10-25-2014, 06:21 PM
The air around Bas seemed warmer than usual. He felt like he was suffocating. He raised his drink to his lips to let the icy old of the vodka chill him as it went down but his glass kept shaking, the platinum cube ringing against the sides, the cool liquid slopping around his hand. It seemed louder than he expected. Everything seemed louder and his head pounded. Something was behind him and turned around. Nothing.
His hackles rose. He was being watched. The noise of the pros and Pyotr talking, of the new guy, clamored in his mind and it distracted him, kept his attention from focusing on the danger he knew lurked nearby. He looked at them suspiciously. Suddenly, none of this seemed innocent and casual. He caught a look from the guy who'd slipped his card into Pyotr's pants. Pyotr looked at him too and he didn't see his friend. He saw enemies. The new guy turned and made as if to leave, but Bas thought he saw a sneering smile before that. He was being set up. He spun around again and this time, the street traffic slowed in his mind. He walked back to the corner he'd come from- in the direction of Kallistis- and was alone for a moment, watching carefully. If there was a hit coming, it would be from that direction. And sure enough, a car was rolling up to the stop, the lights sliding across its shiny exterior, the windows tinted black. He imagined he could see one of the windows go down. He looked back and couldn't see the others. Suddenly, all the sounds seemed to muffle and he felt like his head was wrapped in blankets. He could barely hear anything except the beat of his heart. He felt a droplet of sweat slide down the side of his face. His stomach churned and he imagine the cold barrel of a gun on his neck.
Without thinking, he channeled fire at the car, a ball of flame at the engine. It flew toward the vehicle and suddenly the front of the car stopped as the engine exploded. The blast and the screams popped the bubble around him and the noise crashed on him like a massive wave.
His knees hurt and he realized that he'd dropped to the sidewalk. He was shaking with the cold. Mercifully, the power drained away from him and the noises lessened. His teeth chattered and he put his chin against his chest to quiet them.
He didn't know what was happening to him.
His hackles rose. He was being watched. The noise of the pros and Pyotr talking, of the new guy, clamored in his mind and it distracted him, kept his attention from focusing on the danger he knew lurked nearby. He looked at them suspiciously. Suddenly, none of this seemed innocent and casual. He caught a look from the guy who'd slipped his card into Pyotr's pants. Pyotr looked at him too and he didn't see his friend. He saw enemies. The new guy turned and made as if to leave, but Bas thought he saw a sneering smile before that. He was being set up. He spun around again and this time, the street traffic slowed in his mind. He walked back to the corner he'd come from- in the direction of Kallistis- and was alone for a moment, watching carefully. If there was a hit coming, it would be from that direction. And sure enough, a car was rolling up to the stop, the lights sliding across its shiny exterior, the windows tinted black. He imagined he could see one of the windows go down. He looked back and couldn't see the others. Suddenly, all the sounds seemed to muffle and he felt like his head was wrapped in blankets. He could barely hear anything except the beat of his heart. He felt a droplet of sweat slide down the side of his face. His stomach churned and he imagine the cold barrel of a gun on his neck.
Without thinking, he channeled fire at the car, a ball of flame at the engine. It flew toward the vehicle and suddenly the front of the car stopped as the engine exploded. The blast and the screams popped the bubble around him and the noise crashed on him like a massive wave.
His knees hurt and he realized that he'd dropped to the sidewalk. He was shaking with the cold. Mercifully, the power drained away from him and the noises lessened. His teeth chattered and he put his chin against his chest to quiet them.
He didn't know what was happening to him.