Chapter 9 - A surprise Visitor

                                    

                                          

I slipped out the next morning while she was sleeping. It was a dick move but I couldn't stop myself. I didn't have my truck, so I had to brave the biting cold in last night's clothes. I walked briskly; my added resistance didn't stop ice from penetrating my veins. It was still a long way to the hotel which left me with plenty of time alone with my unwanted thoughts.
 I scuffled my way through the fresh layers of snow that had accumulated in the short time that had passed since the streets had been shovelled, fighting uselessly against the current of my drifting mind. I should have probably regretted the events of the night before and I did to some extent – for all the wrong reasons. Sleeping with Courtney, becoming complacent and emotional around her, wasn't even the worst thing I'd done – I just knew I would never go through with any relationship. Being impulsive with my emotions, especially when I got the vibe she was looking for something serious, was irresponsible.
I let my numb fingers trace over the file, giving in to the temptation the pristine pages provided. The paper wrestled with the wind as I absorbed the printed letters.
The list of offenses went on and on; even in desperate need of a distraction I couldn't stomach the last couple of pages. Argenta's history spanned long before she came to Victoria – apparently, she ran a speakeasy in America in the 20s and was chased north in the 50s. finally I came across some relevant information include last known addresses of operations. 
Apparently, there was an abandoned storehouse not far away from the scrap yard. It was a good lead, though, I was starting to get concerned about the lack of trace of Abby. Either she had left and I was the problem when it came to leaving the first time, or she already knew I was here and was actively avoiding me. Whatever the reason the reason for her absence it didn't matter, she was still our best bet at finding the other half of the Eurosec. 
The hotel slowly made its way into my vision and I jogged up the precarious steps – my head was filled with visions of flat pairs of shoes that didn't make my feet ache. I was grateful for how quiet the lobby was and made the decision to go check out the scrap yard before Christian woke up instead of burning daylight. 
When I stepped in, I couldn't quite place what was missing. I was eight steps in and tossing the bulky file onto a dresser when it struck me – the tell-tale glow of Christians presence no longer hummed in the air. I made the stupid move to run over to check the walk-in closet he'd upgraded himself to. Naturally, it was empty, and the door slammed behind me, I whipped around feeling a tingle spread across the base of my scalp.
The tall man with stark white hair and a beard to match took in the room looking impressed. I couldn't figure out why I didn't sense him before.
"It looks like you've moved up in the world, not that I'm surprised with all that money you took".
I was getting sick of people recognising me.
"Thought this would be more difficult."
He lifted a sharp object, and pain was all I could feel. It felt like my skull was full of burning acid, when I managed to open my eyes, I only saw blood red as my legs gave out. I couldn't bite back the screams, I couldn't think, I could only writhe round uselessly praying for it to end. 
It didn't.
I screamed until my throat was raw, desperately gulping down the air that refused to fill my lungs. Eventually my bloody vision began to darken, and I welcomed the all-consuming black exhaustion. 
Wherever I was, it was cold. I shifted uncomfortably against the solid ground; my back ached from the position I'd been left in.
The migraine that pounded in my head was a painful reminder of what happened. I winced and pressed my hand to my temple. Trying to move my arms revealed that my hands were tightly bound in front of me. The guy was feeling a lot more familiar, Arwen Lankhof, he was one of Argenta's lackeys – maybe even her right-hand man. His abilities had been infamous, but I'd never actually met someone who'd experienced them first-hand.