With no time to spare even for a longer piss, I once again climb out of the safehouse that was at least warm, into cold embrace of the streets.
Frau Muller stuck out like a sore, freezing thumb when she stood in the corner of Moritzplatz memorial. As one would expect, impressive gal with skin like cofee and dark, well maintained hair. Corporate executive in the flesh, all decked out in expensive suit and tasteful makeup.
I've felt cruel pleasure seeing barracuda like that nervous and taking half-step back when she saw me approaching, with no less scary Dante following me in silence, not looking like a puppy one bit.
"Herr Rai, I presume? Herr Amsel told me I could meet you here." She begins and honestly, she sounded quite nice, atzlaner accent made her german much smoother.
"Amsel, just like me, is a man of his word." I reply in english, trying to be cold and impassive, holding at bay my tiredness. "He said you have a job for me."
"Yes I do. Putting it simply, I am desperate for your help." Muller's reply made me arch my eyebrow, not expecting corporate shrill to be so blunt.
"Alright, tell me what you need." I urge her to elbatorate, while taking my hood down. Her eyes shoot to my dyed hair immediately, most women do when see this first time on a guy like me. "Aztechnology executive, deep in some shite directly involving your employer...ay?"
"Very astute. I was a solid and, without false modesty, very good employee. Apparently good enough to be transferred to Berlin out from Tenochitlan. I wasn't given any details about my assignment beside the name: Bloodline." Muller begins to unravel her story.
"Hah, catchy."
"There's nothing nice or funny about it. Blood magic is common in Tenochitlan, I have seen people bought and kidnapped for sacrifice back home and still...It has nothing on the Bloodline Project."
"Specifics...por favor." I feel I'm running out of fumes I was driving on for the last ten hours or so, so I need to pick the pace in here, even if the gal is scared shitless.
"The less you know the better, you'd just have to trust me-"
"Trust is not something I give easily even to people who'd save my life, chica." I interrupt her. "So if you want me on this job, I want details. Because a lot of good people died when client witheld or *forgotten* to mention a detail that turned out to be crucial. So?"
"...The project itself is simply evil, that's all I can tell you. For your job it doesn't changes anything because I need you to bring the whole building down." Muller replies after a moment, sharper than before. "I want all the mages, scienists and their research to burn into ashes buried under rubble. No compromises, no exceptions. Is it specific enough for you?"
"Good enough." I send her a death glare and office barracude goes docile again, realising it wasn't her turf.
"...I know I leave you with lots of questions with out answer. I'm not used to deal with Shadowrunners. Frankly, I've spent most of my life in fear of you people. But only Shadorunners are willing to do a job like that and there's least chance of you flipping me to my employers just to cut corners."
"You're paying enough to hire a team with integrity, love. We don't flip our clients unless they cross us first..." I reply slowly. "But as much as I know about demolition, I don't have ordnance nor means to level entire building. Any bright ideas how am I supposed to do that?"
"By being a competent decker, which you were advertised to be." Muller flashes a sly smile lasting less than a second. "Building is running on generators with failsafes in case of power spikes. I know these safeguards can be hacked."
"Hmmm...If there is no hardware blocks and additional countermasures for that, I can see it work. What about security on site?"
"Very tight. Assault is not an option, unless you have an army of tanks. Aside from doubled security team, Aztechnology even hired Knight Errant High Threat Response Team as an emergency reinforcement on speed dial. Going as far as hiring their competition to protect this project should give you an idea how deep into hell this case reaches out."
"And thirty six grand is the payout for this?"
"Just as I've told Herr Amsel. That's all I have allocated for the job, not one nuyen less or more."
"That's fair for an op like that...Alright, you got yourself a deal." I offer hand and she gently grabs it, her soft hand twitches at the touch of all callouses on my fingers and rough leather of my glove. "Get all the details worked out with Amsel and I'll get to it."
"I'm relieved to hear it...When will you take care of it?"
"As fast as possible since you have all hell chasing you...That means tonight or tommorrow." I point up at the greying skies "We only work the graveyard shift."
"Tommorrow night, that'll be the best for all non-essential personnel to leave home, leaving only the core staff on site." Muller finishes, letting go of my hand. "Thank you, for ending this nightmare."
"Yeah...Take care, senorita Muller." I leave her, walking away after patting hip to call Dante to follow me.
Feeling like falling off my feet, I manage to get back to the safehouse and was already aiming for the bed, even going as far as getting rid of my jacket, but Paul called after me.
"How did the meeting went, Rai?" Fixer asked me calmly.
"We're in. But this isn't just a run, this is a bloody infiltration with demolition as main course. Got any contacts or ideas how to tackle something like that, Paul?"
"A few. Muller provided us with detailed information and layout of the facility. I've triple checked it, everything seems to be solid."
"Ay, she told me about security, even more bloody security, and all topped off by security. Not going to break the doors in, not when last run we did like that was rough and Azzies surely have more guns than those in chemical lab Fuchs sent us to."
"I have an idea. It's little complicated but if you'll manage to slip into OTK International, a developer making software for Knight Errant...I should be able to get Errants off your back one way or another." Amsel proposed, producing an employee ID from his pocket. "A contact of mine managed to get this for me...Only one so you'll be on your own on the first phase of the plan."
"That sounds all really nice but I need to get some sleep first, besides Muller told me tommorrow night would be the best moment to take the building down. Less collateral damage in people she said."
"I was going to propose that myself, Rai. You do look like you need sleep." Amsel gave me a gentle pat on the back.
That pushed me enough to just trott to my corner and fall face-first onto matress. I've managed to notice weight of Dante crawling next to me, before I've just fallen off the reality...
I wish I could sleep more but wet nose of Dante woken me up. He was better than an alarm clock, apparently knowing passage of time well and waking me up after ten hours. I bet Monika taught him that, it was a nightmare to wake that girl back in the day.
I should think less about those who'll never come back to me.
Same shit, different night. A lot of things to do since no job for another night, starting from the least exciting...
So, time to catch up on Green Winters' Show. First tracked stamped with 2054-11-11...
Not much I haven't heard already, Amsel already provided massive spoilers about some irradiated oddbals worshipping ghost-dragon in the SOX.
Interesting wrinkle was in the second track, apparently some other dragon tried to save Firewing from SOX but was chased away by Lowfyr or other more famous serpent. That ruled out Feuershwinge to operate with aid of any other dragon, for whatever that good was.
All other tracks were corrupted but last one was a recording of Adrian Vauclair, leaving a message to Winters. Frankly, I felt bad for the lad, listening to him talk about PTSD he got from fighting Firewing was hitting close to home, I can still smell the lab organ peddlers used to dissect their victims...I can still smell antiseptic mixed with blood pooling under maimed body of Sarah...
Shaking my head hard, I do my best to not slip into that trap of memory lane. There's nothing good in there, I have to keep that thinking to minimum.
Okay, time for the third, latest DVD Hoyley recovered for me.
Ugh, nothing much really again. Just a bit of trivia about Vauclair brothers and how much of a drag Winters was to Adrian his whole life. Only interesting fact was that Vauclair got kicked out of prominent position in some daughter company of Saeder-Krupp corp due to his obsession with Feuershwinge and him spending company funds for chasing rumors.
The guy really wasn't letting on and if he haven't found it and is still alive...I'm pretty sure Vauclair still runs around SOX or God only knows what place and searches under every rock after Firewing.
I need a mental towel to wipe my mind so I slump next to Detrich lounging on the couch.
"Something's on your mind, boss? Beside the usual weight of our little world?" Shaman chats me up with crooked smile.
"Curiosity that'll get me into hell one day, D." I retort with equal grin though I can feel how tired I must look despite just waking up. "Why did you switched from fronting a punk band to running in shadows? Not like retirement in show business comes often through anything else than overdose or really fatal performance."
"Honestly? Thing lost it's magic. No pun in here." Dietrich replies and stretches a bit. "It was alright when I was a kid, it got me and my idol all pumped up. But, as the years went I simply needed to do more, be out there and fight...Shadows always put you on razor's edge and if that's what my idol wants, I give it to him because I know I'll enjoy it anyway."
"Well, you weren't far from right, mate. Now you're squabbling with real dragon afterall."
"Yeah...It's kinda daunting. I'm excited to be able to hunt white whale like that."
"Not to burst your bubble D, but white whale killed Ahab." I remind the ending of Moby Dick.
"Hey, it was an epic fight, right?" D retorts with toothy grin. "Dragonslayer's ideals and my whole life, was never about winning, it was about standing your ground and pushing forward against every enemy. Victory is optional, a bonus allowing you to fight again."
"...I'm all about living to see the other day and enjoying it, but like hell I'd cower just to survive instead of taking the fight even against all odds." I chuckle, absent mindedly brushing through my red hair.
"That bottom line is why I'll always follow you, Rai." Dietrich nods to me deeply. "But, since we're going out again, I hope you don't mind me hitting the hay for a bit."
"Take it while you can, D." I reply and get my arse off the couch, allowing Dietrich to sprawl all over the poor seat protesting under weight of the shaman. I stride further, my work for today just begining since everybody was up despite it being barely past 1 PM.
"Hey love, doin' alright?" I try to sound casual, looking at Glory in her usual state of contemplating cracked wall. "That ambush in the tube was really nasty, I hope you're not angry for the whole grenade stunt."
Glory turned to me and slowly formed a genuine smile. Dear God, that girl is just beautiful when smiling. I have to make her do it more often.
"You did warned me the best you could." She replied, in voice lighter than ever before. "You had two seconds to improvise so I say it all worked out well. Nobody even got hurt, except you of course."
"Right, that seems to be a trademark of mine I think." I shrug with arm marked with bandage hiding graze from a stray bullet richocheting in the crossfire, fighting to not grin at her subtle note of care. "Better me than any of you."
"Why?" Her question throws me off the rails a bit, Glory never being curious about anything before. And before I knew it, my tongue was loose and jar of blackstars opened.
"I've seen enough people, good people close to me, getting hurt or dying right in front of me. I guess it's safe to say it hurts me less to get shot myself than to see others wounded."
"...You care a lot about others." Glory points out after long moment. "I'm finally getting why Monika brought you from UCAS. For her rep and reach, she could have any shadowrunner on the market, joining our crew. But you're the only one who has all of her good traits, only your flaws are different."
"I'll take it as a compliment, love." I smirk at her. "Humour me and do tell what are my flaws in your eyes?"
"Self-sacrifice. Code of honor that you apparently won't even think of bending, not to mention breaking. The foolish attempt to make the world a better place..." Glory lists off.
"Goddamn, I can understand cynical but I'm actually kinda proud of these things, you know?"
"These are flaws and liabilities making you an easier target in the world of shadows, Rai." Glory shakes head a bit, forcing some hair of that black mane of hers away from ivory face. "But that does't mean I don't appreciate or admire you for having these traits."
Not gonna lie, my heart started hitting like jackhammer after hearing this. Whether she knew or not, she just stroked my ego like...
Ugh, get a hold of yourself Rai, and don't get any ideas.
"Thank you, love. I really enjoy hearing someone appreciating me trying to be more human to others." I shrug sheepishly. "So, how are things with you?"
"I'm happy, you know?" She leans back in the chair a bit, easing off the posture finally. "For the first time in a long time I feel something and it's not a dead weight chained to my leg."
If not for herculean effort inside my own mind, I'd pull that girl into a hug right there, at that very moment. It was so good to see Glory cracking up the icy shell around her, just because finally somebody pulled her tongue enough to just air out all the bad shite she was hoarding inside.
"Been wandering if you'd pick up your story but, I don't want to ruin your mood today, love." I begin but she grabs my hand and keeps me in place, her stare immediately changing into less happy but much more emotional. "Glory?"
"I'm not looking forward to it, but I *want* you to know. I...I guess I owe you the whole truth for all the help."
"You don't owe me anything. It's always only as much as you want to tell me, when you're done, you're done." I repeated her line from last talk.
"It's time to bring it all to light, to get rid of that...wound." Glory replies, making me slide against the wall and seat on the floor, but not leting go of my hand. "Rai, I'm about to tell you some things about me that may change your view on me. It's quite possible you'll hate me after hearing what's coming up next. I want you to know I've accepted that because I want no lies between us, only the truth no matter how bad it is."
Instead of words that would mean nothing, I've acted and simply put my hand over Glory's, covering her metal palm in my gloved hands.
"I'll start with Harrow, the guy leading the commune I've just started living in with Marta." Glory begun and her face immediately schooled, I could see her fighting to show as little as possible what was going on inside her. "He had to be in late twenties but he was nice, good looking and up with the latest things, allowing him to hang out with kids like an older peer not a parent. He...He had charisma too. A headpat, few kind words and Harrow had another convert, whole groups following him like puppies he fed from hand." Glory taken a moment for a ddep breath and I knew the shit was really hitting the fan now. "As much as me and Marta loved each other, when Harrow was around he was the one we wanted to be closest to. And soon...we were in his inner circle. It was exciting, for a seventeen year old to hear about 'Rules of Living' Harrow made up, talking how he taught classes at University of Berlin, painting it as a mix between heaven on earth and anarchist playground. He told us we were special, he told us we are the future of Fatherland...We've ate it all up, good kids to him we were."
She clenched my hand hard but I didn't let it shown, allowing her to take the time she needed to go through with this.
"Harrow had power, a real power unlike drunken fists of my father or my own pathetic experiments with spirits...Harrow told us he venerated Horned God, an ancient deity that bestowed him its power. He knew about my abilities so he offered to teach me, to make me strong..."
"You were riding on cloud nine thanks to him, I don't think I would've paid attention to anything if I was in your place, love." I try to offer and she lights up a bit.
"That's...comforting to hear. I'm glad to know even someone headstrong like you could make a mistake like I did." She sighs heavily and bites her lip. "So, I've become Harow's apprentice. He taught me channeling and summoning of spirits. He taught me rituals and pagan traditions. Machiavelli and Nietzche were etched in my memory after hours of reading about their ethics. But most of all, I was taught to connect to 'Horned God'. I've learned power. Power and arrogance...Since it felt like top of the world, it was time for one hell of a ride downhill."
Long minute passes between us in silence, with Glory opening her mouth a few times but unable to spit it out. Slowly, I got up into squat and rested right in front of her, holding both of her hands in mine and looking into her eyes. I could see the turmoil in her, hear her own heart thumping. When I offered her a weak smile, she taken another breath and continued.
"For the next few years, I live at Feuerstelle as Harrow's enforcer, go-to girl...and concubine." She stops the moment last syllable flowed from her mouth. "It wasn't anything special since...all of the girls in the commune were serving him. Including my beloved Marta. I came to learn that she *belonged* to Harrow long before I've met her. But I didn't cared, I've embraced Rules of Living. I was Harrow's creature through and through. No questions, no doubts. Only path in front of me and I've gladly taken every step."
She was starting to fall apart in front of me but Glory wan't finished yet.
"Fun fact about those years: I have learned cruelty. Not the receiving end anymore, no...With power given to me, I was the one who hurt others. Harrow and my new idol, both encouraged me to it. I liked to show my *tender care* to all kids who did not pulled their own weight around the commune. It was so much fun back then...I also came to know that deity Harrow worshipped was not Eichenfurst worshipped by throwback neo-pagan germans. This god sure had horns but it came from quite different tradition...Care to hazard a guess?" She looked at me with painful sarcasm, making my heart sink.
"Glory...Don't tell me that-that it was..."
"The Adversary. In magical community it's a name for-"
"The Devil." I finish for her. "Christ, Glory, I-This is so messed up." I felt my on eyes were getting glossy, once all of the details falling into one big puzzle giving answers about woman in front of me. Jesus fucked Christ, this girl got roped into satanic cult...
"Here comes the best part, Rai." Glory offers me a mirthless smile of resignation. "I didn't cared about it one bit. During my time with Harrow, I've commited more atrocities than I could count. At that time I knew all of his tricks: The Feuerstelle was a honey trap attracting little flies like me. I knew that kids who did not ate up Harrow's brainwashing were fertilizing the garden, making it as beautiful as the ones around nazi death camps. I knew that Harrow's manifesto was bullshit and nothing else... I knew it all and I've done nothing. Harrow was laughing, Adversary was laughing. I was laughing with them, staring at the flames..." Glory slipped hands out of my grasp and looked up, at the dirty light bulb hanging on the cable. "I don't want to pin the blame to anyone else but me. In my indoctrinated little brain I did connected my father and Kreuzritters with Chruch, seeing it all inversed where priests were bad monsters and the devil a saviour...It was to me afterall, no? If being bad felt so good, why change it?" She let out a short laughter that made me shiver. "I was kidding myself, my new *deity* was the very definition of bad. It made me bad. End of story."
"I'm not going to excuse what you've done, Glory. But I'm not forgetting the reasons and circumstances you were under when you've done it." I try softly, getting a sharp stare from her that immediately melts, and she looks away.
"It's...You make it sound like it's not my fault."
"It's not something you done at your volition. Not really."
"Maybe...Anyway, one day Harrow taken me on a trip. To Stuttgart." Glory picks up, talking a bit faster as if she was running out of time. "Over the years our commune grew nearly twice in it's size, a lot of t thanks to Marta and other girls like her, bringing in new blood just like she brought me. We were scouting out children for potential recruitment, but decision was made to pay a visit to my father: the irony of his beloved ritters getting immolated by devil's servant he ultimately allowed to happen, tickled me to no end. So when Harrow stopped to walk around and charm people, I've hopped into the van and drove to my father's place, almost drooling at the thought of turning that pig into ashes..."
Glory twitches strangely and before I knew it, I was standing and had my arms gently wrapped around her, listening to her uttering out the ending of story unlike anything I've ever heard.
"I was hearing Adversary's voice in my ear, riling me up all my way to the house. It was telling me what to do, making me recall all the beatings, all the insults and hardships I was forced to endure because of his problems...As the doors opened in front of me, I've felt a torrent of flames welling up in me, making me channel an inferno right into figure of my father..."
I've felt her arms wrapping around me, Glory pressing head to my stomach hard and whispering words that made my legs shake.
"...It wasn't my father who opened the doors. It was my mother."
I've inhaled to say something to her, to comfort her in any way but I've broken down myself, only letting out a sound and trying to pull Glory closer.
"I've watched her flesh blacken and melt, I've heard her scream and I broke into hysterics...Then I've heard Adversary's laughter, laughing at me." Her whisper continued, even though I could feel hot tears falling onto fabric of my t-shirt.
"Glory...I-I'm so sorry for you." I manage to utter and she pulls away from me, little dishevelled and eyes even more reddened than due to red make up. "Nobody deserves that."
"Thank you...It means a lot to me." She purses lips and sighs heavily. "You know, when all of that happened, the bubble popped and I was no longer a strong servant of Adversary, I wasn't Harrow's number-one. I was a miserable fool who tied her soul to foulest thing in the existence. I knew I had to get away. From Harrow, from Adversary...Easier sad than done." She ran fingers through her hair, as if working out a kink. "I've managed to not scream during my ride back to Feuerstelle, not think about happy recruits cheering about fortune smiling upon them. In the night, I've managed to break into Harrow's safe, steal all of the commune's money, and just ran. I've ran and ran until I've got to Berlin. It wasn't so hard to get false papers. But now that I was away from Harrow, the problem was, how do I get away from something tied to my soul?"
Despite the static light from single bulb, a glint off Glory's arm struck my eyes, everything making sense at last.
"Oh God, Glory." I put hand over my mouth. Bloody fucking hell...Where's God when it's needed, huh?
"I've walked into office of first street doc I've found, pointed at the biggest, heaviest cyberware rig he had and told him to put in all on me." Glory drives the knife into my heart all the way to the handle, making my eyes once again slip around her arms, collarbones, ribs and neural nodes going all the way to the bellybutton. Knowing all this, I couldn't look at it the same way as before.
"You wanted...*needed* to destroy your essence, cut from aether." I answer myself, trying to make it easier for her even just a little bit. All she had to do was nod.
"And that's how it all begun...I've met Monika not too long after that, been running shadows eversince." Glory finishes grimly. "There you have it, Rai. Whole nine yards as you americans say. You know what I've done, how much I have to atone for it. Why the chrome, why the cold shoulder and silence. If I don't feel or desire, less chances on geting back to my old self...Whether you still want me or not, you can tell me that in a moment. For now I just..."
She switched off, turning away from me and focusing hard on the wall. Unable to say anything, I only nod to her deeply and move but as I make half step away, I feel the urge to acknowledge all I've heard and learned just now.
"We've all done enough to land ourselves a place in hell, Glory. But there's a reason people get a chance at redemption..." I leave after that, reeling internally, right before I clash into a wall. Grunt informs me it's worse than a wall, it's Eiger.
"What the hell you were doing in there?" She growls at me, looking at me critically.
"You don't wanna know." I try to brush her off but her arm smack me across the chest, blocking my path. "It's personal. Stick to your own nightmares, Eiger. It's healthier even for you." I push her away and shakily backtrack to my own corner, just laying down and trying to calm my breathing while imagination supplied colorful images a I was recollecting whole story of Glory.
Where's God when it's needed most?
Sleep did not brough more rest to me. Actually I've felt even more exhausted than day before. I've taken a look at Glory's place, but she was just sitting there like a sculpture, her back turned to the whole world. She needed more time...
I still had time to stock up and run some errands arounds, especially after reading up pile of emails on the computer, dozen of people whining to me about their problems. A few messages were nice, Silke and Alexander sending another thanks for the help and both mentioning each other along the lines, working together through their demons.
Huh, every storm cloud has silver lining, apparently.
Mettbach wanted to discuss some quick business and since I'd like to be on good side of gunrunner, I've decided to take the stroll and see what this is all about.
Moving along the way, I've chatted up Beckenbauer, letting him know I keep hand on the pulse and have ears opened to anyone. And as always, by donating 500 nuyen I have made a massive impact on the community since Samuel arranged with mutual friend Altug Burkagzi to open up a new, bigger building for the shelter and I have just given cash for final touches.
Rai Civic Center, can't say my ego does not feels nicely tickled, knowing there are building named after me and they're more useful than a bar. Maybe after this I'll donate so much to a bar just to drink memories away they'll name some nice establishment after me.
"I got your message. Something about shipments?" I ask Mettbach, making him go as far as take the clay pipe out of his mouth.
"Aye. A gang from nearby kiez is raiding cargo meant for Kreuzbasar. They're getting better armed and bold because of that and worst of all, they're taking money out of *our* pocket." Gunari Mettbach seemed to be least pleased by the last part of his sentence. "I could use a hand in stopping this from happening further."
"Go on."
"Your late friend Monika used to handle comms and encryption. Since her death all merchants on Basar see no end of trouble. Only explanation must be gang intercepting our comunications...Shipping manifests, routes and timetables. With enough brain cells under hat one can easily use such information to set up an ambush. Which is exactly what this gang does. My last shipment was outfitted with trackers, which I've managed to track all the way to Gesunbrunnen. Old kiez built from U-Bahn station and bunkers. Word on the street is, there's a new gang holding this area, the 'Rabengeister'. I don't accept these two as coincidence."
"Alright, sounds simple but nowhere near easy."
"I can give you 500 for the job, the bigger gain for you will be recovering missing weapons shipment the gang raided. Get my guns back and I will have quite a few pieces to sell. All of them above standard equipment." Mettbach smiles under moustaches.
"That sounds very intersting but I'm gonna need you to sweeten up the pot just a little bit...Twenty percent discount on these extra guns?"
"Ten." Gunari's smile no longer is present on his face, seemingly dripping onto the sidewalk and down towards the drain.
"Fifteen and I'll make a bulk purchase if they're all top notch. Don't shit around old man, I've already left a fortune at your store. Am I not a good client?" I risk pushing the line but luckily, Mettbach relents and shakes my hand in agreement. "Then I'm going to get these guns back right away."
Damn straight I could use some better gear for that job against Aztechnology.
"One more thing, Rai...Go easy and light on this one. Don't start any fight or they'll trash my merchandise and only worse than that would be getting shot by your own gun." Mettbach calls after me, just making my plans more difficult.
"Whom should I take with me...No, Dante, I need you around here and keeping Amsel safe. And rest of Kreuzbasar." I speak to mongrel, patting his large head. Looking at him, I was sure he understood everything I've said.
We'll see who's available in the safehouse. Would love to take Glory with me but I'd rather let her cool down a bit more. Dietrich maybe?
Loud snore from the couch welcomes me as I get into the safehouse, letting me know the shaman was unavailable at that time. Looks like I'm gonna have to go solo-
"Going somwhere, fearless leader?" Eiger speaks to me as I busy myself with strapping on bulltproof vest.
"Yeah, picked up a little job for Mettbach, but it's more of a intimidation thing than combat. I'll handle it myself."
"It's dangerous to go alone, Rai."
"Yeah well, old man needs his sleep or start to complain and be grumpy while Glory is busy staring at the wall and honestly I don't want to bother her since she asked for some me-time. Blitz has sticky fingers and would do the opposite of intimidating people anyways so..."
"Am I made out of air then?" Eiger arches eyebrow at me.
"No, I simply do not think you want to waste time for running small errands with me."
"You run errands around Kreuzbasar. In t-shirt and your ridicolous jacket. With all gear and guns on, it's a run." Eiger pointed out. "So since everyone else is off your list, you're going to endure me on your little *errand* because I won't let your reckless head to be mounted on some wall." Eiger finishes and after downing whatever she was drinking from the cup in her hand, she moved to quickly put on her own gear.
"Sure, why not. But about that head on the wall..."
"What? That pleasure I save for myself." Troll grinned at me and I almost believed she was just joking.
We hustle out of the safehouse and catch the train to Gesundbrunnen. The ride wasn't supposed to be long, but apparently this one train was faulty and dragged on, which explained why it was late in the first place.
"Care to tell me finally what happened to your team? Because if it would've went your way, you'd still be with them, I know that tic of yours when somebody doesn't sticks to your plan." I ask to kill time and use the situation of empty train car. Maybe when bored, ubersoldier will spill more about her glamorous career in KSK.
"You caused that tic enough times yourself..." Eiger replies and twitches her ears, emphasizing my words. "Fine, you've earned enough to know...Hoffman happened to my team. Rookie, kid of some big-money exec, got slipped under the doors as despite him finishing KSK training he was way too green for my team and an op like that. Kid wanted to be a hero and made his daddy pull strings to shove kid to squad considered best. That was us but we weren't heroes. Few weeks later, we were observing one of the numerous safehouses russians were using as a stagin area for their convoys. Girls, women, even little shits that doesn't even knew what was actually happening to them, treated like cattle from Eastern Europe, hauled in containers across the border into Germany. Any brothel within border and you can be sure to find some of the *merchandise* from these warehouses." Eiger huffed and adjusted headband, another sign of hers that she was nervous. "We've had it all set up perfectly, attacking from blindside, making mobs thniking they were trying to kill ghosts not people. Then fucking Hoffman breaks cover and gives away our position...All hell broken loose with russians outnumbering us at least three times and we've just lost advantage...I've watched my friends die one by one. I've watched Meztger getting shredded..."
Damn, even Eiger shown some emotions at that moment. Making me think Metzger was something more to her than just a close friend and CO.
"I took three rounds myself, had to drag myself across the Oder-Niesse line into Germany...Nearly kicked the bucket." Eiger ends. "So that's my great story. The operation was off the books so my career in KSK died with my team...No going back for me so I wound up in Krezubasar and just didn't moved on any further. Satisfied?"
"Yes. Thank you for telling me this, Eiger."
"So. Tell me." She adjusts on the seat, taking up usual brawny posture and challenge burning in her eyes again. "What's your takeaway on my tale of woe? I figure you've got to have one."
"When Schafer died you've lost it because it was deja vu to you: New guy fucks up and people who finally earned your trust have died. But the thing is...I'm not another Hoffman. I know my trade just as good if not better than you. And you have seen that already."
"True enough, I suppose." Eiger agrees reluctantly. "I did misjudged you at the beginning because of my past. But all the rest I've said was justified. Giving the the leadership back then was a hasty decision, made by Monika more because of her sentiment to you than tactical advantage. And I stand by that no matter what. But between Harfeld and today, I've been watching, and not only when you knew I was around." Eiger smiles in a way she bared one of her tusks fully. "I've watched like a hawk and you have *grown* Rai. You were not the right leader back then...But I agree you are now."
"Good to hear we're at least a bit on the same page finally...Oh, here's our stop." I motion to the screen and we get out onto dilapidated U-Bahn station.