Darken Rahl sat 67 floors above the rabble crusted streets, above the nameless, faceless drones who clacked away on their keyboards, above the mangers who took extended lunch breaks and above the vice presidents who didn't know marketing strategy from the asses that they sat on. Darken Rahl sat in a chair in front of an over turned desk and a carpet of papers. His dear, naive secretary, Garen, had stuck her head in after hearing the thundering crash of the heavy mahogany desk. One look at her 's face had answered all her questions – Darken was prone to his temper flares and she wasn't about to get caught up in another. He had sat in his chair, hands clasped before him, unmoving as she silently ducked back out of the room.
Darken sat not giving a damn about his over turned desk or the tingling in his arms from the stress of lifting it on end. No, at this moment there was only one thing on his mind, one person, the one who took something that wasn't theirs, something very, very important. Rahl meticulously smoothed down his eyebrow as his mind worked over all the details that had been acquired in the past week. Security had been breached, all of it, every last fucking bit. They had gotten into his building, used his computers, and stole his files. Valuable files, the likes of which were more than incriminating, they were a death sentence.
Rahl had enemies. Anyone with the smallest iota of power and wealth was not without at least one nemesis, Darken had at least twelve – from the last time he counted of course – and two of those could be capable of such corporate sabotage, no, not just capable, masterful. The other ten, well, the best they could manage is crashing a party and vomiting in one of Darken's three pools – mostly harmless at best. But those other two, Darken had never met anyone as corrupted, vile, or more willing to destroy another life for personal gain – outside of himself of course.
Darken raced through his thoughts, it had to be one of those two, an inside job, no one could have hacked into his system from outside the building. So which one was sly enough to plant a mole in his building? Perhaps the blonde, Nicci. Darken had burned her years ago on a buyout deal. She never forgave him. From then on screwing each other over had become a sort of game, but this was going too far. It would be just like her to do this, the witch, she never did know when to stop. Then again there was Jagang. Fucking foreigners and their damn oil money. What Jagang couldn't outright buy he stole and Darken for years had told him he wasn't for sale. He wouldn't whore himself or the company his family had built from the ground up (and on the backs of others) to some self proclaimed emperor who was looking for nothing more than a foothold to climb up with.
Darken's blood began to heat up again. Just the thought of being played a fool by some holier than thou whore in expensive silk or an unmuzzled goat fucker…. Rahl caught himself before his fits got the better of him again. His nails dug into the arms of his chair until his fingertips burned white. He was getting ahead of himself, there was no real way to pin either of those two to the deed, at least not yet. This had rapidly become a war, whether Nicci or Jagang knew it or not. One of them had fired a well timed first shot, but it was Darken who had the bigger guns. It had been a mere handful of days since the incident, just enough time for the poor pawn who had been sent to hide, but that didn't mean Darken had sat idly by waiting for their next move. No, he was already hunting them. He had compiled a list of employees. Information specialist, new hires, temps, former employees that may harbor a grudge. The list was long, but Darken Rahl was a master of information, he was well trained by the Rahls before him to not cut corners or over look details. D'Hara Corp wasn't what it was because people took the easy way out. There were 127 names on Darken's list and amongst them was the name of the person who had wronged him. He would find them. This was a game of force and will and he had yet to throw down his best card.
Darken Rahl got up from his chair and casually walked around his fallen desk, avoiding any of the spilled paper, to his speaker phone which lay haphazardly on the floor. He fiddled with some change he had in his pocket as he nudged away a small pile of paper clips and toed the red speaker button that would connect him to sweet Garen just outside. There was a dull hum and a voice.
"Yes, Mr. Rahl?"
"Garen, my dear, would you have Denna sent up? Tell her it's urgent."
"Right away, Mr. Rahl." Darken toed to button again to cut the conversation.
Exactly three minutes later a dark silhouette appeared outside the frosted glass doors of Darken Rahl's office. Denna made her usual domineering and startling appearance. Swathed head to toe in a tight, militaristic black suit. From the high collar of her jacket to her heeled boots, not an inch of skin was displayed. Denna dressed like a shadow out of the night, making her blonde hair shockingly bright and her normally understated blue eyes look like the coldest ice. The only thing colder than her stare was her smile, or lack thereof.
From where he stood at the window, Darken looked her up and down and smirked. "You know the temperature drops ten degrees whenever you come in here."
Denna just hummed and without missing a beat replied, "Then I suggest you keep a sweater on hand. You called on me, Darken?"
Ah, how Darken loved to hear his name fall from those pink lips, sharpened so by Denna's accent. "Yes my love, it's about the incident. I have a list."
"A list? Are we going shopping?"
Darken hummed his rarely shown amusement. "In a way. It a list of all those who I think might be responsible, and might be connected to a figure or two who don't like me very much." Darken circled Denna, pressing up behind her and running his thick finger down the back of her neck and slipping it under her collar.
He could feel muscles relaxing under his touch as Denna settled on her feet, taking up a military stance. Such a controlled and beautiful force of habit. Darken had recruited her from some back water, Slavic corner of Europe, the type of country that has more fanatical militia than farmers. She was one of the autocrat's personal soldiers, one that came with the best training for a hefty price. He remembered that day, it was like being a little boy and going to the pound to find a puppy. He had looked them all over, most had promise but only one was that dark force of nature that called to him. Young and beautiful with eyes that whispered a veiled wrath; Denna was a prize, a gem amongst pebbles. Blood thirsty, loyal, sensual, and ruthless. Darken's beloved pitbull.
"Would you like me to check on the IT staff again?" Those icy blue eyes went unblinking. "I could have them all strip searched this time? It could prove amusing."
"No, no, I don't think any of those computer monkeys were the ones. They all seemed too clueless and preoccupied with their Japanese fantasy women to switch out a broken keyboard much less steal something within their own reach. No, Denna, I think this little plot had to have been commanded by someone with more balls then brains, which is why I'm starting to suspect one of my dear, close rivals to be involved." Darken squeezed down on her shoulders – he loved the way her flesh and muscle pulled under his fingers.
Denna remained unmoving, looking forward out of Darken's floor to ceiling office windows. "As have I, which is why I took the initiative to check up on them."
Darken's interest was piqued. "Have you now? Your own little agenda, how resourceful of you, my pet," his words slithered their way into Denna's ear, his hot breath slipping down her neck. "How are my dear friends these days?"
Denna glanced down at Darken's fingers that had slipped over her shoulder and were rubbing small circles on her collar bone. She tried to remember the last time his hands were on her at all. Perhaps it had been too long since she had pleased Darken intimately, his mind might be eased if she could remember to perform her other duties regularly.
Denna erased all thoughts not pertaining to topic at hand. "Jagang has been missing for a few weeks. There has been an uprising in his country, although I'm sure he isn't dead, we would have heard something. He must have himself tucked safely away in a bunker or bordering country. I would have to say the only thing on his mind lately -besides his money - is dodging bullets."
Darken's scoffed, "That's the old world for you. Wild dogs don't stay chained for long; Jagang has yet to learn that lesson. And what about our sweet sister in crime, Nicci?" Venom dripped off the woman's name.
"Vacationing in the south of France." And that was true. Nicci had been quiet for months. It was unusual for her to keep her nose out of Darken's business for so long, but when Denna checked up on her, Nicci seemed to be genuinely at ease. Of course if Nicci had known Denna was tracking her down things wouldn't have been so quiet. And of course nothing is ever as it seemed with that woman.
Darken hummed. "No doubt fucking her way through the aristocracy. Picking up funding in the form dirty Euros left on the night stand." Darken felt Denna snicker at that remark. For having never truly met one another, there was no love lost between the two women. One was a whore, the other a bitch, respectably. "Either which way I still suspect them of something, so keep tabs on them. Especially Nicci, that little cunt has to have something planned for me. It's been far too long since we've had a run in, not even a threatening phone call. I'm honestly starting to feel a bit unloved."
"Enemies closer as usual, Darken."
"As usual, my pet."
Denna turned to look at Rahl over her shoulder. "And your list?" Rahl took a small step away from Denna, but kept his grip on her shoulders, pinning her in place not allowing her to flee his request. Not that she would or have a choice.
"The list…" Darken looked about the mess of papers on his floor, trapped under foot and under his over turned desk. "…is here."
Denna took her turn to look at the mess of papers spread across the office floor and mentally sighed. "All of this?"
Darken squeezed Denna's shoulders, digging his fingers under her collar bone, an act of pain, a touch of pleasure. The dull aching pressure forced a hiss from her lips, and her eyes rolled back as Darken's thumbs pushed into the base of her neck. She relished her master's touch, knowing that he was pleased with her by giving her the loving pain.
"Don't make me doubt, or heaven forbid, regret, leaving this in your capable hands, Denna. I want you to find everything."
"But with so many names… how could I possibly get through all of them? What if I don't find the right one in time? It needs to be paired down." Denna's question was simple enough, honest, but Darken didn't want to hear questions, he wanted answers. And quick ones at that. Darken pulled his hands away from Denna, repulsion and disgust, bile, all felt heavy in the air as he turned away. His unpredictable temper burst through its weak barrier, and face twisted into anger once again.
"You're not here to question my methods," Darken growled. Picking up a sheet of paper from the ground he thrust it into Denna's face. "Here, here is a name," Darken pointed, "and here another. Perhaps this is the one who's done it. Or this one, or this one here is allied with a name over there." Rahl's voice pitched and ground out a snarl, "I've already done the hard part, Denna. All you need to do squeeze the information free from whatever whelp it was that stole my program." Rahl flung the paper back to the floor carelessly as his gaze remained firmly on Denna.
"I will… do as you wish, Mr. Rahl." Denna knew that is what Darken wanted to hear, that which would calm him. And it did. His hands returned to her shoulder and she felt him release a sigh.
"Good, Denna, good. Make some house calls to the ones I've highlighted, they're the top priority." Darken turned suddenly and marched towards the door, "Come, Denna." Darken loved the way she followed so faithfully.
Garen sat at her desk outside Mr. Rahl's office, straining, yet damning herself for listening in on their conversation. When the door was pulled open, she paused nervously as Mr. Rahl and Denna passed by her to the elevator, there was just something unnerving about the two of them together. Garen knew what Denna did – or at least she though she knew what Denna did – or maybe it was the look on the blonde woman's face and in her eyes that made Garen think she knew who and what Denna was. Garen was certain it wasn't good. She scared Garen, fully intimidated her with those soulless blue eyes and her creepy accent and all that black. She was certain Mr. Rahl had corporate spies, but the blonde was something more. Garen followed Denna with her eyes, watching the play of her muscles in all that tight black, she was a beautiful woman no doubt about that. Ralh most certainly got his use out of her in one way or another, but she didn't have the body of a soft and pampered woman. No, no woman who sat behind a desk and filed papers all day had legs that looked like they could crush a man's skull.
"Garen." Darken's voice snapped like a whip across the room capturing Garen and pulling her attention to him. "Call up to the helicopter and tell them I'm on my way."
"Ye-yes, Mr. Rahl. Right away." Garen picked up the receiver and dialed to the helipad. She hoped they picked up because the elevator door dinged and opened, and Rahl stepped in to be ushered to the roof. He hated waiting and in the mood he had been in she pitied anyone who took a second longer than he pleased.
Denna's blue eyes burned into Garen as she and Rahl were swallowed up by the double doors. The secretary's blood ran cold at seeing that hard as diamonds stare punching through her, and she wondered if Denna could hear her thoughts about her.
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open smoothly. Outside of the small lobby that housed only the elevator a helicopter slowly came to life, its sluggish rotors casting lumbering shadows across the helipad as they built up speed. Upon exiting the protection of the lobby, Denna and Darken were assaulted by the heavy whine and an engine and the progressive thump of rotor blades. Denna shielded her eyes from the sting of loose dirt being picked up and thrown around. Darken slipped on a pair of dark glasses and ducked his head as he walked towards the helicopter pilot, he shouted something towards him that Denna couldn't make out. Denna made to follow Darken to the helicopter, mistakenly thinking she was to accompany him, but she was stopped by a firm hold on her shoulder.
"I'm going to the off site servers, I need to speak to Egremont about tightening the physical security there just in case our little sneak tries to hit us again. Also, should they get that file open. I want to be ready to get a trace on it." Darken glances back at the helicopter quickly. "Denna, you're going to stay here and finish what I started."
"But sir-" before Denna could get another word out, Darken's fingers bit into her shoulder.
"The list, Denna. I want results." There was no denying the look in Darken's eyes, it was frighteningly sincere. Men who were on the edge of a cliff contemplating the fall shared the same look. There was only one option for Denna, and it was to give Darken what he wanted. Rahl released his grip on the blonde's shoulder and turned to enter the helicopter. That was it then, it was all in Denna's hands now, her so-called capable hands.
"Yes, Darken." But Denna's reply was swallowed up the high pitched whine as the helicopter began to lift off the roof. Denna took several safe steps back and shielded her eyes, watching her boss abandon her to a wild goose chase. She was sure that he wouldn't be in contact with her until she found something significant, and his definition of significant was far exaggerated than any normal person's. Dread wasn't a common feeling for Denna. In fact, she wasn't sure if she'd ever felt it before, but if she had to describe the small seed of heat and pain blossoming in her chest, dread would have to be the closest word.
A/N: Okay, I promise at least Cara in the next chapter, which is currently being written. I'm juggling this story and another at the moment so I can't say when ch. 3 will be done but I'll try not to take forever. Thanks for being cool.
