Chapter Twenty-Two - Love & Mercy

11 Seleszeni 10.076 Z.C., Late Afternoon

“Welcome, friends,” Yarik schmoozed as they walked through the entry arch of the small hole in the wall. “Welcome to the Love & Mercy!"

Love & Mercy? Mercy would be putting this place out of its misery, Lilla thought as she sized up the microbar. Like most Syndicate business owners, Yarik exaggerated claims of his club’s grandiosity, describing it as a classy, upscale establishment which catered only to a select few. But now she knew why - only a select few could even fit inside!

Two of the three tables sat empty despite the late afternoon hour, the third occupied by Bron, Rafiel, and Yarik, who perked up with expectant smiles as the legionnaires walked in. Mav motioned to Lilla, Nadine, and Splatz to squeeze ahead of him to the table nearest the others; Lilla took the lead without hesitation.

The vedalken grabbed one of the empty chairs and sat down. Splatz pulled out the chair beside her for Nadine, who sat in it without a word, wrinkling her nose at the club’s tacky, recycled decor.

“Are we your first customers?” Lilla prodded. Yarik shrugged, his expression ambivalent.

“Among the first, yes. You could call this an exclusive soft opening,” he drawled, studying each of the newcomers for a moment. “How about a round of ale, on me? It’s the house special.” He glanced to the bar and knocked on the table twice, though the second-hand and worn wood still carried a resonant tone.

Lilla realized Mav had stopped at the counter, chatting with an older goblin woman who stood behind the bar giggling at something he said. She rolled her eyes, Gob-lover. Lilla noted the goblin woman wore an oversized necklace encrusted with gaudy gemstones in the eight-pointed sunburst shape of the Orzhov guild’s symbol, and rolled her eyes. Classy look.

The bartender cleared her throat after Yarik’s knocks and sprang to work, holding and filling two tankards in each hand before sliding them to Mav on the cracked, but freshly-polished, bar. He muttered something else to the woman as he picked up the drinks, and the woman blushed a shade greener, giggling again. He struggled to carry all four with the same grace and ease as the bartender, but managed to hand them out to the others only spilling a few drops.

“Cheers!” Splatz cried, holding his drink high. “Congratulations on graduating to soldier, you three,” he continued as they clinked glasses. “I never had any doubt in you, Mav and Nadine. Lilla, though…” he let his sentence hang, taking a first swig of his drink.

She felt anger rise, How dare this puny little wretch insult me in front of everyone! Again! She waited until his mouth was full before she fired back, “I know! I’m just lucky to be so smart and talented. It was easy for me, but...” she raised her glass to take a sip, before adding, “not everyone has what it takes, you know?”

Splatz avoided the rest of the group's tentative gazes, eyes glued to the foam floating in his tankard as he mumbled and spat under his breath. Bron sighed as only the impatient and privileged can, leaning back in his stool.

“What is this about, Yarik?” the blonde inquired, glancing around the ‘club’ before focusing on Orric’s bodyguard.

Yarik leaned back in his chair, matching Bron’s posture. Lilla recognized his tactics right away - stalling and pacing his delivery for dramatic effect. She smiled.

“Probably just hiring us to come so it looks like cool people actually drink here,” she joked, shattering the silence Yarik cultivated. To her delight, Nadine and Bron both laughed. Even Raf cracked a smile. Mav did not.

“No, actually,” Yarik responded, frowning at her. “I have some intelligence-”

Beside her, Nadine snorted derisively. She noticed Bron smiled again too. The others returned to a bored indifference, although Mav shot Nadine an irritated look.

Oh whatever pretty boy. You didn’t mind making me wait for you earlier. Lilla projected spite toward him.

Annoyed, Yarik cleared his throat and began again. “I have some … information on a local forge owner here in Precinct Six. A man called Jakobsmann. Fritz Jakobsmann. Unsavory character. My bartender, T, used to work for the man, told me about his bad business practices. He gives high-interest loans to Sixers down on their luck, mostly goblins - when they can’t repay, he forces them into indentured servitude contracts in his forges.”

As Yarik went on, Lilla noticed his eyes lingering on Mav now and again, even though he pretended to focus on all of them. So this is really about Mav, huh? What’s his real agenda?

Across the room, the bartender nodded, leaning up over the bar and calling, “Real scum, that Jakobsmann. Him and his henchman, Rigoleto. Barely escaped with my life, thanks to Yarik,” she said, tapping a long nail against the gaudy Orzhov necklace she wore. “Most aren’t so lucky.”

“Why does this matter to us?” Nadine asked. “People take advantage of goblins all the time. It’s not nice, but it’s just the way things are. You’re in the Orzhov and you work for a senator, can’t you just hire an advokist to write a new law or something?” Her argument seemed to catch Bron’s interest, who sat up straighter and paid attention now. “What are we supposed to do about it?”

Lilla glanced around the table to gauge where everyone else stood on this so far. Raf’s face was difficult to read as usual, Mav wore a stony mask, and Splatz shifted in his seat, staring at Nadine with a bit of discomfort.

Yarik paused and stroked his bare chin for dramatic effect. Lilla rolled her eyes; she would let him have his precious little moment, this time.

“Exploiters like Jakobsmann always find a way to cut corners at the expense of their laborers, changing the law won’t change who they are. Their kind are what give Precinct Six forgemasters a bad reputation. I want to do my part to clean up the precinct and help out the little guy here. You all can help me do that.”

“What’s your plan?” Mav asked before Lilla could utter a cutting remark.

Damn military instincts! Think before you just respond, meathead! Don’t you dare Mav, don’t fall for it... If you agree, Nadine will too and then I’ll have to help.

Yarik’s expression shifted as he hid a subtle smile, a hint of triumph behind his shady eyes. “A man like Jakobsmann, he has secrets. Those can be used to bring him to justice and free the workers he’s enslaved. I want to bring him down. All I need is the proof of wrongdoing he’s hiding.”

His words hung in the air as he leaned back, steepling his hands in front of him. After a pause to monitor each of their faces, he went on. “Tozinok, T, says they cover up deaths in the forge all the time. I’d guess there’s other secrets too, business violations and other things. Jakobsmann will be busy tomorrow. If we can get his right hand Rigoleto out of the way, others can sneak into the forge and get the dirt to bring him down.”

As far as she could tell, Yarik wasn’t lying. But she sensed he hid at least one other agenda he wasn’t sharing, and it involved Mav. Yarik seemed the type to run several schemes at once. Lilla looked at Nadine and delivered a nonchalant shrug.

“Doesn’t really sound that interesting to me,” she lied. Nadine nodded along.

“Yeah, I don’t know about this. Forge bosses aren’t people you want to mess with,” Nadine pointed out, backing Lilla up.

Bron frowned. “Indeed. This all sounds highly illegal. Breaking and entering, blackmail, theft… The arresters and wojeks should be the ones investigating this. If you and your staff have evidence or suspicions of criminal wrongdoing, you need to report it to the authorities, not take the law into your own hands like some maver- renegade. Sorry,” he added, with a glance at Mav.

Yarik avoided betraying any emotion as he considered Bron’s argument, but out of the corner of her eye Lilla saw Mav and Splatz exchange a look. Mav leaned forward.

“I’m in. Do you have the blueprints for the forge?”

Lilla groaned as Yarik smiled. Damnit Mav. Why do you have to be so pliable?

“Of course,” the large man confirmed, his face showing satisfaction.

Mav looked at Bron. “People are sufferin’ ‘cause this forge boss is good at hiding his crimes. Arresters invent their own proof and 'probable cause,' but ‘jeks need hard evidence to start investigations. If we can uncover that evidence and shine the light of justice on his crimes, we should. Mebbe you can loaf around while others are sufferin’ and you can do somethin’ about it, but I can’t.”

Bron stiffened at the accusations, and tension charged the air as the pair stared each other down. “This. Is. Illegal,” Bron repeated, underscoring each word. Mav shrugged one shoulder.

“No d’uh, dechead,” Splatz chided, rolling his eyes and draining his tankard.

“What Jakobsmann’s doin’s illegal too,” Mav retorted.

“Yeah Bron, you don’t seem to care about the law when Rocman breaks it,” Nadine growled, recalling his effusive praise of the vigilante. “Why are you being such a shrimp now?” Lilla sensed reluctance from Nadine before, but guessed she changed her tune when Mav said he wanted in.

“That’s different,” Bron defended. “I won’t participate in this affair. If you’re determined to be on the wrong side of the law, so be it. The less I know, the better, plausible de-ni-a-bil-i-ty,” Bron enunciated in singsong, rising from his chair and looking expectantly at his companion. “Come on Raf, let’s go.”

All eyes turned to the hybrid, who cracked an uncomfortable grimace under the concerted attention of the group.

“Actually, uh ... Project Leader Lamlis asked me to find a team for another mission, too,” Rafiel announced. Bron looked at him with dismay as Raf turned to face both tables. “If I help with this, will you all help me with a mission for the Simic later?”

Mav shrugged. “Sure, if I’m available.” Blockhead! Ask a question first for Ilharg’s sake!

“No guarantees, of course, but I can try to make time,” Yarik teased.

“I’ll probably be training,” Splatz commented, looking down at his empty tankard with a frown. Lilla noticed a bandage covering a viridian bruise on his wrist.

She glanced at Nadine, and saw her friend teetering with indecision, particularly after joining in on the conversation on Mav’s side. The human bit her plump lower lip, fiddling with the handle of her mug.

“Okay, I’m in,” Nadine relented after a pause, like a voice in her head convinced her. She looked up to meet Lilla’s gaze before turning to Mav, who ignored her. Lilla kicked him under the table, her frustration growing when he ignored her, too.

He said he would be nicer. I’ll have to go along too and make sure he’s not a jerk to Nadine. Plus, there’s no way Mav and the rest of these idiots will succeed unless I’m there. After all, there’s no one better suited to this kind of mission than me.

Lilla sighed aloud, making her displeasure known to the group. “Me too.”

“Fine, have it your way,” Bron surrendered with a disdainful sniff. “Have fun not getting arrested. See you Obzsday, Raf.” With that, he squeezed past the occupied chairs and sauntered out like he owned the place.

“You have a plan for dealing with this ... Ligornetto?” Mav asked, his gaze shifting from the closing door to Yarik, jumping right back to business.

The large man took a long drink of his ale before answering. “Rigoleto is a vedalken of habit - I know his schedule, where he will be and when. Should be easy enough to distract him. If he gets suspicious,” he shrugged, “we can ... find ways to delay him.”

“Three and three split?” Mav asked, and before Lilla could speak Yarik nodded and went on.

“That would be best.”

“If the workers are mostly goblins, Splatz and I should be part of the infiltration team,” Mav asserted.

“I’ll go with them,” Lilla interjected, giving Nadine an apologetic glance. The other woman frowned and Yarik shrugged.

“Alright then. Nadine and Rafiel, meet me here just before first light. That should give us time to get in place. Like I said, this Rigoleto is a man of routine. We should have several opportunities to delay him.”

“Fine,” Nadine agreed, examining her fingernails. Her expression said otherwise.

“Do we need to bring anything?” Rafiel asked.

“Just your usual gear, whatever you think you might need. Nothing you wanna lose,” Yarik glanced at Mav, then Splatz, Lilla, and Nadine. “Although you lot should probably dress a little more … approachably.”

Mav snorted. “No kidding. Not my first job, Yarik.”

Lilla glanced down at her uniform and rolled her eyes. Does he think we’re stupid?

“Of course we won’t come in uniform,” she exclaimed, and Yarik held up his hands, defensive.

“Blueprints?” Mav asked, and Yarik reached under the table, retrieving a map case and withdrawing a scroll. Mav stood and unrolled the paper across the table. He drew a dagger with a practiced motion and went to pin a corner.

“Wait!” Yarik shouted, “These tables were just refinished!”

Mav stopped, and Lilla watched with amusement as he contemplated using the dagger anyway, a rakish twinkle in his eye. He decided against, setting their tankards around the corners instead.

“Thank you,” Yarik muttered as Nadine rubbed her ear.

Unlike this afternoon, when he gave the maps only a cursory examination, Mav pored over these blueprints, tracing routes with his fingertip, tapping entry and egress points for the building. The rest of them followed suit. Straightening after a few minutes, Mav looked over to the bartender.

“Tozinok, are these accurate?”

The goblin shrugged. “Not really,” she admitted. “There’s more tunnels, but those change all the time.”

“Do you have a plan for how we get in?” Lilla asked Yarik.

“Of course. Ore shipment is coming in off Tin Street in the morning. Load isn’t inspected until it gets to the main bay, here,” he explained, indicating on the map. “I figure you lot are skilled enough to sneak into the ore cart en route. Once inside the main bay of the forge, find your way to Jakobsmann’s office, here. That is likely where he will keep anything … incriminating. I expect he’s got them in a hidden safe.”

“Simple enough,” Splatz chimed in with an excited smile.