The fox spirit took in all the new information quietly, but the side of her mouth twitched at the word “hotel.” Thankfully he mentioned a room number which meant some privacy, but a hotel was sure to have other people. How delightful. It was foolish of me to think he picked an assignment with five targets to impress me. He’s testing me… Clever as always, human.

Finishing off the last bite of bacon, Lilith licked her fingers as Aleks mentioned a cell phone. The thought of her owning one made her laugh inside. What use could she possibly have for a phone before today? The fox spirit probably would have made a joke about it, had Aleks not tacked on one final statement. It was meant to be a white flag of sorts, meant to show Lilith he wanted her to succeed, but the proud kumiho saw it as an insult. She didn't need someone telling her to be careful. Of all the things he had told her to do, this was the most upsetting. Was it because she mentioned the possibility of other victims? Did that make him think she was just some bumbling fool who wouldn't handle a simple slaughter? They were just a few stupid humans, what could they possibly do to her? Forcing a small smile, she shook her head, “I don’t have a phone, I guess I’ll go pick one up as soon as you’re finished giving me orders.” Her tone was pleasant, but Lilith’s eyes did little to hide her true emotion.

“Well, assuming there isn't anything else; I’m going to head out. Just write your number down, I’ll dispose of the paper once I have my cell phone.” Standing up in a fluid motion, Lilith reached for her clothes still folded on the table. After changing in the bathroom, she walked out and sighed. Glancing down at her tails one last time, she made all nine of them disappear into thin air. Her ears followed suit and suddenly, Lilith was just a beautiful woman once more. Her pink lips were scrunched into a slight pout, clearly displeased with the change. She crossed her arms and lifted her golden gaze to Aleks, giving him one more chance to divulge any last moment information.

“I just realized… what are you going to be doing during all of this?”

"I have no more orders," Aleks spoke calmly, a soft smile residing on his face, "Just a friendly advice." His smile turned into a smirk as he finished his sentence. He saw an opening in her eyes - she was ticked off by his friendly remark from before. Fine, then so be it... - "Do not underestimate those men. They might even pull one on you if you're not careful." She had to recognize the mockingly satisfied expression on his face. He brushed the smirk away fast away.

"Good," he went on, not stopping to give her enough time to retaliate, "I guess it is a positive thing that you're not asking for the money to buy it. I suppose you can take care of that yourself." With one swift move, Aleks stood up and walked towards his gray suit jacket that was hung near the door. Out of its inner pocket, he took a pen and since he was there already, put it on. Approaching Lilith, he got down on his knee to write something down on a piece of paper. It was a ten-digit number belonging to his personal cellphone. Only few people knew that number, so that way he could be sure that the text would indeed be from her, without even needing to take the phone out. Ripping that part of the paper, he offered it to Lilith, still on his knee.

He waited for her to take the paper, before getting up. "Me? I don't think you should worry about that. Your task should be more of a priority," he smiled as he escorted her to the door, "But I'll indulge you - I have to take care of a few things, making sure that we are able to continue killing without raising suspicion right off the bat."

Aleks would stay in the apartment for a while longer, both of them going out at the same time could be troublesome in the long run.

Aleks insisted on warning Lilith once more and the woman had to resist rolling her eyes. He really didn't get it but she supposed he would soon enough and let it slide. Making sure to grab the briefcase, Lilith followed her new partner over to where the coats were hung. She decided to remain flippant and sighed haughtily, “I do have money of my own, you know.” Pulling the sleeves of her coat, the fox added, “And a hotel room.” Lilith smiled as she pulled the paper from Aleks’ hand, enjoying the feeling of looking down on the man, even if it were only for a moment. He looks good when he kneels…

“Anyway, I’ll be off.” She pocketed Alek’s number without looking at it and walked towards the door. She glanced over her shoulder and winked, “Try not to worry about me too much. Your dirty work will be done before you know it. Have a good day.” She said the last sentence in a sing-song voice, the door shut before he had a chance to say anything back.

Stepping out into the fresh morning air, the kumiho took a deep breath and sighed. The streets were moderately busy as people went about their errands, Lilith blending in as soon as she began to move in the crowd. She headed South for a bit before slipping into an alleyway a few blocks over. Pulling a loose brick out of one of the building walls, she reached in and retrieved a small cloth bag. Inside was a large pile of money, a hotel room card, and a key. The fox spirit stuck the bag in her coat pocket and slipped back into the morning crowd to look for a phone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Roughly four hours had passed and Lilith now had a phone and a new outfit. Her black silk dress and beige trench coat had been left on a bench a few streets back; the vain fox rather disliked wearing clothes more than once. Her lithe frame was now covered in a red dress, white coat, nude stockings, and silver pumps. It was obvious more of the woman’s time had been spent looking for the perfect outfit than a phone, as Lilith had purchased the cheapest flip phone available.

With a sigh, the fickle fox realized she still had a couple hours before she needed to head to the meeting spot. Glancing around, she spotted a little café which drew her lips into a smile. Might as well grab a snack before the main meal.

He was slightly relieved as he heard Lilith mention a hotel room. Well, of course he was – the last thing Aleks could possibly want in this situation are rumors that he is involved with a certain female. It could stir too much trouble, especially amongst lower ranked officers of the "family". And he was even less keen on explaining her presence to his father. To be an alpha male in such an organization, not only does one how to be ruthless and strong – he has to be intelligent. And Aleks sudden involvement with Lilith would surely make him suspicious.

The less he is seen with Lilith, the better.

But something did bother him – a sudden sense of unease. Lilith left, but it wasn’t due to her presence – or, in this case, lack of it. No – it was something else, but he wasn’t able to put his finger on exact problem here. Problem… the only problem is this sense of déjà vu wrecking my brain. Get a hold of yourself, Aleks scolded himself as he moved to the bathroom, splashing his face with cold water. He looked in the mirror, water dripping from his face. Was he afraid that something would go wrong? No…

With that word of denial, it hit him – “Try not to worry about me too much,” Lilith said it, straight to his face. It took him a while to connect the dots, but at least now he understood where that sense of dread and déjà vu came from. She told him that too.

Focus, Aleks. You’ll have time to reminisce later, he frowned as he brought more water to his face.

******

“Do you see that?” Aleks pointed at the signature on the bottom of the paper. The male figure sitting across the table from him inspected it carefully. The small coffee shop was not particularly full, not at this hour, a fact that seemed to bring relief to his acquaintance.

A man in his sixties, nearing an age for retirement, looked at the paper through his glasses. His gray hair was falling over his wrinkled forehead. He seemed to be in good shape, considering his age – although he was still too old for his occupation. Barely visible, inside of his brown suit jacket, was a shiny badge and an ID. A police inspector – one of the best.

Although the two were familiar with each other, one could even go as far to say “friendly”, the man was still uneasy meeting in public with one of Aleks’ kind. Probably because of his job. No – most certainly because of his job.

“Volgin, what can you tell me about it? Am I wrong for thinking it’s forged?”

He coughed before handing the paper back. “Indeed. I would say that it was one of the managers that did it,” his voice was the same as the man with whom Aleks spoke during the night. What Aleks asked of him was that he meets him today, at this very coffee shop. He asked him to take a look at a few papers for him, considering he is the leading expert in forgeries… amongst all other things. When he told Volgin that Nikolai could have his head should he not deal with this soon, Volgin accepted to meet him.

But Aleks knew that his foster father wouldn’t have his head for such small dealings and, in the end, he was able to see for himself that this was a forgery. And he knew the whole charade behind it already. But it was still a clever move on his behalf. Soon, Lilith would kill her designated targets, the police would be alerted and Volgin would be called in. Due to that, Aleks, being with him at this time, would have a rock solid alibi on his hands.

Perfect.

All that remained now was to prolong this meeting enough for Lilith to take care of her role.

Finally, the moment had arrived. Taking in a deep breath, the raven-haired woman knocked gently on the door of room 506. She heard muffled voices and the shuffling of moving bodies, but there was a long pause before anything happened. Finally, whoever was on the other side seemed satisfied with what they saw through the peep hole and cracked open the door. Lilith didn't see anyone, but she heard a gruff voice, “What do you want?”

“I’m here to deliver a briefcase.” The door closed again and the fox couldn't help but roll her eyes as she heard the chain lock being undone, as if that would have stopped her from coming in. The door opened wide to reveal a dark skinned man. Thanks to Lilith’s 10 cm heels, she was eye to eye with the man, which was obviously not what he had expected. Regaining his composure quickly, the man grabbed the fox spirit’s arm and yanked her inside.

“Who the hell taught you how to make a deal? Jesus Christ I wouldn't be surprised if-“

“That’s enough, Pavel.”

“But sir she-“

“I said, ‘enough.’ Look at the poor thing, you've frightened her.” Lilith quickly yanked her arm free and turned, wide-eyed, to the man sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room. Frightened? Of the many emotions that welled up inside the kumiho at being touched, frightened was certainly not one of them. If anything in the room were to scare the woman, it would certainly be the man sitting before her, posing as her hero. His lecherous gaze was impossible to mistake as his fat tongue rolled out of his mouth to wet his lips.

Lilith had barely composed herself and adjusted her coat before she felt hands on her body, practically mirroring the pervert’s gaze. She hissed as Pavel began searching her, snapping rudely, “I’m not hiding anything. Get your hands off of me.” He didn't even look at her, continuing his pat down as the large, bald man that had been standing behind the negotiator walked over to grab the briefcase. Brow furrowed, the kumiho stepped back with the briefcase behind her and raised right fist to strike whichever man approached her first.

“Come now, my pet, they aren't going to hurt you. It’s just protocol, I’m sure you understand that, right? I promise it’ll be over before you know it. Now be a good girl and let them finish up or we might have to… punish you.” The man grinned at his words, which made bile rise in Lilith’s throat but she sighed and relented. The briefcase was laid on one of the beds, which the fox only just now realized had two more men sitting on it. They seemed meek and anxious, reaching out for the briefcase until they were told to wait. Slinking back like scolded puppies, their glassy eyes watched and waited for a signal.

Pavel finished his search of Lilith’s body and nodded at the man in the chair before backing up and standing by the door. Glancing over her shoulder, Lilith spat, “I told you I didn't have anything.” The man simply rolled his eyes in response and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Ignore him, pet. Why don’t you come here so we can get to know each other a little better? My name’s Andrei and what, may I ask, is the beautiful name of such a beautiful woman?” He held out his hand and smiled. Oh you have got to be kidding. That damned man is going to get it for this one. Forcing away thoughts of Aleks, Lilith smiled and walked up to Andrei, taking his hand gently. She began to shake it, but he instead turned her hand and kissed the back of it, his tongue drawing a small circle before he released her hand. Laughing as if she were charmed, the fox spirit simply responded, “Lilith.”

“Ah, beautiful, just as I had expected. Why don’t you have a seat and tell me why it is you wanted to meet with us today, Lilith?” The negotiator patted his lap, offering the only chair in the room without standing. He chuckled as he explained, “I would have gotten a nicer room, had I known we were having such a special guest.” Her jaw tightened, but Lilith shed her coat and laid it on the spare bed before walking over in slow, fluid strides. She sat sideways in Andrei’s lap and draped her arms around his neck before confessing she was not the one who called.
“I’m afraid I don’t know who arranged this meeting. I received a note with a phone number on it and when I called I was given instructions to pick up the briefcase and bring it here.”

“Oh? Is that so? Well, do you know what’s in the briefcase?” Lilith shook her head and tried to look as innocent as possible as she batted her lashes, “Not at all.” Andrei and chuckled and brushed his fingers up one of the kumiho’s pale arms.

“That seems awfully dangerous of you, don’t you think? Delivering an unknown package for an unknown person.” Bowing her head, Lilith let her dark hair hide her face in mock embarrassment.

“I was told I would be paid. I… I really need the money.”

“Oh you poor thing. Don’t you have anyone to take care of you?” The woman shook her head in response. Andrei quickly became more bold the move vulnerable Lilith acted, his hand now stroking high up on her thigh, his other arm wrapped tightly around her waist. He paused his assault momentarily to snap at the bald man, “Rocket, why don’t you call the front desk and see if we can’t get the key to the room right next door? Our dear pet here could use some cheering up and I think it’d be best if she didn't see what was in the briefcase.” Lilith’s heart sped up at the mention of another room and she had to fight the smirk trying to form. He was making this too easy for her.

Rocket, not being the smartest man, simply nodded and grabbed the phone to call the front desk but Pavel was less compliant, “Do you really think that’s a good idea? We don’t know anything about her, she could be lying. We should just check the goods and go.” Not wanting to lose her chance, Lilith pouted and leaned in closer to Andrei, her lips grazing the vein in his neck. She felt something stir in the man’s lap and his embrace tightened. There was no way his was giving up on the idea now.

“Damn it Pavel, why must you question my every order? You stay here and make sure everything is set, I’m just going to go next door for a few minutes and make sure our guest is okay. Is that clear?” With a heavy sigh, the dark skinned man relented, “Yes sir.” About the same time, Rocket got off the phone with the front desk and told Andrei that they were bringing up the key.

“Good, good. You boys get started as soon as we’re gone, understand?” The frail looking young man on the bed nodded in laborious gestures, his head looking like it might fall off his delicate shoulders. The other man seemed more relaxed, but Lilith saw the craving in his eyes. It wasn't too hard to guess what was in the briefcase, or at least, what was supposed to be in the briefcase. She silently hoped Aleks hadn't screwed her over as she began to stroke at Andrei’s neck and shoulders. This job was proving to be bad enough without the possibility of the suitcase being empty.

After a couple minutes, there was a knock at the door. Pavel answered once more, much more hospitably this time, and faced the room with a key card in hand. Andrei grinned and patted Lilith’s lower back, encouraging her to stand up.

“Come my pet, I’m going to show you what it’s like to have a real man to take care of you.” Inwardly, the fox scowled. Why bother to ask for my name if you aren't going to use it? You disgusting swine, just wait til that door is closed. Letting out a demure smile, Lilith stood up and allowed herself to be led to the door. She took one last glance at the four men left in the room and sucked in a deep breath. It was time for the hunt to begin.

"Tell me," Volgin cleared his throat, downing the last drip of vodka from his glass. "Why did you call me? I mean - at first I thought it was some serious problem, but this…" he pointed towards papers that Aleks neatly sorted back into his briefcase, "is something you shouldn't have problems with."

Aleks smirked as he listened to the man's question. He was a fierce as ever, even if he was drinking more alcohol than in the past. "And you shouldn't be drinking on a duty." He fired a statement of his own as he saw Volgin signaling "one more" to the waiter. "Touché. But when you are as old as me, especially in a job such as this - you need a little remedy every now and then. To forget."

To forget - Aleks knew that all too well. He was not keen on alcohol, although he was not a stranger either. What Volgin said was true, though. Alcohol helped forget. Drugs were helpful too, it seemed. Aleks had seen it more than a few times - boys his age succumbing to the sharp needle. Wanting to fly away to a better plane. Nothing sickened him more than to see someone throw his life away without even putting up a fight. He branded those people weak.

But, Volgin… Volgin was far from weak. Or at least Aleks' past with him manipulated the opinion. The man saved his neck once, after all. He was sixteen years old, still an inexperienced kid - and he made one stupid mistake. One mistake and he was apprehended by the police, bound to get beat in order for them to get information. That's when he met Volgin, on his way to the station. Whether he was paid by his foster father to get him out of trouble or he acted on his own accord, Aleks did not know. But back then, Aleks thought he owed the man a lot, which probably shaped his opinion. In reality - he did not owe him anything.

Worst case scenario, he was working for Nikolai even back then and Aleks was even more in debt to his foster father than he realized.

"It's on me," Aleks said with a sigh, as the waiter brought the glass to the table. Contrary to his old acquaintance, he was drinking green tea and still had half-full cup in front of him. "I will tell you the truth," he finally begun, "I needed to ask you about something a tad bit more… personal."

The sentence made Volgin curious as he prompted him to go on. "I recently heard some rumors about those two grizzly murders - heartless men." As he mentioned it, Volgin's face lit up. He actually loved talking to Aleks about his cases and the fact that he seemed eager to talk about it, made Aleks wonder whether he was directly on the case. It was good to know that the possibility was there. "Yes - two men were found dead, both missing their hearts. It was not a pretty crime scene, I can tell you that. What are you interested in?"

"I'm worried," Aleks quickly replied, "about Nikolai." The sentence made Volgin burst into laughter. His deep, raspy laugh echoed through the coffee shop, before he settled down. "Somehow I don't believe you - he is not a man that others worry about," downing the glass of vodka, Volgin continued, "At least, not genuinely."

Taking a sip of his tea, Aleks continued as if he was never interrupted. "I'm worried about my debt. You know the history between the two of us. If he dies while I have such an amount of money to give him back - I would be the main suspect, even if the murder was a carbon copy of the past two. If not by police, then by Bratva." He quieted down before saying that particular name. Volgin merely nodded as Aleks explained, he had to admit the boy had a good point. "So - I heard those two men were wealthy, powerful. Not extremely, but they had some connections. Obviously, someone is targeting those who have power. Don't you think Nikolai is the perfect target?"

Volgin could not argue that, but was still slightly confused as to what Aleks was getting at. "That favor I need from you is simple…"

"I want to help with the investigation."   

The door to room 508 shut with a soft click as the latch slid into place. They were alone now, each member of the pair feeling totally in control. With a grin, Andrei began approaching his companion, slowly pressuring her to back up towards the bed. Not interested in indulging the man, Lilith stayed put and stared at him, her expression unreadable. It didn't take long for the negotiator to close the gap between them, his hand reaching for the porcelain skin of Lilith’s cheek.

“It’s so good to finally be alone. Now I can take care of you properly, my pet.” Something sinister flashed in the woman’s eyes as she smacked his hand away, his fingers never getting the chance to savor her soft skin. Before he could retort, Lilith grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled as she stepped aside, his body falling at the foot of the bed.

“I am not a pet, you disgusting piece of filth. Why is it that you humans think you own everything?” The kumiho stood over him with her hands on her hips, her face contorted into a disdained scowl.

“You foolish whore, you’re going to regret that.” Andrei stood up, his brown eyes matching the danger found in Lilith’s golden orbs. She merely huffed in response, leaving her already breathless as the man suddenly tackled her. Her head smacked the ground and the fox spirit’s concentration was broken, her silver tails suddenly appearing splayed out behind her.

“What the hell? Wha-” Andrei never got to finish his question as Lilith hooked his arm and rolled their bodies so she was on top. Clenching her left hand over his throat, she leaned in close and snarled into his ear, “I’m going to enjoy killing you, but why don’t we play a little game first? Hmm?” The kumiho sat back up and smirked, “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to tear out your throat and we’ll see if you’re still able to scream when I rip your heart from your chest.” Her nails dug into his skin as she spoke, small droplets of blood squeezing their way to the surface.

~*~*~*~

In the other room, Maxim opened up the briefcase, his eyes widening at what he saw. The young man had seen large quantities of cocaine before, but the sight never became less beautiful to him. Bags upon bags of euphoria lay at his fingertips. Stick leaned in behind him, his hands shaking in anticipation, “Well? Open up a bag already.”

Rocket wasn't paying any attention to the other men in the room, his head leaned in close to the wall they shared with room 508. He may not have been smart, but his dedication was admirable. Listening for any signs of trouble, Rocket was always ready to do his job and protect Andrei. Besides, the woman might turn out to be screamer and the large man didn't mind having something to fantasize about that night.

Pavel, however, was not so placid. Peering over at the suitcase, the ambitious man immediately noticed something was off. While the two addicts were setting up to test the snowy powder, Pavel was focused on the bags. He’d seen blue bags before and he knew they meant the Solntsevskaya Brotherhood was involved. The woman’s story had sounded odd, but now he was convinced something was wrong. Without a word to the others, he stormed out of the room and began knocking on the adjacent door. Fearing Andrei’s wrath, Rocket quickly followed to stop his dark skinned companion.

~*~*~*~

Lilith’s head snapped towards the door as she heard a fierce knocking.

“Andrei, open the door! I need to talk to you!” The negotiator attempted to sit up upon hearing one of his guards, relief rushing through his body. The kumiho did not respond well to his movement and tightened her grip on his neck before pushing him back down.

“Ignore him,” she hissed through clenched teeth, “He’ll go away soon enough.” Had her hand not made breathing difficult, Andrei would have laughed. He thought she was foolish for attacking him before, but now he knew she was clueless. If he didn't answer, the men would know something was wrong. This bitch sure is going to get it.

“Andrei? God damn it!” Pavel gave up knocking and gave the door a good, hard kick. Rocket was by his side now, brow furrowed slightly, “Is he not answering?”

“What the hell do you think? I’m not kicking down this door for a fucking workout. Now help me get in there before we get our asses fired.” Rocket didn't need elaboration to knew what being ‘fired’ meant and pushed the slightly smaller male out of the way, “I got it.”

Hearing the assault on the door, Lilith growled, “Just great.” Looking back to the man below her, she sighed, “Sorry, it looks like your time is up.” Andrei’s eyes widened in protest, but the fox ignored it, finally digging her fingers in with her full strength and grabbing hold of whatever lay beneath the skin. She yanked her hand back, frowning as the spray of blood got on her chest and arms.

At almost the very same moment, Rocket kicked open the door, the wooden frame splintering under the pressure. The two men who stood outside looked at the scene in the hotel room with shock and disbelief. All four of them seemed frozen, unsure of what to do next. Andrei attempted to issue on order, but all that came out was a gurgling spurt of blood from his gaping neck. The horrible sound sprung them into action and within seconds, Lilith was on her feet, her tails bristling behind her. Rocket ran in first, his arms raised naturally after years of boxing. He swung at the woman’s head, his body pivoting to provide as much power as was held in his massive frame. The kumiho managed to put up her arm to block the punch, but was surprised when she was knocked backwards over Andrei’s body anyway. Not relenting, the large boxer walked over and grabbed Lilith’s arm, yanking her body up by the slender limb.

“Who are you?” Lilith kept her head hung, her dark hair falling in front of her face. He couldn't see the rage in her eyes or the slow smirk that stretched her mouth into a wicked snarl. The woman’s hands were suddenly engulfed in blue light, the eerie flames flickering wildly. She grabbed his arm that held her, the skin immediately blistering under the immense heat. Rocket cried out and Lilith used her other hand to cover his face, the screams growing louder as the room began to fill with the smell of seared flesh.

Stumbling backwards, the boxer covered his face with his hands and tried to find his way to the door, his eyes seared shut. Lilith simply pushed the crippled man aside, his body falling against the wall as she advanced towards a startled Pavel. The man pulled out his gun but the fox had closed the gap between them before he could fire a shot. Her flame-covered hand grabbed the gun and Pavel had no choice but to let go, the heat causing him to reflexively flinch away. Lilith tossed the weapon away, the metal steaming as it lay on the ground.

“You should have kept your hands off of me. Not that it would have saved your life…” With a cruel laugh, she put the backs of her hands together and stabbed into Pavel’s sternum, the tips of her fingers grabbing hold of his rib cage. Her muscles strained for a moment as he howled in pain before she finally managed to pry open the protective bone structure. Bones and ligaments popped, the immense pain dropping Pavel to his knees. Lilith sneered as the fire receded and she thrust her hand into the opening she had created. Her fingers easily found their way to his heart, the digits wrapping around the frantically beating organ before she twisted and yanked it free. The man’s lifeless body slumped to the ground and Lilith turned to face Andrei once more, taking a large bite out of the heart in her blood-soaked hand.

“You've been awfully quiet. Don’t worry, we won’t have to wait much longer. I just need to finish off the big guy.” The man’s eyes sent silent pleas, his body limp and his face pale from the loss of blood. Andrei wouldn't be conscious much longer and he was afraid the last thing he would see in this life was the mangled corpse that used to be Pavel. The kumiho quickly finished eating the blood-pumping organ as she stood over Rocket, the man’s cries now nothing but pained whimpers.

“You aren’t nearly as tough as you look, are you?” She nudged the bodyguard with her foot, and he swung wildly in response. Chuckling softly, Lilith shook her head, “Oh my, I guess there is some fight left in you after all. Guess we’ll have to change that.” Kneeling down beside the boxer, she grabbed one of his arms and pushed her palm against his shoulder, popping the joint out of place. Rocket’s cries began with renewed vigor, causing the kumiho to roll her eyes.

“You’re going to attract a lot of unwanted attention, you know that? Guess we better shut you up too.” The man reached to cover his throat with his good arm, thinking the woman meant to silence him like Andrei. Instead, Lilith stabbed her hand into his abdomen, striking just below the rib cage. Rocket’s body began seizing in protest as the woman’s arm snaked its way up to his heart. Blood oozed out of the opening as her entire forearm disappeared into the wound.

Just a couple minutes later, and Lilith had properly disposed of Rocket as well. Andrei was now in a daze, his vision cloudy and dark as he fought to stay conscious. Lilith kneeled beside him and leaned in close so he could see her, the lower half of her face now smeared with blood. She smiled and stroked his face almost lovingly, “Remember now, don’t make any noise.”

The sound of Volgin's watch ticking the day away made Aleks anticipate the message more and more with each second that passed. With a little luck, she didn't come across anyone too troublesome. Unfortunately, he himself did not have much information regarding lower ranking officers of Tambov. Who they had sent to strike a deal was an unknown factor to him. He could only hope that Lady Luck was on Lilith's side. Or a Fox Luck - whatever they believed was their luck charm. "So," Volgin took his glasses off, something he did every time he wanted to get a point clear, "You want to assure no one comes after you in case Nikolai gets killed and that is the only reason you want to help me?" Aleks immediately nodded. Volgin gave him an opportunity to further elaborate his intentions - maybe say how he wanted to help the society or something along those lines. But it was merely for testing purposes, Aleks saw through that mask. It would be completely out of his character to state all of a sudden how he wanted to help merely to be a good Samaritan. People usually say that either when they are completely honest or when they are hiding something. And it was all too easy to tell one from another.

"Yes," Aleks let out, cracking his knuckles, "There is a lot at stake for me here. I have rotten luck, I guess - at the very least I can take it in my own hands." Volgin seemed satisfied with such an explanation, his hands gesturing as much. "Alright then, boy. Tell me, what do you have so far?"

Taking one last sip - Aleks looked out the window and into the busy street. He had nothing. Well, nothing that didn't have to do directly with Lilith. He was walking on thin ice here - he had to prove he could help, but at the same time, giving out too much information was not good.

But... bringing out a thesis was an acceptable course of action. "While I was reading the articles, I thought the fact that hearts were completely missing from the scene, and never found, was weird. Then it hit me," he smirked as he brought it out into the open, "A role-play." The sentence lit up a spark in Volgin's eyes. "A role-play," he repeated after Aleks, "Role-play..."

"It's a little farfetched, I know, but think about it. Maybe there is some kind of an ancient prophecy or a myth that used hearts as a main artifact. Maybe Greek... or Egyptian. If there is such instance in recorded history, then you'd have all grounds to check out all possible crimes similar to the ones here. There is a possibility this person killed more than just two people. And if that is the case, it is more likely that someone saw their face." Just as Aleks finished, Volgin snapped his fingers. "Amazing, boy. I am honestly amazed at your skills. You never disappoint, you know that? You would be able to go far in the force - if only things were different..." A faint smile appeared on his face and it made Aleks feel accomplished. Not because of the compliment, but because this way he would be able to check up on Lilith's history without actually doing any work himself. Now that he planted a bug in his mind, Volgin would surely pursue the thesis all by himself.

"Trust me, Volgin," Aleks confidently smiled, "We will bring this guy in before you know it."

Lilith rose to her feet slowly, the body of Andrei now lifeless at her feet. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, the action doing little since both surfaces were covered in blood. Without so much as a glance at the bodies that lay around her, the walked out of the room and knocked on the door to room 506. The two young men that were hidden inside froze at the sound. They were huddled in the closet with the briefcase, the noises from next door enough to send them into hiding. Maxim had hoped the woman, or whoever it was that had caused their comrades to scream so horribly, would have just left but now he feared they had returned for the drugs. He glanced at his companion who held the briefcase to his chest as if it could save him and contemplated the best course of action. Maxim didn't know if the assailant could get into the room, but he figured they might as well prepare for that. Nudging Stick on the shoulder, he whispered, “Looks like things have gone to shit… Let’s do one more line. What do you say?” The frail teen looked at him with a mix of shock and fear.

“D-Do you really think that’s a good idea? Shouldn't we plan a-an escape?”

“There’s no point. If Pavel and Rocket are out, there’s no way we can take ‘em and it’s too late to try and escape. We should have run when we heard screams. Damn it, why couldn't they just leave?” Maxim shook his head and reached for the stash of cocaine, “Anyway, it doesn't matter now. I’m going to do as many bumps as I can before that psycho shows up.” Reluctantly, Stick agreed and the briefcase was opened, each man taking a bag for themselves as they heard the door open.

Stepping into the room, the dark-haired woman saw no one. She allowed the door to shut behind her and peered into the bathroom, finding nothing there as well. Noticing that the briefcase was nowhere to be seen, she began to worry. Aleks said to make sure the briefcase stayed, they better not have run off with it. Growling softly at the thought, Lilith’s tails began to twitch in irritation. She clenched her hand into a fist and was ready to punch the wall when she heard a sharp intake of breath. Golden eyes darted to the closet and she slid the door open so hard it almost came off its track.

Lilith should have been pleased that the two had not run off, but instead she was disgusted. There they were, huddled in a closet with the remnants of their last bump still on their noses. They looked up at her bleary eyed, so high they couldn't properly process the danger. Fear and panic would set in soon enough, but for now they just looked like fools.

“Pathetic… your hearts are hardly even worth the trouble.” She spat the disdainful words as she grabbed Stick by his shirt and pulled him close to her face, “You should thank me for putting you out of your misery.” Before the teen could respond, Lilith struck her arm into his abdomen, similar as to what she had done to Rocket. His body didn't put up much of a fight and she easily ripped the heart from his body. Taking a bite, the kumiho’s nose crinkled.

The sight was more than enough to set off Maxim and the young man began to scream in horror. He tried to get up and run past the fox spirit, but she easily grabbed hold of his hair and yanked him back. She held his head so he had to face her as she finished eating, her eyes staring deep into his though the man tried to look everywhere but at her.

“You’re rather handsome, you know. I imagine you could have done something with your life.” She paused to take another bite as she tilted his head, trying to get him to look at her, “But you’re weak. Even now, you aren't trying to fight. Does your life truly mean so little to you?” Maxim didn't know how to respond, not that he could have anyway. His heart raced and his lungs gasped for air as his body went into a full-fledged panic attack. With a sigh, Lilith accepted that it was probably time to put the man out of his misery and dispensed of him just as she had the others.

Once finished, the fox spirit wiped off a bit with one of the towels in the bathroom. Satisfied that one would notice what blood was left in her hair, Lilith made her tails disappear and put on her coat. She didn't pass anyone as she walked down the stairs and she slid into the lobby bathroom without anyone looking her way. She locked the door and washed up better, taking off the bloody stockings and throwing them in the trash. She pulled her satchel from the cabinet under the sink and tied her hair up in a messy bun, smiling at her reflection. Her dress was still covered in blood, but no one would see that with her coat on. Satisfied she could walk out the door without anyone questioning her, Lilith did just that. She pulled out her phone and began typing a text as she stepped out onto the street, strutting past several empty police cars.

[4:22 There’s something strange going on at the Hotel Rossiya, lots of police cars outside. I think I’m going to find somewhere else to stay tonight. Don’t worry though, I’ll be alright. See you soon?]

"So… have you thought about visiting?" Volgin asked, turning their conversation into small talk now that the main dish was devoured. "It's been quite some time, after all. Two years?" Aleks just smiled as he let him finish. "Something like that, yes," he swiftly replied and opened his mouth to say something else, but then felt a strong vibration near his heart.

Aleks took in air as he focused on the sensation in the inner pocket of his suit jacket. Another vibration followed… and then nothing.

That was it – the message he had anticipated so much. Been about time… Aleks though as he let out the rest of his never finished sentence, “Unfortunately, I have too much work to do these days; maybe next year.” Volgin returned him a smile, although his was much sourer. Meanwhile, Aleks slowly took out his cellphone and opened the message, not minding Volgin’s presence.

After all, an honest man has nothing to fear.

[4:22 There’s something strange going on at the Hotel Rossiya, lots of police cars outside. I think I’m going to find somewhere else to stay tonight. Don’t worry though, I’ll be alright. See you soon?]

Aleks furrowed his brow as he looked up at Volgin, before turning his attention back to the screen. „My apologies, but something has come up. One of the deal failed to come through, some problems with the transaction, so I'll have to be going now, unless I wish to anger father.” All the while he typed a reply, multitasking did not trouble him.

[4:25 Good. I should come by your place tonight – we have to plan our next few moves carefully... And I'd like to make sure you're alright. Send me the address if you're fine with that.]

He had to make sure everything went along the plan.

As soon as he put his cellphone back in the pocket, Aleks stood up and extended his hand for a shake. “I never liked those things. No privacy whatsoever.” Volgin remarked as their hands shook. “Well, it’s…” a necessity for a job like mine or yours, that’s what Aleks wanted to say, but stopped in time. “The mark of a new era, we have to accept it, whether we want to or not. увидимся!”

And with that, the two parted ways – Volgin remained sitting even as Aleks left.

“Stupid…” Aleks muttered to himself. One little slip of the tongue and he would really make a remark that would bite him in the future; especially if the police force calls Volgin to the scene soon after Aleks left. Volgin was always one of those suspicious types. Aleks grabbed the bridge of his nose as he walked down the street, with no particular destination on his mind. He was just glad that he was out on the fresh air – as fresh as it was here in the city. The whole conversation quickly got too personal for him.

Lilith was walking to her hotel when she got Aleks’ message. She couldn’t help but smile softly to herself as she responded, her mood still someone euphoric from her meal.

[4:31 I would love to meet up for a drink. Give me a couple hours to freshen up. I’ll be in the lobby of the Demidov Bridge Hotel at 6:30.]

Frowning a bit, the kumiho wondered if she should have moved to a nicer hotel for their meeting. The Demidov Bridge Hotel was rather low-key, the entrance nothing more than a red metal door with a small plaque beside it. The entire façade of the building was covered in rectangular patches of varying colors- a clear sign that vandals frequented the area. The hotel looked completely uninviting from the outside and the Lilith, in her luxurious clothing, looked distinctly out of place as she walked inside.
Sighing softly, the golden-eyed woman looked around the lobby. Although modest, the interior of the hotel was decidedly nicer than the outside. There was a small desk on the right side for the receptionist and small tables designed for 2-4 people occupied the rest of the small space. It was clean and cozy, like a misplaced bed and breakfast. Her lips were pursed slightly in judgment, but it was too late to switch hotels now.

“Welcome back, ma’am.” Lilith turned her head to face the elder woman at the desk and nodded slightly, clearly still lost in her thoughts. The woman seemed concerned and cautiously asked if everything was alright. Suddenly, the fox spirit felt very conscious of the blood-soaked dress she wore beneath the white coat- a terrible color to try and hide beneath. Inspecting herself for any signs of blood, Lilith muttered, “I’m fine” before retreating upstairs.

Once inside her room, Lilith quickly shed her clothes and dropped them into the trash to be thrown away later. Turning on the shower, the bathroom slowly began to fill with steam as she went through her wardrobe for an outfit.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Two hours later, and the beautiful fox spirit sat at one of the tables in the lobby area, a cup of tea nestled between her delicately laced fingers. The black and white snake print dress she wore was more modest than her usual attire, but still flattered her figure. Her hair was pinned back into a bun, revealing soft cheekbones and a clearer view of her golden eyes.

The older woman still sat at the desk, her warm brown eyes gazing at Lilith curiously. In the week that she had been here, the woman had never seen Lilith linger around the hotel this much and she certainly had never seen the beautiful woman interact with anyone unless necessary. The fact that the mysterious patron appeared to be waiting on someone made the gray-haired woman’s mind race with possibilities. It has to be a suitor. I bet he’s quite handsome too.

It was around 5 PM when Aleks made his way back to his apartment. Enough time to get dressed and reach Demidov Hotel in time for his meeting with his newfound ally. He had to look the part - dress the part too. He was meeting with a beautiful woman, there was no point in neglecting that fact - but he was still a heir to the most powerful position in Russia. He had to look the part. And if he made Lilith think he dressed up for her in the process, that was only an advantage.

Steam made sure Aleks could not see his reflection in the mirror of the bathroom wall. Not clearly, at least. Ironically, the warped and blurred face he saw in that unknown realm was more truthful than his actual expression ever was. Although he kept a straight face, the mirror warped it into a frown. He could not keep starring at it longer than a few moments, eventually wiping the mirror with his hand.

A lot of different thoughts kept flashing in and out of his mind. What should be his next step? How to interact with Lilith? Who to pin as her next target? But - most important question was the one he did not even have a shed of clue how to answer. When he brings the whole organization to its knees, when he is the one standing tall - the only one standing tall - what path will he take from there?

Sound of water dripping made its way to his ears. He closed his eyes, taking in the sound. He could hear his heart producing a steady beat. The dripping soon faded away and all he could hear was the drumming of his heart. A heart that longed for revenge.

****

6:32, two minutes after the two agreed to meet. He was late, yes, but not due to his fault. There was a traffic jam, rendering his solution of taking a taxi an useless effort. He ended up walking to the hotel. Immediately upon opening the door to the lobby, he was greeted by the curious gaze of the receptionist - an older woman, quite possibly both the receptionist and the owner of the hotel. This was clearly not a five star hotel, but it would serve it's cause. Even better if it were not a high class one, for the time being at least. His classy outfit most certainly befitted a heir, although he could've easily been a model. Maybe in some other life... Aleks though as he quickly scanned the area. There was not much to see, if Aleks was to be honest, but that did mean that he had to spend less time searching for Lilith. He noticed her in a blink of an eye. She was so distinct, like a flower amongst root, in this environment. He would not be able to miss her even if he wanted.

Slowly approaching the table, Aleks gently cleared his throat to get Lilith's attention. "I am genuinely sorry for being late, my lily." He smiled as he slightly bowed before proceeding to the empty chair across of her. The dress flattered her figure well and he most certainly did not mind that. "You look," Aleks began as he unbuttoned his suit jacket and took it off, revealing the black vest underneath, "Quite happy with yourself; considering." He sat down as he gazed into her golden eyes.

Although he was not able to see it from a third person perspective, he figured it was a fierce battle of gazes - his blue shards against her two golden coins.

Lilith took another sip of tea, letting the flavor sit on her tongue before swallowing. It was obviously a black tea but she wasn't sure what kind. There were hints of lavender and honey, which softened the taste and made the fox spirit wonder if it was a homemade mixture. She contemplated asking but at that moment, Aleks walked in. The china clinked softly as she set the cup back on its saucer and she smiled softly as their eyes met. He looked as close to flawless as she’d ever seen a man but for some reason this bothered her. She didn't like that he was always so perfectly poised, seemingly unaffected and perfectly prepared for everything that came his way. It felt as if his very existence mocked her. He was a human and a young one at that; he had no right to be so impeccable. Even worse, Aleks seemed to know exactly what to do or say to irritate her. As if to prove her point, he called her his lily, the possessive term of endearment causing her jaw to tighten though she refused to let her smile fall. Even his timing was perfect. It sickened her.

“You were hardly late, no need to apologize.” Lilith glanced at the older woman as Aleks sat down and found the receptionist staring at them. Better get out of here soon, no doubt that old bat is going to be eavesdropping as long as we’re here. Looking back at Aleks, she stared at him in silence for a moment before responding, “I’m sure by now you've realized I’m not like other women. I rather enjoyed myself. And what about you? Was today everything you hoped it would be?” The dark haired kumiho took another drink of her tea as she awaited his response. She doubted he’d give any real sign of appreciation or approval and she was certain he wouldn't tell her any meaningful information about what he had done that day but it couldn't hurt to ask. He had to slip up eventually and maybe if she was lucky, it would be today.

Or at least, a fox could hope.

Finding an excuse to get a better look at the pair, the silver haired woman waddled up to hand Aleks a cup of tea. She smiled warmly and patted his shoulder gently, “Such a handsome young man. Have this, free of charge. If you two need anything else, anything at all, don’t be afraid to ask.” She nodded her head and waddled back to her counter, smiling once more and winking when Aleks looked in her direction.

"Yes," Aleks replied, not taking his eyes away from Lilith, "You are quite unique. Exactly the thing that attracts me to you." A sly smile appeared on his face as he finished the sentence, deliberately leaving its sincerity up for debate. As he opened his mouth to answer Lilith's question, the old woman approached their table, handing Aleks a cup of tea - free of charge. He nodded with appreciation for both the tea and the compliment. Unlike Lilith, he was not going to bark every single time someone touched him. The thought almost made him laugh. "Thank you, I appreciate the tea,” He replied, keeping his composure, “You are too kind." Aleks finished the sentence by returning the kind smile.

Now that he had a drink in front of him, he took his time replying - rather focusing on adding just enough sugar to it. Just by noticing the scent, he was sure it was a black tea - vanilla maybe - which meant that he would need to add a tad bit more sugar than usually. He was overly methodical with his drink, more to test Lilith's patience than anything else. "How do you react when a man gives his drink more attention than you?" Aleks wondered as a small smirk appeared on the edges of his mouth. Today was, more or less, a good day and he was not afraid to show that he was in an appropriate mood.

Aleks was not doing anything wrong by not cutting straight to business right from the start, especially with the old lady giving them much of her attention. Neither one of them will be able to openly say anything directly connected to the crime here. So, until they move away, he was able to take it easy. Maybe even throw Lily a bone considering his little meeting today.

"Today went better than expected," He began, "I had quite a productive meeting with one of the potential clients. I have to say that he should be a perfect match." He pretended as if he was going to whisper, although he did not really lower his voice enough for it to be anywhere near it. "And I arranged a little surprise for my sweet companion." He winked at Lilith, before his gaze turned just a bit more serious than before. "Say, how come you don't have my briefcase here with you?" He was quite interested in how much of a skilled talker she was. One could say he was testing her ability to come up with decent answer, in a non-discriminating manner, on the spot.

And he found teasing her quite amusing.

Lilith couldn't help but smile at the compliment, whether it was genuine or not. She knew she was unique; she reveled in it. It only pleased her more to know that not just anyone could do the things Aleks was asking of her. The way she saw it, he needed her and the thought practically made her purr. Not surprisingly, however, the sentiment didn't last. While her companion carefully tended to his tea, the fox spirit was left with little else to do but watch him. She had already asked him a question so there wasn't much she could say and there wasn't much tea left in her cup so she didn't want to down it all while waiting for him. Eventually, she let out a discontented sigh as she side glanced at the clock on the wall. I asked you a question, you prick. Or did you forget because some old hag tried to charm you? You really are as dumb as you look, aren't you? Suddenly, she saw the glint in Aleks’ eye and she knew. As usual, the young man was teasing her. He wasn't stupid at all. He was doing this precisely to annoy her and she had just walked right into his trap. She tightened her jaw to hold back a growl and took a sip of her tea instead. Insufferable bastard… I’ll put you back in your place once we’re alone. You can’t just mock me like this. She felt her gaze narrowing as she glared at him over her cup and she immediately corrected it. Thankfully, he responded soon after.

Going along with the act, Lilith acted delighted at the sound of a surprise, “A surprise, Aleks? You know you didn't have to do that for me.” Leaning forward a bit as If eager, she was about to ask if she were getting the surprise tonight when he asked about the briefcase. Sitting back, she pouted and for a moment, she wondered if she had been mistaken about what he had told her to do with it. Quickly, she tried to think of a coded reply that was as close to the truth as possible. It made the lie so much easier to keep track of.

“Oh I..” She paused for a moment, looking down as if embarrassed, her hands pulled close in her lap. “I wasn't sure when I was going to see you next. I left it with… Oh I don’t remember his name, one of your friends that ate with us. The big guy?” She stopped for a moment as if waiting for him to provide the name, but continued before Aleks could say anything, “Anyway, he thought he might see you sooner than I would so he offered to get it to you. I guess he still has it… Is that okay?” She looked at him sheepishly through her lashes, keeping up the façade but also genuinely asking Aleks if she had made a mistake.

Almost imperceptibly, the gray haired woman stirred in her seat. Her warm brown eyes were glued to the couple, completely enthralled. It was like a soap opera unfolding before her very eyes. The mysterious woman from out of town, the handsome bachelor, the forgotten briefcase. What was in said briefcase? Was it left in the hands of a reliable man? Was the handsome young man going to be angry? She half expected another man to bust in and try to steal the raven haired woman away, making claims of abuse. Oh just the thought made her giddy. There was rarely any excitement in her hotel and this rendezvous seemed like just the event to change that. Resting her chin on her palms, she waited to see what happened next.