Chapter 3
Weak Points
While not exactly the most forthcoming with information, Levi considered himself to be an honest man. Sure, he was a glorified thug with death in his wake and sins to his name, however in his defense, the people he killed were not exactly saints either. But that was beside the point. He'd never make false claims, especially something as ridiculous as declaring to be an expert in architecture.
That being said, the Sky Garden was an ugly piece of shit and he loathed everything about it.
Surely someone other than him and Furlan would agree the building was an eye sore and was better off being demolished. One did not need a fancy degree to tell you that much.
For the past three days, all Levi and Furlan had worked on was gathering information about the building. How many floors, where the emergency exits were, what brand of security system it used. The blueprints were the most valuable product from their research, projecting the interior floors for Levi to imagine, seeing as he'd never stepped foot in the atrocious place before.
Isabel had stopped by Furlan's apartment on the third day to visit, curious to hear that Levi had stayed a few nights with their friend and she was feeling a bit left out. Fortunately, most of the research at that point was completed because with Isabel asking a million questions, ordering a full spread of pizza, and showing Levi her knew favorite show, the distractions offered little room for progress.
At the same time, Isabel's presence did prove insightful to Levi when she offered to visit the Sky Garden in his stead before the event. Having no association with Mitras, it would not be out of the realm of possibility for her to visit such a place any other time. Plus, it gave Levi a chance to have boots on the ground, so to speak, and be his eyes in areas he wanted clarification on. Furlan and Levi had worked on how to get in. It was collecting the damn rock and getting out, that was the problem. Being such an obnoxiously tall building made of glass, it made finding a quick exit difficult.
Not having to take much convincing, Levi accepted both Isabel and Furlan to go to the Sky Garden the next day under the guise of being on a date. Having an earpiece to talk to Furlan, Levi directed them to areas he wanted photos of, using Isabel to stand in front of a staff door or elevator as a cover, followed by them visiting the restaurant attached to the garden.
Both were ecstatic to oblige—outwardly proclaiming all the pictures were going in some photo album Levi hadn't been aware of existing, as the trio's first "legit" mission together. Levi was just glad no other visitors to the garden were in earshot of his loose-lipped companions, who had no sense in discretion when he wasn't physically there to keep them in line.
After that, using the information to come up with an escape plan went smoother.
To the left of the building was a structure that was used for business consulting and was in the process of growing taller. Skeletal beams and a large crane sat atop the brick offices and was ideal for Levi in case the first plan did not pan out. It all came together just in time for the evening of the event.
The arrangement consisted of Levi being the only one to complete the assignment; his strict rule was that Isabel and Furlan could only assist with the reconnaissance portion where he could control outside variables and keep them safe. While Isabel respected his wishes, Furlan was a stubborn shit and somehow—still a mystery in that moment-convinced Levi to help.
After relentless arguing and blatant demands, Levi gave in so long as he stayed in the car. Even though he wouldn't admit it, it was an appealing concept of having a getaway car for once if something went south. Then Furlan had a brilliant idea of helping further and making the most of his time in the car while Levi worked. A perfect example of: you give an inch, and they take a mile.
"It's just one extra step in the plan, mate! I promise!"
"For fuck's sake. I haven't needed that in the past, and I sure as shit don't need it now."
"This isn't some typical assassin gig, Levi. This is more like a 007 mission surrounded by a rich crowd, high level security, plus some people may even have their own bodyguards. Not to mention it's in a well-lit, 360o glass building. There are no blind spots or shadows to squirrel away in. You're practically doing all of this under a spotlight, mate. Be smart and let me help."
It was hard to argue with that logic. Not that it would be the first time Furlan had helped him as an extra set of eyes, although it was the first time that it required him to go to such lengths.
So, that's where Levi currently found himself.
His lower half dangling from the ceiling in the storage room down the hall from the kitchen; the door was blocked closed with a few boxes of pre-folded dinner linens, and his dress jacket draped neatly over the lid. The top half of his body was propped on his elbows with his white dress shirt sleeves rolled to his biceps, still collecting dirt in the upper crawlspace despite his efforts, and further souring his mood. The edge of the ceiling panel dug against his abdomen, and he was grateful his bruised ribs were healed or else it would have been a different sort of hell, altogether.
A small flashlight was clamped between his teeth as his hands faltered to snap the piece-of-plastic-shit of a device on the wires that connected the cameras to the security system. He'd been fumbling with the contraption for ten minutes and it refused to click closed. To make it worse, Furlan's unhelpful advice was steady in his earpiece telling him, "It should just snap together. Try pressing harder."
The blond was lucky he had something in his mouth and was already growing concerned that it was taking too much time, or else he would have cursed him out with a vile string of insults. Sweat ran down his back and the voice in his head warned that any minute now, someone could stumble on him hanging from the ceiling and he would miss his chance to get the stupid rock for the stupid Russian boss.
Finally, after nearly giving up, he managed to get it to click just enough to stay in place by forcing it between the other wires that led to God-knows what electronics. But Levi couldn't muster to give another fuck about it.
"It's fucking done. Do you see anything on your end?" he snapped after pulling the flashlight from his mouth. Saliva had pooled in the corner of his lips, and he desperately wanted to wipe his mouth with something other than his dust covered hands or sleeves.
"Uh… yeah! Yeah, it's up now. You're all set, Levi."
"Good, because I wasn't going to stay here a second longer messing with it."
Levi maneuvered out of the ceiling tile, then let himself down carefully onto the shelving where he scaled to the ground. Once his feet were on the laminate floors, he examined the state of his clothes and found himself curling his nose in disgust at the wrinkles and dust. Grabbing his jacket, he kicked the boxes away and hurried out of the kitchen storage area to the nearest bathrooms down the staff hall.
In his ear, Furlan was chatting away about different members of the event that he recognized as he explored the cameras. There was a mix of comments such as:
"Holy shit, is that the lead singer of Cactus Alibi?"
"No way the Embassy has a representative here."
and "Oh, look Dimo Reeves is making an appearance."
The last name had a thread of familiarity to it and Levi vaguely wondered if Nicolas Lovof had sent him to kill one of Reeves' people before.
Possibly. Most likely.
Probably best to avoid being seen by him just in case.
The rest of the titles were vague and did not register to him. The only way he would know anyone in these circles was through Lovof and usually there was minimal conversations involved before he killed them. When he had jobs of torturing or strongarming others, it was lower station people. Those that owed the Don money or worked directly under him and made critical mistakes that required Levi's involvement.
Stepping into the bathroom, he was thankful that all the stalls were empty. As he reached the sink, he started to thoroughly wash his hands and forearms until the water ran clear. The paracord bracelet he wore for the occasion was damp now, but he hoped it wouldn't be wet enough to reach his jacket sleeve. Lightly dampening a paper towel, he ran it over his hair until it returned to its shiny black and free of dirt. He straightened his shirt out, re-tucked the tail of it, and unrolled his sleeves. It took a little effort to dust off his shirt and pants but eventually he was as satisfied as he could be. Thankfully, the dark jacket hid away the imperfections of his attire and no one who looked at him would notice the wrinkled disaster beneath it.
Before he exited the bathroom, he did a once over on his appearance, dabbed some sweat from his brow and made sure his scar was concealed. The new setting spray Isabel lent him was supposed to protect against sweating, so he'd see how well it held up through the night.
"Come on, princess. I'm sure you look pretty. Let's get you to the party already."
Levi dropped his hands from fixing his bangs and glared at his reflection as if his friend stood in front of him. "Furlan, shut the fuck up."
The man chuckled in his ear. "If I didn't know you were gay before, I'd be suspicious now."
"I wonder if you'd still be laughing if I made a call to the yard about a suspicious character sitting in a car outside of the Sky Garden. You think you could sweet-talk your way out of an arrest?" he taunted as he tossed the paper towel in the bin.
"Alright, alright. But seriously, you look good, mate."
"Don't tell me this place has cameras in the bathroom." He scanned the ceiling, looking for the black orbed devices that were all over the building.
Furlan snorted. "No. I just know your obsessive habits. Even if you had to crawl around the HVAC system for me to hack in their system, you're still probably cleaner than 70% of these aristocrats."
There may be some truth to that.
A final glance at his tailored black suit, white button-up, and black tie was enough to feel comfortable with the presentation. Not that he was there to impress anyone, but a wrinkled and dusty outfit in this crowd would only distract him from his task.
Tonight, Levi was feeling out of his element. It was not just because of the type of job or the number of people—though it was a part of that. What had him concerned was if something went wrong, he wasn't entirely sure how to handle it. Normally, quick and efficient acts of violence would get him away from a threat, yet that was not an option here. Throat punching a guy or throwing another off a balcony would only attract attention and it was a certainty that everyone in attendance had their cellphones on them. Lovof really set up a proper challenge for the Russian's ghost and he hoped he could maintain his anonymity by the end of it.
Ready to get this over with, Levi opened the door to the hallway just as a catering staff member had reached the bathroom. The timing nearly caused the stranger to bump into the door and only managed to narrowly avoid it by taking a step back.
Levi held back a curse.
"Uh sir, you're not supposed to be here—"
"I'm leaving. I just needed to take a shit."
Levi turned and walked down the staff hallway and through the corridor toward the event. Damn, he hoped that leaving willingly and abruptly would settle any unease at being spotted. More importantly, he wished it'd reassure the catering staff he was not a concern to be reported. Levi had to resist the urge to look back to see if he was still being watched.
After reaching another hall that would take him to the garden, he muttered under his breath, "Is he calling anyone?"
"No," Furlan's voice came through, "he just watched you to make sure you were leaving and then went into the bathroom. Close call."
"It wouldn't have been if I didn't need to do your errand."
"Hey. It's out of the way, so stop complaining. Now you can do your part and have the extra eyes. The worst is out of the way."
"Don't say that shit. You'll jinx it, dumbass."
"Aren't you immune to jinxes? You're essentially a black cat on two legs. Some hybrid shadow worker or boogey man in the night."
Levi rolled his eyes as he stopped at the white door that would open to the auction. "For some reason, shadow worker sounds derogatory… Is there anyone on the other side of the door?"
"Er, let me find the video…"
"What do you mean, let you find the video? Are you on your phone? Pay attention, you wanted this camera spying job."
"No," Furlan huffed, offended by the accusation. "Do you know how many cameras are in this building? I should have brought my second laptop to have two screens. The way they set up their stupid system means I have to scroll to find different locations—Oh there's the door. Yeah, it's all—wait…. Ok now you can go through."
Levi sighed as he stepped into the event center, wondering how he could have avoided this whole headache to begin with. There was no way he could have lied about the auction date, seeing as Furlan could easily find out by a simple online search. He could not have lied about being sick either. Assassins didn't get sick leave or insurance. Or benefits, for that matter.
What it came down to was Levi only had himself to blame. He should never have given in to Furlan's demands to come along in the first place. Too late now.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Levi scanned the scene before him.
The door he came from faced the back of the tower, but the view through the panoramic windows was not any less impressive. London's power and presence of the modern era were epitomized in the city's propelling architecture. The monolithic towers were lit in a kaleidoscope of shimmering lights beneath the starless sky. A red ribbon of taillights wove across the A10, likely from an accident in this late hour rather than people returning from work.
The air around Levi was filled with a hum of conversations from guests dressed in fine clothes, holding stems of crystal glasses filled with their drink of choice. Smaller groups were gathered in the section Levi found himself in, likely looking for a quieter place that was less crowded to hold their discussions. A few couples were sitting on the wooden platform next to the window, admiring the cityscape.
At his back, the door he came from was low profile and looked like another part of the paneling that supported the upper restaurant. If not for the keypad to the side, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two.
Realizing he was not exactly blending in by standing alone, and without a drink in hand, Levi turned toward the staircase and started toward the lower floor. Along the walkway was a dense, but manicure arboretum of ferns and palms. Some strange grassy plant was growing long stemmed orange flowers that one of the ladies on a stone landing pointed to with interest as it matched her sunrise-colored gown.
Just before he reached the main floor, Levi halted on the stairs, making sure to stand to the side to not be in the way of other guests moving about the venue. Using the extra vantage point, his steely gaze evaluated the new arrangement and mentally compared it to the blueprints and pictures of their research.
The floor was spacious compared to the upper level, with the balcony of the restaurant hanging over the garden. The wall of window panels was angled outward at the top and provided protection from the rain for the outdoor terrace. Rounded doors were busy with traffic filtering guests in and outside to view the murky River Thames and Tower Bridge in the distance. A handful of couches were placed near the windows and were occupied by small groups who had to raise their voices to speak over the noise of other patrons and quartet playing softly beside the staircase he stood on.
Across the heart of the floor were uniformed rows of black chairs facing the inner structure of the public elevators, just below the restaurant. A podium was set off to the side of one of the glass doors with a microphone and makeshift platform for a stage. On the opposite side of the building, where another set of stairs led to the floor Levi came from, was a circular bar with a tall black and silver case full of alcohol in the middle.
Checking his watch, he made note that there was nearly 30 minutes before the start of the auction. Another quick scan and no familiar faces-particularly no shoulder length blond Lord in sight-he walked down the last steps and made a line for the bar.
Sidling up to an empty stool, purposefully picking one with someone sitting on his right side so he wouldn't be caught by surprise, he ordered a drink and waited. A singe drink would be fine to take the edge off.
The security staff on duty and bartenders wore similar outfits with white dress shirts, black trousers, and navy-blue jackets. The difference was that the bartenders wore neat bowties while everyone else had satin black ties, as if there was a need for them to stand out from the waitstaff.
Glancing over his shoulder, Levi was able to get a better look at the people in attendance. Not too far from him, a small crowd was mustering around a tanned woman fitted with an over-the-top sequence emerald dress with a white furred cropped shawl. There were three blank-faced men around her as she chatted to a group of people hanging on her every word. She was drinking in the attention like she was made for it.
"You think you could get me an autograph from her?" Furlan questioned suddenly, almost startling Levi who forgot about the earpiece. The reaction, along with the request, armored his scowl.
"No."
"What-Seriously?"
He turned back to face the bar. "When do I ever joke?"
"But you're right there! Come on, I won't ask for anything every again!"
Levi rolled his eyes, knowing that was a lie if he'd ever heard one. Careful to keep his voice low so the couple to his right couldn't hear, he berated Furlan, "You're supposed to be looking for the staff with the keycard to the lower floors. Not fanboying over the guests."
While it had been simpler to get a card to access the kitchen, the floor below had higher restrictions with less authorized personnel. It was, by their educated guess, the next level down that the vault was located which held all the auction items until they were brought to the garden for bidding.
"I know, I know. It was just a simple request. Not every day I can say I have a friend who rubbed elbows with the lead singer of Cactus Alibi."
Instead of answering, Levi glanced over his shoulder to evaluate the guests once more. The bartender was called to help his coworker carry a colony of champagne flukes to some patrons at the couches, so he guessed he wasn't getting his drink anytime soon.
Across the room, a new group of people stepped onto the floor from the elevators and warranted a quick once over from Levi. The first that caught his eye was a taller man who towered over most of the crowd with slick back blond mane and light facial hair. A woman with shorter styled hair and an elegant azure dress hung on his arm as she laughed at something another man said. The third guy was closer to her height then her date's and had dark brunet hair that hung messily over a too high undercut. He was a lean man and well-dressed in a suit that Levi knew was no small cost. But it was the presence of the fourth member that caught his attention and who placed a hand on the tall man's shoulder in a friendly gesture.
Lord Tybur.
Before he could evaluate the group further, the bartender called his attention. "Here you are, sir. Apologies for the wait. Would you like to start a tab for the evening?"
The gin and tonic was placed softly on a maroon napkin in front of Levi.
"No. This'll be all for me," he replied, pulling out his wallet to pay with his bills.
The bartender looked at the cash and a frown tugged at his lips. It was meant to look apologetic, but Levi caught the annoyed glimmer in the man's eyes. "I'm sorry sir, this is a cashless event. We do take card, though."
That caused Levi to freeze as he fixed the man with a sharp stare, hating the sting of embarrassment that came with the rejection. It was a subtle reminder of how out of place he was in the crowd; no matter how well he dressed himself, he was a nobody that couldn't hope to reach their level. The seasoning of shame didn't help his mood either, particularly when he survived with cash transactions for lack of legal documents to his name.
Levi felt the muscles in his jaw bunch as he tried to keep a non-accusing tone from his voice. "What? So, you can't take ca—"
"Please, allow me to get that for you," a voice interrupted beside him. A hand reached across the counter to offer a minimalist silver card to the bartender instead of waiting for a response from Levi. Then, to the bartender, the man said, "Go ahead and start a tab."
Levi turned to look at the man who helped himself to the empty stool on his left. An almond-toned suit draped over a fit build and a deep crimson tie tugged his attention to the guy's chest. The man stood out from the usual crowd with a pale beard, wavey head of hair, and custom round glasses.
After the bartender took the card and his order for a martini, he fixed Levi with a smirk as his light blue eyes openly sifted down his figure.
He was cocky. And rich. Levi could tell right away, even if he encountered him in a dive bar instead of the extravagant event. He looked self-assured in the way old money types do, when they didn't have to prove anything because it permeated in his posture. There wasn't a need for people like him to parade around and gloat about their wealth. It oozed from them.
Levi knew he was staring longer than necessary, but something about the guy threw him off. Even more so when said stranger didn't seem to mind the unfriendly attention from the shorter man who should be thanking him instead of glaring. It was the civil thing to do, but Levi was never one for yielding with manners.
Returning the wallet to his pocket, Levi took a sip of his drink to occupy his mouth.
"I'm Zeke," the man introduced, not offering a hand. "Zeke Yeager."
He said it like Levi was supposed to know the name.
"Hm." Levi gave a curt nod, taking another, longer sip.
"How's the drink?"
Levi could feel his brow twitch, but he kept a neutral face as he brought the glass to hover over the napkin. "It's fine."
"I'm glad to hear it."
The man, Zeke, was not bothered by the clipped responses, almost as if he was amused by Levi's prickly demeanor. Overconfident for sure.
"So," he started again as he nodded a thanks to the bartender who set the martini glass down, "is there anything you're hoping to walk away with tonight?"
Levi unconsciously bristled at odd phrasing before logic caught up and explained it was a harmless question. Or at least, he hoped there wasn't a pointed meaning behind it.
"Not particularly."
"No?" Zeke raised his brows as he tilted his head to better see Levi's face. The attention made him feel as if he was being scrutinized and picked apart the longer he sat there. "You came to the auction just to enjoy the festivities then? Are you here alone?"
"I think you misunderstand," Levi deflected as-matter-of-factly, "I'm not here for enjoyment. Also, I'm not going to tell you what I'm interested in purchasing, in case you're my competition."
Zeke's smile widened as he brought his drink to his lips, sipping on it quietly as he contemplated Levi's response.
"That still doesn't answer if you're here alone or not, Mr. …"
Really? This guy just wasn't taking a hint. Also, why was Zeke staring at Levi like it was him up for auction? What a fucking weirdo.
"Ackerman." The truthful admission spilled from his mouth before he could stop himself, startling him once he realized what he said. His own name sounded foreign to his own ears.
The grin Zeke had faltered for the first time, and his brows pinched together above his glasses. Before Levi could question the man's strange reaction, Furlan's voice cut him off.
"I saw one guy who had a keycard to the lower floor, but he hasn't come back to the garden yet. There's another guy walking around not far from you that looks like he may have access. I'm not 100% positive though."
Levi wanted to respond but was not able to without coming off as some crazy person talking to himself, especially under the man's scrutiny next to him. He didn't even get the chance to excuse himself as Zeke was quick to continue the conversation.
"Mr. Ackerman…" He vocalized it as if testing the roll of the consonants on his tongue. "Is there a first name with that?"
"Sure, there is," Levi answered easily, eyes locked on Zeke in a challenge. "But we aren't on a first name basis."
Instead of showing offense, Zeke looked thoughtful as he inclined his head again. And was Levi imagining things or did he move closer?
"Well, the night is still young. Maybe we'll get there before the auction ends."
"Depends on if I get what I want. Might not be in a pleasant mood if I'm outbid."
"Let me take a guess on what you're interested in," Zeke shifted in the chair to face him better, his knee brushing against Levi's in the process. "Hm, you seem like a man who prefers thrill over evaluating techniques of fresco art. Someone who gets excited with a bit of danger, perhaps. If I had to guess, I'd say you had your eye on the Porche hood of James Dean's car."
Levi wanted to scoff at the idea that he, of all people, would know the first thing about fresco art.
"I'll give you the first bit, but you got the rest wrong. I'm not interested in that scrap of metal that someone calls art. Why would anyone want to own a piece of the car that someone died in as decoration? Sick bastards."
Levi finished his gin, not missing the judgmental side-eye the bartender tossed his way for his comment. If he was in any other place, the man would have been flipped off, but Levi was trying to remain civil.
"Ah, yes. Some people have an affinity for pieces associated with misery. I suppose, it's that morbid curiosity that comes with a story of tragedy which makes it appealing."
Levi opened his mouth to respond when someone loudly called out behind him.
"Zeke! I'm so glad to see you've made it."
The cheery voice bolstered not far from his back, urging Levi to glance over his shoulder in time to see the outspread arms of the last person he wanted to meet.
Shit!
"Ah, good evening, Willy," Zeke returned with his smile slipping to a tight smirk. Apparently, the feeling was mutual, and neither were interested in interacting with the Tybur heir.
Manners or no, Levi was making his escape. Now.
"Thanks for the drink," he muttered as he slid off the stool and disappeared through the crowd in the opposite direction, not allowing Zeke the chance to lock him in an unwanted conversation.
Just before he was out of earshot, he heard the last exchange between the two men as Tybur regretfully commented, "Ah I seemed to have run off your friend. Pardon my intrusion."
"Nothing to worry over. We were just having a friendly chat to pass the time."
Damn, that was close.
"Have you figured out if that guy has the key or not?" Levi grumbled to his friend as he looked at his watch. He was far enough away from the bar to lose sight of the new heir and strange man. "We're running out of time. This shit is about to start."
"The brute hasn't moved, and the other guy hasn't come back yet. You may have to chance it and see if he has the card on him."
That sounded like a horrible plan.
"I'm not going fishing for lint in every staff member's pocket. I'm trying not to draw attention, remember? You're supposed to be helping me with that."
"Did that guy piss in your drink or something? Your attitude is getting bigger than you."
"Oh, sweet hell." Levi pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to not snap at Furlan.
He so wished he would've ignored Furlan's request to help to begin with. What's the worst Furlan could do? Complain? Whine about being left out and worrying about Levi's nameless reputation being intact at the end of the night?
A simple fix to Levi's dilemma would have been removing the earpiece, and just listening to the scolding when he got back to the car. But before either of them could start bickering, the microphone from the podium came on with an older gentleman ushering the crowd's attention.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome. I would like to request that you make your way to the seats as the auction will begin shortly. Any last registrations for bidders will close out in two minutes so make sure you receive your number before we start."
Around Levi, people began to shuffle to get last minute drinks before finding a chair.
"Which guy is it? I'm out of time." He needed to use the crowd to get close to the whichever staff member or else it'd be too suspicious if he approached alone.
"He's the one standing on the left side of the quartet, near the stairs."
Fuck. That was across the bar from Tybur and Zeke. Hopefully they would either be too engrossed in their conversation or heading to find some seats.
Come on, Ackerman. Pull your shit together, he mentally berated. Inhaling sharply through his nose, he shoved the swell of panic back down. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Act with confidence and you'll blend in.
Turning around, Levi stalked in the direction of the bar, going with the flow of people and using his wary navigation to shift between larger individuals. As he drew closer to the mark Furlan picked out, he hesitated for half a step when he got a good look at him.
"You've got to be shitting me. You didn't tell me the guy was a fucking mountain."
"What do you expect from me? I'm looking at him through a 2-inch camera image. Give me a break."
Now wasn't the time for arguing. "Dominant hand?"
"His right."
Judging by his intimidating stature, the man was evidently security for the auction, which meant a simple bump-and-grab was likely to catch his attention-regardless of the shuffling crowd in front of him. It would need to be dressed up.
Side stepping closer to the bar, having to push against a few irritated people in the process, Levi snagged a half empty glass of whiskey from the counter before dipping back into the crowd. He didn't bother to glance across to see if Tybur or Zeke were still there, hoping he was quick enough to not be noticed.
The crowd was thinning now as most were in their seats, closing Levi's window of opportunity fast. He managed to join the few stragglers and started to stumble slightly on his feet, swaying as if he was unbalanced as he drew closer to the burly man.
"H-hey," Levi slurred, listing to the right and into the solid shoulder drunkenly. A sneer curled the man's lip as he pushed Levi's body away with a warning gruff, making him trip before he managed to catch himself from falling over. "Sor-sorry, 'bout that. Where's the bathroom, mate?"
"You've had too much to drink. Give me that."
"Oh… sure." Levi handed the glass to the disgruntled man without a fuss. "Bathroom? I gotta take a piss."
"Up the stairs," he pointed with a glare.
Levi patted the man's shoulder as a thanks which he shrugged off with a warning to sober up or he'd be escorted out. When the shorter man continued up the stairs unevenly, he heard the security guard mumble to himself, "Fucking drunk."
As Levi reached the top of the floor and turned so he was out of sight, his stride smoothed out into his usual graceful walk and his posture straightened.
"Well?" Furlan pressed, tension tight in his voice. "Did he have it?"
With a smug smirk, he plucked out a keycard to hold up to the camera between his index and middle finger.
"Ha! You still got that feather-light touch."
"Seems like it. Good looking out." Maybe Levi wasn't too bad with this heist stuff, after all.
Dipping behind the door to the public bathroom, Levi waited for Furlan to give him the signal to continue with the plan. Neither of them knew what to expect from an exclusive auction like that or the processes of how a high-class function was managed. Their experience of larceny on the streets was significantly smaller in comparison to the event. Food, jewelry, clothes. The needs to live and the methods to make meager change. A far cry from famous paintings and military memorabilia.
Leaning against the wall of the bathroom gave Levi time to reflect on their arrangement so far and what was to come. With Furlan's device giving him access to the security system, he was able to evaluate the patterns and movement of the products and employees. There were 18 pieces of art going up for bidding. The shield was the second to last item of the night. Once the time drew closer, Levi would make his move and be directed by Furlan based on the pattern he distinguished from the previous objects. The two keycards in Levi's pocket gave them the options on which route was the best to complete it.
It felt amateurish, waiting in the bathroom as Furlan came up with a plan on the fly. There was a clumsiness to it that failed to spark confidence. But the alternative was not an option if he wanted to avoid eyes. Sitting amongst the crowd during the first half of the auction would have only drawn more attention to his departure and made it easier for someone to pick his face from the crowd if questioned. Not to mention, the staff doors were toward the back of the floor and any meandering during the event would have the eyes of security drilling into him the entire time.
Levi should have been the one slinking in the halls and finding a way to the stupid rock on his own. He felt useless, yet kept telling himself it didn't mean he was inadequate. The job was sprung on him at the last minute and was out of his realm of expertise. Sure, the strategy to steal it was not elaborate or fully fleshed out like the movies, but this was the real world and so far, they were managing. Even if a little out of sync.
Outside of the bathroom, he could hear the clapping of the crowd as another item was sold; shortly after, it was followed by low discussions of the patrons that carried in the empty space of the conservatory.
"Alright, Levi. The 14th piece should be coming out soon. I'm not sure how popular it will be, so try to get to the elevators we discussed earlier, quickly."
"Got it." Levi uncurled his arms from his chest and walked to the restroom door, waiting for the cue to leave.
As soon as the announcer introduced the next painting, Levi rushed out of the room and toward the second staff hallway he had previously entered from. The first keycard allowed him entry and he was back in the familiar corridor that led to the kitchen.
Noisy clangs of pans and people shouting different orders behind the line grew louder the closer he got. The catering staff were working swiftly to have the celebratory dinner ready for the guests once the auction finished. Stealthy as a shadow, he slipped across the double doors and proceeded down the walkway to the two sets of elevators.
The first was a freight lift with a metal grate as a door, most likely for large quantities of food and drink, as well as what the kitchen staff used. He supposed some of the plants in the garden hitched a ride on the lift to get up there, too, after seeing the size of the palm trees. The second was the normal passenger elevator that was exclusively for the other staff. The panel for that required his second keycard seeing as it allowed access to all the floors unlike the freight lift.
As the doors slid open and Levi glided in, he couldn't help but feel like everything was going rather smoothly so far. It made him anxious. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he attempted to focus on his next objectives for the swap as the doors slid closed, locking him in the metal container.
"Heads up. The elevator you're on has security at its door."
"How many?"
"Just one. He should be easy to catch off guard. He'll be on the right-hand side when you exit."
While the elevator dinged its way to the next floor, Levi angled himself to limit his blind spot as much as possible. As soon as it stuttered to a halt, the doors opened, announcing his unauthorized presence.
It must have startled the guy who was likely bored out of his mind because even though the security guard was armed, he fumbled to get his gun unholstered in time to do any good. Levi took a bold step out of the elevator and crowded the man's space, catching his elbow with one hand and holding it in place before he could retract the pistol.
Wide eyed, the man opened his mouth to yell but was silenced as Levi's right hook connected with his jaw.
Clean. Efficient. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.
That welcoming glow of pain across Levi's knuckles spread up his wrist from the impact of the punch. It settled his previous anxieties like ripples on a lake smoothing after a stone was thrown in.
Furlan let out a breath through the channel. "Damn. That was smooth."
"Not done yet."
Levi was filled to the brim with that grounding certainty. The type that came with repetition and muscle memory. Whether it was the adrenaline that started to pump through his veins, or his focus slipping into place like a puzzle piece, everything around him started to slow into pre-compartmentalized sections. Threat. Opening. Neutralize.
Hard sterling eyes evaluated the crumpled body at his feet, one hand still loosely wrapped around the gun. Dragging his gaze up, he scanned the empty hall.
"Need a place for the body," he muttered to himself.
"Huh? Wait- he isn't…is he?"
Furlan's voice was like a lifeline tugging him back to the surface before he found himself falling into that cold, detached routine. The lights suddenly seemed brighter in the quiet corridor as Furlan's trailing question started to click with his unspoken meaning.
Levi resisted rolling his eyes, as if he wasn't just about to mentally slip away from Furlan. "No, you dingo. He's just knocked out."
"Oh… right." He cleared his throat and Levi wondered if living life as a law-abiding citizen had softened his stomach to violence. It wasn't the first time he would have witnessed Levi killing someone, but it had been a while.
Not everyone is like you, Levi bitterly reminded, trying to shake the thought away. There was a reason he did the dirty work for Lovof and kept the others from it. The job didn't come without a price.
"Ok. Alright." Furlan said more firmly as if shaking the last of his concerns free. "There's a storage room two doors down from you that you can use."
Perfect. Levi was eager for a distraction from his grim thoughts.
Hooking his arms under the man's, he hauled the body backwards until reaching the room. Tossing the guard in so he was face down, Levi unclipped his paracord bracelet and unraveled it to use as a rope. With practiced hands he had the unconscious employee tied with wrists and ankles bent together behind his back, limiting any movement to nothing more than an awkward crawl across the floor. For good measure, Levi grabbed a cleaning rag from the shelf, wrinkled his nose in disgust, and felt a pang of guilt for shoving it in the man's mouth to keep him from screaming when he woke.
Who knew where that rag had been. Gross.
Levi entered the hallway once again and removed his dress coat, turning it inside out so the navy-blue material he sewed in matched that of the staff employees.
"Alright, Furlan. Do I need to take that guy's place or move on?"
"Stay where you are for a bit. The others are working on swapping items now."
At least they were finally falling into a rhythm. It started off rough, but when the teasing was set aside, it was like old times, before their involvement with Mitras. Levi couldn't help but feel a little proud at that, remembering when things were simpler in their little world, and they would pick put marks for each other to pick-pocket.
"You're clear," Furlan announced, unaware of Levi's nostalgic ponderings. "The way it works is there are two people conducting the hand off and it's done in rotations. One waits by the elevator and takes the item when it's returned from the bidding. Then they deliver it to the vault down the hall. When they reach it, the second guy leaves the vault and takes the next item to the elevator for the hand off and waits for the return."
Ah, so that was how they kept accountability of the objects.
"Which item is next?"
"The shield is already upstairs. The announcer is talking about its history before they start bidding. Now's your chance."
He didn't offer a response, deliberately turning down the hall that would lead to the corridor where the exchanges were taking place. Even if he felt unbalanced with the current assignment, he couldn't deny that he was anxious to start doing. Waiting for Furlan to distinguish the patterns and pick out marks was only fueling the anticipation of what came next.
"Hey… uh Levi…"
The hesitancy in his friend's tone caused his feet to lock in place before he could cross the corner to the corridor. More than anything, that uncertainty had Levi preparing for the delivery of bad news about the shield or possibly the number of people just around the wall. He felt like he was due for some bad luck right about now.
"What is it?" he whispered enough for the earpiece to catch.
There was a long stretch of silence that only triggered Levi's metaphorical hackles to rise. His mind was just starting to spiral with scenarios that someone had found Furlan in the car when the blond finally worked his voice to answer.
"Er, just… Just remember this isn't like your other jobs. Okay?"
Levi blinked, feeling the sting of the words as if each one were physical hits to his core. The plea nearly knocked the wind from him and suddenly he was that young teen again. The one who, under the scrutiny of the Russian Don, was ordered to pick up the knife while Furlan watched. The kid who did what he thought was best, even when his shame cowed him to avoid meeting Furlan's eyes for days after.
Just like that distant memory, his best friend was urging Levi—indirectly insisting him-to not kill anyone. For who's sake, he wasn't sure. Could have been for Furlan's peace of mind. Could have been for Levi to not dirty his hands further. Maybe even some form of pity for the innocent employees who were just here to make a living.
Whatever motivated Furlan's principles hit something within Levi that he did not like to think about. Something cynical that he kept buried for as long as possible, but always had a way of scratching to the surface on his bad days.
He deliberately breathed through his nose and let it out slowly, then raked a hand through his hair.
"Don't worry, Furlan. I'm in control."
And he was.
But at the same time, Furlan was right to be concerned. He knew himself enough to recognize that.
Since he was young, before he even met Furlan and Isabel, things had started to form inside him like mineral deposits. And they were sharp and jagged and drew blood as his uncle cultivated them through strict lessons.
For a moment there, outside of the elevator when he knocked out the employee, he'd felt his control slip as he fell into a comfortable sequence. In some ways he hated it. In others, he loved it.
Hated it because it was not who he was or who he had been—you cannot be who you once were—and it reminded him how much his path differed from that of his friends. How much he had changed. He hated it because for his whole life, he disliked men who reacted and respected men who thought things through.
He loved it because there were no thoughts of consequences. Things were much simpler from the view of instilling acts of aggression to reach the end goal. Things were easier to accept, to deal with. Violence begot violence. The compelling argument of 'kill or be killed', and 'do what was necessary to protect your friends' made all that belligerence justified.
And perhaps that made him a bit of a coward. To hide behind Lovof's cute phrases that were a balm to his wounded honor.
I'm in control.
And now was the time to prove it. Not just to Furlan, but to Levi himself. He would demonstrate his ability to complete the task and not severely harm anyone, to show he was more than an attack dog.
Reaching the end of his hall that connected to the other, Levi pressed himself against the side. The walkway that led to the elevator behind him was wider than the hall he was at. Likely for safety requirements seeing as in the opposite direction was the stairwell for an emergency exit.
Two staff members were nearby. One next to the elevator, the other out of sight in the vault toward the stairs.
"Where's the rock?"
"They're still bidding on it."
"Still?"
"Oooh yeah. You didn't tell me it's worth a fortune. Is it too late to just take it for ourselves and move to a different country? I'm sure we could go somewhere nice where that old fuck won't find us," he ended it with a laugh. Any previous hesitancy was seemingly at rest for the time being.
"Psh, I wish. Isabel would kill me if she was this close to graduating and we forced her to move."
"She could just finish college in some other country."
Levi could hear Furlan's innocent shrug and shook his head.
"She'd have no reason to if I wasn't working for Lovof any longer."
Furlan barked out a laugh as if he just caught on to a late joke. "No, you're right. She would kill you. Having nearly finished a degree she took for your sake just for it to be useless. Yup, homicide for sure. Do you want any specific words said at your funeral, mate?"
"You do realize these are all hypotheticals, right?" Levi reminded dryly, not entirely opposed to the small daydream of escaping London with his friends to greener pastures.
Retirement didn't sound so bad.
Furlan's eagerness for Levi's funeral, on the other hand…
"I'm just telling you, I wouldn't say a word if you decided to keep the shield."
"Wouldn't say a word? What are you talking about? You're just as guilty in stealing the rock as me-don't make it sound like you aren't a part of it."
"Don't tell me you'd snitch, man. I can't go to prison."
"Oh, if I'm going, so are you."
"Well, I'm not entirely sure how we went from moving to a vacation island to prison in these scenarios but I definitely prefer the—"
Ding.
The elevator chime startled both from their hushed debate.
"Shut-up." "It's here!"
"No shit! Shut-up."
Levi flattened his back against the wall as he listened, extending all his senses outward as he prepared to work. Just around the corner on his left, about 50 feet away, he could hear two men exchange some words during the hand off. The sound of air being squeezed through the seals of the elevator shutting and clipped footsteps had his muscles tensing with anticipation. He waited for the employee to pass his hall, preparing to catch the unsuspecting bastard in a headlock.
But just as the tall shoulders came into view, only mere feet beside him, he changed strategy when the man's attention jerked on him.
Dropping to the ground, Levi swept a leg out in an arch, catching the guy's shins that sent him falling forward with a sharp yelp. There was a loud clatter of a hard briefcase dropping and skidding against the wall, but it was forgotten by both men. Now, brought to a lower level, Levi threw himself across the man's exposed back and hooked his arm under his chin, locking it in place with his other, like a snake squeezing its next meal.
The poor young man, who looked closer to Isabel's age than his, flailed in his grasp. Trying to suck in air as his feet kicked out and hands clawed at his arms.
"Come on. Just go to sleep," Levi murmured flatly in his ear, holding steady.
A wheeze of a response tried to escape his lips, but it was nearly impossible with the expert hold on him. Mere seconds later, the employee went limp in his arms, suddenly getting heavy as his entire body became laxed.
Levi simply released him and went for the case against the wall.
"What? Not going to squirrel away your unconscious victim to your hidey hole like a prize?"
Levi tsked, kneeling in front of the silver container and snapping the clamps open. "Get bent."
He didn't want to admit it, but the comment gave him a strange mental image of a closet full of gagged staff members mumbling as he brought in another person for his collection. He couldn't decide if it was funny or disturbing, but knew that either way, Furlan just cursed him. There was no doubt that his brain would conjure that image from now on with his jobs. Like a proud ferret hiding their shiny objects under the couch.
"You're sure saying that a lot tonight. 'Get bent, Furlan.', 'Shut the fuck up, Furlan.' You should expand your vocabulary, mate."
"…I don't know why I'm friends with you."
"Because you love me."
"Furlan—"
"Let me guess. Shut up?"
Levi sighed, so very tempted to remove his earpiece if it wasn't for the fact of needing the extra set of eyes to get out of the building.
Opening the lid to the case, he was relieved to see that the shield was in one piece, having been packed in a custom foam insert to protect it. It was no larger than a volleyball and looked old as fuck. Some weathering along the insignias had softened the edges, making it round when it should have been sharp. There were some chips along the perimeter and a crack at the top from age, and not from being slid across the floor like a frisbee.
Satisfied, he shut the lid, locked the clamps in place and started for the other end of the hall. There was no more time for joking. The hard part of the evening was here, and they were both blind as to what to expect for protocol of a stolen piece.
"The guy in the vault will start to get suspicious when the shield isn't delivered."
"I got it." Levi started walking down the hall toward the stairwell at a quick pace.
Plan A was to act confident like he was a regular staff member who was meant to be there and hope the guise lasted long enough to get to the bottom floor. Plan B was to find any exit out of the building quickly with as few witnesses as possible. Subconsciously, his hand drifted to the carefully folded black pocket square in his front pocket, confirming it was still in place.
"See the door to the stairwell up ahead?" Furlan's voice piloted, "Halfway to it, there's a metal door with a keypad on your left. Behind that is the room for the vault."
Levi didn't say anything as he was nearly to the mentioned door. He picked up his pace to stride by it, keeping his steps light and soundless to not draw attention to anyone on the other side.
Just have to make it to the stairs…
Up ahead, a door to an unknown room opened as a man in a staff uniform stepped out. He turned to shut the door behind him, not taking note of Levi's presence heading his way. Tensing, Levi kept his face impassive, case hanging in his right hand as he stayed on his side of the corridor. In his peripheral, once the door was closed, the stranger stood to full, towering height and strode toward the opposite direction, back to the elevator that led to the auction.
Posture relaxed, head up, gaze ahead. The staff member mirrored his stance.
Lanky, blond, well-built. Hadn't Levi seen him before?
Something didn't seem right.
The man wore a similar navy-toned employee jacket, but what caught his attention was that he wasn't bringing another item to the event floor. Plus, he came from a different room than Furlan mentioned was the vault, so just who was he?
A couple scenarios quickly flittered across his mind, trying to find a reasonable explanation for the unexpected appearance instead of jumping to the natural conclusion of threat. To give the benefit of the doubt, even as they continued walking toward each other with the distance dwindling every step. Either Furlan miscounted how many employees were on the floor, or that room he left was actually a bathroom and the stranger was the vault coordinator who needed to take a leak. A couple of innocent circumstances to explain the guy's unpredicted presence, right? Made sense.
But as the space between them shrunk to a mere 10 feet, the man's gaze remained straight ahead, never taking notice of the briefcase in Levi's hands.
It was a calm indifference that was too forced. Too off to be considered normal behavior.
Alright, fine, Levi conceded reluctantly.
Did the guy think he was stupid enough to drop his guard by that little act? As if Levi would believe that the stranger hadn't noticed the unconscious body lying in the middle of the floor, 30 feet behind him.
So be it.
Just as the two of them stepped beside the other, time slowed down as Levi made every assessment he could in the moment.
The blond man towered over him in a way that introduced a hint of intimidation in Levi. The sheer difference in height concluded that the man had a natural strength behind that suit, if his broad shoulders were anything to go by, yet lean enough to warrant speed. He still had not looked at Levi. Still didn't seem concerned with the body or the case.
And did he just hear the guy sniff by his hair?
Now it was all too obvious by the lack of reaction as they passed each other that they were not on friendly terms, and the subtle assessment was mutual.
Levi instantly ducked to the ground and swept his leg out behind him, hoping for an easy takedown as he did previously. He barely managed to dip away from the thick arm that simultaneously swung for the back of his head, looking to knock him out just as his leg collided with the giant's ankle. The solid impact was enough to make the blond buckle slightly by the kick but not go down. He didn't waste time finding a solid fighting stance as he followed with another punch at Levi, quick to respond even when on the defensive.
The raven-haired man was on his feet and positioning the briefcase to block and absorb the blow before the fist had a chance to collide with his face. In his ear, he could hear Furlan cursing as the vicious match broke out.
"Shit-shit-oh shit!"
When the massive fist struck the case, Levi could feel the power jar up his arms, followed immediately by a left hook that came out of nowhere in his blind spot and slammed into his temple behind the case. The impact spun Levi around, losing his balance as his shoulder hit the wall. Gritting his teeth, he jerked his gaze to the blond and watched as he raised another fist to meet his face.
He struck out his leg into the giant's abdomen before he could swing. A grunt left him as he bent over to instinctively protect his injured stomach as the wind was knocked from him. Levi took a half step forward, fisted the guy's jacket on his shoulder to hold him in place, and brought his knee into his face.
The blond barked out a curse, but instead of stumbling backwards like Levi expected, he snarled through a bloody nose and lunged at him, lifting Levi off his feet and slamming him on his back across the ground.
The case went skidding away as Levi's head bounced on the floor causing a flash of white to blind his vision for a split second as he struggled through the daze. It was enough of an opening for the blond to readjust his position over Levi, straddling half his body to throw another punch at his face. Pain bloomed across his cheek rattling his brain back into place and recentering him in the fight. Gritting his blood coated teeth, Levi tilted his head in time to dodge the third punch and exchanged the gesture with an upward jab of his elbow. The sharp bone connected with the man's chin and his equilibrium wavered. Using his smaller size, Levi wiggled partially out from under the stunned man who pawed to hold him in place. The blond sent a fist into his ribs, but it had half the power while he recovered from nearly being knocked out.
A hiss escaped Levi but before he could retaliate, another startled yell shattered their focus.
"Security is needed! Floor 35! Hurry up!"
The blond and Levi whipped their heads around in the direction of the elevator to see the door to the vault room cracked open with a portly man peering out at them with wide eyes and radio to his lips. Upon their attention landing on him, he squealed out an embarrassing sound and slammed the door shut.
Levi and the blond's gaze met, and for a split second, they shared a look of alarm; as if the same thought of 'Well, shit that's not good' filled the space between them. The fragile moment was shattered at the same time as the blond tried to maneuver the smaller man into a sleeper hold while Levi hooked the heel of his shoes on the man's hips, then shoved back, breaking their positions, and putting space between them.
Levi scrambled to his feet and darted toward the case, leaning down in his sprint to pick it up on his way to the stairwell. Behind him, he could hear the blond let out a string of curses and update the status that security was called to whoever else was on his team.
"You gotta get out of there, man!"
I know!
Levi didn't bother responding, his focus was on slamming open the door of the emergency exit, pulling out his pocket square with one hand, and shaking it out. As he descended the first set of stairs, the pounding of heavy feet was loud in his ears as the blond pursued him into the stairway.
With awkward effort, he tucked the bulky case under his arm to use both hands to open the pocket square into a neck gaiter, tugging it over his head so it was around his throat, then yanking the top half to cover the lower part of his face. If he was going to encounter security, he was going to make sure they didn't see his identity. It was already too late to hide from the brute closing in on him.
Just who was that guy? And who was he working for? Levi hadn't accounted for the possibility of another group trying to steal the stupid rock! Whoever the blond was, it was obvious now that he was a trained fighter and his size made him an issue.
Shifting the case back into his left hand, Levi risked a glance over his shoulder as his feet connected with the next landing. The man's eyes were locked on him in a glare, not slowing down as he chased after him. Levi's stare darkened in return, annoyed with the threat, but didn't get to do anything as the door in front of him suddenly opened and two men with guns interrupted his escape.
Instinct took over Levi and he slid to a stop, leaned back as one of the handguns swung in his direction and he sent his fist right in the guy's nose. The first bald security guard's head snapped back just as Levi used the briefcase to pin the arm holding the gun against the wall. The second guard tried to step away from Levi to level his gun at him, but hadn't accounted for the raven-haired man to kick him squarely in the chest, sending him tumbling backwards down the flight of stairs. Returning his attention to baldy, Levi swung his fist in his face once, twice, and one more time before he fell unconscious.
The scuffle with the guards was enough for the blond to reach him and his giant arm lunged out to grab him by his jacket collar when he tried to dance out of reach.
Scruffed and not able to get away, Levi rotated his arm out in an arch, trying to catch the blond's face with the container but realized that was a mistake as a hand enveloped his wrist. The stranger twisted his arm as much as the angle allowed, sending a pop and strain of the cartilage in his wrist to shoot sharp pain up his limb. Levi gritted his teeth behind his mask, feeling his grip on the case loosen despite trying to keep a firm grasp. The man's other arm on his jacket was fully extended out with elbow locked, forcing Levi to remain partially turned away so his free hand couldn't reach him to retaliate.
Fuck the tall bastard and his long limbs.
He sent his leg out instead, catching the man's thick thigh before the case could slip from his hold.
"Little shit!" the man grunted as his grip slackened just enough for Levi to jerk free.
For good measure, Levi tried to throw in a punch to the man's chin—if only to test his luck on knocking out his biggest threat, but the blond brought an arm up to block it. Biting back a curse, he darted down the stairs, opting for his first plan of just getting away.
The hope to use his speed to put distance between them was cut short when the next level down, another door opened, and two more guards filed into the stairwell.
With nowhere to go without conflict, Levi took his chances with the two men with guns than the combat-adept tree behind him. Favoring offensive rather than defense, he swept himself onto the top of the railing and launched across the intimidating drop to the bottom floor. The flight was short as he landed on the opposite side of the stairs, shocking the two guards. He didn't bother looking at the reaction of the blond, instead focusing entirely on neutralizing the two threats in front of him. Despite both men not expecting Levi to come flying at them, the second man recovered quickly and as his gun arm was knocked away, he was able to regain control and grab Levi from behind as he fought off the first man.
The arm attempted a sloppy hold around Levi's neck, nearly tugging the mask off, but Levi used one hand to squeeze into the crook of the guy's elbow to prevent it from restricting his airway. He sent a kick to the first guard who tried to take advantage of Levi's predicament, but as he stumbled back in the wall, he recovered and charged forward again. This time, his face was met with the silver case in a loud crack, and his body dropped to the ground.
As for the man holding Levi from behind, the movement had shifted him enough for Levi to jab his elbow into his forehead with enough force that the man smacked into the glass of a fire extinguisher box, shattering it, and crumpling to the floor.
Once again, the interruption with the guards allowed enough time for the blond to close the distance.
Sneering as an idea came into his head, Levi brought the handle of the case to his mouth, trying to avoid his tongue touching it. Who knew how many people touched the case and how filthy their hands were. It wasn't like Levi had the luxury to think about it though. He needed to get out of the building as fast as possible and going level-by-level would take too long. Half the precinct could be waiting in the lobby by the time he made it to the street level.
Perching precariously on top of the rails, Levi glanced back once more as the blond lunged forward to grab him, then he launched across the concrete chasm.
"Fucking-stop!" the man shouted, frustrated and likely thinking Levi was a little insane to be jumping across the staircase at that height. It only took one mistake for it to be fatal.
Of course, Levi was not a stranger to using his surroundings to his advantage as he landed on the floor below on the opposite side. After leaping down another level he paused to readjust so he could gauge if the current method was still worth it. Instead of crawling over the railing to the stairs, he carefully shifted around until his arms were holding him in place from behind and he looked up to the attacker with the briefcase between his teeth.
Glaring at the challenge, the blond stepped over the railing with his stupid long legs and faced the wall. Then with the slightest bit of trepidation, he released his hold, falling straight down until he landed, half on the railings on the floor just above Levi.
The man's bulky weight and lankiness worked against him in trying to get his footing and have some sort of grace as he leapt down the levels. Not that Levi had the time or indulgence to criticize.
The guy had balls; he'd give him that.
Growing even more annoyed, Levi continued leaping across the stairwell, trying to keep the anxiety of being rushed from leaking into his movements. He could not afford to panic and hurry any freestyle running or it would end badly, and it'd be a shame to end up with a broken skull after all that trouble. The invisible pressure bearing down on him with the blond man jumping down in his own method was constant in the back of his mind. He could hear his breathing, cursing, and thumps following as he released his hold on one level and landed on the next above Levi with a stubbornness that made him a nuisance.
After eight more stories of descending, while Levi was focused on his jumps and the blond was getting into a smoother rhythm, a door opened on the floor that Levi had just landed on.
Four guards poured into the stairway with guns drawn and sweeping across the area. Automatically, Levi leapt over the iron handrails, kicking one guy in the face. Another unfortunate man received a fist in the throat and the third was flipped over the assassin's back and tossed down the stairs. The fourth stumbled back to recover from the speed of his coworkers being temporarily subdued but Levi didn't waste time attacking him as the recognized thud resounded behind him.
Shoving past the guard through the doorway, he heard the blond follow over the rails just as some of the security staff came to their senses. With a little luck, they would keep his pursuer occupied long enough for his escape.
Unlike the floor that had the vault, the new area was dark with all the lights turned off and sparsely used with open cubicles. The only light that came in was from the panoramic windows that gave a full view of the city, just enough to illuminate the furnishings around him.
"You're not too far from the other building now. Nearly to the ground level," Furlan reported tightly as if air was locked in his chest, and he was afraid to breathe.
As if to confirm, Levi scanned the windows in the direction he knew the closest building was, catching a promising glimpse of the steel and iron of a crane not too far outside. Turning in mid-sprint, he darted toward the window to see that the crane was not as far as he expected it to be from the Sky Graden. Close enough, he may just be able to use it as a bridge to escape.
Looking around, he decided on a metal legged chair to use against the glass. After swinging it repeatedly with it only bouncing off, he gave up on that pursuit and started to search through the desks for something better suited to break the heat-strengthened windowpane. After tearing through the second desk, Levi managed to scavenge a steel screwdriver. There wasn't much confidence it would do him any good, but he was low on options.
Just as he returned to the window and prepared to break the glass, the sound of shouted orders behind him halted his movement.
"Freeze, you son of a bitch! Drop the case!"
Sterling eyes glanced at the dull reflection in the glass panel, and he could barely make out a dark figure behind him.
"Drop it or I'll shoot!"
Frowning at his luck, he lifted his hands up to placate the guard; screwdriver in one hand, the briefcase in the other. He wasn't keen on the idea of giving up, let alone being arrested.
That just wouldn't do for someone associated with Mitras.
"Empty your hands! Both of them."
Levi scoffed but didn't bother to speak.
"I won't tell you again—drop them!"
Not bothering to entertain his demands any longer, Levi lurched to the side just as the guard fired off two rounds in quick succession as he hid behind a desk for cover. Levi wasn't sure where the rounds went, but he watched a section of the cubical on his left explode in fragments and knew the bullets were meant for him.
He was just about to make a run back toward the stairs when he looked up and noticed a hole in the glass he was trying to break.
Talk about luck.
Dropping the screwdriver in exchange for the metal trash bin by his knee, he used the reflection off the glass window to see movement behind him. Once sure he had an idea of the guard's location while he crept closer, Levi pitched the bin behind him. Hard.
There was a loud smack and a stray gunshot into the ceiling tile that told him it was a solid hit. Using the distraction, he grabbed the back of the metal chair and hauled it at the glass with as much force as he could muster. The window shattered, piercing the air and a cool gust of wind rushed to fill the floor with the musky scent of the River Thames.
"Stop where you are!" the guard struggled as his hand covered his mouth with blood gushing. Levi spun and tossed the chair at the guard before he could think to shoot him. The man was knocked over with a 'oomph' but still conscious, still a threat.
Instead of dealing with him, Levi gauged the distance to the crane and took some steps back.
"Hey—you piece of shit—stop," the familiar voice of the blond shouted behind him as he joined the scene.
Tsk, still won't give up, Levi internally grumbled.
Another voice joined the dark floor behind the blond man, "shoot them!"
Levi was cornered with the silver case in hand as he stared out the window 15 feet in front of him. In that dark office level, there was the blond opponent who was looking to steal the case, the two guards (one recovering, the other joining and likely eager to wrap Levi around a bullet), and a way out that could just lead to him kissing concrete if he didn't make it.
All options were closing in on him. The luxury of planning was gone.
It was do-or-die time.
Levi bolted for the window, crossing the last few feet of the Sky Garden in an instant and leapt out into the open city toward the crane. More gunshots came from behind him, another window being blown out. But he was focused on the metal of the crane rushing toward him. The distance closing, the realization that it would hurt, and the strange, adrenaline-fueled thought of 'maybe I messed up and should've put the case in my mouth to free my hand'. But none of it mattered as his feet connected on the grated platform hard enough to make him lose his footing and stumble forward on his knees, tearing the fabric of his trousers and the skin of his hands.
Panting, he tried to evaluate his new surroundings as his mind rejoiced in not becoming a stain on the sidewalk. He was not far from the roof of the second building now and could see the HVAC system just below. The freedom of the streets was so close, and Furlan's car was just on the other side.
Sprinting down the neck of the crane with the case in hand, he found the first appropriate rungs that he could use to scale onto the roof below. He kept thrusting his feet down to catch on to the metal bars, using his arms as support while the dirty case clenched between his teeth once more.
A banging noise.
Metal on metal vibrations.
Someone was on the crane with him.
Levi's narrowed eyes darted up to see who was ballsy enough to pursue him only to land on the pissed gaze of the blond.
Fucking hell-I should've known.
Scaling the last of the way down until he was to the solid roof, he set his feet into a sprint once more, ignoring the ache in his palms and the blister that had formed and burst on the back of his heel from his dress shoes.
He knew the blond would be in hot pursuit and didn't want to find out how much ground his longer strides could cover on a flat surface. While Levi was fast, he still had physiological disadvantages.
Reaching the end of one level of roof, he grabbed the concrete lip and vaulted over the edge. He hit the ground of the next level and rolled twice, then scrambled to his feet with the case and continued to the next section of the building.
But as Levi reached the edge, the reality of his situation made itself known.
There were no more levels to jump down.
Breathing heavily, he scanned the entire perimeter of the roof, but didn't see anything that looked remotely like a ladder or another section to jump down to. Not even a drainpipe that he could scramble down. How high was he? Three stories? Five? If he busted an ankle, he'd be screwed. If he lost control in midair, he may not wake up.
"Don't even think about it!" the man shouted as he sprinted across the roof at him, just as breathless from the chase.
Levi's options were dwindling quickly. It was either jump, or get waxed by the enterprising individual who was determined to be a thorn in Levi's side. He couldn't last on the roof forever.
He tore his gaze away from the blond and back to the edge of the roof to look down once more. It looked like ten stories more than it did three.
Luckily for him, he was facing the backside of the building and there was a dumpster with the plastic lid maybe five or ten feet off the side of the wall. It would cut down the distance of his fall and lessen the chance of injury.
"Don't be stupid! Just stop!"
Levi backed up a few paces to get himself a running start, then flung himself over the edge, knowing it was going to hurt like a bitch.
He thought the drop was going to take much longer but the top of the dumpster rushed at him with surprising speed, and he didn't have enough time to set himself up for a good landing. He hit the top of it with an explosive noise and immediately pitched forward. No control in his fall, he tumbled off the side and hit the ground in a roll, tearing his suit as the case slammed against the asphalt.
The air left his lungs and refused to go back in, his shocked diaphragm locked in position.
Fuck this job.
Levi hobbled to his feet, his vision swirled just slightly and then found its way in the correct spot, becoming solid reality again. Glancing up, he saw the blond peering down at him from the ledge of the roof. Just glowering and not looking for a way down.
Finally found something you won't do, Levi thought triumphantly and wanted to smirk, but the pain only made it a wince.
He shuffled to the fallen briefcase, wanting to chuck the damn thing in the river after his night. The material around his face had fallen but he couldn't bring himself to care. It wasn't like it made a difference. The blond already saw him.
With a last look over his shoulder at the bloody face glaring fire and brimstone at him from the roof, Levi took off down the alley, disappearing in the night with his prize in hand.
As he turned down the block, Levi tried to collect his breath, but his diaphragm was still stiff, and it took considerable effort to inflate his lungs. Slowing down to look as inconspicuous as possible, he crosses the street, where the recognized blue sedan was parked just out of the reach of a streetlight. Clambering into the passenger seat, he set the case on the floorboard and leaned back into the fabric cushion and shut his eyes. He was allotted a few seconds to concentrate on breathing before Furlan broke the tension that lined the tight space.
"You good?" he questioned awkwardly as his gaze raked over Levi's dirty and torn attire.
He probably looked terrible while sporting a bloody lip and gash over his eyebrow that had a steady stream of blood trickling down the corner of his right eye. He wouldn't be surprised if he had some bruising settled in by the morning.
Eyes cracking open, he stared at his palms that felt raw from gripping and catching on all the steel railings and crane rungs. He was sure he tore the skin of his knees on the metal grates, too.
"Yeah, let's get out of here."
"Smart. They've contacted law enforcement during your fight in the stairwell," Furlan reported as he turned on the ignition and the car started up. His demeanor seemed drained as any prior teasing was gone. Levi could reciprocate the feeling, though his was more physical than psychological. "I suspect they'll be here any minute looking for the culprits. I.e, you."
"Already? Was there security in the camera room?"
"It's possible. That or the guy in the vault room called the yard after alerting the building security."
"Fuck. How clear is the video footage?" Levi could just see the shit storm brewing if his face was visible in the hallway with the scuffle.
If authorities were able to mark him, his future jobs would be that much harder, not to mention more eyes looking for him in his free time. The positive of being born in poverty and not having any real identification was that law enforcement wouldn't be able to put a name to his face, but just having his picture alone would be an entire headache, even with false identification.
Lovof would never let him hear the end of it.
"Don't worry about it," Furlan muttered, his previous excitement dulled down, white-washed with the severity of the situation they were in the tail-end of. As he pulled away from the curb, Levi noticed the laptop sitting quietly in the back seat, half opened with a soft glow. "I've already sent a bug through their program to fuck with their security system. Once they hit the playback button, it'll activated and dismantle the recorded evidence into a static mess."
"No shit?" Levi asked, blinking as astonishment released his pinched brows. "That's diabolical. Maybe I should bring you out with me more often."
Furlan let out a laugh in a huff of air, but the humor was strained. Especially, behind his obvious urgency as a flashing police car passed them on the street, heading in the opposite direction.
"I don't know. That was… well, fun at first but became stressful very quickly. Not sure my anxiety can do this on the regular."
Levi leaned back into the seat, closing his eyes again as he dipped into the sweet relief of knowing the job was a success.
"You get used to it after a while."
Furlan didn't answer for a long time, turning down a different road to avoid the A10 and main streets. Another police vehicle passed, the red and blue lights illuminating the inside of the sedan briefly before drenching it in darkness.
Glancing in the corner of his eye at Levi's passive figure, with his eyes closed and face scarred and bloody, he murmured, "Maybe I don't want to get used to it."
Notes:
More little insights of Levi's poor mental health dealing with his job. And more players entering Erwin's board now. Wonder how that will pan out for the Scouts.
I have it estimated to be about 30 chapters long, with it broken into 3 Acts. So... yes, this is no short plot and brevity has never been something I've practiced in my story writing. Hopefully that doesn't turn too many people away because I am excited to share the story with anyone interested in the trope.
Anyway, thank you for the support! I love hearing thoughts on the story and its direction.
