Broken Warrior

In the Wind

Eirene

I had to leave.

At first I had thought that my ceaseless desire for more from Eliza had everything to do with the fact that I had gone centuries without pursuing pleasure. It had been like a dam breaking open and flooding me with feelings I had never thought I would feel again.

But my hunger only got worse, the more I tried to satiate it. It wasn't blood that would turn me ravenous if I overindulged, but affection. When I realized that it wasn't merely the climax that I craved from her, that it was her touch, her presence, I fled.

I don't think I had so fully forgotten my anger and need for vengeance before in my long undead life. I had luxuriated in the feeling that didn't involve that burning darkness inside of me without realizing it. Something shifted in my mind and soul and my breath would have hitched if I still breathed.

Every step I took away from the room was a battle not to turn around and I was so concerned with the fight against myself that it took me over an hour of hunting my next target to realize that I had left Eliza alone in my room.

Cadman was beside himself with panic, fury, and terror.

He had a whole team of security around him but they were not as well trained as Carbry's people and I had no trouble getting close to where he was pacing in the living room of his sprawling mansion, ranting.

Cadman was afraid of whatever had killed the Russian, half mad with concern over the fact that the Head Order seemed to believe that it hadn't been Knight Corp's doing. It seemed that the Head Order had been those ordering Carbry's people back and had been in the process of reaffirming his lack of interference with Yuri's plans when I had attacked.

Interesting.

But Cadman was angry because the two of them had planned to attack Carbry where he was at his weakest. I listened, both to figure out where the weak links in Knight Corp's armour was as well as trying to figure out why this man hated Alesky so vehemently.

The way to hurt my obsession was not one I had expected.

"Look, we know that Alesky's mate does her own thing, wandering around the country with that other human." Cadman growled, looking to one of the unfortunate souls that got the brunt of his fury in the room.

A small part of my mind tried to seize on that fact, tried to tell me that I could hit Alesky hard and decisively. That it was a small price for him to pay in comparison for all that he had taken from me.

Two humans wouldn't see me coming.

But no.

I may have done horrible things to the evil in this world, I was not a monster. Unless those two humans were depraved murderers set free to prey on their own kind by Alesky, I would not target them. That was not how I worked.

"Yeah, the guy is a mate of one of his employees, apparently. They're probably locked down in Knight Corp, sir." The woman talking to him sounded tense, braced for some sort of backlash at the news.

"Our last intelligence had them out of town." Cadman growled. "We know Carbry probably wouldn't have wanted his mate anywhere around Yuri."

"Yeah, they drive a pretty distinctive vehicle. Electric pick up that hasn't made the general market yet." Another voice offered thoughtfully, though I couldn't see them from where I was. "Rivian, or something."

I shifted to the side, slipping a listening device into the window before retreating the way I came. I had left Eliza alone for too long and I would need my gear if I was going to take on this entire group.

As I was leaving, I heard Cadman growl. "Keep an eye out for the vehicle, if we spot it, I want a team to intercept it within thirty minutes. If it's here, I'm going to handle it myself."

The closer I got to the hotel, the more I felt the pull to return, barely fighting the urge to grin even if I would have to find an excuse both for my long absence as well as my need for time away. I couldn't figure out how I would send her away without arousing offence or suspicion. I forced myself to approach the building like I usually did, despite my desire to waltz right in and see Eliza again.

I observed it for a while, looking for anything out of place and seeing no trace of any threats, slipped in through a back entrance and stalked up the stairs, listening. For supernatural footsteps, breathing in the scent of the air, looking for anyone that would be carrying weapons . A few humans and their security details near the top floors but nothing that I hadn't noticed before.

Still, I approached my room cautiously, listening for the sound of anything. I didn't even hear Eliza within and by the time I slipped into the room, I realized she had left.

Her clothing was gone and a quick check of the bathroom told me she hadn't used the bath like I'd suggested. I paused for a moment, taking in the room in confusion, as not even a note was left and I wondered if I had offended her, or perhaps all she had intended was for this one encounter. Had she lost patience in waiting for me? I had left rather abruptly and remained gone for longer than was normal.

Or, her job beckoned and she hadn't had time to waste.

Then I saw the door to the closet partially open, and approaching it, I detected her faint scent within.

My heart stopped.

She had gone into my closet. I didn't hesitate then, pulling on my armour and donning my equipment at breakneck speed. I spared the moment to sanitize the room as best I could before leaving. I had no doubt that if she had found my things, Knight Corp would be soon behind and possibly on my tail.

Knowing that they would most likely profile me based on whatever she told them and the places I had been seen, I slipped out of that part of town and after circling several times through different neighbourhoods without picking up any hint of a tail, I found the least reputable hotel I could and settled in there.

I wondered at the slight discontent I felt at the thought of her so easily betraying me, though logically I knew that whatever our interaction had been, she would see herself more as the hurt party. Though I had never claimed to be anything but, I had allowed her, guided her, to believe that I was something the exact opposite of who I was. Eliza seemed to be quite indoctrinated into whatever nonsense Carbry fed to his people by way of Knight Corp. I knew that she would see me as nothing more than the enemy, our brief tryst, whatever it was, was over.

I didn't unpack my bags in the room, which smelled worse than it looked. The bed was old and the sheets didn't appear to have been cleaned recently. The paint had been a white or soft yellow at one point but was now a greyish colour due to the filth that was caked upon them, from years of smoke and dust build up. There was a shower, but it did not run well and I had a suspicion that if I needed to rely on the lock on the door, it would fail me.

It would do for a place to take a moment and ensure I was not being followed, a place to launch my next job from and I resigned myself to the thought that I may have to leave New Orleans afterwards. If the heightened security posture from Yuri's death told me anything, it was that they would be even more cautious once Cadman had died.

I would need to let things cool down before I tried to crack the safe that was Knight Corp.