Shadow Corp, chp 3, Sebastian

England 2005

Sebastian looks up from his computer and expertly grabs the knife from its hiding place underneath the desk, then swings around quickly on his chair to face the door. Ebony knocks once and barges into the room. He breathes a sigh of relief when he recognizes his god daughter, and makes a mental note to lock the door in future. The huge house is as safe as modern security could make it. Twenty four hour surveillance, two armed guards on constant vigil, thumb print identification instead of locks, and two large unfriendly Dobermans lurking around the grounds. Despite this, Sebastian’s reflexes have kicked in at the unexpected interruption, and he is now ready for an argument.
“Sebastian, I need your help” Ebony blurts out, completely ignoring the warning in the stormy eyes of the owner of the bedroom. He notices her usually tanned face is pale, and her white linen dress is creased as if she had been lying down for a long time. Her small hands, with pale pink polish on her long nails are shaking slightly. There are no tears though, so Sebastian hardens towards her, angry at the rudeness of her entry.
“Ask your Dad, I‘m meeting some models at the club soon, and if I’m late they just may get a clue” Sebastian replies bluntly. The conversation is over as far as he is concerned. He turns his back on her to face the computer, and places the knife back in its hiding place.
“Please cancel” Ebony says, a steely edge to her voice. At the same time, she wills the computer to shut down, and the bedroom door to close with a heavy thud behind her. He realizes the conversation is absolutely not over.
“If you put it like that, how can I help”, Sebastian laughs nervously. Ebony had never used magic in front of him before, let alone in a threatening manner. This has to be serious, he thinks, as he swings around to face her again.
The girl’s demeanor has changed completely. All signs of nervousness are gone, replaced by a frightening calm that unnerves Sebastian even more than the thudding of the door and the buzzing of the computer as it closes down behind him. He watches mesmerized as she walks gracefully across the room and sits down on his bed. “We are in trouble Sebastian. Khan is out to kill Guile and he has someone using black magic to back him up. It’s the only way he could have won the fight Friday night” Ebony says softly. Her piercing blue eyes cut right through him.
“Agreed, but Guile can, and will, handle it. He has very broad shoulders” Sebastian replies, in a matter of fact tone that masks his growing anxiety, and the fact that he can not meet her eyes. He knows she is right, they were all in trouble. Sebastian considered Khan dangerous, not in the usual sense of the word, but as in dangerous as a bushfire. The man would sweep through everything in his path leaving nothing but destruction in his wake. He had sensed this on Friday night at the fight, and the feeling of impending disaster had grown stronger with each passing day. Sebastian’s intention was to sit this battle out in the hope that Guile came through as he had so many times before.
“I want you to kill Khan, Tuesday night at the gym” Ebony says in the same relaxed tone. “I know he will be there around seven”.
Sebastian’s façade of calm crashes as his eyes finally meet hers and he realizes she’s serious. His breathing becomes shallow, and he now looks as pale as ebony had been when she had first entered the room. “Sebastian, this is a one shot job, in and out, he will never see it coming” Ebony continues “and I will make sure no one in the gym sees, well remembers you being there. You will have been training with Storm, Axel and my good self all Tuesday night”. Finally releasing her gaze from his, Ebony focus on the black metal safe in the corner of the room where his guns are kept.
“Let me think about this” Sebastian mumbles, holding on to the sides of his chair with both hands to stop the tremors that had started running through his body.
“You can’t sit this one out Sly. Guile needs our help, and god knows we owe it to him” Ebony says, as she gets up and leaves, again ignoring all formalities.

Sebastian is now alone in what has suddenly become a very cold room. His mind is in turmoil, rendering him unable to processes the conversation he had just had. Her final words “God knows we owe it to him” are looping through his head. But did he? Certainly he owed Guile, that was not the issue. The taking of another human life was. He was a doctor, a surgeon; killing went against everything he now believed. Granted, the government had only paid his way through medical school so he could better understand the ways in which a person could die, but somewhere along the line the thrill of saving a life had become greater than that of taking one. Then the thrill of taking a life had disappeared into distaste, and from there to self loathing. Sebastian had retired from his first job as a legally sanctioned killer (or cleaner) for the FBI at the age of 23, the year he had finished his internship at Florida State Hospital. The same year he had met Kalah.
The thought of Kalah sends Sebastian’s already confused mind back further in time then he cares to go. Back to the last life he had taken - hers. Kalah had been like Khan. She was dangerous, manipulated and used everybody she came in contact with. His sleek, red headed psychiatrist had enabled him to see his mother as the disturbed individual she was, allowing him to turn his anger away from himself and place it on her, where it belonged. For that he would be eternally grateful. For what followed, he could never forgive. Chasing redemption, he had killed again - this time at her request - murders, child molesters, tax agents. Her clients achieved justice through his sins. But she had lied. The only thing Kalah had cared for was money, and Sebastian had taken innocent lives. “One last job or I will hand you into the police so fast your head will spin” Kalah’s last words now looped through his head, replacing Ebony’s. He was stunned it had taken him three years to find the courage to pull the trigger.
No one in the gym takes a second look as Sebastian walks in. He notes roughly thirty people, mainly muscle-bound boxer types, pumping weights and checking their biceps in the full length mirrors positioned in every available space. The televisions mounted on the walls are playing a dated inspiration music video ‘eye of the tiger’. There are two exits - the front door through which he has just entered, and a fire exit towards the back wall. He attaches the silencer and switches the safety off the glock pistol concealed in the front pocket of his track pants, nods in greeting to Khan as he stops at the empty weight bench beside him. He places his drink bottle on the bench and pulls the gun out, keeping it hidden between the folds of his black work out towel, he waits calmly until khan has finished a set and is resting, gasping for breathe with his head lying flat on the bench. The pistol fires once, making a small hole through the towel. No one hears a sound above the music, and the bullet finds its mark in the centre of Khan’s Forehead. Sebastian knows this intuitively, and does not look back at the body, just picks up his drink bottle and proceeds out the front door. It is another minute or two before a first time visitor to the gym slips over the blood, knocking himself almost unconscious. Chaos breaks out as Sebastian steps into his Lexus and drives down Carson Street, hoping Ebony has been able to live up to her promise.
All heads turn and nod in recognition as Sebastian walks down the stairs and onto the floor of the gym. There are no weight benches here; only a punching bag, three wall bags, and one full length mirror at the back of the room. The boxing ring used for tournaments has been removed, leaving plenty of space for sparring. Knives and spears are stored in a box in the left hand corner nearest the stairs. Opposite is a wooden dummy used for practicing advanced Kung Fu. Samurai swords are mounted in positions of honor along the wall. This space calmed Sebastian immediately, it is his second home.
“Is Ebony with you?” Storm asks.
“No” Sebastian answers; taking in the strain on the young man’s face. Though only eighteen years of age Storm looks roughly thirty. Half American Indian and half Scottish he has the appearance of a warrior. Long blue black hair that falls to his waist, and coffee eyes that give nothing away. The only thing that the boy cares for, as far as Sebastian knows, is Ebony. The two had been inseparable since meeting a year ago.
“She’ll be back soon Storm, everything went fine” he continues softly. Realizing by his hostile manner that Ebony had told him everything and trying to calm the boy. He could not afford for Storm to get panicky and speak to Guile or the police.
“No problem” Storm replies, obviously lying. But turning back to the wall bag and tearing some more skin of his already bleeding knuckles.
Sebastian turns to face the only other people in the gym. Axel and Zoar are sparring and the mountainous Zoar has just pinned his smaller opponent against the wall. The red head takes two or three soft taps from Zoar, knock out punches by anyone else’s standards, to the face and chest and is allowed free.
“That move is never going to work, it’s too slow” Zoar taunts, stepping back into training stance, ready for another round.
“Fine, I’m going home. Let me sleep on it and get over the concussion. Hopefully something that works will come to me in a dream. In the meantime, why don’t you beat up Sebastian” Axel says, laughing, but sitting down on the floor - his back propped up against the wall with his left hand massaging a nasty purple bruise that is starting to surface on his right check.
“Lets go Doc” Zoar bellows, charging for Sebastian.
Sebastian does not answer he steps quickly to meet his friend’s attack and begins sparring. A minute later, as he hits the floor face first, he marvels, not for the first time at Zoar’s speed. Most big men are strong and slow, but Zoar is quick as lightning. He is Scandinavian, blonde and fair, with the temperament to match. Friendly and trusting to a fault, Zoar is the protector of the underdog. He wears a small silver hammer around his neck, the symbol of the Viking god Thor. Besides Guile, Zoar is the only man Sebastian fears; for anyone who has broken the trust he so easily gives has never regained it, and always regretted it.

No one hears the soft footsteps until Ebony is half way down the stairs and has taken in everything that is going on in the gym. Storm turns from the wall bag, smiles and walks straight to her hiding his bleeding hands behind his back. Sebastian and Zoar continue sparring, not shifting their focus from each other until Sebastian kicks Zoar’s leg out from underneath him, sending the giant thundering to the ground and stepping cat like out of range. Both men are exhausted and bruised but grinning like devils.
“Zoar, Can I steal your training partner?” Ebony says, as she hugs Storm and asks him to wait a second before they train.
“Are we sweet” Sebastian puffs, as they step into the center of floor and he sends a sly jab into Ebony’s ribs before she is ready.
“Naturally, no one at the gym remembers seeing you, somehow the shooting is all a blur” Ebony replies smiling sweetly. She then steps forward with a fake punch and kicks Sebastian’s legs out from underneath him sending the blonde crashing to the ground with the same technique he had used on Zoar a few minutes earlier.
“Bloody hell, I never should have taught you that move” Sebastian says, jumping up and moving towards Ebony who dances around him playfully keeping just out of range.
“Okay then Sabrina, let’s never speak of this again, go chill Storm out, he’s stressing”. Sebastian continues, as he steps back, bows politely and then heads towards the showers.

Sebastian feels the life draining out of his body, the air, the blood, the senses, all pulsating out of him slowly and painfully. It is not quick as he’d always imagined death to be and he is not accepting it gracefully, he is screaming, crying, begging to anyone who would listen, Zeus, Odin, Buddha, Allah, and God, anything to come back into the light. Bring on the night! The thought enters his mind, the fear leaves him and he relaxes surrendering to the darkness. The moment he relaxes oxygen rushes into his lungs, he can smell the incense that he had been burning the night before and he recognizes the stone carved ceiling of his bedroom. He lifts his head slowly which tightens the sheet that is wrapped around his neck; he understands now, his hands had been pulling tightly on opposite corners of the bedding and he had nearly strangled himself in his sleep. He releases his grip on the sheet and pulls it free from around his neck taking in great gasps of air and sits up covered in sweat and shaking uncontrollably. Looking at the alarm clock he sees it is only 2am, he will wait till sunrise to talk Zoar.

Zoar steps out the front door, pats Raki affectionately and receives a good morning lick on the hand in return, carefully avoids Rashki and is ignored completely for his efforts. He closes the front door and starts stretching in the large clearing outside the house. Peace lilies, jasmine and lavender are in full bloom and the air smells sweet with their scent. The front door opens again and Sebastian walks out, looking decidedly worse for wear, his eyes are red and his shoulders are hunched over with stress.
“okay, what’s up doc” Zoar asks, ten minutes later as they start running down the path away from the house and into the forest that surrounds the house.
“Less then twenty four hours ago I killed a man, the first life I’ve taken in fifteen years and it feels like my first” the words came rushing out in one long breath, and Sebastian breathes in deeply and quickens his pace to fall in beside Zoar who does not even break his stride as the confession sinks in.
“No one I like, I hope” Zoar replies, the warning tone in his voice unmistakable. However he slows his pace a little and allows Sebastian to continue.
“No-one you like, Khan. Ebony’s idea, she’s freaking out, thinks he was out to kill Guile and has someone backing him up with magic, I agree with her”. Sebastian says his breath coming easier and the tension starting to leave his body. They continue running in silence along the narrow path, jumping over logs and the occasional hedgehog. Neither man looking at the other just thinking and gradually increasing their pace as their muscles warm up with the exercise.
“The gym in town, a shooting in front of numerous on lookers and no one remembers a thing, Ebony’s doing? If she is using magic Guile will skin her alive. Zoar says, slowing down slightly, the sweat pouring out of him.
“I would like to see him try, that girl is getting powerful. Why is he so against her using magic anyway? Especially if it helps our cause, it makes no sense to me” Sebastian says, the pain in his body from running finally shutting out the fear and anxiety he had been feeling for the last couple of hours.
“Because, the pillars at the front of the house, J and B, are part of a protection spell. The magic dates back to the time of King Solomon and calls on the medieval gods of justice and mercy, Joachim and Boaz. The spell prevents anyone using black magic inside the house. The only problem is anyone using white magic inside the house will break the spell allowing black magic in” Zoar says, a note of panic in his voice, “now, has Ebony been using magic in the house?” He continues as they head back down the path towards the home.
“I need to speak to Guile, coming?” Sebastian asks, as they enter the front door locking it behind them.