A week passed, but the dream didin't left him, however it didn't bother him. Something, some unexplained premonition wanted him to leave, pushed into the unknown and leaded to Colorado. He didn't know anyone there, he was all on his own. At first, he had to find place to stay, so he found himself in real estate office, but any offert didn't fit him, by price or conditions. He was just on the way to another office when he heard well known, but hated sound. He looked on his watch where was flashing "low battery". With growl he turned into a park, just in the time, because when he disappeared in the shadows of trees the inductor refused to obey. He sat on the closest bench.
- Wunderbar - he muttered. He didn't predict it and now he had no ide what to do next.
He heard some steps but didn't care. It was almost nine a.m. and people were thinking only about founding themselfs in hauses, and there were no way someone could draw attention on Kurt.
- You know how the situation looks like - he heard voice of the person. It was woman, apparently talking on the phone. - This is not an oprion. Besides, don't you think it's not conversation for a phone? - at the beggining he didn't care about her words, but he bagan to listen when her voice seemed familiar to him. He turned back and saw wearing black woman about his age. Dark hairs within every step were showing irritable expression.
Apparently she felt that someone is watching her, because her gaze wandered to the man on the bench. Kurt didn't turned back or even stopped to watch. He knew her... may she was eight year older, changed, but surely it was she. Seeing the watcher she stopped. At first her expression showed surprise, then went back to previos calmness.
- For me this conversation is finished - she said to the phone then disconnected. Even through her phone were back in a pocket, she stayed silent.
- Fall- - he bagan, but she immediately interrupted him.
- Leave - she said imperiously. - What are you doing here anyway? - she ashed after a momment. The man standed up and walked up to her.
- Properly I don't know.
- Then, if nothing keeps you here, leave - with those words she headed her way.
- What...? No! - he stopped her, for what he received a nasty look. - You want to just go away?
- Yes. And I suggest you the same - she pulled her arm out of the grip and began to walk away.
- I have nowhere to - his voice was arleady calm. The brunette turned around questioningly. - Previous house selled, here I have nothing, I won't buy becaus the inductor's broken as you probably noticed... But who cares - he dramatically looked on the sidewalk behind him. - I'll invent something. In the worst case I'll live at cardboard, take care of a rat and give him name 'Bob'...
The women winced her eyes at the show.
- Will you ever grow up?
- I'm serious - sparks for humor in his eyes faded. - I'm in a fix.
Something inside brunette signed, something took a decision, and something else rebelled.
- It's your problem - she said and for the next time tried to walk away.
- Fall... please... - his voice was subdued. Hearing the shortcur brunette slowed down and then stopped.
- Fallen, if so. Only temporarily, until you'll invent something.
The man followed her with a smile. On the way he tried few more times to begin an conversation, but the woman successfully avoided it. In the end seeing that as well he could talk to a wall he stopped.
They were on some average street; blocks with falling plaster, restaurations just waiting for visit os Sanepid, illegall night clubs, unservicable descent into the subway. There they entered one of doors and found themselfs on smelling sputum staircase.
- This place isn't too much in your style - he muttered didn't expecting any answer.
- Taste is one thing, sense is second.
- You're finding sense here? - with revusion he dumped banan peel from handrail.
She didn't answer, just opened doors in front od stairs on first floor and without closing them she entered.
- You can take sofa - those were the last words of brunette before she disapeared behind doors of bathroom.
Kurt looked around. Beyond the sofa there were also couch, which appareantly was here as a bed, low table next to sofa, small, round table with two hairs near to a window and just behfore blade of small kitchen, which wasn't separate room. Besides there were wardrobe and bookshelve by another wall.
He looked through the window. In front of the apartment were only one-storeyed pub. He took a look on books; horror literature interwines with hitory books and geographic atlas and other ones. He was just helding his hand to one of crime books when he heard grunt behind.
Fallen menaged to exit from the bathroom and was standing in it's doors with rebuking glance.
- Why did you left the Institut? - he asked.
Brunette didn't answered, but throwed a clean towel kind of in and kind of to him. - I don't like people stick their noses in my businesses.
- Once you were claiming you want to be honest with me - with those words he entered the bathroom.
- I also was claiming that past should be forgotten - the woman whispered to herself, but Kurt on the other side of doors heard it.
He signed inside. Where has gone the girl he used to know, who he saw eight years ago for the last time? Then they were best friends, then even something more, and now... more then friends it fits to say "strangers".
When Kurt woked up in the morning, the bed of hers was epmty and arleady made. Fallen wasn't in sight of his eyes.
Fallen didn't sleep from few minutes, she was staring into the wall. At last she looked on a watch on her wrist, it was almost seven. She stood up, after quick toilet she dressed up, took few needed things and taking an apple from fridge was about to leave, but stopped.
She looked at the sleeping on the sofa man. She took out an apple kept in the teeth and swallowed it, then with groan exited the flat.
She walked through two cross streets, then sequentially by bus and two taxies got to suburbs of Rosterdille, almost twenty miles away from her town. The other two kilometers to Cardiecoot she walked. Her town was average, for people not too wealthy and poor ones with few rich families driving the economy. Now she was in huge metropolis where were expensive shops of top brands, shopping centers and best apartaments.
When fife-stars hotel, "The Gold Hawk" showed up to her eyes she turned to a alleyway. Crouching by a garbage container she dressed up in hiden in a backpack satin, black dress and spike heels in the same color. She pin up hair in a elegant bun on top of her head. She looked at the hotel. At first she thought of stepping in from behind, but recognized that even if there's no cameras, there will be at last three in a holl for sure. Of course, there were one in front of the building, but the woman checked out long before where should she come from and how to stand for her face to be unnoticable.
The creation she fulfilled with long gloves and opened the doors for employees. Next to them was standing a small basked with a lot of electronic. Employees of this place weren't allowed to have it while working. Making sure no one can see, Fallen took one of mobile phones, then closeing the doors she choose learned number. After three signals someone answered.
- Good morning. I would like to order a limousine to hotel The Gold Hawk - she said.
- Madam's name?
- Katherine* Voksel, room 58 - there were no hesitate in her voice.
- Limousine will be there in five minutes.
- Thank you - the brunette disconnected and deleted the call from a list. What the eyes do not see, the heard doesn't regret. She walked through the alleyway to the other side of hotel. A lot of peaople walked over sidewalks, but everyone too preoccupied to notice her. She could freely come out from the hiding and stand next to valet**.
- Good morning - she said. He answered by a nod.
After two minutes a black limousine drived up, and valet opened its doors for her.
- To McGrace residence - she said being arleady inside.
The car began to ride and after te minutes they were on the place. The woman handed a bunch of banknotes to a chauffeur, then get out of the car when he opened doors for her.
- Thank you - she said.
She found herself in front of entrance to an impressive mansion with huge courtyard. As much impressive were insides of the building. Doors weren't locked, and even in a hallway bustled misses and talking with them mans. She gazed around looking for a person she found herself here for.
She saw him in kitchen doorway flirting with some blonde. She waitet for her to walk away, then come up to the man.
- She don't know what she's loosing - she said wanting to sound as coquerrishly as saving the keeping up appearances of pride of an upper-class person were letting her.
- And you are... - the brunet began.
- Jennifer Overstep - she introduced herself again with faked name.
- Edward McGrace, nice to meet you - he gallantly kissed Fallen's hand clothed with a glove.
- Nice to meet you as well.
The brunette thinked of what she know about him. Womanizer, uses his father's fortune to spoof next girls, being brutal, narcissistic, at the same time he's well-educated and enterprising. His property is almost fife hundred million, but in her eyes he was worth poky two million.
Two million, which she'll get for making his avid eyes look at women never again, and his greedy hands count any more bunch of banknots.
Two million for his death.
Because he had too much time and no ideas what to do, Kurt was looking around the flat. He wanted to take one of the books, but there was a whole cuted inside, and inside it were moneys.
His eyes got wide as he closed the book and reached for another one, ten another and another. In three were moneys, in one a knife from hard metal, maybe silver, in other some posions, the rest were just a normal books.
That's about the first shelf he looked at, anyway.
He recognized looking for more as pointless.
He sat on the sofa and looked around. Who knows how many onther hiding places has the flat. Who knows what might be found in them.
"Doubt, if I want to know it" he thought.
Both Fallen and young McGrace wielded a glasses of red wine, and the brunet were poured more from time to time.
The face of Edward were red, a bit from laught, a bit from the alcohol and may a bit from dirty thoughts which he undeniably had when he was staring at times at breast of the woman. She, though was nicely drinked each additional portion, was keeping a clean mind and didn't let her senses to blunt.
"Get drunk, jerk, you'll just make it easier for me" she thought with a dangerous glint in her eye. "It's going to be easy cash."
She wasn't here for moneys, either she weren't doing anything for moneys. It was all about satisfaction. Besides everyone do what they're good at, and if it makes her able to spend every weekend on Carribean, it's another story...
She didn't complain when Edward proposed to take the talk to more "private place". That's what she was waiting for.
The brunet leaded her to a room nativ of explusive brothels. Big bed with a satin bedding, plush carpet, red walls, candles and choking smell of cologne, mean to mask other, closer to the nature odors.
She knew she has at last twenty second before the man will make her lay on bed, big fotel or even floor, and her DNA will found itself on him and the place.
For now it's ony at the glass she still had in hand. She puted it down on a small table. She heard a sound of unziping fly, but didn't reacted. Men, they all are the same. She deribelatery unbuttoned chain on her neck and making coquettish face turned around to him. She walked up to him moving her hips, but feeling stupid about this. Then she toucheh her gloved finger his neck. She standed behind him, and he, counting on something interesting, didn't move.
Fallen slowly wrapped the chain around his neck and cathced it behind. The man purred like a cat, and she laughed at this. Suddenly she pulled the chain this much so McGrace choked with the air.
- Guess one of your exgirls pissed up a little - she whispered straight into his ear, then laughed low and throathy. - I enjoy killing such assholes like you - she pulled more. The man tried to defend, but were too much panicked. He didn't expect this kind of scenario.
What wasn't told to public opninion is that the man repeatedly were raping, but appropriate bribe for judge and jury maked it cool, it has never been proved. Who knows, maybe even the judge seeked the bribes to get rid of interloper? She didn't talk to the client personally.
Finally Edward finally livid felt on the ground. He was dead. Fallen puted the chain back, then finished her red wine and carefully wiped the glass with shirt of the man. It's batter than nothing, even through she didn't have to care about the fingertips, she preferred to be carefull. Administration had her false DNA, she taked care about this after first 'commission'.
She exited the room and headed back to downstairs, where she called an limouzine, drived to The Gold Hawk, dressed around, drived a taxi to Tyssel, then decided to walk.
She looked at watch: it was almost second p.m.. In half haour she have to be behind the counter and make drinks, and still she had to get rid of unnecessary dress.
Kurt knocked with pen in table's blade. It was almost zero hour, and Fallen weren't back. Sitting so long in alien flat can drive people crazy.
In the end there was a sound of ey crunch in doors and the brunette went inside.
- Whatever you were doing, could you do it any longer? - he asked at first.
- My chief has mercy - she muttered in an answer.
Kurt raised eyebrow.
- Where you're working?
- In club near. I'm making drinks and listen to weak courtships and complaints about earthly vale where my clients have to life.
- Someday I'd like to see how you're being psychologist - the man smirked.
- You're going to stay here this long that you say "someday"? - her voice tone was harsh and nastly.
- That's not what I was trying to say...
Wagner decided to don't ask about founded moneys. Anyway, he probably would just achieve some harsh words about not-sticking-nose and that's all about informations.
After washing up herself sad with a book by the small table. She didn't bagen any conversation.
She didn't began and will not begin. That's what her mind was learned to do in past eight years. Silence, muteness.
A voice of vibrator in mobile phone maked her look up. She answered.
- Yes?
A voice in the phone sounded.
- I thought it's clear. Sound again.
- Fine, we'll met up, but that's only because I want to refuse you personally (Author's note: No, no, no, it's not any boy that felt in love with her, people, just look at me, do I look like someone who writes she-loves-two-at-once kind of fanfics? No, I don't.) - she disconnected, and the mobile phone found itself back on the table.
Non of them said a word about the call.
Next day in the morning when Kurt woked up he didn't opened his eyes, just listened. Today he had the same dream... nightmare again, but this time Fallen didn't ask if he want to fail her... she said he arleady did.
Now she was messing around the flat in morning ritual. Nightcrawler didn't care until he heard sound of metal striking in wood. He slightely opened his eyes and saw that it was sound of scatterring over table cartridges to the gun, which she were sequentially putting in.
He didn't even moved. This view wasn't new for him. Once, in the the institut more than once he was witness of her doing this or watched her shooting practice or taking out on manikins with knifes.
- I know you're awake - she said, but didn't look at him, still staring at her gun - and I know, that you're aware of what I'm doing. And you know - then she moved her gaze to the man - that you're forced to stay silent about this.
She putted the weapon per belt and hided with jacket. She tied her hair in a very low ponytail and taking a retractable pocket knife she headed to doors.
- This time don't mess up with my things.
And with this she was gone.
Kurt looked through the window to know where she's going. He won't let her keep him in a flat like some unruly kid.
"This asshole, Crusador, thinks he can have whole stan under him" thought Fallen with irritation. "If someone works outside the law, he gives him his own laws... and duty of course" she growled.
She found herself in black district. She achieved some unpleasant looks from "Defenders of Black Power" but were too busy with her muttering about Crusador to pay attention on them. She entered one of shops and a bell informed about her presence. Smell of incenses were incredibly choking, especially with the feeling of narrowness feelable in this place. The shop were pretty big, though tightly distributed, clogged shelves, hanging from the ceiling and standing by the wall frippery, medallions, figures and other weird things maked it seem unhealthy splendor. Fluffy woman come out from the facilities. She was wearing a long, flowery dress, turban on head and a lot of gold jawely. Her suit were as spectacular as whole store, as much detached from the grey reality hiden by colorfull blinds in windows.
- How can I help you? - she asked looking at the brunette up and down. Dark clothes and visible disinterest in merchandise pointed unequivocal target of her invitation.
- Crusador surely told you about me. My name is...
- Fallen - she finished for her. A moment more she measured her with eyes then motioned at facilite. - Weapon - she said giving her a box, drawer-in-escrow-like.
Fallen looked at the box, then at the woman and again at the box. With a sign she took a gun from her belt and throwed it to the container. The black skinned one eye browed and the brunette were forced to give up on knifes inside her coath too. There were a moment of awkward silence. The woman had also knife and gun in her shoe uppers and didn't like a though of giving them to her. She didn't predicted bloodshed, but couldn't exclude such possibility.
- If you're lying, you will have a troubes, not me - said the woman while putting the box back to a shelve. Helen, it was her name.
The woman rolled out a carpet handing on the wall, which, by the way, perfectly blend in with the characterist decor. Under it were a plank which woman unlocked and slipped into a special bay in the wall. A gangway with steep stairs showe up to their eyes.
- Don't make any hasty decision - tone of her voice were more like carefull grandma telling her granddaugther about world's rules, not a woman embrioled in the operations of illegal guild.
Fallen gave her a single nod to show she understands and began to descend the stairs. Hellen haven't even sit back when a ring by doors rang again.
- Where does the passage leads to? - asked hooded new-comer. The woman observed him suspicous. Unneeded stalker means danger.
- Do you know the girl or you just like to stalk people by cracks in the curtains? - she asked standing behind the counter.
- I... do know her - he answered after a second.
Hellen pressed a small button under the blade.
Fallen came to a armored doors. There were bodyguard standing by them.
- I'm here to Crusador - said the brunette. The man measured her with eyes then took a step on sideways.
She found herself in a big room, almost hangar's size. Despite it was under ground, the space were well lited. Unlike the corridor leading here, it was collorfull, explusive and neatly here. The place absolupely didn't fit the people being here, though they were covering really good. Elegant desses from well-known designers on a par with stained tracksuits. Expensive wines on a par with regural whisky or water. People were here different, represtented opposite social groups, but everyone here were deathly dangerous. Each one of them qualified in killings not worse than she were. Here, in guild of assassins elithe gathered, best of the bests, murderous cream.
A lot of gravery shining eyes turned to Fallen when she was walking through a was from doors to sofs standing in a round.
- Crusador - she said to make sure that the man sitting there in company of two womans will hear her.
Appearently, he did heard her. He politely asked the womans for a moment of privacy. They walked away obediently, and he standed up spreading happily his arms.
- Fallen, welcome to my humble thresholds!
- I would prefer to go to the point - she quenched his enthusiasm. The man had about thirty-few years, fair blond hairs and marine eyes. He was dressed in a white, stretched suit under which were silk shirt in color of aquamarine. He raised his hands to show he understands, then he pointed sofa. At first Fallen approached reluctantly to this idea, but feeling pain in her feet she sat. The blonde also sat in front of her.
- Wanna dring something? Coffe, tea, wine? - he asked as if they were get-together thing.
- I'm not about to stay here this long - she answered.
Crusador became serious and neaned.
- Fine. You know what I want. You work for me and you give me 20% or you play solo, don't get in my way, but 50% of your incomes are mine - he was talking in low voice tone.
- Or I play solo, have you in ass and everything is as before - she answered.
- No, there's no option like this... - he smiled ironically at her sarcasm.
- Who said that you're the one to establish rules?
- Look around. I'm the ONLY one to establish rules.
- I'm not from here.
- Should I feel bad for you?
This word game would last a moment more and wouldn't end well, but a readhead come to the Crusador and whispered something into his ear. His eyes sparkled with new enthusiasm to tiffing.
- Tell me, Fallen... do you collaborate with someone? - he asked with crafty smirk.
- Depends on the target of this question - the brunette learned long ago that clear answers gaves no chance to withdraw, and an exite way is always needed.
The blonde noded on someone and in a company of two bodyguards were introduced - or if you prefer, thrown in - a man with newly smashed forehead. Few people began to whisper to each other seeing that he was all covered in a fur. Although no one were about to do something. Those were people with steel nerves and harts.
- I'll ask again. Will you accept the conditions or you prefer to watch your demonic friend drowning in his own blood? - in marine eyes of Crusador seemed to lurk satan himself. Fallen felt him gaze at her from the bottom of hells.
*Katherine - no, I didn't think about Kitty Pryde **Valet - I don't remember how people who open doors in hotels are calling