I hope you guy's like this chapter, it took a little while for me to post a new one. I've been busy and I haven't been able to write, I got a farm to keep up and such so I'm moving as fast as I can. I'm looking for a Beta reader if anyone's interested and like always I like hearing review's from you guy's and gal's.
The Knife Unseen
Chapter 4
"Don't push me!" Victor's neck snapped his head back as far as he could to look at the officer behind him. The Turian's face seemed young and inexperienced, but still acted like he was seasoned. He struggled in the hand restraint's trying to reach the officer behind him, grunting inside his helmet.
"Keep moving!" Victor felt the barrel of his gun push into the small of his back, pushing him forward through the dark.
Constantly reminding himself that it was the only way didn't help ease Victor's hurt pride. He knew even at the beginning that there was a possibility of him getting killed or caught, but he had hoped he would have been able to get out. The only thing that kept him from getting out was Laural, which he knew would one day come and bite him in the ass.
A turian C-Sec officer escorted Victor in his black armor out of the C-Sec building into a parked skycar nearby. "Where are you taking him? He still need's to be questioned and figure out who he is." Laural stopped Victor and the officer , looking them both over with a agitated look.
"I have to take him down to the central hub for keeping. If you want to take it up with somebody take it up with the Captain." Laural stepped aside hesitantly still looking into Vallok's eye's through his tented visor. The officer pushed his barrel into Victor's back plate again making Victor stop and turn around to face his escort.
"Don't...push...me, or I will make it my last mission in life to kill you!" Even in hand restraint's the officer looked actually scared of Victor and for good reason.
Victor turned around and began walking again to the parked C-Sec car. The helmet was probably the only thing that had went right for him, it still covered his identity. Meaning if he could find a way to escape he would be in the free and clear. His mind worked into overtime as he analyzed everything for a way to escape. Victor was shaken from his thought's as the door to the skycar opened and he was tucked into the backseat. Sitting quietly in his seat Victor observed everything that the officer did as he controlled the skycar bringing it up off the platform pausing only a minute before taking off, giving him enough time to look back out at Laural as she watched them leave.
Working quietly on his restraint's he continued looking straight ahead at the officer making sure he wouldn't turn around to see what he was doing. The restraint's weren't hard to get out of, but they still made it inconvenient because it was expected that his hand's be behind his back. The officer pushed the car faster and deeper into the lower ward's, the opposite direction of the central C-Sec hub. Victor was curious and stayed his hand on getting free to see where they were going. The only thing that was even related to C-Sec where they were going was another station and that was block's out of the direction they were going. No, Victor had his suspicion, but wanted to be sure.
"How long have you been out of the restraint's?" The Turian officer didn't bother to turn around and look at Victor to see if he had.
"At least for a few minute's, didn't they teach you to restrain their hand's to their body in C-Sec Academy?" Victor figured he really wasn't from C-Sec at all, but wanted to make sure. He had always had a habit for wanting to know to much about people, some people swore it'd be the end of him one day. He ran his hand over his gunshot wound trying to figure out the damage, as far as he could tell he'd live without permanent damage.
"I wasn't there that day of the Academy, I was out to soon." The young turian's voice sounded a little anxious, but calm at the same time. Most officer's had a good handle on being able to project confidence and authority, not him though.
"So where are we really going, because if we are heading for C-Sec headquarters we're going the wrong way?" Victor lifted his hand pointing behind him.
"I was hired to drop you off anywhere out of a 10 kilometer range of that station." The turian began to lower the skycar down towards a landing lot outside a line of store's.
"I'm guessing you were hired through a middle man. You want a piece of advice? You aren't cut out for this kid, you'll get yourself killed doing this. They don't care if you get killed or caught, you're expendable to them. Do yourself a favor and join C-Sec Academy again." The car landed on a landing pad, but the turian didn't open the door's yet.
The young turian turned around to face Victor scowling at him."They hired me to pull you out of there though so obviously they care somewhat!"
"Because I'm good at what I do and I know to much. You don't! Get out while you can kid!" The turian turned around to look out the cockpit window thinking about what Victor had said. The car was silent until Victor spoke again. "Can you let me out now or do I have to do it?"
The turian rushed to open the door letting out Victor and just as quick closed it again. The skycar took off into the sky leaving Victor alone in the landing area. It's not that Victor was concerned for the kid, but he wished that someone would have told him what it was like when he first started. He didn't have much of a choice at the time, but he figured he would have found a way to get around it. As he began to walk he thought about it all, what had happened when he first started and all the way up till this job. What did he have to show for it and what the hell was he going to spend all this money he's been collecting on? He had enough to fund an entire well supplied army, but he didn't really want anything. Having all the weapon's he wanted, having a place to live was more than enough for him. Was his way of life actually worth him getting caught and killed or imprisoned for life? Maybe he over thought everything, or maybe he was just a little excited from all the commotion? He didn't really know, but he began to try and suppress it to the back of his mind like he always had.
Victor began to feel the pain shoot through his leg from his gunshot wound, but continued to limp along. His suit did a pretty good job of taking care of the wound temporarily, but he knew it'd eventually need to be taken care of. Looking around all he could see was mostly club's and bar's except for one store of some sort. Carefully making his way to the store he walked in and approached the keeper behind the desk.
"I need some supplies. MediGel if you got it? If not I need some cloth." The Asari woman behind the desk looked up from her workstation looking at the Turian still in his helmet and armor.
"I'm sorry, but we don't have Medi Gel other than an emergency kit for the store." The Asari looked a little nervous as she looked the turian over finding his blood soaked leg.
He nodded. "And what about some cloth?"
"Yeah, that we do have give me a minute." The shopkeeper scrambled behind the desk before coming back up with a towel.
"Thank you." Grabbing the towel he left the shop limping into the nearest ally he could find. He figured a hospital was to risky and to far away so he'd have to resort to old method's. Pulling out his silenced sidearm he fired it three time's into a wall nearby, then pulled the heat sink out and removed his armor from his leg. Victor bit down hard flaring his mandible's preparing for the pain that would come from what he was about to do. Slowly he took the glowing red heat sink to both side's of his leg cauterizing the wound to stop the bleeding. Throwing his heat sink back into his gun he applied the towel to his leg to clean up any blood before putting back on his armor. It wasn't a pretty job, but it had always worked and was easier the explaining it to hospital's. Victor left the ally and began walking towards some parked cab's again.
Victor's Omni-tool beeped with a reminder that he had set back when he was in the station still he had forgotten that he had a date with the very woman who had just arrested him. He wasn't sure if she knew who he was yet, but he figured if he didn't show it might look more suspicious. Quickening his pace he walked to a parked cab opening the door and sitting into it.
The cab driver looked over his shoulder at Victor curiously. "Where to?"
"Take me to my car over in the parking garage near C-Sec station 23." The cabby quickly started the accent into the traffic humming above taking him back to the C-Sec station he had just left.
-Back at the Station
Laural
Laural still stewed as she watched the skycar take off with her biggest case in the back of it. She had recognized him from the security footage and his carnage matched what had happened back in the tower overlooking the Cafe. "Bullshit!" Laural paced back and forth near the entrance of the C-Sec building.
"What's wrong?" Sergeant Haven studied Laural as she paced hoping to figure out why she was so upset.
"Someone up in Headquarters wanted him so they sent someone to come out and get him!" Laural muttered stopping her self to take a deep breath.
"What would they want with him?" Haven looked puzzled for a minute as he rubbed his mandible trying to think. "Wait, we would have heard something about this first or at least get a message right about now. Right?" Laural's gaze narrowed down on Haven as she thought about what he had said.
After a few second's in thought she rushed up the step's behind Haven and back into the C-Sec building. Laural rushed across the white lobby and up the stair's to her office with Haven in pursuit trying to figure out what she was doing. She opened her office door and sat behind her desk bringing up a holographic screen. Haven rushed to her door stopping in the doorway looking at her as he breathed heavy trying to catch his breath.
"C-Sec Office's, how may I help you?" The screen reflected light onto Laural's face as she called C-Sec Headquarters.
"I need a confirmation on a pick up of a suspect at C-Sec station 23." Larual seemed flustered to Haven as she tisked her talon's on her desk waiting for a response.
"We have no record of any request for a suspect or anyone for that matter to be picked up at that station. Is there a problem?" Laural's face ran cold for a moment as she realized her suspicion's had been right. She had thought it weird that no one called ahead, but she figured it was due to the commotion of everything.
She slammed her fist into her desk letting a deep growl emanate from her chest."Damn it! Yes there's a problem, an officer claiming to be from HQ just came and picked up my suspect in this station's killing's. If you didn't send anyone then I need some extra officer's to look for the both of them. They left in a C-Sec car heading towards the Zakara Ward's."
"Understood, we'll send some officer's that way to help close off the area to look for them." the female Asari on the line closed the connection leaving Laural to drift off for a moment in thought.
"What would you like me to do detective?" Haven stood at attention waiting for Laural to say something. Little did she know that he just wanted to impress her somehow. He'd always liked her, but never had the nerve to say anything. She'd never noticed anything from him for no more than the fact that she was to dedicated to her work. She had always been that way even during her time at the academy and during her time in the Turian Military, she never made time for anything else. It wasn't because she was trying to avoid it, her father was a powerful man and not easy to please. She wasn't afraid of disappointing him, no it was something else.
Bringing herself back to reality she looked up from her screen at the young Turian waiting for his order's." Tell the officer's that I said to start searching last seen location and to let me know if they find anything." Laural then looked back down at her screen thinking again.
Haven stopped himself from leaving the doorway looking at Laural with a concerned look. "Are you alright Laural?" The turian softened his voice wanting to try and be there for her.
She looked up again and smiled at him flaring her mandible's, she appreciated his concern. "I'm fine, thanks. Just some old history still bothering me." Haven nodded pausing for a second before leaving the doorway to make sure she really was alright. Laural nodded slightly dismissing Haven, he left the doorway rushing down the hallway again to the stairwell leaving Laural alone.
The room fell silent and dark again as she sat in her chair thinking about her next move. She knew that her guy was a pro at what he does and that he has some connection's that help him get out of some tight spot's. In her mind that meant he had to be doing this for a while to have that high of connection's and to be able to do some of the thing's he does. Once again Laural was interrupted by her Omni-tool beeping with an incoming call.
"Laural?" Victor's voice pierced the silence of the room.
"Hey Victor. What did you need?" Laural was starting to feel her day wearing down on her every moment making her tired.
"You alright, you sound tired?"
"Yeah I'm ok just a bit run down tonight. What did you need?" Laural ran her hand over her face hoping to try and brush her fatigue off like a mask.
"I was checking in if you were still coming to dinner tonight?" Victor's voice sounded a bit out of wind, but not enough to make her notice at first.
"Ohh, I'm so sorry I forgot about that! Listen I'm tired tonight and I don't know if I can go out tonight." She could feel it every time she moved, but she still wanted to see him.
"How about I meet you at your apartment when you get off in about 15 Minute's?" Victor sounded a bit suggestive in his tone, which was unintentional.
"Victor, as much as I admire your...persistence I really am tired and I don't know if I could even do that." Even though she was tired she still smiled about it.
"Ha, ok well how about I just come over and I'll be your protector for the night? Sounds like you need someone to come protect you while you get a goodnight sleep." Victor's breathing got a little more noticeable as he laughed, but it still didn't bother Laural enough to ask.
"Ok, I'll meet you there." Her faint smile dissipated as she thought about Victor being out of breath.
She rose up from her desk grabbing her key's off of it heading for the door. She locked it and began walking down the hallway still thinking in the back of her mind about why Victor would be out of breath. Was he working? Surely not that late at night. Reaching the end of the hallway she took the stair's to the lobby finding Sergeant Haven standing on top of the stair's in front of the building with multiple officer's heading for their car's and securing the area.
Haven made her forget her thought's as he began to brief her."Detective we have officer's taking evidence and doing searched within a 20 Kilometer area looking for anything that look's helpful."
"Good let me know if they find anything I'm taking off early." Laural rubbed her eye's before walking down the stair's towards the landing pad in front where her car was parked.
Laural looked around and then up at the extended ring's of the Citadel as she walked to her car. She could remember when she first came to the Citadel thinking that she was going to be able to stop most crime, but it seemed all she does is pick up after crime. The distinct hiss of the skycar door opening was drowned by the never ending traffic above, it annoyed her. The entire station was always moving and everyone struggled to keep up with it. Her car hummed as she sat in it and started it up, sitting for a minute she looked at the C-Sec building being lite up by spotlight's from C-Sec car's in the dark. It almost sickened her that something like this would happen in a C-Sec station, supposedly one of the safest place's on the Citadel. Nowhere on the Citadel was safe and she had been hearing of corruption in C-Sec. It made her wonder sometimes if she really wanted to stay on the Citadel?
-After driving to Laural's apartment
Laural approached her door looking for her key card somewhere on her person. "I was afraid I'd have to send out a search party." Victor walked out of the dark of the hallway into the light near her door with a slight turian smirk.
Laural jumped a little at first, but smiled at the sight of him. "I'm glad it's just you." She continued to fumble for her key card.
"Just me? I'm not really sure how to take that." Victor managed to make a playful puzzled look at her.
She smiled again at him before she found her key card attached to her belt."You know what I meant."Swiping her key card in front of her lock the door opened letting them both in.
As soon as she entered her apartment she walked over to her couch and plopped down in it. Victor followed behind her not even bothering to turn on the light's and sat down next to her.
"What's wrong? You really do look tired." He touched her face with his hand brushing black scoring off her face. She pushed her face against his touch glad that he was there.
"Just a long day and I'm ready for it to be over." Grabbing his hand she put his arm around her and nuzzled herself into his chest. She loved listening to his heart beat it made her feel calm and safe.
"Laural what happened?" He knew what had happened that day, but he just wanted to be there for her. Knowing what it was like to deal with life alone he didn't want her to feel like she had to.
"That case I was telling you about earlier today..." She paused a minute waiting for some response from him.
"What about it?"
"The guy that's involved was at the station and he killed an informant we had in our custody. I don't know if he killed anyone else, but I can't believe he'd attack a station. It just bother's me, but I at least managed to shoot him in the leg." Her word's were muffled by Victor's shirt as she kept her face in his chest.
"I'm just glad you're alright. I would have hunted him down if anything would have happened to you." Victor watched her as she laid still in his arm's. As she enjoyed listening to his heartbeat he liked just watching her, maybe it was because he wanted to make sure she was safe or maybe he just felt something for her.
He really did worry about her, but it worried him more when she got involved in his work on accident. Doesn't mean he'd stop what he was doing, nor did it mean he would stop seeing her. For the first time in his life he was torn between work and personal life, he'd never had to worry about it before because it was easier to just pick work. It was different this time he hadn't known her all that long, but he felt for her. He wasn't ready to call it love yet, but it was something more than just a one night stand gone on to long. It made him wonder because when he shot he missed her on purpose, he wouldn't have done it before. Would he kill her if she ever came between him and a contract? Would he really let her arrest him?
Victor sat up most of the night with Laural asleep in his arm's thinking about what had happened at the station and Laural. He had to decide if she was worth getting caught by her or possibly killed by her? It was no longer a clear cut decision as it was in the past for him, he had grown attached which he said he'd never do. In his line of work if he had someone he cared about it could be used against him or even get him killed, but he was dating a detective. Not only a detective, but the one that was looking for him in particular. Looking down at her he found himself thinking about if he killed her then and there his problem would be gone, but he wouldn't do it. It felt wrong on every level. He cursed himself and just held her tighter laying his head back. He had already made his decision, there wasn't a point in losing any more sleep about it.
