Alita had a lot of criminal contacts, mostly in the gangs of the lower east side, where she had grown up. She was without doubt the best fairy to have around when you needed to track a gang. She was responsible for most of their big gang busts.
She stepped up and stuck a rough sketch to a white board. "This is a sketch of Ida Kalom; she took over Zima Maith's operation after he was killed. A case I'm sure you all remember."
Of course Trouble remembered. It was the first case he and Holly had worked on together, and the only case that involved everyone in this room. "Just the fact that this is the best sketch we have of her tells you how hard she is to find."
"Our intelligence tells us she uses several mesmerized humans to do most of her surface work. They would be even harder to find." Foaly cut in.
Maike stood up, walked over to the board and picked up a marker. "Now, Ida Kalom does not have the magical ability to mesmerize as many humans as she would need. It's a good bet she uses her head warlock, a pixie by the name of Jurican Behi. There's at least two other fairies-"
"And I know just the people." Alita cut in. "His wife Ana, and Azman, his apprentice. These three and probably more were helping him. Find one and we should have no trouble finding the others"
"Foaly," Trouble said standing up. "I want everything we have on these people on my desk within the hour."
"Send a copy to me as well." Vinyaya ordered.
"Maike, Alita," Trouble continued. "Use you connections. Figure something out about these people we wouldn't know."
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Maike stood in front of a large building that sat right before suburbia began. She quickly typed in a key code and scanned her thumb. She thought that no one yet had figured out how to change the security system. She, of course, was right and the door clicked and opened in front of her. She pulled her hood down until it touched her eyes so she couldn't be recognized.
She stepped into the headquarters of her old criminal empire. After she was awarded with amnesty for her part in stopping Koboi's last plot and Innes was arrested Ariana and Selah took over while she joined as a tech for the LEP. She opened the door of an office and stepped in a young, red haired elf was standing facing a wall computer. "Run plan 7h52k." She obviously hadn't heard the door open.
"What's that?" Maike asked.
"Cancel." Ariana said quickly at the sound. "Maike!" She exclaimed hugging her old friend tightly.
"I can't believe you show up here after joining the LEP and leaving us to clean up your mess." A voice said.
Maike laughed and turned to see a sprite standing in the doorway. "Very funny Selah." She said giving him a quick hug. "Now, I need some help. Holly Short-"
"I missing in action and you need us to help you find Ida Kalom." Selah cut her off.
"How did you-"
"Have you forgotten already? Our main computer has access to all of Foaly's files."
"I didn't think you knew how to get in to those."
"He didn't" Ariana replied. "One of our techs figured it out."
Maike turned to the computer. "Does this still recognize my voice?" She asked.
"Yeah," Selah said. "No one could figure out how to erase it."
"Pull Jurican Behi."
What pulled up on the screen was condensed to small to be read.
"Last known location." He probably wasn't there, but someone was going to be.
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"Any news from the search party?" Trouble asked.
"We found her helmet commander." Foaly replied.
"And?"
"We did not find a body."
"If there's no body she might not be dead."
It was unlikely she had survived the hurricane, very unlikely. But Trouble didn't need to know that.
There was a knock at Trouble's door.
"Yes." Trouble said.
"We found someone."
"Let's go."
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Maike and Alita had successfully rounded up the five fairies in this warehouse. Only one was who they were looking for, and it just happened to be Behi. At least the ID he had on him said he was Jurican Behi. He didn't particularly match the description Alita had been given of Jurican. When this was over she needed to have a word with her informants.
Only after everyone had been arrested did they call Vinyaya. The majority of the LEP would just mess this up.
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Trouble looked through a one way window into an interrogation room. "How's it going?" he asked.
"He's not talking. We called over a shrink to see if he couldn't loosen him up a bit. I for one find it a waste of time."
"You've spent too much time in gangs. Here you can't just go beating someone up for some answers."
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One wall of Trouble's office was completely covered with sketches of fairies, reports, both official and otherwise, from this gang, and of course pages from the official report of the case that killed Zima Maith.
"Troub?" Someone asked.
"Haven't I told you not to do that, Grub?" He said not even turning around.
"Ark Sool wanted to see you." Grub said ignoring the question.
"Can't you tell him I'm not in?"
"It looks a lot like you're here to me." A different voice said. Trouble recognized it as Sool's.
"You couldn't've told me he was standing right there?"
"Sorry Troub." Grub muttered as he closed the door.
"What do you want Sool?" Trouble asked.
"I can't just stop by?"
"No, you cannot."
Sool turned toward the covered wall. "I don't know why you're spending so much time on this. Short was a loose cannon and-" Sool never got a chance to finish because at that moment Trouble's fist collided with Sool's face.
"I suggest you leave before I'm tempted to hit you again."
Sool left his office without comment.
"I have been waiting to do that." Trouble muttered.
"Nice hit Trouble." Foaly commented.
"What have I told you about spying on me?" Trouble said
"Told you he would hit Sool." Maike gloated, also joining the conversation. "When are you going to learn that I am always right?"
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A/N: Oh Yeah that was so almost a thousand words. 984 (not counting this authors note.)
