<P>Dominic had killed only one person before that night. One guilty person. One guilty person, and in self defense. Ten people. Ten innocent people. Young people. People who still had more than half of their lives in front of them. Dead, now. In a cold darkness that Dominic had placed them.
<P>
<P>All the while, in the back of his head, he could hear something. Some distant voice, whispering, haunting him, saying, "This will do nicely. This will do very nicely." He wanted to reach out and strangle that voice - To wring every last bit of life from it. To destroy it, and be himself again. He wanted to cleanse whatever devilry plagued his mind. But he couldn't. He felt very helpless, sitting there and listening to the back of his mind, his conscious, and himself all at once.
<P>
<P>Jess had lost the Dominic she knew.
<P>
<P>Dominic had lost the Dominic he knew. 
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<P><JC><B>--- --- --- ---
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<P>"Earlier tonight," the news reporter said, her voice faintly resonating from the television, "three unidentified assailants broke into UNATCO Headquarters on Liberty Island and mercilessly killed every guard in the complex. Also found was the body of Joseph Manderley - Head of UNATCO - who had apparently committed suicide. Others were found still alive, but shaken, like secretary Janis Reede, who said to reporters minutes ago, I don't understand what happened tonight. I don't understand the destructive mood the entire planet is in. This is it, you know. This is as good as it gets for a long time. It only gets worse. So many people I knew are dead." She refused any further comment."
<P>
<P>Bob Page turned off the television with the remote.
<P>
<P>He turned away from the screen, new thoughts flurrying through his mind.
<P>
<P>He couldn't decide whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. UNATCO would be down for a long time, recovering from such a blow... But Joseph Manderley was dead, and the prisoners were gone.