After her rather easy day, Lili began to head out to her limo; she was debating whether or not to go to a cafe or back to her home. She pulled out her umbrella, trying to prevent it from blowing in the sharp wind; it was very warm out still, but the weather was stormy and getting worse by the second. There were rumors of a hurricane-something she didn't often have to deal with usually in her own home, but she hadn't been to the east coast in a long time. Well, visiting for a few days, but not for any length of time.
She knew she was safe where she was, but it was still quite bleak outside.
Sergei was in the limo already. He had some work to do where her father was this day apparently, though she wasn't quite sure what was going on there. He did not look particularly concerned, angry...or anything, but this was normal for him. He nodded to her, keeping his form as always when they were in public. He shifted to give her more room; she always found it amusing how he was a bit cramped in the limo. It was roomy, yes, but his larger-than-average size and huge limbs made things a little difficult for him. He didn't seem to care, though she could tell he took it with humor.
She stared out the window, looking up. She then checked the weather on her phone.
"Bad storms coming. Very bad, apparently."
He nodded. "Strong winds. We'll be fine where we are. I suspect this will...interrupt things. Especially with the sea."
She knew what he was talking about; the crime ring would likely not be moving around weapons during near hurricane-force winds and thunder. "Any other news?"
"Not yet...but I suspect soon I will be getting a call."
They didn't speak any more of it for now, as to not alarm anyone...though the small barrier that raised and lowered in between the front of the limo and the back was soundproof, mostly for on-the-road business meetings. It came in handy, but they decided to play it safe.
Lili watched the trees bending; some of them were dangerously low. Umbrellas were being turned inside out, and people were quickly hailing cabs and trying to get down into the subway. The clouds were quite dark that were rolling in, meaning the massive rain would be starting. It was still very warm out, though the wind cooled things down somewhat. She looked back at Sergei.
"I hope we get home soon." The traffic was starting to grow a bit hectic.
He nodded.
The rode the rest of the way in silence, though it was their usual, comfortable silence. Lili looked out the window at the rain that started to fall; it was not too bad yet. They were about five minutes away from their building. Sergei fiddled with his phone a few times, finally leaning his head back to relax a few moments. He looked at peace, which she liked. She knew that he didn't get very much of it.
Her eyes wandered to his torso; in his tank top, she saw how many more scars he had gotten helping her and her family. There were quite a few. She remained luckier. She took hits, of course-she has had bloody noses, bloody lips...she suspected that maybe on the inside of her mouth she had a couple small ones but they were nearly impossible to see. Her arm still held the scars from the assassin she defeated. She suspected she knew what happened to her when she left Lars up to her fate, but she didn't think too hard about it. It was life or death, after all. The mess with the mole seemed like it was so far behind her that it could have been five years instead of eight months.
She felt Sergei touch her; they were just about at the building now, a block away. The rain had picked up, but they had a parking garage so it was no matter. She looked at the arm that had the bullet hole in it and remembered when he got that one; he didn't even think about them.
"Coffee," she said, yawning. "This weather makes me tired." The limo darkened as they pulled inside of the garage and went up several floors.
He smirked, shifting his huge body in the seat to open the door after they parked. She smiled at him as she got out; Alain, her loyal chauffeur, never even noticed.
I have to stop being so risky with this. I give him eyes a bit too often...
–
Wow, they weren't kidding. This one is bad.
The two of them stared out the window as they waited for Sebastian to bring them dinner. Her father was dining with some colleagues this night, and would likely be at the hotel; it was now raining so hard that it seemed there started to be an inch or two of water on the street. She knew the limo would be fine, but she didn't think any of them would want to go out in this.
Sergei had his arms folded as he looked out; his hair was pulled back in its usual fashion, and he still wore his tight, gray tank top. He was fully clothed, to be sure; they both were. There was a lot of milling about right now, and given they had spent a couple of riskier days together they decided to take this easy. As per command, he was to stay nearby her. Dining together was no issue; they expected it.
"I wonder if places will close," she said. It was practically raining sideways.
"Perhaps."
"Have you ever had missions in weather like this?"
He chuckled. "Only colder."
She shivered at that. As warm as the air was, the wind and the rain cooled things down considerably and gave her chills when she was outside. She was sure he did it without a word of complaint, though probably cursed to himself.
"Nothing much to do," she said stretching.
He smirked at her. She grinned.
Well, none of the servants are due to arrive for awhile...
Lili jumped at the crazed whistling sound outside; she went to peek out the window. It was even worse than before, the wind picking up even more. She stepped out to the closed balcony and the wind sounded like it was literally alive; screaming through the small holes in the thick plexiglass. She didn't open the windows out of fear they would be ripped off the hinges.
There were still cars around; how, she didn't know. They must have been large ones able to handle the water all around. The city wasn't flooded, per se; it did have good drainage, but it could not have been nice.
The darkness made it look even creepier outside; the thick clouds blocking out any potential moon or starlight made it feel downright foreboding on the balcony, even though she knew it was safe and secure inside.
She heard footsteps coming up the stairs when she walked in, closing the door. Sergei was there...and he seemed to be holding his long, army green waxed coat; his rain jacket. He had his combat boots on, as well; as if he was about to go out.
Lili blinked. "Feel like taking a natural shower today?"
He smirked. "I have to meet someone."
"Is it the person you know about the..." she trailed off.
Sergei nodded. "He contacted me."
"This late? In this weather?"
"He's quite busy."
Lili smirked a moment, folding her arms. "Is this classified?"
"Technically, no. I am talking to outside help." He raised an eyebrow. "Are..."
"Am I sure? Well, I did say I'd help with resources if you needed." She chuckled. "Besides, you should stick with me."
He smirked back at her. "I suppose I should."
"Can you drive in this?"
He nodded. He had driven in much worse.
"The jeep, I take it?"
"Yes."
Lili smiled, feeling like she was going on a little adventure. Truth be told, she sort of started to like the adventure stuff. While she was glad to be done with corporate intrigue and threats on her family's life-which she expected might come up again at some point-she was sort of starting to almost miss having a bit of excitement in her life. Ever since the craziness of nine months ago, life had been pretty normal.
She promised herself to be careful, though...and not to get too curious.
"I'll get my coat." She went to the other room and selected one of her more casual looking rain jackets. She dressed comfortably; jeans, her more water-repellent boots, and a tight, sleeveless shirt. She did not get overly showy with her body, but did enjoy to show it off a little...and she knew Sergei appreciated it. She liked the look he would get on his face.
He smiled at her as she walked out. She paused to give him a light kiss on the mouth before she opened the door. He returned it, adding a little nip to her lower lip...almost telling her there might be more later tonight.
They went quietly down to the garage to where he kept his large jeep. She had ridden in it many times; she sort of liked it. He was a good driver, and the thing was pretty comfortable, though some of the bumpiest roads could get a little jarring. It likely wouldn't have that problem here-it was the water they had to drive through.
"Where are we going?" she asked as she climbed in, settling back after adjusting the seat.
"A bar on the Lower East Side it says." He proceeded to punch in the coordinates.
Lili blinked. "A dive?" She wrinkled her nose. She hadn't been to a place like that in...well...forever? Had she ever been in a legitimate dive bar?
He chuckled. "It's better to stay out of the way. It's a regular place for him."
"So...is this the...guy from Interpol?"
He nodded. "You've probably seen him in the tournament."
"Hmm...wait...it's..." She remembered a cop. Handsome fellow, rather calm. She never talked to him though. "I guess I'll find out."
Sergei started the jeep, shifting it into gear and switching the lights on. "You'll remember."
They drove through the large parking lot, going slowly down the spiral driveway that connected the floors. Lili reckoned they were several up; there were a lot of cars. These places somehow always gave her the creeps at night; and the sound of the wind that blew through the open slots in the concrete walls made it even moreso.
When they pulled out into the street, she could feel the resistance of the vehicle against the water, but Sergei switched the all-wheel-drive into play and they were just fine. The wipers worked furiously to keep the torrential downpour off the windshield, and she felt bad for the smaller cars out there. They were up high enough that no water got in, though to be fair it was only a couple of inches deep at worst. It was still surprising, though.
Some smaller trees had been uprooted; the larger ones were bending, though being in the city, trees were fairly sparse, save the parks. She shuddered to think what they would look like after this.
She snorted laughter. "Your contact should have picked better weather. What is it with your contacts wanting us to go out in terrible weather?" She remembered Lars taking them to the snowy place.
"You could have stayed home," he smirked at her.
She gave him a glare-not angry at all-and went back to looking out the window, her own little smile on her face.
He leaned over after awhile and turned on some music; it was kept low so they could chat if necessary. Lili blinked at the driving industrial-style music that came from the speakers. She was very broad in her tastes and did like the music...but she was surprised Sergei did.
"You listen to this?"
He nodded. "Depends on my mood."
She sat back, smiling. She liked it, and she liked finding out yet more things about him. They still learned about each other, even after a year and a half...a bit more, now.
It took awhile to reach the dive bar, as the weather was not helping matters. Sergei drove carefully; they were more worried about other drivers, really...even if the practically armored jeep would have won any vehicle fights with a normal car. They didn't want to hurt anyone.
They parked out back, and braced themselves to make a run for it. Their boots were thankfully waterproof, though Lili suspected her pant legs might get a bit soggy.
I'll ask again, why do Sergei's contacts meet at the most out of the way places...
They made it rather easily, but they got a little wet even though they were completely covered in their raincoats. They had only been exposed to the rain for literal seconds. Lili actually felt bad for anyone stuck in it.
The bar itself was on the second floor, to reach it one would go up a narrow set of stairs. It wasn't the worst place, to be fair; it was more out of the way, sort of dark and dingy...but it wasn't infested with trouble. If anything, it seemed quiet...no small wonder given the conditions outside. Lili was surprised to see even a couple of other people and wondered why they didn't close.
The bartender-a middle aged man with a mustache-smiled at them and chuckled. He looked Sergei up and down, nodding.
"You must be..."
Sergei nodded in silence.
"He's in the back. There are drinks back there."
Lili blinked. "You're still open?"
The bartender laughed. "I've got a tiny car. I'm not driving home in this. I can sleep in the back room if need be."
The bar itself had no windows; it was sort of located in the middle of the building. She had no idea what other sorts of places were in this building-apartments, storage rooms...she had no idea. It wasn't exactly her type of establishment. Sergei looked down at her, seeing her expression. It was not one of disgust or anything; it was simply amused.
He smirked. "It's not so bad. The coffee is strong, I hear."
"I'll need it."
They walked to the back, past one fellow who was eating some sort of dish of something...bar cuisine, by the look. There was a large booth with a man sitting at it; and he was indeed very familiar. Lili snapped her fingers absently as the name came to her.
Lei. Lei Wulong. That was him. I had seen him around...he was a cop, I know...Sergei...how?
Lei looked up at the sound, smiling. Lili had to say he was a handsome man; long, black hair tied back loosely, clean shaven face, and looked no older than thirty on a bad day. She knew he had to be close to fifty, though-he had taken part in the second King of Iron Fist tournament.
He was dressed casually, in a long-sleeve cotton shirt, a leather jacket worn open, a pair of jeans and black sneakers. Despite it being summer, the storm had blown in such a wind that it felt much cooler than it should have been. His raincoat was hanging on a hook off to the side, and he had a holster under his arm with his service weapon. Lili could not tell the make from this angle, though Sergei had taught her about many types of handguns.
In front of him sat a cup of coffee and a plate of some sort of pie.
"Sergei," he said.
Sergei smirked. "Pleasure."
"You brought a friend?"
"My charge."
"You're the Rochefort lady." He stood, bowing politely in greeting. She knew he was Chinese, but he did not have much of an accent at all when he spoke. Must be from working internationally for so long.
Lady. I'm no longer the Rochefort girl. This somehow amused her-and puffed her up a bit. She was almost twenty now, after all.
"Yes." She smiled. "He said this wasn't terribly secret. Since he's my bodyguard..."
"I understand. He told me you know some things. It's probably for the best."
The two sat down around the table, one of the waiters-a tired looking middle aged man who looked like he wanted to go home but probably couldn't at the moment-took orders for coffee and whatever else they wanted. Lili hadn't eaten food from a bar like this in ages. She wondered if she ever had, truth be told.
Sergei lit a cigarette, blowing out a stream of smoke. "What do you know?" he began.
Lei knew Sergei was never one to waste time. "Not much yet, truth be told." He sipped his coffee. "We thought they might be Mafia related at first, but the signs aren't pointing there. We aren't ruling it out...but for now that trail is a bit cold."
"The men I faced seemed...ordinary, truth be told. Hired thugs, at best."
Lei looked thoughtful. "They could be going through other outlets."
Lili just listened in, nodding to the man who brought the coffee and food. The appetizers looked fairly good, so she had gotten a mixed plate of them. Sergei took his own coffee and food.
Mozzarella sticks may have been a little low class, but she did find them tasty. Maybe I ought to enjoy some of this sort of stuff every now and then.
Sergei took a drag of his cigarette and stubbed it out before moving his plate in front of him. He looked deep in thought. "Do you think they're connected with the Zaibatsu? Or the G-Corporation?"
"Hard to say. I don't doubt they've dealt with them both before in the past-they deal with anyone, after all."
"While I cannot give all of the information..." Sergei started. "We seem to think that this particular incident involves larger scale arms. Much more dangerous."
Lei nodded. "We suspected as much. I'm guessing that's why you guys were on it. Can you say...what went missing?"
Sergei nodded once. "Heavier arms. It was enough for my superiors to get in touch with me here, when I am out on another paid job." He took a drink of coffee and a bite of the greasy bar food. He was enjoying it, truth be told; he enjoyed the fine cuisine he ate at the manor, but now and then he was happy to have something a bit more low key.
"That worries me."
Lili looked up. "You don't think they have technology to do anything really bad, do you?"
"Well, it's not them we're worried about. All they do is deal with the arms."
She nodded slowly. "It's who they deal with. You don't know who they are or what they're up to."
"Exactly," Lei smirked. "I understand you are no stranger to things like this."
"I sort of wish I still was. But...it's not so bad."
Sergei smiled at her. "I wouldn't worry." He did, of course, get concerned sometimes...but it was natural, given his situation. She still worried about him from time to time, after all.
She drank more coffee. It was pretty good, given where they were at. She pulled her light shirt around herself, listening to the sheets of rain hit the side of the building. It was muffled from where they were, but it really did give the place an eerie feel to it. "Don't you have undercover people?"
"We do. We haven't gone that far, yet." Lei sighed. "We may have to. It's always dangerous, undercover in organized crime. What they do to people they catch..."
Lili shuddered. She could imagine.
"Granted, it's rare. Still...not something we do without good reason." He sipped more coffee, waving the waiter over for some more. "This might be good reason, though."
Sergei looked deeper in thought. Lili blinked...knowing what he was thinking, or at least having a good idea of it.
"You aren't..."
He smirked.
Lei blinked. "No offense meant here, Sergei...but you look a bit...obvious."
Lili chuckled. "I was going to say the same thing." It wasn't that she was super worried about him; there was a little concern, of course...if they tried to do the same stuff they did to the others they caught, she knew Sergei would smash their heads in.
"They deal with former members of our military. If anything, this will be beneficial to us both." He drank his coffee-which the waiter had refilled-smoking another cigarette.
"I think I know what you're saying, now." Lei thought.
"I would contact my superiors about it."
Lili suddenly found herself getting a bit...excited. After the mess the mole almost made of their lives, she thought she'd have been happy to never see anything like that again...but this was different.
Did I actually start liking this adventurous stuff? I really shouldn't get involved...
She startled at the sound of the rain hitting the building. It sounded like they were next to a waterfall...and there was a room between them and the outside.
"I...think we ought to stick around her for awhile more." she chuckled. "I like being dry."
Sergei smirked. "I don't mind."
Lei laughed. "My car is probably going to need to be dried out tomorrow...if the rain lets up, that is."
"If I can ask..." Lili started. "How do you two..."
"Sergei here helped me out during the big mess a few years ago." Lei sipped his coffee. "He helped me a lot."
He nodded silently. "We don't see very often, but we give a hand when needed."
Lili smiled. She was surprised how comfortable she felt here; the three chatted a bit more, though nothing much more on the job. Sergei's more helpful than he puts on...though it seems only to be to people who he 'takes' to. There doesn't seem to be too many of them.
I'm glad I'm one of them.