Disclaimer: Neither Now You See Me, the characters, or the lyrics that appear at the beginning of each chapter belong to me.

Deal with the Devil

And I have been poisoned inside,
But I, I feel so alive.
Nobody can save me now.
The king is crowned,
It's do or die.
~Battle Cry by Imagine Dragons

Thaddeus Bradley, the host of Magic Unmasked which is devoted to the revealing of magician's tricks." The young reporter stood in front of a prison, "was released after eighteen months in prison under the belief that he was the mastermind behind the Four Horsemen. The Horsemen, of course, are the magicians who took the world by storm last year when they robed the Credit Republican Bank of Paris, multi-millionaire Arthur Tressler, and Elkhorn Safes. Bradley was arrested with the accusation of plotting the robberies when the contents of one of Elkhorn's safes was found in his vehicle.

"It was a clever frame up," Albert West appeared on the screen. "But that is exactly what it was: a frame up. Evidence has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that my client is completely innocent of any connection with the Four Horsemen, and had Agent Rhodes actually looked at the evidence instead of simply ordering his arrest, he would have seen that and all of this could have been avoided."

Dylan Rhodes, the FBI agent in charge of the Horsemen's case, could not be contacted for comment. The Horsemen remain at large, though without their fourth member, Jack Wilder, who was killed before their final stunt, and are considered dangerous fugitives. If anyone has any information about the Four Horsemen, contact the number on your screen.

Thaddeus Bradley clicked the TV off with a satisfied smile. Leaning back in the chair of his hotel room, he took a sip of wine. It felt good to be free once more and in an actual chair rather then that springy old cot. He sighed contently.

"We meet again, Mr. Bradley."

"Ah, Mr. Tressler, I've been expecting you." He nodded to the seat across from him. "Please, sit."

The multi-millionaire glared down at the other man, but sat regardless.

"What is this about, Mr. Bradley?" Tressler asked curtly, bypassing the niceties. "I am a very busy man."

"Not too busy to discuss our deal, I presume." Bradley's words were nice enough, but the chill in his voice revealed his opinion of the man.

"What deal?" Tressler resisted the urge to get up and just leave the old coot.

"The deal where you offered me ten million dollars to ruin the Four Horsemen."

"Well it's a little late for that, now isn't it?" Tressler snapped. "The Horsemen are gone, or maybe you hadn't noticed with your time behind bars."

Bradley shrugged.

"We made a deal that if I could ruin the Horsemen's image, you would give me double what I stood to make. I now stand to make twice the five million I did before, but I'll be kind enough to let our deal stand at ten."

"You are not getting a single penny from me!" Tressler fumed, getting to his feet in anger. "The Horsemen are gone, vanished to who knows where, and they've left behind a legacy of being modern Robin Hoods! Our deal was off the moment you allowed the Horsemen to escape!"

"What if they haven't escaped?" Bradley questioned calmly, face blank and revealing nothing. "How much would they be worth to you?"

"What are you implying, Mr. Bradley?" Tressler asked coldly as he slowly sat once more.

"I know where to find the Horsemen." Bradley revealed, laying his palms out. "All five of them."

"Five?" Tressler scoffed. "You're mad man, there are only three."

"So they would like you to think." Bradley chuckled and leaned back in his seat, resting comfortably. "Four escaped, one remains hidden."

"The fool kid got himself killed." Tressler argued. "And as for a fifth, hah. As if a person could remain hidden this long."

"Wilder survived." Bradley shrugged as if it didn't matter. "As for the fifth, well, he remains hidden to all but one."

"And I suppose you are that one." Tressler said slowly. He leaned forward slightly. "How?"

"All in good time, Mr. Tressler, all in good time." Bradley waved, basking in the power he held over the man. "Now, how much are the Horsemen worth to you?"

"If you can get me the Horsemen, Mr. Bradley," Tressler said slowly, leaning back, "Then I will make you richer than even you can imagine."

Thaddeus Bradley smiled and raised his glass in a mock salute before taking a sip of his wine.

"Mr. Tressler, you have yourself a deal."