Shadows May Fall

by Corcoran, Mell

  “Master Niko! So good of you to visit us again!” The ageless Dutchman greeted him as he opened the car door. “I see we only have the pleasure of your company for a day or two.”

  “Good to see you, Bram. Unfortunately, this is a quick business trip.” Niko exited the back of the town car and stretched his legs. It seemed like he had been sitting forever. “How’s the family?”

  “Everyone is excellent, thank you for asking!” He tipped his hat in gratitude. “I’ll have your things pressed and ready in your suite by the time you come back from your run.”

  “Thank you, Bram.” Niko grabbed the small duffel while the porter took his other bag. He wasn’t normally a creature of habit, but he loved that Bram knew his routine here. It made it feel even more like a home. “Is Thomas at the desk this evening?” He asked as they made their way to the gilded revolving door.

  “Yes, sir.” Bram confirmed. “He came in about an hour ago to see that the preparations for your arrival were according to standards.”

  “They always are.” Niko smiled and shook Bram’s hand, slipping him a five-hundred Euro bill in the process. That was about a third what the porter made in a whole month.

  “Master Niko...” Bram tried to refuse.

  “Don’t insult me!” Niko winked at him and headed to the front desk.

  Niko strode through the lobby of the grand hotel as if he belonged there, which in many ways he did. His regal demeanor and dangerous swagger turned heads wherever he went. It didn’t hurt that he looked like he fell from the pages of a magazine with his dark brown hair raked back in a casual but polished style. He wore the bespoke Zenga suit like most men wore t-shirts and jeans, complete with his five o’clock shadow. Women couldn’t help but stare; it was a primal thing.

  “Master Niko!” Thomas clasped Niko’s hand with both of his, in a genuinely enthusiastic greeting. “Welcome back, sir. We are so honored you could carve out some time to stay with us again.”

  “Hello, Thomas.” Niko smiled warmly. “How are things?”

  “Fantastic, my lord. Just fantastic!” Thomas snapped his fingers and a young man scurried up to them. “This is Laars. He is my most capable apprentice and will be at your service around the clock while you are with us.”

  “It is an honor.” The young man bowed crisply at the waist.

  “Good to meet you, Laars.” Niko extended his hand and the young man wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to accept or not. With a nod from Thomas, Laars shook Niko’s hand energetically and with a huge smile. So vigorously that Thomas snapped his fingers and gave him a curt shake of the head. It was bad form for the lower staff to make physical contact with the guests. Peasants never touched nobility, after all. While all the Aegis, and especially Max, were considered royalty among the oldest and elite facilities in the world, Niko was a real man of the people and thus didn’t like it when he was held to snobbish standards.

  Thomas handed Niko his key. “You will find Yanik when you exit the elevator, and the fourth floor has been prepared just as you like it. Laars will show you to your locker where I have placed your preferred running attire. Just leave your suit and we will have it laundered.” The man walked alongside Niko as he headed towards the health club facilities, Laars two steps behind them. “Eva will be ready for you upon your return from your run, and Mr. Jansen confirmed he will be joining you at eight this evening in the Lounge. Of course we have closed it for your privacy, and the chef will be preparing something quite lovely for you, I think you will be pleased.”

  “You spoil me so, Thomas.” Niko grinned. “Thank you for accommodating my peculiarities.”

  “It is truly our pleasure, Master Niko.” Thomas opened the door to the dressing room for him. “I will leave you in Laars’ capable hands. Please feel free to strike him if he steps out of line.” Thomas winked at Niko when they both saw Laars’ face go pale.

  “I think I will be okay on my own.” Niko removed his suit coat, Laars jumping to retrieve it. “Unless you can run a six minute mile?”

  “Oh dear.” Laars looked a little panicked. “To be honest, Master Niko, I can barely run a six minute city block.”

  The men laughed for a moment then Niko excused himself to get changed. Niko made a habit of taking a run after long flights whenever possible. It was the first thing he’d do after checking in wherever he was. He felt it got his blood flowing again and equalized his body after the pressurization of the plane ride. He thought it also helped him with jet lag though he had no scientific proof for any of that. In his rush to get going that morning, given the trip was a last minute prospect, Niko had forgotten to pack running gear. He called the hotel after he had taken off from the airport and Thomas was all too happy to assist, again.

  The run had done exactly what he hoped. After a quick shower, Eva worked her magic with massage and Laars had a bath drawn for him in the suite by the time he arrived. With his suits pressed, shoes shined and everything put away in their proper place, Niko was precisely on time and utterly rejuvenated by the time he arrived at the Lounge. Hans Jansen was already seated, enjoying a single malt.

  “Hans.” Niko greeted him with a hug. “So good to see you.”

  “You too, old friend!” Hans Jansen had come up the ranks with Finn ages ago. He had been offered an Aegis position with the Western European region but preferred working covertly and on his terms. It’s not that he wasn’t a loyalist, he just didn’t play well in team settings, which was mandatory as a Council member. Despite the lone wolf preference, Niko and Finn both knew they could trust Hans with the details of the Black Blood problem. He was appalled when they told him and he vowed he would look into things in the Netherlands immediately, which is why Niko was there. “I wish this visit was under better circumstances.” Hans shut up as the maitre d’ entered the Lounge with two waitstaff to serve their first course. The servers moved in perfect unison placing bone china bowls rimmed in gold upon Niko and Hans’ chargers. The servers continued to work in perfect synchronization, meticulously ladling each bowl with Vichyssoise, a cold potato and leek soup, Niko’s favorite. The Maitre d’ poured the Domaine Ramonet Montrachet Grand Cru 2009.

  “Let’s just enjoy this beautiful meal, we can talk after.” Niko said with a smile and knew Hans was all too willing to oblige.

  The next course was a lightly sautéed fois gras and truffles followed by venison medallions with a port and balsamic reduction. After a stilton and pear salad with a dijon vinaigrette, the rack of lamb was served with a blueberry shiraz reduction and potato tarte tartin. The decadent and sublime meal ended with an espresso mousse served in an edible dark chocolate demitasse cup. The only thing that could end such a perfect meal was the perfect cognac and finest cigar. Niko honestly thought he would go into a food coma before he and Hans could get back to business but when they retired to the sitting area, and the Maitre d’ brought the velvet lined tray holding two Gurkha Black Dragons. The men indulge in their vices and were finally left alone to conduct business.

  “So, what have you been able to uncover?” Niko finally asked.

  “About six months ago a shipment was discovered coming out of Rotterdam.” Hans informed him. “Somehow, the Aegis here got tipped off and they made a serious example of it, without letting it get back to the Senatus.”

  “What do you mean?” This was the first Niko was hearing about any incident.

  “Well, I cannot say for certain but I think our Dom expected this to be a one-off and is too proud to speak a word of it to the Senatus. They have no clue this is a global situation and the way the Council handled the shipment, well...” Hans drew deeply from his cigar and let the smoke waft from his lips a moment. “... they didn’t do any investigation at all to track down the source or who was involved. They just let the ship leave port then torched it in the North Sea as soon as it was at a safe distance.”

  “Do you suspect a cover-up by the Council?” Niko felt his blood getti
ng hot.

  “No, absolutely not.” Hans was insistent. “I do think they suspect someone, though. But I think they suspect it’s outsiders pushing their way in here.”

  “Into the Hague?” Niko wanted specifics.

  “No, the whole of the Netherlands.” Hans paused to sip his cognac. “I mean no disrespect to you when I say this, but I think it’s a similar situation as was with your Gilroy. A rogue element, given too much freedom in St. Petersburg. Possibly in China as well. The world has grown massively, my friend. I honestly believe certain regions should be divided, and additional Dominors put in place. Russia is chaos, the Dom there is spread far too thin. You and I both know good men in that Council, they simply cannot keep an eye on everyone, especially with the region in such turmoil.”

  “I understand.” Niko couldn’t blame Hans for thinking some restructuring was needed. He too thought so on more than one occasion. “So the Aegis only learned of an illegal blood shipment?”

  “That is what I know.” Hans nodded. “It was an anonymous tip to your counterpart, personally. He breached the ship, undetected, located the crates to verify the information, then reported it back to our Dom. He, in turn, ordered that charges be placed on the ship very strategically so that all the crew would have time to abandon ship before it blew completely. I suspect they had a man on board to give the green light once everyone was off. The ship went boom and is somewhere at the bottom of the sea, crates and all.”

  Niko thought it was a very irresponsible way to deal with things. But considering he had blown up a medical facility in Cuba only a few weeks ago, he really was in no position to say. The difference was, however, that was a joint operation between themselves and the South American Aegis. At this very moment his counterparts there were hunting down leads the same way he was. What they witnessed in Cuba was horrific, and it had evoked a rage in Niko that he scarcely remembered ever having. He and Lena, his South American Aegis counterpart, had rescued scores of kidnap victims that had been used as blood factories for God knows how long. They would not rest until they tracked down every other facility on the planet and burned them to the ground.

  After a bit more discussion, Niko had made the decision that he needed to discuss this very carefully with Max. After Niko’s meetings in the morning and his reconnaissance at the port, he figured he would have a better feel for what the proper approach with the Dominor here would be. Despite being scattered all over the globe, the Aegis was a rather tight knit community. It was the ones on the fray that he was seriously concerned about and he sure as hell didn’t want to start a civil war. That was the absolute last thing anyone wanted.

  Without a warrant, all Lou and Dillon could get out of the hotel manager was a computer print out. The document listed exit times for every vehicle in the parking facility within their forty-eight hour window. They needed a lot more probable cause for a warrant to get the security footage to match the actual vehicle to the corresponding exit time. There were only three vehicles that exited the lot between two and nine that Friday morning according to the printout. The truth of the matter was they only had a hunch. Lou’s hunch, that the killer even had a car there. For all she knew they called a cab or used an Uber. There was a lot of digging to do and Lou had a lot on her plate. Besides the three murders, she had the big meeting with the other Principates in three days and the whole blood smuggling operation that she had fallen behind on. They were making a stop at the last known address for Hunny Trainer and then Lou was going to meet the infamous Sensei, who would be training both her and her cousin, Liam. It was a welcomed distraction, and she looked forward to burning off some nervous energy. Anything that helped her to not think about Max was a good thing.

  Without a warrant, all Lou and Dillon could get out of the hotel manager was a computer print out. The document listed exit times for every vehicle in the parking facility within their forty-eight hour window. They needed a lot more probable cause for a warrant to get the security footage to match the actual vehicle to the corresponding exit time. There were only three vehicles that exited the lot between two and nine that Friday morning according to the printout. The truth of the matter was they only had a hunch. Lou’s hunch, that the killer even had a car there. For all she knew they called a cab or used an Uber. There was a lot of digging to do and Lou had a lot on her plate. Besides the three murders, she had the big meeting with the other Principates in three days and the whole blood smuggling operation that she had fallen behind on. They were making a stop at the last known address for Hunny Trainer and then Lou was going to meet the infamous Sensei, who would be training both her and her cousin, Liam. It was a welcomed distraction, and she looked forward to burning off some nervous energy. Anything that helped her to not think about Max was a good thing.

  Hunny Trainer’s apartment was just off of Washington and Sawtelle, not exactly a glamorous apartment complex or a stellar part of town. There were a dozen single story bungalow style units all lined up like boxes in neat rows. The manager was a reluctantly cooperative man who managed to produce a handwritten letter that was left for him by Hunny on a Tuesday in mid-March. The note told him she was moving, and he should let the Salvation Army in when they came on the fourteenth. Apparently she left everything she owned behind and gave no forwarding address, not even for the return of her security deposit. Fortunately, but not surprising given the area, the unit hadn’t been rented yet, so he let them take a look at the place. It was a twenty by twenty square that included a kitchenette, a half bathroom, a view of a graffiti-riddled alley and the ass end of a liquor store. She had lived there for five years without incident as far as the manager could remember and kept to herself. They talked with the only other tenant that had been there for more than a month, and she couldn’t remember what year it was, let alone any of her neighbors. The forty-five minutes they spent at the building, Dillon counted seven sirens screeching passed. It was a dismal place, to say the least, and it made no sense because Hunny had been making a good living even with Gerald Griffen’s ridiculous contract. She could have easily afforded a much better place in a much nicer location far closer to the studios. Something didn’t make sense at all. With Hunny leaving everything behind, giving it all away, abandoning her lucrative albeit sleazy career, Lou and Dillon couldn’t help but wonder. They left the place with more questions than when they arrived. Lou was doubting Hunny’s involvement in their murdered pervs. At least not in the way she thought before. They were going to interview her coworkers in the morning but now they were headed to the dojo. They couldn’t get there fast enough for Lou’s liking.

  The dojo was located in Gardena; just a couple zip codes east of the pacific Ocean, an unassuming part of town to be sure. With everything Lou had read about the Sensei, her imagination had run wild. She expected some state of the art training facility with lots of shiny glass, chrome, high-tech gel mats, full locker rooms with saunas, showers, possibly even a lap, and whirlpool. What she got was no fuss, no muss, the equivalent of a good old boxer’s gym from days when hard work and sweat were the tools of the trade, not anabolic steroids. The actual name, Shugyokan Dojo, literally translates to “House of Austerity” which the dojo, and the Sensei embodied in every sense of the word. It was nothing like she had imagined and that made her worry.

  They had arrived at the dojo twenty minutes before six and Liam was waiting outside for them. Her cousin seemed to be taller than last time she saw him, which was only four days ago.

  “Hey!” Liam was excited to see them.

  “Hey, yourself.” Lou gave her cousin a hug. “Why are you outside?”

  “Hey, Dillon!” Liam was Dillon’s new pal, and they had bonded like brothers. “Sensei is finishing up a class, so I figured I would wait out here for you guys.

  “You met him already?” Lou was dying of curiosity.

  “Not yet, I just peeked in.” Lou couldn’t resist a peek herself, so she cracked the door open and looked inside. “You can’t
miss him. He’s the only one over ten years old.” Liam chuckled.

  A dozen or so miniature people lined the main hall standing equidistant, all performing their kata in unison with absolute precision. It was impressive. Weaving his way through the rows of children was a man of medium stature, perfect posture and close-cropped jet-black hair that was silvering at the temples. He moved slowly, with deliberate purpose, inspecting the form of each of his charges with a critical eye. He walked to the head of the group and stood stoically as the kata winded down. When the children finished, they all were silent for a long moment.

  “Seiza!” Sensei shouted, and the children immediately sat on their heels, hands on thighs, backs straight. Not a single one slouched or sat skewed. Sensei took the same position, facing them at the head of the matted floor. “Mokuso!” He shouted, and the kids all bowed their heads and closed their eyes. “Mokuso yame!” Everyone lifted their heads and looked forward. “Shomen ni rei!”

  After he shouted the next command the children placed their hands out on the mat in front of them, in a sort of semi-bow. They then shouted “Arigato Gozaimashita”.

  With another command and another shout of Arigato, Sensei began calling the students up one by one. He started with a tiny girl with blond curls, who looked to be no more than nine years old. He handed her a card, and she thanked him with “Arigato Gozaimashita” another bow, and then she took three steps back, bowed yet again then left the floor. The ritual continued until the last child had made their final bow for the day.

  It was a precise and methodical process. Quite impressive with children that are normally unruly and bouncing all over the place. Lou could only imagine what was expected of her. She closed the door and paced up and down the sidewalk until all the children filed out and went along their merry way. When the last child left, Dillon opened the door, and they all went inside.