Dis Aliter Visum

Chapter 27

“I have to ask you again: what exactly are you doing here?” Kuroro's voice was flat, as unemotional as he could make it, but he still saw Shalnark jump and look away.

“I told you, I'm meeting a fri–” he started, but Kuroro had no patience for half-truths at the moment.

“Shal,” he warned softly, and the younger man quieted instantly.

There was a long pregnant pause, in which the Spider head waited patiently while his young underling shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, eyes dancing all over the place and not meeting his. Minutes trickled by. Finally, Shalnark's green eyes met his dark ones. “I'm sorry, Danchou,” he said softly. “I, I was worried. I mean, I know you can take out the Kuruta easily, and you'd be looking for any sign of his non-compliance, but... I was just worried. He killed Ubo and Paku and, and the Spiders might survive without you, but it just... wouldn't be the same. It wouldn't.”

Kuroro stared at Shalnark silently, studying his facial expression and his posture, and his eyes, and finally counted himself satisfied. This wasn't all of it, but it was close enough to the truth that Kuroro was willing to close his eyes and turn his back on what the younger man wasn't saying. “All right,” he finally said, “since you're here, I might as well use you while we're in town. But after that, you have so stop following us, am I clear?”

Shalnark swallowed and nodded rapidly, never looking away from his leader's dark eyes. “Crystal clear, sir,” he said.

Kuroro stared at him for a bit longer, then he, too, nodded softly. He stepped away, letting Shalnark breathe. The younger man sagged a bit against the hallway wall. “What time are you meeting this friend?” Kuroro asked after a moment.

“Tonight, after dinner.”

Kuroro nodded. “Are you both going to game all night?” he wanted to know.

Shalnark shook his head, “He has classes early in the morning, so we were planning to stop around midnight.”

His answer satisfied the Spider head, who nodded in response. “Good. Then, since you're here, I'm going to use your hands and cunning. This afternoon, I will have you keep an eye on the Kuruta while I head for the town of Escotir. I'm going to put all of the Scarlet Eyes we have so far in a bank vault. I think it's best if we split the Eyes so that, no matter what happens, Kurapica has no choice but to work for us. I'm not going to underestimate him again. I'll be back in time for dinner, at which point you can go meet your friend. You'll meet us by Blueridge manor at 1am, sharp. We'll use you on the raid, then we'll part right after and you will stop, I repeat, you will stop following us.”

Shalnark swallowed thickly and nodded again. “Understood.”

“Good,” Kuroro said, searching his eyes for a moment before he, too, nodded. “I'll return late this afternoon. Keep your eyes on him.” When the younger Spider opened the door, Kurapica was nowhere to be seen, but the door to his bedroom was partly open and Kuroro had to trust that the blond was in there and that Shalnark would make sure that he was. He turned around and headed for the front desk to require a taxi.

~*~

Kuroro returned to the hotel as afternoon bled into evening, just as he had promised. He came in the suite to find Shalnark sprawled on the couch, playing a game on his cellphone. The door to Kurapica's room was closed, and he could feel his presence beyond the door. He walked over to his young underling and looked as the younger man straightened up. “Shal,” he told him softly, eyes flicking briefly over to Kurapica's door, “I left them in a bank vault in Escotir.” He handed Shalnark a key. “It's the PNB, vault 26, account 9572892. I want you to wait here for a couple of weeks after we've left, then have some of the Ryodan members help you collect them. And if you find anything else of value in the vault, well,” he had a little smile, “you could always consider it payment for your troubles.”