Mob Sorcery 2 - Ch27

Chapter 27

Nina returned home late, tired, and hungry that night. Late enough that Vince ordered food. He demolished one bowl of pho dropped off by a Wings flier and shoved the other in the fridge to be reheated.

“Couldn’t you have asked me what I wanted for dinner?” Nina whined once she returned and found her share.

“I did. You never answered,” he said, stretched out across the couch.

She blinked and pulled out her phone. The fridge swung shut while she stared at the screen, visibly lost.

“Oh.” Nina’s sigh sent the meal planner stuck to the front of the fridge fluttering across the room, causing her to dart after it. “Sorry. I wanted steak, but I’ll live.”

Vince struggled with the urge to laugh. “Steak? We had that last weekend and it cost a fortune. When’s the last time you’ve even cooked steak?”

“Too long.” Giving up, Nina retrieved her pho. While sliding it into the microwave, she slammed the fridge shut with one foot. “I tried one for lunch at this new place people are raving over. It was so fucking chewy and flavorless that I almost wanted to walk out and not pay. Urgh. I wanted to cook a nice one to make up for it.”

Throwing good money after bad in Vince’s mind. He let Nina complain some more as she slowly demolished her huge bowl of soup. As always when she got home, she flicked on the news. Not that there was much relevant tonight.

Rather than anything local, every single channel was showing an emergency report about Australia. Apparently, a former leader of the country had returned after being lost at sea for decades and overthrown the government. Half the commentary was about the implications this had for Japan’s power in the Oceanic region, and the other half was about the powerful water magic he’d used.

“Seriously? International news? I wanted to hear about the conference.” Nina grimaced.

“Are we sure this is actual news?” Vince scratched his head. “I know things are crazy, but if somebody told me that FDR walked out from the ocean in our time of need and overthrew the government with secret magic from Atlantis, I’d ask them to share the drugs they’re on.”

“It’s on every channel. Timing seems crazy given Japan’s move here.” Annoyed, she turned off the TV and pulled out her phone. “It’s everywhere online, too. At least there’s some discussion of the conference, though.”

“Shouldn’t you have read the news first?”

“It’s easier to watch it. I have better things to do on my phone.” Despite her words, Nina flicked through article after article.

He’d underestimated the degree to which she cared about the conference. This level of interest was a far cry from “water cooler talk,” as she’d described it a while ago.

Personally, his interest remained firmly on the water magic this Holt person had used. He’d had to have defeated agents and soldiers as strong as the Yakuza immortals Vince might have to fight, which was no mean feat.

“What did you do today, anyway?” Nina asked. “Fia told me that your new contract still isn’t ready and you had lunch with her.”

“Sounds like you already know what I did,” he said.

But he explained his activities anyway. His girlfriend nodded along without comment, even when it came to Salome’s actions, but frowned at the news regarding Ally’s shop.

“If Houou attacked her store directly, without using an intermediary, that’s bad news for them. There’s like six elementals on the streets right now. I’ve never seen this many active at once. They usually leave the beat patrol to enforcers like Ronin, but they’ve already flattened a few small-time enforcers causing shit. Houou will be in a world of pain if they keep fucking around.”

“I just wonder why they’d hit Ally, or why they have such a grudge against her,” Vince said.

Ronin hadn’t gotten back to him about the case. He might have been busy, as he was apparently doing 12-hour shifts in Albion every other day now. Or he might know something and be unwilling to share it.

“If she’s supplying Immanuel or the Yakuza with infusions right now, she’d be a big target. But…” Nina grabbed a toothpick and began cleaning her teeth. She leaned against Vince in the process and nearly toppled both of them, but he propped himself up. “If they hit her because you bought from her, that means they’re worried about you.”

“They sent Juliet after me,” he pointed out.

“Yeah. Which only adds fuel to the theory. Expect to be approached by a few people this week.” Nina placed a hand on his shoulder and looked deeply into his eyes. “I don’t just mean Quintus or some ambulance chaser. If Houou can’t kill you, they’ll try to hire you. Just like Kaziern tried.”

“I already said no.”

Her expression hardened. “And when a seven-tail fox pulls you aside, offers you a million straight up to walk away, and implies he’ll destroy you if you say no?”

Vince scowled. “That gives me even more reason to tell him to fuck off.”

He’d already told Alessia no when she tried to bring him into the mafia and constrain his actions. After being burned by Immanuel for so many years, he’d gotten a taste for what it was really like to be independent.

If big companies and gangs worried he might work for a rival, he could earn insane money compared to the scraps Quintus had thrown him. Nina had reminded him as much when she’d threatened Quintus with exactly that.

Nina sighed and nestled her head into his neck. Her position became deeply awkward as she curled up on the couch against him. Vince scurried to the far side before she crushed him.

“You’ll push me off if you’re not careful,” he said.

“Then I’ll lay on top of you on the floor.” Her ears flicked against his jaw. “Just be careful, Vince. I’m worried about you. The money’s good, but you’re attracting attention that would scare even me. Defeating Juliet and Hamelin has put you on the map.”

Damn. If Nina was talking him up like this, he might need to really worry.

“I’m going to grab some fancy tools from Ally on Wednesday,” he said. “I’d get an outfit like yours, but Fia told me it costs a fortune. ‘All-the-money-Alessia-is-paying-me’ levels of fortune.”

“Mmm,” Nina purred into his skin. “I told you that I spent almost everything I earned on expensive stuff. That outfit came courtesy of a big job for the cartel. Needed to protect a big shipment from Immanuel’s elites, who were trying to lock them out from the docks.”

She always had a great story behind everything she did. Unlike Vince, whose only real claim to fame was lighting main street on fire for a few hours.

And helping the Lionettis on Friday, he supposed.

“Any advice for what sort of tools I should get?” he asked.

She straightened up a little so she could look into his eyes while still leaning on his shoulder. “Ones that don’t break your bank. You’re getting a big paycheck, but it might be a whole month before you receive more. Even if your boss is covering one fine, you might get more.”

Not a pleasant thought. But he nodded.

“But more specifically? I was thinking of melee,” he said.

“Might work. But if you’re in melee with somebody like me, who can shatter your barrier, then you’re fucked if you can’t chase me away. You’re a bruiser, but you need distance. Buy something that can generate it.”

Given Ally’s expertise, Vince figured he’d find some tools that fit Nina’s advice.

With how tired she was, they ended up retiring to bed early. Which suited him just fine given she’d woken him up way too early.

Monday went slowly. Once again, Nina left for work and he puttered about at home.

Ordinarily, he’d be trolling for work at nights or doing odd jobs for Immanuel. Yet he found himself with little to do despite being employed. A strange feeling.

Before he could make many plans, Alessia finally contacted him. Not with a message, but a phone call. He stared at her name on his phone for several seconds before finally picking up.

“I didn’t expect a call,” he said.

“It’s faster this way,” Alessia replied. Her voice sounded a little distant, suggesting she was using a headset or earbuds. “I’ve wired you the funds. You should receive them within a few hours.”

Damn. An actual wire transfer. Vince knew about them, but Quintus always paid in cash.

At least he wouldn’t need to worry about carrying fifty grand around in his wallet or finding a safe to keep it in. Enchanted safes proofed against magic and demihumans cost a mint and weighed so much that not even Nina could lift one without a spell.

“What about the contract?” he asked.

“My lawyers are going over it. Given the nature of the work and how long the contract is, they want it to be ironclad. I can’t risk a piece of paper undoing everything we’re doing because it lets the police take action against us. Houou might be able to absorb the investigation against them, but I might even be ousted by the branch families if I saw the same problem.”

Investigation? “Wait. Is that investigation related to an attack—”

Alessia interrupted him, “Yes. Fia told me about the magic store you visited yesterday. It’ll be quite the boon if I can acquire a mystic fox as a supplier. The police announced an investigation this morning into the attack, and I’ve heard rumors about possible antitrust action, as Houou assaulted a smaller competitor. Not that I expect the latter to amount to anything. The conglomerates have proved largely immune to such accusations.”

“That’s it? An investigation after a brazen assault on a random merchant?”

“The perpetrator is dead, Vince.” Alessia’s voice stopped him cold. “Cut in two down the middle. They’re keeping his race a secret, but it’s almost certainly a fox, which begs the question of who and how they slaughtered him. Given the rumors…”

“Which are?” Vince figured to finally push about them.

A long pause followed his question, although he heard typing in the background. Another voice echoed in the background, which he recognized as Lucia’s.

“I’m surprised you don’t know their nature if you’re shopping there,” Alessia finally said. “Although Houou’s propaganda is all over the place. Everything from accusations that the storeowner works for the Yakuza, to being a federal government plant, and even that she sells forgeries. The latter is clearly untrue.”

Working for the Yakuza… Vince grimaced. “Uh, do you know—”

Once again, she interrupted him, “Fia told me that you’re going to meet with Ally’s friend. A fox from New York?”

“That she knew from New York,” he corrected.

“Hmm. Well, be careful, nonetheless. For many reasons.”

Everybody and their mother was warning him. Vince wondered if he should stay home today.

“When do you think the contract will be ready?” he asked.

“Tonight, hopefully. Tomorrow morning at the latest. I’ll have Fia provide you a copy so you can peruse it. If you’re out and about on Wednesday, perhaps you can stop by my office and give me your decision. I recommend acquiring legal advice. If necessary, we can delay the signing, but the sooner the better.”

Legal advice? Vince’s eyes popped. Nina had never mentioned using a lawyer. Hell, these contracts were dodgy as hell in general. Immanuel had him sign an annual one that acknowledged he worked for a shell company that they controlled but had no direct connections to. It had been boilerplate.

“Sure,” he said. “If I need a day or two, I’m still available as an enforcer.”

Alessia sighed. “You shouldn’t say things like that. You’ll make me regret offering you so much.”

Was she admonishing him or threatening him? Vince let the comment slide and closed off the conversation. Alessia appeared busy anyway.

Worried about all the warnings he’d received, he chose to spend the day researching vampiric weaknesses. He also spent a couple of hours researching spells. Sure, his fire net was neat, but he felt he needed something with more punch to handle somebody like Juliet. His fire lasers could only hit so hard, after all. Hell, he worried about cracking barriers used by the Golden Path enforcers. They sure as hell wouldn’t use barrier rings.

Not that he wanted to try mastering another meister-tier spell. He lacked the months necessary to learn one.

Somebody rapped on his balcony door and he glanced over, expecting a random visit from Nicki.

Instead, a blonde uniformed birdfolk man stood on his balcony. Wings fliers didn’t wear uniforms. The logo on his jacket marked him as an employee of some sort of logistics firm and he wore white gloves along with his navy-blue uniform. He held a small package roughly the size of a fist.

A white glove delivery service, complete with physical white gloves.

Right before Vince opened the door, he stopped.

Wasn’t he staying home today because of concerns about an assassination attempt? And here was an unannounced package in the hands of a company he’d never heard of.

A red barrier sprung up around Vince’s entire body. The birdfolk’s lips quirked upward but he remained unmoving. Finally, Vince opened the door.

“You’re warier than I expected,” a feminine voice said, sultry and sweet as it dug deep into his brain. “Strong barrier, too. No wonder you’ve stayed alive this long.”

He froze for only an instant. By the time he tried to slam the door shut and summon an offensive spell, the “birdfolk” vanished.

“Shit,” he swore, spinning while swinging his hand, fire laser at the ready.

But the birdfolk merely sat on his couch, legs crossed and now distinctly female. The impressive mounds on her chest made it difficult to mistake her for somebody else.

“Do calm down,” the woman on the couch said. “If I wanted to break in, I could have done it even with the doors closed. The protective wards on this building are laughable.”

“You’re a fox,” he said, recognizing her short-range teleportation.

“Do I look like one?” She laughed. “The city is full of merchants selling magic tools that grant short-range teleportation. Perhaps they’re out of your price range, but dozens of them sit in the armories of every conglomerate. Now, I’d rather have a pleasant chat instead of sitting on you. Perhaps over some coffee?”

She glanced at his coffee machine.

Fox or not, if she was claiming to be an enforcer or agent from a conglomerate, Vince didn’t want to fight her. Especially as attacking him in his home was a crime.

If she belonged to Houou, attacking him would bring down an army on them given the current pressure they were under. And even a Yakuza agent would need to hold off. Every conglomerate in the city hated them, after all.

He kept his barrier up and began making two coffees.

“They’re shit, you know,” he said.

“I’ve drunk coffee from countless offices, in almost every conglomerate,” she said. “You wouldn’t believe the state of most. Filthy things. Given what I know about you, I imagine you clean yours.”

“Once a week.” Vince set aside one coffee, only for it to instantly vanish.

The “birdgirl” nestled it in her hands, blowing on it. Her hair had grown out into a long ponytail since he last glanced at her.

“Hmm. Not bad, given the beans,” she said after a sip. “Perhaps you should upgrade to something nicer. Just avoid those terrible bean-to-cup machines.”

“That would require effort.” He leaned against the counter while waiting for his drink. “So? Why am I getting a visit from a corporate agent.”

“Several reasons, really. Consider me a messenger for an assortment of interests.” Her smile broadened but failed to reach her bright blue eyes. “First, Aulfair Statewide Insurance wishes to pay you for any evidence you can procure about the attack on Lionetti Tower. Privately, I’d bury this message, but it would cause trouble if I interfered with the mail.”

Something told Vince that impersonating a courier already involved interfering with the mail, even if she delivered the message.

“Do I get a contact number?” he asked drily.

“Do you have evidence that matters?”

“Against a certain vampire, yes.”

The birdgirl narrowed her eyes. “Ah, yes. Her. I can advise you that while her contracts against you and the Lionetti sisters remain in place, she’s been forced into hiding by her benefactors. The contracts can be cancelled if you assist me with another matter.”

Vince turned away to grab his coffee and hide his concern.

Who the hell was this woman to offer this? She had to be from Houou.

“And that is?” he asked.

“Refuse any job offers you receive from Immanuel or Knightsgate. Or the Yakuza, if you’re not entirely aware of Knightsgate’s nature,” she said. “I imagine you’ll receive some this week, if not today. Should my… supporters learn otherwise, know that Juliet Forest will be deployed against you again. Among other enforcers.”

“In other words, you’re working for Houou.”

“Believe what you wish. But if I was, shouldn’t I tell you to walk away from the mafia?” Her eyes glittered.

Her coffee had practically vanished by now. Damn, she drank fast. He’d barely touched his own.

When she said nothing for close to a minute, he grew restless.

“Well, is that it?” he asked, voice deepening as he tried to hide his nervousness.

“I had hoped to receive some hint regarding your intentions,” she said.

He snorted. “Yeah, that’s not happening. You’re threatening me, while I have no clue what I’m about to be offered. Kaziern at least offered me a small fortune.”

“Ah, yes. Them.” The woman sighed and stood up. She deftly kept her massive wings from knocking anything over as she stretched. “Quite the poor decisions they made to land in such a mess from the position of power they held. Which brings me to my third point: if you deal with the rogue enforcer plaguing the city center, I’ll give you one of these useful teleportation tools.” She shook her wrist until a bracelet glittering with rubies appeared.

“A job offer? You came here for that?”

“Underworld business is always conducted in person. It helps for you to understand my capabilities, as well.”

She blinked across the room and appeared directly in front of him. While she’d towered over him outside the door, her height had shrunk drastically since and she looked up at him with a dark smile. Her arms pressed against the wall behind him as she pressed her breasts into his chest.

Alarm sounded in Vince’s mind. She’d leaned right through his barrier and was only inches away from him. Fia’s warning about his barrier’s weakness left him far more vulnerable than he’d expected.

“You’re cute.” The birdgirl paused. “And capable. It would be a shame if I needed to destroy you.”

“I already said I don’t appreciate threats,” he growled.

“Ahaha, yes, you did.” She tilted her head. “But you misunderstand. This isn’t a threat. You can make the choice to disobey me and face little more than a whiny vampire. But should we cross paths and be pitted against one another, you’ll be little more than dust.” She stroked his cheek. “I’d much rather avoid that. I can be a very generous employer, you see.”

So would he, but Vince had no plans to give in to threats. Especially as he remained dead certain this woman worked for Houou.

Not that he understood her angle.

She teleported away again, appearing on the balcony beyond the closed door. With a short wave, she leaped over the railing and vanished.

Naturally, he called Alessia right away. She answered within seconds.

“Vince?” she asked.

He explained what had happened, leaving out no details. Alessia listened in silence, save for a question or two to clarify things.

“I see,” she said. “Those could be Houou’s agents, but to intrude on your home directly… That’s quite a risk to take. Part of me wonders if this is a false flag op, attempted to frame them and make you deliberately work against them. Their requests make little sense to me. Not to mention that Houou wants you dead and missed a golden opportunity. There’d be little evidence linking them to your death if they acted then and there.”

“What if they were caught on surveillance?” he asked. Not that he had any cameras in the apartment.

“A teleporting birdfolk does not make a case against a conglomerate. I recommend ignoring her requests.”

Easier said than done. If Immanuel or the Yakuza planned to offer him work, Vince needed to weigh up the fact he’d have a hit squad sent against him for saying yes.

Ronin and Fia had little of use to add when he messaged them. Although Ronin reiterated that Houou was under a lot of pressure. He apparently registered the confrontation with the police for Vince, for what little good it might do.

When Nina returned, her fury made itself known.

“Breaking into your home is an instant blacklisting.” She paced back and forth in her office clothes, pressing one fist into a palm. “Whoever the hell this bitch is working for, tell them to go fuck themselves.”

“I technically did open the door for her,” Vince said, aware that he shouldn’t be defending the intruder.

“And if you refused, I bet she would have teleported in anyway. What would you think if fucking Quintus showed up in person?” Nina’s eyes blazed.

“That I’d pissed him off?”

She scowled. “Don’t give me that shit. He’s already pissed but you haven’t been visited by any demons, have you?”

Sex tonight turned out to be rougher than usual. Vince wished he’d taken one of those muscle strengtheners, because he’d feel Nina’s riding tomorrow.

Another day, another morning when his girlfriend rushed to get ready for work. She’d slept in, no doubt because of how long she’d ridden him for.

Only for Fia to interrupt them. Vince stared at her as she stood outside his door. His mind slowly put the pieces together and he slapped his forehead when he understood.

“Shit. The contract,” he said. “Alessia said you’d drop it off.”

She held out a manila folder, which he took.

“Yeah, we prefer using paper contracts,” Fia said. “Alessia scans them in on the internal system, but it’s easier to keep stuff from leaking if we’re not sending things of questionable legality around by email.”

“I’m sure the cops tap everything.” He waved her inside and Fia beelined toward the coffee machine.

Despite the face she made at the cheap machine, she still made herself some drip coffee and happily drank it. “The feds, maybe. Who knows what crazy magical schemes the IRS and NSA have cooked up to break the encryption on every phone call and message. But the local blackshirts? Not fucking likely. We’re a legit corporation, though, so they can subpoena us.”

The idea of using a court to subpoena a contract for illegal work boggled Vince’s mind. Then again, the fact he was signing contracts meant they were legally enforceable in some way. Magically binding contracts cost so much money and catalysts to put together that they were only used for massive deals, like corporate buyouts and mergers. Even then, the courts had mages strong enough to annul them, making them of questionable usage.

Suddenly, one of Fia’s words struck him.

“The IRS?” he asked. “You don’t really think tax enforcers are that dangerous, right?”

“Trust me. A smart mafia is one that pays its taxes. They find out everything.”

Vince couldn’t recall the last time he’d even filed a tax return. Should he be worried?

Nina wandered into the main room and raised an eyebrow at Fia. “You two going somewhere fun today?” Her accusatory tone punctured the pleasant atmosphere.

The wolfgirl raised her hands. “I’m just dropping off Vince’s contract. It’s a big one and the sooner he gets across it, the sooner we can rest easy. Just need his lawyer to look through it.”

Ah, yes. The lawyer Vince totally had on retainer. He must have given away his thoughts with his expression, because Fia snickered at him.

Midway through slipping on her shoes, Nina froze. “Oh, shit. This is a complicated contract, isn’t it? I forgot you’ve never signed anything that big. Hell, you should have had a legal eagle look over the last one you’d signed. Would have saved you some grief with the completion terms.”

“Alessia acted in good faith,” Fia said.

“Sure, sure, but nobody should sign a contract that lets your boss fuck with you like that.” Nina straightened up. “I know a good lawyer who handles enforcer contracts. He used to do everything for me. Same day turnaround. Gimme the contract and I’ll drop it off for him.”

“Is he a literal legal eagle?” Vince joked as he happily gave the manila folder to the lioness.

“Yes, actually. You’d be surprised at the number of eagles that are lawyers. Them and hawks represent the largest demihuman population of legal professionals.” Nina shoved the folder into her purse before shouldering it. “Although most of the hawks handle corporate stuff. I bet our lovely dragon lord has a dozen of the best in Aulfair on retainer.”

Vince knew very little about lawyers, but he strongly suspected that nobody actually kept entire teams of lawyers on retainer. He wouldn’t put it past that dragon to outright buy an entire law firm given how often he got in shit, though.

Nina and Fia left together. The wolfgirl was trying to offer Nina a lift when Vince closed the door.

Unfortunately, without the contract to busy himself, he found himself at a loss. He really hoped that lawyer turned it around fast. Not seeing his own contract bothered him. Nina knew the terms and could tell the lawyer what to expect, however.

Now that staying home proved to be no safer than going outside, he figured to keep himself busy. Vince called up Nicki for a lift. She met him at the balcony door and caused him to instinctively tense. As much as he trusted her, he summoned a barrier before opening the door.

Nicki merely grimaced. “Nina and Fia mentioned you got a visit yesterday. It’s just me.”

She still looked like the birdgirl from the billboards. Evidently her dyes hadn’t worn off yet. The heart eye contacts were gone, though. Nicki’s plain amber eyes gazed at him uncertainly.

“You’ll need to drop the barrier if I’m to take you anywhere,” she said.

He did so and Nicki didn’t blow a hole in his chest, because she was Nicki rather than an imposter. Maybe he needed some system to recognize people? Like a codeword.

They travelled to the park he usually practiced magic in. Not many people around this early. A few people in suits cut through the park on the way to work, a dogwalker had a small army of dogs on leashes—the animal kind, not demihumans—and a pair of wolfgirls jogged around the lake in formfitting spandex that drew his eye.

The day passed fast enough as he practiced a few spells. Every hour spent enabled him to cast faster and better, whatever spell he practiced. Nicki elected to join him and conducted flight practice. Although she joined him for magic practice at one point. He gave her some tips to focus herself and explained how incantations worked.

Amazing that Nicki could use telekinesis without even understanding that much.

“Shouldn’t you have been taught this in school?” he asked.

“Do you know how much it sucks to be forced to cast elemental spells and constantly fail them?” She crossed her arms and huffed. “Nobody let me cast telekinesis, because the teachers said it was too complex and no other student specialized in a cerebral school.”

“What about healing? Did your school just tell them to go fuck themselves?”

“Uh, I think there was a different class for healing. Not that it would have helped, as I can’t use healing magic for shit.”

They made good progress, as Nicki lacked knowledge of many of the basics. While Vince couldn’t cast magic from a cerebral school, much of what he’d learned applied just as well. Especially as he’d once tried learning the very basics of healing years ago, when he struggled to afford infusions.

Nicki might be right that she sucked at healing, but all the cerebral schools used similar methods to focus and cast their spells. The big difference was the clarity of the image required.

Natural elements allowed the caster to skip certain steps involving visualization. Everyone innately understood how fire and water worked, after all. But using telekinesis required the caster to clearly visualize what exactly they wanted to do. If they wanted to pick up a stick from afar, they needed to imagine the stick rising into the air. Healing magic used a similar method to heal wounds.

Bad healing could mend broken bones in the wrong direction if visualized incorrectly. Professional healers learned anatomy as deeply as any mundane doctor and had similarly strict licensing requirements.

Around 3PM, Vince noticed a suited man lurking nearby. He instinctively tensed.

Then he saw the red badge glittering from the man’s chest. One of Immanuel’s enforcers. A human one, curiously.

Or one taking on a human appearance.

When Vince met the enforcer’s eyes, the man finally entered the clearing. Nicki fluttered down from where she’d been circling the area.

“It’s fine,” he called up to Nicki, then looked at the intruder. “I know your face. You’re one of the demons who accompanied Quintus at the Prefect’s Lounge.”

The demon’s appearance flickered, and a pair of slim horns protruded from his head. His skin darkened while black scales appeared around his neck.

“I attract less attention when using a transformation spell,” the demon said, his voice like gravel. “The boss… Apologies, Mister Hierum understands you may have ceased your employment with the Lionetti Family. I’m here to confirm if that’s true and whether you’re open to the offer he made last time.”

How polite. “I’ve extended my contract with the Lionettis. If Quintus has short-term work that doesn’t conflict with my main employer, I’m happy to talk with him,” Vince said.

The demon stroked his chin. “I’ll let him know. I’m pretty sure he’s interested in some muscle to handle intrusions from rivals south of the harbor. Police activity is lower there, unlike Albion and downtown, but it’ll mean some vicious fighting. This is work for real demons. And it’ll pay like it.”

Quintus really had upped his evaluation of Vince if he was finally willing to offer him enforcer work that usually went to his corporate thugs.

“Tell him to contact me on Thursday. It depends on whether I think it’ll clash,” Vince said.

And whether the work was good enough to risk the wrath of his mystery visitor from yesterday.

Just as the intruder from yesterday had predicted, Immanuel had made Vince an offer. Sure, he’d known it was likely to happen once Alessia paid him, but how had that fake birdgirl known that Alessia was paying him out early? And that Immanuel would make a move this soon?

Did that mean the Yakuza really were going to offer him work?

For the first time since everything went to shit on Friday night, Vince truly felt in over his head. He’d been warned of the dangers of getting involved in a corporate war. Now he understood firsthand what those were.

If he made a wrong move, he’d have powerful individuals like Quintus coming down on him. Yet Vince felt he was in too deep to back out. He’d pinned his flag to that of the Lionetti’s.

All he could do was tread carefully. And that included when he met Ally’s friend, whoever she might be.

- - - - -

Commentary: The Australian thing on the news is a reference to Harold Holt, the prime minister who went swimming and vanished (and has a few conspiracy theories about his fate, which was probably getting caught in a rip current and drowning). I don't know when I came up with the idea, but I couldn't let it go and it helps to make a point about Japan's influence in the current world. Also, I used FDR as the comparison because he's a notable president, possibly one of the few that might reasonably still become president in a post-masquerade world, and old enough to not be controversial (I hope?).

And Vince gets a visitor. I'm going for femme fatale-ish vibes here. Seductive, curious, playful, but obviously antagonistic. I'm also trying to show off illusion and transformation magic more, as they'd be the realm of corporate espionage, undercover cops etc but not regular enforcers like Vince and Nina.