zenemba (part 1)

[rone]

"For the final time, i have captured you.  And there will be no escape."

I struggled to parse the words and to get up, but my mind was fuzzy and my limbs didn't seem to make it very far.  I moved my lips and said, "Nnnnhh."  Cold water was poured into my mouth, which shocked me a bit, but i managed to swallow instead of choke.  I tried opening my eyes, but my eyelids only grudgingly rolled up halfway.  The room was poorly lit, which was probably for the best, given the circumstances.  I turned my head to look at my interlocutor and saw a woman sitting on a bench.  "Thanks, but—"  I recognized her.  "Oh, fuck."

"Yes, Hákovo.  It is i.  You did well to elude me this long."

I looked at the tattooed and scarred face, framed by ropy auburn hair.  "Fínach.  Damn it.  It was you chasing me, not some two-comet assassin that Nwūn hired."  I tried to sit up and failed again.  I inspected my limbs and found them naked and tied to the massage table on which i was lying.  My torso was also naked.  It made no sense... but then memory started coming to me.  "The girl.  Where is she?"

"Your whore is bound and gagged underneath you.  I told her to be quiet and be still, and she wasn't."  Fínach snorted.  "I am surprised that you show concern for her."

"I'm not concerned," i retorted sourly.  "I was just curious."  I frowned.  "How did i end up like this?"

"I drugged your wine pitcher while you were directing your attention elsewhere."  She stood up and her eighteen hands of height came into full view.

"I can't believe you finally caught me, of all places, in a brothel," i grumbled.

"Why?  It was an easy thing to do."  She sneered lightly at me.  "It was certain that you had to slake your lust; all i had to do was find out where."

"That's just it.  Assassins don't kill their targets in brothels.  Don't ask me why; it's some sort of honor code.  So i came here thinking i was safe and you caught me with my pants—"  I interrupted my involuntary witticism.  She raised an eyebrow but said nothing.  I shook my head and said, "Just make it quick."