The day of the Jackal - Part 4

"I've been looking into Dy- into /that man/ yesterday, and I have been successful, somewhat." The Jackal told her as he leaned into his chair and crossed his legs. She nodded and looked down at her coffee cup-

She grabbed her coffee cup and sipped while her hazel eyes stared at him.  She ran her hand through her coily hair and grabbed a fistful of it.  Seeing the man who ruined her life renewed her desire for revenge, and after the good night's sleep she had, Diane was ready to focus on finding that man and killing him. She realized that her agitated sleep might have happened because of suppressed memories. For two years she stopped thinking about that man and what he did to her. For two years, it felt as if she had given up revenge altogether for something better.  

"Shoot!"

"He was always in the background during important meetings of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging. He suddenly stopped appearing in pictures a year ago, and he had never been back there. The leader of the party was not the target because he's still alive and still in power. So, if he wasn't cozying up with that man to kill him, maybe he was hired by him."

"I haven't searched for potential deaths connected to that man. Maybe, if we look into it, the leader of that party hired /that man/ to execute his enemies. I know that some journalists were onto him. Rumours had it that one of them had a smoking gun about that leader, but I haven't followed that lead."

"Would that man take on odd jobs like this? Taking care of a journalist? I thought he was more into bigger missions."

"As long as he can kill, he doesn't care about what type of job it is." -She leaned into her chair and snarled a little.- "I really need to look at odd deaths in South Africa. What bothers me is his presence here. He's usually seen in Africa or South-Asia and rarely in Europe because he knows police might connect the dots more easily and they have more resources."

"MMmhhh..."

The Jackal nodded and ran his hand over his face. He held his chin for a minute, focusing on the last words she had said to him. So /that man/ was a mercenary who enjoyed his job. It wasn't just a means for him to earn money. He was in it for the thrill of killing people. He enjoyed taking lives, and if anything, what he did to Diane was the perfect example of a man who got off of inflicting pain onto others. Toppling governments, crushing rebellions, or killing a single dissident was all the same for him, so how did she know it was his work? How could she tell that a carnage that happened was because of him? He had to know. 

"I have a question, Diane. You said that you could recognize his work from anywhere. How exactly do you do it? What makes you tick when you look at a crime scene that indicates it's his work?"

"What he did to me.... The slashed back with his machete, the two gunshot wounds... It's his signature.  There is always one victim with these wounds... Always.  And when it comes to multiple victims...He needs to make them watch the horrors he's doing to others. You can tell by the way the bodies are placed. He doesn't move them after they're killed. It's always at least one victim who is made to watch and one victim, the one he handpicked, to torture like he did to me."

"He's a sexual sadist... He always signs his crime scenes for all to see. I understand."  -Diane nodded and put both hands on the table. She tapped her fingers against the wooden table and lifted her eye to stare into his blue eyes-  "Diane. I thought about something last night while working on that case. I think you're too traumatized by our target to be able to kill him. You've tried, god knows how many times you've tried to kill him, but every time you do, you freeze on the spot."

"No shit Sherlock!" -She retorted and chewed at her bottom lip- " I'm sorry. I'm lashing out at you like that. It hurts my pride to be unable to kill him. It hurts me deep into my core to be unable to finish that job." She admitted before leaning back into her chair.- "I have to know why you want to help me. It doesn't look like you at all, Jackal."

"Diane..."

"Answer me! Why do you care that much?" -She had to ask, and since this situation forced her to reveal so much about herself, she thought that it was only fair for her to know what truly motivated him.-

"Because I want to."

"It's not enough!" -She hit the table with the palm of her hand-

"Because I like the challenge!" -He replied in a monotonous tone-

"It's not enough!" -She raised her voice and hit the table harder this time-

"Because I want to take him off the streets!" -Bullshit! He didn't believe himself, but he felt cornered-

"It's /not/ enough! Stop giving me bullshit reasons!! Why. Do. You. Care???" -She yelled. both hands hit the table and made a very loud noise that bothered him enough to reply loudly-

"It's for you!" -She blinked. He blinked. He may as well have said he was in love with her, which he didn't do. Not now.- "It makes me sick to think that the man who hurt you can still freely walk the Earth. It makes me sick to see that you're so deeply hurt, and he lives as if it didn't matter! It makes me angry! It makes me vengeful! I cannot find peace as long as he breathes the same air as you.  It makes me sick because it happened to /you/." He took a deep breath, his alabaster skin now red from the pent-up anger that exploded right before her. Diane was speechless....confused even because she couldn't make sense of what he was saying to her. -

It was simple, come to think of it. The Jackal cared about her, and the thought of someone hurting the person he cared about was enough to send him spiraling into an unbridled rage. He wanted to be the one to avenge her, the one to do what she clearly couldn't do herself. He wanted to put /that man/ down like a rabid dog for her. Alex gained nothing from this kill because he offered to help and would never accept her money. Alex had no reputation to build because he already was a big name in the business, and the two of them were already intimate, so it wouldn't be sex. No... He genuinely cared for her, and because he did, he wanted to take away the pain she felt that was embodied by that man.  She felt tears pool in her eyes, and she decided to stand up and close the distance between the two of them. 

"Alexander..." -She whispered his name, her hand slowly cupped his cheeks, and she sat on his lap. He ensnared his arms around her frame and leaned his head against her ample and soft chest- "Thank you." She pressed her plump lips to the top of his head and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.  He cared about her in ways nobody ever did, and the realization that, perhaps, that man was in love with her like she was in love with him hit her like a truck. He was doing this for love. not vanity. not greed... but Love.- "Thank you." She whispered again,  feeling comfortable in his arms. 

Alex enjoyed her body against his and couldn't fight the stir in his loins as she sat on his lap. She could feel him twitch against her, and that elicited a soft moan from her. She wanted his touch and reacted to it without thinking. Her lips peppered his skin with kisses, first his left cheek, then his left ear, then she kissed her way to his forehead while her fingers lost themselves in the luscious reddish-brown locks of his. The Jackal groaned and pulled his head back so he could have a good look at Ghost's face. He wanted more, but he also knew she didn't eat or sleep well, and that took precedence over his own desire. There would always be time for the two of them to have sex, but this morning wasn't the right moment for that. He softened his gaze and sighed deeply to signal that he was going to interrupt the beginning of a hot morning, much to her dismay. Before she could say anything, Diane heard her belly noises. She gently patted Alex's chest and chuckled. 

"No need to tell me anything. I have to eat, shower, and rest today. I'll do my part and research any strange murders here, as well as follow the trail he left in South Africa. I know you have a job in Italy, so don't worry. I'll do my part, and I'll get myself together. You do your job, and when you're back, we'll take it right where we left."

"Is it a promise?" He asked, bemused. She shook her head.-

"No. It's a spoiler. Now go grab your things; I'll handle breakfast." He chuckled and waited for her to get off of him to stand up. - 

She turned around to return to her seat, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards him. Diane's hazel eyes grew wide open, and she bit her bottom lip. Alex gently cupped her cheek and stroked it with his thumb. He then pressed his lips to hers in a good, hard kiss. She moaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his waist. The kiss sent a shiver down her spine, and she closed her eyes. 

-----

"What about your wife and Son? Did you find them?" -She asked while running her finger over his chest. Her lips pressed against his nipple- 

"I did." -He closed his eyes and ran his hand through her braids. He held her scalp and started to massage it. "She's no longer my wife, Enora."

"What... happened?" She furrowed her brows. "Did you...?"

"No! No! Not like that. I found Nuria and Carlito and observed them for a month just to know what her new life was like. She had a new man who had welcomed Carlito and loved him like his own son. I saw my wife smile, even laugh. She was happy. My son was taken care of and happy, I didn't feel like... interrupting."

"You? Giving up on Nuria without a fight? I don't believe you. You talked to her, didn't you?" -He clenched his jaw and stroked her cheek with his thumb- 

"I... did. I talked to her. After a while, I couldn't bring myself not to. I needed to hear her say those words."

"Which words?" - She whispered in his ear-

"That she didn't need me anymore. That she had moved on. That she would protect our son and provide him with everything he needed without me. I put their lives in danger with my lies, and I couldn't.... I can't afford to have the life I dreamed of. Not with her. Not with our son."

"Did she tell you?"

"She told me she divorced the man she married and after so long, she realized that she had married a ghost. She loved Charles but hated the Jackal. She loved Charles but realized that she was nothing but a pawn, a cover, or even worse, a lie I told myself. Nuria was harsh but right. I couldn't... make her endure another life with me. She promised she wouldn't say anything because it would compromise their lives, but to her, Charles was dead. I didn't fight her. I couldn't... I couldn't fight her because she was right. I never was Charles Calthrop. I hoped, once, that I could fully embody him one day, but it was a dream out of reach for me."

"So you parted ways.... peacefully?" -Diane curbed a brow, and he nodded-

"I realized that I broke her trust in me, and you don't ever recover from breaking the trust of someone you love.  If they had stayed with me, I know they would have been unhappy. Caring for them would mean that I should make sure they were happy. And they were happy without me. As bad as it hurt me, it was the truth. I set them free, and I disappeared."

"Did you sign those papers?"

"What do you think? I signed them as soon as I got them, and I sent them back to Nuria so she could finalise the divorce. As of today, I am a divorcee." -He bitterly chuckled-

 Ghost leaned her cheek against his chest. He was far more upset at the situation than he let on. Could she blame him? He had genuinely loved Nuria and their son, and losing them hit harder than he expected. Of course, it would hit hard. Deep down, however, she felt reassured to know that he was a single man with no ties that could leave her and break her heart. Selfish? Yes, she was selfish. At this moment in their relationship, Ghost didn't want the Jackal to leave her. She enjoyed his company, far more than she cared to admit. She wanted to spend more time by his side, and she knew that with a family waiting for him, his attention would never fully be on her.  She bit her bottom lip and leaned into his chest a little harder. Why did she feel this relief over this information? She didn't want him to see her face, so she kept it close to his chest. 

"Then you are free to break my heart anyway you please." -She said in a teasing tone.-

"As if I intended to do such a thing. Enora... I am content with the life we're leading right now."

"You can't blame a girl for trying to prepare herself, Charles." -She pressed a kiss to his chest and closed her eyes- "I'll keep you to your word then. to leave Nuria and Carlito alone so they could have a chance at being happy. I'll keep you to your word."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I don't want you to suffer. Going back would hurt you more than anything, and more importantly, it would hurt them more than anything. I'm looking after you, here."

"How generous of you..." He said, giving her a light kiss on top of her head. "I appreciate it."

And he genuinely did. He could tell she was sincere and wanted to protect him from potential heartbreak. Ultimately, she was right about something: his life with Nuria and Carlito was over. He knew best than to hold onto an old dream. Here, in her arms, Alexander Duggan felt comfortable and safe and it was all that mattered for him. 

-TBC-

GoT (regular): A snake getting closer -theo xBäahal-

GoT (regular): A snake getting closer -theo xBäahal-

Theodore Tyrell couldn't stop himself. He needed to see the princess again, especially after the dance number she did at Highgarden a couple of months ago. He managed to track her down this time at Winterfell. Arranging a trip to Winterfell wasn't difficult because he needed to visit the lord of Winterfell. Making sure that he would be there at the same time as the princess was another challenge, but he managed to get it. He found her at the balcony of the ballroom, and upon laying his eyes on her, the heir of the House Tyrell swallowed a lump. The princess was mesmerizing! Her silver hair was cascading down her back and flattered her calves. 

She looked as if she were crowned with silver, which caught his attention. She heard his footsteps and turned on her heels to face and greet him properly. She was wearing a beautiful black cotton dress with a red dragon stitched on her chest and long black gloves to protect her from the biting cold.  Her hair had two long braids that kept her wild silver locks from bothering her face.  He looked at her delicate features and lovely soft and plump lips, and for a brief moment, Theo's knees almost buckled. She was impossibly beautiful, so much so that he believed she was not real.  Bäahal tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing a little bit because she was trying to remember when she saw that man. After all, he felt familiar.

"Greetings, lord Tyrell. I have been informed of your visit and wanted to greet you properly."

"Greetings, your grace." He respectfully bowed to her and gently crossed the distance between them. He grabbed her gloved right hand and pressed his lips to its back before he released it. "I am thrilled to meet you again. I never had the chance to tell you how delightful your dance was. I understand that you don't always perform in public, but it was an honor to watch you dance that night."

"Oh, you enjoyed the dance? I am very glad that you did! It was my way of thanking the host and rekindling my love for dancing. Thank you, my kind lord, for your encouraging words." She gently nodded and put her hands back on the balcony.

"I couldn't get my eyes off of you, your grace. I can't seem to find the right words to describe how beautiful it was. Your grace, I hope you will dance again for us." -He smiled at her- "I have to say.... Since that day, I have wanted to see you again. I didn't think it would be possible, yet here we are."

"You're flattering me, Lord Tyrell. I am but an ambassador for the queen, and because of this, I am always on the road. I would have met you again, eventually."

"But I'd rather have you here where there would be no one to interrupt us." -He let it slip that he wanted more than just pleasantries and superficial connection. It was not as subtle as he wished to be, but he was hopeful the princess would get his drift.-

"......" -She swallowed a lump and pinched her lips together for a moment- "Is there something you want to say to me, Lord Tyrell? I am not sure I understand what you meant by 'interrupt us.' " -She decided to play coy, which made the young man smirk and chuckle. Alright, she would be harder to get, which he had to expect from the princess of the Seven Kingdoms, after all.-

" I simply wish to get to know you better. I hope that the few days spent here would allow us to become familiar with each other." -He wanted to slip his arm around her shoulders and push her against his chest, but he knew better than to act so defiantly.-

Instead, he chose to be a little bit mysterious so she would be interested in him.  Bäahal, unlike Theodore, did not catch his intention. Unfortunately, her experience with men was severely limited to those who didn't try to hide their intentions to her. She knew when a man desired her because they had lust in their eyes and acted in such a way that she couldn't mistake their desire with anything else. She knew when a man wanted to possess her but couldn't see when he was flirting or genuinely in love with her. That explained why she interpreted Jaime's attempt to protect her from loving him as full rejection.  That explained why it took Jaime to spit it out clearly for her to realize that he was in love with her just like she was in love with him. If it wasn't spelled clearly, she couldn't see it. She didn't have the tools to notice when someone wanted a relationship with her. 

"Then, we will take the opportunity of these couple days together to get to know each other better. I am sure you have extraordinary stories to tell. So we would discuss at dinner with our host and maybe during the day if we're both off-duty. It was pleasant seeing you again, but I think I would retire to my quarters until dinner. I wish you well." -And she left-

Theodore was far more complex than others gave him credit for. There was desire for Bäahal, a strong lust that held him in a chokehold from the moment he laid his eyes on her. There was also a genuine affection for the princess, based on what he heard about her -her bravery at the siege, her straight-forwardness, and that child-like innocence that made her appreciate the little things in life- and on what he saw of her -her uncanny beauty that blinded him when he first laid eyes on her, the way she laughed, the way she danced and that warm gaze of hers whenever she looked at chidlren-. He wanted her. Carnally, biblically, and fully. He wanted her!  He heard rumours of her being betrothed to the filthy Kingslayer Jaime Lannister. It baffled him that she would choose to be with that man, regardless of how much hated he was in the Seven Kingdoms. He had to see for himself why someone like her would pick someone like him. He had to see if there was a way to sway her in his favor and to show the princess that there were more deserving men out there. He had to. 

 

Doya: Saving lives

 Oya ran her hand through her curly hair and leaned into her chair.  The current case they were working on together with Dean was far more complex than she first thought it would be.  She stroked her chin and furrowed her brows.  It always was easy when the monsters were not humans. It was easier to fight them and easier to put them down. What was more difficult was when humans were involved in the evil they fought. Oya and Dean always tried to reason with them -unless these bastards willingly killed humans, kids, and babies-. They would always try to convince them to stop whatever incantations and rituals they wanted to achieve. More often than not, Dean and Oya managed to make these humans stop whatever shit they were trying to do but a good chunk of them were hardcore believers in Evil. They were rotten inside, and the only way to protect lives was to treat them like they treated most of the monsters they fought. They had to kill humans. Oya hated it, not because she did the right thing and helped rid the world of scums. 

She hated it because it reminded her that humans could sometimes be worse than monsters. Humans knew better than to hurt others, and yet, some of them chose to do it. In this case, she honestly believed that the humans in there were evil. They were in a cult and wanted to sacrifice human lives to summon a lord of Hell to Earth. She knew they wouldn't be reasoned with, and the only way to deal with them would be to kill them. She dropped her head against her arms and sighed deeply.  She hated to take lives, but it sure looked like she would have no other choice but to do it if she wanted to save lives.  The hunter looked at her husband and bit at her bottom lip. Her hazel eyes stared at Dean, who knew what was troubling her. He had watched Oya in these circumstances. He knew that she was emotionally torn between her duties and her desire to protect human lives. He sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. This case would be dealt with like all the other cases they worked on. What mattered was that they saved lives, and if they had to take down some humans while doing so, then they were prepared for it.  Oya made a little bit of noise and leaned into his touch, feeling comforted by his presence. They would focus on saving lives. She would focus on saving lives. 

COPG: Life and Death of Ishtar: he was ready to put an end to it.

COPG:  Life and Death of Ishtar: he was ready to put an end to it. 

Ishtar didn't wait for Ayasha to be ready and instantly teleported to the location she gave him.  He needed to see for himself the truth of her words. As soon as he arrived, he noticed how unusual the place looked. How come this place was such a wreck in the middle of tall buildings? It was completely taken over by flowers, vines, and other vegetation that made it look like a wild garden.  The naked eye could be fooled and would think that it was a genuine natural event, but he knew better. He could see the essence of his sister all over the place. He could literally see it on the floor mixed with the cum of that disgusting beast that was the Sin. He could see her godly essence at every corner of the former room, at the feet of every plant that grew from the blood of humans. He could see her influence and her essence lingering in this garden as well as the thoughts and emotions of the mortals who died within those walls.  They had sex there.  He could smell her. He could feel it in his bones, what had transpired in this room. It was as if the scene was playing in his very eyes. -courtesy of his beloved sister's essence-. 

He felt the jaws of jealousy seize his heart and squeeze it hard as he looked over the whole scenerie. He could see his sister, laid on the floor, legs open for all to see. He could see it now, the cock of the Sin sliding in and out of his beloved sister. He could hear her screams, the choked moans as she would beg for more. He could feel how depraved that event was despite being unable to see what had exactly unfolded. All he could feel were the desires from the mortals slain here. He could feel their desperation for the goddess, their lust mixed with anger and bloodlust. He could feel them lose their minds and kill each other in the name of Elpis. It wasn't just her mere presence there that caused such a ruckus. No. She actively influenced them to give everything to her as tributes. They worshipped her, plain and simple, and she turned their lives upside down. If anything, life booming in this secluded place, turning the building into pieces, was a testament of her power.  Elpis had nothing to do with the meek goddess they convinced her to be. She was reclaiming her power, and that was easy to see. 

Ayasha finally arrived, her blonde vessel dropped in nothing but a white and gold toga. She noticed the scenery and quickly came to the same conclusion as Ishtar. It was Elpis' doing. This place reeked of her essence, and the display of power was obscene but willful. Her dear sister wanted them to find it and to know that she was able to roam the Earth without being noticed by Ayasha's spies. It also was a way for her to showcase her power and influence on mortals. She had tapped into the destructive side of Life, as those trees that grew from the pools of blood and entrails on the floor testified. She had made such a bold and flamboyant move that Ayasha understood the gravity of the situation. Elpis was in control. For the first time in a long time, she was the one calling the shot, and worse than anything, she had vanished from their eyes and could strike at any moment. Ayasha swallowed a lump. 

"Brother-mine. If anything, this is Elpis' declaration of war."

"Do you think I don't see it? She's taunting us with her display of power!" -He roared. His voice boomed in this makeshift garden. Ayasha swallowed a lump and bit her bottom lip-

"Ishtar... She is more powerful now than she's ever been. She grew trees and vines and flowers from inside a building. She tore this place into a million pieces and turned it into a garden. You can see it, can't you? Her influence? Humans worshipped her to the point of killing each other and themselves in doing so. They gave her everything, from their essence to their lives, and she took every last bit of it.  I think we do not need more evidence than the ones we already have. She is coming for us and we should be ready for it. She knows her way around the Prima Donna so..."

"Ayasha, I can feel fear squeeze your throat." -She dropped her head, blonde locks fell on her chest-

"I am afraid, brother-mine. I can admit it. I am afraid she would come and snuff us out of existence like she did the Sumerian Pantheon. I do want to live. So please... Please... I need to know that we're going to win this war." -Ishtar's face softened as he heard his sister's pleas. She must have been genuinely desperate for her to admit how scared she was. He realized that at this moment, he was the only one who could bring her some sort of comfort-

"I promise you that." 

He pulled her into a tight hug because he thought that she needed to be held in his powerful arms. Deep down, however, He was extremely angry. Jealousy had eaten him alive, and all he wanted was to find the Sin and kill him for good. He couldn't bare the thought of that abomination fucking his sister. He couldn't bare the thought of her debasing herself with Pride in front of an audience. He had to put an end to it and he was willing to rush things over.