The Conflict, Part III, Third Installation in the Grey Trilogy
1177 NC - Ryll western hemisphere - Darlanea - Early Spring - Noon
Grey landed at a busy port in Darlanea. He knew that Fox hated the countryside and loved the big cities. So he hunted here; the second largest city on the planet.
After hacking into and searching the computer's data banks of current check-ins, he came up with nothing, swearing at himself for looking into such a largely accessed file, which is where Fox would definitely not be.
Grey checked into the port authorities, then rented a roadster and sped off to where he thought he might find Alem, which would be any place fit for a king, yet had enough closure...
First, Grey searched the Bar/Inns and came up short of a few red whiskers. Fox had definitely been to one; the Irish Tymes Tavern. But he had left quite a bit earlier.
Then an idea struck Grey's mind; Fox would much rather reside in a downtown summer home. So he searched the roadster's data banks for all of the downtown rent-out apartments.
He found one; the Cileone's Suite in the Auberge Élégante de Suites. It fit all of Fox's preferred habitat.
Grey closed down the computer and sped five miles to the hotel.
Once there, Grey parked the vehicle half a block from the Inn. He made sure his cloak covered his duel-neutron blasters. He slowly put contacts in his eyes that seemed to colour the iris a lightning-striked yellow and the pupil a smooth, misty blue. Grey then put on leather gloves. He made sure his turtle-neck and cloak didn't show any part of his neck. No skin was showing, except for that of his face and forehead. He then put on dark shades.
Grey slowly stepped out of the car and walked casually to the entrance of the Inn. Once inside, Grey asked the front clerk for Alem Foxwind's room. She asked for proof of their association for security purposes. Grey said that Alem had a scar on the lower left side of his back and a small indentation of a scar on the left side of his cheek and jawbone. He carried a black briefcase with the initials A.F.F.
Grey noticed the unsatisfaction in her eyes. He then said, "And he only stays in rooms ending in the number six, being the number the letter F is in the alphabet."
She shut him up and gave him a key card.
Grey quietly walked up the red carpeted stairs to the elevator and entered. He entered the sixth floor and searched for room 626; Fox's room.
The elevator stopped and Grey stepped out and looked around, nonchalantly, yet keeping his eyes open. He noticed the numbers decreased to the left, and he was at door 650, so he headed left. He reached the door to room 626 and stopped.
He's dumb enough; he'd fall for the 'staff' trick...
Grey knocked on the door. At first, he heard no reply whatsoever. He waited, patiently. He knocked again. Grey then heard a voice, getting closer, say, "Yeah? What?" It was Alem's voice...
"Bellhop; you dropped some credits downstairs, sir," Grey said in his impression of a young adult's voice. Grey then slid his shades up and turned around, but stood close enough to the door that Alem could only see the back of his head.
Grey heard the door knob turn. He stood still; no stance, no facial emotions. He then slid his shades back down with his leather-gloved hand. Alem opened the door. Grey struck Fox in the midriff with a flat arm and fist.
Foxwind flew back and fell down, gasping. He reached to his bed for his blasters. Grey closed the quickly closed the door, pulling out a blaster at the same time. He fired at the bed where the blasters were laying, and water started flowing out and the bed was emptied.
"Wait... Wait... Who are... What do you want?!" Alem scrambled to a sitting-up position.
"I want you... dead," Grey said.
"D-Daverekk?" Fox said, using the bed to help him stand upright.
"What - Couldn't forget my face? Or my heart-wrenching hatred for this person standing before me who calls himself a warrior?"
"Ah, well, I just didn't think anyone else had the guts..."
Foxwind felt a quick blow to the side of his face, brought by the backside of the fist of his dead enemy's son. Fox fell to the floor and grunted.
"Stand up," Daverekk said in a low voice. " NOW!"
Alem stood up.
"Fight me," Daverekk ordered.
"You want me to kill you like I did your father?" Fox said, snickering.
"No. I want you to kill me like a man; with the weapons God gave you."
The tall, red-haired man took his forged fighting pose. He swung his left arm at Daverekk and connected with Daverekk's blocking arm, then took a right swing to him and got his right arm. Daverekk reacted with a quick leg sweep, sending Alem to the ground. Daverekk let his cloak swish above Alem's head.
Alem Fox stood and took a more serious stance. He thrust his left arm out, connecting with Daverekk's blocking arm, then a right to Daverekk's attacking arm, then a knee to the exposed midriff. Daverekk stumbled, holding his stomach and cringing, but got up and replied with a snapping spin kick to Alem's side, knocking him into a glass table.
Alem didn't get up.
"Ugh." Alem moaned, laying on the floor. "Please, Grey, don't..."
"Why Alem? Why?" Grey questioned with closed, white-knuckled fists.
"I... I was greedy," Alem replied. "I realise that now... I robbed them. I was greedy... Please! Spare me!"
"I wouldn't give you the opportunity of living another day; not as long as I have my wife and, soon, daughter." Grey grabbed Fox's collar and pulled his right arm back. Alem faintly struggled. " F* no**!"
"Sh**." Grey stood over Foxwind's motionless body.
Grey ran. He took his contacts out and took everything with him, as to leave no evidence behind. He took his blasters, as well as Alem's, and ran. Grey flew. He took his wife with their daughter and flew.
(This message has been edited by The Space Between (edited 02-28-2003).)
Good job!