Chapter 3 #2
Entering the office, a loud, painful scream filled the air. Alek leisurely made his way to the bar at the other end of the large office. While Mihai moved to the sofa that was across from the desk, keeping his back to the walls.
The smell of blood filled the office from the dead body left next to another man kneeling on plastic that was arranged in the center of the floor.
The view of Veil City surrounded them since the walls were two-way glass.
Exposing three dead bodies already neatly arranged next to the steps that lead up to private apartments.
Alek turned around and finished pouring himself a glass of his son’s fine whiskey.
He watched as his eldest son Sorin lifted the short axe in his hand and brought it down on the dead body’s arm.
Blood covered his white shirt and dress pants.
He stood, turning to face his father. “Sorry, I thought I would have taken care of Clarence and his buddy here before you got back.”
Alek waved him to continue his work, “It’s not like what I have to say can’t wait.”
Sorin frowned as he held the wrist, tearing the arm away from the body. He lifted it to his nose and sniffed, only to frown and smell the air once more. With a sound of annoyance he turned his glare on the shivering bound Clarence lying on the plastic from the smell having soiled himself.
“I hate fucking liars,” Sorin spoke as he tossed the arm aside. “I asked you to bring me clean food. Obviously, this is poison instead. Why is everyone trying to test me today?” He directed his question to no one in particular.
A small part of Alek wondered if his children were ever tired of waking up to a bloodbath. They’d spilled blood this morning, and now they were yet again spilling blood, and right before lunch.
“Andrei!” Sorin shouted, tossing his axes aside.
“What the fuck do you need, Sorin?” Andrei yelled from the top of the steps.
He was speaking to someone on the phone.
“Charlie, I already told you to take the kidneys and sell them to Roanoke. And if they don’t want to pay what we asked, then dump that shit on that fucker’s doorstep.
” Andrei, still speaking, could be heard before he stepped into view from the upstairs apartment.
His eyes narrowed as he searched around below only to stop on Alek, who lifted his glass in greeting.
“Shit.” Quickly, he dropped the call and placed his phone in his back pocket.
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me Dad was here?
” he demanded angrily as he came the rest of the way down and walked around the three bodies near the stairs.
Sorin glanced at Alek before looking back at his brother. “He’s here.”
The distressed look shared between his sons caused Alek difficulty. He could barely refrain from laughing out loud instead he sat his glass down. “I am here.”
Andrei stiffened, his expression becoming tight as he lowered his eyes. “Hello, Father.”
Alek smiled. “Why so stiff? This morning you urged your brother and I not to fight each other.”
Andrei glared at him, glancing at Mihai. “The rats must be shown who’s in charge when we’re at HQ.”
“Indeed,” Alek said as he approached his youngest. “That is true, but you are also a Delgado. For you, this is only a temporary world.” Stopping, he reached out and cupped Andrei’s head and drew him close, so their foreheads touched.
“I will kill you before I let you become like those beneath us. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Andrei said, swallowing his protest, he was nearly four hundred years of age, and he still feared his father. Which was clear in his posture and stiff movement.
Alek pulled back and looked to his eldest. “So, face me directly. Sorin why don’t you leave the poor man and listen to your fathers’ words.
” He flicked a look at Clarence, but where Clarence sought out humanity, he found nothing.
Not even a flicker of pity or sympathy in Alek’s gaze. “I’m sure he will last long enough.”
Sorin clicked his tongue in annoyance walking away from the body he’d been mutilating. He pulled a snowy white handkerchief from his pocket as he returned to take a seat next to Mihai whose eyes had been focused on his cell.
Releasing Andrei, Alek allowed him to go to the couch just as Andrei took a seat. A black mist filled the doorway where the elevator door rested and his second eldest appeared. “Dmitri, come and join your brothers.”
His hair long and his clothes stained with only god knows what. Dmitri held something wrapped in an oily cloth and quickly moved toward the couch, but he remained standing
Alek cleared his throat. “Now, it is time for the hunt to begin.” He motioned to Dmitri,” We’ve found what we sought all these years.”
Dmitri lifted the item in his hand and unwrapped it, within its confines was a shiny knife blade etched with a thin line of purple stones in the center. “Those who killed our people, our kingdom and your mother.”
Alek walked over to the cloth and picked up the delicate blade.
“There are many of those roaches hidden amongst humans, living lives of normalcy.” His eyes turned to ice as he looked at his sons, they all wore the craven expression of hounds excited for blood.
“It is time we found each and every one of them and without mercy eradicate them.”
He had waited eons to say these words and with the image of Lanias bleeding and trapped in his head. He permanently branded his hatred deeper and craved only destruction of every Surrem on the earth.
He would not rest until he’d killed them all. Every. Single. One.