If Cole said anything out of line, it would be over for him.

The office he stood in had been isolated from the rest of the world. You could barely make out the eternal noise of the streets outside. Behind the polished mahogany desk in the middle, there was a tall window, which he had hoped would give him at least a glimpse of the sky. However, the blinds were closed.

Dipped in a soft glow, shelves lined either side of the room, with folders packed into every open space, except for a few plain-looking books, some landscape paintings, and a hand-sized statue of a king cobra.

On the desk, a boxy computer, a cup of coffee, and more folders. In the chair, a well-kempt man in a suit. His brown hair was slicked back, and he even wore cufflinks.

Cole had never met him in person before. Only through the whispers of his co-workers whenever they thought no one was listening. He cared more for the opinions of their clients. Ones he was proud to say he had some affiliation with by working here. Ones the country was proud of.

They always expressed gratitude for working with this man. Said he was one of the great people capable of shaping the future.

The papers in Cole’s hands dampened with sweat as he stood there, clutching them tight. He couldn't remember if he had even been told to bring anything. 

“I've heard good things about you. That's impressive, considering how little you've been with us,” the man said. “I'm Reid. I'll be working with you from now on.”

“What will you be asking of me, sir?” Cole tugged at the rim of his sleeve.

“Well, we wanted to make sure you got the best support possible. To maximize your potential,” Reid said. “I'll be the one to help you get there. You only need to keep working as you have been.”

The opportunity was thrilling. He could be more involved and make a real difference.

“Should I be expecting regular visits from you?” Cole asked.

“Of course. And calls. Potentially at times that won't fit your schedule. Try your best to respond,” Reid said.

“Right. I will,” Cole said.

He couldn't afford to hesitate.

“Fantastic.” Reid clapped his hands together in a showy gesture. “You can leave for now.”

“It's been an honor to meet you,” Cole said.

“A pleasure,” Reid said.

Cole edged back toward the office door as the man tapped his desk with an impatient finger.

“Cole,” Reid called out.

His heart stopped for a moment. “Yeah?”

“I just wanted to say that your loyalty is very appreciated. Keep working hard,” Reid said.

Cole breathed out. There was nothing to worry about. Nothing.

“Thank you.”

The door creaked shut as Cole slumped against the wall.

There was never a moment of rest in this place.

While Cole headed back to his office, the people who either rushed past him or sauntered like they had nothing better to do than look good all carried an air of pride. As if they owned the place.

He didn't look like that, did he?

Though a modest room compared to Reid's, Cole's office was nothing to scoff at. Even having his own to begin with was unfamiliar to him.

He worked a few floors down, so it was easier to see the city up close. The constant traffic and masses of people hurrying to their next appointment. The occasional car horns, and of course, the angry drivers rolling their windows down, wanting to make their plights known to the entire city.

There was a single lonely plant in the corner. To give the place some color.

A new stack of reports had sneaked its way onto his desk while he was away. His department must’ve found something new for him to collect data on.

Intrigued, Cole skimmed through the pages. A common thread among them all was a new leader who was gaining traction. The tone of the language used helped expose what was otherwise meant to be subtle business jargon. The company did not find him appealing. A threat, even.

That meant it was time, among many other things, to draft more risk assessments for high-profile figures, so they could discuss whether to support or undermine them. Not like that question hadn't already been answered.

But not today.

Before he could get his jacket on, the computer on his desk made a soft beeping sound. What now?

Cole reached for his mouse, clicking into the email. Something about meeting with Reid before work tomorrow and a fully planned schedule for, well, the rest of his days, probably.

If he didn't already want to march out of the building, this made him feel like running.

And so he did. March, that is. Who knew what his co-workers would think if they saw him sprinting past their offices. But then again, he might’ve looked like he had something really important to do. Maybe there was a benefit to it.

Truly a dilemma.

After a quick stop at his apartment, by the time the sun had gone down, Cole was back out in the city. Restless and in need of escape.

Fluorescent lights hung above the shops lining the sidewalk, highlighting the wares that stood out front. Sirens blared in the distance, likely another police car or ambulance.

The scent of pizza drifted through the air, no matter where you went. You couldn't avoid the food trucks lining up along the curb, and there was always someone raising their voice, or at the very least talking loudly on their phone.

At the corner of the alley Cole was slinking through, a woman stood, glancing impatiently between a stairway leading into what looked like pure darkness and the busy street.

She lingered below a neon sign with no letters on it. Not even the name of the business it was attached to. Its pink glow lit the top of her dark, coiffed hair, the rest of her features staying mostly in shadow.

Cole gave her a nod of acknowledgement as he strode down the stairs, into its depths. She responded with a slight tilt of her head.

They didn't know each other, but if they were both aware of this place, they were allies.

A calm settled over Cole as the dark enveloped him and all the sounds of the city fell away. To anyone new, it might feel unnerving or disconcerting, but Cole was a regular. There was no place safer.

If, of course, you didn’t include the ever-present threat of violent raids. Peace was always temporary.

Underground, there were mostly discreet, blank walls. Nothing of note. Cole kept going.

He brushed shoulders with a few men, paying them no mind. His sights were set on a red sliver of light coming from a half-open door in the distance.

That color was new.

Once there, Cole cautiously peeked inside.

The smell of sweat and latex hit him. A television hung over a wide mirror mounted on the wall. Near the door, a sling had been suspended in the air. Because the light was so faint, the red in the room lent it a cozier atmosphere than expected.

In the middle of the room, taking up most of the space, a platform bed stood, with black covers over both the pillows and the mattress. A duffel bag leaned against its frame. And in the sheets, a half-naked man was lying on his stomach, jaw-length hair covering most of his face.

Whip-markings had been carved across his back, scattered widely enough to reach all the way down his thighs.

With a sluggish arm and some effort, the man reached up and swiped a large lock of hair back, hooking it behind his ear.

His eyes were glassy and unfocused.

“Come in. If you want. Can't promise I'll have the energy for anything, though.” The man had some kind of accent, but Cole couldn't quite pinpoint it.

Cole joined him by the bed, getting a closer look at the deep markings. The other person certainly hadn't held back.

“Aleksei, by the way,” he said.

“Cole.” He tried keeping his gaze from drifting further down Aleksei's back. “Why isn't the other guy with you?”

“Ah, Ilya. He had to leave early,” Aleksei said, rolling onto his side with an exaggerated huff. “It's… not a problem. If anything, I think I need some time to relax after that.”

“Uh, that's a compliment,” he added.

If it weren't for the accent and likely age, he'd think Aleksei came straight out of a frat house.

“Oh, I belie—” Cole cut himself off, noticing what was lying on the floor on the other side of the bed. A hat?

“Is that yours?” Cole asked, nodding in its direction.

Aleksei sat up, staring down at it with a glazed expression.

“Huh. He forgot it.” Aleksei picked up what Cole could now identify as an ushanka. “That’s actually surprising. He likes this thing.”

“The Ilya guy?” Cole asked.

“Yeah. Hold on.” Aleksei noticed something else on the floor, but it was either too small or just out of sight for Cole to see.

“Aww, it broke off,” Aleksei said. He kept the thing hidden in his closed hand while eyeing Cole. He wasn't about to reveal anything to him; that much was clear.

“Oh, no.” Aleksei perked up before leaping out of the sheets. “Eve. She must have been waiting for a long time.”

Shoving his fisted hand into the duffel bag slouched on the floor by his legs, Aleksei packed it with the other man's ushanka and gathered his clothes.

It took a second for Cole to realize he was being quiet again. Aleksei had already dressed himself by the time he spoke up.

“Feels like a shame to just leave it here,” Cole said. 

“Oh, right. I did invite you in for a reason.” With a smile, Aleksei stuck his hand in his jacket pocket, pulling out a folding phone. “How can I reach you?”

Cole gave him the numbers.

After hastily typing it in, Aleksei dashed out the door, exclaiming a quick farewell as he did. His rushing out on unsteady legs, committed not to leave his friend behind, was weirdly endearing. For some reason, a specific type of dog came to mind.

Figuring he'd need to get up eventually, Cole took in the silence and distant footsteps with a slow, deliberate breath before standing.

He wasn't going to end it for the day already. There were still experiences to be had.

Further into the depths he went.