Tracking the Leak [Job/Solo]

What I'm bringing:

It was the day after Azix and Garret had dispatched Li Cao. Azix was busy, working on something he hadn't told Garret about. What is he doing? Garret shook his head; in the end, it worked out for him. It was only a matter of time before Azix realized that he would be taking the fall due to the failure they had in protecting Li Cao.

That wasn't a discussion he wanted to have with the man yet. Instead, there were important things that Garret had to find out; who was it that Li Cao was working with to Burn their Operations? Garret had seen that there was a place and time listed for a meeting. The meeting was to take place three days from now, but the death of the diplomat wasn't exactly a secret. Just how he died was. News of the death was spread all around the city. The underground knew it was an assassination, but they were fuzzy on the details; could have been almost anyone.

Garret left the capitol and headed on over to the city the meeting was supposed to take place, to the bar it was supposed to take place at; The Huang Place To Be.

He had been there before, and looked forward to their menu. More than just a simple bar, it was a very good eatery. And, of course, Garret thought, the information pertaining to Li Cao's treachery would certainly be a bonus. He had to find that information in order to minimize damage to his group in Reim. Garret had no doubts that he would be incarcerated.

He made his way down the roads, spending a night on the roadside with a camp of his own. Nobody else was on the road with him, which suited him just fine. By the time he reached the city on the next day, it was already afternoon. I'll treat myself to something, and then case the place to see what we've got here. When he arrived to the Huang Place To Be, however, he saw a man sitting near the fireplace. A smile found itself on his face. It looks like I'm in luck.

Garret walked up to the table the man was at and took a seat. Before the man could turn to him, he said "'The sky sure is clear today. The sun's up pretty high.'"

The man regarded Garret for a brief moment before a smile reached his face as well. "'I hear the moon is full tonight. Think there will be wolves about?'" He spoke as if playing a game with an old friend.

Garret didn't think of the man as his friend, but he was definitely an individual who had just made his job that much easier. "'Wolves come in all forms, friend. Have you ever heard of the shape-shifter from the east?'"

The man shook his hand and spoke. "I see you are here at just the right time; that is to say, you're here! Hahahaha." It was well known in town that it was never The Huang Time To Be at The Huang Place To Be. "What brings you here friend?"

Garret nodded to the man. He could definitely respect this establishment, and his voice was positively pleased as he placed his order. When the waitress left, he turned to the informant. "I appreciate you showing me around town the last time I visited. There were a lot of interesting places to see." Garret rolled the straw around in his glass of water. "You see, I was so impressed with the places I saw last time, that I didn't really have an opportunity to meet anyone, present company excluded, of course."

The man nodded, smiling. "Ah, so you wish to 'meet' some people then? Do you have any preference about what kind of people you would like to meet?" The informant understood that Garret wanted one of two things; to be introduced to someone, or to get information on someone.

"Yes, I'm looking for somebody who can run messages about. Someone discrete. Don't want my wife finding out about my mistress." Garret provided a fake laugh, his face smiling but his eyes watching the man carefully.

The man seemed nonplussed, and spoke. "Yes, I know someone who fits the bill. This is her favorite place to dine." The man laughed, as if he spoke a huge joke. "Who am I kidding? This is everyone's favorite place." The man certainly over-exaggerated, but the establishment was quite fine. The man described to him a woman who he could contact in order to get a message delivered, and offered to set up a meeting time.

Garret nodded to him. "Sure, I'll be around for another day or two. If you can, have her come by tomorrow, or the day after. Same time. I'll be here." Garret promised the man, smile still on his face. Truth of the matter was, Garret just lied to the man. He would be waiting in a nearby place, watching for the woman he was supposed to meet up with. He understood professionalism, and knew it was going to take more than just asking nicely what he needed to know. In that very same line of thinking, Garret knew he would sink some of his intelligence sources in this city, due to what he was about to do. But the risks were worth the return; their presence in Reim had to be kept a secret.


The next day, Garret left early and set out to a rivaling establishment across the street where he could look out. He placed a simple order at the place and ate slowly, occasionally ordering more. He watched and watched, until at last he saw the woman that fit the description the man had told him of previously. She was a plain looking woman, perfect for the runner job she was likely so often doing. She waited at the place for a few hours before making her way out. Garret placed enough Huang on the table to easily cover the bill, and then some, before walking out after her.

He shadowed her down several alleys, following her to a place that was increasingly devoid of people. The woman entered a building, and Garret followed behind her.

It was an abandoned house, he could tell, though it had looked like it was being used. "If you wanted to meet me in private, you could have just said something." She hadn't turned around to see Garret yet, but knew he was there due to the sound of the door opening.

"How long did you know I was following you?" Garret asked, curious.

The woman had turned to face Garret. She was just as plain up close as she was from afar. "Since you weren't at the bar. In this business, it's a common thing for people to want to meet in private, and some people think it's best to just follow messengers like me wherever." She shook her head. She had obviously thought little of Garret. "Code name's Kirine."

Garret nodded, the woman's codename fit what was in the documents. Garret stood in the doorway, not moving, and the woman narrowed her eyes. "What is it you want, again?"

Garret smiled and bowed in a manner similar to that of a butler, with one hand close to his heart and the other behind his back. His wand slid down from his clothing to the hand in the back. "Information." He rose and stood perfectly still, wand in his hidden hand while gauging her reaction.

"Oh no. Sorry sir, looks like you've got the wrong person." She obviously didn't want anything to do with what Garret was asking about, and made her way to the door.

Before she could reach within a meter of it, Garret whipped his wand out and pointed it at the woman. "You have exactly what I need." He said, shoving it towards her menacingly.

A confused look crossed her face before she attempted to give Garret a Slap from hell. Garret's Borg simply bounced the attack back, and he raised an eyebrow. Pointing his stick at her, Garret used his Water Manipulation Technique, shooting his liquids from his pouches straight at her. The pressure knocked her back, and Garret threw in some Pressure Control, choking her while she was barraged with the liquid.

The liquids ran out after a short time, and the woman was choking. Glaring up at him, she stood up, still choking, and attempted to rush at him and give him a Hard Kick to his groin. Again, the Borg stopped her.

"A pity I will have to leave a mark on your body for you to agree to speak..." Garret pushed her back with a kick of his own and sent his Jet Stream to deal a heavy blow to the inside of her arm. Two of the beams moved across it and she screamed out in pain. The other two were moving to her face before she cried out, begging him to stop.

Garret stopped his techniques as the woman lay against the base of the table, sobbing and wet. "What do you want to know?" She had given up, and Garret simply nodded.

"I need to know everything about a certain client you had. His name was Li Cao..." Garret explained to the woman who he was looking for, and demanded to know who she was bringing the messages to. Once the information was gathered, he knocked the woman out with his Jagged Flying Ice.

On the fly, Garret figured he could keep his contacts in the city if he just made her disappear, but if the information she provided was not legitimate, then he would be at a dead end. He knew a woman who could keep her for some time. Garret tied her up; he would move her under the cover of night...


ooc:
180/250 Magoi
word count: 1680/1000