I stole another glimpse of his scars, more noticeable now than the previous night. When he caught the direction of my gaze, I quickly looked away.
Viktor steepled his fingers. “Enough, enough. It’s a fair question. No, Raven. Zero is just a way to communicate to our contacts when we need their assistance.”
“Like getting Christian lemon bars?”
Gem played with a crystal necklace that hung from her neck.
“We do not advertise our group, so that’s the first thing you must know,” Viktor said, flattening his hands on the table. “It is possible with time that the public will figure this out, but for now, we choose to remain underground.”
“I understand.”
“Good. We are Keystone. There wasn’t a need for a name when it was just me, but after picking up Niko, Blue, and Wyatt, everyone felt we needed something to call ourselves. The main rooms have archways with a keystone at the top. I like the meaning, because a keystone is the center stone that locks the arch together. It holds the pieces in place. Years ago, I wanted to do something with my life that had meaning. I had the right connections, so I decided to become a local bounty hunter. It evolved from there, and I sought out a partner. Soon the idea became bigger than me, so I looked around at all this space and thought, why not? It seemed a shame to let the mansion go to waste. Having the team live here makes it feel more like a home, and a team should be a family. Everyone here has an important role; we’re not just warriors. I have assembled an equal balance of muscle and intelligence.”
He took a sip from his water glass.
“Do you get assigned cases? Does everyone work on the same thing?”
Viktor set down his glass and waved his finger. “We never have just one open case, and I decide what jobs we take. Sometimes we open our own cases, and other times our services are requested. I’ve created a unique system that allows us to work independently and not answer to anyone. Since you are new, I’ll fill you in on a case we’re working on. Darius Bane has been high on the hit list for some time, and it doesn’t look like anyone is close to arresting him due to lack of evidence. However, we have several tips from reliable sources. The most recent crime dates back two weeks.”
“What’s he done?”
“He’s a human killer. Do you know why that is a deplorable crime? Because humans are the weaker species, and therefore deserve our mercy. Since his victims are human and not part of our world, we cannot call them to witness. But repeat offenders leave… how you say… fingerprints?” He looked to Shepherd for help.
Shepherd drew in a deep puff of the cigarette. “I think what you mean is that they follow a pattern.”
Viktor nodded. “Thank you. Pattern is correct. You cannot allow immortals to kill humans. Empowerment is a dangerous thing and can lead to even greater crimes against humanity. It is true that humans would wage war against us if they knew we existed, but that is out of fear. Men like this bring more into their circle and plan murders in greater numbers. Soon they will want to rise up against humans in a rebellion. We will never be able to live peacefully and openly with humans, and that’s why, centuries ago, Breed went underground and made ourselves into nothing but bedtime stories. It is far easier to live in peace, even if it means keeping ourselves secret. And we must always remember that they are the weaker species, even if they dominate us in numbers.”
“I understand.” And I did. After being around some of the older immortals, they had this sense of entitlement about them, as if they belonged in this world and humans didn’t. Maybe that was why I tried a little harder to protect humans.
“This man, he is no good.” Viktor began to spout off in Russian until Gem patted his hand.
“English,” she said.
He sat back in his chair. “Forgive me. I think in Russian, I speak in English… It’s too confusing.”
Gem smiled and winked at me, as if implying this happened a lot when Viktor became emotional.
Then his gaze swung in my direction. “Our paths crossed a few months ago when you took out one of Mr. Bane’s men. That’s how we came to eventually track you down.”
“Did you say his name was Darius?”
“Da.”
“The other night, I overheard some big shot talking to his lackey about killing a human club owner and making it look like a local gang. He wanted to torch the place, but I really didn’t get what his motive was. The other man called him Darius. Do you think it could be the same guy?”
Viktor launched to his feet and kicked his chair over. “Son of bitch,” he growled in broken English.
“I don’t think he went through with it,” I quickly added. “His partner got a good look at me and knows that I overheard their conversation.”