Crossroads
Two large guards parted ways allowing Guillos into the hospital suite. The doors closed behind him and for a few moments he simply stood there scowling, his eyes burning holes into Umbri. He was sitting in the bed, propped up against the headrest with pillows at his back. The wounds on his back and hand were nearly healed, though it had only been a few days since he arrived. It had been a long three days for Umbri. He played the events of the attack over and over again in his head. Horgor's lifeless eyes found their way into his dreams.
"Well?" Guillos finally opened the conversation.
Umbri sat in silence, staring ahead at the wall.
Guillos scoffed, "Oh? Did the sheep cut out the wolf's tongue?" He lifted his right hand towards Umbri and a crystal ring began to shine softly. Umbri felt his head turn and there was little he could do to stop it. "You'll look at me when I speak!"
"Apologies." Umbri bowed his head apologetically.
"Now, what the FUCK happened?" There was brimstone in Guillos' voice.
Umbri knew the Magistrate was already aware of what happened, but he recanted the details of the attack for him anyway. "We'll increase security, it won't happen again."
"You're damn right it won't happen again! They're getting brazen, far too brazen! To think they would attack us this directly, just minutes away from the Tower." Guillos took his focus off Umbri and walked over to the window. From there he could see the Tower reaching up over the city. "What we discussed the other day, make it happen. By the end of the week, no later."
"Sir, a plan like this requires weeks, if not months of work. The smallest misstep and the blame with land at our feet." Umbri plead his case.
Guillos turned back towards him, "Either it gets done by the end of the week, or I will have a new Captain come next Monday, understand?"
Umbri nodded, "Understood. It will be done."
"Good." Guillos smiled, "I'll leave you to it then."
He left as quickly as he had arrived and once again Umbri was left alone with his thoughts. Umbri pushed himself off the bed and gingerly walked to the window. He looked down to the street below and watched as the people went about their day. The Magistrate had ensured that news of the Sheep remained limited. The people below were only mildly aware of the storm that was brewing. They would know soon enough.
Umbri stood and watched for some time. Once the sun had fallen below the horizon he returned to his bed to rest for the night. He fell asleep thinking of the woman he had seen at the attack.
A voice startled Umbri out of his sleep, "Wakey, wakey Umbri."
The room was dark, only a minor gleam of moonlight leaked in through the window. Umbri groggily looked around the room for the source of the voice. He saw a shadowy figure sitting in a chair in the corner of the room.
"Look at ya, they messed you up pretty good." It was a sly voice, a familiar one.
Umbri swung his legs over the bedside and grabbed a glass of water from the table. "You shouldn't be here."
He shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe, maybe not. You shouldn't be here either, ya know? Bit of a mix-up."
Umbri harrumphed, "Is that an apology? They killed Horgor."
"Ah, shit. I'm sorry Umbri, I know he was a good friend." It was a feigned condolence, not that Umbri expected the real thing.
"Get on with it, why'd you come?" They wouldn't have risked discovery if it were for no reason.
The man leaned forward in the chair, the light illuminated the lower half of his face revealing a bright mouth surrounded by an olive jaw. "We know what that...fuck head Guillos has planned, what you're supposed to be doing."
Umbri raised an eyebrow, "That so? Who else is on the inside?"
"Now, I trust ya Umbri, I really do, but you know we can't go around giving names like that. Heck, can't even give you my name."
Umbri gave him a sideways glance. It was true, he never knew what to call this man during their visits, so he refrained from calling him anything. All he was was a contact, a go between. "I'll change his mind, give him another path."
"Don't." The man replied curtly.
Umbri hadn't expected that response. "Don't?"
"Don't." He repeated. "You do what he tells ya to do. We can handle it on our end."
"I'm tired of these games."
"I know, you know we are too. But this games almost over friend, Guillos can't do a damn thing about it." The mouth was grinning now.
The arrogance angered Umbri. "How can you be so sure? You know what they're capable of!"
"Damn right I do, but he doesn't give us the credit we deserve. We ain't the roaches he thinks us. They sit up there in their ivory Tower and step all over us. Its about time we stepped back, don't ya think?" The man stood up, his face disappearing back into the shadows. "Well, I better get a move on it. Don't want to get caught fraternizing with one of them."
"Hold on." Umbri suddenly remembered the woman from the crowd. "At the attack, I saw a woman. Tall, red hair. Had the same skin as you. One of yours?"
The man stood and thought for a moment. "Hmm, doesn't ring a bell. You sure she was involved? Crash probably had your head swimming. Maybe knocked some wires loose."
"Could be..." Umbri couldn't help but feel the man knew more than he let on. The crash was rough, but Umbri wasn't one to imagine things. That woman was involved, he was sure of it.
"Don't you worry about it Umbri, just do what you gotta do." He turned to the window and opened it before pausing for a moment. "You be careful Umbri."
Umbri just nodded and the man disappeared into the night. There was more to that meeting than the man had let on, Umbri was sure of it. He was left with an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. The Sheep were getting careless, he thought. If they underestimated Guillos everything would be for naught.
It was a restless night. Umbri contemplated the best way to carry out Guillos' order, he also wondered how the Sheep would respond to it. The nameless man had first contacted him several years prior after Umbri lost his wife. He knew he was just a tool to them, and they were the same to him. He never told Umbri who he worked for, but Umbri knew he wasn't one of the Sheep. He was something different, something more hidden. The Sheep were chaos and this man was simply shaping them, guiding them in the necessary direction. The group he was a part of was dangerous, but dangerous to the people that Umbri wished danger upon.
After some time Umbri finally dozed off to sleep. He dreamed again that night, this time not of the forest or the light. He dreamed of the woman from the crowd. She was familiar to him. The familiarity made him queasy. There was something about her that filled him with dread.
Thanks for reading chapter six! Feel free to give feedback on my writing style, always looking to improve. If you enjoyed it, give me a follow so you don't miss any future chapters. Here are the links to previous chapters for anyone who missed out!
Chapter One: https://steemit.com/fiction/@crossedsteems/crossroads-chapter-one#comments
Chapter Two: https://steemit.com/writing/@crossedsteems/crossroads-chapter-two-where-am-i
Chapter Three: https://steemit.com/writing/@crossedsteems/crossroads-chapter-three-welcome-to-crossroads
Chapter Four: https://steemit.com/writing/@crossedsteems/crossroads-chapter-four-midway
Chapter Five: https://steemit.com/writing/@crossedsteems/crossroads-chapter-five-shepherds-and-sheep