Heathens

He really wasn't in any hurry, the girl he was after was going to be exactly where the text message from her father had instructed, the hang up by the old man had fortuitous to him, really a stroke of pure luck as he sat comfortably in the third seat of the stretch that looked remarkably like the one he knew her father drove. The Russian was proud of his genius really, he always was, and he knew his partner waiting back at their destination would be as well in her own emotionless way. He was eager for this, for the plans they had and the harm they intended. These two were interesting in their histories and their recent activities, he couldn't wait to play with them, and he was sure Elise was just as eager.

He cleared his throat to alert the driver to stop soon, seeing her right where she was supposed to be. What a good girl, he snickered, letting his expression turn sinister and twisted before putting on a polite and slightly exasperated smile, rolling down the window, "ah miss? Are you a one, Zaniah Auriga?" The name rolled off his tongue strangely when coupled with his accent, and he flashed her an apologetic smile, "I am Sasha, your father sent me to fetch you in his stead?" He laughed softly, "He was held up, but he assured me he would meet us at the restaurant." Dinner plans, that had been what the text conversation has said, "Altair sends his apologies for his absence." He chuckled and rolled up the window before opening the door and stepping out, dressed in a fine, snappy suit he held the door open for her, "I understand this is inconvenient, my apologies."

It was surprising, and almost sad how easily this girl trusted him, jet lag was a hell of a thing it seemed, he didn't even have to charm or beguile her into the vehicle, she climbed right in. His associate Elise would be so intensely pleased with how hook, line, and sinker this pick up had gone. He was more than prepared to fight the girl into the car if he needed to, but this was much less messy, much more discreet, "a shame. I attempted to persuade him to come personally but...Well you know how he is." He glanced to the side with an expression of mock exasperation, feigning that he was apologetic and also rather put off by the father not wishing to come personally to collect his daughter.

He gave a polite bow to her words anyway, smiling, "still, I must on his behalf, I am sure seeing my face instead was rather alarming." His smile was gentle and apologetic, but brightened when she asked how long he'd been working there, "only a few months, opportunity presented itself and well, my mama always told me to strike first." There was a hidden thread in those words he was sure she wouldn't pick up on, "I was not about to let such an opportunity pass me by. So I struck." He chuckled, glancing out the window, "right at the heart."

Sasha chuckled dryly and nodded, "yes, an unpleasant man on good day, unbearable on bad." He had some idea through his research into these kids that their relationship with their father was strained, well worse than strained, it was fascinating to see the kind of subtle distaste that one could feel for a parent, and he was surprised that she was so openly sharing these thoughts with him, "shaky relationship?" He chuckled, "I can sympathize." His face wrinkled a little in distaste, "mother was wildly unpleasant woman." That was an understatement, but he was here to do a job, not make conversation and share his life story, just enough to perhaps put her more at ease.

He shrugged off her sass when she apologized for it, laughing, "is nothing." His interest seemed to perk a little however when she spoke of the things she'd be recently involved in. She was so trusting, he didn't know whether it was blissful naivety or jet lag, but it was almost pathetic to him how easily she had fallen into his clutches, "oh yes?" His eyes were bright and he chuckled, "sounds exciting." There had not been enough information on what she was talking about, he knew it was an endeavor still in its infancy, but that was all that was within their reach thus far.

When the car turned to the left, his pleasant expression became just a little bit sinister, "No. I assure you we are going right way." He was glad when she fell right into his trap, the distraction of her talking to the driver was all he needed as he slipped a pair of cuffs from his coat and grabbed her with lightning speed, Setting his knee down firmly against the middle of her back as he grabbed her hands and quickly restrained them with the cuffs behind her back. Not trusting her ability with her legs, he placed his arm at the back of her neck and put his weight against her, not enough to choke, but enough to leave her mostly unable to move.

He laughed when he had her held down against the seat, leaning in close to her ear, "did mother not teach you never to trust strangers, durak?" He gave her a sick sort of smile, "is not far. My associate will be pleased to see you." He was amazed and a little embarrassed by how easy this grab had been, he'd expected these two to be much more difficult to get his hands on, but they'd fallen right into their trap.

She was trained, that was something he'd read when looking into these two, fairly talented, it was a shame that she'd been so easily overcome, he was impressed that even in this hold she still attempted to struggle, he was half tempted to drug her, but he would save that for if she managed to break from his hold and fight back. He laughed though, pressing in closer and running his fingers through her hair, "where was all that training I read about, Zaniah?" He was speaking close to her ear still, his voice a gentle and disturbingly pleasant hiss, almost conversational, he wasn't worried, he had nothing to be on alert for.

At her question, he chuckled and leaned in closer, using the hand stroking her hair gently to turn her face to look at him, "only to talk, my sweetest thing, only to talk." There was a sick sweetness in his voice, and an almost flirting undertone as he held her steady, "are we nearly there?" He glanced up at the driver through the small window, getting an answer that they would arrive in about five minutes, "we are not going to harm you." His face was twisted into a sick smile and he snickered, "only talk. And wait for your lovely brother to find you." It was half truth, neither of them intended to hurt her, they had something much more personal in mind.

He laughed when she gained some fight, shaking his head and giving her a mocking grin, "no. I do not think I will." He had the upper hand here, with her pinned and the size of the space, her options for movement were limited. But he'd been proven wrong before, and he did not even register what she was doing when she began to move, a fatal error on his part, too confident, it was a problem that the young man often had when in situations like this. The adrenaline and drive often blocked out some of the more subtle things happening around him, the thrill of catching his prey left him more vulnerable and open to retaliation.

His eyes widened when he felt the blade slice across his calf, and he let out a loud hiss in response, jerking back on instinct and loosening the arm that she'd bitten, "sukin syn! You little bitch!" His eyes flared up in a furious anger as he moved just a bit to put pressure over the wound, enough of a distraction for her to make a phone call. He heard the phone drop to the floor just in time to see her beginning to try and stand, letting out a manic laugh as he suddenly placed his hand on the back of her head and slammed her face against the cushion of the leather seat, "I was going to let you stay conscious for this, you little bitch, but if you cannot behave..." He kept her face smothered there as he pressed his body against her into the seat, using his free hand to slip a needle from the device on his wrist, under the cuff of his sleeve, "we will just have to make you more...agreeable." He laughed cruelly as he stuck the needle into the nape of her neck, hitting the vein with practiced precision before pulling away to let her breath.

Sasha looked satisfied when he felt her body begin to go limp and loose beneath him, "goood girl." He cooed softly, a growling tone in his voice behind the pleasant purr. When she was completely immobile, he pulled back and lifted her easily, laying her across the seat while he ran a finger under her chin, "this could have been avoided, pet." He chuckled, reaching for a satchel that was laying across the seat to pull out a small roll of bandages, she hadn't cut him deep enough to worry, but he wanted to stop the bleeding anyway and was careful as he wrapped the wound, "if you would have just stayed still." He shot her a cruel smile, "no choice now." He looked up when the driver alerted him that they'd arrived, "good."

When the vehicle pulled in to the warehouse where they were conducting this business, Sasha wasted no time in pulling the helpless girl from the vehicle, slinging her over his shoulder as he began to carry her inside, "we are only going to speak to you...And your brother." He said this as he palmed her phone with his free hand, which he'd slipped into his pocket before pulling her out of the car.

When he got to the door of the building, he quickly keyed in a pass code, carrying her down a long hall into a room with a chair, affixed with restraints along the arms and legs. He knew his associate was in the building somewhere, and made quick work of getting her set up in the chair before shooting Elise a quick message to let her know that they were here, "only a moment more, my sweet dove, and my associate will be here." He put a hand on her cheek, giving her a sick smile before leaning in to kiss her forehead, laughing as he pulled back.

Heels clicked and echoed across the cement floors of the warehouse as Elise appeared. Tall, thin, blonde, attractive and dressed in a suit that by itself probably cost more than the monthly salary of the average person she cut an impressive figure. Disturbingly though, her eyes and expression were flat, betraying little to no emotion, even all the way down in their depths. This is a woman who was cold, dead inside, driven by who knew what manner of cold logic.

Her gaze flickered from Sasha to the woman restrained in the chair. She gave a bit of a shake of her head as she came close enough to brush at the rumpled clothing, the mussed hair and bruises that were slowly but surely forming.

"Really, Sasha?" She asked bluntly, in an unmistakably, cultivated British tone, someone who'd undoubtedly spent many years in finishing schools and among other high society sorts.

"This woman is our guest...and you deliver her here to me like this." Another shake of her head. "Sometimes you enjoy your fun a bit too much, Sasha." She was not much of a fan of physically injuring people, when so much more lasting damage could be done with a carefully placed word or thought put into someone's mind.

"This was not how I had intended to meet you." She addressed the woman herself now. "I would apologize for his behavior, but I'm not sure what that would do or prove. I am Elise Cavanaugh. It is interesting to meet you after all this time...I have followed your arc with great interest..."