Swan was quite happy to have Cecil at their side, especially after what that Forty-one said.

She and Pearl sat inside Cecil's room, huddled in a corner, watching the door.

A shot was heard.

She hid the Pearl in her embrace.

Cecil held the door.

Frankly, Swan was doubtful if he and his trusty bat called “hospitality” could hold the door.

Yet there was nothing she could do.

“At ease, Miss. It was a gunshot, not a sniper,” Cecil faced towards them. His hollow eye sockets still managed to look gentle and had still had the smile of an old man: dusty, yet nostalgic. It had its own unique warmth. “The guest of yours seems to be a rowdy one.”

“Will we be okay, Cecil?” Pearl whimpered inside her embrace. Swan knew she hated violence, her shallow rapid breaths hitting Swan’s chest. She was worried about Pearl having another short circuit. “Can they… can they get here?”

“Don’t worry, it takes more to make this old man fall.” His brows rose, small creaks of the wood echoed.

The door opened and he swung the hospitality right towards the head level of who entered.

But, for the first time in Swan’s life, someone managed to dodge Cecil’s blow.

Forty-one ducked and then delivered a punch towards Cecil’s chin. It missed by inches. Cecil stepped back, despite lacking sight, he somehow managed to dodge the blow. Forty-one was about to take another step forward, but Cecil gained his footing first.

He took a step back and forced Forty-one backwards. Before Forty-one could react, his palm was already halfway through his face. Cecil stopped inches away from breaking Forty-one’s nose.

Pearl ran out of her embrace and hugged Cecil from the side, trying to drag him away. She couldn’t move him an inch, but he obliged. “He is a friend, stop… please.”

It was good Cecil stopped. If not, his palm could’ve hurt hitting a nose of that stature. Big and frankly in need of help.

“I’m what she said, and please don’t try to kick, knee, or punch me,” Forty-one stood straight without taking a step. Blondie and the doll face stood behind him, eyes wide open, shivering.

Cecil faced Forty-one with one hand he eased Pearl's embrace.

“Who are you?”

“The most annoying person you will ever meet, but just call me Forty-one.”

“Pearl, Swan, should I get rid of him or not?

“Listen to him, please,” Pearl embraced Cecil’s arm, holding his hand. They looked like a father and daughter more than anything.

“Now, Cecil, listen to me carefully,” Forty-one took a step towards Cecil, their height difference becoming much more apparent. A mountain standing in front of a person.

“I need you to talk with one enforcer, one sentinel, and the Jackal.”

“What did that pest do?”

“Ask the girl in your arms. I’m not the one who frightened her.”

Cecil’s shoulders widened. Even for Swan, it was clear Cecil was tensed up. He hugged Pearl and tried to ease her up.

Swan had doubts forming in her when Forty-one threatened some random shopkeeper in the Bazaar. She was even more surprised when he said they were being followed, but now? She was sure.

This person was mad.

And she was interested.

***

Rabbit would do anything for this mission to end.

Her wound sizzled.

She and Bear had to inject antidotes to ease the wound, but the pain-numbing effect was gone. The numbness was replaced with a cold, solid feeling stuck in their leg, sending bolts all over her body.

It was supposed to be a simple rain bullets mission, but no, the day just had to give more. She sighed.

“Stop sighing and tell me, am I supposed to turn here or the next left?” Bear and she bickered as he drove the car. “You just need to read a map, woman.”

“You don’t need to turn anywhere, look,” she pointed towards the purple and pink neon lamps lighting the street, an old plaza, which was left abandoned apart from a brothel. “This is where the gun is, or so this junk claims,” she hit the side of the tracker's screen. It didn’t help with anything, but it felt nice.

Bear stopped their loaned car in front of the brothel. It was another Sentinel patrol car, jet black paint job with darkened mirrors and on top of that it was free from Bear’s greasily scent, so far, at least.

“Three of them are mocking us… they must be mocking us,” she didn’t want to believe their targets were visiting a brothel. Did they think they were free of them?

What was she going to walk into?

“You guard the door, and I will check the parameter,” Bear said.

“Want me to give you all five Belgar bills, boss?”

Bear didn’t bother with him. He left the car as she observed their surroundings until seeing a certain someone waving hands at her. He stood straight like a twig in his pointy shirt and one golden tooth. His animal-like smile decorated that obnoxious face. His chest hair all the way visible from here and a golden neck chain decorating his neck.

“Hey, Rabby, hey,” for the love of Uncle, she wished she had her gun, yet even that Jackal would likely get the drop on her. “What a coincidence, babe, right in front of the brothel. Did you miss me?” Screw her bolts, she will beat him with the tracker.

She got out of the car in a furry, slamming the door behind her. Her wound sizzled, but she persevered. Rabbit wanted to hit the fool in the head, hearing the crack of his cranium. This was worth the pain.

She cursed the Bear as he got between them. Jackal became barely visible. A good development to cheer for.

“Whose scent threw you here, Jacky boy?” Clink of Bear’s zippo hung in the air. He took a deep breath from his cigar and puffed away. “If our target is the same, I’m willing to split the credit,” a thin clunk was heard as he closed the zippo. Pocketing it away, coincidentally showing what was likely inside the jacket.

Rabbit did get the gist, she walked next to Bear and stood next to him.

“Where is the small one’s gun?”

To which, she didn’t want to talk.

“The one on me belongs to her, mine is inside that…” Bear gestured behind him, where the brothel stood. “… establishment. Here to pay favour to someone as well.”

“Bear… did you pawn of your gun?” Jackal’s teeth became visible. His smile matched the width of his face. Rabbit comforted herself with her fist, breaking some of those teeth. “Man, if you are that short on cash, I can loan you.”

“Can we just deal with the targets and never see each other again?” Rabbit intervened. Frankly, she didn’t want to deal with the paperwork if Bear ended up killing the Jackal.

Actually, she would be glad to fill that paperwork, just not now.

If they failed this mission, Gods of the City would be mad. They already had one debacle in their hand, no need to make it worse.

“One for each?” Jackal asked.

Bear pinched his fresh cigarette, threw it down the floor, and twisted his foot on it for good measure.

“Deal, we get the Blond guy and the Gray-haired girl.”

“Leaving the main appetite for me? How pleasant.”

Jackal removed the long bag from his arm and opened the zipper. Something shone within, gold and silver. His gizmo, Bite.

It was a long-range sniper rifle with a precision scope that also turned into an assault rifle.

Rabbit witnessed what it could do, there were more holes than the person itself, especially with the special ammunition Jackal used.

The name was not a placeholder. It literally took chunks of metal out of you.

“Don’t worry, Rabby. Stand back, and I will handle the rest,” Jackal gave her the most unpleasant smile in existence. “I wouldn’t mind a good for-”

“Stop playing with that thing and get ready, we need to take the gray-haired one alive,” Bear remarked while facing the Brothel. They were out in the open.

“I don’t care about her, do what you want. I will hu- I mean, eliminate Forty-one and leave the rest to you.”

Gizmo slowly revealed itself, pieces falling into order, the weapon being formed. One somber clunk was heard when the last piece fell to its place. Jackal stood up with the weapon at hand. Despite her hatred for Jackal, she had to admit she wanted her own gizmo.

Yet, she had to become an enforcer first.

Jackal walked in front and Bear at the back.

Both stood in front of the door, and she was behind them.

“3… 2…1…”

Jackal and Bear both kicked their side of the double door open.

For a moment, Rabbit thought they entered a stylish hen decorated with flowers and dye. Lots of dye. Blood red and royal purple caught her sight with white feathers causing a glimpse of more clear colors. Yet all this flashy decor couldn’t match the person sitting in one of those seats.

He lacked eyes.

She was startled and took a step back from the view, but what worried her was Jackal and Bear putting their guns down. As if they knew who this man was.

“Jackal, Bear, and the new girl. Sit down or so help me Uncle I will stick this bat to somewhere readily available within your body.”

Jackal started laughing, shaking his head while smiling creepily. “The day keeps on giving. The Tiger himself is here. Find me the Shark and we could have a reunion.”

“Call me Cecil. I go by this name now.”

Hearing who was sitting in front of her, she saluted. She stood straight like a tree, looking straight and chin up. Tiger was a hero of the several conflicts within the City. It would be disrespectful for a rookie like her to not show any respect for a legend like him.

She even heard rumors he was welcomed to the Family.

So much for that one.

Still, she was facing a veteran.

“Is she saluting?” Tiger asked.

“Yes…” Bear said. She felt like he was embarrassed of her.

“Please stop.”

She stopped, orders were orders.

The three of them stood awkwardly, they all waited for Tiger to speak first.

Tiger revealed something from his side and put it on the table in front of him. It was a gun, Bear’s gun. Tiger tapped the gun with his index finger. “Which one of you managed to get their gun captured?”

Bear didn’t utter a word, he walked next to Tiger, grabbed the gun, and put it away in his own holster.

She had to get her gun back from Bear, especially with Jackal around.

“Now, tell me, which parts three of you managed to fail so hard to get baited into here?”

Rabbit didn’t understand. Baited into here? She inspected both the Bear and the Jackal to see what was going on. Both of whom didn’t seem as their usual self. Yet they were more of a different blend of bland rather than surprised.

“Failed?” Jackal asked first, saving her and Bear from the trouble. “I did confirm they were here.”

“You only confirmed how shit you are at hiding. I saw you at the window of that factory, tagged you three times,” Tiger said, facing Jackal. His eye sockets bore into even her, let alone Jackal. “Where did you detect him first, at the Bazaar?”

“Yes.”

“Did you ever assume he wanted you to detect him and then follow him here?”

“What benefit would that bring him?”

“If he knows about your objective, it would. What information do you have on this Forty-one?”

Both Bear and Jackal looked at each other. Rabbit expected them to know more, their clearance was far above hers, yet both stood silent.

“So, you two are not even aware you are after the same target, have no knowledge apart from his name—which I acquired in under an hour— and then run in here with assumptions?”

Both stood silent, Rabbit felt like her existence was forgotten, and she was glad for that.

“At least the youngling in suit there has an excuse,” Tiger gestured to her, or tried to. She was a bit to the right. “Now, three of you, sit in front of me.”

She sat to the left, Bear to the middle and Jackal to the right, all facing the Tiger. She didn’t want to breathe the same air as Jackal, yet there was a scolding coming to be suffered.

Their hands stood on their thighs, all of them looking forward with no words uttered. There hung a tense silence, not much happened. All expected for Tiger to speak. Which, eventually, he did.

“Okay, since three of you need emergency lecturing, I will summarize,” Tiger looked down, or gazed as he spoke. “This boy most likely compromised the database. He baited you here so you will be late when he crosses from the border.”

“How will he not get shot… sir?” Jackal asked.

“You have to bring one of your targets alive, but they are taken captive. If you can’t snipe them from afar, what will you do?”

“Storm the building?”

”What are you doing now?”

“Getting the point,” Jackal said.

“As for you, Bear, I have no idea how you managed to lose your gun, but it’s back. I did kick his teeth in and took the gun back but let them go.”

“We would be glad if you could’ve captured them, Mr. Tiger,” Rabbit said. She wanted to be respectful, but knowing her target was let go stung. “Our operation woul-”

“I don’t care about your operation and the objective, Miss, all I care is the benefit of the two women on the second floor,” he gestured towards the ceiling with his hands. “I will tell you where Forty-one and others went if you give me something in return.”

Bear leaned forward. He seemed interested in bargaining with the Tiger.

“What is it? A new pair of visors?”

“Frankly, the shittinies of this world blinded me. Thanks, but I don’t need them. Just leave this premise alone and make sure I will have a friend when I pass the border checkpoint.”

Bear offered his hand, and Tiger took it. “Consider it done, then,” said Bear.

Jackal offered his hand. Tiger promptly played blind.

”They are in Floriand on the opposite side of the town, nightclub-brothel. Forty-one will try to cross the border tomorrow or the day after. They are holding the gray-haired girl captive,” Tiger racked his neck, he turned from side to side. “Also, Forty-one is the brains while Blond one is the tongue. Now, take your leave.”

Bear and Jackal both got up from their place, and so did she. Their time was deemed over, and they would leave. Yet, Jackal seemed hesitant at first. Looking at Cecil’s face, he muttered one sentence he could hear before Jackal left.

“Not today? How boring.”

***

Forty-two held his breath, watching it all unfold. He could hear the talk, but he could not move. He was right to the letter. Cecil’s lie also seemed to work, as both sentinels and their third new issue left.

He wasn’t sure on what to do or to live through next.

All he knew was they had to survive.

“Now, phase two of my operation,” Forty-one got up, grasping his neck. “We need to burn this building down.”

It became certain

He will die.

Forty-one would make sure of that.