Warning
Snow sighed, placing the card on bed desk beside his bed. He rolled onto his side, staring at the wall before shutting his eyes to rest. He needed to get some shut eye to avoid dwelling on the thoughts raging his mind.
The soft clatter of keys was the last thing Snow heard before sleep finally claimed him.
When he woke again, the room was quiet. Pale light leaked through the blinds, illuminating just a part of his bed. Snow yawned tiredly, his head was heavy, and his eyelids were still close even after he had rubbed them a few times.
Unable to laze around anymore, Snow pushed himself up, dragging a hand down his face, he slipped quietly out of the bedroom.
The man was still there, exactly where Snow had left him, back hunched over the desk, eyes fixed on the laptop. His fingers moved in a blur across the keyboard, the man’s focus, unwavering.
“Well?” Snow asked, his voice a little hoarse and deeper after just waking up.
The man typed a few more words then looked over at Snow.
“I got in, sir. I sent the important details over to your email.”
“Mn.” Snow hummed softly and leaned against the doorframe, eyes studying him. The blond man’s name was David. He had been with Snow for five years now, and in that time he had proven himself to be someone Snow could count on. One of the rare few who had his back, who cleaned up after him without complaint.
“Coffee?” Snow asked at last.
The man’s lip twitched to let out a small smile. “That would be appreciated, sir.”
Snow walked over to the kitchen and busied himself. Just the mundane act of boiling water and pouring it over coffee grounds steadied his nerves and woke him up completely. He set a steaming mug down beside the man, who gave a short nod of thanks in return.
“What did you find out?” Snow asked, sitting on the nearby sofa and sipping from his own cup.
“I’ve linked major apps to yours, but discreetly, so it should be fine for now. There wasn’t much reliable info on it, so what I got out was quite limited.” David started.
“Mn, what about the Orlov Fox? Did you find out who they are and what they know about the… ghostheir?”
David shook his head in defeat. “Orlov Fox must be a nickname he gave them as I can't find anyone with that alias. There’s not much information on what they know about the… heir, either.” David closed the laptop and stretched on the chair. “For all we know, they may be bluffing.”
“I don’t think so…”
“How did you get this, sir?” David unplugged Sulien’s phone and held it up for Snow to see.
Snow got up from the sofa, cup in hand, and walked over to the desk where David sat. He dropped his cup, snatched the phone from David’s hand along with his own and glared down at him. “What’s important is I have it.” Snow turned to leave.
“Sir,” David called, stopping Snow in his tracks. “Don’t you think this might be a trap? I doubt the head of the Vexley’s is this reckless.”
Snow looked over his shoulder and huffed a laugh through his nose. “Then I’m even more reckless.” He said and turned to walk away before the man could respond.
Back in his room, Snow dressed casually, making sure to layer his clothes due to the cold. He glanced once at the card Sulien had given him, still on the nightstand where he’d left it. His fingers closed over it, sliding it into his pocket. He got his backpack from his wardrobe and tossed both phones in it before heading back to the living area. There, he took Sulien’s coat, and slipped it over his shoulders.
“You’re heading out?” David finally asked after watching Snow clamour about and put things together.
Snow didn’t stop or look up. “Yeah.”
“Where?”
This was when Snow paused. He looked up at David, staring daggers at him just long enough to make it clear that he wasn’t going to explain himself to him. “You don’t need to know that. I can go where ever I want without needing to report to you. Am I understood?”
The man regarded him for a long moment, then gave a single nod, standing up to also get ready to leave.
“Shut the door when you go.” Snow slipped on his shoes and headed out.
The cold morning air hit him softly on his face, tinting his cheeks a light red. He walked to the side of the busy road and flagged down a taxi. When the taxi stopped, he slid into the back seat, and pulled the coat tighter around him.
“Where to?” the driver asked, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. He was a man who looked to be in his mid fifties, he fixed his hat while still looking in the mirror.
Snow’s lips pressed into a thin line. “This address,” He got the card out and called out the address written on it.
The driver raised a brow to that but said nothing more. The cab lurched forward, weaving into the morning traffic. Snow settled against the seat, running his hands through his hair and getting a hair band to tie it up in a ponytail.
He brushed the strays off his face as the cab turned and rattled as it merged off the main road. The driver’s eyes flicked up to the mirror, catching Snow’s reflection.
“You’re a young lad, aren’t you?” the driver said, voice gruff but not unkind. “Not from around here either, if I’m any judge. That’s the only possible explanation.” The man continued, taking into account Snow’s Chinese features.
Snow merely tilted his head, gaze slipping to the blur of buildings outside. He didn’t answer right away, or rather, he couldn’t be bothered to answer. The silence stretched as the cab turned down a quieter street.
The driver cleared his throat, leaning one arm against the open window and the other firmly on the wheel. “That place you’re headed… it’s pretty dangerous. People don’t come back from there unless they’ve got business the rest of us don’t want to know about. You understand?”