The first real friend Yuki Des'Salucin had made upon joining the Pritt branch of LandOrder in 905 was Spike Newbegin, a spy who had joined the gang right around the time the gang itself had become a part of LandOrder, in 900. Though they were members of different departments, and came from very different backgrounds, they had one thing in common: they were both relative outsiders, within the gang. Or at least, they both started as such. Spike himself came from Kurok, and had been a member of a gang there, one of several Kurokish gangs that banded together to invade Pritt, in the months prior to the Prittian gang joining LandOrder. In fact, it was that invasion that caused Garrison Finger (or rather, just "Garrison," at the time) to unite the theretofore warring Prittian gangs into a single gang, to repel the interlopers. Because Spike had been an enemy, he was understandably met with more than a little suspicion when he tried to join Garrison's gang, but he managed to convince them that he would rather be associated with winners than losers like his former comrades. Also, he said he had lost his taste for fighting, which is how he came to become a spy, rather than an enforcer. They accepted him on a trial basis, but over time, he proved his loyalty to his new comrades. By the time Yuki joined the gang, five years later, Spike was considered as much an "original" member of the gang as were any of the Prittian-born members. Still, he remembered how isolated he'd felt, at first, and wanted to make sure that Yuki, the gang's only elven member, felt welcome from day one. Yuki had always appreciated that gesture tremendously.
In the three years since then, they'd often lunched together, and shared many details of both their work and their lives. Of course, there were some details of their work that they couldn't share, for reasons of interdepartmental compartmentalization, but such instances were rare, and indeed their respective departments (and others within the gang) more often worked closely together. But even when working independently, they were usually free to swap stories about what they'd each been up to. They also discussed any number of subjects not related to work, any of the ordinary things one might expect friends to talk about. They also quickly came to know what subjects were uncomfortable for each other, which mostly had to do with their respective pasts. Obviously, there were things they'd both rather forget, though they did sometimes touch on that very fact. For example, they had a joke between them about the surname Spike had chosen for himself, to the effect, "How can one forget one's past when one's very name is a reminder that they're trying to forget it?"
But it wasn't just their lunch breaks that the two gangsters spent together; they occasionally got together after hours, as well. So it was no surprise to Yuki when Spike invited him out for supper one evening, when they were both getting off work. Ordinarily it wouldn't have even crossed his mind to decline such an invite, though today happened to be three days since he had spoken with Cam. He was expecting his fellow spy, and his traveling companions, to arrive soon, if they hadn't already. And Yuki was eager to meet with them, so he would rather just go home and await their call. But he also was beginning to feel a bit paranoid, now that he was so soon to be awakened in his role as a sleeper agent for Drag. It was unlikely that Spike would have found it at all suspicious if Yuki had turned down the invite, but he didn't want to take any chances, so he accepted... though he also said he probably wouldn't want to stay out too late, as he was a bit tired.
For his part, Spike was glad Yuki had agreed to meet, but also anxious; it was through this meeting that he was to put Sloane's plan in motion. He was perfectly happy to help her set up both Faye and Garrison for a fall, but if he could possibly help it, he wanted to avoid getting Yuki caught in the middle of it all. Which was likely to prove tricky, considering he had to use Yuki as a pawn in Sloane's gambit.
It was almost an hour later that Yuki arrived at the pub they agreed upon, and found Spike waiting in their usual booth near the back of the dining room. The place was filling up quickly with patrons, and the noise level steadily rising... which was just how Yuki and Spike liked it. A server soon arrived with drinks and a plate of appetizers, which Spike had ordered for both of them. After an initial exchange of pleasantries, the two of them fell into silence, which was unusual for them. Yuki could tell Spike had something serious on his mind, and knew that prodding wouldn't be helpful. So, he perused the menu while waiting for his friend to say whatever he had to say.
Finally, Spike said, "You mustn't breathe a word of what I'm about to tell you to anyone. Especially chief Mireille."
The words gave Yuki a chill, but he tried to remain calm, and not give away his sudden fear. "Oh? Sounds ominous," he said with a small chuckle that he hoped seemed genuinely amused, as if he thought Spike were making some kind of joke.
"I'm serious, Yuki. I shouldn't even be telling you this, but I wanted to give you a chance to maybe protect yourself."
Yuki's expression turned serious. "What do you mean? From what do I have to protect myself?"
"Don Finger, for one. But it's not just him. Listen... you know how I was away from HQ for a few weeks, recently? That's because the don sent me to Kurok, to investigate some rumors that InterGang had sent an agent there to negotiate with the Rapscallions. And what do you suppose I discovered?"
Yuki remained silent.
"That's right, my friend. I discovered that chief Mireille was there, too. And she wasn't alone. Now, she and her companion did talk with a representative of the Rapscallions about possibly joining LandOrder, which I'm sure is what she wanted any observers to see her doing. Not that it made much sense for her to be conducting such negotiations without don Finger's knowledge. Still, it probably wouldn't have been a big problem, if that were all she was doing in Kurok. But it wasn't all, as you know."
"Spike, I-"
Spike gestured for Yuki to be quiet. "I had to report back to the don that his chief Sorreter was meeting with a Sorreter from InterGang. But I didn't mention that she had brought a member of her department with her."
He paused in his story, as the server returned to take their dinner order. Yuki had lost his appetite, but he ordered a hamburger, nevertheless. Spike did likewise. When she'd left, Spike continued.
"It's out of my hands, now. Other members of my department know about Mireille, as do a number of our enforcers, and Finger has brought in Sorreters from other branches, since he doesn't trust any of chief Mireille's people to turn against her, even on his own orders. That includes you, obviously, though for now he has no reason to suspect that either you or any of Mireille's other people are working with her. But if you contact her again, in any capacity, Finger will know about it. If you try to warn her, he'll know. On top of that, it wouldn't be hard for him to guess that you'd found out about this from me. In any event, it's too late for her. Even if she knew he was on to her, the Sorreters he's brought in would prevent her from escaping. So warning her would only get you hurt or killed, and get me... fired, at the very least."
"So why hasn't he moved against her yet?"
"He's setting a trap. He wants to use her to catch the InterGang Sorreter she's been meeting with, who could prove useful in any number of ways. I want you to know I wouldn't be telling you any of this if I didn't believe you were loyal to LandOrder, so I'm sure you can see how valuable a prisoner such a person would be, and don't want to do anything to spoil our chances of catching him. Again I say that warning Mireille wouldn't save her, but it would prevent us from catching him. And doing that would go badly for you. Very badly. There are worse things than death, you know. But I'm hoping that such threats aren't necessary. I'm hoping you'll step aside and let us do what we need to do, for the sake of LandOrder."
Yuki slumped back in his seat, and pondered all that Spike had said. Suddenly, a t-mail bubble chimed in his pocket. He withdrew it, and saw the name of the caller.
"Is that her?" asked Spike.
Yuki shook his head. "It's no one. I mean, no gangster. But I do have to take this. Please excuse me. I'll be back in a centhour." He stood up, and after just two paces turned back. "Thank you. I really appreciate your telling me this, and I promise I won't make you regret it." Then he turned again, and headed for the exit.
Going to the back alley, he cast a cylinder of invisibility around himself. He didn't do so immediately, for fear that if spies were watching him, it would seem suspicious. But he quickly decided that it should be safe, if Spike hadn't told anyone of his involvement with Faye. And if he had... it was too late to worry about looking suspicious, anyway. Once again, he took out the t-mail bubble. "Field op Yuki, responding to field op Cam. Open."
"Agent Des'Salucin, just wanted to let you know my friends and I have arrived, and gotten ourselves rooms for the night. Would you like to meet with me tonight, or-"
"I don't think we should meet. Or... I'm not sure. It's possible I'm being watched."
"What? Why?"
"A friend of mine, a LandOrder spy, has just told me that our don is aware of Faye meeting with an InterGang Sorreter. He wanted to give me a chance to get out before anyone else finds out I've been involved. So... I don't think anyone's watching me, but I can't take that chance, for your sake. And even if no one else is watching, it's quite possible this friend of mine will be."
"So what are we supposed to do? Just talk via t-mail, like this, or do you think even that would be too risky?"
"I'm going to try to figure this out, but for now... don't call me, I'll call you. Or not. I don't know yet. I'm sure we'll work something out, though. Maybe you can wear a glamour to meet me, or something. Obviously our mission is too important to give up so easily."
"Very well. I'll await your call. Close."
Yuki dispelled the cylinder of invisibility, and returned to his seat. He found his burger was waiting for him, and to his surprise, he also found that his appetite had returned. So he began eating. After a few bites, he said, "So, Spike... I want you to know... you're right to think I'm loyal to LandOrder, and so is Mireille. The reason we've been... I mean, what we've been doing, it's not what you think. I can explain-"
Spike had stopped eating as soon as Yuki began speaking, and took a drink. Now he interrupted his friend. "It doesn't matter. Your part in it is done. If Mireille isn't a traitor, telling me what she is doing won't help. She'll have her chance to explain herself to don Finger. If he accepts her explanation, she may yet live. Maybe she'll even keep her job. Hell, if it's a good enough explanation, maybe she'll get a raise, for all I know. Until then, I don't want to know. Knowing might put me in danger, and I've taken enough of a risk as it is, by talking to you. So, that's it. I've done my part to help you save your skin. What you do next is up to you, and I hope you won't waste the chance I've given you. Either way, the subject is closed. Do not speak of it to me again." He resumed eating his burger, and after a few seconds, Yuki did the same.
Soon thereafter, another diner finished his own meal, left some coins on the table, and exited the pub. He began walking, and as he passed the entrance to the alley that Yuki had recently exited, a figure emerged from the alley and fell into step alongside the first man. "Well?" asked the erstwhile diner.
"He went invisible. So I don't know who he called, or what he said to them. But it's gotta be Drag, or one of his people. Unless you think it was Mireille, or maybe Inspector."
"Oh, given what his friend told him, I find it highly unlikely he would have called either of them, even if he was invisible and inaudible. No, I'm sure you're right. It must be one of Drag's agents, and given the time that's passed since the last such tête-à-tête, I'd imagine the call he received was to inform him that that agent had arrived in the village. Which makes me most eager to learn who it is, so that I might have a little chat with them, myself."
"I still find it odd that it's taken so long. Of course any of Drag's people would be able to just translocate here."
"Oh, I happen to know that not all of the good bishop's agents are Sorreters. But I agree, it is a bit unusual. Ah, well, but time will tell...."