ATLANTION - LAYLA BOOK1

Part 44 Adam Callidus

Detective Adam Callidus sat in his dimly lit office, lost in thought. The case he was working on had taken a toll on him, and he needed to clear his head. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and reached for his box of cigars. As he lit one, he closed his eyes and took a deep drag, relishing the silence and the faint smell of leather from his chair.

Mrs. Fairsight had come in earlier, weeping over the disappearance of her granddaughter. The love-struck policeman, Amos Morgan, had been assigned to the case, but he had also vanished without a trace. Adam couldn't help but feel frustrated with the lack of progress. It seemed as though people didn't care about someone's disappearance if they weren't related or connected in some way.

His assistant, Felis, sat nearby, watching him with a mixture of sadness and disapproval. He knew she wanted him to do more to find Morgan, but he couldn't bring himself to care anymore. Morgan was most likely dead, and finding his body wouldn't change anything. Besides, he had no family or loved ones to mourn him.

"How can Mrs. Fairsight still remember her granddaughter after all these years?" Felis asked, breaking the silence.

Adam considered her question. It was a good one. He had seen firsthand how humans could hold onto memories and emotions for years, even decades. It was a trait he admired and envied at times.

"Humans have incredible resources," he replied absently, watching the shades in the room dance and flicker.

Felis continued to watch him, and he could feel her eyes boring into him. He knew she was trying to read him, to see if he still had any humanity left in him. He had been in this business for a long time, and it had hardened him. But he was beginning to see that there was more to life than just solving crimes and catching bad guys.

"She's going to die, and she won't even have a body to bury after the Monster Duke finishes with her," Felis said, her voice filled with emotion. "We have to do something."

Adam didn't respond. He knew the Dark Duke was a dangerous man, and going after him would be suicide. Besides, it wasn't their case anymore. He just wanted to forget about it and move on with his life.

Felis reached out and touched his shoulder, and he tensed. But then she leaned in and nibbled on his ear, and he relaxed. It had been so long since he had felt a woman's touch, and he couldn't deny the thrill it brought him.

As she traced the scars on his body, Felis noticed the symbol on his arm was missing. She asked about it, and he tensed up again. It was a reminder of his past, a past he had tried to leave behind. He had burned off the tattoo, hoping it would erase the memories too.

"It's none of your business," he replied sharply, trying to hide his discomfort.

But Felis was persistent. She dug deeper, trying to uncover his secrets. She had a way of getting information out of people, and he had to be careful. He knew he shouldn't trust her completely, but he couldn't resist her.

"Your cold, icy eyes and the dagger tattoo," Felis said, her eyes widening in realization. 

"You... an assassin?" Felis breathed out, staring at Adam with wide eyes. Her nails dug into his chest, betraying her shock and fear.

Adam's expression remained unchanged, his eyes still cold and distant. He reached under the couch and pulled out a gun, the metal glinting menacingly in the dim light. Without hesitation, he aimed and fired.

A sickening sound filled the air as the bullet hit Felis, and blood spurted from her nose and mouth. She fell back onto the couch, her body convulsing with the impact of the bullet. The crimson liquid spread out beneath her, staining the once pristine fabric.

Adam's hand remained steady as he lowered the gun and stared at the lifeless body on his chest. He had been an assassin, it was true, but that life was long behind him. Or so he had thought. Now, with the taste of blood on his tongue and the scent of death in his nostrils, he knew that some parts of him would never change.

The room was silent, except for the sound of Adam's heavy breathing and the occasional drip of blood from Felis's wounds. The dim light cast an eerie red glow on the scene, the color of blood and death.

Adam couldn't help but think of all the lives he had taken in his past as an assassin. He had always told himself that he was doing it for the greater good, but now, as he looked down at Felis's lifeless body, he realized that he had only been fooling himself. The tragedy of it all weighed heavily on his conscience, and he knew that he would carry the guilt with him for the rest of his life.