Draugr

Nine

Nine.

Astrid froze as the man walked on, oblivious of her presence and she slowly turned to see the buff shape reach the barred door of the unmarked store and rap on the door with his fist. Shaking herself, she raced after him as the door opened to admit him and burst through the door, leaping through the closing portal and landing in a gloomy corridor with peeling plaster and a flickering strip light. The murderer was walking unselfconsciously along until he arrived at a heavily armoured door, guarded by two large men in brown leather.

"The Boss will see you straight away," the man to the left growled and opened the door, allowing the murderer in. Astrid followed, hanging back as the man came to stand cockily on front of a desk, behind which sat a muscular man with close-cropped dark hair, deep brown eyes and a neat beard. He was dressed elegantly in black, his face frighteningly intelligent. At his shoulder stood a taller and much buffer man with very similar features, a shaven head and a stripe of a beard on his large chin. He was dressed in fawn and deep brown leather. The murderer gave a small laugh.

"Viggo!" he said in a sing-song voice. "Good to see you."

"Dagur," the man said in a cultured voice, "why are we repeating this encounter when we have been over this many times previously?"

"Because I really do have the money this time," the murderer revealed. The man in the chair-Viggo-flicked a page on his desk nonchalantly. Plain strip lights illuminated the space with a bare concrete floor and plain plaster walls. There were a few reddish-brown stains on the floor that looked like dried blood and Astrid suspected that they probably were.

"So you have all five hundred and seventy-three thousand, six hundred and twenty-nine dollars and eighty-one cents?" he asked pointedly. The murderer-whose name apparently was Dagur-gaped.

"Viggo-I'm sure my gambling debts were only three hundred odd thousand..." he protested. The larger man standing at Viggo's shoulder leaned forward.

"Interest," he growled. "You do understand I am a businessman, Dagur? I cannot have men use my facilities, accrue very substantial gaming debts and then fail to repay me. If I permitted you to get away without addressing your debts, what incentive would there be for others to honour their own obligations?" The murderer scowled, his fists tightening.

"I have obtained the means to give you the money," Dagur said tightly. "You'll get it, Viggo. And you, Ryker-keep away until I've finished. I don't need you trampling in and ruining my plans!" Viggo stared at him remotely and nodded.

"You have one week," he said. "After that, I will regrettably be compelled to demonstrate to you and my other clients what happens when you cheat Viggo Grimborn!" The murderer curled his lips.

"You'll get your money," he hissed and turned to the door. He stalked out, slamming the door closed and marching up the corridor before bursting out onto the grubby street. His face was locked in a ferocious scowl, his fists clenched tight as he stalked along the sidewalk, barging others aside in his rage. "Who the Helheim does he think he is?" the man growled. "Interest! It's just theft by another means and..."

His cell rang and he snatched it from his pocket. "Yeah?" he snapped then listened. "No, not well. I'll explain when you get home!" He abruptly ended the call. Frowning, Astrid tailed him at the distance of a couple of yards, dodging people on the street and walking fearlessly through a dark and dank alley, unafraid of the scritter of rats and creak of rotting fire-escapes because she was, as Ruff had pointed out, already dead. A hobo lurched out at Dagur, trying to wrestle him to the ground and rob him but the buff man flicked a knife out immediately, slamming it directly into the man's heart. The homeless man's bloodshot eyes widened in terminal shock and then he gasped and went limp, his spirit leaving even as the man lowered him into his space and rolled his body onto his side, so no one would see the stab wound.