Prologue
A.C. 206
It was night, the time when parents tucked their kids into bed to fall asleep and sleep sweet dreams of dragons and fairy tales. It was when teenagers were with friends, watching the sky as clouds drifted past the moon, waiting for the opportunity to sneak a kiss on their 'steady'.
It was also the time when some of the lowest deviants came forth, crawling out from the woodwork, for the darkness always called it's own. But even in the darkness, there was light.
But none of it shone on Dirk Baxter.
Not even his eyes glinted in the moonlight or from the streetlights- they were dark and lifeless, passive, almost glazed over. His eyes were the eyes of a monster that had been killed.
Unfortunately, he was a monster that could not be killed.
He looked down and then up the street, waiting for the dealer. It was considered foolish to be standing in the middle of a suburban neighborhood waiting for some low-life, but Dirk needed secrecy. What better place than a random block with decent housing? At least there were no 'Neighborhood Watch' signs that made every single house seem like it had eyes, and the people inside were waiting to call the police to arrest you if you so much as spit in their yard.
But it was worth it. The dealer had what he had wanted... what he had been waiting for so long...
Even since OZ had been defeated, as well as the Bartons, the rate of terrorist activities had dropped dramatically. Most people wanted peace.
"What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word," he said aloud, a grin appearing on his face, contrasting with his eyes. "As I hate hell, and all Montagues and thee!" He laughed low. Shakespeare had known so much, and he existed thousands of years ago!
He turned and looked down the street. Ah, there was the dealer now.
The dealer, a guy named Jakes, strode up to Dirk, stopping a foot away from him. Jakes had a shifting gaze, his eyes darted left to right, as if he was a skittish animal. His voice was raspy and reminded Dirk of gravel being driven over.
"I got what you needed, Baxter. You got th' money?"
Dirk nodded and reached into his jacket. Jakes bolted back a few feet, causing Dirk to look up in surprise. A laugh escaped from Dirk's mouth.
"Jakes, you're the most nervous person I've ever met. Now, come on, would I shoot you here and now? Especially since you have the information..."
Jakes grinned, his yellowed and nicotine-stained teeth like a pirate's grin as he reached into his own pocket, pulling out five disks, each labeled and in their own case.
"These are worth a lot, eh?"
Dirk nodded as he took a envelope from his jacket and opened it, showing it to Jakes. The bills in the envelope were at least an inch thick, all of it amounting to ten thousand dollars. But it was worth it.
Jakes and Dirk made the switch, Jakes eagerly taking the money out of the envelope, Dirk pocketing the disks into his jacket. "No one saw you at the old department of OZ?"
Jakes shrugged. "I was in a sanitation worker's uniform, no one really notices them nowadays. 'Sides, I got in, got out, record time too. No one will know about the swipe until later."
Dirk grinned ferally. "That's all I need to know."
With that, Dirk grabbed the gun he had concealed and shot Jakes twice. A silencer made sure that no one had heard it. Jakes fell, shocked at the pain and the sight of his own blood flowing out of his body. He looked up at Dirk, who stood over him, Dirk's eyes horribly giving him a glimpse of his fate.
"You...said...you...would't...shoot...me..."
Dirk was still grinning as he leaned down, making sure that his face would be the last thing Jakes would see.
"I didn't say anything about not shooting you. You assumed I wouldn't, but the here and now has passed. By the way, thank you, Jakes. I'll send you plenty of other people to keep you company."
Jakes didn't reply. He wasn't able to.
Dirk leaned back up, grabbed the money that had falled out of Jakes' hand, and walked the opposite way that Jakes had came. He had previously thought that Jakes would be useful in the future, but found out that Jakes had been involved with smuggling before, serving a light sentence in jail- only because he had ratted on his customers.
Dirk couldn't afford any loose ends. But to kill another person?
Oh, it was worth it. That was why he had asked Jakes for the disks in the first place.
They were definitely worth it.
A.C. 206
It was night, the time when parents tucked their kids into bed to fall asleep and sleep sweet dreams of dragons and fairy tales. It was when teenagers were with friends, watching the sky as clouds drifted past the moon, waiting for the opportunity to sneak a kiss on their 'steady'.
It was also the time when some of the lowest deviants came forth, crawling out from the woodwork, for the darkness always called it's own. But even in the darkness, there was light.
But none of it shone on Dirk Baxter.
Not even his eyes glinted in the moonlight or from the streetlights- they were dark and lifeless, passive, almost glazed over. His eyes were the eyes of a monster that had been killed.
Unfortunately, he was a monster that could not be killed.
He looked down and then up the street, waiting for the dealer. It was considered foolish to be standing in the middle of a suburban neighborhood waiting for some low-life, but Dirk needed secrecy. What better place than a random block with decent housing? At least there were no 'Neighborhood Watch' signs that made every single house seem like it had eyes, and the people inside were waiting to call the police to arrest you if you so much as spit in their yard.
But it was worth it. The dealer had what he had wanted... what he had been waiting for so long...
Even since OZ had been defeated, as well as the Bartons, the rate of terrorist activities had dropped dramatically. Most people wanted peace.
"What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word," he said aloud, a grin appearing on his face, contrasting with his eyes. "As I hate hell, and all Montagues and thee!" He laughed low. Shakespeare had known so much, and he existed thousands of years ago!
He turned and looked down the street. Ah, there was the dealer now.
The dealer, a guy named Jakes, strode up to Dirk, stopping a foot away from him. Jakes had a shifting gaze, his eyes darted left to right, as if he was a skittish animal. His voice was raspy and reminded Dirk of gravel being driven over.
"I got what you needed, Baxter. You got th' money?"
Dirk nodded and reached into his jacket. Jakes bolted back a few feet, causing Dirk to look up in surprise. A laugh escaped from Dirk's mouth.
"Jakes, you're the most nervous person I've ever met. Now, come on, would I shoot you here and now? Especially since you have the information..."
Jakes grinned, his yellowed and nicotine-stained teeth like a pirate's grin as he reached into his own pocket, pulling out five disks, each labeled and in their own case.
"These are worth a lot, eh?"
Dirk nodded as he took a envelope from his jacket and opened it, showing it to Jakes. The bills in the envelope were at least an inch thick, all of it amounting to ten thousand dollars. But it was worth it.
Jakes and Dirk made the switch, Jakes eagerly taking the money out of the envelope, Dirk pocketing the disks into his jacket. "No one saw you at the old department of OZ?"
Jakes shrugged. "I was in a sanitation worker's uniform, no one really notices them nowadays. 'Sides, I got in, got out, record time too. No one will know about the swipe until later."
Dirk grinned ferally. "That's all I need to know."
With that, Dirk grabbed the gun he had concealed and shot Jakes twice. A silencer made sure that no one had heard it. Jakes fell, shocked at the pain and the sight of his own blood flowing out of his body. He looked up at Dirk, who stood over him, Dirk's eyes horribly giving him a glimpse of his fate.
"You...said...you...would't...shoot...me..."
Dirk was still grinning as he leaned down, making sure that his face would be the last thing Jakes would see.
"I didn't say anything about not shooting you. You assumed I wouldn't, but the here and now has passed. By the way, thank you, Jakes. I'll send you plenty of other people to keep you company."
Jakes didn't reply. He wasn't able to.
Dirk leaned back up, grabbed the money that had falled out of Jakes' hand, and walked the opposite way that Jakes had came. He had previously thought that Jakes would be useful in the future, but found out that Jakes had been involved with smuggling before, serving a light sentence in jail- only because he had ratted on his customers.
Dirk couldn't afford any loose ends. But to kill another person?
Oh, it was worth it. That was why he had asked Jakes for the disks in the first place.
They were definitely worth it.