Night fell over the hospital, cool and black. Vitya Lih took off his new lenses from Sage and hooked them carefully over his belt. It was night now, something he understood. He was vaguely aware of the door opening. He looked up, into the dark, and saw a man framed against the starlight in the window. It was Costa: He saw the mark on Costa’s ear, the one the rougarou had bitten, and which Costa had refused to allow to be bandaged. It was scabbing over now, but its mark on him was unmistakable. Costa had been branded. To Viktor Lih, when his former partner smiled, that twisted the missing ear into even more obscene shapes… Costa regarded him with a strange expression. There’d been an odd look in his eyes, come to that. Lih was about to ask him about it when his alarm sounded.
Lih woke with a start. It was early, dark still. He had been dreaming that he was visiting Costa, in hospital. Confused memories flooded back. He had vivid recall now of somebody being there with him. “Costa?” he called out. “Costa?"
They gathered in the office where Lih first met Dorian, and Dorian bent forward, informing Lih where their target was.
Dorian gave good advice. To get some decent sleep and move in the morning. And wasn’t it about time Dorian let Lih in on his first ever domovoi mission?
“You’re right,” said Lih. “There’s a good chance of making a connection in Vaia Plus. Their facility’s the one,” Lih announced. “Definitely.” He paused. “But last I checked... it’s protected. A well-maintained lab, with a secured base and lots of guards. Not to mention sentinel dogs. Sorry, are we going there, sir?"
Dorian could do monsters. They probably didn’t scare the inspector any more, not like Lih. Lih decided not to mention the fact that the reason he’d beaten the rougarou's was long gone. Costa wasn’t with him anymore…
He decided there was no point pushing it when Dorian seemed quite sure about all this.
Nodding to Dorian's reply, he got to his feet.
“Let’s go,” he slid a pack of ammo into his railgun. “Let’s get this done.”
They left the station as the sun rose, hazy and red, above the buildings. Decent rest and the chance to wash out clothes and kit at home had lifted Lih’s mood. He seemed a little better, with some color back in his pale face. His gun in his hand, Lih carefully followed Dorian, quiet as a shadow..
Lih woke with a start. It was early, dark still. He had been dreaming that he was visiting Costa, in hospital. Confused memories flooded back. He had vivid recall now of somebody being there with him. “Costa?” he called out. “Costa?"
They gathered in the office where Lih first met Dorian, and Dorian bent forward, informing Lih where their target was.
Dorian gave good advice. To get some decent sleep and move in the morning. And wasn’t it about time Dorian let Lih in on his first ever domovoi mission?
“You’re right,” said Lih. “There’s a good chance of making a connection in Vaia Plus. Their facility’s the one,” Lih announced. “Definitely.” He paused. “But last I checked... it’s protected. A well-maintained lab, with a secured base and lots of guards. Not to mention sentinel dogs. Sorry, are we going there, sir?"
Dorian could do monsters. They probably didn’t scare the inspector any more, not like Lih. Lih decided not to mention the fact that the reason he’d beaten the rougarou's was long gone. Costa wasn’t with him anymore…
He decided there was no point pushing it when Dorian seemed quite sure about all this.
Nodding to Dorian's reply, he got to his feet.
“Let’s go,” he slid a pack of ammo into his railgun. “Let’s get this done.”
They left the station as the sun rose, hazy and red, above the buildings. Decent rest and the chance to wash out clothes and kit at home had lifted Lih’s mood. He seemed a little better, with some color back in his pale face. His gun in his hand, Lih carefully followed Dorian, quiet as a shadow..
Viktor Lih
Officer of CCDPD
Officer of CCDPD