It had taken them about thirty minutes to drive down from the station. The sun was still a pale glimmer above the shimmering glass towers of the city.
What a strange place to find answers, Lih thought.
Both men moved out of Dorian’s car with their weapons strapped, right hands on the grips, left hands free to grip or grasp. Dorian hadn’t said anything about Lih’s outburst, nothing to get Lih thinking, at any rate. Lih had been counting on Dorian to absorb him into the domovoi department, to smooth over the transition, to welcome Lih’s return to action. But, now, he could barely fight down the furnace in the pit of his gut. For all he’d nodded along with Dorian’s orders, he was twitchy and uncomfortable. He felt as if Dorian’s eyes were boring into him wherever he went. He was smiling, but the look in his eyes just then… just what was happening?
Before the rougarou, Lih had styled himself on his partner Costa, admired him, sided with the officer, and had benefitted from being one of Costa’s partners. Lih was an ambitious man, who liked to keep the company of promising officers, or men on the rise… now he was promoted to one of the domovoi, and Dorian had come back, once Costa was not around, Lih had chosen Dorian as a replacement partner. Ironically, his situation made him focus ever more intently on the skills and philosophies Costa had drummed into him: teamwork, cunning, the desire to protect what was his with brutal and sharp efficiency… they were good together, and had a hard-nosed, trusting relationship that seemed to cater to all their survival needs. But—and by the light, it was presumed—Dorian seemed exclusive... self-reliant. Of course Dorian was confident. He was ex-atharim. What he couldn’t do was beyond the limit of measure…
Lih looked up at Dorian. Somewhere out there, across the distances of space, the proper face of this underground war was being fought, by experienced, determined men against monsters. Lih probably didn’t look much to Dorian. Small, unprepossessing, tightly wound. A loose cannon, a child, so brittle a young man he’d been issued with pills to keep his emotion in check. Inexperienced. Unqualified...
Dorian was up ahead of him, moving forward, taking point. Lih listened carefully. He had no doubt there would be trouble. It seemed to Lih he was particularly heavy footed next to Dorian. Had his technique really slackened off in Costa’s absence?
No, he realized, watching Dorian for a moment. He was as good as ever. The difference was with Dorian. Dorian reached the tower, where the entrance began to loom, and signaled for Lih to halt. Lih stopped quickly, and waited, watching Dorian...
He closed his mouth and watched Dorian lead the way. The man was evidently a decent enough protector at home. Lih hadn’t made up his mind about Dorian yet. Too much mystery for his liking. But Lih thought he moved well...
He liked Dorian’s frank and fair attitude, and the two were forming a tentative working relationship. He wasn’t sure how things would sit now that the famous Dorian Vega was back. Every tip and piece of advice Alex, or any of the domovoi task force, had ever imparted, came with a phrase like “Dorian would know” or “try and find your feet”. To their credit, rather than resenting the way Dorian showed them up, the police department had got busy learning all the detective work and battle-skills the ex-Atharim could teach them. This made sense to Lih. He tried to look thoughtful, hoping that the conversation wouldn’t come round to his own utter lack of combat experience. Fresh-founded, getting his first taste of a real monster zone.
Was Dorian past all this fear of the unknown, or was he always made of stern stuff? To Lih, that fear meant everything… by now, he’d seen combat, injury and death. He’d been so keen to impress upon the other cops how strong he was. He’d left his home, this far away from his family and all things familiar. Moscow was a lonely, alien place. And his dreams were full of horrors to come...
Already, Lih had made a mental note of the scary way his new partner moved, like a wolf on a prowl. He’d always believed city police officers to be pretty good stealth artists, and it had been a wake-up call to witness the extraordinary abilities of Costa and the re-con division when he first joined the force.
But Dorian was something else. Lih had to keep checking he was still there, and every time he did, Dorian wasn't where he’d last seen him. Lih was making precious little noise, but it still sounded loud and clumsy compared with the total silence Dorian was managing.
Lih was simply looking around, anywhere but at Dorian’s face.
He stared at the looming, glass building. He studied Dorian's file in detail, but there was nothing like seeing the place first hand. Feeling the lie of it. And there were so many lies here. For all it seemed like giant, artificial box full of metal alloys and office workers. Even by the dark of night, the tower would have been lit. This glass tower was steep, almost sheer in places. The ground was a mix of loose, flinty stones and exposed quartz. Thick, resilient lime spilled down the elegant windows, hanging like frozen waterfalls. A smell of sandalwood and rose essence welled up from the ground floor lobby. It was several degrees warmer out of the open…
Lih didn’t trust any part of it. They’d be boxed in by the walls, enclosed. The building was well covered by guards. The densest security in the area. It would be hard going, but would it pay off? Besides, they didn’t know what was down there, or behind the next door… And they didn’t know how much better their enemies knew this place.
He turned his lens-scope toward the far north end, and was just able to pick out the suggestion of the reception desk, the great oak door beyond the massive gateway. That would be the real objective to come: burning a path to that monumental entrance and breaking through. What lay beyond that door none could say. The only thing Lih knew for certain was that the next room was another step to the center of this puzzle, and that it was capable of launching forth armed security and companies of workers to face them.
Lih paused for a moment, listening, breathing in the air, working out what was there and what wasn’t.
Hooting giggles echoed up the entrance from that reception desk. Lih swung his lens-scope to look down that way. The noise of the outdoors had receded for a while, and the few louder sounds he heard were actually from the distant lobby, two women chatting beyond the front desk, which were hard to screen out.
“You do the talking,” said Dorian. Smiling.
Lih looked across at him. “With respect, sir, is that so? I mean, there’s no way they’d let us in...” he began. Then he nodded, and patted the butt of his railgun. He’d like to see the ladies try to take one of these babies, worse comes... “All right, your call sir. Stick around.”
As he got up and carried onto the two women at the front desk, Dorian looked as if amused by Lih’s manner.
Lih had marched straight up to entrance. He was studying the women ahead of him. He looked again, anxiously trying to identify whatever it was Dorian’s practiced eye had seen.
She was a short, well-built woman with a broad, swimmer’s back and heavy shoulders. Her hair was cropped and brown, and she had a little mole on the outside corner of her left eye. The other, red-headed and voluptuous…Lih started to move toward the redhead, but there was something in her manner that seemed to persuade him not to.
He pushed his way past the huddle of people, paused to let a mail carrier sweep past, then swung in behind the carrier into the middle of the lobby, skirting around a salaryman walking rapidly the other way, and stepped toward the thick-set brunette before either of the women had seen him approach.
Lih stopped short in front of the desk manned by the women
“Hard at work, ladies?” Lih said, casual-like, as if he’d just wandered in from a routine, half hour lunch. He grinned, as if he’d belong there. They stopped what they were doing and stared at him. Both were wearing glare-shades against the bright glow of their screens, but Lih could read their body language well enough.
Somehow, despite all the odds against him, he had to find a way of getting the office staff to take him seriously.
And there was one way he could think of…
“Yes,” said one of them, the tall redhead with the stripes of a senior receptionist. She snapped, “what do you want?”
“Oh, look, I’ve interrupted,” Lih said apologetically. “I know, I know, I don’t have a badge yet. Relax, I’m expected by Alistair Pavlo, just settling in.” He looked at the brunette, "I came over because of your good looks. Does it need both of you to take messages? I’d love a moment of your time.”
The brunette shrugged, delighted by the sort-of-compliment. She tilted her head slightly, good-humored. “I understand your point, but you can’t see him. Certainly not without an appointment.” Eyeing him "And you seem to forget, I am working.”
“Tell me about it,” Lih said, removing his cap and making a show of wiping his brow. “Name’s Lih. How are you finding working here? I don’t particularly enjoy seeing Alistair, you know. Not when your charm awaits me here,” he said. “And in here.” He tapped his own chest.
Uneasily, the women looked at one another. “I don’t think—“
“All right, miss,” Lih said to the redhead. “Give me time to chat up your coworker. Go scare me up an appointment with Alistair’s secretary. And get some tea brought here.”
The redhead frowned. “I… I never!” she spat, “I don’t serve tea, got that?” she pushed a button on her intercom and spoke softly into the mouthpiece, relaying the situation to a third party.
The brunette waited. “You said you know Alistair, Lih?”
“Damn,” said Lih suddenly, ignoring the quiet exchange. “I completely forgot to ask Alistair’s girlfriend the key question. I never thought to wonder, you see: who’s missing?” He stepped into the bright area past the desk. His lens auto-tinted. “I’ll find out,” he said.
She jumped up. “Wait, you can’t just barge—"
"I should be getting back,” Lih noted, checking his wallet. “Alistair's girlfriend will be checking back, and I doubt you’ll want her left alone in here, asking where I’ve gone. I wonder if you can answer her question for her, ladies?"
The thought made Lih chuckle. He checked his own watch, and then started to reach down the sleeve of his jacket.
“We should check first—” replied the brunette. The redhead returned to the conversation at hand, frowning “ok, Lih I’ve arranged for you to speak to Alistair’s secretary. She’s in that office there. I’ll show you to it."
“Stupid thing,” Lih grumbled, wrestling with his sleeve. He finally fished out his wrist watch. The leather band had come loose and it had fallen back inside his cuff. He retied the instrument to his wrist.
“No problem. I can get there myself. Just wait here, ladies. Don’t worry about tea. I’m not that thirsty,” he remarked, "Oh, and nobody goes to that door or disturb us. I’m counting on you both.”
Then he’d move on past the redhead, heading towards the door, leaving her alone, a puzzled expression on her face, the muscle in the corner of her jawline working rightly.
He saw the brunette hide her grin. “I’ll show you to the office."
“Thank you miss… I won’t keep you from your work,” he said. “My friend works at the teahouse around the corner, if you’d like to join me. I’ll make sure there’s a seat if you can make it after work."
He headed to the office at the far end of the lobby. Lih disappeared into the office. He nodded a greeting to a blonde women that was only just acknowledged. This must be the secretary the redhead mentioned...
He was glad to have his hand back on his weapon. Touching it, every chance he got… made him sharp, clear-headed, and reliable. He begin panning round the room, then jumped in surprise to find Dorian right beside him.
“Shit!"
What a strange place to find answers, Lih thought.
Both men moved out of Dorian’s car with their weapons strapped, right hands on the grips, left hands free to grip or grasp. Dorian hadn’t said anything about Lih’s outburst, nothing to get Lih thinking, at any rate. Lih had been counting on Dorian to absorb him into the domovoi department, to smooth over the transition, to welcome Lih’s return to action. But, now, he could barely fight down the furnace in the pit of his gut. For all he’d nodded along with Dorian’s orders, he was twitchy and uncomfortable. He felt as if Dorian’s eyes were boring into him wherever he went. He was smiling, but the look in his eyes just then… just what was happening?
Before the rougarou, Lih had styled himself on his partner Costa, admired him, sided with the officer, and had benefitted from being one of Costa’s partners. Lih was an ambitious man, who liked to keep the company of promising officers, or men on the rise… now he was promoted to one of the domovoi, and Dorian had come back, once Costa was not around, Lih had chosen Dorian as a replacement partner. Ironically, his situation made him focus ever more intently on the skills and philosophies Costa had drummed into him: teamwork, cunning, the desire to protect what was his with brutal and sharp efficiency… they were good together, and had a hard-nosed, trusting relationship that seemed to cater to all their survival needs. But—and by the light, it was presumed—Dorian seemed exclusive... self-reliant. Of course Dorian was confident. He was ex-atharim. What he couldn’t do was beyond the limit of measure…
Lih looked up at Dorian. Somewhere out there, across the distances of space, the proper face of this underground war was being fought, by experienced, determined men against monsters. Lih probably didn’t look much to Dorian. Small, unprepossessing, tightly wound. A loose cannon, a child, so brittle a young man he’d been issued with pills to keep his emotion in check. Inexperienced. Unqualified...
Dorian was up ahead of him, moving forward, taking point. Lih listened carefully. He had no doubt there would be trouble. It seemed to Lih he was particularly heavy footed next to Dorian. Had his technique really slackened off in Costa’s absence?
No, he realized, watching Dorian for a moment. He was as good as ever. The difference was with Dorian. Dorian reached the tower, where the entrance began to loom, and signaled for Lih to halt. Lih stopped quickly, and waited, watching Dorian...
He closed his mouth and watched Dorian lead the way. The man was evidently a decent enough protector at home. Lih hadn’t made up his mind about Dorian yet. Too much mystery for his liking. But Lih thought he moved well...
He liked Dorian’s frank and fair attitude, and the two were forming a tentative working relationship. He wasn’t sure how things would sit now that the famous Dorian Vega was back. Every tip and piece of advice Alex, or any of the domovoi task force, had ever imparted, came with a phrase like “Dorian would know” or “try and find your feet”. To their credit, rather than resenting the way Dorian showed them up, the police department had got busy learning all the detective work and battle-skills the ex-Atharim could teach them. This made sense to Lih. He tried to look thoughtful, hoping that the conversation wouldn’t come round to his own utter lack of combat experience. Fresh-founded, getting his first taste of a real monster zone.
Was Dorian past all this fear of the unknown, or was he always made of stern stuff? To Lih, that fear meant everything… by now, he’d seen combat, injury and death. He’d been so keen to impress upon the other cops how strong he was. He’d left his home, this far away from his family and all things familiar. Moscow was a lonely, alien place. And his dreams were full of horrors to come...
Already, Lih had made a mental note of the scary way his new partner moved, like a wolf on a prowl. He’d always believed city police officers to be pretty good stealth artists, and it had been a wake-up call to witness the extraordinary abilities of Costa and the re-con division when he first joined the force.
But Dorian was something else. Lih had to keep checking he was still there, and every time he did, Dorian wasn't where he’d last seen him. Lih was making precious little noise, but it still sounded loud and clumsy compared with the total silence Dorian was managing.
Lih was simply looking around, anywhere but at Dorian’s face.
He stared at the looming, glass building. He studied Dorian's file in detail, but there was nothing like seeing the place first hand. Feeling the lie of it. And there were so many lies here. For all it seemed like giant, artificial box full of metal alloys and office workers. Even by the dark of night, the tower would have been lit. This glass tower was steep, almost sheer in places. The ground was a mix of loose, flinty stones and exposed quartz. Thick, resilient lime spilled down the elegant windows, hanging like frozen waterfalls. A smell of sandalwood and rose essence welled up from the ground floor lobby. It was several degrees warmer out of the open…
Lih didn’t trust any part of it. They’d be boxed in by the walls, enclosed. The building was well covered by guards. The densest security in the area. It would be hard going, but would it pay off? Besides, they didn’t know what was down there, or behind the next door… And they didn’t know how much better their enemies knew this place.
He turned his lens-scope toward the far north end, and was just able to pick out the suggestion of the reception desk, the great oak door beyond the massive gateway. That would be the real objective to come: burning a path to that monumental entrance and breaking through. What lay beyond that door none could say. The only thing Lih knew for certain was that the next room was another step to the center of this puzzle, and that it was capable of launching forth armed security and companies of workers to face them.
Lih paused for a moment, listening, breathing in the air, working out what was there and what wasn’t.
Hooting giggles echoed up the entrance from that reception desk. Lih swung his lens-scope to look down that way. The noise of the outdoors had receded for a while, and the few louder sounds he heard were actually from the distant lobby, two women chatting beyond the front desk, which were hard to screen out.
“You do the talking,” said Dorian. Smiling.
Lih looked across at him. “With respect, sir, is that so? I mean, there’s no way they’d let us in...” he began. Then he nodded, and patted the butt of his railgun. He’d like to see the ladies try to take one of these babies, worse comes... “All right, your call sir. Stick around.”
As he got up and carried onto the two women at the front desk, Dorian looked as if amused by Lih’s manner.
Lih had marched straight up to entrance. He was studying the women ahead of him. He looked again, anxiously trying to identify whatever it was Dorian’s practiced eye had seen.
She was a short, well-built woman with a broad, swimmer’s back and heavy shoulders. Her hair was cropped and brown, and she had a little mole on the outside corner of her left eye. The other, red-headed and voluptuous…Lih started to move toward the redhead, but there was something in her manner that seemed to persuade him not to.
He pushed his way past the huddle of people, paused to let a mail carrier sweep past, then swung in behind the carrier into the middle of the lobby, skirting around a salaryman walking rapidly the other way, and stepped toward the thick-set brunette before either of the women had seen him approach.
Lih stopped short in front of the desk manned by the women
“Hard at work, ladies?” Lih said, casual-like, as if he’d just wandered in from a routine, half hour lunch. He grinned, as if he’d belong there. They stopped what they were doing and stared at him. Both were wearing glare-shades against the bright glow of their screens, but Lih could read their body language well enough.
Somehow, despite all the odds against him, he had to find a way of getting the office staff to take him seriously.
And there was one way he could think of…
“Yes,” said one of them, the tall redhead with the stripes of a senior receptionist. She snapped, “what do you want?”
“Oh, look, I’ve interrupted,” Lih said apologetically. “I know, I know, I don’t have a badge yet. Relax, I’m expected by Alistair Pavlo, just settling in.” He looked at the brunette, "I came over because of your good looks. Does it need both of you to take messages? I’d love a moment of your time.”
The brunette shrugged, delighted by the sort-of-compliment. She tilted her head slightly, good-humored. “I understand your point, but you can’t see him. Certainly not without an appointment.” Eyeing him "And you seem to forget, I am working.”
“Tell me about it,” Lih said, removing his cap and making a show of wiping his brow. “Name’s Lih. How are you finding working here? I don’t particularly enjoy seeing Alistair, you know. Not when your charm awaits me here,” he said. “And in here.” He tapped his own chest.
Uneasily, the women looked at one another. “I don’t think—“
“All right, miss,” Lih said to the redhead. “Give me time to chat up your coworker. Go scare me up an appointment with Alistair’s secretary. And get some tea brought here.”
The redhead frowned. “I… I never!” she spat, “I don’t serve tea, got that?” she pushed a button on her intercom and spoke softly into the mouthpiece, relaying the situation to a third party.
The brunette waited. “You said you know Alistair, Lih?”
“Damn,” said Lih suddenly, ignoring the quiet exchange. “I completely forgot to ask Alistair’s girlfriend the key question. I never thought to wonder, you see: who’s missing?” He stepped into the bright area past the desk. His lens auto-tinted. “I’ll find out,” he said.
She jumped up. “Wait, you can’t just barge—"
"I should be getting back,” Lih noted, checking his wallet. “Alistair's girlfriend will be checking back, and I doubt you’ll want her left alone in here, asking where I’ve gone. I wonder if you can answer her question for her, ladies?"
The thought made Lih chuckle. He checked his own watch, and then started to reach down the sleeve of his jacket.
“We should check first—” replied the brunette. The redhead returned to the conversation at hand, frowning “ok, Lih I’ve arranged for you to speak to Alistair’s secretary. She’s in that office there. I’ll show you to it."
“Stupid thing,” Lih grumbled, wrestling with his sleeve. He finally fished out his wrist watch. The leather band had come loose and it had fallen back inside his cuff. He retied the instrument to his wrist.
“No problem. I can get there myself. Just wait here, ladies. Don’t worry about tea. I’m not that thirsty,” he remarked, "Oh, and nobody goes to that door or disturb us. I’m counting on you both.”
Then he’d move on past the redhead, heading towards the door, leaving her alone, a puzzled expression on her face, the muscle in the corner of her jawline working rightly.
He saw the brunette hide her grin. “I’ll show you to the office."
“Thank you miss… I won’t keep you from your work,” he said. “My friend works at the teahouse around the corner, if you’d like to join me. I’ll make sure there’s a seat if you can make it after work."
He headed to the office at the far end of the lobby. Lih disappeared into the office. He nodded a greeting to a blonde women that was only just acknowledged. This must be the secretary the redhead mentioned...
He was glad to have his hand back on his weapon. Touching it, every chance he got… made him sharp, clear-headed, and reliable. He begin panning round the room, then jumped in surprise to find Dorian right beside him.
“Shit!"
Viktor Lih
Officer of CCDPD
Officer of CCDPD