whose mouth had hardened into a thin line. Whatever her thoughts on the matter, she wasn't fighting the silent decision.
Could he? Should he?
"David."
He looked at Simon when he spoke and there was no resentment or anger or surprise at the unexpected sound — David only looked inquisitive.
"Yeah?"
Simon's eyes glittered. "Enjoy this. For us both."
It was as if the wind had been knocked out of Klavier; the iniquitous nature of those words made him very aware, in that moment, of their past as criminals — who else could enjoy a death? But then, almost instantly, he remembered all that they had both suffered, all that they'd had to endure because of one man's vendetta against his own flesh and blood. If they were monsters in the eyes of the world, Klavier decided, it was Rafael's doing.
The last remaining doubt in his mind flickered like a dying candle and went out.
David's response was a wry smile. "You've no idea, man."
And suddenly, they didn't look like the broken men Klavier had met; something healed in that moment that reflected their brotherhood, their friendship and their understanding of each other. It was an odd thing — and perhaps something Klavier in his innocence would never quite understand — that such a black desire could reforge a shattered friendship. Over the blazing inferno of their revenge, Simon and David reforged the sword of their friendship. The Latino nodded once at his friend and the younger Rainsford moved further up the platform, his back straight and his eyes fixed on the lever.
"David," Rafael spat venomously. "If you take one more fucking step, your family is going to burn."
David wasn't troubled by the threat. "Whatever, Rafe," he said glibly. "Would be a blessing more than anything. My son's a pain in the neck."
"You fucking bastard!"
Klavier thought he saw David smile when he reached the other side of the platform and jumped off it, landing beside the lever where the guard stumbled backwards, clearly staggered by the unconventionality of the proceedings. Quailing under Deston's warning glare, the man retreated.
"I have to protest," a voice said suddenly and, startled, Klavier turned to see the source of it: right at the back, silent up to this point, stood the forgotten doctor. "This is illegal!"
"In this room, I'm the one with the authority to say what's illegal and what ain't," Raoul drawled with a lazy smile. "And I say there ain't nothin' illegal about any of this."
"But—"
"Can it, gramps," Raoul cut him off.
"Look at him," Seren added, pointing at Deston and then at his own face, now covered in small cuts. "Is that somebody you want to argue with, mate?"
The doctor's mouth clamped shut.
"Rafael Ian Rainsford," Seren started, his tone formal and emotionless. "You were arrested on December the 2nd, 2023, tried and found guilty on Decemb—"
"You're going to pay for this," Rafael snapped into Deston's face.
"—on 1 count of murder in the first degree, 2 counts of grievous bodily ha—"
"Didn't you hear, Rafael?" Deston laughed maddeningly. "I'm a Gavinner. I can pay all the money you demand… though I don't think you need it where you're going."
"—of the attempted murder of several officials involved with the case surrounding—"
"You're nothing but a fucking waste of space, David!" Rafael snarled. "I should have strangled you at birth!"
"Yeah, Rafe," David said pleasantly. "You told me all this the day you warned me only one of us could live." Though Rafael couldn't turn to see the gleam in David's eye, the mirthful irony of his words was loud and clear. "Guess you were right, brother."
"You'll never rest in peace, Dave," Rafael vowed, struggling against his bindings. "I can fucking promise you that!"
David laughed. "We both know that's the curse of our parentage, Rafe," he answered smoothly. "We were never meant to find peace."
"—tenced to death by hanging." Seren's lips pursed as he finished his declaration. "Hmm. I don't really fancy having people talk throughout my speech but—"
"Shut it, Aded," Deston commanded but Klavier was relieved to hear that some of the unreasonable insanity in his voice had ebbed away.
"Do you have any last words?" Raoul drawled, crossing his arms and staring up at Rafael stonily but the man wasn't listening — his body was thrashing powerfully against the handcuffs and the noose around his neck.
"I think he's a bit busy," Gale said deprecatingly.
"Does he need the toilet?" Simon added, deepening Rafael's degradation.
And then he stilled, his eyes turning on Gale and Simon with such monstrous intent that Klavier felt as though he'd been doused with icy water. "Irina's going to gut Lana like an animal."
Gale tried to keep her calm but the shudder that ripped through her was so violent that there was nothing she could do to cover it. Beside her, Simon was having just as much trouble concealing his disquiet; his black eyes were fixed intently ahead but the muscles in his neck were taut. Klavier felt his heart sink at the mention of Lana — threats aside, the last thing any of them wanted was for Simon to find out about his daughter from his mortal enemy.
"I have something to say," David intervened, seeing the dangerous turn of the conversation.
"Fuck off, David," Rafael snarled.
"Sure," David acceded calmly. "Right after you listen to me."
"I don't think he has any choice," Deston smirked. "His hands are tied back after all."
"I have something to say as well," Simon added and, as if he couldn't help himself, Rafael looked at him. "If that's alright, David?"
"Hey," David said nonchalantly. "Knock yourself out, man."
"Rot in hell, you son of a bitch."
"And I'll see you on the other side," Gale said with an uncharacteristically ominous smile. "As you so eloquently put it."
"And who am I to break tradition?" Kade chipped in casually, shrugging his large shoulders. His pause was portentous, filled with a silent promise that only Rafael seemed to understand. "I have enough information to tear Irina and her brothers apart." He took a step forward, his aura turning threatening for the first time. "And you know I will."
The expression on Rafael's face was intriguing; he looked as though he wasn't quite sure if he should scream or laugh. For the first time, his mask collapsed into shock and disbelief but it became clear a moment later, why: he collapsed into fits of hysterical, manic laughter, his voice rising in pitch until it filled the room.
"Oh, Irina!" he laughed, looking up at the ceiling. "My dear, sweet Irina, I beg you! Don't betray your father."
Klavier's eyes narrowed at the madness of the gesture yet Rafael didn't seem to be behaving out of character. It might have been easy to assume the last thread holding him to sanity had snapped but the amusement and mockery and pleasantness of his expression was back. He was staring at Deston now, who had remained entirely still up until now.
"Irina," he whispered, laughter in every word as he held Deston's gaze, "please don't forget me like Deston forgot Raina."
Another chill ran over them and Klavier knew that there wasn't much tolerance left in his friend. Panicked, he looked to Raoul, trying to tell him to get this over with but the Italian was equally alarmed and very much aware of their need to move swiftly.
"That's enough outta you, fucktard," he barked. "Seren!"
The Brit nodded curtly and glanced at David. "You ready, mate?"
David smirked just as Rafael's face turned ugly again. "I'm good and ready, Mr Adagio."
"Don't you fucking dare, David!" Rafael howled, swinging around again but it was to no avail. "Don't you fucking dare!"
David was unmoved as he waited on Seren's raised hand; it hung suspended in the air, while Rafael cursed into the limbo they had created. Klavier's tension steadily rose with every second and then he just wanted it over, wanted them all to be rid of him.
This man with his icy blue eyes, his faux-pleasant smile and his endless greed for power... He was the reason Raina had met her untimely demise, the reason Deston's dreams and ambitions had been left empty. Because of him, Lana would never be with Gale, Simon would not grow old with his lover and despite the peace he would find with his daughter, the guilt would remain like a lingering ache, a wound that would never heal.
To him, Kristoph had divulged their dark past, given the man too much control over them. Rafael had sought to turn Klavier against his own brother, turn them both into a twisted replica of himself and David.
He had ordered Tessa's death to save himself, uncaring of anyone's life just for the sake of a message. He had treated the woman like a disposable piece of paper.
And, the deepest wound he had tried to cause was by hurting Ema; Klavier saw her now, a deeply unsettled expression on her face and his heart turned over at the way she was subconsciously rubbing her mutilated wrist. He wanted to go over to her, wanted to envelop her in his arms and hide her, protect her, save her this ordeal but he knew he couldn't. She was as much in need of this closure as any of them.
With darkness swirling in sapphire eyes, Klavier turned his hateful gaze on Rafael, his thrashing growing more and more violent with each passing second.
"See how the fish squirms to the last," he murmured softly.
"You want to get down here, Des?" Seren asked, looking up at the agent.
"No," Deston said, crossing his arms and smiling. "I'm enjoying the view from up here."
"David!" Rafael roared.
Finally, Seren's hand descended through the air, agonisingly slow. A dreamlike moment of unnerving nihilism hung on the atmosphere and David looked at Rafael with what might have been pity; his gray eyes swam with a moment of regret and sorrow. He opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, express some emotion… but he didn't. The sadness hardened into blocks of ice and resignation and he steeled himself for the final moment. His hands tightened on the metal bar in his hand, his knuckles turning white with the strength of his grip.
"Goodbye, brother," he said softly.
Rafael's scream of rage drowned out the metallic grind as David pulled on the freedom in his hand, nullifying the sound of the trapdoor opening beneath Rafael's feet. It echoed around them like a haunting cry, deafening and piercing them with its fury, going on and on even as the rope stretched tight with the weight of his lifeless body. There was no more swinging. It hung motionless at last, the countdown over.
And in the silence that fell, they could still hear the ghost of Rafael's last scream.