Nightswan

NaNo - Day 5

- Alessio -

The weather was appropriate for this sort of affair—rainy, with the streetlights reflecting off the puddles on the roads. Alessio was somewhat surprised he hadn't passed any hydroplaned vehicles, but few people wanted to be out in these disgusting conditions, besides maybe tourists in Times Square. Nothing deterred them from walking around and taking their pictures, for which Alessio couldn't blame them. New York City was an exciting place, especially if it was brand new. He, on the other hand, had lived here since he left the Army, so it had long ago lost its allure. The tourists were more nuisances than anything else; however, he had bigger things to concern himself with than the state of the city's tourism industry.

Right now, he needed to restrain his temper before he punched something. He'd arrived at the Flight's headquarters in Chinatown after leaving Vasilisa at their apartment, even though he hadn't truly wanted to leave her, especially not after the phone call she'd overheard. He hadn't had a choice, though. He sent one of his men—Canary—to the pre-arranged meeting location with Total Eclipse, but no one had been there. It had taken what felt like years to set up the meeting, and then the organization failed to show up. No notice, either. Alessio's man was left standing out in the open, a mistake Alessio wouldn't make again.

This time, it'd be a phone call between himself and Alpha, who ran Total Eclipse just as Alessio did for the Flight. In Alessio's memory, a phone call such as this between two crime syndicates had never occurred, which made him hesitant to agree to it in the first place. He, however, wasn't going to put another of his men in danger of being discovered by the authorities. The Flight had a flawless record of zero arrests since Alessio had taken control, and that number wasn't going to change now.

He so rarely came to this nondescript, dilapidated old building that he almost missed it on his first-run surveillance detection route. He turned three more blocks before heading back, confident he wasn't being followed. The door opened before he even reached it; his men knew his appearance, even if they didn't know his name. The Flight was too compartmentalized and too security-conscious for that type of knowledge to be widely shared. They knew him as "Swan"—and sometimes "Nightswan"—and that was enough.

He sat down in a folding chair in the corner of the room with an encrypted phone in his hand. It had cost the Flight a large lump of cash to install it, especially since it had to be done on the black market, but it was all worth it in the end. Alessio wouldn't have these types of sensitive conversations any other way. It was also useful because the line allowed for voice modification, eliminating any possibility he'd be recognized. In theory, anyway. He'd learned a long time ago that life often operated by its own rules.

"Nightswan," he said flatly when the line connected.

"Alpha here." The man's voice was distorted; he was using a modifier, too. Good.

"You left my man alone. I thought we had an agreement."

"You had an agreement with my men, not with me," Alpha shot back.

"I would've expected an organization like TE to be better organized," Alessio said coolly. "Now, what is it you wish to discuss?"

The other man didn't answer, which prompted Alessio to grind his teeth together in silent irritation. 

Even with a secure line, Alessio hesitated to speak indiscreetly. "I have been informed you wish to use our shipping routes to transport your cargo around the United States."

"Precisely. I had a partnership with your predecessor—a very profitable one on both our parts—and I'd like to continue it with you." His voice was smooth and relaxed; Alpha was probably trying to placate him, but Alessio was having none of it.