Kai headed towards the reception area without really thinking about it, while Tala lagged slightly behind, not really wanting to go, but not wanting to leave Kai alone either. He got the feeling that this was tied to him, which meant that Kai could be in very real danger. Though he wasn't really sure what to expect, the fact that the arrival had been so noisy probably meant it was not going to be a particularly pleasant experience.
Stepping into the room, the first thing Tala noticed was a car 'parked' through the window, all black, no number plate or discernable features, and while the glass was tinted, it was still clear that the driver was still sat inside. The second thing he noticed was the person stood slightly away from the vehicle, presumably a man from the proportions and frame. The man in question was dressed completely in black biker garb, including a helmet, which was also tinted.
The man moved his arm and it took a second for Tala to register what he was doing, as soon as he had, he moved towards to thick reception desk, pulling Kai along with him. They had only just managed to duck behind it as the semi-automatic began firing. Clearly, they perceived him to be a threat and assumed that Kai knew more than he should; so all he had to do was figure out how to convince them otherwise.
The gun stopped, returning the room to an eerie silence, dust slowly settling. The silence didn't last for long however, as the man began reloading the gun, ready for another attack. Tala looked at the desk, knowing that it wouldn't last much longer. While he didn't want to make it obvious he knew anything, because Kai would jump to conclusions he didn't want him to reach, if he said nothing, they would both die.
"Kvateet! (Enough!)" He half-shouted, trying to sound at least a little frightened for Kai.
"Kak dilya? (How are you?)" The man asked in response.
Tala paused, rather than just answering without thinking. The question wasn't as straightforward as it seemed, but then, that was the entire idea, to speak in normal language while meaning something more. What he was really being asked was if everything was still under control, if he was still following his training.
"Da, khorosho. (Yes, good.)" He replied, hoping the answer would be sufficient.
He wanted them to understand that he had learnt his lesson and had no intention of talking about the Abbey, nor the training he had received, which was still very much intact. Of course, even if it was understood and accepted, there would still be problems, both with Kai and the police.
Tala didn't think that the men had any intention of taking him with them, or they would have approached him in a subtler manner, so he would have to think up a flawless and believable story that didn't implicate the Abbey in any way. He supposed it was his punishment for what had happened, as well as being a test of his own abilities. It seemed Boris still trusted him to some degree at least.
He heard the man start walking and then him getting into the car, shortly followed by said vehicle driving away. That meant he had run out of time, because no doubt Kai would start asking questions and he would certainly want answers. The boy wanted to know everything as it was, but considering his place of work had just been trashed and they had been shot at, he would probably be a little more insistent than usual. Tala sighed quietly; he was not ready for this.
"Tala, what was…?" Kai started, but Tala cut him off, placing a finger over his mouth.
"Just sit down, you're in shock." Tala stated, ignoring Kai's queries.
Hearing sirens, Tala cursed under his breath, someone had obviously heard the noise and called the police. He time to come up with a story had been cut once again. All he could really do was lie and hope that Kai wouldn't argue courtesy of the shock. He gently pulled Kai to his feet, taking him into his office and setting him down on the couch. Hearing the police cars pull-up outside, Tala knelt at the side of the couch and waited for the officers to find them.
It didn't take long for them to arrive, and Tala played the role of the frightened and relieved victim he was supposed to be, spending most of his time talking about Kai and how he should be taken to hospital. The only things he had really said concerning the incident, was that he couldn't give a description and didn't know what they had wanted. Eventually the police relented and called for an ambulance, sending both of them to be checked over. Tala had to hide a smirk; it was surprisingly easy to fool them into believing that he was also suffering from shock.
Kai had given him a few stern looks, not really believing him, not that Tala was surprised by that, after all, he had already made it quite obvious to Kai that he played situations to his advantage while seeming genuine. Kai had thankfully kept him mouth shut and not argued anything, nor brought up the fact that Tala had spoken to the man, who was also Russian. It seemed Kai was finally learning a little about the situation, much to Tala's relief.
The only arguing, or even speaking that Kai had done was when the Police had told him that he would be out of business for a little while, both because of the subsequent investigation, but also the repair work that would need to be done to the premises, including claiming for insurance. Kai had tried to sort something out, but the Police had not been interested, not even allowing him to take his files away with him. Since then, Kai had done little more than sulk, much to Tala's amusement, though he hid it well.
Eventually they were checked over and released, while being advised to rest for a few days, not that Tala was going to listen, nor did he expect that Kai would either. Tala had more pressing matters to worry about, Kai, the Abbey, the investigation and his own role within everything.
"They were tied to the Abbey, right? What did you say to them?" Kai asked suddenly, snapping Tala from his thoughts.
"Kai…" Tala started, but was silenced.
"I know you won't talk about that Tala, I just want to know that everything is okay."
Tala stopped walking and took hold of Kai's wrist, pulling him into an embrace. Placing a chaste kiss on Kai's lips before answering him. "Yes, everything is fine, you don't need to worry. I am sorry for what happened tonight though; you shouldn't have had to go through that.
"I'm lucky you were there, I would have died if…"
"Maybe, but that only happened because of me. Anyway, this doesn't matter right now, just get some rest Kai, you need it.
Kai nodded but then hesitated, Tala was about to ask what was wrong when Kai kissed him. It was very quick, and Kai flushed before quickly leaving, once again, Tala finding Kai's behaviour amusing, and surprising. Smiling softly, Tala turned and started to make his way back to his temporary accommodation, hoping that the Ziranai's hadn't noticed his absence.
While the latest events had proven to be both insightful and problematic, he was still no closer to finding out the identity of the person from the park. His instincts told him that the person had nothing to do with what happened at Kai's work, and that was obviously put in place by Boris, so whom the familiar person had been was still a mystery, and a concern. If someone from the Abbey was acting without Boris' authorisation, it could be potentially very bad, if they blamed him for what happened and wanted to do something about it, the real depth of the Abbey's secrets could be revealed. Also Tala's well-being, and the well-being of everyone associated with him could potentially be in danger.
Without knowing where to look, or what the situation was, it made it difficult to act, or even know how to. He had been taught that the Abbey was to always come first, so doing anything to jeopardise that was unacceptable but equally, doing nothing could be just as harmful. It was a difficult situation, but one he was determined to do his best with, after all, Tala wasn't known for failure, he was the Abbey's best and he would prove it if and when required.
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I know it's short, sorry, but it just kind of came to a natural close, I'd only ruin the chapter if I tried to make it longer. (I've certainly tried to a few times, hence the delay.)
As for the reviews for the last chapter, I'm glad it was confusing, that means I actually wrote it well. Portraying feeling can be really difficult, so I'm glad you were all feeling how they were!
Anyway, hope you enjoyed and I look forward to knowing what everyone thinks. Later!
