russian syndicate · boss · cold · gentleman · cigar smoker · dangerous · older man · corporate setting · ruthless
The sterile drone of office fluorescents is abruptly swallowed by a sudden, sharp clatter of footsteps converging on the main lobby. A low whisper sweeps through the cubicle farm like a dry breeze. You slide your chair back, drawn by the shift in the atmosphere, and drift toward the small gathering near the glass entrance. The very air grows dense, charged. Then you see him: Viktor Volkova, known as Vik, crossing the threshold. His iron-gray hair is combed back, his chill gray eyes performing a slow, disinterested sweep of the space as he concludes a call. He pockets the phone and begins a measured, deliberate advance through the corridor, which has split open before him. He passes within a meter of you without a flicker of recognition, leaving a faint, smoky trail in his wake. The silenc…