CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Igor's Hostel, Ural Territory, December 6, 2308 03:08:12 (T-Minus 07:02:51:48)
Hotaru woke well before her alarm, but resisted the urge to vault out of bed and rush off to the airport. She lay under the covers, feeling the warmth they provided. Though her body was technically at rest, her mind was already in the Ukraine, trying to track down 0247893.
She knew her first step would be to get to the hotel where he had stayed. Maybe he had left a clue. Not likely, She chided herself. If he was as good as Control made him out to be, 0247893 would be a difficult Target to find, much less Deliver to.
Hotaru fought the urge to rise for five more minutes, then decided it was a losing battle, and headed for the shower. As she passed the dresser, she noticed the clock read 03:15. Well, I do like being early. She thought to herself. Pulling her top over her head, she entered the bathroom. She tossed her pajama top in the corner of the bathroom, and her bottoms followed suit. She walked over to the shower, programming it for forty-one degrees.
The water sprayed against the back of the shower, and she stepped into the stream, feeling the warmth penetrate her body. Steam rose up around her as she washed her hair. She reached for the vanilla scented soap, but opted for the decidedly female scent of rose petals. Perhaps it would lend an advantage to her hunt. She stood in the water for another minute, relishing the moment of free time she had before her world took off at a rapid pace once again.
Shutting off the water, she opened the glass door, and grabbed the towel, wrapping around her body as she stepped onto the heated tile floor. A second towel was in her hand instantly as she dried her hair, and then worked it up into a loose bun. Two chopsticks held the bun in place, and she padded off to the bedroom to dress.
Her uniform had been cleaned and was waiting on the dresser, but Hotaru wanted a different approach to this mission. She would wear the uniform when the time was right. There was no use in telling 0247893 she was the one who was after him right away. Perhaps Slade would reveal himself if he felt there was no heat on him. It was worth a shot.
Turning to the dining room, Hotaru found the three outfits she had asked Igor to get for her. Which one for today? She wondered. She inspected the three individually, hoping inspiration would strike her.
The first was red, which she thought would highlight her complexion and eyes. It looked to be a tight-fitting number, with gold accents up the left side, and a high neckline. As she examined the accents more closely, she realized that it was actually a dragon, whose head stood atop the left shoulder, and whose body and tail wove its way down the dress to end at the hem, which was about two centimeters off the floor. Gold high-heeled shoes completed the outfit.
Nice, but a little formal for a flight to the Ukraine. Perhaps if I have to go to a state dinner to find him.
She moved to the second, a black pencil dress. There was a red striped belt that accessorized nicely with the onyx bracelets lying next to the belt on the table. A pair of black patent leather Mary Janes waited with the outfit. The neckline was a little daring for Hotaru, but it was definitely a better choice than the formal dress.
Maybe after I Deliver this Letter, I'll join the iCorps secretarial pool. She chuckled to herself.
The last choice was a matching tailored jacket and pant set. A beige tweed, there was a white blouse with a high, stiff collar placed alongside it. A pair of dark brown flats completed the outfit. She smiled to herself as she realized this was the outfit she was looking for. On a whim, she decided on the pencil dress and its accessories too, should the need arise for something a little daring.
“A girl can never have too many outfits.”
Dressed in the suit, Hotaru packed the pencil dress, shoes, and accessories along with her Emissary uniform in a small suitcase that Igor had left for her. He was sure a smart guy. But then again, he had been in the profession for a while, and probably knew more about what she needed than she did herself at this point.
She attached her chronometer, which read 04:30. Her flight left in four and a half hours. She needed breakfast. But first, she needed to settle the tab for these dresses with Igor. She dialed the front desk, and asked Igor to come up to her room. While she waited, she programmed the MKIII for eggs, bacon, and toast, with juice and coffee for two. As an afterthought she ordered a fruit plate and some toast in case Igor had already eaten. There was a polite knock at the door.
Opening it, she found Igor dressed in jeans and a cable-knit sweater. There were no food stains this time, and she felt as if she was looking at a different person.
"Igor, please come in." She stepped aside to let him pass.
"Emissary, I am honored. It is not everyday that I have the opportunity to eat breakfast with a lovely woman like yourself."
She smiled. "Keep trying, Igor. It won't get you anywhere. I have a Letter to Deliver."
"Oh? You are leaving so soon? I was hoping you would grace the hostel with your company for a few days more."
"I would love to. The hostel has exceeded every expectation I could have had. You do a wonderful job taking care of us Emissaries." She turned to the table, with its waiting food. "Shall we eat? Then we can settle the bill for these lovely outfits."
They both sat, and tucked in to the spread before them. It wasn't long before Igor broke the silence.
"Your mission, does it take you far?"
"To Ukraine Territory, actually," she said, animatedly. "I've never been, even on vacation."
"But that is outside your Zone..."
"A special Delivery."
"And you can't tell me about it, can you?"
Hotaru shook her head. "Classified," she said around a mouthful of eggs.
"Wow. That must be some assignment."
"Mmm hmm." She nodded. "Gave me seven days to complete it. Have you ever heard of that? That's insanely long."
Igor looked her square in the eyes. The soft grey of his eyes had turned to cold steel.
"Seven days?"
"Yeah..."
"Emissary, the only mission requiring seven days is the termination of another Emissary. What happened?"
"I really shouldn't say. They made me verify my biometric identity twice. Made me swear to keep the information private."
"I'll respect that. But if you ever get into trouble, remember that you can always come here, and I'll patch you up."
She smiled, placing her hand on his wrist.
"Igor, you're the friendliest acquaintance I've ever met. Thank you for your hospitality thus far. Which reminds me, what is the total for the pencil dress, the beige suit, and the accessories that go with them?"
"You didn't like the red dress?"
"On the contrary! I loved it. But it's a little formal for chasing someone, don't you think?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "It was worth a try. Bet you looked killer in it."
"You wish. Stop trying to flirt with me and finish your eggs, what is the total?"
"Four hundred and fifty Royals."
She paused, mid-bite. "How much?"
"Four hundred and fifty Royals," Igor repeated. "I had to bargain for an hour to get that price."
Hotaru smiled. "Igor, relax. That price is fine. I was expecting a higher price."
They finished the eggs and toast, and Hotaru took a sprig of grapes from the plate. She stood, and walked to the window, looking out at the dark sky and the lights of the city twinkling below her. She was going to miss this place. After being here for less than a week, it already felt like home. Maybe when she retired, she'd come back.
"When do you leave?" He asked her.
"My flight's at nine. I need to be there by eight-thirty."
"Then you need to leave in twenty minutes. It's only about fifty minutes by hover, but the check-in lines are amazingly long, even for an Emissary. The normal rules don't apply here in Moscow."
"I'm all packed." She turned to face Igor. "Thanks again for your help. Having someone to watch out for you is very rare in our line of w
ork."
"You are most welcome." He stood from the table, placed his palms together, and made a short bow to her. "I do hope to see you again, Emissary."
He turned, and in one fluid motion scooped the red dress and gold shoes up in one hand, and the dirty plates in his other. He walked to the door, opened it with his elbow, and headed out to the hallway. The door closed behind him with a loud click.
Hotaru suddenly felt alone, empty. She shook her head in annoyance, and finished packing her things. She made one final sweep of the room, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything, and headed down to the lobby, where her hover would be waiting.
Igor was waiting at the front desk with two bills for her to authorize. The iCorps bill had two days lodging and food on it. She pressed her thumbprint to the bottom of the Tablet, authorizing the purchase. She turned to the second bill - the one for the outfits. She scanned the bill to make sure Igor hadn't forgotten anything. It all looked in order. She tapped a couple keys and added a fifty Royal tip for his services. She quickly authorized it, and handed both Tablets back.
"I'll be back, Igor. Don't worry. The service is too good for me to stay away."
She smiled and walked to her hover. An attendant had already put her luggage in the trunk. She climbed into the driver's seat, and programmed the hover for Domodedovo Airport. As the hover pulled away, Hotaru wondered if she'd be able to make good on her last statement
Death's Twilight Page 23
