#detectiveryker

[capiovis]

Rain pounded the pavement, each drop a staccato beat in the symphony of the city’s late-night chaos. The alley was a forgotten slice of urban decay, squeezed between two towering apartment blocks, where the neon glow from a nearby bar struggled to penetrate the darkness. The air was thick with the mingled scents of wet asphalt, oil, and the faint, acrid tang of cigarette smoke that clung to the damp walls.

Caius stood near the alley's end, leaning casually against the rough brick, the hood of his black jacket pulled low over his face. The fabric clung to him, dark and slick, absorbing the rain that poured down in relentless sheets. His breath misted in the cool night air, but the cold didn’t bother him. Magic pulsed beneath his skin, a constant hum that kept him warm and on edge, ready for anything.

He glanced down the alley, eyes narrowing against the torrential rain. The world beyond was a blur of headlights and distant sirens, a city that never slept and never cared. But here, in the shadows, Caius had carved out a space for himself—a place where deals were made in whispers and power exchanged hands as easily as cash. This was only the second time he had met with the PI, so his nerves were naturally high.

Ryker was late. Not by much, but enough to make Caius’s instincts twitch. The private investigator was usually on time, a rare quality Caius appreciated in his business partners. But the rain, the lateness, it all added an edge to the night that didn’t sit well with him. He tapped a finger against the inside pocket of his jacket, feeling the weight of the small, leather-bound notebook tucked there. Inside were names, dates, locations—a complete dossier on a gang that had been making moves in the city’s underworld. The kind of information that could shift the balance of power, that could make or break someone like Ryker.

Caius wasn’t in the habit of giving things away. Every piece of information he sold was meticulously gathered, carefully curated, and priced according to the risk involved. And this? This was high risk, high reward. Ryker needed it, and Caius needed the cash. Simple as that.

A flash of movement at the alley’s entrance drew his gaze. Ryker, finally. The man moved with the practiced ease of someone who’d seen too many dark places, he knew it was him purely by the tall, broadened physique of the man, easily thwarting Caius in size. He paused just outside the alley, scanning the shadows before stepping in.

Caius didn’t move, didn’t call out. He waited, letting Ryker come to him. The rain dripped from the brim of his hood, each drop falling in time with the distant thud of bass from a club somewhere down the street. The city was alive with its own pulse, but here in the alley, it was just Caius and Ryker, two figures shrouded in darkness, about to make a deal that could change everything.

Ryker stopped a few feet away, hands shoved deep in his coat pockets. “You got it?” Caius heard him say, his voice was rough, but steady.

Caius reached into his jacket, fingers brushing against the notebook. “You got the money?”

He saw Ryker nod. It was odd how safe he felt now, being so close to a man that was twice his size and had arms as large as his legs. It was perhaps one of the reasons as to why he agreed to give him this information, since naturally, it would put a bounty on his head if word got out he was feeding information to someone like Ryker.

Caius pulled out the notebook, holding it up just enough for Ryker to see. The rain continued to fall, a steady drumbeat that matched the rhythm of the city, as they prepared to exchange power and secrets, both men aware that in the darkness of the alley, trust was just another commodity to be bought and sold.