The Midnight Cleaning Company

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Vincent dragged Josephine through the crowd, his hand clasped around her wrist. He tugged so hard that her hand turned blue as he threaded through the crowd of Elders who had resumed their display of distaste by ignoring our presence. George stormed after them, attempting in his fury to barge through the Elders in his path, but only succeeded in bouncing off and staggering through them like a pinball.

As soon as we had reached the glass corridor that ringed the courtyard George seized Vincent's shoulder and wrenched it backwards, breaking the grip on his wife's wrist. Josephine slapped Vincent across his face. He turned to spit blood but was interrupted as George threw him against the glass. The clear window caved into a spider web of cracks behind him.

"Absolutely and categorically no!" George bellowed into Vincent's face.

After he was released Vincent slowly wiped the spittle from his eyes and composed himself, drawing on his last reserves of self control to remain calm.

"Do you even remember the reason you joined us?" said Vincent. "It was not out of concern for the troops, they meant less the nothing to you, you dedicated your existence to hunting and exterminating them."

George stiffened but said nothing. I placed my hand on George's shoulder. He was far to angry to ever be persuaded by Vincent.

"You joined the Rogues to be with your long lost wife, to have a chance of a life together, away from your masters who had ripped you from each other", I said. "To be perfectly honest it was a slim chance. I am certain that you both knew you would likely die in the attempt. I saw the way you held hands and marched together to meet Abiowe and the Elders tonight".

The tension in his shoulders lessened as he realised the truth in my words.

"Now you do not have to die together. We have achieved what you both wanted, now you can live together".

George nodded and turned to face me. My lips split into a grin. We had done it. We were free. As Elders we had unlimited agency to go wherever and do whatever we pleased. My colleague since the last rebellion now my friend in the new one of our making, was ready to embark on this new liberated life alongside Vincent and me; until he met his wife's gaze. George realised then that Josephine had been with the Rogues since they had lost each other. She had lead them the whole time that he had assumed her to be dead. They were her family as much as he was. She moved to protest but he already understood.

"No!" barked George and shook his shoulder free of my hand.

"We made them. The Rogue army is our responsibility. I will not sacrifice them to join our enemy". George's eyes bulged and a vein in his forehead pulsated. His anger was matched by that of his wife. Josephine's eyes were ablaze with rage. The two of them were poised to destroy. They would carve a path through all that obstructed them.

I looked to Josephine to plead with her to see reason, but she shot me a glare of loathing.

"You would betray uz?" she asked, her voice softer than her expression, showing the hurt cut deeper than rage.

Vincent had seen enough. We had both reasoned with them but had failed to convince them to join us. Now from his perspective they were a lost cause. Vincent sighed mournfully and dropped to one knee. Bemused, the three of us watched as he drew a small snub nosed revolver from a concealed holster on his ankle, leapt up and pressed the short barrel against Josephine's unscarred cheek.

"You will not take this from me!" Vincent growled. His hand trembled with rage.

"You had a gun with you the whole time? Where the fuck was it when we attacked Verenious?" I said.