Primal Gambit

Chapter 38: The Couple Meets Darwin

The elevator caught on the pulleys as it ascended the decrepit building. They were not in a safe part of town. Valerie could still feel the unsettledness in her stomach when she had asked Darwin about his lodgings – why he chose this living space. In his mind, it was imperative that he: "live in an area where everywhere I look, all around me are pawns. I am at the top of the food chain here – I can manipulate anyone to do what I bid. There's an exquisite taste that comes with power, Valerie." The girl felt chills coursing her forearms.

"We should have just brought him with us. Darwin must have a plan for where to bring him while he waits for the press to get to him. That's when we cut the sinew – at least that's what he told me." She turned her head to Doerrman, who ran a hand over the back of his head.

"We can't just walk him through the streets. People of the Inner City know what he looks like, it's a giant red flag. We'd get snagged by civil protection for having him and get thrown in containment. If we wait and hear out this guy's plan, I'm sure he'll have an isolated place – an isolated plan to bring him somewhere where no one will see us." He rationalized for Darwin, hoping the activist leader would back him up.

When the elevator finally reached the seventh floor the metal doors stretched open to the torn floral-patterned walls and ancient light sconces that lit the floor for them. The two exited the small confines and walked down the corridor, their steps echoing down small niches and alleyways. There was not yet a word for when the ash mixed with snow, but it began to drift lazily past the window at the end of the hall.

Valerie knocked on Darwin's door, the pristine woodworking shining a fresh lacquer back at them – as opposed to every other door, that had become dinged and scratched from decades of slow aging.

"Come in." A muffled voice rang from within.

As Valerie opened the door she was met by the glaring eyes of the activist leader who sat behind his desk with a glass of amber liquid swirling in his hand. His free fingers tinkered with the demi-tortoise frames that rested across the bridge of his nose.

"Ah, my two favorite people. Doerrman, I believe this is your first time here? Welcome to my little abode. A respite from the fallen, a light in the darkness." He was elated to see the young activist before him had brought her warrior.

"Yeah – thanks." Rid didn't know what else to say as he looked at his surroundings. The rest of the apartment was dark, save for the lamp that illuminated Darwin, the desk, and two chairs on the adjacent side.

"Sit, sit! Let's discuss what I'm sure you've come to discuss." He motioned for them to sit down and they obliged. Darwin took a sip of the venom before closing a leather-bound ledger.

As they sat down in the chairs Doerrman could not help but notice the two chess pieces that had been positioned on the edges of the desk: a knight and a rook.

"What are these doing here?" He prodded.

"Oh, I must have forgotten to put them away. I've always loved chess, ever since I was a kid – part of me views life as one big game." He chuckled as he put the glass down and retrieved a manila folder from a desk drawer. Doerrman sneered. The comment reminded him of the war, the fact that his squad was simply a group of pawns being thrown haphazardly across the board.

"Did you know that chess originated in Eastern India in the 6th century? It was a pastime for the Knights Templar – and grew from there. Fascinating game, really." The man across the table gazed at the pieces before Valerie and Doerrman, losing himself in them – in what they stood for.

"Enough. We did what you asked – we have Shuke. Getting him out was messier than we expected in some cases; but it went smoothly in other areas. Where were the guards, why didn't we encounter any Marcotte resistance?" These questions had eaten away at Valerie the night they had gotten back to her apartment with the cargo. She needed answers – sitting forward in her seat to not let Darwin change the subject.

"You got him? Good girl." He exhaled deeply in content. "I don't know why there weren't any guards when you guys went in – perhaps they were having a social that night?" He laughed at his own joke.

"Where were the guards, Darwin? Don't lie to us again." Doerrman clenched his fists to not act out in frustration.

"I honestly don't know where they were. I had you guys go through the sewer systems because I knew there would be nobody down there. When you came up to ground level, you ended up directly in Shuke's enclosure. I didn't think I had to explain why there were no guards in there at night..." He paused for a moment, letting the last comment sink into his visitor's minds. "Now, what about the job got messy?"

"We were attacked by the alpha male in the enclosure – it got Arthur pretty good." Valerie closed her eyes, reminiscing with regret upon the incident.

"Oh, now he is a fascinating one, isn't he? Completely devolved by the time he's spent there, utterly consumed by the new lifestyle – evolving with the change in his surroundings to become the top dog. I have a tremendous amount of respect for that one. What happened?"

"Shuke is fine, we stitched up his wound. I put the alpha down." Doerrman rattled off and Darwin shot up from his seat. He sipped from the glass of alcohol once more, scratching his forehead.

"You idiot! Do you know what this means? Marcotte will know someone was in there! As soon as they perform an autopsy on the man you killed they'll take the extracted rounds to forensics and verify the type of weapon that shot them. Jesus..." He sighed as Doerrman stood up from the chair.

"Watch your tone, Darwin. My shooter doesn't have a number on it – they won't be able to find out that it was us in there. Besides, you said it yourself that the guards were at a 'social'. Perhaps a couple of guards had too much to drink, wandered into the enclosure and things heated up from there." Ridley knew the man had lied – referring with sarcasm to the social to perturb him.

The ex-soldier waited for the activist leader to vent his frustration and take a seat again before he himself sat back down. Before Darwin could retort with more sarcasm – veering away from the meeting's contents, Valerie voiced her concerns:

"Didn't you have a middle man, or some sort of halfway point where we could keep Arthur while you ironed out the details and got the press to meet with you?" She was worried that the captive would remain in her custody for far too long. The girl could not live her life with a man so devolved from human nature staying under her care. Darwin took the last sip from his scotch before he began:

"I arranged for him to be kept under the care of a couple other activists in an old warehouse in The Outskirts, but it fell through. I'm afraid Shuke must stay with you while I arrange a new place. Shouldn't be too difficult, abandoned warehouses are a dime a dozen out there." He put the glass down and twirled his thumbs, perusing the information laid out on the desk before him.

"I thought you knew how to play chess – isn't a big part of the game positioning all the pieces before you put your plan into action?" Doerrman provoked the giant ego across the table.

"Sometimes the opponent can read your plan before you get the chance to strike, correct? I just have to review the board and reposition my pieces. Then it will be flawless." Darwin didn't so much as make eye contact with the two as lightbulbs burst in his head, countless possibilities arising from the ashes of his previous, hindered plan. Doerrman sighed and turned to Valerie.

"Reposition them faster, Darwin." The warrior looked down at the arms of his chair, wondering how many people working for the chess-lover had sat down in the very same seat to listen to the power-crazed fanatic riddle off metaphors connecting the game to reality.

"We aren't going to get anything else done here tonight, Val. I say we leave, let him call us when he finally has a plan." He whispered to her loud enough for the activist leader to hear. She nodded solemnly with regret again for making Doerrman join her in the worthless visit.

"He's right, Darwin. Call me when you have a place. Don't delay, we're in a very vulnerable position right now. At no expense and no risk to you."

"Fair enough. Always a pleasure, Valerie. I wish I could say the same for you, Doerrman." Darwin's lips parted slowly, bearing a toothy grin as he looked down at his desk and reopened the ledger.

"He's lucky we need him for business, or else he wouldn't be smiling right now." The warrior growled to Valerie as he lifted himself from the chair, shaking his head and turning for the door.