The Kind

Chapter Four

High above the city, away from the perpetual assault of roaring engines and pedestrian chatter, Viktor sat on a rooftop with one knee pulled up under his chin and the other leg hanging down over the side. The rooftop was one of many inaccessible areas he frequented when he needed space to think, or just as often, to forget to think. On this occasion there was no denying what he had learned, or the price he had paid for the information. A man he had considered his friend for nearly two decades had sold him out to the people who were now hunting him. The situation he’d been running from for so many years had finally come crashing down.
One could have sat on that rooftop for a year and never heard another person’s voice, but suddenly a scream erupted in Viktor’s mind. The next instant he was gone, leaving only an empty space and a flock of reasonably disturbed birds in his wake.

Sarah’s eyes were closed. She understood what was about to happen and didn’t see any reason to watch it unfold. The woman’s voice was bleak and distant, even though she was standing close enough to hold Sarah against the wall. She couldn’t even make out what the stranger was saying anymore, but in truth she didn’t care. Her leg was numb where and her chest was on fire. In a few minutes she’d be unconscious; one last punch would make it permanent.
The sound of Viktor’s voice, screaming, roaring with anger, found its way through her foggy senses. Sarah’s eyes burst open as she felt the woman’s grip slip away and she collapsed once again to the floor. Viktor had the woman pinned against the side window, his hand raised in front of him. He wasn’t touching her, but something was: an invisible force was holding the woman in place. He was furious, that much she could tell, though the cloud in her mind was prevent much more than that from registering. Sarah blinked twice when she realised they were speaking.
“Why did you come here?” Viktor said, or more appropriately, growled. “You wanted me; you should have left her out of this!”
The woman choked as she struggled against the invisible barrier that held her, trying to find the breath to respond. “You… you brought her into this! You knew it would be like this!”
Even from where she sat, Sarah could see Viktor’s fingers flexing, manipulating the invisible energy.
“She’s innocent!” Viktor yelled. “You just wanted to hurt her. Why? For fun?!”
“I…No…” Her words were failing. Viktor felt something soft land on his shoulder. Without moving his hand, he turned to see Sarah on her feet, one hand on his shoulder, the other holding her side where her ribs were broken.
“That’s enough, Viktor” she said quietly. He didn’t answer, but closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly lowered his arm. The woman sputtered and coughed, then tried to find the voice to speak.
“You knew we’d find you eventually. I had to beg them to send me ahead!”
Viktor glared at the woman, his hands curled into fists. When he spoke, the threat in his voice was palpable. “Get out…”
What happened next fractured what little was left of Sarah’s conscious mind. The woman’s body began to blur where she stood, until finally it vanished, leaving nothing but an empty space. Sarah’s eyes rolled backwards and for a brief instant she felt the sensation of falling, then darkness claimed her. Viktor caught her as she fell, and together they too vanished from the room.

The glossy white paint on every wall bounced the light coming in from the tall windows until it seemed as though she would be blinded by the light. Absently, Sarah tried to raise an arm to cover her eyes, only to feel a tug as several large tubes protested the sudden movement. Blearily she turned her head in either direction, until realisation dawned. She was in the hospital, the same one she walked into after a particularly unfortunate sparring match. Only this time, she was reasonably sure she hadn’t walked in. The pain from her ribs returned before her memories did. It was then that Viktor walked into her room.
“Sarah!” he cried, putting down a cup of hideous brown coffee as he rushed to the bed. “Thank God you’re awake.”
“H…Hi,” she managed, still clutching her side. “What happened?”
“It’s ok, you’re going to be ok.” He pressed his hand to her temple as he talked. She liked that: it was good to have something other than the pain in her chest to focus on. But she was angry too, and she needed answers.
“Who… who was she? That woman who attacked me... you knew her, didn’t you?” She winced at the effort of talking, but pressed on, determined. “I don’t remember everything but I know you recognised her.”
Viktor’s face became a white sheet as his eyes crashed to the floor. “Yes. You’re right, of course. I do know her, and I can explain everything. But for now, you need to rest.”
The will to argue was strong, but the desire to sleep was just as powerful, maybe more so.
“When I wake up, you tell me everything, ok?”
“Yes, I promise. Now please, try to sleep.”
For once in her life she would not have to try very hard. When she woke up Viktor would swear she was asleep before her eyes closed.