Potential novel; Prologue

The oak-wood brush ran down the shining burgundy curls, smoothing out non-existent tangles in the candle-light, the soft, shushing sound of dry hair as it is cared for, almost painstakingly brushed into a shining glory, capturing the soft candle-glow and turning it into dark red highlights in the dark strands. The illusion of lit from within is lost as paler than new snow hands divide the hair into three, and braid it, the thick sections of hair weaving back and forth over, under and around each other, to form a neat, but thick rope of hair, reaching down to midback. This is where the story starts, with a braid of burgundy hair, cared for and prepared in the soft golden glow of candle-light.

The braid whips through the air, the end weighted, and cracks into a face, causing a howl of pain from a broken jaw, another howl and the wet splatter of blood on the wall, a hiss of dying air, and the sobbing moan of the wounded.

“Where are they.”

Only a moan, a pitiful thing, is the response.

“Where. Are. They.”

Another moan, escalating into a shriek as the broken jaw is grabbed and wrenched so that the wounded’s face is turned to his interrogator. He whimpers and points down the alley, curling up into a ball around his pain. A disgusted snort, and the owner of the burgundy braid steps over that piece of human refuse in the direction indicated.

A few metres down, and there is a scungy wooden door. A scan of the surroundings, the braid shifting slightly, heavily, against the owners back, lamplight catching the glean of the almost red strands. “I need to speak to Dmitri.” Is the greeting to the guard, who folds his arms, muscles bulging against the black muscle shirt.

“Who’s askin’?”

“No one of your concern.” Whiter than new snow, the hands and arms they are attached to move, and the guard finds breathing to be much more interesting than questioning the stranger, who walks in the door, the solid clump of a boot against the wooden floor. Another guard approaches, burlying up, muscles flexing, arms folding, eyeballing the intruder. “Who’re you?”

“I am here to speak to Dmitri. Where is he?”

“Aint no one seein’ Dmitri until we clear it.” The tall, bald bouncer looks rather smug at this.

A glance from eyes mostly hidden by shadows, on a paler than pale face, a snap of a wrist and there is a white hand around the bouncers throat, bringing him down to the newcomers height, “Where. Is. He.” A flex of the hand prompts the bouncer to betray his training and his boss, he points to the stairs.

“Of course.” Released, the bouncer stares at the intruders retreating back, the burgundy braid swinging slightly with the flexing of the body as they climb the stairs. First door on the left, a couple being less than discreet, first on the right is the same situation, albeit two pair, and not a one heterosexual. Down to the end of the dark hall, a blue door, two bouncers on either side, each eyeballing the stranger. No word had been sent up to expect anyone.

“Name, purpose?”

“My name is my own and will stay that way, I need to speak to Dmitri.”

The guards exchange a glance, before grunting “Aint been cleared. Gotta know who you are, before we let you in, an’ even then is chancy.” A slight smile curves what is visible of the lips of the stranger, before they move, a dark blur edged with snow white, the white of alabaster, and both guards are curled up on the floor, groaning and holding tender parts of anatomy, kidneys, throat. The door is opened, and the intruder steps in, idly flexing snow white hands.

“Kair. I’ve been expecting you.”

“Where are they, Dmitri?”

The chair behind the ebony desk turns and the seated male is visible, a small smile curving his lips beneath his moustache. “Where are who?”

A step forward from the stranger, that is all, but the threat looms larger than the slight stature. “Where. Are. They.” A low growl fills the strangers voice. A warning all on it’s own.

“I no longer have them. And neither will you get the name of who does.” Brave or foolhardy, two hours later, the guards outside the door, having recovered from their earlier interaction, and a subsequent rapid retreat when they attempted to defend their employer, hear a final shriek and a sharp crack of bone snapping. The stranger opens the door and steps out, a white kerchief in hand, wiping off blood before dropping it to the floor, stalking down the hall like a frustrated feline, and that braid of hair flicks like the tail of the irritated cat. A glance over the shoulder, the light catching and giving colour to the brilliant green eyes, so green as to have some yellow in the centre around the pupil. “Remind Dmitri’s boss that I do not bluff.” And the intruder leaves, as the phone starts to ring.

The guards peek into the room, one answers the phone, the other finds what is left of Dmitri Kobanlov. “Uh, I’m sorry but I can’t put Mr Kobanlov on the phone.....why not? ....uh because sir, he’s dead.” The phone is briefly taken away from the ear “Yes sir, that’s right. Dead sir. ...I don’t know sir. He said to let you know that he didn’t bluff, sir. ....I suppose so sir? .....sir?...” click, the beep beep beep that signals that the other line is dead, and the bemused guards look towards the remains of their former employer, blood soaking into and staining the carpet and thought, what could do such a thing?