Connections, Money and Secrets [Almaz]

[Mikhail]

   

So the last time he had been at the Almaz had been his 2nd time. The first time had been with Roman Mordvinov. Pretty good guy, overall. He'd done some work for their family- got them some info on the Kolos and helped flip a few guys over to their side, so to speak. It wasn't that he worked for them exclusively, but, well, these guys had been sort of friends. As in guys he'd had drinks with- lines, strip clubs, a couple power exchange dungeons- on many occasions. He liked them. And, well, he knew which way the wind was blowing. Kolos were on their way out, about to join his Pop's old crew in the forgotten players club. The Syndicate and the other families had decided enough was enough.

Now normally, this meant most of the crew also found themselves unemployed,  if not dead. Loyalties and all that. But he figured that muscle was muscle and it wasnt like they had a chance to shop around before they joined up. There weren't any want ads or interviews where an aspiring wanna-be made man could explore his options. No. Way Mik saw it, well, these guys weren't exactly loyal to the family. They were loyal to their brothers in arms. And that made all the difference.

So maybe he and Roman had been shooting the shit and Mik started talking about that very thing. You know, the whole thing, where if you replace the leader the pack follows you? People did it, he remembered from school. Horses and all that. Dominate the leader and the whole bunch was yours. And so maybe Roman listened a bit.

In the end, Mik really didn't care all that much. I mean yeah, it would be a pain in the ass to cultivate a new bunch of guys and sources of info. Not that he minded, really. He liked meeting new people. But hey, if it meant he got to relax a little- well, there was a reason he didn't have a real job.

Bottom line was a full third of the old Kolos had jumped ship before the family was even permanently disposed of. See, that was part of deal. They didn't help do the disposing. Nah, no one would ever trust them, knowing they'd done that. Mik had made sure Roman knew that. But jumping a sinking ship? Yeah. That totally made sense. All of them just stopped coming in or anything. Went to ground. Made some visits to Mordvinov or other family crews with whom they had at least some cordial or mutual respect thing going on.

Ok, it wasn't easy. Not really. Took more than a quick talk. And maybe Mik had worked a bit harder that he expected. But when all was said and done, the Mordvinovs had come out seriously ahead in terms of man power and intel. 

And so Roman had wanted to celebrate. Mik didn't mind at all, for all that he thought Roman seemed down. His buddy, Bas, had been killed, he'd heard. No one really knew who did it, though there were plenty of theories. Not a bad guy. Good to look at, that's for sure. And fun to have a drink with. Shame, really. But, as he always said, nothing lasted forever. Gotta enjoy what you had now. So Mik did, every chance he got. Anyway,  he'd heard of the Almaz. But now he had experienced it. And to say it was fucking awesome was to undersell it. 

Once he'd popped his cherry- and made a few more connections, he'd gone again, this time alone. No one really looked at him strangely. He knew what he needed to look like. Roman had seen to that. 

So Mik had dipped into an account he knew of- nothing anyone would miss, and had gotten a few special items. A Bastian Cruz emerald green brillo jacket and pants, black tailored dress shirt, and supple black calfskin shoes. Looking in the mirror, he knew he looked sharp.

Now that he had his gown, he scrounged up a pumpkin on his wallet and turned it into a chariot. After all, he was the queen. Stepping out of the ride, he walked up to the entrance, looking around for Jaxen.

He smiled and couldn't help the slight burst of speed in his heartbeat. Damn, but the man looked good. His sense of style was the shit. Mik's grin widened as he drew close, clapping him on his shoulder and complimenting him. No games, really. Other than the usual, of course. He looked up the way and saw a gorgeous face in a dress that drew the eye. The Lady watching, nodding off to the entrance. 

So in they went, entering the Almaz, the thump of the music deep and penetrating. He flashed his wallet with the passes at the door and Security did their usual thing with their wands. Mik laughed at the thought. How was that not a waste of time, when magic was a thing? 

And maybe that's when he saw the Lady again standing behind some skinny guy in a suit that maybe looked a bit odd on him. And maybe when he looked at the guy he realized there was something off about him. As in he was eyeing everyone walking in, perhaps a bit to gruffly. And maybe Mik felt just the touch of menace emanating from the guy. 

So maybe the Almaz security mooks had wisened up. Probably had a few channelers in here causing trouble. Course having another keeping the peace probably made things worse- maybe. Or maybe it was a deterrent since squaring off against another guy with the power was pretty new. As in, how really could you know if you could take him before it was too late? This was like the skinny little guy who secretly a black belt in everything and you got your ass kicked. Expect, you know, you also had you face burned off.

So maybe it was a deterrent. Probably had a few more around. Maybe a chicky or two too. (And how had he not tried to have sex with the power!!!? It suddenly just occured to him. Jesus, he was a fucking moron. That immediately jumped to the top of his list. He glanced at Jaxen, for a moment. If he was willing, sweet. Of not, well, it was gonna happen. Tonight. Period.)

So where was he? Oh yeah, Scooby Doofus at the door sniffing everyone with the power. He nudged Jaxen with his elbow. "Looks like they want us on our best behavior." Well, he'd think about it.

They went down to the upper bar, Mik pointing out the gambling tables and games going on around him. Just minor distractions. As were the help, of course. They ordered and then made their way to the lower floor- just a half step down from the bar, where screens showed various other games and such, the sounds of people talking and better and just generally having a good time. 

Soon, the screens would go dark and then the real games would begin. He raised his vodka in a toast. "Salud!" He said perversely. The spectacle they were going to see was anything but healthy- at least for the guys fighting. But hey, that's why they were here.