09-19-2013, 07:54 AM
It had take some time to find the right people without attracting the attention of CCD's hounds. A month of excruciatingly slow and careful planning all led up to this moment.
Tony sat in a black leather recliner in the middle of an ordinary living room of a nondescript house, one of the tens of thousands of the abodes of the middle class.
It had taken more than luck and caution to arrange this meeting. He had to utilize his full repertoire of skills; the CCD law enforcement were certainly a bunch of tenacious fuckers.
The curtains were drawn, but afternoon sunlight, coloured with the blue hues of the blinds still gave him enough light not to need to turn on any lights.
In the seat opposite sat a middle aged woman, a handful of years older than Tony. She looked drawn and pale, but she had a will of iron. Chelka Marislova had done well for herself, as he knew she would, a member of the CCD's elite bureaucracy. She did not hold a position of public prestige - she never liked the spotlight, not as he had - but it was said knew more about the ministry than Ascendancy himself.
They sat in silence as they waited for the third and final member to arrive. He arrived an hour after Chelka, as she had arrived an hour after himself. They did not enter through the front door either. They each wound their way through a series of connecting tunnels the people had built for themselves as a sanctuary from the extreme natural disasters that had wreaked havoc on the world at large.
Anyone who was watching - they did not warrant watching, but Tony would take no chances - would not have any idea that the three had met in the same building. As far as appearances were concerned, they had each entered a house kilometres apart, an hour apart.
Tony knew their final guest had arrived before the thin man with greying, blonde hair entered the room silently. He had spent a week rigging the surrounding passages underground with the amazing tripwire-like weave that Michael had learned. Of course, he had told Michael nothing of his plans. The man's nature was as volatile as the power they possessed. Far too arrogant. He did not know when to use caution, and caution was paramount for what Tony had planned.
That fucking asshole Jaxen though...
Now there was a man he could use at a time like this. He was as subtle as a snake, that one. He also had the fangs of a snake as well. Cocky bastard would likely betray him to the highest bidder as soon as he had the chance. Yes, he had thought very carefully about that prospect, but he knew the type all too well. He had grown up as the best of all of them.
"Fuck me, is that really you, Soloyov?"
The man said in a heavy russian accent. His family still held to the old ways. If he didn't risk losing his position, he would never have learned English at all.
Tony winced at hearing his name from the lips of this man, just as he did with Chelka, yet it gave him confidence and hope. "Sit down, Marko."
he said, raising to shake his old friend's hand. "The fuckers couldn't kill me."
Marko surveyed him with a critical eye. He looked odd in the casual shirt and shorts he wore. Marko was a man who liked his suits. "You look like someone dug you out of the fucking earth though."
Tony laughed and Chelka pursed her lips. She and Marko had hated each other for as long as Tony could remember, and he was glad some things did not change.
"You went to an awful lot of trouble to bring us here,"
Chelka said, still sitting. "I'm sure you didn't do this just to catch up. Why are we here?"
Tony gave them both a smile - a spark of his youth returning as his eyes lit up. It had been far too long since he had something to live for. "You know me, Chel. My plans are always grand. I believe you may be interested in what I have to say."
Edited by Tony Soloyov, Sep 19 2013, 08:03 AM.
Tony sat in a black leather recliner in the middle of an ordinary living room of a nondescript house, one of the tens of thousands of the abodes of the middle class.
It had taken more than luck and caution to arrange this meeting. He had to utilize his full repertoire of skills; the CCD law enforcement were certainly a bunch of tenacious fuckers.
The curtains were drawn, but afternoon sunlight, coloured with the blue hues of the blinds still gave him enough light not to need to turn on any lights.
In the seat opposite sat a middle aged woman, a handful of years older than Tony. She looked drawn and pale, but she had a will of iron. Chelka Marislova had done well for herself, as he knew she would, a member of the CCD's elite bureaucracy. She did not hold a position of public prestige - she never liked the spotlight, not as he had - but it was said knew more about the ministry than Ascendancy himself.
They sat in silence as they waited for the third and final member to arrive. He arrived an hour after Chelka, as she had arrived an hour after himself. They did not enter through the front door either. They each wound their way through a series of connecting tunnels the people had built for themselves as a sanctuary from the extreme natural disasters that had wreaked havoc on the world at large.
Anyone who was watching - they did not warrant watching, but Tony would take no chances - would not have any idea that the three had met in the same building. As far as appearances were concerned, they had each entered a house kilometres apart, an hour apart.
Tony knew their final guest had arrived before the thin man with greying, blonde hair entered the room silently. He had spent a week rigging the surrounding passages underground with the amazing tripwire-like weave that Michael had learned. Of course, he had told Michael nothing of his plans. The man's nature was as volatile as the power they possessed. Far too arrogant. He did not know when to use caution, and caution was paramount for what Tony had planned.
That fucking asshole Jaxen though...
Now there was a man he could use at a time like this. He was as subtle as a snake, that one. He also had the fangs of a snake as well. Cocky bastard would likely betray him to the highest bidder as soon as he had the chance. Yes, he had thought very carefully about that prospect, but he knew the type all too well. He had grown up as the best of all of them.
"Fuck me, is that really you, Soloyov?"
The man said in a heavy russian accent. His family still held to the old ways. If he didn't risk losing his position, he would never have learned English at all.
Tony winced at hearing his name from the lips of this man, just as he did with Chelka, yet it gave him confidence and hope. "Sit down, Marko."
he said, raising to shake his old friend's hand. "The fuckers couldn't kill me."
Marko surveyed him with a critical eye. He looked odd in the casual shirt and shorts he wore. Marko was a man who liked his suits. "You look like someone dug you out of the fucking earth though."
Tony laughed and Chelka pursed her lips. She and Marko had hated each other for as long as Tony could remember, and he was glad some things did not change.
"You went to an awful lot of trouble to bring us here,"
Chelka said, still sitting. "I'm sure you didn't do this just to catch up. Why are we here?"
Tony gave them both a smile - a spark of his youth returning as his eyes lit up. It had been far too long since he had something to live for. "You know me, Chel. My plans are always grand. I believe you may be interested in what I have to say."
Edited by Tony Soloyov, Sep 19 2013, 08:03 AM.