A Host of Fallen Dreams - After the Rising Book 1

Chapter 9

Elian

The City

An hour passed before a knock at the door heralded the return of Assistant Detective Rooker.

'Come in.'

With one look at the man as he entered, Detective Nyks knew he was about to be disappointed.

'I'm afraid the information we have on "Liam Rezzo" is thin on the ground, sir. In fact, there were only two sheets in his file.'

Nyks set his jaw. An hour to find two pieces of paper? However, he kept silent. He first had to determine the value of what was on those two pieces of paper. 'Go on.'

'The first was a copy of the intercepted message to the Underground.'

The detective sighed. He already had that. 'And the second?'

'Is an address.'

That sounded more promising. Nyks held out his hand. 'Let me see it.'

Rooker passed over the sheet. The typeface, as well as the paper, was standard across all government departments and institutions, so there was no clue to be found there. He looked at the address; he knew the building. Beneath it was a note from the undercover agent who had got wind of the request, stating that he had followed Liam Rezzo but lost him close to the building. He didn't know if this was where he was staying, but he seemed to know the area very well.

Nyks nodded to himself. That was good enough for him.

'Grab your coat, Rooker, and get the car.'

'Yes, sir. Where are we going?'

'To catch a rat.'

Rooker disappeared. Nyks pulled his own long, grey-blue coat from the coat stand, then he too exited the office, locking the door behind him.

He marched down the corridor, passed half a dozen desks where assistants and secretaries were typing on typewriters, talking on the phone or shuffling papers. He stopped at the door beyond them and knock confidently. A plaque across the dark wood read, Assistant Director Vilk.

'Come in.'

Nyks took a deep breath and then stepped through.

The reception was, as always, warm. 'Good to see you, Elian. Drink?'

'No, thank you, sir.'

Before he could add the reason for him being there, Vilk continued talking. 'Hope you don't mind if I do?'

'No, sir, not at all-'

'One moment.' The assistant director pulled a bottle out of the top drawer of his desk and poured himself a big drink, before taking a sip. 'That's better,' he said, smiling. 'Well, by the way you look like you're about run out of here as soon as you get the chance, I can tell this isn't a social visit. What do you need?'

Nyks steadied himself by holding the back of the empty chair in front of him. Then trying not to let his professionalism slip in favour of his eagerness, he said calmly, 'I've come to request a task force.'

He immediately had his superior's attention. 'You've found the boy?'

Nyks didn't want to correct him and point out that the boy he referred to was a man now, and a clever one at that, seeing as though he had managed to elude them for so long. He also didn't want to draw attention to the fact he was insulted by his boss's choice of words. Calling him a "boy" implied Elian couldn't even catch a child.

'We've received some intelligence that could be about him. A request to the Underground for help to leave the city.'

The assistant director looked up sharply, his eyes alert. 'Is the boy really that stupid that he would risk contacting them?'

'Perhaps he's desperate. Perhaps he's running out of options.' Nyks filled Vilk in all he knew, which was little enough, leaving out his own personal suspicions.

'It does sound like a worthwhile lead to follow up.' Vilk opened his drawer - not the one with the whiskey in it - and removed a sheet of paper, which he wrote on and then signed. 'Take this down to the barracks. I've given you AsterSix.'

Nyks went cold. AsterSix had the greatest success rate out of all the Territory's task forces. They also had the biggest kill rate. To send such a legendary unit seemed an excessive reaction. So what was going on here? Had the top brass finally lost their patience with the target? Did capturing him alive no longer serve any purpose? Whatever the reason, this didn't sit right with him.

'Do you think that's wise, sir? I thought we were planning on apprehending the target, not assassinating him.'

'Have no fear, Elian. You worry too much,' the Assistant Director laughed. 'They won't harm him. Only those stupid enough to get in their way.'

Those words didn't make Detective Nyks feel any better. What if this Liam Rezzo wasn't who they were looking for? What if he was an innocent man, who just so happened to get caught up in a government operation? No, Nyks wasn't happy at all.

'Sir, we usually send AsterOne out on these missions. They've never failed me before. I would hate for them to think I had any complaints about their work.'

'And I would hate anyone to think this decision was anyone's but mine to make,' Vilk said, his friendly demeanour cooling off slightly. 'I send the Aster Unit best suited for the job. You're about to go into one of the largest shelters in that district, Elian, and you know those holes are filled with people with grudges. You need AsterSix. That's why I'm sending them.'

'Yes, sir,' Elian said deferentially. The assistant director's argument was a sound one, even though it still made Nyks uncomfortable. But there was nothing he could do about it.

He picked up the signed assignment sheet and went to turn to leave.

'Before you go,' Vilk said, calling him back. 'I spoke to Horace Jamieson this morning. He said you're still visiting Lyra Ridgeway.'

Slowly Elian turned back to face his boss. This was not a conversation he wanted to have with Vilk. 'Yes, sir. I am.'

'Has she told you anything of significance yet?'

'No, sir.'

'Seeing her once a week for four years, and you've learned nothing?'

Elian bristled. 'I go in my own time, sir. Off the clock.'

Vilk chuckled. 'I didn't mean about the case, and I don't care about your overtime. I meant about women in general. I can't imagine it's the search for her brother that keeps you going back. Yet four years without any encouragement...you must enjoy rejection - or the chase - far more than any other man I know.'

Still chuckling Vilk dismissed Elian, his face a shade redder than when he went in. He hated everyone knowing his business. He hated how people thought they could pass comment on it. Yes he had seen Lyra Ridgeway every week for four years. What of it? He was the one who had rescued her from the street the day of The Rising. He was the one who had brought her to safety. Of course he felt a connection with her. Of course he felt the need to make sure she was all right.

But as for this talk of rejection. She had never rejected any of his advances...because he had never made any. It was impossible to tell a woman you loved her when it was your job to find and capture her brother. How were you supposed to build a relationship on that?

* * *

Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please feel free to press that magic star and vote for it. Or share your thoughts and leave me a comment.

So Elian is in love with Lyra Ridgeway...what do you think about that? Also do you have any thoughts on Vilk assigning AsterSix on this mission? Elian doesn't seem to like it all...

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