Realistic or Modern Decadence [Accepting]

[Luxury Hotline]

"Yeah, and you're coming with me." Cyrus called out, beckoning Yuki. He figured the man could make sense of things he couldn't while he focused on Vadim.

 

[VariksTheLoyal]

Yuki bounced up after Cyrus, managing to remember to take his badge and shit with him this time. He had learned. "What happened? It sounded like Vadim was on the phone. Did he work something out?"

 

[Luxury Hotline]

"He's claiming the octopus and coyote managed to get into his office, but they didn't kill him. They just asked him to hold a note for me." Cyrus spoke. "Why they suddenly spared everyone is beyond me, but they at least knew that nobody would steal the note off of him." He continued as he got in his car, revving up the engine. "This all sounds really fucking weird, but I think we're going to make some major progress."

 

[VariksTheLoyal]

"They have to be looking to be found out. They wouldn't be leaving notes without that." Yuki said, having an internal celebration that he might be right all along. "You talk to Vadim, he won't take me seriously since he...uh, doesn't know me as well." Nice last minute save there, Yuki.

 

[Luxury Hotline]

"I just need you to keep him occupied while I look over everything. Then I'll take over from there." Cyrus spoke with a nod, driving out to the building. "Also, they only killed two newer guards on the way to his office, got into there, and he claims they were really hesitating even though he was drunk and vulnerable." He kept going, getting out of the car after the short drive. "And only one camera on a closed off hallway was broken, but not the one in his office." He kept speaking to Yuki, walking past the guards with no trouble.

 

[VariksTheLoyal]

"I don't think they saw the one in his office. I didn't notice it until I was leaving yesterday, it's well hidden." Yuki added, stepping inside the elevator and pushing the button he saw the guard press the day before to go up. "What time of night was this? Same as before?"

 

[Luxury Hotline]

"Around 7, half eight." Cyrus replied, going up the elevator and tapping his foot. "But we've dodged a serious bullet here. As much as I fucking hate mafia and everything they're involved with, they're holding this city up. And that kid needs some real fucking guidance." He walked out once they were on the top floor, knocking on Vadim's door. "It's Cyrus and Yuki." He called out before letting himself in.

 

[VariksTheLoyal]

Yuki stepped inside the office, stopping as soon as he walked in and pausing as he stared at the ground. "Speckles of blood going from the door to the middle of the room. That has to be them." He moved aside so Cyrus could walk inside properly, crouching down for a few moments to examine the marks left behind.

 

[Luxury Hotline]

Vadim was under his many blankets, visibly shaken as he watched the two detectives. "How am I alive, Cyrus? They were here, I know they were..."
Cyrus gently shushed him, moving to his side and taking a seat. "I think your idea of this being part of a political agenda is right. But we don't know who is behind all this. At all." He spoke, wringing his hands. "You have that note on you?"
Vadim nodded, handing the paper to Cyrus. "They specifically asked for you."
Cyrus hummed lowly, unfolding the paper and waving over Yuki.
'We don't want to be doing this. We're getting phonecalls leading us to these places and they threaten us if we don't do as they say. They sent me a warning after the last note. Please look into this, we're tired, stressed, and being manipulated.'
Cyrus read aloud, brow furrowed.

 

[VariksTheLoyal]

Yuki raised his eyebrows in understanding as everything became a lot clearer. "So they're not doing it of their own choice? That...changes things. Did they leave any kind of instructions of how to find them? An address?"

 

[Luxury Hotline]

Cyrus glanced at the bottom of the paper, finding a number written at the bottom, albeit it was shaky and hard to make out. "They're obviously scared of arrest. But at least they knew when to stop." He sighed, folding up the paper and pocketing it. "And where is the security footage?"
"Already loaded at the TV by the desk." Vadim stammered.

 

[VariksTheLoyal]

Yuki took a seat at the desk, beckoning for Cyrus to join him. He knew he;'d be better at skipping through all the unnecessary stuff, but he started to flip through the footage all the same. He put it back to normal speed when the coyote burst in, watching it all play out before him with an expression of interest. When the octopus joined him, he thought to himself that for a pair that had committed countless murders now, they seemed remarkably human. He wasn't sure what he was actually expecting of them.

 

[Luxury Hotline]

Vadim was behind the two, frowning slightly. "I was drunk, sure. But I wasn't actually that drunk. I was trying to lower his guard at first, get him close because he didn't look like he had a gun, and hit him with a bottle I had under the blankets. But it didn't really come to that." He sighed.
Cyrus nodded along slowly, brow furrowed when he saw the octopus-masked one look directly at the camera for a good few seconds while writing his note.

 

[VariksTheLoyal]

"Right..." Yuki nodded with Cyrus, not entirely convinced by Vadim's justifications. Whatever he had been saying to him seemed to have scared the coyote enough though, or rather both of them as they were seen running straight off the office just seconds later. "Weird how the octopus knew where the camera was but the other one didn't bother to look. He must've known there was something watching him in there other than you, Vadim."

 

[Luxury Hotline]

"And then one of them kept talking through a tape recorder. The coyote one." Vadim added. "I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep right after hearing that bullshit. It was nightmarish."
Cyrus gave a low hum of pity. The tape sounded more horrifying through the low quality camera footage.

 

[VariksTheLoyal]

"That's a lot of work just for this. Why's he so determined to hide who he is compared to the octopus?" Yuki mused, watching the way the coyote flipped back and forth between phrases seemingly without effort. "And unique."

 

[Luxury Hotline]

"Octo is taking more risk, I believe. He's the one using guns, charging at cameras, and generally clearing out before coyote comes in." Cyrus explained. "And I'm willing to bet it's his number on this paper."

 

[VariksTheLoyal]

"Call it, see where it goes." Yuki suggested, nodding towards the phone on the desk near him. "Worst case is we get the wrong number. Best, we can start working with them."

 

[Luxury Hotline]

"No no, we need to look this up first and attach a name and address to it. Then we can see this guy in person, if he put down his own number." Cyrus spoke up. "And Vadim, you need to move out of here and lay low for a good while. At least until we get further into this case."

 

[VariksTheLoyal]

Yuki opened his mouth to argue back, then shut it again. He couldn't understand why they had to follow procedures exactly at a time like this, all they had to do was call and ask for the information. It wasn't that likely to be wrong, in his eyes. But he wasn't about to start that off with Cyrus, it was too much effort.

 

[Luxury Hotline]

"Yuki, we're close to something big here. We can't take any risks." Cyrus spoke, sensing the other's irritability. "And there's always the chance that if we call now, they'll panic and run before we get there."

 

[VariksTheLoyal]

"Look at him, the coyote at least looks terrified. I don't think they'll run away from us, they'll run TO us." Yuki said, tapping the TV screen. "And if the octopus is leaving notes, then that only confirms what I'm thinking. It says in the note that they're scared and they've bee manipulated. The sooner we contact them, the less chance they have of changing their minds."

 

[Luxury Hotline]

"It won't take long to do a bit of a lookup, especially with a full number." Cyrus replied. "So less arguing, more going back to the station. Or I go back to the station. You stay here with Vadim and make sure nobody but mafia or me walks in." He commanded before rushing out, taking the stairs downwards.

 

[VariksTheLoyal]

Yuki sighed through his nose at Cyrus, turning to face Vadim. "If you need somewhere to stay, I've got two dogs that need a friend while I'm working." He offered before he realized quite what he'd just said.

 

[Luxury Hotline]

"Thanks for the offer but I don't think that's safe. At all." Vadim huffed, sauntering back over to his couch. "For you and for me, for that matter. If they find out where I am again, you're a target."