Exactly eight days later, Darko arrived in Moscow exhausted, having ridden his horse nearly non-stop from the city of Sofia to Moscow. Dismounting from his horse, Darko entered the Ilyich Café, which was located just across the street.
"Greetings," Darko said. "May I have a cup of coffee?"
The receptionist, a rather plump Russian with a prominent beard and moustache, nodded. "You seem like a familiar man. What's your name, young lad?"
"Name's Darko, a part-time professor from Petrograd University."
"Should've said so earlier!" the man chuckled. "You ordered a few bottles of French wine a while ago, didn't you? It's been sitting in the cellar for weeks now!"
"Must've slipped my mind," Darko was slightly confused by what was happening, but decided to play along.
In the cellars, the plump man worked to push a shelf to one side, with the assistance of a thinner, older Russian. Darko noticed both of them were armed with Hidden Blades, and relaxed visibly.
After the shelf had been moved away, revealing a wall with an old torch holder on it, the plump man pulled the torch holder down as if it was some kind of lever.
Indeed it was a lever. Simultaneously, the older man pushed against the wall and an entire section of the wall swung inwards, to reveal a secret corridor.
At the end of the corridor was a spacious room, where the plump man introduced, "Welcome to one of the bases of the Russian Assassins. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Sergei, a member of the Assassin Order."
The older one stepped forward and said, "I am Nikolai Orelov, Master Assassin of the Russian Assassin Order."
His name was familiar to Darko's ears. Nikolai Orelov was well-known within the Assassin Order. Nikolai continued, "We've heard that you've come all the way to Moscow to search for your fellow Assassins, who were captured in Bucharest. Lucky for you, we know just how to help you."
"How?"
Sergei told him, "An Italian Templar named Jacopo Bonde who works as a spy for the Russian Empire. He knows much that is happening within the empire, and Nikolai and I think that there's a good chance that Jacopo knows something about the capture of your comrades."
"But a spy of Rasputin would be difficult to find, wouldn't it? I take it that he has several contacts, most of which are easier to look for."
"You think quickly, Darko. No wonder you're a Master Assassin and you're not even thirty!" Sergei commended. "You're right. With some luck you'll only have to 'chat' with one or two of Jacopo's contacts before you learn his location."
Nikolai continued for Sergei, "Your first target will be Vijay Rana, a philosophy professor from Calicut at Moscow University. On most weekends Vijay would help to teach philosophy to those that cannot afford education in the trading area of Kitay-gorod, located not far from the Red Square."
"Where do I bring him to have a 'chat'?"
"I would advise you to bring Vijay away discreetly. It only takes one civilian to lose his cool and shout 'Help! Someone's getting kidnapped!' to get you into trouble," Sergei suggested.
Dirtying his Assassin robes with dirt from the ground, Darko made his way to Kitay-gorod. Today was coincidentally a Saturday, which spared him the task of waiting to the nearest weekend.
He saw a man with chocolate-coloured skin and spectacles holding a book, talking as he was surrounded by a group of Russians.
Running up to the group, Darko said, "Professor, professor, pozvonite v politsiju!"
"Oh dear, what's happening?" Vijay closed his book and looked anxiously at the young man.
Darko lied, "A fight has broken out between two groups of students from Moscow University! They're fighting in a nearby alleyway as we speak!"
Vijay drew a pistol from his coat, making the men around him flinch. "That won't be necessary. Lead me to the place, hurry!"
Deep in an alleyway, Darko swung around, using his fist to knock the pistol out of Vijay's hand. As the pistol dropped onto the ground Darko delivered a hard kick to the Indian's abdomen, sending him sprawling onto the ground.
"Who the hell are you?" he spat.
"Where is Jacopo Bonde?" Darko demanded to know.
Vijay feigned ignorance. "Who is Jacopo Bonde? Is he someone I should know?"
Suddenly he felt something sharp touch his throat. Looking down, Vijay saw a Hidden Blade by his neck, though he did not know what it was called. "Where is Jacopo Bonde?" Darko repeated his question.
"I…I don't know!" Vijay replied. "Chris…Chris Rork! Amer…American guy, he's a goo…good friend of Jacopo's!"
"Why don't you tell me more about this Chris Rork?"
"Fat, rich…rich man, likes to flaunt his weal…wealth," Vijay stuttered.
Darko kicked Vijay in the crotch, causing him to groan and clutch his lower abdomen in pain. "Be more specific."
"Comes every few…few months and stays for a few week…weeks. He's in Mos…Moscow now and is stay…staying at the Hotel Metro…Metropol now."
"That's better," Darko said before KO-ing Vijay and leaving.