Assassination
Duplessis stood at the window of his house, backlit by a yellow glow, smoking a cigarette and staring into the night. A car rolled down the street, but then it was quiet. Still.
Yuri hovered at the edge of a building across the way, tucked in a shadow, hands deep in his pockets. He didn’t move, barely breathed. Just watched.
Duplessis’ wife came over to him, coffee in hand, and spoke to him quietly. Nothing of consequence, just a simple chat between spouses. She rubbed his arm and left the window. He puffed some more, tapped ashes into a dish beside him.
A small girl ran up to him, and he put down the cigarette, crouched next to her, looked at a paper she had, pointed at things, smiling. Yuri’s chest ached, thinking of Anya. Duplessis’ girl could walk.
He dialled Sabina, pulling out of sight. It rang five times, went straight to voice mail.
“Hello Sabina,” he said under his breath. “Is Yuri. I hope all is good there. I am just calling to say… to say I will have money soon. Anya will have money soon. Please do not worry.” He took the phone from his ear, but stopped himself, put it back. “I love you,” he said, and hung up.
He crossed the street quickly and stood at the side of the door, hand in his pocket, gripping the gun so tight it might have split in two. He rang the doorbell, needing it to be over, and watched the doorknob. Waited for it to turn.
He heard footsteps inside, and he held his breath, taking aim through his coat pocket.
He was aiming at the girl’s face. She looked up at him with wide brown eyes, an expectant smile on her face.
“Who are you?” she asked without judgement.
He couldn’t find the words.
She held up a doll to him, hair cut at different lengths, frayed in every direction, wearing a sparkling blue ball gown. He knelt down instinctively, staring at the doll like it was some holy relic, something didn’t want to do, but couldn’t stop himself.
“This is Elizabeth,” said the girl. “She’s English.”
Yuri watched the girl speak, saw the interest, the passion in the simple things, the way the doll moved its legs. He fought back a smile. He couldn’t smile.
“Jacques cut her hair last week, and he lost his allowance for a month,” she declared. “Mama said he got off easy.”
Yuri stood up, took a step back.
“We’re going to Fiji tonight,” said the girl, brushing Elizabeth’s hair with her fingers. “I get to stay up past my bedtime. Do you know where Fiji is?”
“Hello?” said Duplessis, coming down the stairs. He rushed forward, took the girl by the shoulder and moved her inside, out of the way. Yuri looked at them both, took another step backwards.
“Is he sick, papa?” the girl asked.
Yuri got his nerve back.
“I must speak outside,” he said, his voice hoarse.
Duplessis looked down at his daughter, then back to to Yuri. He nodded. He bent down, patted her hair, whispered something to her and she ran inside. He stepped out onto the step and closed the door.
Yuri aimed the gun at Duplessis’ gut, hand trembling. The politician watched the pocket shift, looked up with understanding.
“What is this about?” he asked.
Yuri flipped off the safety.
“You should know,” he said, and took another step back.
Duplessis puffed his chest, shook his head in disbelief.
“You think this will stop us? You’re naïve,” he said. “There are more in my party ready to stand up to corruption. You can’t stop it like this.”
“Corruption?” Yuri growled. “Who are you to say this? You sold countrymen to the dogs for your place in power. You and your party deserve to burn. You are hypocrite.”
Duplessis stepped toward him cheeks rumbling with fury.
“How dare you!” he snapped. “I’ve dedicated my life to overturning the damn laws that outlaw piracy. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve fought for every victory I’ve had. Every victory! I’ve suffered for my beliefs, and I will not be lectured on hypocrisy by some hired thug in the night!”
Yuri stepped back again, stumbled on a bush.
“You… overturn laws…?”
“We will bring the tourism industry back to France. I don’t care what you do to me. You’ll never get away with it. People will find out. People will care.”
Yuri let go of the gun, shaking badly. He pushed Duplessis against the door and ran, ran down the walkway, through the gate, and into the street.
Duplessis called for help, and angry shouts filled the night as Yuri raced away. He heard them coming, feet pounding faster than he could bear, and a second later they tackled him to the ground, pushing his head into the dirt and pulling him away.