Storms and craters

Chapter 9

Sold.

And what's now?

Vegas makes an effort to concentrate. He listens.

Ahem…

"I hope the failure with the purchase didn't upset you too much?"

"I must admit, I really liked this instrument."

"Gŭqín is a very ancient thing, with a rich history."

"That's right. And its shape — rounded at the top and flat at the bottom — symbolizes the "circle" of the Sky and the "square" of the Earth. That is, the gŭqín instrument itself is the whole world, everything that exists between heaven and earth."

"That's right. I am thoroughly surprised by such deep knowledge of Chinese musical instruments."

I'm surprised too. Splinter. I hope you'll tell me where you got it from. But first you'll get paid in full for your improvisation.

Vegas shrugs his shoulders: okay, let's say it's not so dreadful. In any case, the client shows signs of interest in this candy with an unpredictable filling.

Everything is progressing. Kinn winks at him: good. Vegas looks at Thawan. He's darker than a thundercloud, but Vegas doesn't care much about that.

Stop.

Vegas clicks on the earpiece. He turns the gaze to Kinn, but he gawks and spreads his arms. So, they exhaled way too much early: they've lost connection with Pete. Vegas nods to Tawan, but he frowns and shows the same.

Vegas is really trying to keep his mind cool. But what could have happened?

"Pete?.. Pete? Pete!."

He signals to his subordinates: get away. All three leave their posts under different pretexts and at different times.

"Pete! Pete… Why don't you answer me?.. Why are you silent when I call you? Just like him..."

An eerie hum behind the frontal bone. Vegas squints hard, and when he opens his eyes, it's like he's in that very place. And now instead of "Pete" in his head there sounds "Build, Build, where are you?.. Why are you scaring me like that?.. Build, come out! I don't want to play hide and seek anymore..."

Vegas checks the parking lot. The car with the necessary numbers is in its place. As well as the client's personal security at the entrance. So they're still in the building.

Vegas quickly dials Kinn: "stay outside." Then he returns to the building. Guests begin to leave the hall. Pete is not visible among the exiting. For every turn of the head, there is a heavy heartbeat. Vegas moves into the hall, trying not to attract attention to himself with fuss, strides out to the stairs, but calmly scans the situation with his eyes, and then his heart sinks in his chest, as he feels someone else's palm slamming down on him.

"Has a handsome boy lost someone?" it sounds like a mocking whisper.

Vegas, who has managed to put his fingers on the holster, takes a breath, but anger wins. Turning abruptly, he grabs Splinter by the wrists and pushes towards the toilet. Once inside, he rips off the equipment from both of them and presses Pete to the counter near the washbasins. And then just spits out every word:

"I'll put you, such a trash, in the dirtiest isolation ward for the rest of your days!"

"For what?!" Pete shouts, trying to escape but Vegas barely lets him breathe."

"Are you still asking? What were you supposed to do according to the plan? What the fuck are you doing at the auction?!"

"You said that men are hunters by nature. But apart from that, they are also rivals. If there are other applicants for the prey, its value increases significantly."

Vegas shakes his head like a madman. His eyes are bloodshot. He spits out through his teeth again:

"What the hell were you doing?! What kind of hide-and-seek game is this?! For the failure of the operation, you will spend the day and night on the bare concrete floor!"

"For the failure ?! For which one exactly?" Pete nods down, "in the inside pocket!"

"What?"

"Take it and you'll see!"

Without loosening his grip, Vegas reaches into his jacket and pulls out a business card.

"Have you seen it? He also said that he would like to meet me again. The old dude likes to talk about music. Got it?"

"Have you... with him…"

"No. He didn't even touch me. I didn't tell him my name either. According to the plan. So? Are you still going to put me in isolation? Or was the result more important than your plan?"

Vegas removes his hands from Splinter, but his body still presses him to the counter.

"Will you let me go?"

"When... when I call you... you should answer... you always should answer…"

Again the buzzing in the forehead and temples. All emotions are at the limit. The anger that filled his eyes begins to make its way, flowing down his cheeks with tears that sting the skin. Just as abruptly as he grabbed Pete, Vegas lets him go, and leaning back against the wall, slides down it to the cold tile floor.

"Hey... what are you doing... huh?"

Never. Never before has he allowed himself to show weakness in front of the others. And here the grief that have been accumulating for so many years in his chest, compressed by cold hopelessness and tightly hidden from everyone by the rainy shroud of that fateful day, began to break through his eyelids inflamed with fatigue.

He hears that Pete is still nearby, calling him, dumbfounded by such Vegas. But the latter cannot control himself. The tears flow and flow, turning into silent sobs.

"Shit..." through the salty veil, he does not see, but hears Pete sink to the floor next to him, "and you convinced me that you are not a psycho... a real psycho!.."

Vegas doesn't even realize how he starts repeating one and the same thing again:

"When... when I call you... you should answer... you always should answer... you can't hide for so long... you can't."

Puffing is heard, and then Vegas's shoulder, not at all hard, on the contrary, warmly and in a friendly way, touches Pete's palm:

"Oh, stop it. And as always, you didn't figure it out and got mad at me. What could I do if this thing from my ear landed right in a glass of champagne? I immediately turned off the microphone. How do I know how everything is arranged there, and what if it shouted over the hall? Yes, I remember that according to the instructions I was not allowed to drink, but I had to ... uh... the earphone at least... uh... will it come out, I hope?"

Vegas looks up at him with his cracked eyes. The reality of what is happening is gradually beginning to reach him. He nods automatically. However, not very confident.

"If not, and I'll die because of this thing…"

Pete doesn't have time to finish. Dazed by his words, Vegas scoops him into a completely bear hug, shaking all over, trying either to warm up about this young twirly body, or to ground his experiences in it.

"What's wrong again?"

Pete puffs out his cheeks and eventually hugs his completely broken mentor:

"Well, that's enough, eh? Nothing bad happened. That's it. He's hooked. He won't come off. Today everything worked out... and... and I won't joke like that anymore. I promise."

Vegas can't calm down. No matter how hard he tries. And after a while, he begins to hear a familiar melody and smoothly flowing words. He is stroked on the head a little carelessly, but affectionately, as Pete's knows how. And from his salty lips there comes quiet:

"Don't hide from me anymore... Build."
    
Buried in the fragile shoulder, Vegas does not notice how Pete's eyelids narrow at his last word and a zigzag crease cuts the bridge of his nose. Shaking his head, Splinter bites his lower lip and hugs the little adult tighter