Fluff

Chapter Fifty-Eight - Call

“You did good back there,” Handshake said.

Emily looked at the back of his head. They were back in the hotel’s parking lot, heading... not towards Handshake’s car?

“I mean, there wasn’t much action, but you did your part,” he said as he came to a stop next to a minivan near the back. Bending down, the older man fumbled under the edge of the car, then pulled out a set of keys with a happy jangle. “Get in,” he said.

“Why aren’t we using your other car?” Teddy asked as she jumped in the back.

“Car bombs, my dear. Well, that and trackers, it’s easier to follow a known car and so on. This might seem paranoid, but it’s really not that complicated to set up. Both cars are rentals anyway. Under false names, of course.”

“O-of course,” Emily said as she hopped into the passenger seat. There was something there, something she sat on and had to bounce up to avoid. An envelope with ‘The Boss’ written on it.

“That’s yours. Two thousand. I know, we agreed to three, but that was before I realized you had a plus one. Oh, and a key and the address to a safehouse. It’s not exactly comfortable living, but it’s out of the way and safe.” He bounced on the driver’s seat and fit the keys in the ignition. The van came on with a rumble. “Want me to drop you off at the same place I picked you up?” he asked.

“Uh, sure,” Emily said.

“Good! Feel free to use that changing spot, by the way. Once I give one up I consider it compromised. Or don’t use it, if you have even an ounce of paranoia in you.”

Emily nodded. She didn’t know whether she agreed or not, she just nodded because it was something to do. The envelope came open, and she stared at twenty neatly pressed bills. They looked... overwhelmingly small for the amount of money they held.

She wondered if she had ever had as much in her hands at once before.

It was going to be handy. The girls could use more clothes and some things, and she had to think of their education. She doubted they could go to a school, but maybe she could get them educational... stuff, to teach them with? Homeschooling or something.

It wouldn’t be fun, she imagined, trying to sit Teddy down to do anything like that. Athena probably wouldn’t be as bad.

“Boss?” Handshake said.

Emily jumped. “Oh? Sorry, I was... sorry.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “I asked you if you wanted to tell me what you knew of the Cabal, that’s all.”

Emily rubbed her hands together, then stopped. She didn’t want to look nervous, even if it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. “I... when we captured that man. Small Package? He... wait, I’m supposed to negotiate for something first, right?”

“Oh, let me do the negotiation,” Athena said. “I’ll have him giving you everything he owns in no time.”

Handshake waved a hand through the air. “Now now, we can always put that off. Or perhaps we could say that I owe you a favour.”

“Five favours,” Athena said.

Handshake snorted. “Two. Final offer.”

Athena leaned forwards until she was bent over Emily’s seat. “I say we sic Teddy on him until he gives us what we want.”

Emily shook her head. “N-no, two favours is fine. It’s not much besides and... and why aren’t you buckled in?”

“Ah,” Athena said. She fell back and Emily heard her belt clicking in place a moment later.

Taking a deep breath, Emily began again. “When we took out Small Package, I was near where he fell, and he mentioned something about the Cabal. That was my first clue, I guess. Then... a friend came to my place to hide. He was invited to join the Cabal, but his power told him that it would be a bad idea.”

“His power?” Handshake asked.

“Um, I think that would cost a lot more than two favours,” Emily said.

“My my, for someone so new you do make a lot of interesting friends you know? Most people outside of a heroix organization couldn’t boast about knowing so many powered individuals.”

“The Boss gets around,” Teddy said.

“T-Ted-- Ursa Minor!” Emily said. “Don’t say that like that.”

The bear-girl in the back blinked dumbly at her. She didn’t get the double meaning. Emily couldn’t blame her, but it was still a little embarrassing.

“I’ll explain later.” Way, way later.

“So, are you happy with your remuneration?” Handshake said. “I’ll of course make sure that the remainder is available as soon as possible. We can arrange a dead-drop, or I can have it sent to an address of your choosing. Perhaps a P.O. Box? Though those are traceable if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“It’s fine,” Emily said. She took the bills out of the envelope and tucked them away. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Handshake said. He flashed her a smile, but she didn’t know if it was any more genuine than the one he always wore. “Was that all the involvement you’ve had with the Cabal?”

“Um. Just about, yeah,” Emily said. “I did ask someone else about them, but they told me to forget about it.”

“Hmm. If they’re in the know, then they’ll either let slip that you know more than you should, or they’re against the Cabal, or just neutral and they might keep the fact that you asked to themselves.”

Emily hoped that that was the case. Melaton had seemed nice... enough. More or less.

They pulled into the same alleyway where Handshake had picked them up from and the man put the van in park. “Before you go,” he said.

Emily paused, hand on the handle to leave. “Yes?”

“If I ever need you again, for things similar to what happened today, would you happen to be available? I might have more work suitable to you and all of your... companions, no matter how many there happen to be.”

She held back on the urge to gulp and give anything away. “I... might be willing,” she said. “I guess we could keep in touch?”

Handshake nodded to her. “Brilliant! In that case, I’ll be sending you a text with the location of the remaining money I owe you within the next day or so. Until then, you three have a fine evening.”

Emily stepped back and watched Handshake back the van rather awkwardly out of the alleyway and into traffic before driving off.

She let a long breath out. “That’s done,” she said.

“That was kind of boring,” Teddy said.

“Yeah,” Athena agreed. “But it felt like it was real important stuff. So it couldn’t be all that bad, yeah?”

“I suppose not,” Emily said. “Who wants to get changed first?” she asked.

“Are we heading home?” Teddy asked. “I could use a nap.”

“I was thinking maybe we could grab something to eat. Just fast food.”

“I could use a snack too,” Teddy changed tracks. “I’ll get changed first!” The bear-girl darted into the little changing room tucked away under the fire escape, leaving Emily alone with Athena.

Athena slid her hands into her pockets, then leaned against the nearest wall. She might have looked cool if she was taller than Emily’s shoulder. “What’re we going to do about the C-word people?” Athena asked.

“In the best case,” Emily said. “Nothing at all. “

Teddy opened the door to the changing room, half out of her costume and with Emily’s phone in hands. “Hey Boss, this is ringing.”

Emily felt her heart sinking. She took the phone and looked at the unfamiliar number on it. She tapped the Call Accept button. “Yes?”

“Oh, oh, thank god,” Alea Iacta’s voice came through. “I need help. I need help bad.”

She considered hanging up and pretending that there was nothing going on. But a look to her summons put paid to that. Not only would it be cowardly, it would be cowardly in front of the two people whose opinion she was starting to really care about. More than she cared about the opinion of people she barely knew, which in hindsight was probably more than she should have.

“What is it?” she asked.

“H-hey, no need to rip my head off,” Jacob said.

“J-just tell me what’s going on.”

“I’m being chased. A hero. Some flashy girl I’ve never seen before. I think the Cabal tipped her off. I need help bad.”

Emily knew she would regret it. “Tell me where you are.”

***