Dahlia's Resolve - Part 1

“Dahlia… You’re treading very dangerous waters with this line of thought my dear…” Marcellus stared intently into the eyes of his young companion, the many lines of age and stress on his face echoing his concern. “I’ve watched this monster of a government grow for years. And I’ve seen many with your ideals come and go, never peacefully.” He placed his hands on Dahlia’s shoulders, pulling her gently into a warm embrace. “I promised your grandfather that I’d watch over you and your brother. I can’t stop you from pressing on, but I wish that you wouldn’t.”

Dahlia returned the affection for a moment, but pulled away. The steely resolve within her spirit shined brightly in her slate colored eyes. “I have to do this Marcellus… It’s my grandfather whom I’m doing it for.”

“You think that your grandfather would want you to lead a life of strife and war?”

Dahlia shook her head. “What I think, is that my grandfather would want to see his ideal succeed.” She turned away from her mentor, walking over toward the wall of windows lining the office. Rain fell steadily against the glass, which she rested her forehead against. She looked out over the complex maze of buildings around her, the heart of world’s power. “He didn’t want this Marcellus… This isn’t what he worked so hard to build.”

Marcellus walked over to join her, wrapping an arm around her waist. “This isn’t what any of us wanted, Dahlia… But we were beaten. Our ideal world was corrupted before we had the chance to build it. We wanted to unify governments… To end meaningless war and bloodshed… To find peace and prosperity for everyone… We had no idea of what we were facing from within. We were so focused that we didn’t see the betrayal that was coming. When your grandfather was killed…” He stopped, choking back tears which had long needed to be shed.

Dahlia allowed her head to rest on his shoulder. “I know, Marcellus. No one would have imagined my grandfather’s closest advisor would have betrayed him. But power and greed can corrupt like none other…”

“So you see why you cannot fight this battle? This government is merciless and corrupt. They’ll do anything to preserve their power.” Marcellus gripped her tighter. “I don’t want you to become another one of the figures who have gone missing, without a trace.”

Dahlia smiled weakly. “This government is exactly why I have to continue to fight and to lead. My people may be small in number, but they believe in the ideals that my grandfather stood for, and will fight to free the world of this madness. It’s gone on long enough.”

“And there’s nothing I can do to stop you?”

“I made my decision a long time ago. No one’s going to stop me… Not until we succeed or lose our lives trying.”

Marcellus sighed. He grabbed Dahlia by the shoulders, turning her to look into her gaze once more. “Then I hope you succeed.”

Dahlia nodded. “I intend to.”

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Dahlia pulled a cloak over her shoulders as she exited the building into the driving rain. She turned down the dimly lit alley, joining two hooded figures waiting for her approach. She nodded at them both, receiving a similar gesture in return. One of the men raised a radio to his mouth, his voice drowned out by the storm. Within moments, a car black car pulled into the alley. The two men allowed their cloaks to slide open, exposing the assault rifles hidden underneath. The larger figure spoke briefly with the driver before opening the door and waving Dahlia inside. He and his hooded companion followed her inside.

Inside the car, the two figures removed their hoods. Dahlia smiled at Quinlon, her constant companion and guard. “Thank you, Quin”

He nodded, yet maintained the stern look on his face. “You know that we can’t come back here again?”

Dahlia’s smile faded. “I know.”

His features softened. “How is he doing?”

“Still holding on, yet afraid.”

“Worried that they’ll come after him next?”

“No… Worried that they’ll come after us.”

Quin smiled. “Then I guess that means we should go after them first.”

Dahlia glared at her companion. “Patience… We’ll strike soon enough. When the time is right.”

“So when’s the right time?”

A series of beeps filled the car’s cabin. Dahlia pulled a small handheld from the folds her cloak, quickly scanning the message on the screen. “Right now”, she said, turning the device so that Quin could see.
Quin reviewed the directions and nodded toward the other guard, who knocked on the bulletproof window between driver and passengers. The driver rolled down in response. “Take us back to base,” Quin called out across the cabin. “We have to get Dahlia back to safety before the operation begins.”

“No!” Dahlia exclaimed, raising her voice to startling levels. “There’s no time for that. We go now… We can’t miss any opportunities.”

Quin cocked an eyebrow. “But you’ll be in danger, Dahlia. We can’t risk that.”

Dahlia raised a finger to his lips. “I can take care of myself. Give me the case.”

Quin grabbed a black plastic case from the deck behind his seat and handed it to her. “You sure you know how to handle that?”

Dahlia opened the case, pulling the spare assault rifle from within. “Politics and government weren’t the only things my grandfather taught me.” She inserted a magazine into the rifle.

Quin nodded. “Do as she says,” he instructed the driver. “Head for the rendezvous.”