Barlic was the only boy in the world more strategic, more straight thinking, and richer than Ian. He wasn't a small little midget like Ian. His height was as big as a normal Grade 12 high school student. His hair was greasy brown and he wore a suit, black with a red tie perfectly wrapped around his neck. His eyes looked green but according to his mother they are blue. He was the kind of boy who haunts you at night. But the one with the most evil in this restaurant, most biased and person you didn't want to mess with was Ian Phantomhive who just entered the outdoor table.
" What the...I said not to bring your butler, Ian," Barlic said unhappy seeing Emmitt standing behind Ian. The feeling of being unwanted was a feeling Barlic was used to.
" If Emmitt was here to kill you he would do it before now," Ian said looking at Barlic's butler. Things were not going the same way as he wanted.
" Whatever. As you know I asked your butler to fetch you because this is the one place I wanted to talk to you. I just couldn't tell you myself. You would hang up the moment you read my name. It's a wonder why you distant yourself so much from me. I'm eager to get a response from you because we don't get to talk that often despite the engagement."
" Don't think you can make me do anything you want with tears. Although I cannot anticipate what country you want to put me in, and I know you want me to go to another country to take a case."
" Case?" Barlic snorted through his nose when Ian mentioned case. " This isn't a case, it's more of a prison escape. I need your help to break someone out of a Russian criminally insane prison."
" Russia? You actually believe I'll go to Russia because you asked me too?"
" No. That's why I had my men watch you and record all your secrets. I think you'll find this to be intrusive of your privacy." Barlic snapped his fingers. His butler took out a folder from inside his jacket and passed it over to Barlic who gave it to Ian. Ian opened the folder and flinched at the first page. Barlic gave him a nudge. " That's right. I know all about what you've been doing. And I'm only a phone
" I say when I have children, they'll be lucky to only know you as Uncle Barlic and not the man you really are."
" Don't be that way, Ian. I wouldn't have to resort to blackmail if you weren't so stubborn. Do we have a deal?"
" Mark my words, Barlic, before this mission is completed I will seize that folder and burn it."
" Go ahead and burn this one if you want. I already have multiple copies of the same information and saved it on my computer.
" That's a bluff."
" Is it now? When you see my eyes you see a man in control. You caught that, didn't you?" Barlic grinned a little. It seemed there was no winning this battle. The only way to win was to distract him.
" Tell me more about this person who allegedly, definitely taken to a prison in Russia."
" Her name is Helena. She is a half-Russian and half-American woman who was working for me these past three months. I have men in the Russian mafia who offer me great information in exchange for my charity."
" By charity you mean donating food to all of them?"
" Close. More like dropping a one million dollar donation to the Russian 'hospital' every year. Unfortunately all the men in the mafia were killed when Helena arrived and she was framed for this crime by the Russian police. I blame myself for this capture and that's why I'm going to let her out."
" Do you mind telling us what she was doing in Russia to begin with?" Emmitt asked. " It would help my master so much if he knew why she was needed."
" Nope. Ian is just going to have to focus on my mission. I have friends in Russia, the men who weren't compromised and destroyed, will help you escape prison. But in order to find Helena one of you will have to go to Russia prison. Will the butler do the honor of letting himself be captured."
" I order he not," Emmitt said. " Prison is something Emmitt can't break into even if he tried. What he can do is break people out of the prison. I have someone else who can get into prison for me."
XXX
Ian was glad to leave that awful restaurant and his equally as awful brother in law. Ian was just grateful Barlic wasn't his brother-in-law yet. Apparently Barlic already paid for the plane tickets in advance. Ian only had two hours to grab all the stuff he needed for his long trip to Russia. Ian just walked out of the restaurant and expected to walk to valet parking. However, his limo was in the front entrance. If that wasn't weird enough, Haru was kissing an American girl in front of his limo.
" It's not what it looks like, master!"
" You were suppose to park the car. Stop snogging that American lass and drive me home."
Ian frowned at Haru's mistake and bringing his love life when he was suppose to be on duty. Today was bad enough for the young genius and all he wanted was to go home. Emmitt opened the back car door and Ian walked in. Haru almost hurried to the driver seat, but not before giving the American girl a friendly kiss good-bye.
" You have my number. Call me."
Haru opened the driver's door and drove straight home. In the back seat Ian opened the folder. He wanted to look at the picture so he could remember the men inside it. Eight men were standing together and smiling in it and Ian was only an eleven year old boy. Four years ago Ian worked together with these men on a trial product that was destroyed and burned. The reason...what it did to the minds.