Station, стр. 82

Hadder smoothed back his friend's hair, fightingback the tears. "She's ok, Royal. I just checked on her. She'sfine. Now let's get you some help."

Royal closed his eyes tightly, as if frustrated,swung his head side to side. He opened them again, looked at Hadderpleadingly. "Lilly."

Hadder's face softened, thinking his wounded friendcouldn't understand that Lilly was safe. "She's ok, Royal. Ichecked on her already. Now let's get ready to move you."

Hadder got to his knees, ready to lift his friendfrom his bed of plasma, when he noticed Royal's eyes go wide,staring past him. "What is it, buddy? Does it..."

Hadder's words were cut off as a sharp blade plungedbetween his shoulder blades, forcing him to drop Royal to thefloor. A second blow pierced his side, shattering ribs and clippinghis liver. A third stab caught him higher, entering his right lung,and sent Hadder spiraling towards the ground to land atop Royal.Hadder spun onto his back, determined to face his attacker head-on,determined to inflict some pain of his own before he expired.

Unfortunately, that determination washed away likechalk in a rainstorm when he looked up to see Lilly Sistinestanding above him, knife in hand, metal dripping more of his bloodon the Bar floor. Gone were the tears and the snot. Gone was theterrified girl who curled up in the corner, waiting for Hadder tosave her. A woman of consequence stood before him, content with herdecision, comfortable in her execution.

Too dismayed to find words, Hadder scooted backusing his elbows and feet, sliding in the muck that would soon beall that remained of Marlin Hadder and Royal Winters. Lilly cameforward, knife leading, a mask of stoicism covering heronce-enchanting face.

In a burst of denial, Hadder threw himself up andover the counter, crashing down on the other side and causingripples of agony from his three wounds. He rose quickly andattempted to make for the entrance, but slipped on the wet surfaceand collapsed to the ground once more. His breath becameincreasingly labored as his right lung filled with liquid. Walkingnow out of the question, Hadder began to crawl towards the doubledoors, making little progress on the red-stained wood.

"Marlin, please. Don't make this any harder than ithas to be."

The hard voice came from just behind Hadder. Thewounded man flipped onto his back, found the face of the woman withwhom he expected to spend the remainder of his second life. Hechuckled silently, thinking he obviously still might. "Why?"

Lilly Sistine began to pace around Hadder, steppingcarefully. "It's simple, Marlin. You and Royal and Glen are alrightwith dying for Station. I'm not. I didn't like dying the first timeand don't figure on doing it again any time soon. Anyway, you saidit yourself, I'll be a great success in the Before. It won't belike last time. With this voice I now have, I'm going to live thelife I deserve."

Hadder couldn't believe what he was hearing, refusedto acknowledge the truth of what was happening to him. "The Riserswill kill you. You don't belong with them."

Lilly waved her knife at Hadder. "You think solittle of me, don't you, Marlin? I already cut a deal with TheKrown. I get you and Royal out of the way and punch my ticket intothe Before. I get to sit out your stupid war and will walk calmlyout of Station once the walls fall down. The deal couldn't besimpler. And I couldn't be happier with it." Lilly moved closer toHadder; he put up his hands, palms open towards her.

"Wait, wait. Lilly, please wait. Think about whatyou're doing." Words struggled to come out now, his eyes felt heavyas more and more blood escaped his body. "Please. I love you."

Lilly's hard face softened, again resembling theyoung woman he met, the young woman who showed him that anotherlove was possible, another home was possible. Her cognac eyesshined in the dim Bar. She smiled sweetly at the fallen Hadder,echoing another time and place, a better time and place. "Oh,Marlin. I love you, too. It's nothing personal. The Fall isinevitable; I see that now. And isn't it better that's it's me andnot some leather-clad Riser? Trust me, it's better this way." Lillymoved in again, hovered just above Hadder.

"Please. I'm not ready."

Lilly's face was inches from his own now. She kissedhim deeply on the lips. "Oh, yes, you are. You were ready to diefor fucking Reena Song in the Rising. Now you can fucking be readyto die for me." She kissed him again. "Now die for me, Marlin."

The knife tore into his stomach, retreated, thenplummeted into his chest. The blade flashed before him, moving upand down in a blur. A face contorted in a release of anger.Darkness appeared at the edge of his vision, creeping inward, asthe flash of metal ceased. He heard the knife fall to the hardfloor and footsteps moving towards the entrance.

Light poured in as the large double doors opened,but Hadder was already reeling towards darkness. A voice chased himas he descended into the void with nothing to slow his fall.

"Now, you can go to your whore."

With those final words filling the empty space,Marlin Hadder died a second time.