Warnings for murder mentions, though no one else actually gets killed. In this chapter at least.
I was listening to the song 'let me cry' by Marina Popova and made myself sad whilst writing this. I'm not even a fan of her music but that song's really nice…
...
"I couldn't find out much," Agent België was saying, standing up and scanning the faces before her, "he paints himself as an upstanding member of the community, helping people and the like. He's pretty well-liked, for a lawyer."
It was Thursday now, three days after Agent Phoenix first mentioned Mr Wang, and the Berlin DSA was gathered in the conference room to report on what they'd found about any links to Commonwealth.
The conference room was large with one wall of windows allowing light to spill in, as well as giving a decent view of the street below. A huge table took up most of the room, and seated around it were all nine spies: Agent Patch and his division, plus Magyar, België, Monte Carlo and Victoria. The two leaders were sat at opposite ends of the table, and Fondue had made sure to pick a seat right next to his sister, and far away from his boss. Agent Seagull had already recounted his conversation with Phoenix (absent as usual, being undercover and not an official agent) and was now staring out of the window whilst next to him, Edelweiss doodled in a notepad, back from medical leave.
"So did you speak to him?" Agent Magyar asked.
"Oh yes," Agent België beamed, "told his secretary I was from the press and wanted to talk to him about his work. Fed him some bullshit about an article I was writing about immigrants in Berlin."
"And what did he say?" asked Agent Patch.
"Nothing useful," België shrugged, "just some stuff about his work and how he gets through cases. I'll type a report about it tonight."
"I see, and you, Agent Yogurt?" Patch turned to his brother-in-law, who was staring glumly at the table. He jumped slightly, looking up and casting his bloodshot eyes around the room before speaking.
"His full name is Wang Yao. I looked into his family history. Single dad with three kids. All adults, working for him, it seems."
"Anything else?" asked Magyar.
"Yes actually. He used to be in criminal law, defending gangsters and all that. And now it seems he's done a 180 and become an angel, fighting deportations and things."
"Dodgy as hell," Monte Carlo commented.
"Yeah. We should keep an eye on him."
"I'll get Phoenix on it. Maybe get him to talk to Mr Wang too," Patch thought for a moment, "does anyone have any other information to share?" When he got no reply, he sighed and turned to Monte Carlo.
"Your turn."
Monte Carlo nodded, taking a laptop out of her bag and setting it down on the table. "The pathologist sent me a re-enactment of the Radacanu-Borisov murders," she explained, "to help us find their killer. The DNA tests are still in the works but we have this for now."
She looked between Agents Yogurt and Patch.
"Do you two want to step outside for a few minutes?" she asked.
"No thanks," Agent Patch spoke firmly, but his hands were trembling.
Agent Yogurt said nothing, simply nodding and staring at the laptop.
"Okay," Monte Carlo opened up a programme showing 3D plans of the Radacanu-Borisov household and zoomed in on the sitting room. In it, grey, hairless models representing Alin and his children were watching television, Alin standing in front of the telly with a tray of snacks, Dragomir and Skender sat on the sofa and Eugen in his baby basket.
Another figure entered the room.
"It seems Mr Radacanu was set upon from behind," Monte Carlo continued as the animation played on, the inevitable horror unfurling. Agent Yogurt sat with his shoulders hunched, eyes watery.
The anonymous killer snuck up on Alin, slowly inching their way forward until they were right behind him- the children looking at them in confusion- before their hands darted to either side of Alin's head and twisted it, breaking his neck and severing his spinal cord. The model of Alin fell to the floor and the two oldest boys jumped up running out of the room, Skender grabbing his little brother by the hand.
"Of course, Alin's death would have spooked the children," Monte Carlo explained as the attacker pulled out a gun and shot Dragomir in the back, "and their murderer opened fire as they ran." The agents watched in silent horror as Dragomir's model fell on his stomach and Skender let go, running up the stairs. The attacker paused to dispatch of Eugen before following, stepping over Dragomir and walking slowly up the stairs.
At the top of the stairs, they paused, listening and looking out for the child that nearly got away. Then their head snapped towards the cupboard door and they raised their gun once more, slowly and deliberately.
And Agent Yogurt jumped up, storming out of the room.
Everyone winced as the door slammed shut behind him, not noticing the animated, blank murderer fire into the cupboard and kill Skender.
"Tsvetan!" to everyone's surprise, it was Agent Fondue that got up to follow him, ignoring Patch's protests as the latter followed.
Andrei found Tsvetan slumped against the wall halfway down the corridor, sobbing into his knees and clutching his trousers so tightly his knuckles were completely white. And Luca was right next to him, rubbing his shoulder and whispering comforting words, though they didn't seem to be reaching Tsvetan.
"I thought I could do it," Tsvetan interrupted, "I thought I would be able to watch that… I… I needed to. To know what happened to them…"
"It was too soon," Luca agreed, "you only lost them last week. You should be at home mourning in peace, not pushing yourself."
"No, if I'm here then I have less time to think about…"
"It's not healthy," Luca pushed, "look, just don't try and bury all this emotion. You need someone to talk to? Well any of us would be happy to listen!"
"I miss them." Tsvetan stared straight ahead, "I wish it had been me who died, not them."
"That's understandable," Luca tried, "and you'll probably never stop missing them. You just have to take time to grieve. And you're not letting yourself-"
"I don't know how to. Emotions aren't really my strong point, apart from anger."
Luca pulled Tsvetan into a tighter hug. "Talk. Let it all out. Remember them." His words were a jumble of advice given to him when his brother died, barely coherent as he tried to remember what words comforted him and what words didn't help at all, and just hoping they would have some positive effect on Tsvetan.
"But what cruel force would take my family away and leave me alive? Why? They were innocent! It should have been me!"
"Life's like that sometimes, taking away innocent people in horrible ways," now Luca was starting to cry, silently. "You know I lost my brother a year ago. So trust me when I say you will learn to live with the pain, even if it won't go away. Just take it one day at a time, okay?"
"I don't want to think of the future right now," Tsvetan buried his face in Luca's shoulder.
"Then don't. Like I said, one day at a time."
"I can't believe I broke down in front of everyone like that…"
"You think we won't understand why?" Andrei cut in, taking a step forward, "we know you're going through unbelievable pain. I'm going through it too. We get that you're gonna be mourning for a damn long time. Don't be harsh on yourself."
"I can't help it," Tsvetan looked up, "I'm still certain I could have saved them."
"Maybe if you had psychic powers and could see into the future," Andrei rolled his eyes, "but you don't. There was nothing you could have done to prevent it. All that's left is to make sure it doesn't happen again."
"By stopping Commonwealth," Tsvetan finished, allowing Luca to help him up, "I'll do it! I'll dedicate my life to bringing them down, I can assure you."
…
Later that day, as the sun began to dip in the afternoon sky, Andrei sat in his office and finally allowed himself to wallow in his own grief. He'd sent Tsvetan home to rest and have some peace, and was starting to wish he could do the same, as he'd done for the entire week now.
The re-enactment opened wounds that had just started to close, and reminded him that his brother was never coming back. He sat there, lost in memories of holding his baby nephews, singing to them and babysitting them as they got older to give Alin and Tsvetan a break. He thought of how much Skender and Eugen looked like his brother so, and of Dragomir's silly smile. He loved his nephews so much, and had been looking forward to watching them grow up. He wouldn't even have dreamed that that would never happen.
And he thought of his brother, of how Alin had always been there for him, practically raising him since he was a child. Of how much the guy had sacrificed for him over the years, and how the final cost of not giving Andrei up to a care home was his life.
If Alin had heard his thoughts, he'd certainly have told his brother to not say such ridiculous things. But Alin was dead and being buried at the weekend, so Andrei was left alone to hate himself.
His thoughts were interrupted by Agent België barging into his office.
"Okay mister we have a problem," she growled.
"Anri? What's wrong?" He sat up, a trickle of fear running through him. Had something happened to Tsvetan? One of the other agents?
"I was hoping you'd tell me," she folded her arms, tapping a foot on the carpet. Anri was not intimidating by nature, but in her black tank-top, canvas trousers and heavy boots, she looked pretty fearsome to Andrei. He was just glad she wasn't carrying her pistols too.
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"You've been picking on my little brother!" Anri was right in front of his desk now, glaring at him with a poison he hadn't seen in anyone for a long time.
"Oh, that," he sighed, "I can't help it if I don't trust him."
"How can you not trust him?" scoffed Anri, "he's my brother! You trust me, right?"
"Honestly?" Andrei looked up, "I don't know who to trust anymore. I suspect there's a mole in the organisation, passing information about us to Commonwealth. I can't afford to trust anyone right now."
"And you think Luca or I might be this spy?" Anri shook her head, "in case you've forgotten, they killed our brother! A year before Luca joined too! How can you accuse him of spying?"
"I don't know. But there's something not right about him." But despite that, Andrei had to admit he was having second thoughts about Agent Fondue. Even if they didn't seem to get along, after seeing him comfort Tsvetan, he was having a hard time seeing the other as an evil traitor. Still, there was something about Luca that stirred at the pit of his stomach, and he was sure it was a bad omen.
"That's all you've got to go on?! There's something not right about him?"
"Yes. Maybe you're working together or something. Maybe it's someone else. I have no way of telling and it's terrifying." He looked Anri in the eye for a long moment; "we're supposed to be a team but someone here wants us all dead. How the fuck can we even begin to stop Commonwealth like this?"
Anri didn't reply at first. "I'll keep an ear out," she began, "and see if anyone acts suspicious. But don't go demonising my baby brother; he didn't do anything!"
"That you know of," Andrei added.
"Luca is not going to betray us!" she faltered, "at least I think he won't. It doesn't make any sense for him to."
"Well," Andrei picked a loose hair off his blazer, "I'm sure we'll find out by the end of the year."