It was the blood pounding in his head, the sudden, thrilling rush, the blood inside and out.
He swung again, ignoring the hands clawing at his shirt. Their screams were not his business, their pain not his concern. He drove them on, disregarding the thick blood staining his shoes. What was human pleasure if humans couldn't add something to it?
He smiled.
The iron pipe bent and twisted under the pressure, complaining in his hand as he finally saw the body still. The life had gone out of the battered corpse, and he was now left with the blood. As if from a distance, he could hear the confused murmurings of his companions, their concern and worry as evident as the dawn. They were beneath him, they couldn't understand. He had moved on, and they had remained behind, caught up in their lust and their grimy earthy-ness.
Ivan, though, was divine.
Unable to budge the obstinate Russian, Alfred beckoned for Natayla to take care of the body cooling on the pavement, shielding the three of them from the traffic. Natalya's eyes were wide, frantic, and Alfred had never seen her move so fast as when she pulled her brother aside. With some difficulty, they managed to get him back to the hotel, ushering him in through the back door before relaxing in their room.
"He's never-I mean, this isn't-"
"It's not healthy for him. Or for us."
"I don't know what the hell is going on, Natty." Alfred paled, watching Ivan shake himself into recognition, then disappear into the bathroom. "He's starting to scare me."
"More than you, Alfred-more than you."
O
Natalya had managed to hide her growing concerns well, but with Ivan falling behind on the planning side of things, she was forced to admit one crucial fact-they were being pursued. The authorities had gotten more insistent, and when the countries got smaller, the cops got bigger. With Alfred lost in the mess of Polish and Hungarian that surrounded them, Natalya was pushed into the limelight again and again to buy off train conductors, travel agencies, and hotel concierges as they fled across Eastern Europe. And in the dark of the night, when she pulled the blankets up over her head and tried not to worry about Ivan, she knew the truth.
She was afraid.
Her concern hardly abated when they finally arrived in East Germany, Alfred guiding Ivan along the streets to prevent him from barging through the crowds. The people here were more traditional, their quiet accents and manners making Natalya feel slightly more comfortable, and she allowed herself a smile as they found a place to stay.
The discovery of a body in Vladivostok had worried her, but Alfred pointed out that it could throw the coppers off their trail. Reassuring herself over and over, she let herself relax, no longer worrying about the authorities and instead turning her attention to her brother. Unresponsive, quiet, and uncharacteristically spontaneous, he had become more of a liability than ever, and his outbursts were harder to contain. He wouldn't listen to reason. And when her greatest weapon was taken away, well-
Natalya hesitated to even set foot outside their hotel.
O
Arthur swore as he glanced over the photographs of the scene, the guts and gore hardly bothering him as he hurriedly rearranged the pictures. Francis took notes from a corner as Arthur paced, mumbling aloud to let his mind wander.
"And we have no clue what they might look like, or think, or act like?"
"We have the descriptions from the American police. But no, other than that…I know nothing about them."
"Well, wonderful for you. They're moving fast, we know that much."
"And the sister may be with them. She and the brother may know enough languages to hide them."
"And these killings aren't gang-related?"
"No. They choose victims at random, more so now that they've left Russia. They were careful in America, which is why they hid for years. Movement disturbs them."
"So we might be close, might be able to catch them in the act if we chase them long enough?"
"Perhaps." Francis shuffled his files, handing one out to Arthur. "There's the report from Williams you wanted. And a detail on the Vladivostok victim."
"Yes, yes-you don't think they've doubled back, do you?"
"To Vladivostok? It makes no sense. Besides, the coroner's report will explain the timing. They must have killed the man during their crossing."
"How is it that the finest police task force in the world is stumped by two madmen-no, three, now-with hacksaws!"
"Simple, Arthur." Francis sighed, getting to his feet to glance at the photos. "We have no chance of knowing how to think like them, while they have everything they need in order to think like us."
O
"Hey, watch it!" Alfred winced as a man brushed past him, rubbing the bruise on his shoulder as he followed Natalya. "Slow down, Natty, this isn't exactly easy, you know."
"I don't much care, Alfred, so shut up and keep up, or-oh!" Colliding with a tall man, Natalya stumbled back, Alfred moving to catch her and failing miserably. The other man grinned down at her, eyes glinting in the sunlight, and bowed.
"My apologies, m'lady-Russian, I take it? We don't see many of you."
"We're simply passing through." She tried to move around him, but scowled as he grasped her wrist.
"Can I have a name for such a beautiful face?"
"Natalya. Natalya-Arlovskaya."
"And your friend?"
"Oh, I'm Tim. Timothy, um-" Alfred fumbled with his wallet for a moment, nodding. "Timothy Rogers. American."
"Right, of course…" The other man nodded as he studied them, finally releasing Natalya. "I'm Gilbert. Last name doesn't matter, only the fact that I-" His thumbs jabbed into his chest, emphasizing his own importance. "-am the best guide to this city you could find, and the best friend a guy could have. What do you say, do we have a deal?"
"Thank you, but no thank you, we need no assistance." Natalya tried to push past him, but froze as she felt his hand on her upper arm.
"You think I don't know who you are? Listen, I'm not here to cause trouble, but I can get you out of here for a price."
"I don't know what you're-"
"Stop it, you think everyone buys hydrogen peroxide in a foreign country? No, Natalya, you've got bloodstains that need to be washed, and this ain't from any nosebleed. You're the ones on the news." Gilbert nodded, holding up his free hand as Natalya began to struggle. "Hey, listen! I just said I wasn't gonna turn you in! I can get you out of here, if you promise to take me with you. I don't care where you're going, just drop me off along the way."
"Natalya-Natalya, wait, calm down. This guy's making sense." Alfred moved to join her, nodding as Gilbert released her again. "I say we take him up on it, I mean-we don't speak German."
"How do I have your word?" Natalya eyed him warily, watching as he nodded quickly.
"Here. Take this." He fished in his pocket for a moment, handing her a small metal X to let her examine it. "It's a family heirloom, and it's-well, it's one of the few things I call mine. The moment we're out of the city, I'll take it back, but for now-keep it safe."
"How do you I know you won't just kill us and steal it back?"
"Hey, now, I could never bring myself to kill such a pretty woman." Gilbert smiled again, bowing. "Now, do we have an arrangement?"
Natalya sighed reluctantly, slipping the X into her pocket before nodding. "Yes. We have a deal. Your first task is to get out of our way, lead us out of this damn market, and-" She hesitated, watching him. "You wouldn't happen to know of a confidential doctor who might help us, would you?"