Henrik lay on his bed, still fully dressed. Angry. At those boys from the bar. The men, too. Ella, a little bit. Ryker? Perhaps Ryker more than the others, actually. Yes, Ryker had backed Henrik up – physically, at least – exactly as he expected Ryker would. But… Henrik couldn’t even explain it. Simply that he was angry at Ryker because clearly he didn’t fully trust Henrik. Didn’t fully trust anyone, Henrik knew, but that was exactly why Henrik couldn’t tell him everything. Not yet. Because he knew Ryker would simply shoot him down. He had to find out more first, on his own. Make his case more persuasive.
He stood up from the bed and listened. Nothing. Ryker’s room was three doors down, on the floor below – the hotel didn’t have two available rooms any closer – but Henrik wouldn’t have put it past Ryker to be standing outside the door, lurking, just in case Henrik decided not to stay put.
The guy really had trust issues.
Had he even placed a camera or some other bug in Henrik’s room?
No. Henrik pushed that thought away. Ryker was capable of that, but Henrik was sure he hadn’t.
He picked up his coat and moved for the door. Opened it. Peeked into the corridor. No sign of Ryker or anyone else. He moved out. Came out of the elevator on the ground floor even more tense than before.
Would he find Ryker sitting in the reception area?
No. No one there at all.
Feeling more than a little surprised – and also just a hint of guilt – Henrik made his way out into the cold night. He hesitated a moment outside. Plenty of options as to where to go from here. Back to the bar was one option he seriously considered. Either straight inside to finish the fight, or even to lurk outside, somewhere dark, until those lads left. He’d pick them off. Make them pay. But doing so would achieve little, really. He also thought about Ella. He hadn’t expected to find someone like her in that bar but… No, not tonight. He’d see her again soon enough, though. He wanted to.
The fact was, the reaction to him in that bar had been strong, and he knew why. Well, not a reaction to him as such, but to what he’d said. What he’d asked about. Who he’d asked about. He’d received no reply to those questions, but the fight, in a way, was answer enough.
Okay, he knew exactly where he needed to go tonight, after all.
With a quick look around him to make sure he was alone, Henrik set off through the darkness.