Mob Sorcery 4 - Ch8

Kiyoko destroyed her divination spell and the array she’d built for it with a swipe of her hand. Invisible blades of wind scythed through the branches and sticks, turning them into woodchips. She clicked her fingers and the remaining wood scattered, leaving behind little evidence they’d been here.

“I take it you’ve done this a few times,” Vince said, watching the tengu cover up the holes in the ground. She tried to shift dirt with her shoes before Nina rolled her eyes and did the work for her with a stamp of her foot.

“Thank you,” Kiyoko said to Nina.

“Whatever. Just ask next time,” the lioness said. “This heist is a team effort. You might be able to find a new body if you die, but we’ll be dead forever if we fuck things up.”

Kiyoko pursed her lips. “I am rather attached to this vessel. Furthermore, I would rather not discover what happens should I be scattered outside Japan. I’ve never heard of a tengu returning after leaving the shores of my homeland and perishing.”

Vince and Nicki looked at Nina, who merely shrugged.

“I’m far from an expert on spirits,” Nina said. “Most of the native American ones got destroyed after colonization, so they’re not really a big problem.”

“It is likely that the same forces responsible for destroying the native spirits also destroy any foreign ones,” Kiyoko said.

A clicking sound echoed in Vince’s head, and he shoved his hands in his pockets. Nina frowned almost imperceptibly, likely guessing he was touching the soul egg.

Daji appeared beside Kiyoko, her black and red fox tails curling around the beautiful birdwoman. Her fingers ran along Kiyoko’s jaw. Naturally, she showed no reaction. Daji was a figment of Vince’s imagination—or lived in his head, at any rate.

“I’d say it’s a touch more complicated than that,” Daji said. “Have you ever wondered why Asia is still full of spirits, while Old World Europe isn’t? Asia is layered with ancient divine magicks that interfere with how things are supposed to operate. Knightsgate maintains many of them. So spirits find it easier to maintain their grip on reality, for good and ill.” She grinned toothily.

Yeah, Vince got the feeling Daji had made good use of this divine interference. She’d originally lived during a time when many deities supposedly walked Asia. Such beings had yet to surface since the Great War, unless one included ancient dragons like Wagner and the most powerful of foxes.

Reading his thoughts, Daji shook her head. “I doubt many of them are still around. Only their legacy. Amaterasu and Inari—if you can consider Inari a god, false idol that she was—are likely still hidden somewhere. Although…” She tapped her lower lip with one finger, eyes staring into the distance. “Nevermind. Just know that modern magic effectively displaced spirits outside Asia.”

She’d trailed off somewhere, and Vince barely caught it.

What happened to all the deities?

She shot him an annoyed look. “Don’t think too hard about it.”

“Um…” He winced as he realized he’d spoken aloud.

Daji’s body vanished as he let go of the soul egg. Kiyoko looked at him, her head turning at an impossible angle.

“We’re done here, right?” Vince said, trying to cover for his mistake. “Once we head back, I think we can divvy up our responsibilities.”

“Got something in mind already?” Nina asked.

He nodded. Kiyoko finally turned her body to face him and no longer looked like a monster out of a comic book.

“I’ll chase up this raiju with Immanuel. I’ve got the contacts,” he said. “You surveyed the place as well, so can hook up with Fia. I know you wanted to train today—”

“We both should be training today,” his girlfriend corrected. She ran a hand through her mane of hair. “But I get it. We need to put plans into motion, and that means planning our purchases. Especially if finances will be discussed on Monday between Alessia and Mei.”

“That is highly likely,” Kiyoko said. “I already have my own idea of what is necessary, but would have preferred to have made all required acquisitions last month.” Her expression tightened, and both other women noticed.

“Um, I’m not really involved in this part, but I’m pretty sure the holdup was on your end,” Nicki said.

Nina snorted. “It was. It took ages before Fia got access to anything of detail.”

Kiyoko shook her head. “My issues are… not to be discussed. I am aware as to why there was such a lengthy delay, but I worry it will compromise the mission. The other conglomerates are aware of our cooperation, and Houou continues to escape every noose that tightens around its neck.”

“Curious way to put it.” Nina narrowed her eyes.

“A lesser organization would not survive two major breaches of the established rules of the criminal underworld so close together. Whether they were responsible or not is separate to the fact they appeared to be.”

Huh.

Vince frowned. He hadn’t thought too hard about the fact Kiyoko knew who the fox who might or might not have tried to abduct Arnulfo a few nights ago. But suggesting it was connected to Houou being wiped out got him thinking.

“Anyway, I can deal with Fia,” Nina said, her eyes meeting his. He took the hint. “Anything else?”

He nodded. “I think that’s everything. Probably best that we organize anything like this in advance next time. You have my number, Kiyoko. Message me next time you want to talk.”

“Understood. Text is more cumbersome, but I shall try,” Kiyoko said.

The four of them flew back to Aulfair. An entire morning had vanished in the meantime, and Vince was glad both Kiyoko and Nicki flew fast. It meant he wasn’t spending hours in the air.

Even so, he was damn glad he’d eaten earlier.

Once on the ground near his apartment, Kiyoko turned to face him. Nina and Nicki stood nearby, completely ignored by the tengu.

“I will investigate who may have attempted to kidnap you yesterday,” the tengu said. “It sounds too clumsy to be an Inaba operation, but I recommend being wary regardless. Do not discuss sensitive matters in public, even with powerful wards.”

“Guess that rules out our apartment.” Nina grimaced. “We’ve got Lionetti Tower and the atelier, but…”

The tengu shot her an odd look. “I believe your apartment to be safe enough.”

What the hell did that mean?

Daji snorted in his mind. “Do you think Agent would risk having those long meaningful talks if somebody could spy on you? She amplified your anti-scrying wards on your behalf. Subtly, I imagine. Can’t leave fingerprints or somebody might guess who she is.”

He should have guessed as much the moment Kiyoko revealed she excelled at scrying. She undoubtably had tried to spy on them and failed.

Was that why she tended to hang around outside his apartment? If she couldn’t scry him, she had to wait for him to leave. Kiyoko might have done that this morning, only to realize he’d stayed overnight in the penthouse. So she’d ambushed him in the fast food joint.

Kiyoko looked back at him and nodded very slightly. “We shall speak soon, I imagine. I await good news regarding the raiju.”

“I hope I can deliver it,” he said.

Without another word, she rocketed into the air, then vanished.

Nina scowled. “We should regroup in the apartment. I’m parched after flying that long.”

She grabbed him by the collar and dragged him away. Not exactly a subtle hint. Nicki trailed them, confused.

Once inside the apartment, Nina shut the door and began prodding the walls and windows. Her fingers glowed with magic the whole time.

Minutes passed. Vince scratched the back of his neck while Nicki made two coffees and sipped a glass of cold water herself.

The moment he slipped his hand in his pocket to touch the soul egg, Nina shot him a glare. “Was her cryptic reaction because of that damn egg?”

Nicki spluttered, splattering water droplets all over the floor. “Egg? Vince, what the fuck?”

He rolled his eyes. “Not that sort of egg, Nicki.”

“Oh.”

“And, no, Nina, it’s not,” he said.

“Then—” Nina began to say.

He held up a hand. Daji had appeared next to Nina while shaking her hands in the air, as if mimicking being a scary monster.

“I’m pretty sure it’s because of the other invited guest,” he said. “Houou’s agent that keeps dropping in to say hello. If Kiyoko is a powerful diviner—”

“Not the right word,” Daji interrupted him. “Diviner is the western term for an onmyouji practitioner. They can use divination, but it’s not the same. Call her a scryer, if you must use any term.”

Nina shot him an odd look when he froze.

“If Kiyoko is a powerful scryer,” he said, and Nina frowned, “then Houou would know that. The agent showing up here has probably enhanced the wards on our apartment.”

“So well that I can’t sense them?” she asked.

“Given she can casually teleport, change her illusions at will, and breached the wards in the first place… yeah?” he suggested.

Nina blinked. “Vince, what the fuck? You said you were getting visited by an agent, not the fucking ghosts of Christmas past.” She ran a hand down her face. “This agent was also pretending to be the delivery finch, right?”

He nodded, while Nicki squawked, eyes widening in surprise.

“I don’t want to think too hard about who or what this Houou agent might be,” Nina said. “I’d get a damn headache. Especially given…” She stared pointedly at his jacket pocket, although not the correct one. “We’re stuck in the middle of some hidden war between Houou and the Yakuza. I get the feeling Kiyoko knows more about it than we do, but not enough to do anything about it.”

“On that, I agree,” he said. “Also, if she’s planning the heist, what is their chief enforcer doing?”

“The Qilin, Kigenai?” Nina asked. “Damn good question. Wish we could scry her and find out, because I’d bet she’s up to her neck in shady shit if Kiyoko is handling the heist. I’ll bring this up with Fia. You visiting Salome?”

He nodded.

Nina grabbed her coffee, which Nicki poured from the moka pot. His girlfriend took the moka pot off the harpy and poured a second coffee while sipping her own, then handed it to Vince.

“Be damn careful today, Vince,” Nina warned. “I don’t like Salome, but I trust you with her. The rest of Immanuel? Fuck no. They want to find out what we’re up to, and once they do, they’ll encase us in brimstone and toss us in the harbor. Even if the demons don’t like Houou, they’ll take ‘em over the Yakuza.”

“That doesn’t raise any doubts in either of you?” Nicki asked.

“They’re demons. Not exactly my choice of beacon of morality.”

Vince snorted, then slugged back his coffee. It was good stuff, but he didn’t plan to hang around.

While the other two girls puttered about, he messaged Salome. At this time, it might be hours before she replied. A good chance to take care of any chores. Between all the parties, the assassination, and keeping up with three girlfriends, he’d been falling behind.

“Before anyone goes anywhere, I’m going to do laundry,” he said. “So if you have anything you don’t want to wash, move it.”

Nicki shot him an annoyed look. “I can wash my own shit, you know.”

“Have you?”

She winced. “I mean, I’ve still got a few pairs of clean underwear. You did laundry on Christmas Eve. That was like…” She counted on her fingers while muttering under her breath. “Nine… Ten days ago?”

“Uh huh. I’m doing laundry.”

The harpy said something unkind before vanishing into her room. He spotted some of her underwear strewn on the floor as she did so.

Nina didn’t budge. She remained ensconced in her phone, tapping away.

“I’ll be heading off shortly,” she said. “I’ll meet Fia at Lionetti Tower, chat about this morning, and then we’ll eat something nice. Pizza, probably. Been ages since I’ve had a good one.”

He waved her off and vanished into her room. Now that they shared rooms, the amount of her clothing that ended up in her bedroom varied a lot. It also meant he washed her sheets less often. His own could do with a wash, though.

By the time he’d put the washing machine on and given the place a quick vacuum, his phone buzzed with a reply from Salome. Nicki had vanished into the bathroom. He guessed she was applying some illusion dyes.

If this is business, meet me at the club, Salome replied.

He blinked. Her club? At this time?

I need to meet now. It is business, but it’s important. Needs to be private, too. Our ears only, he messaged.

I read your first message. The succubus added an animated emoji of a busty teacher slapping a pointer against an open palm. The club is best for business. Well warded, and will raise fewer eyebrows. Your late night visit to my house was noticed.

Shit. While the anti-teleportation ward he’d bought for the assassination of Arnulfo didn’t implicate him in any Yakuza business, he hadn’t wanted Immanuel to know exactly what he was up to. But with how things had blown up and Quintus snooping around, it made sense he’d be noticed.

Not sure how long it will be. My ride is busy. He asked.

I’m already here. Doing paperwork. Come whenever, so long as it’s still bright. Bring some fun if you like. Salome added numerous eggplant and peach emoji.

Well, he simply had to hope Nicki finished up soon. It was lunchtime, so he guessed she’d amble out in search of food.

After nearly an hour, the bathroom door creaked open. He ignored it, unsure if Nicki wanted to be seen yet.

Her talons clacked on the tiles behind him, and he turned his head.

A woman vaguely recognizable as Nicki stood behind him. The original Nicki, rather than the heavily illusioned woman he’d been living with for months now. Her taloned legs were even visible for the first time in weeks.

Long, lithe, and toned, with short black hair and noticeable bangs. Purple highlights ran through her hair, shimmering with an impossible rainbow of colors in the light thanks to the magical hairpin he’d given her for Christmas. Amber eyes met his uncertainly.

But while she looked like Nicki, it was a very smooth version of herself. Like a real life Photoshopped Nicki. Bigger tits, smoother skin, more curves in the right places where she’d previously been lanky or a little bony. Nicki now had a perfect hourglass figure, hips to die for, and when she pivoted a little, he saw an ass so large ordinary people would need surgery to get it. Even her two sets of black wings had been given a touch up, shimmering with an unnatural gloss.

“You look like you leaped out of a computer,” he said. “Trying to become a model?”

Nicki gulped. “You think I could be a model?”

“Nicki, if you struck the right pose and did a sultry look on the street, you’d probably trick random guys into thinking you’re somebody important.” He winced. “Uh…”

She snorted. “I know what you meant. I don’t have any plans to start laying eggs for money like my sister, but it helps to know I could. But…”

Nicki twirled, then pulled out her phone and held it up for a selfie. She frowned.

“There’s something missing,” she said.

Vince frowned. “Um, do you want me to be honest?”

“Uh… will you say nice things afterward?”

“You look too smooth. Like, nobody will say no, but I’m guessing your sister has a more... natural feel?” He shrugged, unsure where he was going. “It would help if I’d met her.”

“I could show you pictures, but all the public ones involve her partly naked,” Nicki said, half-smiling. “I get it, though. She has a really individual feel.” She nodded a few times, starting small before giving a really big nod. “I like this look. More than the others, but you’re right. I’m still missing something that I feel screams ‘me.’ I realized that when I saw Bree again. Like, I reckon if you lined Pola, Alessia, and Fia, all of them would have something for you. But put me and Bree next to each other, and you’d egg her ten times out of ten.”

He stared at her.

Nicki stared back. Her face exploded in an inferno of red. “I… I was just making an example.” She waved her hands at him. “Anyway, you need to be somewhere? Going to the succubus’s house?”

While he filed away her words and reaction, Vince said, “Yes, but no. Visiting her club. You should drop me off and go grab some lunch.”

“Let’s eat on the way. I’m starving and the succubus can wait.”

Fair enough.

They trooped out to the balcony and Vince got to see her talons grip him for the first time in far too long. Not since she’d been forced to drop her illusion after the attack downtown had she voluntarily shown them.

Not that they flew far. He’d mentioned the Mexican place that Gabriela took him to at some point, and Nicki wanted to try it.

The alleyway was quiet, although people milled about in it. Various small stores were open, most with signs in Spanish. The restaurants sported both English and Spanish menus. Several obvious cartel members glanced at them when Nicki came down, initially writing them off as a Wings flier. Then they took a second look and Vince saw a catgirl’s jaw drop.

He really hoped they didn’t cause trouble while he grabbed some food.

“You got tacos here last time, right?” Nicki asked, while looking at the menu of the place.

The old lady manning the counter interrupted them, initially speaking to Nicki in Spanish. Nicki screwed up her face and tried to reply in stilted Spanish, causing the old woman to laugh. They sorted out their order, and ended up getting some quesadillas with salsa.

While they waited, Vince noticed the cartel catgirl went missing. The others pointedly ignored them. A bike had gone missing.

By the time they finished their food, Vince was ready to bail. Only for a very loud bike to make its appearance.

“Ah, Gabriela,” the old lady sighed.

Vince froze, and Nicki looked at him oddly.

As the old lady predicted, a massive Indian motorcycle slid around the corner at low speed, followed by a much smaller bike with the catgirl. Gabriela sat astride her beast in the same outfit she’d worn the first night he’d met her. Her unicorn horn glowed.

When Gabriela dismounted, she revealed her towering height. Her dark fur-lined jacket hung loosely from her shoulders, while she still wore plenty of enchanted jewelry. Her hair was stark white, as were her horse ears and tail. Beneath her clothes was a lithe, muscled form capable of turning Vince into a pretzel if he gave her the chance.

He eyed her warily. “Gabriela. Something wrong?”

She snorted. “I said you shouldn’t be a stranger and wanted to say hello. Seems you already ate, though.”

He forced himself to relax. Nicki looked between him and the unicorn demihuman, wings fluttering in preparation to take flight. Vince waved for her to calm down.

“I’m about to meet with somebody. Can’t stay long,” he said. “If this is just a social call…?”

Gabriela barked with laughter before striding over and slapping him on the shoulder. “What do you think it is? If I wanted to kick your ass, I wouldn’t be here alone. That lion teaches you to be so damn paranoid, eh?”

He rubbed feeling back into his arm. “Not sure I’d say that. If this is just for fun, I’ll have more time… eventually.”

Her eyes narrowed. She took a step back and sized him up. Then she sighed.

“A job, huh? From one to another.” The unicorn scratched the back of her neck. “Can’t really give you shit. Things are quiet for us because it has to be, but you independents always have something cooking. I won’t ask about it. I can’t read lips, but I can read muscles.” She ran a hand along his arm, drumming her fingers on it. “But do me one favor?”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Hit me up afterward. We’re local, you’re local. You can do me that much, yeah?” She stared into his eyes, horn glittering in what little light that filtered into the alleyway. “Not every job needs to be about fighting half the cops in the city, and our sponsor is busy working out or whatever dragons do when a bigger, badder guy makes them feel inadequate.”

“I take it he learned about Wagner,” Vince drawled.

Gabriela grinned. “Covered for us when we killed the traitor who set us up. But yeah, I can give you a fun job. Maybe take you out for something fun afterward?” She winked and nudged him with her elbow, which took his breath away with the sheer force it impacted his ribs with.

“I’ll do my best,” he said. “Things are…”

“Complicated. I know.” She shrugged. “Shit always is. Remember. I’m always here. Hit me up.”

Damn. He kind of regretted overlooking the cartel all this time, if his local gang boss had been this nice and hot.

Then again, she only acted this way because she’d gotten the hots for him. He knew very little about unicorns, but they typically hated men. Gabriela led an all-female gang. If he’d approached her and her Hornstriders ordinarily, she’d have probably smashed his skull in.

Nicki shot him a knowing look when he turned to her and signaled for her to fly them both away.

Once in the air, Nicki snickered. “I’d never have guessed such a terrifying woman would be so fucking sweet. Nina still acts cool, but that unicorn is so damn nice and gentle.”

Gentle wasn’t the word he’d use. His ribs still ached.

Nicki flew them downtown. A far shorter flight than nearly leaving the state like she had earlier this morning. She made leisurely pace.

The harpy let out a low whistle as they dropped to the street. “I thought this was place was a dump at night, but it really looks it in the daytime. This place looks condemned.”

“It’s not that bad,” he said. “But yeah, it’s dingy.”

He wasn’t about to defend the club’s current appearance. Businesses that looked attractive at night tended to look seedy or rundown during the day, and Salome’s nightclub affected a particular look that made it even harder to appreciate.

An immaculate, perfectly manicured club would never be trusted for illicit sex orgies and drug deals. Salome ran a business, and it needed to look shitty for its clientele. The neighborhood was just as shitty.

Vince knew as much. He’d grown up here, and it had yet to be gentrified. The street contained the homeless, junkies doing deals in the open, and a few young demons pimping out some demihumans to passing cars. When a cop car drives past without caring, Vince knew he was home.

Calling Aulfair corrupt was inaccurate because it suggested the place had ever been honest or innocent.

“This time, there really won’t be anything of interest going on,” he told Nicki. “The club is closed and this will be private. So I do want you to find something else to do. Far away.”

Nicki eyed the demons and the probably-teenage wolfgirl wearing a micro-bikini. “Yeah. Far away is good. Still better than the shit the elves do.”

He blinked as the harpy shot into the air.

Wait, this was better than what the elves did? He doubted he wanted to find out what the elves did to each other during their endless racial feuds.

After crossing the street, he knocked on the door to Salome’s club. He could try the door, but thought better of it.

Sure, it might not disintegrate his arm, but he wouldn’t put it past her.

After a few long seconds, in which he drew far too much attention from the demon pimps, the door swung open. A young succubus in a sheer black leotard looked him up and down. She chewed some gum and blew a bubble.

“You know, I figured you’d have some gigantic package visibly sagging from your pants with the way the chief bitch acts,” the succubus said. “Are you a grower?”

“Something like that. Is Salome in?” he asked.

She stepped back and looked past him, then frowned. She clicked her tongue. “Those creeps are back. Bitch is in her office.” The succubus waved a hand at a door to the side he’d never gone into or seen anybody get close to. “I need to turn some morons inside out.”

The door slammed shut behind her. Evidently those pimps weren’t with Immanuel. Not every demon was, and it was damn stupid to do something that pissed off the real deal on their turf.

Not that Vince knew what Immanuel allowed and didn’t allow. They ran a lot of brothels and sex dens. The pimping wasn’t morally wrong for the demons, as much as they’d ran afoul of some technicality or failed to pay the right people.

Shaking his head, he walked toward the door the succubus waved at. If she’d been wrong, he’d head upstairs. He knocked first, though.

“Come in, V,” Salome’s voice called.

He stepped into the most boring office he might have ever seen. Well, almost.

The walls and floor were as decrepit as the exterior appeared to be, which stood in contrast to the interior of the rest of the club. A desk that looked like it had been bought from a government office sat in the middle with a pair of large monitors on it. In the corner sat a tall multifunction printer.

A single picture hung from the wall. A parody of the “hang in there, baby” cat, except it was a catgirl with her mouth and hands wrapped around a massive cock. The only other décor hardly counted as décor.

Vince stared at it.

The office’s only occupant raised an eyebrow at him, raising her gaze from the monitors. Salome was the picture-perfect image of a succubus. Beautiful, elegant, nearly naked, and with four curly black horns protruding from her forehead. She had soft lavender skin and piercing red eyes, while her hair had turned white today. An elegant dress clothed her body, save for the fact it was paper-thin, see-through, and didn’t cover her breasts and crotch. She wore no underwear.

“Like what you see?” she asked him, following his gaze.

A several foot long pink dildo stood bolt-upright on the floor.

“Do you use that for pole-dancing?” he asked. “It’s as big as I am.”

Salome snorted. “We could, but I mostly use it to haze the newbies. A lot of succubi come into the world, convinced that size is all that matters. They think they’ll need to learn to take Wagner’s skyscraper-sized dragon cock to conquer the world or something.”

“I… didn’t think dragons had dicks in their draconic form,” he said.

“They don’t, but succubi aren’t chosen for their brains. We develop them somewhere between our first and second centuries of existence.” She smirked. “I mostly use this toy to wave around and bonk girls like the doorgirl. She’s a cute little thing. Could do with some dicking, if you weren’t already busy with so many.”

Her eyes met his, and he felt Salome’s lust pulse into his brain. It washed over his mind.

A year or two ago, he suspected he’d be fucking her. Things were different now. Daji tutted in his mind.

Salome leaned back in her chair. She bit her lip.

“I came here for business,” he said, taking a step back.

“That I can tell. I’d say that was a mistake, but you’d know I was lying,” Salome said. She sighed and stood. “You’re so much stronger now, V. I remember when I took you for the first time and how much fun you were. You’re still so much fun, but it’s different now.”

She turned her back in order to open the cabinet. The upper shelves were full of various electronics, including hard drives and spare mice. A small selection of expensive spirits sat at the bottom.

“You’ve been drinking whisky lately, but have you tried cognac?” she asked. “Don’t answer. I can guess.”

She produced a tall wine bottle with an amber liquid in it, covered in French writing and some symbols. A pair of large glasses followed it on to the desk. Two generous pours later, and the room smelled of strong spirit.

A few months ago, Vince would have struggled with both the smell and the liquor. At the same time, he’d never have had the chance. He’d be balls deep in Salome and she’d never have wasted it on him.

“I won’t bother telling you the exact distillery the cognac comes from, as it’s French and quite old,” Salome said. “But if you know a little, then consider it the equivalent of Hors d’age—or beyond age. It’s old. Easily the equivalent of anything Alessia Lionetti might pull from her cellars.”

Still wary from her earlier blast of mental magic, he lifted the wide-bottomed snifter. The smell certainly matched what he got from the old bottles Alessia served sometimes. Fia would probably go gaga over this.

He took a sip, and knew he’d truly grown. It tasted pretty decent. He might even say it was fruity, past the deep burn and almost woody taste.

“I think I still need a lot of time to really appreciate something like this,” he admitted.

She smiled at him, swirled her own glass, and took a large gulp of her own. “You don’t need to worry. I have no shortage of it. Some bottles even predate this country. It’s a significant step that you can both drink it, appreciate it, yet admit you have much to go. Men who think themselves far greater, yet are far lesser, would refuse to do as much. Only a weak man fails to admit what he doesn’t know, and in doing so, reveals his weakness.”

“Was this all a test?” he asked, still confused.

She shrugged. “I could pretend as much, but no. I just…” Salome sighed and slugged back far too much cognac. She lowered her glass and poured more. “You’re doing something stupid, Vince. I can tell. I wanted you to forget what you were doing and merely indulge in me. But you’re too strong now. I could still have succeeded, but the cost would be too great. Simple tricks aren’t enough, and I’ve never been willing to pry you apart the way Bastet does her targets.”

The idea that Salome might even consider doing as much sent a shudder down his spine.

“Did Quintus put you up to this?” he asked, trying to remain calm.

She shot him a sharp look. “No. Nothing’s changed on that front, but I suspect it’s about to. What’s your business, V? I want to confirm if I was right to think you a fool, even if you’re a strong fool.”

“Immanuel has a raiju in captive somewhere. I need her talents for a job,” he said.

An explosive breath escaped Salome. She slugged back her entire glass of cognac before lowering the empty vessel and leaning on the table. Her eyes stared at the floor.

“Well, at least I know I was right to try to stop you,” she said. “If you were any less of a man, I’d have no business helping you.”

“So you know about her?” he asked.

She shot him a dark look. “I know what she is and who she used to work for. A Yakuza specialist. If you want her, it means you’re trying to break into somewhere you shouldn’t be. I don’t know enough to piece together what that place might be, but Quintus would probably know immediately. Which means you can’t let him know.”

“So, can you help me?”

Her eyes fluttered closed. “Yes and no. I know where she is.”

“Then—”

“But she’s well outside my scope. I’m logistics, so I supply everything, but we don’t hold on to anything of high value, like a Yakuza ward-cracker capable of breaking into almost any bank in the city. She’s held under lock, key, and heavily guarded cell.” Salome met Vince’s gaze. “You want her? Your best bet is Ashley. Not because she controls the raiju, but because she’s ambitious enough to make a deal with you. Only she’d be dumb enough to help you break her out.”

- - - - -

Commentary: I live once more, hopefully for real this time.

We'll move onto a short side-adventure to set-up the heist. The nature of the heist means that I need to have all my ducks in a row and have set certain things up, plus I don't want to rush it. Gathering the team members while reminding everyone of all the stuff going down (and introducing a new character or two) has been the goal, even if I've been slow to do it.