Chapter 2

It's cold, very cold. It seems that a little more and all the clothes on him will freeze. The blizzard subsided a couple of hours ago, instead of the mercilessly whipping white flakes of wind, snowflakes are now falling from the sky to the ground like small stars. The snow crunches funny underfoot, heavy leather boots leave footprints on the endless white surface. Preparations for the upcoming celebrations are already in full swing in the town, fir bazaars are unfolding on the streets, tents with persimmons and tangerines are standing, windows of houses are shining with bright lights. There are still twenty days until the New Year, but people are trying their best to bring this magical holiday closer.

So Tartaglia is hurrying home now. A few days in a stuffy reserved seat and now he finally returned to his native penates. Ajax had no idea how successful his operation had been. None of their group made themselves felt any more, everyone ran to the corners and fell silent, waiting out the hype that had risen. The news was full of headlines about a daring attack on the head of one of the largest chinese corporations right after a business symposium. The case turned out to be too sensitive, many materials of the incident were classified, it wasn't even known whether the businessman was alive or the man had safely glued the fins.

By and large, Ajax didn't t care anymore, the second part of the money for the work didn't come to him, the pig in his situation is no longer up to fat, there is still need to think about who is more dangerous: the investigative committee or customers dissatisfied with the work of Tartaglia. One of them may decide to clean up the tail and hire a new killer, but this time for Childe. No, now it's better to hide at home, in Siberia, he's already saved up some money, so he can sit still, looking after the youngers and just wait for this whole storm to subside. That's what the young man decided.

Ajax barely moved his legs, dragging along the familiar grey streets, monotonous khrushchevkas stretched an endless ridge, like tombstones from the ground. During these few days that Ajax spent in constant tension, he was very tired and exhausted, and now he was chilled to the bone. Now he would like to go home, where is warm and cozy, young man can finally go to the shower, change clothes, and then drint hot tea, open raspberry jam and enjoy the view of snow patterns on the window. Tartaglia dreamily broke into a smile, rubbing his numb hands and, like a steam locomotive, releasing clouds of whitish steam, the guy finally reached his entrance.

Inside Childe exhaled with relief, it was much warmer here, the moist, damp air and the noise of the electrical panels were already involuntarily adjusted to a positive mood. If on the street his cheeks, lips and nose were pinched by a freezing frost, and snow needles scratched his skin, then in the entrance, from a sharp change in temperature, the whole body began to fill with reverent heat. The fingers seem to have been dipped into boiling water, the blood pulsates, accelerating through the capillaries, and the cheeks turn red like the fruits of a ripe mountain ash. Tartaglia sniffs, knocks his shoes on the floor, throwing off the stuck snow, and is already more or less ready to climb up the stairs to his apartment. During all this time, he never called either his brothers or sisters, he was afraid that his phone might be tracked, and he wanted to surprise the kids.

The entrance is already habitually empty, there are jars with cigarette butts on the windows in the stairwells, the smell of cheap tobacco is stuffy, that's his apartment. Child reaches for the bell button, one of them notices at the last moment that the door to the house is ajar, there is not even a chain, very strange. The first alarm bell flashed through Tartaglia's head. The young man, carefully, so as not to make noise, opened the iron door a crack and slipped inside. At first glance, nothing has changed in the apartment, old striped wallpaper, a crooked hanger littered with colorful children's jackets, a whole mountain of shoes and a dressing table left over from mom.

The entrance is already habitually empty, there are jars with cigarette butts on the windows in the stairwells, the smell of cheap tobacco is stuffy. He reached his apartments. Childe reaches for the bell button, but notices at the last moment that the door to the house is open, there isn't even a chain, very strange. The first alarm bell flashed through Tartaglia's head. The young man, carefully, so as not to make noise, opened the iron door and slipped inside. At first glance, nothing has changed in the apartment, old striped wallpaper, a crooked hanger littered with colorful children's jackets, a whole mountain of shoes and a dressing table left over from mom. Ajax began to listen attentively to the surroundings, familiar voices were heard from somewhere from the kitchen, Tonya was actively chirping something and, as always, arguing with Teucer. Tartaglia's heart became calm, well, everything is clear, they probably returned from a walk, but they forgot to close the door, such inattentive gophers.

«And who is so brave that he or she doesn't close the door?» – Ajax said in a laughingly serious tone, throwing off his backpack, jacket and boots on the move and tumbling into the kitchen. The smile instantly fell off his face, he expected to see anything, but definitely not…

«Childe!!!» – the room literally exploded with joyful children's exclamations, all the children rushed to their, to put it mildly, dazed elder brother, almost knocking him off his feet. The children hung on Tartaglia, hugged him tightly and clung to Ajax, showing with all their appearance how much they missed him after just a week of separation. Behind all this performance Zhong Li sitting on a soft sofa with a cup (by the standards of the man himself, it was a whole bucket) of tea in his hands, silently watched like a shadow. Looking at the alarmed Childe, the businessman grinned slyly, and slightly inclined his head in a respectful greeting to the owner of the house.

«Who is this man? Why did you let him in? I told you not to talk to strangers, and even more not to open the door to them» - Tartaglia caught himself, coming out of prostration, he instinctively tried to move all the children behind him, covering them with himself and cautiously casting a glance at Zhong Li, who was even more amused by such behavior.

«He's not a stranger!» – Tonya proudly explained, she had already managed to jump into Ajax's arms.

«Mister Foreigner said that he was your acquaintance, called your name, even showed your photo!» - Anton emerged from under Tartaglia's arm, alternately looking at his brother, then at Zhong Li.

«Yeah, he brought us gifts» - Teucer pointed to the table littered with various sweets and raised some incomprehensible toy above him, - «One-eyed robot.»

«And that's why you opened the door to him?!» – Childe couldn't restrain, looking at his brothers and sisters with reproach, and if they were stolen, taken hostage, killed? What childlike spontaneity.

«No» - Tonya covered her face with her palm and leaned close to Ajax's ear, as if confusedly revealing a secret to him, - «Mister Foreigner is very handsome.»

Tartaglia covered his face with a hand in agony, rubbing the bridge of his nose haggardly in an attempt to figure out what to do next. He isn't in his best condition right now, he doesn't have a partner who is ready to hedge him, and next to Ajax are his family, the guy is in the most vulnerable position. They need to deal with the chinese face to face. Childe carefully examines the entire kitchen, trying to think of a plan for further action.

«Suns, my… Mister Foreigner and I need to talk, can you wait for us in the hall for a couple of minutes?» – the children really didn't want to leave the room, especially after meeting such a generous and pleasant person, but if Tartaglia asks them about it.

«Everyone out, get out of here, Childe will say clever words!» – Tonya took over the entire command of the process, kicking, she, like a little captain, gave instructions. The children grabbed their gifts, sweets and, whispering cheerfully, rushed into another room. The creaking door slammed loudly behind the last little girl, leaving Zhong Li and Ajax alone. A couple of seconds passed in tense silence, just like when Tartaglia entered the apartment with the intention of annihilating Zhong Li.

«You have a nice family» - the man summed up his opinion without a trace of sarcasm, - «I thought I learned everything about you, but the fact that you know how to cook like this... How it say, soup… oh, no, borstch! I admit, I didn't expect this.»

Well, fine, his youngers managed not only to let a dangerous enemy into the house, but also to feed him, give him tea and even gossip about Childe. Ajax was already beginning to think, ironically, that if he had stayed another twenty minutes, the children would have found a way to register Zhong Li in their apartment.

«If there is poison or explosives in what you brought…» - Tartaglia looked like a furious, determined beast. Once again, the man held his breath for a moment, peering into this face. The cheeks are red, and they glow with a bright blush, the chapped lips are slightly parted, more air is being hastily sucked into the lungs, and a real tsunami is roaring and bubbling in the eyes, a little more and a wave of anger will cover the young man.

«It's not in my rules to harm children» - Zhong Li said in a serious tone, watching Ajax with a predatory smile grabbing a kitchen knife he had just noticed, - «This is superfluous.»

«Get out» - Childe held the knife out in front of him, nodding towards the hallway. Ajax has no idea what the man is up to, but after the excesses that happened between them a couple of days ago, nothing good should be expected from Zhong Li, - «This is the first and last warning.»

The businessman sighed, shaking his head, as if a parent couldn't explain some common truth to a small child. The man put his hand behind the sofa, but only to get out a walking stick. The ebony of the stick is entwined with fine gold and veins and the knob is in the form of a golden roaring dragon. Zhong Li gave a barely audible gasp, getting to his feet, it seems that the hip hasn't healed yet and was painfully reminded of itself with every sharp movement. Tartaglia bit his lip, looking at the pain that was almost imperceptibly broken from unpleasant sensations, no, it wasn't his fault, in a good way he should have finished off the man right there in the apartment, but he didn't do it.

«Be careful, don't get hurt» - chuckled Zhong Li, in a fit of anger Ajax didn't notice how he took his hands almost to the blade.

«I'll decide what's better for me without you» - the guy snapped, but obediently took hold of the handle a little lower. Leaning on his stick, the man moved towards the exit. His gait is still smooth and confident with some barely perceptible aristocratic grace, only if you look closely, you can see how he limps and clenches his jaw, stepping on his wounded leg every time. Even in this state, he tries to maintain the majesty worthy of the emperor. Tartaglia followed him, making sure that Zhong Li didn't try to pull some kind of trick, but even turn around.

It was more difficult to get down, the building is so old, without an elevator, and the steps are uneven, one higher, the other lower, even a healthy person needs to show maximum care here. Child looked at the man's back, he saw him only once and it was at night, now there is an opportunity to get to know the businessman better. He looks quite tall and strong, if Childe hadn't had the advantage of injury and a knife in his hand, he wouldn't have been able to get Zhong Li out of the house so easily. Long, almost to the waist, dark hair is gathered in a ponytail and secured with jasper hardening, gold earrings with vermillion spinel in the ears. Jewelry, however, looks quite elegant and moderate. However, the man wasn't wearing outerwear at all, which is extremely unusual for such snowy and inclement weather, does he really think that some kind of jacket will be able to warm him in sub-zero temperatures?

«Do you provide for them yourself?» – Childe was so carried away by reflections that he completely forgot about where and with whom he is, a dangerous profanity. Nevertheless, Zhong Li didn't take advantage of the situation, his face was hidden behind a halo of long hair, and the tone addressed to Ajax seemed to the guy the most suitable for unpretentious small talk.

«It's not your business» - a door slammed somewhere above. Zhong Li is almost the last person with whom he would like to discuss his personal life.

«I know everything about you. Who you call, who you visit, your browser history, but I still can't understand you, it's annoying» - the man continued as if nothing had happened, systematically stepping step by step, - «Everything is so simple, you could live a chic life, take care exclusively of your own good and become one of many shadow millionaires. So why did you choose to live somewhere on the outskirts in an old two-bedroom apartment with a whole horde of children?»

The point of a sharpened carving knife rested quite clearly between Zhong Li's shoulder blades. A businessman walks on very thin ice, one wrong word and Childe's patience will burst.

«Do you think that you are the smartest here?» – from such a tone, even a man who has seen many criminals involuntarily got goosebumps, - «What, hired a couple of hackers and now you think you know everything about me? This is pure negligence, Mr. Businessman, if you know what I mean.»

The tips of Zhong Li's lips twitched upwards, expressing a knowing smile, yes, Tartaglia is definitely different from most, he knows and therefore familiarity in conversation with him is simply not acceptable.

«I'm sorry, I seem to have expressed myself incorrectly, after all, English is not my native language» - the brunette tried to change the line of communication to a more respectful one as soon as possible, - «I'll try to reformulate: why is family more important to you than comfort?»

«And who said that I don't feel comfort?» - Ajax mumbled, - «I may not walk around restaurants, I don't tan somewhere off the coast of Parga, but I feel quite fine.»

«Life doesn't constrain?»

«How can my own family ashamed me? Who if not me can take care of them?»

Zhong Li looks at strange, incomprehensible inscriptions on the walls of the entrance, a bunch of mailboxes, it somehow turns out strangely, there is a man with a knife behind him, who not only has already managed to injure a man, and now is just a step away from completing what he started, and he is not afraid at all. Exciting, adventurous, but not scary, Childe encourages a keen interest in him. He is like Shi-ching, it seems like you know him from cover to cover, but every time there is something that can surprise and cause a new burning interest.

«It's nice to spend a thousand days at home, it's difficult to spend an hour outside the house» - Zhong Li chuckled softly, pressing the magnetic lock button, - «You're a curious person.»

The weather outside hasn't improved, the sky has tightened with dense leaden clouds, the bristly-prickly prickly pinches open areas of skin, and white clumped flakes of snow hit the face and instantly cling to a person who has come out in such a blizzard. Visibility is almost zero, only the bright lights of garlands from the windows of neighboring buildings pierce the snow-white haze. Tartaglia didn't really understand where Zhong Li would go next, whether he needed to be escorted, or maybe it was worth finishing the task of taking the businessman somewhere behind the garages and that was the end of it, but man didn't give him a final decision. The external fragility turned out to be deceptive, the man deftly intercepted a heavy stick and hooked it under Ajax's shins, the guy fell into a snowdrift, the knife slipped out of his hands. The young man quickly shook his head, brushing away the delusion of burning and was about to get to his feet, but one small circumstance stops him. Zhong Li's walking stick turns out to be not just accessories designed for convenient movement. A steel blade breaks out of the scabbard with a characteristic metallic clang, the sharp end of which is almost brought close to the face of the frozen Childe. And again he was outsmarted.

«How nice» - Ajax grinned maliciously, looking around, there are no people nearby, and the blade will pierce his throat faster than the guy has time to scream, a dead end.

«I didn't think that I would ever have to use a family heirloom again» - the man touched Tartaglia's chin with the tips of the blade, forcing the young man to raise his face and look straight into his eyes.

«And then what?» - Ajax feels cold, he left the house without warm clothes, and now he's lying in a snowdrift, it would pe nice if he don't frostbite anything on New Year's Eve.

«I like you, in business terms. I want to offer mutually beneficial cooperation" - Zhong Li held the tip of the sword a little back, forcing Childe to raise his head even higher. The guy involuntarily swallowed, releasing clouds of steam as he breathed, - "How would you like to work not on a case-by-case basis, but personally for me?»

«Do you need a new chain dog?» - Tartaglia laughed cheekily right in the man's face, adjusting the red strands that had fallen on his face. The eyelashes and eyebrows, whitened by snow grains, became completely white, even the red hair on the head became less bright

«No, there is something more interesting. I suggest you become my bodyguard, money is not a problem,» - Ajax laughed openly at this phrase. Well, isn't it a charm, a young businessman decides to hire his former killer in security, just some kind of joke. The man, however, didn't understand the salt of the joke, but only gave Childe a cold look.

«No way. My current lifestyle suits me perfectly, and I have no desire to stand out in front of you. If you need a toy or a human shield that will run after its owner, one wave of green bills, then I hasten to disappoint, Mr. Businessman. I finish every job I do and you are no exception, sooner or later I will kill you.»

Zhong Li's unwavering restraint and calmness gave a serious crack. For a moment, Childe saw what was hiding behind this perfectly emasculated porcelain mask. No one in their right mind would attack an opponent who was in a deliberately winning position, but Tartaglia clearly didn't have everything at home. The guy gasped painfully when the tip of the blade rested on the neck and pressed on the skin, leaving a thin cut line, which almost immediately began to sparkle with scarlet droplets. At the sight of the blood inside Zhong Li, as if something clicked, the man blinked away the obsession, looking at Ajax more consciously. The young man looked, to put it mildly, worried, if earlier their relationship could be described as mutual hostility with elements of piquant flirtation, now Tartaglia felt only panic fear. Everything is not going according to plan, this isn't what the brunette wanted to achieve at all, he followed what Childe was staring at all the time.

A pleasant yellow light shines from the window of the house, and a child's silhouette is visible on the other side of the glass package. A little boy is sitting on the windowsill with a toy in his hands, if he turns his head even a centimeter, he will see everything that is happening on the playground in front of the house. Zhong Li cursed inwardly, reproaching himself for his intemperance, his act was too rash. And Ajax was afraid to even breathe, realizing that just a couple of seconds ago his youngers could have remained round orphans, how could he throw words so thoughtlessly? He is responsible not only for his own life, but also for the lives of all family members, the risk in this case was not justified.

«Perhaps our farewell has been too long,» - Zhong Li brushed the drops of blood from the blade onto the snow and returned the weapon to the scabbard, «I admit that my proposal could have come as a surprise to you. Think carefully and at the next meeting we will be able to discuss this issue again.

«Next meeting? When?» – and again the man's face was covered by a curtain of a restrained unreadable smile. For some reason, Childe was disappointed.

«Don't worry, I'll find you when I need to,» - an object fell on the snow next to Tartaglia. Ajax recognized him as his father's finka, already cleaned, in a brand-new leather case and tied with a silk ribbon, – «This is my gratitude for tea and a good conversation.»

Zhong Li inclined his head in a slightly friendlier bow of gratitude and, leaning on his unusual stick, the man moved to the side somewhere. Here, next to the road, a white crossover, almost invisible among the raging snowfall, was parked. The two men hurried out of the car and opened the door for their boss. The car disappeared around the corner of the house, leaving behind only furrows pressed by relief tires, and Childe remained lying in a snowdrift, burning through Zhong Li's «gift» with an unseeing gaze.

Probably, at this moment he should have rushed home as fast as he could, packed his bags, grabbed the children and all together run to another city, or better yet, a country away from the whirlpool that was rapidly dragging Ajax into an unknown abyss. But the young man only picked up his knife, pulled the soft yellow ribbon, releasing a lush bow. The reflection of Childe is visible in the reflection of steel. Everything in his life is upside down, even the feeling sparkling inside with flame when remembering a young man doesn't frighten, but makes him grin intriguingly.