Chapter 4 Cracks in the Armor
Shared Dinner
Viktor spent the next day trying very hard not to think about Elias Hart.
Unfortunately, the kid seemed determined to make that impossible.
Everywhere Viktor went, Elias appeared.
Not intentionally.
At least Viktor didn't think so.
The younger man simply had a habit of showing up in places where he wasn't expected.
One moment he'd be interviewing workers about housing conditions. The next he'd be sitting beneath a storage awning sketching designs. Then he'd somehow appear in the middle of an equipment yard asking questions nobody else thought to ask.
Most visitors lasted a few days before losing interest.
Elias kept digging deeper.
That alone made him different.
The problem was that Viktor had started noticing.
And once he started noticing, it became difficult to stop.
By late afternoon, the heat had become unbearable.
Workers dragged themselves through the final hours of their shifts.
Even experienced laborers looked exhausted.
The camp cafeteria became everyone's destination the moment work ended.
Food wasn't glamorous.
Nobody expected it to be.
But after ten or twelve hours of physical labor, most people cared more about quantity than quality.
Viktor entered the building with a dozen other workers.
Immediately, he knew something was wrong.
The line stretched nearly to the entrance.
Voices filled the room.
Several kitchen employees looked stressed.
A few workers appeared annoyed.
Nothing unusual there.
What caught Viktor's attention was the sign hanging near the serving counter.
LIMITED SERVICE DUE TO DELIVERY DELAYS
Great.
Exactly what everyone wanted after a long day.
The complaints started immediately.
Not hostile.
Just tired.
Hungry people tended to be impatient.
Viktor joined the line and waited.
Ahead of him, workers discussed delayed shipments and supply shortages.
Apparently one of the food deliveries scheduled that morning had never arrived.
The kitchen staff were doing their best with whatever remained.
When Viktor finally reached the serving counter, the options were limited.
A scoop of rice.
A serving of beans.
Some vegetables.
Not much else.
He took the tray without complaint.
Years of construction work had taught him not to be picky.
Food was food.
The challenge came when he looked around the cafeteria.
Every table appeared occupied.
Every chair taken.
The room buzzed with conversation and movement.
Viktor scanned the area.
Searching.
Evaluating.
Then immediately regretting what he found.
One empty seat.
Exactly one.
Across from Elias Hart.
Of course.
The younger man sat alone near the back corner.
A notebook rested beside his tray.
Several pages of sketches were spread across the table.
He looked completely absorbed in whatever he was working on.
Viktor considered turning around.
Maybe eating outside.
Maybe standing.
Maybe skipping dinner entirely.
All options seemed preferable.
Then someone behind him accidentally bumped his shoulder.
"Move, Novak."
Viktor sighed.
Apparently the universe had made its decision.
Without enthusiasm, he crossed the cafeteria.
Elias looked up as he approached.
Surprise flashed across his face.
Followed quickly by a smile.
That smile was becoming a problem.
It happened far too often.
"Hey."
Viktor gestured toward the empty chair.
"Taken?"
"No."
"Good."
He sat down before either of them could make the situation awkward.
Unfortunately, sharing a table with Elias immediately made the situation awkward anyway.
For several minutes, they ate in silence.
Viktor preferred it that way.
Silence rarely caused problems.
Conversation usually did.
Across from him, Elias continued reviewing sketches between bites of food.
The younger man's concentration was impressive.
So was his ability to somehow make cafeteria food look respectable.
Eventually curiosity won.
Against Viktor's better judgment.
"What are those?"
Elias looked up.
Then down at the papers.
"Oh."
A smile appeared.
Different from the others.
Smaller.
More genuine.
"Housing redesign concepts."
Viktor immediately regretted asking.
That answer would undoubtedly lead to further discussion.
He was correct.
Elias slid one of the pages across the table.
"This one focuses on ventilation."
Viktor glanced down.
Lines.
Measurements.
Notes.
Professional-looking sketches covered the page.
He wasn't an architect.
Never would be.
Yet he understood enough construction to recognize quality work.
The design looked practical.
Thoughtful.
Useful.
Not the kind of thing created by someone who had never stepped onto a job site.
"You drew this?"
Elias nodded.
"Based on worker feedback."
Viktor studied the sketch for another moment.
Then handed it back.
"It's good."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Elias blinked.
Clearly surprised.
Apparently compliments from Viktor Novak were rare.
Reasonable.
They were rare.
"Thank you."
Something about the genuine gratitude in his voice made Viktor uncomfortable.
He returned his attention to dinner.
Problem solved.
Or not.
Several seconds later, Elias spoke again.
"Can I ask you something?"
"No."
"You don't even know the question."
"Doesn't matter."
Elias laughed.
Actually laughed.
The sound echoed softly between them.
Viktor hated how much he liked hearing it.
"You always answer like that?"
"Usually."
"Does it work?"
"Usually."
That earned another laugh.
Ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous.
Viktor focused on finishing his meal.
Yet somehow the conversation continued.
Questions became observations.
Observations became discussions.
Before he realized it, twenty minutes had passed.
Far longer than necessary.
Far longer than planned.
At one point, several workers entered the cafeteria.
The newcomers immediately noticed Elias.
Their attention shifted toward Viktor.
A few exchanged surprised looks.
Others grinned knowingly.
Idiots.
Every one of them.
Viktor ignored the reactions.
Mostly.
The younger workers would never let this go.
He could already predict the comments.
Across the table, Elias noticed the attention as well.
His expression changed.
The easy smile faded slightly.
The shift was subtle.
But Viktor saw it.
"What?"
Elias hesitated.
Then shrugged.
"Nothing."
"Liar."
The response came automatically.
Elias stared at him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then the younger man sighed.
"People always look at me like that."
Viktor frowned.
"Like what?"
"Like they've already decided who I am."
The answer surprised him.
Elias glanced down at his tray.
His voice grew quieter.
"Most people hear my last name and stop listening."
Something in those words felt familiar.
Painfully familiar.
Viktor understood being judged.
Everyone did.
But the bitterness behind Elias's voice sounded genuine.
Not self-pitying.
Not dramatic.
Real.
"They see money."
Elias pushed food around his plate absentmindedly.
"They see connections. Privilege. Opportunity."
"Not wrong."
"No."
A sad smile touched his lips.
"They're not."
The admission caught Viktor off guard.
Most wealthy people became defensive.
Elias didn't.
He simply looked tired.
Tired of explaining himself.
Tired of assumptions.
Tired of carrying expectations he never chose.
The younger man stared across the crowded cafeteria.
"My father built an empire."
There was no pride in the statement.
Only distance.
"And everyone assumes I'm exactly like him."
Viktor remained silent.
Listening.
Unexpectedly interested.
Elias continued.
"They think I know nothing about real life."
His fingers tightened slightly around his fork.
"They think money solves every problem."
Another pause.
"Sometimes I feel invisible."
The confession hung between them.
Heavy.
Honest.
Viktor understood more than he wanted to.
People rarely saw him either.
Not really.
They saw tattoos.
Scars.
Size.
Reputation.
Then they made assumptions.
Most of them wrong.
Maybe that was why this conversation felt different.
For the first time, Viktor wasn't talking to Richard Hart's son.
He was talking to Elias.
Just Elias.
A young man trying desperately to step out from beneath a shadow he never created.
The realization unsettled him.
Because it challenged everything Viktor had assumed.
And assumptions were easier.
Safer.
Simpler.
Yet sitting across from him now, Elias looked nothing like the spoiled rich kid Viktor had expected.
He looked frustrated.
Lonely.
And strangely vulnerable.
For the first time since this assignment began, Viktor found himself wondering what it must be like to spend your entire life being judged for something you never asked for.
And for the first time, he realized Elias Hart hated it just as much as Viktor hated being judged for his past.
Dangerous Curiosity
The conversation should have ended after dinner.
That would have been the smart outcome.
The sensible outcome.
Viktor had already shared more of his thoughts with Elias Hart in thirty minutes than he normally shared with most people in a month. The younger man had somehow managed to get beneath his defenses without appearing to try.
That alone was dangerous.
The last thing Viktor needed was becoming comfortable around someone like Elias.
Comfort led to trust.
Trust led to disappointment.
Experience had taught him both lessons repeatedly.
Unfortunately, life rarely cared about his preferences.
After dinner, the evening remained warm enough that most workers stayed outside rather than retreating to their trailers. Groups gathered near picnic tables. Some played cards beneath outdoor lights. Others sat on trailer steps talking quietly after long shifts.
The atmosphere felt calmer than usual.
Construction camps changed after dark.
The noise faded.
The pressure eased.
Workers became people again instead of laborers.
Viktor normally appreciated those hours.
Tonight, however, he found himself unable to settle.
The conversation with Elias lingered in his thoughts.
The kid wasn't what he'd expected.
That realization continued irritating him.
It would have been much easier if Elias had turned out arrogant.
Or spoiled.
Or careless.
Instead, Viktor kept finding reasons to revise his opinion.
He hated revising opinions.