The First Time-Assassin, Part 2 of 2

One of the techs running the Worm-erator turned to the other. That one opened his mouth, but no words immediately came out.

"Do it!" Marnix said. He chambered a fresh round and flexed the kinks out of his neck. The fucker was going down. The room wriggled a third time.

Same scene, just a little different. The Minister was turned the other way.

Okay. Clear shot.

Marnix advanced.

And stepped hard on a man's foot.

"Ouch!"

Marnix ignored him, but the man caught hold of his arm.

"Jesus! Why don't you--"

Marnix shoved the man hard. In an empty room, he would have sailed off of his feet and landed on the ground, but in the crowd, he just rebounded off other bodies and came back at Marnix.

The blow was too much to brace for. Marnix flailed and stumbled on the mass of legs. He got kneed in the face. A shoe crunched his fingers. The room was already quieting to focus on the commotion.

Marnix scrambled up, but got bumped now in the other direction.

He pitched forward, but wasn't going to fall this time.

Except, while he was bent, he felt a gun barrel make contact with the back of his head.

His brain formulated a thought. Oh shit. But the words never made it to his mouth.

Back at the Worm-erator, the techs and the machine crumpled and popped out of existence. Those same guys were now in hiding. The Minister had been attacked under bizarre circumstances the day before, but survived. The hotel where it happened was still swarming with police. The assassination was called off.

Marnix also hid. He heard the report that he had been killed in the incident with the Minister. If he were perverse, he would find a way to go visit his body. They would not attempt the assassination now, but his fate was be sealed. Two of him couldn't exist forever, and clearly he was already dead.

Men on death row do mundane things on their final day. And during those hours before the past caught up to him, Marnix did too.