Under the Oak Tree - Time Before You

28 Bloodlines

Captain Calypse took a sip from his glass and almost spat out his drink. Offended, he stared at the black liquid which the café proclaimed to be 'coffee' and wondered if they had simply ground the beans with water and served it unfiltered.

The man threw a look of annoyance at the barista, but the latter was too busy to notice him. Sighing softly, Riftan could only concede defeat. Arguing with the staff would not help – this was the definition of superior coffee in Balto. He had just forgotten how bad it was.

Moreover, the captain was well aware that he was to remain inconspicuous. His darker skin complexion had already brought upon some frowns when he entered the premises. Keeping a low profile was definitely essential to maintain their cover.

Seated in a pretentious hotel lounge with Elliot, the two stood out like sore thumbs amidst the wealthy businessmen and aristocrats in their pompous fashion. All around them, men and women were flamboyantly parading in skins of animals as if they had massacred a zoo. The crowd was a repulsive extension of the interior with crude Brutalist and opulent Rococo ornaments; a cursed marriage between arch enemies of architectural influences.

In fact, coffee was actually considered an odd choice of beverage as the place was already rowdy with guests drunk with hard liquor. This was common for Balto even though the sun was still up at its peak.

A barbaric land plagued with centuries of power struggle, corruption and inequality - Balto was the least progressive country in the western continent. Yet the rich continued in their masquerade, oblivious to the suffering of the poor.

Probably why they were desperate enough to tamper with ancient myths.

"Are you alright, Captain?"

Elliot asked, while casually observing another guest passing by.

"You've been unusually tense since the flight."

Riftan nodded his head curtly. It was his way of implying his well-being and reluctance to elaborate further.

Elliot was right, however. His awareness was way more heightened than their usual operations, and he was well aware of the reason why.

Initially, the team was to set up in their secured residence upon arrival, before moving out to study the situation.

Quahel Leon instead changed their plans once the team cleared immigration. With neither a clear brief nor room for discussion, he immediately ushered the group into a vehicle and directed a new location unheard from the original brief.

Despite Riftan's constant pressure on Leon to share his plans, the prosecutor had been evasive and ordered for Riftan and Elliot to secure the premises by waiting in the hotel lounge while Ruth, Maxi and himself headed up to a VIP room upstairs for a discussion for exclusive intel. The two detectives were, of course, infuriated that they had to be separated.

This was the one of the most affluent hotels in the capital of Balto, which placed them at the heart of their enemies.

From an operational concern, this meant that Riftan had to rely on the latter's team in Balto for security clearance. From a personal standpoint, knowing that Maximillian's safety was now in the hands of Leon was unsettling, to say the least. He did not trust the snake at all, not even to the tiniest shred of reptilian humanity the man might possess.

While the chain of command was clear that it belonged to Osiriya, Riftan was not a man to bend his knees just because someone was of higher authority.

Taking a deep breath so that he could loosen his grip over the glass, Riftan resumed his surveillance. With his trained eyes, he could immediately spot the surveillance team Leon had peppered around the hotel premises; from the cleaning crew to random hotel staff patrolling the area.