NationStates Jolt Archive

The street lamps cast a golden glow on the near deserted street. The darkness had fallen fast, and it was just between the hours of commuters returning home and party goers heading out. This was the calm before the storm. This was the time to move around unnoticed.

Her foot falls echoed down the quiet street, the pace steady, unrushed but not too slow. No one looking at her would have reason to remember her. Her shapely form was hidden by a long dark coat, lacking in any detail, dull to the eye. Her hair was pulled tightly into a bun, and she donned a pair of glasses to add to the office worker image.

She reached the door of the coffee house, this was the place the meeting had been arranged to take place. Not the usual venue for a business deal, but then this wasn't the kind of deal you wanted everyone to know about. Personally she preferred these little out of the way, non-descript little eateries rather than some fancy office.

As she entered, her eyes glanced quickly at the other customers. It was quiet, very few people were still here. It was a tiny cafe that got most of its trade from the offices nearby, but once they closed, the place became empty, with only the diehard caffeine drinkers sticking around before returning to their loved ones.

This shop had been chosen just for this reason. No one's attention would be drawn to her arrival, or her business. She took a seat at the back, furthest from the door, as she had been instructed, and waited for her contact to arrive. A waitress came to the table carrying a jug of coffee and a cup. With a brief nod from Gina, the woman began to pour.

Serendell was quiet now, the true nightlife started at around two A.M. The outskirts were very quaint, typical of a Pacific Island city. The streetlights were older, and dim, and the stores had been weather-beaten but the architecture was very beautiful. The suburban section they chose for the meeting was very quiet, and the two set a rendezvous point for Oceanside Coffee, an older but fresh business that had waiters and waitresses serve as opposed to the increasingly popular Fourbucks Coffee, where people were a counter separated the clerks from the customers. It was a little more personal.

Stepping up on the bricks and into the door, Mark took off his black coat. Reports said the rain would be pouring soon, he thought he might as well prepare for it. Placing the coat on the hangers provided by the store's owners, he looked around to find her. The older, green chairs were mostly taken up, but he saw her over by the corner near the glass window. The click of his dress shoes echoed on the floor, as he moved slowly avoiding the chairs and people.

“Good evening,” said Mark Pryce as he sat down in the seat across from Gina. He rested the leather briefcase by his left foot, and put his glasses and cellular phone on the table. A waitress came around and poured him a cup of coffee.

Taking a tentative sip of her hot coffee, Gina looked up over the cup as the voice drew her attention. She had spotted him enter, and had watched him walk the length of the cafe, something about him told her he was the man she was meant to meet, even before he spoke.

She lowered her cup back onto the table as he took his seat, she smiled at him, as if greeting a long time friend. She found that portraying the familiar touch helped soothe eyes that may have focused on them. The lack of entertainment in the place did lead to a certain moment of piqued interest before everyone resumed consuming their goods.

"Good evening." She did not present her hand to him, instead she cupped her coffee in her hands. She felt her own briefcase with her foot, making sure that it was safely in her possession. It was identical to the one that he had carried in with him, and was the easiest way of completing the deal without drawing attention.

"I take it you had a trouble free journey here. I know how things can get to you at this time of the day." It seemed a basic enough question, but she wanted to know if he had been followed here, you couldn't be too careful in their position.

He gave a light smile, his left half of his lips rose to her inquiry. “It was easy to get here, just down the street really.” The coffee was hot, the steam rose ever so slowly, passing his younger, but seemingly mature face. Mark’s dark hair had already begun to gray at his young age, probably from the immense pressure he went through. The blue-gray eyes contrasted with his hair and gray shirt. He took a quick glance around the café, making sure none were eavesdropping. “Well, did you have any trouble getting here? The directions I gave you were quite specific, I thought you might have trouble.”

He took a sip of his coffee, burning his tongue. He cursed under his breath as he reached for the half-and-half. "Hot stuff, huh? I hope its good quality. I know the customers come here for only the best, at any price."

Bringing the cup back up to her lips, Gina let her eyes drift around the cafe, focusing slightly longer when she reached the door, scanning for anyone acting suspicious. Anyone paying them too much notice. She had never been paranoid, as a young girl she'd taken everything in her stride, never worrying about the people around her. Now, checking out everyone around her had become second nature, and a necessity.

She swallowed, and felt the warm liquid moving through her body, heating her from the inside. She shivered slightly as the last of the chilled night air was taken from her. Keeping her hands wrapped around the cup, bringing her cold hands to life.

"You're instructions were very clear, I had no trouble following them." She always seemed a little annoyed when people questioned her abilities, she had always had to prove herself that bit harder. The men in her line of work, always expecting her to fail, was the one in front of her any different.

"I have the sample with me as agreed, I hope that you have brought a token payment with you?" She kept her voice quiet so as not to carry, but loud enough not to be a whisper. The moment a lowered voice was heard, the room would go deathly silent, as she had discovered on several occasions.

"The tab and sum is with me, yes." He sighed before he took a sip of coffee. "I hope it is good quality." Using his leg, Mark slid his briefcase passed the table's legs and next to her right foot. He made the transaction. The street value of the amount agreed on was roughly 300,000 dollars. Heroin was expensive in Ruhr because of strict port inspections and drug-laws. The Ruhrian Government had no drug-specific agency, it was merely a section of the Defence Intelligence Agency. That meant that punishment for those caught dealing was great.

Mark allowed a half-smile as opened his lips. The coffee flowed into his mouth as he loosely gazed around the room. He sat back in his chair, wishing he could see the entrance. Eh, I have done dozens of these, he thought.

"When can I expect the rest?" His voice was also quiet, he tried his hardest to match her level.

Gina felt the case touch her foot, and slowly pushed her own towards him. Anyone looking at their faces would note no difference in their behaviour, but anyone looking at their feet would be surprised as the which took place.

She didn't know whether she felt more at ease carrying the goods or the money. At least the money side didn't require as much explaining as being caught with a case full of heroin. She sighed inwardly, as she took another sip, before answering his question.

"First, you check the goods, make sure you want to carry on the deal." She counted off her points on her finger. "If you're satisfied then you call me on this number." She hands him a card with a printed mobile number on it. "Call me, and we'll arrange a time and place. The goods won't arrive for a couple of days, so take your time."

She looks at him, as her foot finishes moving the new briefcase to the side of her chair.

Mark put the card in his wallet, and then secured the leather piece in his front left pocket. His eyes gazed directly into the young woman's eyes, "I will call you when Carver sends it to QC. Then expect a call after that. When the shipment comes in though bring it to Coral Island. There will be a boat there waiting." His voice was serious, like a judge giving a verdict. "But that is only after I call you."

Mark took his business seriously, he had to. The drug laws in Ruhr were very strict, and the drug-dealing punishments were even worse. He had to be precise. He took one last sip of coffee and pulled out a few stuka (Ruhrian Currency) and slapped it on the table. "By the way, coffee is on me." He smiled and awaited her response. "How secure is that line?"

Gina nodded. She knew the drill, the boat would wait outside territorial waters until the signal was given, then it would dock briefly with a waiting vessel, before returning to its base, hopefully without drawing attention from any authorities.

"Coral Island, I'll confirm that once you call." She looked him in the eye, her face serious and professional. "The line is secure, the signal is rerouted halfway round the planet. By the time the call get to me, it's got a tan." She finished her coffee, placing the cup on the table. "And thank you for the drink."

She picked up the case, and stood up, feeling the change of weight from the one she had brought in. She didn't check the contents, she didn't need to yet. If the money wasn't in there, the man who was set to tail Mark would take him out on her signal. It showed the client a level of trust, without having to actually trust them.

She smiled, as she turned to leave, returning her attention on the man still seated. "Just so you know you're speaking to the right person when you call, I'm Gina."

Mark watched her walk swiftly out, blending in with the customers in the cafe. He grabbed his new breifcase and stood up, taking a last, quick sip of his coffee. He put on his overcoat and walked back to the street, getting in his Titanium Silver 2001 BMW 750iL. His associates all had newer vehicles, but he perferred the speed and luxury of the ultimate driving machine.

Unlocking the door and sitting down, Mark felt as if he were being watched. He put the laser-cut key in the ignition, turning it slightly to the right. The five point four litre twelve-cylinder engine roared as the gas fed it, the zenon lights came on automatically. He turned on the radio, Classic Rock on XM Radio. Whitesnake was playing, they were one of Mark's favorite bands. He put his briefcase on the passenger seat, checking the contents. Opening it up, he saw a decent sized pouch containing the heroin. "This shit better be worth 300,000 stuka."

He put the car in fourth gear, he never drove in 'drive', it took the fun out of it. Mark flipped the small silver cellphone cover and dialed Carver's number. "Hey, it's me. I have it, going to QC right now. I took a look at it, seems fine....ok, bye."

Taking his foot off the brake, Mark's 750iL rolled forward as he got out of his parallel parking spot on 36th street.

------------
QC Lab
------------

Mark set down the briefcase, and a man in a white overcoat briefly examined the contents. He set the sample down and took a small amount out to inspect. The contents were placed underneath a microscope, "Ahh, yes. This is high quallity shit."

"Good, Carver will be pleased." Mark took his cellular phone off its clip and called his boss again, this time on a different number. "Yeah, its good stuff. QC guys will deliver it. I'll send an order to Gina, yeah...I've got to go. Bye."

--------------------
Mark's Condo
--------------------

Mark slid the card out of the back of his wallet. The fine, black print on the card made up her cellphone number, and he followed the instructions given to him back at the coffee shop. It rang three times before the message machine answered. Pryce listened to her attractive and calm voice. "Its Mark, the sugar is good in the coffee. I'll take the previous order set. Thank you, bye."

After leaving the coffee shop, Gina made her way to a waiting car. The passenger door swung open as she neared, the large set man returning to his position in the drivers seat. As she settled in, he hit the accelerator as she carefully buckled the belt.

They drove through the not so quiet streets, until they reached the hotel. Both travelled in silence, exchanging little more than a nod, from the moment she had entered. Her eyes staring out of the windows, staring at the city sights, as his checked his rearview mirror every now and then for signs that they'd picked up a tail.

Before too long, the car pulled into an underground car park, directly under the block of apartments they were temporarily residing in. It had been suggested that they stayed in a hotel, but Gina preferred the comfort of being able to come and go without anyone noticing. Receptionist always seemed to have that knowing look, as if they logged all your movements to add them to your bill later.

The apartment was nice, not a rundown slease pit that one would automatically associate with someone in her trade. She liked luxury, and wasn't afraid to admit it. And it wasn't as if she was picking up the tab, so she picked the best that Thornville's money could buy.

She walked over to the table, and placed the briefcase down, popping the lid instantly. A quick scan indicated that the correct value was contained inside. Making several calls in quick succession, she informed her boss that the deal had been initiated, then she called her other associate who had been tailing Mark, giving him the signal to cease his endeavour and return.

A while later her phone signalled a message, upon listening to it, she dialled again, conveying instructions that would bring the boat in...

Pryce opened his patio door, and walked out several feet to the railing. The metal was cold, considering it was a humid night. The view was spectacular, he saw right down the island hill over the bay and directly into the club section: Harbour Drive. The neon lights glittered over the clear blue bay, and the cocktail boats sailed swiftly across the bay. His eyes traced the numerous buildings lining the white sand beaches of Serendell.

His house phone rang; he looked inside on instinct. His foot swiveled as he took a step towards the phone; it rang again. He picked up the phone, “Speak.”

”Mr. Pryce, meet me at Harrison Lane and Hampshire Drive. There is a parking lot there, I know what you will drive. I will expect to see you there within the hour.”

”Who the hell is this?” Pryce spoke with outstanding anger.

”Just meet me, and all will be explained.”

--------------------
Parking Lot
--------------------

Pryce pulled into a spot near a willow tree, he was careful not to get anywhere near the long, drifty arms that can scratch his car. He turned off his classic rock and looked around, a light flickered…headlights of another vehicle. He rolled down his tinted-glass window. The other car pulled on the left of his BMW. “Mr. Pryce?” A man’s silhouette got out of the car, and walked up to his window. “I am Agent Logan of the DIA.” Logan pulled out his leather wallet containing his identification.

”What do you want with me?” Pryce said, calmly, innocently.

“It has come to our attention you have been working with a man named Carver for some time now.” Logan was careful not to mention the occupation.

”You assume correctly, but we only work as general contracting firm on residential homes. What does the DIA want with me?”

”Sir, lying to a DIA agent is against the law. I can take you in right now for that. Now, I know you have been running an elaborate heroin syndicate throughout Ruhr mainland.”

”Bullshit, I work only on houses and getting mat—“ he was cut of midsentence.

”There is a shipment coming in, correct? With a foreign supplier. Give us the location, and quit your job and the DIA will grant you amnesty.”

”Amnesty? I have done noth---“ Pryce argued but ocne again was cut off.

”If you give us the location of the transaction, you are free to go. We will give you a new identity as part of the WPA, and relocate you. That is if you tell us the location.”

Pryce thought for what seemed like an hour, but in reality was thirty seconds. Logan got impatient. “Mr. Pryce. I have limited time, and so do you.”

“Very well, I will tell you. It is off of Coral Island.”

“When?”

”I am not telling you!”

”Fine, Mark. Then I have only one choice; you are going to serve as an agent for us. You will go in, as a part of the Carver group, and come out as a free person…”

”You can’t do that!” He said sharply.

“I can very well do that.” Logan gave him a briefcase. “This is everything you will need. Inside, there is a flare gun, a healthpack, a recorder, and an earpiece which we will be contacting you with. We will be watching you closely, Mr. Pryce. You will follow through.”

Mark threw the materiel in the back of his car. He rolled up the window, shouting before it closed: “Yeah, you do that.” He put the car in reverse, backed up. The car slid a bit as he threw it in fourth gear and the wheels spun on the slick pavement. The car rocketed out of the parking lot and onto the road.

Pryce picked up his second phone and hit Gina’s speednumber. It rang again before she answered.

Gina relaxed on the luxurious sofa, her bare feet resting on the table, her eyes closing out the world. In the background, there was some classical music playing, one of George's favourites, he never went anywhere without his compiliation. She had been surprised that the car journey had been devoid of the sweet melodies.

Slowly drifting out of the real world, and into the safe place of her dreams, Gina was suddenly pulled back by the ringing of her phone. Her eyes snapped open, as she leans forward, grabs it from the table and answers it by the second ring.

"Hello?" She looked at George, who had moved over to the sofa as the first ring, his face a mixture of concern and surprise. They weren't expecting to hear from anyone.

"Gina, its Mark on my other phone. Listen, we need to move the location." Mark came to a dead stop in traffic because of a light. The engine hummed in the background. He sighed, "We need to switch the location to Neken Island, in the Ruhrian Barrier Reef. It is a bit of a longhaul, but it beats getting caught. Sources say the DIA is on to us. I will contact my organization if you can contact yours."

"How in the name of hell, did that happen?" Gina practically shouted down the phone before bringing her voice back down to its usual pitch. She waved away the now anxious George, who was almost sitting on her shoulder. "Okay, we'll move the meeting, but are you sure that the DIA won't get hold of the new location. It sounds like you have a mole your end."

This was all she needed, Thornville was going to be annoyed when she broke this piece of news to him. The last thing he's want to know was that he was being threatened by the Ruhrian government, when he already had trouble avoiding the Tartarian police.

"There is no mole, but Ruhrian global surveillance is outstanding. They probably picked up a Tartarian agency loading them onto the boat. I dunno how they traced it to me though. But the best thing to do is to move the location where their ships cannot fire into or enter." The car started to move, finally. The engine roared as it reached 2,500 reps per minute, the wheels kept turning. The speedometer soon read 70MPH (miles per hour). He was now going 20 miles over the posted speedlimit, stupid of him to be traveling at high speeds while on the cellphone.

"Listen, just to grid-8 of the barrier reef. Grid eight is the most centered and has a fairly-deep section. Just be at the southern-edge of it and we will be fine. Time has to change also though, to 11 P.M."

Gina wrote down the new instructions on a scrap piece of paper that had been at hand, her mind whirling with this sudden change of plan. She couldn't help feeling on edge, knowing that they could have the police and who knows what governments agencies on their tail any moment.

"We'll be there." She clicked of the phone and groaned, slamming her hand down on the soft seat cushion, her frustration evident to the other person in the room, who became the object of Gina's attention. "Damn, these Ruhrians. If there isn't a mole at their end, I'll...I'll run naked through Erebus."

She got off the sofa and paced around the room, trying to think of the best way to break the news to Thornville. She sighed as she realised telling him straight was the quickest and possibly least painful way. She dialled the number in herself, she never kept numbers that could tie her to associates or contacts.

"Hello, Mr Thornville." She received his confirmation. "I think we may have a slight problem this end." She stopped, and waited for his temper to flair...

Before Mark had a chance to respond, she hung up. He set his phone down after looking at it a bit. "Well, that takes care of things." He stopped on the bridge connecting the main-island Serendell with his smaller suburban hill/island. He put the shifter in "P" or park, and got out with the briefcase DIA agent Logan gave him. He looked through it, picking out the flare gun and sticking it in his car's trunk. He took the recorder and threw it in the water, as well as the earphones. "Are they that stupid?"

He got in his car again and drove up to his condo. After parking in the spacious garage which was cluttered, yet organized, with tools, golf clubs, and weapons. He unlocked the door and walked into through his laundry room and then to the kitchen.

Pryce looked around, cautiously...He shut the blinds and walked into his pantry, the farthest inside location in the home. He grabbed his first cellphone and dialed his associates in charge of organizing the transfer. After a brief ring, his partner picked up. "Robby here, be brief."

"Listen, plans have changed for the fishin tournament. We are going to Site B down in the big lake's shallows." This meant they were going to the second option in the Ruhrian Barrier Reef. Each deal had several location choices depended upon shipper and flight organizations. "Its goin down half an hour earlier, my man." That was code for six hours earlier. They knew that someone might be listening, and never took chances. "I've got to go." He hung up his little silver cellphone.

Gina clicked off the phone following a loud conversation with Thornville, at one point she had to move the handset away from her ear. After about twenty minutes she had managed to calm him enough. Well, she'd got him to speak in a lower volume, she had never actually seen him calm.

Not that she was surprised, every day there was another Tartarian police force or agency trying to close down his business operations, but he managed to bury himself so far behind countless organisations and scapegoats that he had made himself difficult to pin anything on. But it would happen, Gina knew it would. She'd bet her life on it.

Making an excuse of needing some air, she left the apartment, passing Harry on the way. He'd just returned from a quick search of the area to ensure that he wasn't followed. She smiled and patted him on the shoulder, then continued out of the building.

Walking several blocks, she entered a small cafe, and sits in a quiet spot. Pulling out another phone, she dialled a number. She couldn't use her original as Thornville was paranoid and checked all incoming and outcoming numbers.

It took several rings before a voice answered. "This is GS-274, reporting in." She waited for the call to be transferred, and listened as the man on the end filled her in with current happens before breaking her own news. "Seems the Ruhrian government has had a tip off about the drop...Looks like a mole...No, I don't think my cover is in trouble..." She took a deep breath, hoping that was the case. "See what you can do about getting them to back off...Perhaps we can help each other...Will contact you in twenty-four."

She switches off the phone, orders a coffee and thinks about her next move.

The sun's rays reflected off the glass table in Mark's living room. The shine hit his chin and moved up as the sun rose. His right eye opened, and he rolled over. Why the hell am I on the couch? He looked at the counter, and there was an opened bottle of scotch. "Shit!"

Mark got to his feet, wearily. He stumbled over to the kitchen to check the clock. 11:20 on a friday. He walked to his bathroom and took a shower. The cold water ran through his hair and down his body. After toweling himself off, he got in his suit, a gray sport jacket and pants with a black shit.

Mark set his alarm and walked confidently out the garage door. He locked it, as always, and then picked pair of sunglasses in the cabinet to his right. He slid them on as he pulled his car out of the garage and into the driveway.

Picking up his phone, he dialed Gina's number. The phone rang and as soon as Mark heard the click, he spoke: "We need to meet."

Gina was just biting into her lunch when the phone rang. Her nerves were on edge in case this was more bad news. She wasn't usually jumpy, but after yesterday she felt a little on edge, and justified to be so. Matters weren't helped any when it was Mark on the other end.

His first words caught her interest. "What's happened? Has something else gone wrong?" She swore under her breath, she didn't want to have to make anymore phone calls. "Where do you want to meet?"

"Well, we need to go over details. There is a quiet nice diner on Julia Drive, its called Mathew's." (OOC note: Julia Drive is like the Lincoln Road of Miami, only in Serendell. Infact, Miami Beach is essentially what Serendell is. So this road is really public, but you can have a private conversation on it.) He put the car in reverse, checked left and right, then left again. He pulled out and accelerated slowly down the road. "Real good food, come alone though. Don't bring your driver." He laughed at himself, and how blatantly obvious he wanted a private discussion.

Feeling suddenly concerned that something bad was about to go down, Gina clicked off the phone, and explained to George that she had to go out. It took her a while to convince him that she would be fine on her own. She grabbed the keys from him, and headed out of the apartment.

Getting in the car, she looked at herself in the mirror, before starting the engine and driving the car slowly out of the garage, and slipping into the traffic. The journey took about twenty minutes, enough time for her to cover countless reasons as to why this meeting was being called. None of them were good.

She pulled the car to a stop, and got out. Running her fingers through her hair as she looked around for anything unusual, she made her way into the diner. Stopping briefly to locate Mark, she joined his table and looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face.

"What's happened?" Her voice displayed a mix of anger and nervousness. "The DIA haven't found out about the new drop, have they?"

Mark was sitting down and drinking a water. The upscale diner was known for its variety and excellence in quisine. He tapped his shoes gracefully as he sighed, awaiting Gina's arrival. An old song played in the background, Pretty Woman by Van Halen. Pryce hummed to it as he took another sip of his scotch.

He caught her at the corner of his eye, she was looking cautiously around. He smelled the fear even from where he was sitting, in the back left next to a window. He caught her eyes mid-turn and waited for her to see him. Finally she walked over and sat down. Her sense of insecurity preoccupied his thoughts.

"You are a nervous girl!" He laughed lightly as he reached across the table with his left arm and gently hit her right shoulder. "Calm down, I know you know this business." He pulled a folded piece of paper. The inside had a map on it, coloured in detail of the Ruhrian Barrier reef. "Gina, what I am going to tell you is exactly what you need to do in order to avoid radar and air-patrols. Do you understand?" She nodded.

"Your people need to take this route from the north to this point. He wrote a degree on it. 3* N 165* W. "You are to procede here. This is one of the only secret gaps in Radar Coverage. One of the island radar bases was knocked out in the civil war, and it has yet to be fixed. You are to proceed through this to the northernmost point of the Barrier Reef, then follow right on the westernmost edge of it. There will be a frigate to the west of you, eventually. It will pass though, with a communique probably at most. No worries, its purpose is to hunt for subs. Got it?" She nodded.

"After you pass the destroyer, you go to point 1.75* N 167.45* W. Now, around there is a narrow entrance so you can get in the reef with a ship. But not all ships can get in. Carefull of what ship you chose. Do not take a tug, a speed boat is perferred for this. Now, once you go in, you proceed to the southern edge of Grid Eight." Mark pointed with his knife to Grid Eight. My operatives will signal you once you come in view. The signal will be two one second blasts, five seconds apart. Respond by firing two bullets, loud bullets, five seconds apart. Then my operatives will meet yours." He laughed again. "Difficult stuff huh? I guess you have to be precise in this business."

Gina listened carefully to the instructions, grateful he had a map with him, she didn't like to follow directions blind. That always led to confusion and mistakes. She followed his finger as it pointed out the locations he spoke of.

Once he had finished, she looked him in the face. "Well, that certainly is a plan to avoid capture, and also a sure way of indicating whether there's a mole." She signalled for a drink as she folded up the paper in front of them. "I can take these?" She held them up, waiting for his assent.

She ordered herself a coffee, alcohol on the job had always been frowned upon, lowered your senses made you liable to make mistakes. The academy had drilled that into her for many years, it was a habit that was hard to break, even in her current position. Later she would have something, but not during an important meeting like this.

"You had me worried there for a moment." She smiled as her coffee was placed on the table. She waited for them to be alone before continuing. "I had expected more bad news." Taking a sip, she looked at him for a moment. "Especially when you wanted me here alone."

"Go ahead and have the map, I know how to get there and the guys use their own. I had no intentions of speaking about the DIA mole, we always change the first location. I just gave you an exuse, as I do with all my clients." Pryce smiled, his eyes drifted out the window. He saw the people walking by down the large commercial area. Quite a few shops were closed, with no owners. The Civil War hurt Ruhr's economy, not significantly yet enough to close several lower-end stores. He watched some people rollerblading down the street, and another man jogging. His eyes trained back to Gina's before he spoke. "Well, I had other plans, too." She looked at him, he had her full attention. He sensed a great level of fear increase.

Once again, he teased her by looking at all the people in the diner. "Do you wanna have a drink?," he said indirectly as he turned his head to her. He was calm despite Gina's tentiveness.

Gina watched cautiously as Mark's eyes scanned the room, certain that he wasn't taking this whole situation as seriously as she was. His remark about the mole being a fabricated story played uneasily on her mind. Changing a location was one thing, declaring the reason was the DIA had found out was cause to be concerned whether real or not.

She kept her eyes fixed to his face, and greeting his gaze as he turned back to her, a small smile playing at her lips. She wasn't sure how much she trusted him, but she was always told to keep her enemies close.

She nodded. "Yes, I'd love a drink." She lifted her cup to her lips, smiling inwardly as she continued to look at him. Then perhaps I can find out what exactly is going on here, before all my hard work goes to waste.

Mark waited to catch a waitress' attention, and luckily one behind a counter had been available. She walked over and asked in her annoying, perky voice, "Can I help you?"

He suppressed his annoyance and smiled, "Can we have two beers, please? Michelob Lights, please." He perferred stronger drinks, but he might as well drink on the same level as Gina. "Iced mugs, if you have them, too please."

The waitress nodded and went onto her duties. Pryce looked back towards Gina, her eyes were very soft. "I hope you like mich-light, its the afternoon...can't start early all the time."

Gina waited for the waitress to bring the beers, throwing her a smile as she placed the glasses on the table. Turning her attention to Mark, she raised the glass and took a sip, swallowing it slowly to get the full flavour. She smiled as she answered.

"It's very nice, I hadn't tried it before." She returned the glass to it's original resting place, and let her gaze drift over Mark. "How long have you been in this business? A while I should imagine, taking into account how calm you seem, especially with the change of venues."

Mark couldn't help but grin at the remark. "Too long, but once you're in it is difficult to get out of it. So, I take up side businesses every now and then. I am a general contractor for residences and some companies, and that keeps me occupied in the quiet times." He took a sip of the beer, the cold of the mug pressing against his lower lip as the beer flowed into his mouth.

"You can't possibly have been active for very long. I sensed your fear even on the phonecall." He laughed and moved his right leg closer to her left.

Gina laughed, possibly for the first time since setting foot in Ruhr. She always found it easier to play the over cautious female, seemed to bring out the best of her colleagues, and made them lower their guard to her. She could find out things a lot quicker than her male counterparts.

She smiled, as she cupped her glass in her hands, its base remaining firmly on the table. She raised her eyes until they held his. "I've not beed working for Mr Thornville for that long, it's true, but my fear is always heightened by sudden changes in plans. I don't like not knowing in advance what I'm doing."

"I understand. You must be really nervous because of the DIA story, huh?" He grinned like an idiot and his eyes traced the scenery. It was common to see strange people in Serendell, it was Carver's biggest market. None the less, every day there is always a person doing something abnormal.

There was a middle aged man jogging down the street topless. His blue jean shorts were cut even shorter, and a yellow tape player hung from his belt. He danced down the street with a large five foot by three feet flag, the Ruhrian Sword and Shield. The man took it and wrapped it around him, entangling it around his neck and shoulders. People stopped and watched him, he had no care in the world. He didn't stop dancing.

"Well, I had to. It was one of our methods of testing out suppliers and clients. We tend to do it less with our suppliers, but our clients are more inclined to follow instructions. And that stays off the record, by the way." He smiled and had a small sip.

"Oh, you can rely on me." Gina wondered how many times in her life she had said that without laughing, without giving herself away. There were countless occasions that she had repeated that very line before bringing someone down.

Still not sure how much of his conversation was the truth, she decided to play another card, the one she kept nicely hidden up her sleeve, or perhaps not so hidden. She rested her elbow on the table and leaned her chin on her fingers, raising her eyes to meet his, as new sparkling playing there.

Wetting her lips with her tongue slowly, she ran her other fingers around the rim of her glass. "So tell me, as I have a few spare days before the trade, what is there in Ruhr to keep a girl entertained?"

Mark was taking a sip as she asked him what there was to do. Beer almost came out of his nose he was laughing so hard inside. He kept a straight face though, "Well, there is plenty to do, Gina!" He looked her figure from a distance, trying to figure out what she likes to do physically, sportswise. "Boating is always fun, I have a pair of Jetskis at my boat. Also, clubbing...plenty of beaches...really, there is a lot to do. Hiking up the volcano or in the jungle. You can come see the view from the hill across the bay."

He threw in his home just to get things done, any girl who asks that question is playing easy to get. Why though? Hell...I won't protest, he thought. "All depends on what you want to do, Gina." He saw she was almost out of beer, and that he was now finished. He sat a wad of cash down on the table and said, "You wanna ditch this place?"

Gina, realising that she was probably being a bit obvious in her endeavours, sat back in her seat as Mark reeled off a list of activities. She had never been to Ruhr before, and was impressed that he could list so many things so quickly, each of which piqued her interest.

Giving the matter some thought, she knew she had to pick something that would allow them to have a conversation, that put the jetskiing and clubbing out straight away. "I like the idea of the view, if you could point me in the right direction, I'm sure I could find my way there." She began to gather her things together.

Mark helped Gina get out of her seat and walked out the door together. He stopped when they got to a clear view of the hill on the opposite of the bay. His arm reached out towards the hill and he pointed to small townhouse/condominiums near the summit. The last building, coincidently the highest up, was at the end of his index finger. "That is my place, if you want to come up and see the view, you will get an idea of what you can do here in Serendell alone. Its not a big hill, but it certainly allows you to see everything, Gina." She nodded and they walked down the cement path which was at one point a road, but due to the popularity of the commercial sector, it was turned into an open air mall.

"Where are you staying, anyways?" Mark asked. "There are a lot of nice hotels here, are you staying at the Bayside?"

Gina followed Mark through the cafe and out onto the street, her eyes checking each of the other customers briefly, a small smile on her lips to hide her curiosity. She thanked the waitress as she left, placing a tip in the little tin at the end of the counter.

Out of the street, she listened and watched as Mark pointed out his house, her eyes showing how impressed she was, as she witnessed just how much crime paid. She thought fleetingly of her own apartment, not that it was shabby, but it certainly didn't have his view.

She moved her gaze back to his face. "I'm not in a hotel, we have an apartment." She smiled, not foolish enough to give its exact location. The last thing she wanted was some crazed drug lord and his henchmen beating at her door, not to mention the authorities.

"Shall we go?" She looked up again at his house, and waited from him to lead the way.

Mark grinned like an idiot. His only thoughts were how easy this girl was playing, or maybe she honestly did not know. "Well, just follow me out of the parking lot. Try to keep up with me though, I don't go that fast but fast enough to have my followers get lost." He laughed. "I will go slower for you though."

He paused and gave her brief directions incase she does get lost. When he was through, Pryce slid his arm behind Gina. He took a step, pulling her gently with him. "If you didn't get any of that, I have my cellphone right here." He tapped the bulk in his right pocket. "You know my number."

They walked slowly, playfully to the parking lot. Mark's BMW sat in a close spot, luckily it was last in the row. He always liked that spot best, simply because it provided the most protection.

Watching Mark for a moment, Gina smiled to herself as he graciously explained the directions to his apartment, and only just managed to stop herself from laughing when he offered to drive slowly for her. She felt sure that she could match his driving skills, in fact she would have bet on it. Many of her colleagues had underestimated her abilities before, but then, that gave her an edge.

Stepping into the car, she started the engine, and played the part of that he had already chosen for her. If he wanted her to be the kind of woman that couldn't think for herself, then that's what he would get. She followed his car, fallen back several times, causing him to have to slow up for her to catch him.

When they finally reached his house, she stepped out of the car and created him with a smile. "This is pretty impressive." She let her eye roam around her surroundings, taking in features and security measures, always the first thing to know about.

Mark pulled into his garage, the zenon lights that he always kept on while driving lit up the entire garage. The blue-white glow shined across the swords displayed on the left wall, and the tools on the right. His car came to a rolling stop. Pryce turned off the lights and the ignition, opened the door and placed his left foot out. He grabbed the door line as he pulled himself up and out of the car and looked back to see Gina pulling into his short driveway.

He closed the door and walked out of his condo’s garage and stepped into the dimming afternoon light of the central pacific. “Glad you can keep up with me, I can tell that you weren’t giving it your all though. I would like to follow you sometime, Gina.” He laughed; Mark took several month-long training courses on driving. “Anyways, come on in. You need to see the view.”

He took her through the garage, on the left side, so she passed the weaponry. He intentionally walked this way, it was necessary for him to show her that she was dealing with a powerful group. “Yeah, I have 38 different swords here. Most are from Europe, but a number are from Asia. I collect some battle axes and daggers as well, but you will see my favorite items in the house.”

Mark reached to the top of the wall, he gently lifted a Celtic sword and brought it down to their level. He held it horizontally at her eye level, “Sharp, huh? Old Celtic sword belonging to a noble, I don’t know who…but it sure is a nice one. Here, hold it.” He presented her with the handle, waiting for her to pick up the twenty-kilo sword.

She handled it with grace, actually managing to pick it up with ease. Her eyes focused on the blade of the sword while Mark’s lay astounded in her capabilities. I seem to have underestimated you, Gina, he thought. He led her through his kitchen and living room to the porch. The bay glistened from light blue to silver, depending on how the sun hit it. To the north was the low and slow incline volcano, Mount Koda. It had been inactive for well over a century, yet it steamed every week. It was slowly puffing away, as Mark looked to the north.

The city was fairly quiet. There was no true industrial sector in Serendell, therefore the air quality was much higher. The price of oil was fairly high, so most people used public transportation. Mostly a healthy middle to upper class drove privately owned vehicles. Boats were more of a means of transportation considering half the city was water channels, streets did not connect every part of the city. Marinas and apartments were common on the bayside as most people owned their own boat and used it as a means to get around town. Serendell was a unique city, and Mark certainly saw Gina’s response the same.

Gina followed Mark through his house in silence, noting the weapons he had spread out around the place. It was obvious the route was for her benefit, so she could she just how well armed he was, even if they weren’t the high powered weaponry she suspected her had hidden elsewhere.

She noted the look of surprise that he gave her when she handled the sword, realising too late that she had given away a part of her secret. Not that she thought she was doing good a job fooling him, he’d picked up the car rouse straight away, she was going to have to be more careful.

Damn him for being so observant. But then, that’s his job.

She smiled to herself as she followed him through the house, until they came to the balcony, overlooking the bay. Her breath was taken away, as she wallowed in the view. She moved her head slowly from the left to the right, taking in all the details, all the sights.

She turned to Mark, unable not to ask the question. “How much does something like this set you back?” She continued to move her head until she was looking back into the living room. “That view is amazing.” Thinking back briefly to her own place she began to think seriously that she was in the wrong job.

His eyes trained across the view, starting with the harbour entrance and gliding across the beaches on his side of the small bay. He looked at the water, crystal clear in the afternoon and dimming sky. He listened to her soft voice, very secure sounding voice ask him how much his abode set him back. He had no intention to really tell her the truth, since his money was his business, but he gave her a ballpark figure. "Around 750,000 stuka," he said quietly. "It set me back a little bit, but I got it back fast enough."

He looked at her directly, "So you like the view?" He laughed as she nodded in response. "Eh, my friend has a better one. I like this one though, pretty much why I bought this place." He looked back inside as his mind wondered where his manners were. Pryce tried not to look nervous as best as he could.

"Gina, would you like a drink?" She nodded. "White wine?" He thought she liked white wine, somehow he was born with the gift of understanding what kind of drink women like. Gina nodded once more, and he turned around to fix a drink. He paused at the door and looked back. "Oh, please, make yourself comfortable." He pointed at chairs behind her. Mark continued to walk to his bar.

Involuntarily she raised her eyebrows as he told her the price of his house, before recovering herself as she listened to him. Although she lived the part of a well off drug supplier, it was all government run. And all money she received was commandeered by them as proof towards Thornville's guilt.

Following him back into the room, she slowly walked around looking at his furnishings and fittings. The place was tasteful and expensive, it had the best money could buy. She carefully lifted an ornament from its display space, and turned it over to see the mark, and returned it making sure not to damage it.

She wondered around until she neared the bar, and she looked at him, as she smiled, before turning around and walking over to the couch. Sitting down, she ran her hand over the material. She looked up as he walked over and handed her a glass.

"Thank you." She took a slow sip, as she tried desperately to think of something to say. "How long have you worked to Carver? Either a long time, or you're good." She let her eyes wander around the room to emphasize her meaning.

He handed her the glass of Groth, a good white wine he buys in bulk. "Well, most of this is from contracting business. Because I do this work for people, I pretty much get contacts all over." He smiled as he joined her looking around the furnished living room. His eyes trailed the carpet line. "I haven't been working for him for that long, since I got out of college really. So about eight years. I am good at what I do though, I guess."

He looked at the glass coffee table, he saw a perfect image of Gina reflected into it with a white glow around her from the sun. His eyes gazed into the reflected image as he asked his next question, "How long have you been working for Thornville, anyways? You look like you are battle-hardened." He looked up at her, awaiting her response.

Gina laughed at his remark, she'd been called somethings in her life - not all good - but never battle-hardened. She wondered if that was meant as a compliment, then smiled. Her mind suddenly turned to his question, making her wish she had chosen a better topic of conversation.

"I've been working for Thornville for a couple of years." She took another sip of her drink, as she recalled how deep undercover she had been for that long, not being able to contact her family, in case it gave her away. The Bureau could be very hard, but then if it got these people off the street. "I guess I just impressed him very quickly, managed to gain his trust."

Not that anyone really gained the full trust of Thornville, he was very paranoid and rarely shared the whole picture with any of his employees. Gina had done well to get to a position were she was permitted to carry through a deal herself, without the big man watching over her shoulder. Although she still had the heavies, which Thornville had claimed were for her protection, as well as the business.

Finishing the last few drops from her glass, she hadn't realised how quickly she was drinking it - she usually regulated herself, so that one lasted as long as possible. Looking up to Mark, she smiled. "Do you mind if I pour myself another?" She made to stand up.

His smile radiated across the room, she was anxious for another drink. She was very nervous, even after they discussed everything. What was she nervous about? Maybe Mark had been looking too deep in her actions, maybe her fear was her trying to have a good time. None the less, he liked the girl. "Go ahead, Gina. It is on the tabletop and next to the opener." But she was already walking to the counter.

Mark wanted to get out, even though in this time period between deals he needed to stay in the shadows. Yet, Gina seemed like the girl he would like to get to know better. He knew this wasn't an appropriate question, yet he asked it anyways. "How long are you in town for?"

He looked back at her, already walking back with a full glass of the Groth. His eyes trailed her graceful footsteps. He thought this was not the business she should be in, she is too much of a lady to be dealing cocaine and heroin. It was good money, but the occupation was a risk this girl should never take. Perhaps she had not seen the dangers yet, peradventure her mind was still immature, maybe she was confident in her work. It did not matter, all he wanted to do now was talk. Mark couldn't let his thoughts get in the way and tense up the situation.

Pouring herself a drink, she took a moment to get herself under control. She had to be careful not to give herself away, one on one conversations usually required a lot of concentration to keep within the story she had made for herself. In a group it was easy to cover your slip, or let the conversation continue without actually answering any revealing questions.

She walked back over to the couch, and lowered herself back down, instantly feeling the change that had come over Mark. Had she let said something that had given more away than she had intended? She replayed the conversation, almost missing his question.

Looking up at him, she smiled as she took a sip from her refreshed glass, putting moisture back into her already dry mouth. Why did she feel so nervous? Was this a set up? Was she in danger? Shaking the thoughts from head, she gave him her full attention.

"I'm here for a week, to make sure everything is satisfactory. Then I return to Tartarus." She took another sip as she thought about what would happen if they discovered the quality of the cargo wasn't exactly the best. "Why do you think I asked what there was to do here? A week is a long time to spend sitting in your alone."

She smiled at the thought of being stuck in the apartment with Thornville's heavies and classical music. She almost sighed visable when she realised how poor her companions could have been if Mark hadn't dragged her away.

"A week is certainly a long time to sit around and do nothing. I definitely suggest takin' a trip to go see the jungle and the volcano. Although, you probably see enough lava and fire in Gehenna Tartarus." He laughed, his reference to her homecountry being a living hell was not as subtle as he wanted.

He continued with small talk for a little bit, enough so that it doesn't become personal but it seems like he was looking at her past, checking her story. In this business, you can never be too sure who was a police officer of government agent. He asked her questions like where she studied, why she got in the business, and about government punishments in Gehenna Tartarus and how to get around them if the dealer or buyer was caught.

Her answers were brilliant, it would almost seem as though she memorized them though, and not come from her own nature. It would seem that her past had just too many dots over the i's and crosses on the t's. He started to inspect closer, and asked her about some less thought provoking yet easily fraudulated parts of a 'someone's' life. "Where did you grow up? What was the town like?"

If anything, he thought, it would only seem like he was really curious about her. He had hoped this is how this conversation appeared in her eyes.

Gina relaxed into the seat, confident that there was a question he could throw at her that she hadn't memorised, and had documentation and proof of. The agency had been thorough, making sure they had covered any check that anyone might wish to carry out.

She took a sip of her drink, her answers flowing easily. She looked at Mark, her gaze locked to his, her confidence high enough for her to be able to look him in the eye and blatantly lie. Although, these lies were her safety net, one slip and she could be in serious trouble. Her heat beating faster as she watched his reaction, checking for signs that he wasn't buying her story.

"Well, it's not really a sightseeing trip, but I am hoping to see a bit of Ruhr before I leave." All she had to do was lose the goons for a while, give them the slip. She needed an excuse to free herself from their presence to report back. "Of course, it all depends on how the transfer goes, one sign of trouble and I could be on the next plane out of here."

She smiled, as she noticed how comfortable she felt in his presence. She always seemed to be on edge, had been since arriving in the country, but here in this room, she felt, safe. She shook her head slightly, trying to remove the feeling. She didn't have the luxury of becoming comfortable, she was here to do a job, and that's what she would do.