Blackbourne Investigations 01 - Introductions

Chapter 5 - Silas

The first thing I saw was a darkened room with a bank of screens, completely covering a wall, each showing what looked to be different camera angles.

A comfortable high-backed chair swung around and a giant stood up.  He was at least over a foot taller than me.  He strode over to me and I stared up at him in a stupor.  His deep black hair shined with the light from the screens behind.  His eyes were deep brown.  His jaw was firm and squared, sporting a heavy shadow.   His navy blue t-shirt was closely fitted to his chest and torso.  He was wearing some kind of straps around his shoulders.  A shoulder harness?  Why did I find that so attractive?

I was speechless.  I wasn’t sure what to say or how to respond.  I thought private investigators were suppose to be thick around the middle and balding?  Every single one of them was breaking the mould.  Silas stared down at me. 

                    

‘Can I help you?’ he asked.  His voice was deep, nearly reverberating through me. 

I resembled a fish, my mouth opening and closing slowly.  I was terrified.  Why did Victor do this to me?  I turned my head slightly and slid my eyes sideways to Victor.

‘Smooth Silas, smooth’ Victor piped in.

Silas leaned forward and peered around the door to see Victor leaning nonchalantly against the wall.  I took a step backwards and hit a chest.  Kota had stepped close behind me.  I took a small hesitant step forward trying to get a balance between being plastered to Kota or eyeballing Silas’ chest.

‘Who’s she?’ Silas demanded.

‘I’m Sang’ I said.  It was both refreshing and terrifying to say my own name.  I hoped my decision wouldn’t come back to haunt me. 

Silas turned to me and raised a thick dark eyebrow. ‘And?’ The way he peered down at me, I knew it wasn’t his fault, but he made me feel so small.  He radiated strength.  I guess in this job that’s a good thing.  I tried to straighten myself up to be a little taller.

‘She’s Sang, our new receptionist’, Victor clarified. 

Silas’s forehead wrinkled then he slowly grinned at me.  He pointed over his shoulder at a mountain of paper and files on the side of the long desk under the monitors. ‘You able to help me with that?’ he asked.  I tried to smile up at him, ‘That’s what I’m here for.’

‘That’s it, we’re keeping her’ he said, reaching out and pulling me into a hug.  My brain went into panic mode.  Someone was hugging me.  What do you do?  I fought the urge to start struggling.  I could hear his heartbeat pounding through his massive chest and his arms wrap completely around my back.   The faint smell of the ocean washed over me.  I stood stiff as a pole.  He released me and I stared up at him. 

‘Sorry, you just made my week saying you’d help with the paperwork.  Kota is a slavedriver with the paperwork; you are literally the answer to all my prayers.’

I gave him a tentative smile then heard a snort from behind me.  Both Kota and Victor looked carefully blank faced when I turned.