I kept low and approached the car from the rear and to the right, staying in what should have been a natural blindspot, assuming the rearview mirror wasn’t positioned strangely. In case it was oddly positioned, I cast on the Benz, hearing a resulting click as the car’s locks released simultaneously.

The gears ground several times as the driver fiddled with the locks.

Before the spell wore off, I opened the side door and slipped into the passenger seat.

“This my Uber?” I deadpanned.

At which point I realized I may have miscalculated. Because while I’d expected someone higher placed, this was drastically more than I’d bargained for. Gray-hair was sitting in the driver’s seat, one hand on the driver-side panel, the other holding a half-eaten sandwich, staring at me. A drop of brown mustard dripped from the sandwich and landed on his pleated pants. He slowly lowered the sandwich, placing it on the console, and dabbed the mustard off his pants with a handkerchief, as if I wasn’t there.

The Benz’s front console displayed a screen showing multiple viewpoints from body camera’s within the park. My eyes narrowed. They did have people in place. If I’d scouted within the park instead of outside, would have triggered.

Gray-hair folded the napkin and dabbed his face, staring straight ahead, stone-cold. “Did you break my car?”

“No idea what you’re talking about.” The application of had faded by now.

Gray-hair tested the locks. When they worked, he seemed to thaw a bit, adapting the same casual manner I recognized from the tunnel. “Good. I like this shirt. Getting blood out is such a pain.” He laughed as if he’d just told the greatest joke in the world.

“It’d be hell on your upholstery.”

“In part. The carpets, for certain. The leather though?” He smiled dreamily. “With a little dish soap and water, it wipes right off. But I’m guessing you’ve already seen your share of blood. Isn’t that right, Ordinator?” He stared straight at me, waiting for a reaction.

So, they had connected the dots. That was unfortunate in some ways, fortunate in others. They were less likely to pull anything if they thought I was capable of leveling an entire region.

I ignored him, looking out towards the park. “This could have been a straightforward conversation.”

“If it was up to me, I would have handled it that way.” Gray-hair said. “The matter was above my paygrade.”

Gray-hair wasn’t the leader then. Or, at the very least, not the only one. He reached down towards the console. When I bristled, reaching towards my side, he held eye-contact and slowly popped a compartment open. There were two bottles in clear view, dark-glass craft beers with a golden label.

He expected this. Or accounted for the possibility.

The feeling of being out of my depth returned.

Gray-hair picked one up and flicked the cap off with his thumbnail and extended it to me. I took it, inspecting the bottle carefully. didn’t trigger. I took a precautionary sip, nearly gagging on the unpleasant, acrid flavor. It was like licking a bitter, yeasty, oak barrel.

“We can still have that conversation.” Gray-hair observed as he opened his beer in the same manner. “Main difference being, I hold a far higher opinion of you now than if we’d met on a park bench.”

“What was going to happen?” I asked, noticing the lithid’s blue-shimmer in my shadow again. “If I went to the park?”

“The woman you saw leave my car spent her previous life as an institutional psychologist. We still rely on her talents from time to time.” Gray-hair took a deep pull from his beer and let out a satisfied sigh.

“She was going to evaluate me.”

“Yes.” Gray-hair inclined his head. “If you passed and provided the cores as promised? We intended to hash out a deal. Offer to place you under our protection, should you be so inclined.”

Not fucking likely.

”Anything?” I sent Azure a mental prompt.

”Hard to say for sure. I’m getting more emotion than direct thoughts. But nothing to indicate deceit.” Azure confirmed.

“And if I failed?” My tone was dangerous.

Gray-hair looked completely relaxed. “If she thought you were insane, or a potential liability? Our civilian snipers would have filled you with enough tranquilizer darts to knock out a horse. Then we would have interrogated you for the location of the rest of the cores, eventually disposing of you humanely once we had what we wanted.”

A cold chill went through me. Not from the content of the threat, but the matter-of-factness with which he said it.

“What happens now?” I asked.

“You don’t strike me as a maniac, so I see no reason to go to plan b. Everything else is a matter of negotiation. So, tell me.” Gray-hair shrugged. “What can our humble organization do for the monster that has the entire city jumping at shadows?”

“I don’t need your protection.” I said, rejecting his earlier notion. “But I can see which way the wind is blowing. Guilds are the future. Unaffiliated Users will begin to hit roadblocks, as guilds soak up more and more territory. Fees, locked down dungeons, conscription. Eventually, it will be almost impossible to make any progress as a solo operator.”

Gray-hair chuckled. “Manifest destiny never left our spirits. Damned as we are.”

“I have a few options. But at the end of the day, I’d rather play for the winning team.” I leaned towards him, matching his smile.

“And that’s us?” Gray-hair asked.

“I’ve been watching your group for a while. Only seen hints and shadows, though I’ve been looking. From what I’ve gathered, your people are clandestine, disciplined, and utterly ruthless in your pursuit of power.”

“Many dislike that combination.” Gray-hair took another pull and placed his beer aside. “Some placed highly in our very organization. There are those that believe that power held in secret is no power at all. What do you think?”

Further confirmation that there was some sort of internal strife. This wasn’t just about recruiting me. He was being careful, trying to avoid bringing anyone in that would weaken his side.

Was that why he’d chosen such an eye-catching vehicle? He’d hoped I would find him, so he could evaluate me away from his comrades?

I considered Gray-hair. What I knew about him, how he’d acted in the tunnel. The way he’d want me to respond. His entire demeanor and presentation could be burned down to a single idea. Walk softly, and carry a big stick.

“Power is power.” I finally said. “No matter the face of it, the real movers and shakers are always lurking in the dark.”

“Aptly put.” Gray-hair said. Then he stirred, seeming to come to a decision. “You have the cores?”

I withdrew the seven User cores and placed them in the still-open compartment.

“Excellent.” Gray-Hair withdrew a Manila envelope from the side-pocket and handed it to me. When I went to take it, he held on to it for a moment. “I assume you prefer your identity remain anonymous, for obvious reasons?”

“It’s a necessity.”

“Collecting personal information is a key part of the recruitment process. Leverage and whatnot. Fortunately for you, I find this anonymity you’ve achieved too valuable to throw away. Maintaining it will take some doing on both our parts. I can shield you from that side of things. But there is a cost.” Gray-hair released the envelope.

I opened it and slid the documents out. There was an eight by eleven picture of Buzzcut at the top.

Suddenly, I understood. Gray-hair wasn’t just aiming to shore up his faction within the Suits.

Gray-hair was cleaning house.

I waited, to ensure my voice was steady. “How do you want it done?”

“His home should provide an ideal staging ground. It’s well sound-proofed and isolated.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the details behind the soundproofing comment.

“Anyone else to worry about?” I asked.

“No. He lives alone.” Gray-hair rubbed his head, a single strand of hair coming free. “It’s all in the dossier. And this is a selfish request, but if at all possible, don’t drag it out? In all honesty, I rather liked him.”

I should have kept the question to myself. But I couldn’t. “What did he do?”

“Created unnecessary problems that require a solution. Does it matter?”

“No.”

“You have a week to prepare. We’ll meet here the morning after.”

Sensing the meeting was finished, I pulled the handle and opened the side door.

Behind me, I heard the whoosh of a car window rolling down. Gray-hair grinned after me, his teeth overly white. “I’ll tell Vernon you said hello.”