04-28-2023, 12:40 AM
He waited in the warehouse until the ambulance was out of sight. As soon as it was, he called Zixin Kao.
“He’s on his way to the hospital,” he said.
“You’re welcome. Bet that was the highlight of your day, Ryker!” he laughed loud into the speaker.
“You won’t believe it, but Pavel Vasilev did it. Wouldn’t let me touch him,” he explained.
“No shit?” Zixin sounded impressed.
“No shit,” Ryker replied. If video was enabled, the heat in Ryker’s gaze would have been apparent.
“Your special guest on his way?” Ryker followed up.
“Indeed he is. You’ll like him. Real life of the party!” Zixin laughed again. The sarcasm wasn’t lost on Ryker.
“It’ll be a party for sure. I told him to bring no more than two guys. No idea who he will chose. Doubtful it’ll be the old man, though. I promised we’d bring the same,” Ryker said. Pavel seemed to want to keep all this quiet. Involving old man Konstantin would be like admitting there was a problem he couldn’t contain. He had too much pride for that; pride that made him weak and predictable.
Zixin snorted. “With you there, might as well be two-hundred. See you then,” he said and immediately ended the call.
Ryker slipped the wallet into a pocket. Zixin was right about that.
He left soon after.
Bitsevsky forest park was a large park seated on at least a thousand acres in the southern part of the city. Most of that land was dense forest, rivers and ravines and after dark the trails and fields were abandoned. It had something of a reputation for meet-ups, but the cops didn’t patrol so long as the incidents were kept quiet. Their meeting place was on a bridge about a two minute walk to the south of a known Pagan Sanctuary. Ryker always thought the open-air statue looked like a giant red dick. Which was one reason he suggested it to Zixin, who didn’t know the area. It would be hella-amusing.
It was near 11 PM, and there was a crisp cold in the air. The temperatures were growing colder just as the nights drew darker. He wore a leather coat and gloves. No hat or a scarf, but his usual knife was nestled in his pocket. He and Zixin, who was dressed even more warmly than the DII-born Ryker, walked together and arrived on the bridge about 10 minutes early. Ryker was showing off pictures of the red dick to pass the time. Zixin was highly amused and said he had to have it for the new Syndicate headquarters as soon as they were set up. Ryker highly approved.
“He’s on his way to the hospital,” he said.
“You’re welcome. Bet that was the highlight of your day, Ryker!” he laughed loud into the speaker.
“You won’t believe it, but Pavel Vasilev did it. Wouldn’t let me touch him,” he explained.
“No shit?” Zixin sounded impressed.
“No shit,” Ryker replied. If video was enabled, the heat in Ryker’s gaze would have been apparent.
“Your special guest on his way?” Ryker followed up.
“Indeed he is. You’ll like him. Real life of the party!” Zixin laughed again. The sarcasm wasn’t lost on Ryker.
“It’ll be a party for sure. I told him to bring no more than two guys. No idea who he will chose. Doubtful it’ll be the old man, though. I promised we’d bring the same,” Ryker said. Pavel seemed to want to keep all this quiet. Involving old man Konstantin would be like admitting there was a problem he couldn’t contain. He had too much pride for that; pride that made him weak and predictable.
Zixin snorted. “With you there, might as well be two-hundred. See you then,” he said and immediately ended the call.
Ryker slipped the wallet into a pocket. Zixin was right about that.
He left soon after.
+++
Bitsevsky forest park was a large park seated on at least a thousand acres in the southern part of the city. Most of that land was dense forest, rivers and ravines and after dark the trails and fields were abandoned. It had something of a reputation for meet-ups, but the cops didn’t patrol so long as the incidents were kept quiet. Their meeting place was on a bridge about a two minute walk to the south of a known Pagan Sanctuary. Ryker always thought the open-air statue looked like a giant red dick. Which was one reason he suggested it to Zixin, who didn’t know the area. It would be hella-amusing.
It was near 11 PM, and there was a crisp cold in the air. The temperatures were growing colder just as the nights drew darker. He wore a leather coat and gloves. No hat or a scarf, but his usual knife was nestled in his pocket. He and Zixin, who was dressed even more warmly than the DII-born Ryker, walked together and arrived on the bridge about 10 minutes early. Ryker was showing off pictures of the red dick to pass the time. Zixin was highly amused and said he had to have it for the new Syndicate headquarters as soon as they were set up. Ryker highly approved.