Page 12 of Doubts of the Egoist (Egoist #3)
“Almost. Mere formalities remain. By the end of the month, two German military bases will write off a dozen old Soviet tanks. They were promised to me. All the ammunition will be shipped by Saturday.”
“Good. When are you going to Kabul?” Yugo flicked off the ashes in the crystal ashtray.
“After I track down the little shit?” Tobias asked, leaning forward, elbows on his thighs. The V-neck of his distressed maroon T-shirt revealed sharp collarbones.
“Still no word from him?”
“He didn’t call, but today, he returned the money—all of it.”
“He did?” Yugo cocked a brow. Mio’s sensible behavior pleased him; it indicated that he could, after all, control his demons and think clearly when he wanted to. “Why haven’t you found him yet?”
“Because he doesn’t want to be found?” Tobias’ top lip curled up, but he quickly concealed his irritation with another crooked smile.
“He’s up to something, I tell you.” In the time that they’d known each other, Tobias had been serious a handful of times.
Yugo was witnessing one of those rare moments when his creepy smile had trouble staying on his lips.
“Think about it. The crypto market crashed right before he returned everything.”
Yugo smirked. “Are you implying that he’s somehow involved? I’m glad you think so highly of him, although I doubt he has that kind of dedication.”
“I’m not implying. A few days ago, he paid dozens of YouTube influencers to spin negative news about the crypto market going down.
I don’t know if it was pure luck or if he had some inside information about whales selling their stashes, but I’ll find out ‘cause Mio wasn’t the only one shorting big with huge leverage [1] to buy back at the lowest price. ”
Yugo laughed. “He gambled with your money? What was the leverage ratio?”
“Five to one.”
“That’s a lot of money,” Greg chimed in, scratching his cheek as he resumed his stock-still position. “What does he need it for?”
Yugo’s mind drifted back to Mio’s last attempt at adolescent rebellion. The boy had been desperate when he screamed his hatred of the S-Syndicate at the top of his lungs.
Then, his own words echoed through his head. “ If you hate it, you’re always welcome to walk away. Go ahead, find yourself a decent job that pays a thousand euros a month. I’ll watch you try to survive on that, or do you think I’ll always pay your bills?”
Did I push him too far?
“Leave him be, and concentrate on your job.” Tobias hesitated as if displeased with something. “What is it? You’ve got your money; what more do you want?”
“Interests and answers. The fact that he paid it back alarms me the most.” Tobias lowered his chin, staring up from under his pale brows. “He’s up to no good.”
“Maybe he regrets his actions?” Yugo said, though the unpleasant thought that Mio had left the S-Syndicate and decided to live on his own chafed his nerves.
Even though he’d said that quitting was an option, in his soul, he’d never considered it possible.
Mio would have to inherit the business, no matter what.
“He never regretsss anything.” Tobias stopped blinking, his smile froze, and he started drawing out hissing sounds. “He isss onto sssomething. I feel it in my gut.”
“Then find him and don’t let him out of your sight again. After all, I pay you for it.”
“Fine.” Tobias jerked to his feet, calves hitting the seat.
Smoothly, the chair rolled back and knocked against Greg’s knee.
“Don’t blame me later if he does something funny, for I have warned you.
I’m going to Kabul. Alone. I’ll look for him when I’m back.
” He turned to the door but halted. “Oh, by the way, while I’m here, I’ll borrow your intelligence and Greg. ”
Without another word, he slipped out of the office.
When Greg turned to follow the blond man out, Yugo blew a breath of irritation. “Hold on a second.”
“Boss?” The bulky man tilted his head to the side, black eyes trained on Yugo.
“What were you doing that you didn’t notice an intruder?” Leaning sideways, Yugo rested his elbow on the armrest and his cheek on his palm.
Greg shrugged. “Not much. I wasn’t notified because he’s whitelisted. That was the deal.”
“This is my house. I don’t like him snooping around.
Next time he shows up, have someone follow him around, even to the bathroom.
” Yugo dismissed him with a flick of his hand and turned to the window.
The fly sat motionless and resigned on the clear glass, apparently tired of the fight.
When he sensed no movement behind him, Yugo added, “Starting now.”
“Tobias’ instincts have never been wrong before.” Greg didn’t make a single attempt to leave.
“Is he right about Kuon too? Is it what you think?”
“No,” he replied without hesitation. “I don’t think so. But Mio could get in trouble. That’s a lot of money. Maybe we should use police resources to locate him?”
“No. I can’t protect him for the rest of his life. Also, I’m curious. Just find him.”
With a nod, Greg left the office.
Time seemed to move differently in solitude.
It felt like hours had passed, yet the door behind Kuon’s back had barely warmed.
Without Yugo’s shameless touches, there was no one to chase away the venomous snakes of his memories that now swarmed in the corners, hissing and threatening to bite.
Spreading, spreading, spreading, poisoning the room with tiny flashbacks.
His mind drifted, falling into a semi-hypnotic state.
Everything looked distorted as if viewed through a fisheye lens.
The floor bulged before his eyes, so he had to move with caution, probing the way with his foot as he approached the window.
He caught the curtain in his hand, maroon velvet wrapping around his fingers.
Embroidered with gold thread, the heavy fabric slipped through his grip.
He squinted and ran his thumb over the familiar damask pattern.
The smells and textures messed with his mind, stripping away the thin layer of time that had covered the raw wounds of his darkest memories. The parallel lines of past and present that should never have crossed now collided.
Pain. Humiliation. Misery. The hell of isolation in the confines of this room. The broken spirit and pride brought to its knees.
Darts of flashbacks zapped through his mind’s eye, slashing, hurting. So vivid, they made him feel as if he’d fallen back in time, or perhaps that mentally, he’d never left. His heart raced, his breathing grew shallow, and the urge to escape this damned room for good overwhelmed him.
The walls were closing in on him. Staying here for another moment felt like torture, so he dropped the curtain, turned around, and darted to the door. He grabbed the bronze handle and threw the door open, only to have a shadow rise up in front of him, eclipsing the light, threatening his freedom.
Just like before.
Kuon recoiled, his body reacting with habitual motions ingrained during captivity. His heart leaped to his throat, and it took him a few moments to realize that the man lacked Greg’s bulk or Yugo’s height.
“Hi, Puppy. Thought I’d drop by again to introduce myself properly.”
Panic pulled its claws from around his throat, letting some air into his lungs. Kuon blinked, noticing the distressed maroon T-shirt and a shock of yellow hair. The creepy grin Tobias wore gave him the chills.
Kuon swallowed to moisten his parched throat.
“No need. I know who you are,” he replied, surprised at how calm his voice sounded. “What do you want, and where’s Yugo?”
“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I mean you no harm.
” The man pressed his palm against the doorjamb, barring the only way out with his sinewy arm.
Fighting the urge to regain his personal space, Kuon held his ground as the man, whose age could be anywhere from twenty-five to forty, leaned into him, washing him in a soft smell of burned wood and moss.
The intense, probing gaze made his hackles rise.
He caught himself staring; he’d never seen such ghastly eyes.
The irises seemed whitish due to a lack of pigment, or maybe Kuon’s flawed vision couldn’t discern the color.
They didn’t look reddish or violet like those of albinos, but the palest blue possible, with no sign of deepening toward the outer rim.
The sun-bleached eyelashes added no color.
In the midst of this pallor, the black holes of the pinpoint pupils stood out sharply as they examined him with clinical curiosity.
Tobias had a slender build and was a couple of inches shorter than him, but the way he assessed Kuon reminded him of the darkest alleys in the most dangerous neighborhoods. It was the look of a predator seeking its prey, and now the man dissected him, looking for weaknesses.
“I won’t lie, I’m intrigued. Even though I saw your pictures, you’re not at all what I expected.
Not his usual type, you know? Too flawed, too brawny.
I wonder what he sees in you. By the way, does it still hurt?
” With a free hand, the man tapped the spot beneath his pale eye, reminding Kuon of the sunglasses left behind.
“I can introduce you to a good surgeon if you want.”
His jaw clenched, Kuon nodded toward the stairs. “You must be lost. The exit is over there.”
“Look at you, living back in your former kennel with such eagerness. Guarding your territory, barking at intruders. Impressive, Puppy, impressive. Enjoy your domain, but don’t forget that a leash is a leash, even if it’s not around your neck.
How long is yours?” Tobias retreated with feline grace.
For a brief moment, the creepy, crooked smile left his face.
With his expression neutral, he looked like a totally different person.
The slightly hollow cheeks, intelligent eyes, and the hard line of his mouth didn’t make him classically handsome, but at least not repulsive.
If it weren’t for the eerie eyes maybe he was even attractive.
Kuon understood why no one could properly describe him.
Except for the eyes, there was nothing in his face to focus on.
It would slip from memory the next moment.
The perfect type for secret service. “Oh well…”
The blond turned on his heel, snapped his fingers. Something metallic glinted in the air and landed on the burgundy carpet.
“Hey,” Kuon called after him. “You dropped something.”
The man flashed him another creepy smile over his shoulder.
“No, Puppy, you are mistaken. It’s yours.
Call me sometime if you get lonely in your kennel.
I’m a great listener and an even better counselor.
I don’t think you’ll last long here anyway.
People like you rarely do, and then you’ll need my help. ”
Kuon crouched down and picked up a thin piece of plastic with a number on one side and a chip on the other. A SIM card?
“I don’t need it.” He lifted his gaze, but Tobias had already disappeared downstairs.
Uncertain of what to think of this strange encounter and the unexpected “gift,” Kuon returned to the room but froze after a few steps in.
Without Yugo, the bedroom felt stuffy and too loud with memories he didn’t want to process.
Wavering, he glanced back at the door, then at the SIM card in his hand. What could he possibly want from me? I should get rid of it. Not that I have a phone to call him anyway.
Despite the thought, he pocketed the SIM card, grabbed his sunglasses from the bed, and walked out. His resentment toward this room, this house, had not diminished over time.
No one was around as he descended the stairs, opened the door, and left the mansion.