Blackrock Mercenaries

That night Penny met me outside of Reed's house, gunless, but appearing pleased with herself. I gave her a small nod as I pushed myself off the wall. It had taken longer than I liked to excuse myself from the dinner that Sheryl had put on. Both she and Anna had cooked up a storm as Sasha rested in one of the guest rooms.

Reeds had joined us, his arm still in a sling. He had talked, and laughed, and had barely left his wife's side. It was a beautiful sight. Even now I could hear them celebrating our victory over the Timberaine Tyrant.

Although I wished I was back inside with them, I knew this job required my skills. If she missed a document, it could change the entire outcome. My attention drifted back to the door, and the sounds of merriment.

A finger prodding my nose brought me back to the present. Penny raised an eyebrow and then gestured over her shoulder. I nodded, and together we slunk down the town's streets. There were a few back alleys and other places to hide, but what few there were Penny appeared to know well.

"I told you, I'm not comfortable accepting such things."

The unfamiliar voice was feminine, with a deep drawl and a huskiness that made me think of a hardcore smoker. Whomever this was didn't sound afraid, more irritated or inconvenienced. Another person spoke next. Their cultured tone, reminding me of the tutors my father had hired me.

"Delilah, it's a gift. You wouldn't be so rude as to not accept it? I poured so much work into it, all to show you how special I find you."

Penny's hand was on my shoulder, but I didn't need her to tell me not to continue moving. Together we pressed up against the wall of a home. A series of pots on the windowsill holding flowers acted as our small hiding spot. I craned my neck, but whoever was talking must have been standing around the corner.

"Get lost, Perkins." The woman growled out the words. "I'll tell Moe—"

"—who won't do anything to me." The man, Perkins, sounded smug, and I heard crinkling paper.

"I'm not interested."

"Please, my dear Delilah. You are the most beautifully amazing woman—" Perkins said, his tone fawning but dripping with insincerity. "If you'd only allow me to show you that."

Footsteps sounded out, and I realised they were coming closer. Penny's ear twitched, and I listened to her tap on the wall. Once, twice, thrice. Then she was in front of me, forehead against mine, and arms around my neck. Her tail was twitching, and her hazel eyes filled my vision. She was smiling, but there was no warmth in it.

"Hug me," she whispered. "Now."

I did, my arms encircling her. The footsteps grew louder, and from the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the two figures. Delilah was a tall woman, with black hair that flowed to her shoulders, tanned skin, and a figure best described as thin. She wore a peach coloured dress that managed to be somehow both unflattering and unsuited to the cold night air.

Next to her was a squat, balding man dressed in turquoise robes. Bronze rings adorned with small rubies sat on each of his fingers. They glinted in a light that didn't exist, and I knew without question they were enchanted. The question was if he bought them or not. Though the mention of making her a gift, the wrapped package he carried, made me think of the latter.

They continued to argue as they passed us, paying us no mind. Penny's breath was warm on my neck, and I watched them out of the corner of my eye. They vanished not long after, and I let out a breath as Penny stepped away.

"Did you know them?" I asked quietly.

"No." She shook her head, her expression neutral as she watched the pair leave. "But whatever he's after, he's not going to get it."

I couldn't help the smile. "He is not."

She grinned back, and together we continued making our way through town. Linsin's house was on the opposite side of Reeds, and even a casual look at the outside made me think gaudy. It shared the same style as merchants in the city, tall and wide, as though trying to dominate the neighbours' houses.

Although, the biggest difference is that while builders of the merchants' houses back in Peol had used fine materials, the same wasn't true here. Instead of bricks and marble, Linsin's house used wood and stone, carved to appear more intricate than it was.

The lawn was non-existent, but he had a series of potted plants and cheap statues that lined the way to his door. My item valuation skill put it all at less than a gold total. I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. Penny didn't bother, her contempt for the sight written on her face. She broke left, and I followed her. We walked around the house, squeezing into the gaps between it and the one next door, looking for an open window or other gap.

None appeared, by the time we did a full circuit. I bit my lip and gave her a look. She grinned and pointed up. After following her finger, I spotted what she was showing me. An upstairs window was open, but one that neither of us could easily get to.

"Plan?" I asked.

"I'll boost you, then come up after. Unless you have a climbing skill?" Her tail flicked, and it was obvious by her tone that she didn't think that was remotely likely.

"You know I don't." I looked up at the window. "You can't possibly lift me through that. Easier idea. I lift you, and then you open the front door."

She tilted her head, her shoulder length white hair swaying as she did. "Oh, you trust me to do that?"

"Should I not?"

"Good answer." She grinned and moved to the window. "Come on, then Money Man."

It didn't take her long to get me into the position she wanted me. I closed my eyes as she took a running leap, and then I felt a pressure on my shoulders. A small series of scratching sounds later, and I opened my eyes once again. Penny was gone, with no signs that she had ever been there.

With nothing else to do but wait, I moved to the door and leaned beside it. No guards appeared to be patrolling, and I couldn't hear anything from inside. I had counted to twenty-five by the time the door unlocked, to reveal a smiling Penny. She put a finger to her lips and then gestured for me to follow her.

Neither of us made a sound as we walked in, and I studied the sitting room. It was near empty, but a use of my skills told me the antique vases and masterwork portraits were forgeries.

Though they looked like Marcelinil landscapes, her work wouldn't sell for mere bronze coins. My opinion of Linsin was already low from the outside, now it had hit rock bottom.

I knew exactly what type of man he was. One obsessed with the trappings of wealth. Someone who needed to impress. In a way, it made sense for someone in his position. As a merchant in trade, if potentially not in class, especially one who dealt with smaller towns, appearances would help. But it showed that he cared little about what those who could spot such things might think about him.

As we moved up the stairs, I kept a lookout for anything that might be interesting. It wasn't until we reached his drawing room that I spotted something that made me do a double take. A grandfather clock sat against a wall, in between a sea of other clocks. Though the hands moved, glowing, silencing enchantments on the glass class killed any chance of hearing them tick.

Each of the clocks was worth ten gold at minimum, with the grandfather clock being worth well over one thousand. I studied it as Penny moved to the desk. Her actions caught my attention, and I watched her. She rifled through drawers and under the desk with practiced ease. When she caught me staring, she shrugged but didn't speak.

A folder appeared on the desk, followed by another. I moved over to her and looked through them myself. The first contained personal files, while the second held assorted business documents. I riffled through them and then pulled a series of papers from my pocket. I unfolded them and stacked them beside the folders.

Penny glanced between them and then to the door, her ears flicking. After a second, she nodded. I activated my instant report skill and watched the words flow over the page. It didn't seem that interesting so far, but I couldn't wait to look through them all. If Callahan was right, there would be a discrepancy, and I planned on finding it.

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I wished I had more time, but without knowing exactly how long the meeting would take, there wasn't enough of it. When my skill finished, we packed everything away, and moved out of the house. My heart was pounding, even though we hadn't so much as heard a peep from Linsen. With the papers tucked under my arm, we hurried off, this time taking the main street.

We were close to Reed's house when a guard approached us. He was a stocky man, wearing his full leathers. His spear thumped lightly against the ground, and it was clear from his expression he was bored out of his mind. I groaned when he approached.

"Halt," he whispered, as though afraid of waking someone up. "What business do you have here?"

"Practical ones," I answered back.

Penny nodded, her hands behind her back. "We're not doing anything wrong, honest."

"Really?" The guard looked between us. "I don't know either of you."

"We're new. Staying with Reeds. I'm helping him with some paperwork. Chad Burling," I said, as I held out my hand.

He took it. "Greggory. Well, I'm sorry to disturb you. Have a nice night."

"You too, sir."

We didn't move until he left, and I let out a sigh and shook my head. "If it's always this easy, I was being overcharged."

"You wish," Penny laughed, the sound joyous. "This was easy, sure. But we weren't breaking into an enchanter's house. Come on. Let's get back. They're might still be food left."

"Maybe. Do you think Reeds has an office I can borrow? I need to do some work."

She rolled her eyes, and her tail slapped my back. "You're not working during our party."

"Haven't we already?"

"I.." She trailed off. "Oh fine. But I get your portion."

"You're welcome to it."

We made our way back to the house and slipped in. Reeds looked up from the conversation that was going on, though none of the rest appeared to notice us. His eyes narrowed at the pile of paperwork tucked under my arm.

"Are you working already?" he asked, and then coughed as his wife patted his back.

"It never stops." I bowed and gestured. "Is there a spare room I can borrow?"

"To your left, two doors down. Don't break anything."

It looked like he was about to say more, but his wife whispered something in his ear and he turned back to her. Sheryl gave me a wink, and I waved back before I followed his directions. Inside was a small office, and I sat in a creaking wooden chair and spread the paperwork over the desk. To my delight, he had organised it by heading, and I rifled through it until I found the one I needed.

Then I skimmed it and made another report based on the summary. It painted a fairly damning picture.

{Linson Caravans Income and Expense Reports.
Income

Ten Gold for Transport for the Lace Courier Company

Five Gold for Transport of Goods from Yuliosa

Sale of lumber, logs and other goods (Five Gold to the town of Risket, Three Gold to village of Betharn, Six Gold to village of Thrisk…)

Expenses

Three gold paid to Callahan for lumber, logs, and other goods (per month for six months)

Five gold for The Towns Rescue Fund.

Seven silver for taxes

One gold for travel rations (Per trip)

One gold for campaign supplies (per trip)}

The list went on, but those were the points I focused on. I couldn't help but frown at the sight of what I read. It appeared Linson went to several villages and towns, including Leyloon, though he made just over a gold there. The fact he was bringing so much money in and paying so little in taxes was strange.

After some digging, I found more information about the town's benefits. Though he tried to obfuscate it in flowery language, but it was clear what it boiled down too. That five gold was going, if not directly into Mayor Gage's pocket, then somewhere close. Campaign funds, most likely. My mouth twitched into a smile. That would come useful at the meeting that Callahan was calling.

The same could be true for direct proof of how much he claimed he was paying the wolf man. Callahan told me he was selling the wood for silver and paying him similar amounts. That was untrue, in a big way. I didn't have the power to do an audit, but I wondered what would happen if someone did.

My thoughts wandered back to the expensive clocks on his wall. I had wondered where he was getting the money, and now I knew. He had an expensive hobby.

Little of the rest of the document mattered, nor did anything else mentioning the Lace Courier Company. I tried to figure out where he was buying the food and campaign supplies, and it turned out to be the town of Risket. My frown deepened, and a knock on the door didn't improve matters.

"Come in," I said, forgetting it wasn't my office.

Rita stood there, a pot of tea and two cups on a tray. She didn't speak, instead sitting down and passing me a cup. I thanked her and sipped it. Bitter, but not unpleasant. A bit of my exhaustion that I hadn't noticed faded away.

"You wouldn't know where Risket is, would you?"

She nodded. "Near the eastern border, about a three-day ride. Why?"

"Linsin is buying campaign and food supplies there, but isn't selling them. Or if he is, he's not reporting it. He's also running transport for our old friends, The Lace Courier Company."

"Is he?" Her tail flicked, slow, as though unimpressed. "That doesn't seem right. Why?"

"No idea. None of the rest of his paperwork mentions it. What it tells me is that he's short changing Callahan, pocketing far more money than he should, and is paying off the mayor directly. When do you think we'll know when the meeting is being held?"

Rita shrugged. "No idea. Reeds wants to know if you're willing to come and play cards with him."

"Well, I suppose I should." I drank another bit of tea. "Though I have some questions for you first."

"Such as?"

"How far do your bodyguard duties stretch?"

She leaned back and folded her arms. "In what way?"

"If, say, the mayor attacked me…"

"I'm not killing the mayor for you." She paused, and her tail flicked around gleefully despite her passive expression. "Though I wouldn't say no to punching him again."

"Good. So you're coming with me then. I doubt Sasha will want to come, and I'm not sure Penny will behave." I tried not to think about what she would be like, or how far the meeting would devolve if she threatened to shoot someone.

"Will he let me in?"

"Do you think I'll give him a choice?"

We matched looks, and she sighed before taking another sip. "When did you want to go on this trip of yours? The one to find the noble."

"Once we're done with this. I can't imagine waiting makes much sense. The issue will be locating them. All Mulvinia told me was the party was around, not where. Do you know if Linsen employs any guards?"

"He does." Her tail flicked, irritated. It made me wonder if she'd had problems with them before.

"We'll need to speak with them. They might give us some direction."

"Perhaps." She looked away. "Though I wouldn't count on it."

"Unreliable?" I poured her more tea.

"Yes."

"Hmm."

My attention returned to the papers, and I frowned when I spotted the fact that none of his expenses listed his guard's pay. That was suspicious. When I returned my focus back to Rita, she was watching me, a small smile on her face.

"What?"

"You remind me of my father when you work. He used to train with his sword with a similar intensity. It's admirable. If you told me you forgot I was here, I'd believe you."

I raised an eyebrow as I watched her tail droop, the sadness it displayed only barely detectable in her words. "Really?"

"Yes. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Indeed." I flipped through the papers, and passed one over, unsurprised when she didn't take it. "He's not paying his guards, or if he is, it's off the books. I had the idea of offering our services, but he won't take it. Not if he has an arrangement like that. Damn. Still, they might be our best bet."

"So what's the plan for the meeting, then? I assume you had one. Which is why you and Penny took this unauthorized job." Her eyes met mine, and I sighed, knowing this was the real reason she came up.

"She blabbed?"

"Bragged more like it. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Would you have let us take it if we did?" I observed her. "Callahan is paying me a gold coin for this information. Which will be our first gold if the system is to be believed. But you don't seem like the type."

"It's not exactly professional."

I leaned back in my chair, setting down my teacup. "Neither is killing monsters for apples and pies."

"That's not the same."

"Are you going to fire me over it?"

The words hung in the air for a moment, and then she shook her head. "No. But I don't like not being kept in the loop. It won't happen again. If you had explained why you wanted it, we could have taken it."

"He offered it to me before the large Timberaine—"

"Timberaine Brute," she interrupted.

I gave a slow nod. "Thank you. Timberaine Brute attacked. You were off in the fields. Should I have called you back over to discuss it while you were working?"

"No, but you should have told me you had taken it. We could have planned it out better than you two sneaking off." Her green eyes met mine. "It won't happen again. If you take jobs, you tell me at the first opportunity. No delays."

"As soon as I can," I promised.

"Good."

That was her last word before she walked out. I glanced at the tea and sighed, picking it up and following her out. There wasn't anything left in the reports I could use, and playing cards with Reeds would be a pleasant distraction. Tomorrow, I would find Callahan, talk to the Mayor in private, and see what else I could do to make all this work.