Viper: The Official Remaster

Chapter 13: Ink and Saliva

Kirin Salazar stood shoulder to shoulder with the man he'd trained tooth and nail for the last seven years. Every mission, drill, and beating served as effective catalysts, forming Ryker West into the assassin Captain Inari wanted him to be. It was hard not to feel a beat of pride when reminiscing.

Ryker had been nothing but a heartbroken punk when Inari dumped him on Kirin's doorstep, exclaiming to break and kill him, or form him into someone she could use down the line. Of course, the paycheck stood on its own, but it didn't take long, in truth, for Kirin to enjoy Ryker's company.

He caught on quickly, writing mental notes on important fighting stances and behaviors to the mundane, such as proper dieting and care. Still, Kirin could tell he was still the same lonely kid who wanted nothing more than to leave the Masks, as much as he wanted to join them years ago.

The man Kirin saw now was still much of the same, hiding his fangs in a handshake, the lethality Kirin very well crafted with his own hands. But now, things were different, for better or for worse, Kirin couldn't tell yet. Two years ago, the woman Ryker would've slashed across the throat now had her arm slipped around his in a protective embrace. It was plain to see Ryker was attached as much as she was, the raw respect he still held for Ryker being the only thing stopping Kirin from blasting her head across the grand piano sitting behind them.

He teased the idea, casually introducing himself as the man she'd been chasing for years. That hatred and obsession she carried on her ashen shoulders was just as visible as it was the day two years ago when Kirin put a hole the size of a coffee mug into the chest of Jacob Calloway.

Ironically, that was the very day Kirin himself lost almost everything.

Kirin remembered Awano just barely holding onto his anger, nearly terminating Kirin's contracts and burning every bridge he'd made over the years of de facto service. Kirin always told Ryker the best lessons to learn were at the expense of other people, if only he'd taken his own advice.

Still, Kirin felt proud of what Ryker had become, even if he was on the other side of the law. The only thing Kirin could do was hope the woman on his arm wouldn't destroy him from the inside out, given Kirin didn't have to kill them both first.

Ryker knew Kirin had planted a camera in Nøkk's home as both a threat and a suitable deterrent for Director Pandey to relocate them together, all for Kirin to have an easier time tracking the two.

With that over with, there wasn't a real reason for Kirin to continue to linger around Little Ottawa, except to perhaps monitor Nøkk's competency to Ryker as anything but a killer. Kirin had taught Ryker to have standards with both contracts and clientele. The same logic and standards could be applied to his choice in romantic companionship, standards Ryker apparently didn't follow, since to Kirin, Nøkk was really nothing more than a faceless NATO freak.

With a smile, Kirin let go of Ryker's hand, both of them fully aware serendipity had worked against him. Ryker wouldn't waste time finding any and everything there was to learn about Kirin's girlfriend. It wouldn't matter in the end, granted. But the minute Ryker threatened Liliana...

It was pointless to think about.

Telling his prodigy goodbye under his false name, and giving Nøkk a final handshake, one he had to bite his tongue not to smile at, he and Lily left for their table, leaving Ryker and Nøkk to resume their night. Nøkk was quick to turn, her false curiosity unable to hide the edge in her voice.

Nøkk: She seemed friendly.

Viper: Because she was.

Their server appeared before she could respond, gesturing they follow her deeper into the restaurant towards their table. By luck, their table sat outside on a secluded deck overlooking the dark water of the lake, with the dim lights of Little Ottawa dancing across the dark horizon and a dock resting below.