Mess, cont

[hajimenoippolit.livejournal.com]

Rakitin stared at Liadov, his stomach clenched into a ball of ice.

Slowly, as he studied Nika's expression, he realized something.

Someone was striking derision and a wall of cold rejection, someone was where they weren't wanted, and it wasn't Polya.

How strange.

In the wash of relief and something else (acceptance? No, that was absurd), he felt an undercurrent of sympathy for the supply captain.

For the first time, it occured to him that he could play along.

Polya looked met Utrov's eyes and smiled a little, shyly.

The secret was shared, after all.

"You know, I think he does."

Comments

[krasnogorje.livejournal.com]

“Maybe if we go around in circles for long enough, we’ll start making sense to one another.” He laughed dryly and shook his head.

Ippolit Rakitin would have to wait in a very long line for his chance, should Dmitry ever slip. There wouldn’t be a lot left to kill by the time Polya’s number came up.

Dmitry finally let go of Rakitin’s coat, but didn’t drift too far. “It’s cold.” He offered, both of the dark night and the pathologist’s unusual disposition. “Where will you go?”

[hajimenoippolit.livejournal.com]

Rakitin released a husk of a laugh, holstering his gun.

"I would have to be a fool to tell you that."

He shrugged, resettling his coat on his shoulders.

"There's no reason you shouldn't change your mind about wanting to kill me, and no reason I should make it easy for you."

Rakitin cocked an eyebrow.

"Will you return to your brothers?"

[krasnogorje.livejournal.com]

“There’s no reason I should tell you that either. What if you change your mind?”

It was still possible that he could catch Io and Phobos before they went out on night patrol. If he hurried, he could join them on the mountain with a cup of bitter coffee, huddled around a bonfire. Pulling a double was better than laying in an empty bed tossing and turning all night long, alone with his thoughts.

“Just… be careful. Out there.” Deimos gestured, vaguely. “In the dark. All alone.” He picked up the handle of his flamethrower where it dangled at his side by a fuel line, frowned at it, and waved to the lieutenant.

Something made him want to ask if Rakitin wanted an escort to wherever it was he wasn't going, even though it would be pointless to even offer.

“Oh, one other thing. Could you please tell Nika I said hello?”

[hajimenoippolit.livejournal.com]

"Da," Polya said. "I'm sure he'll be overjoyed to hear from you."

He paused, brows lifting in mild affront.

"There's no need to fear me shooting you in the back. I would shoot you in the front, like a gentleman."

Rakitin turned to the route that would take him through the shadows to the shooting range. Creatures that lurked in the darkness were nothing to those that emerged smiling into the light. By day, the murderer they hunted walked among them, the same as any other but for the sickness beneath the skin. That frightened Polya more than the stalker in the night.

Probably he should take more precautions. If he was killed by the person he was sent here to help look for, he would feel very silly, and probably anything he found out in the process would go to waste. Hardly anyone listened to dead people these days.

"I should say the same thing," he said, giving Deimos a long, not entirely antagonistic stare. "Be careful."