Chapter 15 #4
“Well, you have already convincingly tripped into the man once today. I see no reason not to do it again,” Khazak reasons.
“You only need to pull back his sleeve this time. We will just make sure you do it in front of several sets of eyes, including mine. That should be more than enough to accuse if not arrest him for the other night’s attacks. ”
“Sounds simple enough, but what do we do until then?” Ragnar asks next.
“Nothing. The event is in a few hours, and we will all need to go home and change. Will you be bringing Nylan?” Khazak shuffles some of the papers on his desk.
“Yeah, he likes these sorts of things and gets mad if I don’t.” Ragnar nods. That does seem like Ny.
“Then we will not be able to discuss our plans once we are at the event, so I want to make sure we are prepared before we leave.”
“Understood, sir.” Ragnar nods, standing. “I am going to go make a copy of those papers you wanted and then return them to the archives.”
“See that you do. And Deputy, David?” Khazak looks at the both of us.
“Yes, sir?”
“Sir?”
“We are not finished discussing your actions today.”
I spend the rest of the day feeling anxious, and I’m willing to bet Khazak and Ragnar do, too.
I’m so nervous that someone else might notice me acting weird that I don’t speak a word to anyone.
I barely leave Khazak’s office. When it’s time for the charity gala, Ragnar gives us a simple goodbye and goes to get ready with Nylan while we head back to Khazak’s place to change.
He pulls out some dressy looking clothes for himself, a black collared shirt with buttons up the front and a pair of brown slacks that hug him in all the right places.
Not that he’s in the mood for any flirting.
He pulls out an outfit for me as well, not as nice, but it’ll do.
After a final, brief pep-talk about the plan, we leave the house and make our way back to the tribal hall for the second time today.
Once we arrive, the first thing I do is look for a decent enough place to drop the keys for someone to find.
After that, Sir leads us directly to the ballroom—not that I’m sure they even have balls around here.
It’s a large open room, half-filled with people as well as tables covered in food lining the walls.
There’s even an ice sculpture. Ragnar and Nylan still haven’t arrived, and I don’t recognize anyone else, though they are obviously well-off given how nicely they’re all dressed.
Our friends don’t keep us waiting long, and while I make small talk with Ny, more people arrive, including the councilman himself.
On his arm is a young orc woman, her long brown hair shining in the light of the room’s torches.
They are both dressed similarly, him in flowing purple robes and her in a purple dress.
Must be the wife. I finish off the food I’ve been snacking on, eager to get things going.
Keeping Murbank in the corner of my eye, I follow him around the room as he and his wife mingle with the crowd, probably trying to raise support for himself as much as he is donations. He’s just so slimy. I make eye-contact with Sir and Ragnar, ready to move into position.
Murbank is currently speaking to a small circle of people, his wife on his right.
Khazak and Ragnar move to stand behind the group, Nylan watching me for a moment to wonder why I’m not with them.
Don’t worry. I’m on my way. I cross the room, Murbank and his group on my right.
Just when it seems like I’m going to pass him, my leg gives out, and I stumble, tripping and reaching blindly to grab a hold of something—Murbank’s sleeve.
I don’t fall so hard that he’ll be dragged down with me, just enough to pull back his sleeve.
I look down in mock surprise to see what I’m grabbing and to come face to face with the tattoo on his arm.
..that isn’t there. What!? I stare at the man’s blank green wrist, dumbfounded, then lift my head to meet a smug look of satisfaction on his face.
Several of the people around us have stopped speaking, and behind him, Khazak and Ragnar are both staring wide-eyed, seeing (or not seeing) the same thing I am.
“Captain, I do believe that is the second time your avakesh has tripped today,” he says as he removes my hand from his robes. “Perhaps he is not feeling well. Maybe you should take him home.”
“I... Yes, I think you may be right, Councilman. I apologize for his clumsiness.” Khazak steps forward, caught off guard and doing his best to cover. “Come, David.”
Slowly, the people around us resume their conversations, and we don’t say another word before leaving.
I barely have time to turn and see Nylan watching the two of us even more confused when Khazak’s hand on my wrist yanks me down the hall and away from the crowd.
He’s completely silent until we’re outside.
“David, I—”
“I don’t know what happened. He figured out a way to hide it or something!” It can’t be that hard to cover a tattoo.
“There is nothing—”
“No! This is bullshit. We’re not going home yet, not without proof.” Without thinking, I turn and start running south, back toward Murbank’s home.
“David, wait!” Khazak shouts from behind me, but I don’t stop, just turn to make sure he’s still following me.
I keep running, completely out of breath by the time I reach the metal gates. The house is dark. All of them are, most of the residents of this neighborhood likely at the event tonight. Good. I open the gate, not waiting for Khazak to say anything, just leading him to the backyard.
“Look, he has the—” What?! Where is it? Where is the carriage? I rush over to the corner it was sitting in, finding it completely empty. There aren’t even any wheel tracks to speak of. “The black carriage was right here. Really!” Khazak doesn’t look convinced. “Okay, well what about this?”
I walk over to the back wall, to the section that is just an illusion, and stick my hand out.
Oww! I pull my hand back after slamming it into the solid wood of the wall.
What the fuck!? I bang against it. “No. No. There was a hole here, one big enough for the carriage to get through. He must have moved it or closed it back up or something! I don’t know how he did this, but I swear, everything I told you was true. You have to believe—”
“I believe you, David.” Khazak sighs, head hanging down. “It just does not matter. The councilman knew you were here today. He knows we are onto him, especially after what just happened at the fundraiser.”
“We need to get inside. There’s papers that could—”
“I just want to go home, David.” Khazak holds a hand up to stop me.
My mouth opens to argue, but nothing comes out because I know I’m grasping at straws.
Murbank beat us, again. That’s all I can think about as I exit his property for the final time that day.
That and how much worse my punishment for today is probably going to be.
I’m fucked.