Chapter 22

Nicholas stared me down for a few moments before he spoke again.

"Do you get me?"

Ignoring the pain in my hand, I stared back into his eyes. He had deep blue eyes that he had obviously passed down to his daughter. They currently had an ice-like shade to them.

I was experiencing a conundrum. Nicholas had taken me into his home and given me sanctuary. He had put clothes on my back and shown me nothing but kindness. Even with his and his wife's oddities, the debt wasn't something I took lightly.

On the flip side, neither did I take the promise I just made to Alice lightly. Imagining the look in her eyes should I suddenly go back on our bargain, I quickly decided breaking my word was not something I was willing to do.

While I deliberated this new set of circumstances, Nicholas showed a look of confusion. His eyes tracked down to my hand which he was attempting to crush and back up to my face which only showed light discomfort at his vice-like grip. I could tell he was surprised I wasn't on my knees begging for him to release my hand.

Deciding to go to bat for Alice and put her father on the defensive, I smiled and spoke in a calm and controlled voice.

"Why don't you talk with Alice about this? Earlier, you were all smiles when she told you our plan. What do you think she will do when she finds out you're trying to sabotage her?"

Nicholas showed some shock. Then he frowned, followed by a sneer.

"Tell her and you will regret it for the rest of your life. This is between you and me."

He didn't want his daughter to know he had no plans on allowing her to be a pilot. I could use that.

"Ah! I get it. You can't openly stand in her way. So you act from the shadows however you can."

I reached out with my free hand and began to peel each of his fingers away from my gripped hand. The man's fingers were like pieces of rebar. It was hard but eventually, I slipped my hand out of his grasp and began to massage my bruised and battered fingers.

"No. I like you, Nicholas. Hell, I owe you a debt of gratitude. You have shown me kindness and warmth since I have come here. I have no intention of forgetting that debt."

I paused and looked up from the hand I was now opening and closing over and over.

"However, I also have no intention on breaking my promise to Alice. Besides, Alice is a strong girl. I'm not going to stand in the way of what she wants. I'm sorry but it seems like we are at an impasse. So... what do we do now?"

He was surprised at my show of backbone. He must be used to people giving in to him when he demanded it. I could understand why most people would buckle under his glaring eyes and give in, but I tended to do the opposite of buckling whenever someone tried to strong arm me.

Nicholas was coming up short for a response to my riposte. I could see the wheels turning in his head.

He probably thought about kicking me out. He couldn't do that though, as it would tip Alice off that something was wrong. If his attitude towards me suddenly shifted after Alice and I made our deal, she would know the reason.

Thinking about it, his wife probably wouldn't back him either. She was a woman and an armor pilot as well. Rose was likely to be much more sympathetic to Alice's desire to follow in her parent's footsteps than her husband.

Nicholas had his hands tied. Besides intimidation, he didn't have many cards to play right now.

Just as Nicholas was about to speak again, the door to the common room opened and Alice pranced in with obvious gaiety in her step.

She paused for a moment and appraised the two of us with a tilt to her head while we each gave each other frosty looks.

"What are you two doing?"

Nicholas's face transformed into one of warmth and he shifted his gaze to his daughter.

"Nothing. I was just talking to Caleb about my friend. The one coming to appraise and buy the map data he has."

He was a smooth liar. I decided to play along.

"Yes, when did you say he was coming again?"

Nicholas turned his gaze to me and the warmth they held while looking at his daughter disappeared. He still held the smile, though it seemed forced.

"He should be here in an hour or so."

Alice smiled and nodded.

"That's good. Who are you using? It's not Varris is It? That pig of a man always creeps me out. He seems like a weasel."

Nicholas chided Alice.

"Don't talk about Varris like that. He's an old friend of mine. I've known him for a long time and he has never taken advantage of me before."

His eyes tracked to me and he continued while sporting a toothy and sly smile.

"I'll make sure to give him a good talking to so he knows not to take advantage of our guest."

Damn. I knew the meaning of his toothy grin immediately. He had no intention of speaking up for me now. If anything he would push his friend to rip me off. I would have to be extremely careful when making a deal with this Varris character.

"Good. Get the table set. Mom will be down shortly. She is getting sorted right now."

Alice hummed as she put the finishing touches to the stew and pulled a steaming loaf of bread from the oven. After about ten minutes Rose came down the stairs and into the kitchen. She seemed to lack any energy at all. Rose was obviously hung over from the night before. She even lacked the energy required to tease me. Something I was very happy about.

A small table in the kitchen was set by Nicholas and we all sat down to eat. When I went to sit beside Alice, Nicholas quickly took the seat instead. Rose had already taken the opposite seat next to Alice and I sulkily took the last remaining seat. Nicholas was obviously going to be petty about this.

Alice did most of the talking during our meal. She went on and on about what books she would show me and tried to figure out what I already knew, which was sadly not much more than slightly better than basic piloting of the Calipso.

Rose and Alice didn't seem to notice the interplay happening between me and Nicholas at all.

While Rose was hungover and still half asleep, she still showed genuine support for her daughter's decisions. She gave tips and advice to her daughter whenever asked. She seemed genuinely proud of her daughter perseverance towards her goals.

I abandoned the thought of involving this mother and daughter pair in the conflict between Nicholas and I. We would keep this little battle of wills between the two of us. There was no way I would be able to win Nicholas's respect if I played dirty and involved a third party to win. It was a shame Nicholas probably wouldn't show the same hesitation.

The meal came to an end and Alice ran upstairs. She came down moments later with an arm full of books and a computer tablet. Rose left to go to work with the security forces and Nicholas went about his daily duties of tending to the inn's many daily tasks while shooting glares at me whenever Alice wasn't looking.

We sat at the kitchen table while Alice started to make up lesson plans. She was extremely organized and showed a talent for teaching.

Even if I wasn't crushing on the girl, I would have found our bargain to be a good one. I had said she would earn the right to practice with my armor half-jokingly before but now I knew it was true.

We didn't have long to study, however, as about an hour after we started the bell attached to the inn's front door chimed and we heard Nicholas's deep voice in the common room.

"Varris! Old friend. It's good to see you. How have you been? How are the wife and kids?"

Another voice answered back but it lacked the volume needed for me to make out the words.

Alice and I stood up from the books spread across the kitchen table and went to the common room. Inside the common room stood Nicholas with his arm around the shoulders of a morbidly obese man with a shaved head and brown eyes.

Nicholas was whispering into the man's ear and his eyes moved to look at me while he did it. A smile crept up onto his face.

The man named Varris seemed surprised for a moment before he looked to Nicholas and nodded. He turned to me.

"Ah! You must be Caleb. I've heard you have some map data for sale? It a good thing you met Nicholas and by extension me. I excel in the acquisition and sale of information, among other things."

He approached and offered his hand to shake. His fingers were like thick, short sausages and seemed sweaty. I shook the man's hand and covertly wiped my hand after.

"Thank you for coming. Yes, I have some data I would like to sell. Hopefully, we can come to an arrangement."

I left out any mention of this being my first time doing this type of sale and tried to project confidence and a sharp wit. One of the first rules to trade was projecting strength and ability. If you showed weakness an experienced merchant would take advantage of it.

The obese man turned to Alice next.

"Alice! You are growing so fast. You grow more beautiful every time I see you! You are now a young woman, where before you were still a girl."

Alice nodded without much enthusiasm before she started to talk about the business deal Varris and I were about to negotiate.

"Varris, Caleb is a friend of mine and is helping me out a lot. If I learn you took advantage of him with your tactics I will be very upset."

Varris showed a look of shock that transformed into one of mock pain at being judged as a miscreant.

"Alice, my dear your words wound me. I wouldn't dream of it. I always do fair business. Don't listen to those silly rumors."

Alice grunted and showed a look on her face that said she wasn't buying his bullcrap for a second. I felt joy at Alice showing concern for me and being protective. Offering to help her with her dream of being a pilot had definitely put me in her good books.

Alice wanted to sit in on the conversation but Varris told her all business he did was between him and the seller or buyer alone. Nicholas took Alice into the kitchen and Varris took a seat across from me at one of the tables in the common room.

"So... let's get down to business. No need for small talk. We can leave that for after. Do you have the data on you?"

Nodding in agreement with his words, I produced the mock-up map data chip from a pocket. I stayed silent and stoic as I pushed the data chip over to him.

Varris produced a tablet and inserted the data chip. While I watched Varris tap away at the tablet, I mentally added a computer tablet to the list of things I would need to acquire going forward. In Grey Rock city such tablets would be very rare among the rats but they seemed more commonplace here.

"This isn't map data. It's just a general outline. Where is the real data?"

I thought for a moment. The man was trying to pull a fast one. If he inserted the real data into his tablet there was no guarantee that the talks over price wouldn't "fall through" later and he would leave. Probably with a copy of the data on his tablet.

"That doesn't seem to be something I should show you just yet. If I show you, it kind of defeats the purpose of trying to sell it. The data you have received should be more than enough to get a general idea of what it is worth."

I arched an eyebrow at the man as I said it. He showed a confused look and shook his head.

"No no no. That's not how it works usually. If I can't see the actual data how will I know what I can sell it for later?"

I didn't budge and gave the man a stern look. He seemed to think and struggle internally for a few moments before he shrugged and smiled.

"Ok. Seeing as you are a friend of a friend, I will cut you some slack. But it will affect the final price. You don't want me to lose money, do you?"

The man was being smooth. I wasn't buying his crap for a second. He was going to do everything possible to push the price down.

"Thank you for your kindness Varris. As long as the price is fair we shouldn't have a problem. However, should the price be too low, I will have to consider a different option."

I paused and narrowed my eyes before speaking in a flat voice.

"I'm sure Nicholas has spoken to you about taking care of me. I appreciate any... concessions you make on his behalf but they are not required."

I emphasized the words "taking care of me" and "concessions" in such a way that I was sure he would understand that I knew Nicholas had probably not spoken up for me and actually probably told Varris to take me for everything he could.

"Ah... yes. Nicholas did tell me to... take care of you. But don't worry. Business is business."

He tried smiling an innocent smile but I wasn't going to be tricked that easily. He thought for a few moments before cutting to the chase.

"I'm going to be honest. The map data is not all that valuable. There are parts of the map data that cover unmapped areas that are not known here in Anarchy city but it's not a lot. That data also isn't of much use here. The only data that isn't already known to people here is some of the data from up north."

He paused and shrugged as if it couldn't be helped.

"The northern Lords and southern lords are at an uneasy standoff and have been for a while, but here in Anarchy city, we don't play into the political games between the two coalitions. The southern regions around Anarchy city have also already been well mapped out."

The man had a point, but I knew the data wouldn't be sold just among those in Anarchy city. A good information broker wouldn't have such a small net of outlets to sell this data.

"Even so, this data won't be sold only to those in Anarchy city. Most of the money will be made from selling it to other cities."

He thought for a moment before he answered.

"That's true, but selling the data outside the city is harder. First I have to actually bring the data there. That means making the trip. The wilderness is dangerous. If I sell the data to a second party who will make the trip themselves, I will get less for it. The more people involved in the chain of sale, the less each person gets. You can't simply keep adding more and more to the price each time the data is sold to the next person in line. The data is only worth so much."

I spoke up before the man could continue his inane bullcrap any longer.

"Why don't you just name the price. We can work from there. There is no need for all of this back and forth."

He nodded and pondered for a moment.

"Fine. I respect that. I'll even give you a better price than normal out of respect."

The man's nose wiggled and I knew the price he was about to tell me would be far below the data's actual value. That was fine. I knew a trick to handling hucksters and cheats.

All you had to do was follow a simple formula. Whatever price the man offered, I would demand triple. Then I would not let him work me below double the original price.

He held up three fingers.

"Three thousand gold. That's the best I can offer."

A feeling of glee washed over me. 3000 gold was more than a rat like me could have ever hoped to get his hands on. I held my joy in though. I couldn't let the man see my surprise. Even if the number was more than I originally thought I would receive, I knew Varris was still low balling me.

Laughing at the offer, I shook my head slowly and smiled at him.

"You must be joking? Three thousand isn't even half of what it's worth. No, it needs to be at least 9 thousand."

Varris showed a look of shock and bewilderment.

"9 thousand? Are you mad?! That's insane. No one will pay that much! No no no."

He brought his hand up to cup his chin and rubbed at his awful looking soul patch. His brown eyes narrowed.

"4 thousand. That's it. You're bending me over the barrel. I can't do better than that."

I laughed loudly again.

"Bullshit. You crafty old fox. I'm no fool. 8 thousand. Don't mess with me or I will just walk away from the deal. I'm sure others will pay my price."

He smiled and chuckled.

"You got me boy. Still, 8 thousand is too much. How about this. I'll meet you half way. That's more than fair right? 6 thousand."

It was a fair price from what I could tell. 6 thousand would pay for a lot. I considered accepting. However, I thought about it and felt I could squeeze a little more out of the fat man.

"You can do better than that. No. I'll budge a little, but not at 6. Let's call it 7 and be done with it."

He had a look of unwillingness on his face. He seemed to be struggling with the idea and sat in thought for a long few moments. Eventually, he begrudgingly nodded.

"Fine fine. You bargain hard for a young one. I respect that a lot. I see a younger me in you."

Hoping to God I wouldn't end up like this man, I smiled and stuck out my hand.

"7 it is. It's a pleasure doing business with you."

Varris wrapped his fat fingers around my hand and we shook. The deal was sealed.

"How do you want the money. It's not like I carry sacks full of gold around with me. Do you have an account with the Anarchy city banking guild?"

Damn. That would be a problem. I had no such account.

"No? Hmm... I could transfer the money to Nicholas's account and he could transfer it over once you set your own account up."

That sounded like a horrible idea. I didn't think Nicholas was a greedy man who would steal the money, but I was sure he would use it as leverage in our little battle of wills. No, I needed another way. An idea struck me and I liked it the more I thought about it.

I called out to Alice in the kitchen and she poked her head out.

"Alice. Do you think you could help me? I don't have a bank account to transfer the funds into for now. Could you let me transfer it to your account until I set an account up?"

Alice was surprised at the request. I was showing a lot of trust right now. It might even be too much trust. Others might call me a fool for placing so much trust in someone I just met, even if I did seem to have a crush on her. I had a few reasons for doing so though.

One was that it might bring us closer. She would see how much I trusted her and it may raise her opinion of me. Also, the best way to gain someone's trust was to give it.

Two was that it would be a great test of her character. I intended on getting closer to her and it would be best to learn her moral character sooner rather than later.

I've always held the notion that it was better to risk a little now and find out the true morals of a person than to let them get close and experience being let down later. If she stole the money, it would be a small price to pay to find out early that the girl I fancied was a low down thief.

Even further than my fancying her, I had a growing idea forming in the back of my mind. What was I going to do after retrieving mother? Alice could play a role. I needed to see what she was made of first. Just how capable was she?

Others may scoff at me calling 7 thousand gold a low price to pay but to me, it was worth it. Insane?? Maybe, but it's just the way I operate.

Sure, it was more gold than I have or should have ever had. In the larger scheme of things though, it wasn't much of what I held. The damaged armor would be many times the value of this map data.The Calypso itself would sell for an amazing number if it ever came to that.

Even the map data was just a portion of the data from the full map using toby's data. That map would sell for astronomical amounts. But I had some ideas about how to use that data.

The third reason was that if she held the money in her account, it would be an excellent excuse to drag her out with me later to buy things and set up an account of my own.

Three birds. One stone. Doesn't get more efficient than that, does it? Call me scum for being a schemer. I don't care.

Alice pondered the question for a bit. Her face showed multiple different expression before she spoke.

"Caleb, are you sure about that? You have only known me for a little while. You shouldn't trust people so easily."

I held up my hand to forestall any other words from her and smiled my most charming smile.

"Alice, I'm not trusting people so easily. I'm trusting YOU. There is a difference."

She had a look of shock on her face. She thought about the request for a while before she answered.

"I guess that shouldn't be a problem... Are you sure about this?"

I nodded confidently.

"Of course I am. I trust you, Alice. You're a good girl. I don't believe you would take advantage of me. You would be helping me a lot."

She looked at me and smiled a stunning smile.

"Sure. No problem. Let me get my tablet."

She scampered off into the kitchen and returned with her tablet. Varris transferred the money to her account and I handed over the real map data.

Finally, I had some money to spend. It was more money than I ever thought I would have in my entire life. I knew, however, that it wouldn't go very far. It would cover the cost of living for quite a while, but when it came to fixing the Calipso's accelerator rifle, as well as buying fuel, ammunition, replacing grenades, and the other things I needed as a budding armor pilot, it wouldn't last long. It was a start though.

I had also been thinking about repairing the damaged old world armor I had as well. If I go to sell it, I would probably get a much better price that way. That would most likely be expensive.

With the trade done, Varris stuck around for a bit and talked with Rose and Nicholas about the past. Eventually, he said he had to go. I walked him out the door and shook hands with him again.

"Thank you for being fair with me. I was sure you would take Nicholas's side and screw me over in the end."

He started laughing at my words. It was the laugh of a man looking down on another.

"Boy, you have a lot to learn about making a trade. I've been wheeling and dealing for about as long as you have been alive. Do you really think I haven't seen the triple to double price trick?"

A feeling of incredulity spread inside me and my mouth sagged a little as he continued.

"You really shouldn't have made an enemy out of Nicholas. His baby girl is his pride and joy. I would have easily paid 11 thousand for the data. Maybe even a little more than that."

I felt like an absolute idiot. The man had seen through me and played me like a fiddle. He got me good. I just got bent over the brine barrel without even knowing it.

The deal was done, however, varris had underestimated me. I wasn't done in yet. The very nature of data is different than a physical object. It could be sold as many times as one can copy a file.

When I walked back into the inn, Nicholas was standing with his arms crossed over his chest and a big grin on his face.

"Are you happy with the deal Caleb? I'm sure Varris took VERY good care of you. I told him to take it... easy on you."

Nicholas was rubbing it in. Dear god, the man played dirty. He had cost me at least 4 thousand gold and he was enjoying it. Let's see how smug he will be latter.

As I thought about saying something acidic, Alice spoke up.

"Thank gosh you did Dad. I can't believe Varris paid 7 thousand for some map data. I had no idea data could sell for so much. It must have been some very important data. I'm happy for you Caleb!"

Her innocent smile did wonders for my bad mood. I couldn't resist throwing some covert shade at Nicholas though.

"Yeah, he really took care of me. Thanks, Nicholas. You're such a KIND man. Very honorable. A true paragon. What would I do without you, Nicholas?"

My words did nothing to dampen Nicholas's good mood. What a bastard.

"Caleb, let's keep studying. We have a lot of ground to cover."

I thought about it for a moment.

"Actually, I was thinking about going out and getting some necessities. I don't even have any soap, shampoo, towel, or a toothbrush. I also need some new clothes."

Alice showed agreement at the idea.

"That's a good idea. You definitely need that stuff. You can't keep wearing my dad's old clothes. They do make you look a little silly. I'll be here getting the lesson plan together when you get back. Don't take too long."

I felt a little sad that she hadn't suggested going with me. I had a pre-arranged solution to that though.

"I was actually hoping you could go with me. I'm new to the city and I don't know where to go just yet to find the good stuff. You could show me around. I was also thinking about checking on my armor. Plus... You have all of my money."

Alice slapped her forehead lightly and stuck her tongue out in an absolutely adorable way.

"I totally forgot. I'm sorry. I can be silly sometimes. Sure. I would love to show you the city. I can show you all the best places to get deals and we can go set up an account for you with the banking guild. Let me get ready and we will go."

As she started for the stairs Nicholas spoke up.

"Let me take him. I can show him the ropes. I don't have anything to do."

His smile pissed me off. He was playing goalkeeper and messing with me. I tried thinking up a workaround to the problem but thankfully Alice solved it for me.

"What are you talking about dad? You have plenty to do! You have to clean the lines to the beer taps as well as bring up some kegs from the cellar among a bunch of other stuff. Stop being lazy! It would also mean I would have to run the bar while you are gone. Don't create more work for me! Don't worry we will be back before the afternoon rush. Hold the fort while we are gone."

With that said she went upstairs to do what girls do before they leave to go out in public. I thought she looked amazing but apparently, she didn't agree.

While I waited for her to return, Nicholas eyed me as I eyed him back with a smirk. The score read 1 Nicholas 1 me.

"Enjoy your little victory while it lasts. There won't be many of them and you should treasure each one."

I grunted and ignored the man. He scoffed and went into the kitchen. Alice came down the stairs after about 20 minutes. I was happy she wasn't one of those girls that took forever to get ready.

When she came down I was shocked at her change of appearance.

Alice had changed into a long blue dress that hugged her ample curves perfectly and made her eyes stand out. She had brushed her hair and let it hang loose. It came to the small of her back and looked like a river of gold streaming down her shoulders and back.

When she approached I could smell the light scent of perfume on her body. It smelled like spring flowers.

I was completely taken in by her beauty and the pure aura that seemed to hang around her. She was the kind of beauty only seen once or twice in a lifetime. I thought that she was a stunner before, but after some simple changes, she only became more so. She wasn't even wearing any makeup from what I could tell.

The small pistol in a holster strapped around her waist gave her a fierce but lovely look. Like a rose with thorns.

"Are you ready?"

Her words woke me from my appreciation of her beauty.

"Yup! As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go."

She nodded with a bright smile and we made to leave. Just as we were about to exit the inn, Nicholas poked his head out of the kitchen.

"Make sure you check in every hour or so. Don't make me worry. Caleb, make sure you protect my baby girl while you are out there. If anything happens to her, I'm holding you accountable."

"Dad, I know! I'm not a kid anymore. I'll check in every hour or so. Plus, I can take care of myself."

"I know darling. I just worry sometimes."

"I'll be fine dad. Don't worry. Let's go, Caleb."

I nodded with a grin on my face as I pushed the door open for Alice. As we left while walking together, I could only feel elation. Despite getting ripped off earlier, today was looking to become an amazing day!

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Nicholas's Pov

As I watched my beautiful and absolutely adorable little angel leave with that little asshole Caleb, I smiled an evil smile.

Walking to the corded phone behind the bar, I picked it up and dialed a number I hadn't dialed in a while. The voice from the other end was an old friend. He was surprised to hear from me by the sound of it.

"Nicholas! God, it's been a while, hasn't it? How's the family?"

"They are doing great. How about you John? Got a wifey yet?"

"No, not yet. You know me. So, what can I do for you, my old friend?"

"Actually, I need a favor. There is an insect buzzing around my baby girl. Do you think you could round up a few of your boys and take care of him for me?"

"Whoa. Nicholas... you know we don't do that kind of stuff. I want to help bu-"

"No. It's not that sort of thing. I just need him roughed up a bit. Nothing too drastic. Though, I wouldn't mind if he broke a bone or two."

John paused for a long moment. I was beginning to think I would have to talk about how many times I had pulled his ass out of the fire when he spoke again.

"Alright, Nick. I owe you. I can't promise any broken bones but we can teach him a little lesson for you. You better give my boys a night of drinks for their trouble though."

"No problem John. Thanks."

"When do you need it done?"

"Today would be best. You have a few hours. He's out with Alice walking around the city right now."

"NOW? You really know how to put me on the spot Nick... yeah, I think I can get it done. How will we find him?"

"Once you get your boys together I'll call Alice and get their location."

"She's actually walking around the city with him? Damn. The boy has some chops! Isn't Alice basically a stone wall when it comes to men pursuing her?"

I nearly crushed the phone in my hand at John's words. I answered his question through gritted teeth.

"Yeah. He's a crafty one. That's why I need to bite this problem in the ass as soon as possible."

"Haha. Sure thing buddy. We will handle this Casanova for you before the day is over. Don't worry about it."

"Thanks. I'll make sure to bring out the good stuff when you bring your boys over."

"That sounds amazing. You brew some of the best alcohol in the city. Alright, call me when you have the info. Give me at least an hour or two to get my boys together. How many do you think we need? Is he armed?"

I thought about the question. I wanted to say two would be fine. Then I thought about when I had tried to crack the boy's hand bones.

"Don't underestimate him. There is something different about him. I don't think he will be a soft target. Make sure to use at least 3. He isn't armed yet. You don't have to worry about it turning too nasty. My daughter is armed but she knows not to pull a gun unless her life is in danger."

I could hear John whistle from the other end. No less than three was high praise for the little bastard. The men John sent wouldn't be pushovers by any measure but I needed to be sure.

After John said his goodbyes and hung up, I placed the phone on its holder and smiled.

The little shit had completely underestimated me and now he would pay for it. I couldn't wait to see his bruised and battered face when he returned.