Chapter 9 (Pt 2)
�Vell, from vhat she told me, her last assignment turned out to be a family man, a fazer, you see.�
�Weren�t all of them? Didn�t all of those �assignments� have families, I mean?�
"Oui ,� Robert acknowledged grudgingly. �Mais � eh� zere is a difference, you see � vhen you actually see ze family right zere viz your target.�
�Oh,� was all he could say, realization dawning on him.
�Oui. She said he had a little girl viz him, zey vere playing outside ze house.� Robert shrugged, venturing his own conjecture of the situation. �Perhaps it reminded her of her own fazer. She could not do it. So she quit. Srew ze gun and ze money in her boss�s face and ran off.�
Christian couldn�t help smiling at the image Robert�s words conjured up in his mind. Oh yes, that was the typical Xandrie.
The smile quickly disappeared, however, crushed by the gravity of the situation.
�Debray is not ze kind of man to forgive and forget, you see,� Robert continued, shaking his head in a show of disapproval (although Christian wasn�t sure if this disapproval was directed at Xandrie�s actions or at the character of this mysterious Debray guy). �He vill make sure she pays for her insolence.�
�How do you know this Debray guy so well?� Christian asked warily, the blue eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Robert regarded him incredulously for a moment, his brows arched in disbelief. �She did not tell you?� Then, slapping himself on the forehead, as the realization hit him, he quickly amended, �Oh how silly of me, of course she vould not.�
�Tell me what?� The gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach grew stronger. What else was she hiding from me?
Robert sighed, leaning forward on his elbows. �Debray is a very successful businessman, very rich,� he began slowly. �But ze business, ze casino, he did not start it, you see. He � how you say � in-inherited it � from his fazer and me.�
�You?�
�Oui," he shrugged lightly, his whole calm exterior saying "So what? No big deal." �Ve have started zis business, and vhen his fazer died, I vas already too old to care, so it vas left to Debray. I stayed around for a vhile to see how he managed��
�Well, apparently he managed just fine,� Christian interrupted coldly.
His eyebrow raised slightly at the harsh tone, the old man managed the tiniest of smiles. �You judge me,� he stated calmly. �I suppose you are right.� He shrugged again, drifting back into the memories. �Debray vas not like zat at first, however. He came to me for advice, especially about ze older clients � I knew zem very vell. But zen it started to change. He told me once, I remember, zat vhen diplomacy fails one must use brute force.� Robert snorted, shaking his head. �He started liking zat � ze force. He took young people off ze streets, people who did not have a � uhm � police record, I believe you call it � not possible to track, you see ... and he made zem his executioners.�
�Like Xandrie.�
�Oui, yes, like Xandrie.� He paused, trying to recollect the past. �She vas so lost at first, you know. And scared. But she had �eh � courage, spirit � I could tell.� He smiled at the memory, seemingly oblivious to the intense stare of his younger companion. �It vas sad to see her stuck in zat situation.�
�Did you try to help her?� Christian cut in, struggling to keep his voice steady, to prevent himself from screaming at this man.
�Help?� Robert echoed. �Vell, I made her my prot�g� � eh protected her from ze ozers as much as I could, if zat is vhat you mean.�
�It�s not,� he rejected harshly.
�Oh, I see�� Robert paused briefly, carefully considering his next words. �I could not help her get out of it, you understand. Zat vas beyond my power. If I had tried something like zat, ve vould have both been killed, I assure you.�