Deep Cover
After everything in his life is taken away, Kevin threw himself full time into his Plumbers work. Years after his heart broke; he must infiltrate the galactic mafia, and discovers the truth of what destroyed his happiness. An alternate take on Vindictive Hand of Vengeance.
Dollar $ign$
Kevin Levin frowned as he stared at Magister Hulka.
"This isn't some petty alien weapons trafficking racket I'll be infiltrating, this is the Dollars, one of the most well organized, well put together operation I've seen in some time. They'll know my reputation as a Plumber."
He didn't like this idea one bit, infiltrate the Dollars, say he was sick of Plumbers pay and that he wanted in with the galactic mafia and their mysterious boss, the one they all called God.
"But you are far more renowned for your criminal activities, and no doubt they'll see this as an asset."
"The Dollars have caught every undercover Plumber who has ever tried to infiltrate them, and executed them! It's too much of a risk, even for me!" Kevin protested.
"You're a fine con artist, you can convince them of anything you want them to believe," Hulka retorted.
"That's pushing it when it comes to the Dollars, but I'll still try my best to discover the identity of their boss."
"We will make sure that you have a contact, someone who is not a Plumber," Hulka told him. "Go do what you have to, I don't trust a lot of these new rookies, they're starting to accept bribes."
"All right," Kevin headed out of the Plumber's headquarters and headed to Techadon. He made his way to the black market. He began asking around for anyone associated with the Dollars, requesting a meeting with a legitimate member of the group.
He spotted a young teenager, dressed in street clothes, the alien beside him motioned to the boy. "They say he's the Underboss, works directly under God herself."
"Her?" Kevin asked. That was interesting. He hadn't even known the boss of the Dollars was a woman.
"I have news of a fresh shipment of Taedenite, no serial number or shipping manifest, Mister…" Kevin prodded the man for a name.
"Leroy," he replied.
"That your real name?" Kevin pried, jokingly.
"It's what she calls me, and that suits me fine."
"I can verify this is an under the radar job, for the Incursion Empire," Kevin offered. This was the truth, and he'd use it to his advantage.
"This is very good news," Leroy grinned, "How's the security?"
"I won't tell you anything unless you let me in on helping you, I am very interested in joining the Dollars."
"A lot of aliens and humans are interested in joining the Dollars," Leroy smirked. "Why should I give you the time of day?"
Kevin absorbed some metal; he gripped the boy by the shirt and slammed him into the wall. "I'm Kevin 11,000 do you think that I couldn't snap your scrawny neck? You're not a very intimidating Underboss."
"Kevin 11,000 if you'll kindly let go of my Underboss, we'll discuss your Taedenite shipment," a distinctly female voice spoke to him.
Kevin turned to look at the woman. She was stunningly beautiful, blonde hair, blue eyes, slim figure, wearing an expensive suit and looking very comfortable, despite the dingy surroundings of the seedy bar they were in.
"And you are…?" he asked smoothly, releasing Leroy, who stumbled back and moved to her side.
"Guinevere Dantes," she introduced herself. Kevin took her hand. Leroy brushed him away.
"Nobody touches the Boss!" he snapped. Kevin glared at him.
He took the woman's hand and kissed it respectfully. Leroy noticed that the Boss didn't push him away. He wondered if they had some sort of relationship he didn't know about. He was immensely jealous. He was like any other man, lusting after a beautiful girl, he didn't care that she was twice his age, his lingering fantasy was to have her between his legs.
"Stop acting like I'm groping her!" the Osmosian snarled.
"Relax, Leroy, it's all right, he doesn't bite," Guinevere gave the young man an appeasing smile. "Go have the bartender get us drinks. "
She shooed the young man away. "Now, you said this Taedenite shipment doesn't have a serial number or a shipping manifest. It is an easy target, but what do you get out of it?"
"A cut of the profits, and I want in on this organization of yours, it's not just anyone who can gain control in the intergalactic black market and form a venture like this."
"A smart answer from a smart man, you want in, but not everyone gets in. The Plumbers, they keep trying to infiltrate us, but I'm sure you've heard what happens to undercover Plumbers."
"You torture them and kill them," Kevin said darkly, envisioning himself caught and the horrible atrocities they would do to him if they discovered he was undercover.
"Only a certain kind, Kevin," she smiled darkly. There was an ominous presence in the room. She looked at him. "You'll give me all the finer details and if all goes well, you'll be a member of the Dollars, although, you will start among us as a soldier."
"They mentioned that you have your Underboss here, do you have a consigliere?"
"I haven't made up my mind yet, not in any mood to hold an election for it." Guinevere replied.
"Then I have a goal I can aspire to!" Kevin laughed teasingly. Her Underboss had returned with alcohol. He'd heard some of the conversation.
Leroy scowled, Kevin smiled smugly. Guinevere said nothing.
"Bold words; what becomes of you in my organization depends on how well you perform in bringing me what I want," she smiled. "We'll meet at my house, and discuss everything there."
"Boys, escort Mister Levin to the limo, I'll join you shortly," Guinevere stared at him as he left.
"Boss, you know he's undercover, right?" Leroy asked.
"Yes, of course I know!" she snapped. "I didn't become as powerful as I am by believing everything people say, and I know he would never willingly quit the Plumbers!"
"You don't know him, you know him," Leroy smirked. "An old fling?
She didn't say anything.
"I see, he's your own personal boy toy is he?" her Underboss smirked.
The woman gripped his throat. "Shut up! Not one more word out of you, boy. My affairs aren't your damn business! Get to the car, and only speak when I want you to!"
Leroy slunk away, still scowling as Gwen Tennyson sighed under her breath. Gwen got to her feet and headed out of the bar. She could still feel the gentle pressure of his lips on her hand.
She'd missed him so much, but she knew the time wasn't right for a reunion. Gwen stared at the door, she had a lot of work to do, her plans were being set into motion, and no one was going to stop her.
Kevin Levin frowned, the boss was both beautiful and intriguing, he would do his best to gain her favor, but it did seem strange that she was so standoffish, that she didn't like having people touch her. He was suspicious of that. Perhaps something bad had happened to her, he'd have to look into that.
She also had a ruthless reputation for torturing and killing Plumbers, or her enemies.
He could also tell that Guinevere Dantes was an alias. She had connections to many of his old associates; he suspected she knew he was undercover. Perhaps she was playing a game with him.
He couldn't deny she was beautiful, and he was drawn to her. He was confused by her; she excited emotions he hadn't felt in so very long.
He was 39 and his life had been filled with hardship. His wife, his Gwen had been taken from him on their wedding night, arrested for murder and had somehow been lost in the databases of the Plumbers and put in an unknown Incarcecon.
He'd thrown himself into his Plumbers work, hoping to glean his wife's location, to find her and get her away from the Incarcecon and find out who had done this to her, but for all his searching he found nothing except what was on file regarding the murder she was accused of.
Kevin stared down at his empty hand. There should be a ring there. There should be a wife and child at home. There was a son at home, but he wasn't his biological son, Devlin was a child Kevin had found during an inspection of an Incarcecon, someone had left the child to die; he had rescued the child and raised him. Kevin put out all thoughts of his family out of his mind. He couldn't be distracted when he had work to do.
Kevin looked over at Leroy as he got into the transport.
"So where are we going?" Kevin inquired.
To a carnival," Guinevere smiled. "It's here on Techadon."
"Isn't this a bad place for a meeting?" Kevin frowned.
"Don't worry; I want you to enjoy yourself, and my company," Guinevere smiled. "Ah, here we are, follow me."
She led Kevin to a V.I.P. booth as Kevin sat down he noticed that the bustle of the activity, Kevin noticed that the festivities revolved around a public execution.
"Please, allow me to introduce my guest, this is Ellie Morningstar, I met her when her father came to see me, begging me to help him rescue her."
"You'll have to tell me all about it," Kevin smiled at Ellie.
She shook his hand.
"I will," Ellie replied; she sat down. She looked over at Guinevere. "I'm very surprised you invited me to this. It's kinda morbid don't you think?"
"Executions are the highlight of carnival, you know? The festivities reach their peak as the blood of heinous criminals washes away all the crowd's sins. One has not experienced Techadon's carnival without seeing this."
"I don't like how you're treating all this like a show," Kevin scowled.
"No show is as captivating as the death of a human being. Is it not as though we have become God?"
Kevin was impressed by the woman's ego. He was definitely going to keep an eye on her. He decided to remain wary.
"It seems today's program will be most interesting. Perhaps we should make sport of this."
She shuffled a strange deck of cards.
"On these cards are the initials of the condemned, I happen to have a full pardon from the Techadon government with me. So, shall we play a game?"
"I'll pass," Kevin politely declined.
"On these cards are the initials of the three men, Ellie, pick one and they will go free."
"I thought you said this was a game," Ellie frowned.
"It is, but you could do so much good, shouldn't you try?" Guinevere urged. "You have the opportunity to save a man's life."
Ellie looked hesitant. Kevin knew an excellent manipulator when he saw one, and this Guinevere was exceptional. He suspected she was a con artist of some sort, but she was the leader of the Dollars, and her charms were just as well known as her ruthlessness.
"I'll do it!" Ellie decided. Kevin watched as the young girl, fourteen years of age, reaches and picks up a card.
Guinevere took the card and stood up, she handed the pardon to a man standing by the door. He rushed out into the square.
"A Pardon from the Techadon government has been issued to the criminal called "Peppino"!"
Ellie was shocked, "But he murdered ten people!"
"Now whatever happens next, you mustn't look away!" Guinever put her hands on Ellie's shoulders. "Not for an instant!"
The other criminals were executed with brutal efficiency, decapitated as the crowd cheered. Kevin had seen many horrible things, and hid his shock very well.
Guinevere smiled, "You've done a very good thing today, you've saved a man's life. You should go, you must be getting bored, spending time with me."
Ellie left, too disturbed by what had just happened.
Guinevere turned her attention back to Kevin. "Sorry that all this took so long, she is a nice girl isn't she?"
"She's an angel compared to her father," Kevin scowled. Michael Morningstar had unexpectedly reformed himself, and had joined the Plumbers; even earned the rank of Magister, a rank that Gwen had nearly received before her unexpected arrest.
"So you don't really believe he's reformed?" Guinevere looked at him with piercing eyes.
"Not for a second," Kevin spat. "He's been bad, why would he unexpectedly change for no apparent reason? I changed because of my wife, and now she's gone. I don't have a motivation to be a good person."
"I don't quite believe that."
"Benjamin may been my best friend, but we're not real close anymore," Kevin lied.
Gwen knew he was lying, he was still the good person she knew, but she knew he was undercover, trying to discern her identity, but she played along with him. It wouldn't do her any good to give him hints of her true identity by insisting he was still a good person. That was something she would have done in her past, but not now.
"Tell me about this shipment meant for the Incursion Empire," Guinevere Dantes smiled.
"Here's the shipment. A great deal of laser lances, android bounty hunters, teleporter pods, you name it, it's in this shipment."
Kevin watched her carefully. She was a mystery to him, he couldn't figure out just what she was thinking. He would find out who she was and arrest her, put her in the Null Void for what she'd done.
Gwen knew him well enough; Kevin was trying to deduce who she was. She wouldn't give him anything that she didn't want him to know. This game would be fun, but they would be reunited on her terms not his.
"This is good information, and you want in with me, I understand. You can prove it to me by helping us take the shipment…and I'm coming with you."
"That's fine," Kevin looked at her. He'd have to be very careful, he couldn't mess this up if this meant he could get into the Dollars.
The next day they headed to the designated shipping Dock in the Incursion Empire. They kept hidden until Kevin spotted the ship.
"Go, go, go!" he shouted, Guinevere Dantes led her men in and they swarmed the ship, Kevin made sure to keep his eyes on the crew. The supply workers surrendered at the sight of the laser lances and armed attackers. They gave up without a fight.
Kevin kept watching for Plumbers, but much to his disappointment, none of them showed, she must have bribed them. How disappointing, if Gwen had been around, she would have caught this entire group ages ago before they expanded.
The Dollars escaped and boarded a ship. Kevin was surprised that the layout of the ship was exactly like the Rustbucket 3, his prized ship. It was suspicious to say the least.
Guinevere smiled at him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "This went off without a hitch. You've earned your place as a soldier in the Dollars, continue to bring us heists like that and you'll move up quickly."
"Thank you, I'm flattered, I hope that this is the beginning of a long and fruitful friendship between us."
"I hope so too," she smiled a little.
Kevin headed home. It had been a long day. Devlin smiled as he walked through the door.
"Hey old man, boring work day?"
"Yeah Dev, a boring day," Kevin couldn't let Devlin know he was undercover, that way if he was discovered his son would be safe.
He walked into his bedroom, staring at a photograph of he and Gwen. He sighed sadly.
"Baby, I miss you so much."
He changed into some pajamas and threw himself down on the bed. This wasn't the life he wanted, Gwen should be there, and she wasn't, and everything was wrong with the world. He drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the life he should have had with her.