Chapter 27: This Moment

The Lovelace family gathered at the edge of the city, near the water, all of them having recuperated back at the hotel for one more night before preparing to go home. Roberta recognised this place. It was where she had stepped off the ship the first time she ever came here in search of Garcia. That felt like an age ago, now, but the memories were still clear as day in her mind. Once she had taken Garcia back to the city, taking one of the New Order's vehicles and very awkwardly and slowly driving back to the Sankanpalace, he and Pius dressed her wounds and she changed back into her simple black dress after a bath. The sleep she had that night was long and badly needed after the draining day she had had. Fabiola was understandably overjoyed to see Garcia safe, but even she was eager to get away from this city and go back home. And so here they stood, awaiting the arrival of the ship that would ferry them to South America.

Roberta closed her eye and breathed the salty sea air deep into her lungs. She knew there would be no coming back here. This was the last time she would stand in Roanapur. With any luck, it would be the last time she would ever have to leave Venezuela again. She had lived enough of a life for ten people and the boring prospect of living out her days without excitement and dying in the estate from old age was pleasing to her. She had no need for adventure or purpose anymore. She had found a renewed purpose in her family, and in staying by Garcia's side to offer him her companionship. There was nothing left for her out in the world, not at this stage of her life. She was still young, but she felt several decades older and desired a simple life with Garcia and the others. Pius, who had become a friend of the family within the last year only, had also been welcomed back to the estate with the Lovelaces. He was a killer, but he was also a man of God and far more conscious of the blood on his hands. He, too, did not want to keep living this way and relished the thought of laying down his weapons to serve Garcia. After all, with Roberta no longer in the proper physical condition to tend to the needs of the estate, they needed someone who could care for the place and prepare meals. Pius had worked with children before, impoverished youths and homeless urchins in desperate need of a hot meal, and it was a fulfilling duty he had been glad to perform. It suited him, and he was eager to offer Garcia prompt and adequate service back in Venezuela. He was a welcome addition to their family.

"This place," Pius began, as if sensing he was on the minds of the others. "I will be glad to see the back of it. We will do well to keep our distance."

"Perhaps it was not our purgatory after all," Garcia responded, referencing a comment he had made to the priest after they returned here to flee the New Order.

"But it is for the rest of these people," Pius theorised. "They will wander here aimlessly forevermore. I will pray for them every day."

"That's good," Garcia said softly. The others could not help but appreciate the optimism and hope that lived in his heart. Despite everything he had seen and how much it had changed him, he still wanted the worst scum of humanity that thrived in Roanapur to one day find their calling and do something good with their lives. "I will pray, too. 'A blessing for the living, a branch of flowers for the dead.'"

"'With a sword of justice'," Pius continued the Lovelace family creed, having memorised it perfectly. "'And the punishment of death for the villains.'"

"'Thus shall we arrive at the altar of saints'," Fabiola finished it off. They all nodded together. There were bad people here, some of them irredeemable completely, but the Lovelaces knew all too well that there were also lost souls in Roanapur who deserved a chance at normality, if only somebody gave them that chance. They would hope to the heavens that these people found the right path.

Garcia placed his hand on Roberta's, which was resting on his shoulder so she could keep herself upright. She could still stand on her own, only with great effort, but it was no secret that after everything she had endured it would not be long until she was likely confined to a wheelchair fulltime. Her body had been stronger than that of most people, but it had been through a lot of trauma. Even Roberta was not indestructible. She smiled at the boy warmly. Something else caught her attention, a figure in the distance. Somebody was watching them, but it was not anyone who posed a danger to them. Roberta squinted and the Wolf came into focus, standing maybe thirty feet away near the edge of the docking area. He started walking towards them when he realised Roberta had spotted him. That implied that if she hadn't he may not have approached them at all, content just to watch them go home.

"What is it, Roberta?" Garcia asked, noticing the expression on her face. He looked in the same direction as her and saw the assassin approach the family, coming to a stop less than three metres away. Garcia was immediately filled with a conflicting mix of emotions and his hand tightened around Roberta's. While he did not honestly believe the Wolf would harm his family intentionally, the memories of what had happened that day were still fresh.

The assassin nodded by way of greeting.

"You're okay," he said, as if confirming to himself that the boy had not come to harm.

"I did," Garcia said. "Thanks to Roberta. She brought me back safely, just like she promised." He smiled at her one more time before returning his gaze to the assassin.

"I'm glad you get to go home," Wolf said sincerely. "You must be, too."

"That's putting it mildly," Garcia joked. "We've spent too long in this city already. It is time we return to Venezuela."

"What will you do now, Mister Wolf?" Fabiola asked. When the assassin first visited the Lovelace estate, it had been Fabiola who did not trust him and would have preferred not to deal with him at all, but she had recently come around and softened her view of him. He was a killer like the rest in this city, but Fabiola had come to realise he was not quite as lost as some of the less pleasant people who lived here. And she could recognise the plight of his hunt for Ashur, how it mimicked Roberta's mission to kill the Americans. He had not been himself, a fact Fabiola recognised and that lead her to the conclusion that the Wolf was not so deserving of derision and avoidance after all. She would not treat him so unpleasantly anymore, even if Garcia had not quite forgiven him yet.

The assassin looked out to the ocean when he heard her question as if struggling to come up with an answer.

"If only I knew," he said honestly. "Roanapur is my home, now. I won't be leaving anytime soon." They all knew what that meant. Wolf had resigned himself to becoming one of the walking dead, even though he knew the implications of that. He was dooming himself to remain in this city forever and he would die here someday, but he was almost at peace with that prospect, as was the nature of the damned who resided here. The ship that would take them home sounded its horn and neared the docking area. It was time for the Lovelace family to leave.

"We must go, now," Pius informed them all. "Take good care of yourself, Wolf. Even people like you are not immune to the influence of this place."

"Always the cheerful clergyman," Wolf joked. Pius just shook his head, smiling to himself. He grabbed most of the bags and made his way aboard the ship. Fabiola curtsied to the assassin, bidding him farewell, before following the priest. Wolf cleared his throat and reached out his hand so Garcia could shake it.

"I guess this is goodbye," he said. Garcia looked at his hand, but did not take it. The assassin was about to retract it, thoroughly embarrassed, when the boy came forward and gently hugged him. Wolf was taken completely by surprise, but pleasantly so. He closed his eyes and hugged the boy back, placing his hand on the back of his head. It meant a lot to receive such a gesture of affection from the Lovelace boy, considering there had been some bad blood there. Garcia released him.

"I hope our paths cross again, someday," he told the Wolf.

"So do I," the assassin reciprocated the sentiment. He caught Roberta's eye and she grabbed the golden crucifix, as if to let the assassin know she had not been blind to the fact that he had given it to her. She nodded at him out of respect and by way of farewell. He would be missed by her, and vice versa. Wolf nodded back at her before she and Garcia made their way aboard the ship. It would be a long journey home, but the family would enjoy it nonetheless. It would give them all time to reflect on their time in the city and further appreciate the fact that all of the pain and bloodshed they had grown so accustomed to was behind them, at last.

As the family headed below deck, Roberta remained above for a moment. Garcia, who was holding her hand and helping her walk, stopped with her.

"Roberta?" he asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Young Master," she told him. She was watching the sun in the distance as it neared the horizon. It would be setting, soon. A gentle ocean breeze washed over them. "I think I would like to stay here, a while. It is…relaxing." Garcia completely understood. The two of them sat on a cold steel bench as they watched the sunset together and the ship took off towards home. Garcia curled up beside his dearest companion and rested his head on her bosom, her arm around him. Indeed, there was a simple stillness to the ocean that gave them a soothing sense of calmness and they could truly lose themselves out here to the quiet. Roberta laid her head back and kept her eye on the sun as it finally started to sink below the horizon. Soon enough, her vision became blurry and she found herself drifting off to sleep. She could finally rest without worry or fear of having to take up arms again. This truly was the end of that chapter in her life. She was excitedly anticipating the next one, where she could live in peace by the Young Master's side. Life was good.

"Rosarita?"

Roberta opened her eyes. Eyes. The sun was higher in the sky and she basked in it, only she was no longer on the ship, nor was she maimed. She stood in the front courtyard of the Lovelace estate. The source of the voice was the man who stood in the archway that lead to the garden, hands in his pockets and his pink polo shirt standing out even against the vibrant colour of the Lovelace home.

"Signor Diego!" Roberta exclaimed, clasping her hands together in front of her mouth out of surprise.

"You were expecting someone else?" Garcia's father asked, amused.

"Actually, yes," Roberta told him truthfully. She had also been expecting to find herself in the catacombs below Roanapur out of habit, with her tormenters behind her as usual. "This is…a very pleasant surprise."

"Don't worry, Rosarita. Those others can't bother you anymore." It was reassuring that Roberta knew that deep down anyway, but it was even more so coming from the father of the Young Master. "Walk with me, won't you?" he lifted his arm from his side and Roberta interlocked elbows with him. He started leading her into the garden.

"Master Diego, forgive me for asking, but am I dead?"

"Dead?!" Diego asked, genuinely surprised she would think so. "Not at all. Though I suppose I can't blame you for coming to that conclusion. I am a figment of your imagination, that's all. Does that disappoint you?"

"Not necessarily," she answered. She was embarrassed that she had been considering the possibility she had passed in her sleep and this was heaven.

"When your time does come, we will have all of eternity to enjoy one another's company, just like we used to. But you still have your whole life left to live. Have a seat." She did as she was told, sitting herself down under the parasol, and Diego sat across from her.

"It is…good to see you, Master Diego," she said, once again feeling quite foolish, but she did not care right now. She was too happy to be speaking with him instead of being tortured by her past victims.

"I imagine it is!" Diego answered, laughing to himself heartily. "I wanted to thank you, Rosarita. You're quite an incredible woman, and you've proven that by taking such good care of my son. I don't know what we would have done without you."

"Signor Diego…you are too kind."

"Don't be silly," he told her gently. "You kept your promise to look after my Garcia. Even with the odds stacked against you, you made sure he was safe. I could never have repaid that debt in life. The Lovelace family owes their existence and continued survival to you, Rosarita." Roberta flushed with colour. Those were powerful words, even if they did come from a mere image of Diego conjured by her mind. But considering her mind was capable of having others relentlessly abuse her for her past sins, she was more than happy to suspend disbelief and accept the praise she was being given this time.

"I wanted only to atone for my sins," she said. "The Young Master had to see such horrible things because of me…I owed it to him and to you. And…I have grown to care for him very much. I could not have lived with myself if anything happened to him."

"Well, you did a fine job," Diego commended her. "Truly. You deserve to be happy, do try and remember that. You've spent long enough punishing yourself for past mistakes. But you only get one life, Rosarita. Do not waste it worrying about the past and instead look to the future. It is bright. I know you and Garcia will live a happy life, here. You have to appreciate that while you can."

Even in death, he was as full of wisdom as he had been in life, or at least Roberta's mind had absorbed that wisdom and was using it now to make her forget he was not really here. It was working, too. She smiled to herself, enjoying this moment of peace and not caring whether it was real or not. It filled her heart with joy.

"Thank you," she told him. "I appreciate that more than I can put into words. And…I miss you terribly, Signor Diego, as does Garcia."

"Oh, I know," Diego said softly. He smiled at her to reassure her that everything was okay, even with him gone. "But the ones we love are never really gone. I will always be with you and Garcia, that's a promise. And I will always consider you family, Rosarita." If he kept this up, she was going to start crying like she had in the fishing hamlet. "Now, it's such a nice day out. It would be a shame to waste it by talking. What's say we enjoy our brief moment together while we can?" Roberta smiled wide, having found true inner peace. She could, at long last, rest easy and when she returned home it would be with a loving family that she was content to live out her days with. For now, though, she savoured this moment of tranquillity for as long as she could.

"Yes, Master Diego. That sounds like a good idea."