Page 129 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species
He returned to his car and sat behind the wheel for a long time without starting the engine. Something gnawed at him, but he still wasn’t sure what it was.
If he brought Mikhail here, would they all leave unharmed, with the reptilian in hand?
***
An hour later, the dashboard clock read 1:37 a.m. Constantine picked up the phone and called the Righteous. “Mikhail will be here at 5 a.m. You’ll get what you asked for. In exchange, we want the reptilian alive and unharmed.”
48
Nighttime was Constantine’s favourite time of day. With its arrival, the true nature of creatures emerged – their raw desires and needs. Most believed that in the dark, everything remained hidden. Quite the opposite. In the dark, everything was revealed.
Unfortunately, towards the end of the night, when vices had been somewhat satisfied, the ugly reality resurfaced: weakened bodies, smudged faces, lonely souls. Then came the moment of realisation – that indulging in vices doesn’t bring happiness. Only temporary pleasure. And after the pleasure fades, theabsenceof happiness stings deeper.
In his car, parked outside The Seven Horses, Constantine understood these souls well. Creatures or humans, they were all the same – predisposed to the naïve pursuit of happiness and the masochistic multiplication of misery. In his experience, however, nothing could heal the soul. Souls were not made to be healed. Not while everyone lived within the confines of the material trap known as Earth.
The clock on the dashboard passed 4 a.m., and Constantine was still lingering in the dark side street. Through the windshield, he had a decent view of the entrance to The Seven Horses. Inside, the air was probably calmer now, as most of the patrons had fed their basest desires and, exhausted, were heading home.
A brunette in a short red dress exited the club and got into the back seat of a taxi.A material trap, indeed, but some manifestations aren’t so bad…Constantine suppressed the urge to get out of his car and join her. It would play out like everyother time – automatic and monotonous, with a fleeting effect. Yes, the difference between Constantine and those who indulged in their vices wasn’t great. The only thing that set him apart was his clear understanding that no matter what he did, he would never reach the nirvana he sought.
The taxi left without him, but the need for release would remain. Just as Mada stayed, buried somewhere inside him, blocking everything that made him feel alive.
And just as his sense of loss persisted, because… Sweet, secretive Diana. A granite exterior, a heart of courage. Constantine was glad she was far away from him. Sure, she stirred something in him, but how long would that last before he got bored with her? How long before he broke her heart?
He pushed Diana out of his thoughts and dialled the Righteous’ number. “Mikhail won’t come. He’s been held up.”
A brief silence ensued. Then the Righteous growled, “You’re out of luck. Don’t set foot here again.”
Constantine leaned back against the leather seat. The worst part of Mada’s curse wasn’t the theft of his abilities, but the doubt it sowed in his judgement. Before, he would never have doubted his intuition. Now…
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
A few moments later, the Righteous walked out of The Seven Horses, flanked by his thick-headed bodyguards. He was escorting a tall, dark-haired woman.
Constantine stared at her, unblinking. He had expectedsomething, but not this.
The woman under the Righteous’ fucking baby arm was the one from the recordings – who had slipped the mysterious journal to Alex Volk. It was the first time he was getting a clear view of her face, but he recognised her lean figure and the predatory languidness of her gait. She had long, dark chestnut hair falling straight along her shoulders. A satin blacktank top with silver straps, tight jeans, and elegant high-heeled sandals complimented her curves way better than her previous ‘librarian’ outfit.
The Righteous lifted her hand to his lips, pressed a brief kiss, and released her.
A limousine stopped next to them. The driver stepped out and opened the back door. The woman was the first to climb in. Just before entering, she turned her head towards the side street – and Constantine’s SUV. She stilled for a moment, staring, then slipped into the limousine, followed by the Righteous.
Constantine had been holding his breath. No way she could have seen him. Yet he couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling ofbeingseen.
The Righteous’ limousine moved leisurely through the narrow streets, allowing Constantine to follow at a safe distance. After a few turns, they reached a major boulevard. Night traffic was lighter, but still active enough for Constantine to trail behind the limousine without drawing attention. He wasn’t sure why, but he had a feeling something was very off.
They reached the roundabout on the northern bypass and veered onto the narrow road leading to the abandoned airport at Bozhurishte. Constantine’s curiosity spiked. He pulled over, switched off his headlights, waited thirty seconds, and then resumed his pursuit.
A minute later, the limousine’s taillights signalled a sharp left turn, coming to a stop at the lowered barrier of the airport. The overgrown fences confirmed the place had been deserted for a long time. So why were the Righteous and his companion heading straight in?
Constantine drove past the barrier and parked a few feet further down the road.
A man in a black uniform emerged from the guard booth next to the barrier and waited by the limousine. He flashed a lightinside the car, then returned to the booth, raising the barrier. The vehicle drove into the airfield, and the gate closed behind it.
Constantine knew, at the back of his mind, that he should be calling for backup. But he didn’t have time to wait, not when something was clearly going on. The Righteous’ betrayal didn’t surprise him, nor did the woman’s presence. He’d suspected she was involved with the reptilians – perhaps she was a reptilian herself. But now, having seen her alongside the Righteous, the urge to investigate further overwhelmed him.
He retrieved his gun from the glove box and slipped it under his belt. Leaving the car, Constantine approached the low fence around the airport and vaulted over it with ease. A dense thicket of bushes awaited him. Given the place’s abandoned state, he didn’t expect more guards, but still moved with caution. Soon, the bushes thinned, revealing the limousine parked in the middle of an empty field.
The Righteous and the woman were out of the car now, conversing in hushed tones. It looked like a secret meeting, but if it was one, why had they left The Seven Horses together?
