Charlie yawned and slumped farther down into his chair, feeling drowsy with the boredom of having to babysit this little kid. He couldn't even see his charge, tucked away behind the sofa. He did whatever his boss required of him, and yet that did not mean he did not grow resentful every now and again with such menial tasks. He was grateful when the door opened and one of his fellows took over for him, giving him a chance to grab some dinner. He was even more pleased to discover that Claude invited him to share a meal at a fine restaurant in London. Leaving his replacement with a bit of a threat as to what would befall him if Ciel escaped, Charlie left the cabin and drove into the city. It was a long trek, but worth it for a good meal. When he arrived at the restaurant Claude had already ordered them a bottle of wine, and was sipping delicately. Such refined manners from a man capable of such brutality. Charlie had to grin at the poetic irony of such a sight.
"How you doin', boss." Charlie said unceremoniously as he sat himself across the table from Claude.
"Well enough considering that I've made no progress regarding my plan..." Claude's jaw muscle twitched a bit before he went on, "that Sebastian is more knuckle-headed than I thought."
"You didn't expect him to just hand that other kid over, did you?" Charlie asked, pouring himself a glass of the wine as well, though he preferred beer.
"Of course not, he's too cunning and caring for that. I did, however, expect him to make some sort of move, instead of this long stretch of silence. That one phone call did little good for either of us apart from solidifying the actual nature of my ultimatum. Beyond that, neither of us made any headway in our little game."
"You made the first move, though," Charlie pointed out, "so you're the one on top right now."
"That means nothing if my adversary makes no move in response; the game is simply resting. Infuriating."
They paused their conversation as a waitress came to take Charlie's dinner order, only to pick right back up as soon as she was gone.
"So, what are you actually going to do with the kid?" Charlie asked, taking an undignified swallow of his wine.
"How do you mean?" Claude asked. Charlie grinned deviously, shrugging.
"C'mon, boss. I know you better than that; you're not really going to send him trotting back on his merry way to that Sebastian, are you?"
Claude did not answer immediately, but the slight change in his expression told Charlie that he was pleased with his perceptiveness. His answer was cool and quiet.
"Of course not."
"Then..?" Charlie prompted.
"I'll have you put him on the black market site when we finish with this meal. I intend to outwit Michealis and retreat with both my Alois, and an extra head of merchandise in his beloved Ciel."
Charlie said nothing in response, his raised his eyebrows approvingly and lifted his wine glass for a toast. Claude gave it to him with a small clink of glass tapping glass. Just then Charlie's cell phone began to ring. It was his personal cell phone, not the one he used for work.
"Expecting a call?" Claude asked, obviously not interested.
"I'm not sure who this is," Charlie said, checking the number, "gimme a sec, boss, I'll step outside to answer it."
Claude merely nodded, and Charlie got up and made his way to the door, flipping his phone open and wondering to whom the strange number belonged.
)))((
"There seems to be more than one hole in this plan you've concocted." Bard said skeptically, watching Becky hacking furiously at a computer keyboard while Grell made eyes at Sebastian by stroking his sleek red cell phone suggestively.
"At this point," Henry said almost wearily, "it's the only plan we've got. I've had my boys look into this Claude Faustus before, and we know for a fact that his family home and warehouses are clean of suspicion. However he runs his dirty business, he does it in perfect secrecy from us. There would be no point raiding his home or other properties with our past failures. This is the only option I can clearly think of."
"Besides," Becky said, as she continued working on setting up the tracing program, "this way we're coming at him at a side-wind, going for his henchman rather than Faustus himself."
Sebastian and Bard exchanged glances, and Alois took a deep breath. None of them would admit out loud that this plan seemed likely to fall through. It was extremely frail and possibly transparent in its effort to glean information. If it worked, however...
"All finished." Becky announced, turning in her swivel chair to look at Grell. "You know what you're going to say, correct?"
Grell's eyes positively sparkled as he answered,
"Believe me, my beautiful cousin, this is a script with which I am well-versed."
Becky gave a small, knowing smile and shook her head.
"Let's just hope this time it does someone some actual good."
"I hope so," Henry interjected, "a lot is riding on this one call, so go to it, and do your best."
Grell almost dramatically opened his phone and began dialing the number he read off of one of his own faded business cards. They all waited anxiously as the phone rang, audible to everyone who stood cramped into the small tech room. Finally a somewhat rough voice answered,
"Hello, who's this?"
Grell's expression changed to match his voice, somewhat sweet and intrigued.
"Hello, is this Charles? Charles Briggs?"
"Who wants to know?"
"Um...you might not remember, it's been a while since you've paid me a visit, but this is Grell Sutcliff. I own a small pawn shop in London and-"
Grell was immediately cut off by a surprisingly enthusiastic voice, transformed by its eagerness.
"Grell! It's high time I actually heard from you!"
Grell gave what could be interpreted as a shy chuckle.
"I'm surprised you're happy to hear from me, considering how many times I've thrown you out of my shop."
"Ah! I knew you'd come around to me eventually, pretty-boy!"
Grell gave a short lilting laugh that sounded extremely feminine.
"Come now, Charles, I'm not the kind of boy who kisses on the first meeting...and the first time I kick a customer out!"
Charlie gave an inappropriate hum on the other end,
"Hmmm, I thought you were. Why else do you think I was interested, and kept coming back?"
"I assumed you were just a pervert who got his kicks from being driven out of various establishments." Grell crooned, even twirling a short lock of his own red hair flirtatiously despite the fact the other man could not see him.
"Oh, just talking with you is enough to 'give me my kicks'." The man assured in a low growl, to which Grell gave a small, falsely pleased, 'oh my'.
Finny had to slap a hand over his own mouth to suppress his giggles as the conversation went on, and Alois' lips were oddly curling in on themselves for the same reason. Bard and Henry merely rolled their eyes in slight disgust, while Sebastian shared an amused grin with Becky. Grell took no notice of any of them, but continued speaking into the cell.
"So, pretty-boy, what made you decide to finally give me a call after I've given you my number so many times?" Charlie asked casually.
Grell gave a sad little huff and altered his voice to sound a bit strained,
"I've just been going through a lot lately and...I've been so lonely."
"Poor baby." Charlie said, and Finny literally squeaked in suppressed laughter, making him have to turn around and face the wall, his shoulders still shaking.
"Yes, well," Grell continued, "I made a pretty big sale this afternoon, which should have cheered me up but..."
The redhead sighed dramatically, pausing as though going on with his tale of woe was too much.
"'But' what, Grell?" Charlie asked.
"'What is there to spend money on but trinkets and drinks?' I thought to myself, 'I need no more trinkets, and it is so sad to drink alone...' that's when I noticed one of my business cards with your number scrawled on it. I thought I was going mad because I didn't really care much for you, but at this point I just thought...screw it all. You're probably the only person to show me any kindness throughout this entire year..."
Becky struggled to maintain her composure as well; being Grell's cousin she more than any of them knew the extent of this particular lie.
"Oh? Are people really that cruel to you?" Charlie asked, sounding not exactly empathetic, but still interested.
"Very. No one seems to understand the needs of the man who is drawn toward a womanly appearance."
"Hmm...well, I think it is lovely. The best of both worlds, if you ask me. Plus, I think I can solve both of your problems."
"How?" Grell asked a bit emotionally, as though he was beyond despair and reaching for any hope he could find.
"Let me buy you a drink?"
Grell paused, grinding his teeth silently in resentment and looking to Henry for direction. The D.I. nodded encouragingly at him, giving him the go-ahead.
"Would you really?" Grell asked, as though he had found the one bright spot in a dark world.
"Of course I would!" Charlie laughed, "Anything for a pretty-boy! Where's your favorite place? I'll meet you there later tonight, say, around nine o' clock?"
Grell turned briefly away from the phone to make an over-dramatic action as though he were gagging, and then his face lit up with a false smile as he answered,
"Do you know where 'Little Sister' is?"
"Doesn't every S.O.B. looking to get an opium high in the East End of London?" Charlie teased back. "I'll meet you there, then."
"Alright. I can't wait!"
"Until nine, then, pretty-boy."
The line went dead, and Grell's smile faded at once. The next second Finny and Alois burst out laughing, and Grell was all but punching the wall in his frustration at the call.
"Ohhhh! That jerk is enough to make my skin crawl! To think he flirts so wonderfully like that and then goes and cavorts with criminals!"
"I think you're focusing on the wrong thing here." Sebastian commented, before Henry spoke.
"Becky, did you get the trace?"
The girl shook her golden head disdainfully.
"His cell signal was just like the cell we called from the number on the ransom DVD; bounced around to different towers. I couldn't get a lock on his location."
"No matter," Henry said, "at least we know where he'll be tonight. Grell, are you willing to wear a wire? If we could get Charlie to incriminate himself, that would be a good first step."
"Anything to put that lowlife away." Grell growled. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but for the first time in my life it will be difficult for me to flirt up a storm."
Becky made a slightly obnoxious sound.
"Once you get started, I'm sure you'll actually enjoy yourself."
"We'll see; it depends on where the topic of conversation goes." Grell explained.
"If the opportunity comes up, see if you can probe him for information on the Leonards that he traffics." Henry told him. "Be discreet, but that's really the info that we need."
Grell sighed and stretched out his arms above his head wearily.
"We have an hour or two before the meeting, you should drill me on what to ask so I can be of as much help as possible."
"You've already helped, Grell." Sebastian cut in unexpectedly, making the redhead look up. "You've made contact, and I thank you for what you're going to do tonight for our sake."
Grell's face flushed right up to his ears.
"It's no problem." He mumbled, out of character for him to speak so low. It made Becky's eyes widen in surprise, and she shot a wide smile at Sebastian, who in turn, winked at her. She ended up blushing as red as he cousin.
)))(((
It was agony to wait for Grell, Henry, and the rest of the investigative team to return from their mission. Sebastian, Bard, Alois, and Finny had been told they were not allowed to come, as there was only so much room in the surveillance van and they were too close to the entire situation. So they sat about in the by-now familiar conference room, sipping old coffee and sharing concerns and speculations about what might be happening at 'Little Sister'.
The bar was in fact the opposite of what it's name implied, completely lacking the innocence of a little sister and being filled with illegal activity. When Grell first walked in, conscious of the wire taped to his smooth chest and hidden beneath this red shirt, the scent of opium struck his face. The low lights of the place could not hide the dim cloud of smoke that emanated from the 'secret rooms' in the back where patrons could indulge in such underground pleasures. Slow Chinese music floated about the place, illuminating the twisting dragons on the faded walls and the decorative lanterns and symbols in every corner. It was an extremely unique atmosphere, as not many bars were so purely ethnic like this one. Grell had only been here once before on a friend's recommendation, but it was not the kind of place to be easily forgotten.
Grell spotted Charlie through the haze, sitting at the bar. He put on his flirtatious expression and made his way over to his target.
From the nondescript black van in an alleyway behind the place, Henry, Becky, and two more officers listened in as the conversation began. It was almost sickeningly suggestive right off the bat, and Becky rolled her eyes and slapped her palm over her face more times than could have been counted. Henry had to admit that Grell did an excellent job of getting Charlie to loosen up. That also could have been the beer talking, but either way it was good news for the investigation. After about thirty minutes of nauseating flirting, giggles, and dirty jokes, the conversation finally took a turn.
"Hm, look at that over there." Charlie said, pointing at a Leonard who had just come in with his master. He looked to be in his thirties, trailing a younger human man who couldn't have been more than twenty.
"I like his tail," Grell commented, for the benefit of his fellows in the van, "it looks very sleek, not like some you see, with the fur all out of order."
"It's surprising to see one that old with a master that young." Charlie said, taking a small swig of his beer.
"Perhaps he belongs to the boy's parents."
"Who knows." There was a pause as Charlie let his eyes wander over the Leonard, studying him. "He was probably much cuter when he was young."
Grell felt his heart rate increase as he sensed this was the golden opportunity this night was all about.
"What makes you say that?" He asked curiously. Charlie leaned in closer to Grell to speak quietly.
"Look at his features; small nose, big eyes...on a grown Leonard male they look ridiculous and weak. As a child, though, I'll be he was adorable."
"I think he's adorable now." Grell purred, letting his eyes and voice become dreamy. "But I can see your point. Oh...I've always wanted one..."
"Have you really?" Charlie asked, sounding slightly excited.
"Yes, there was this one stray who used to come into my store every now and again. Ah! he was so cute I could have just eaten him up! But he was a wild one, I knew I would be wasting my time trying to tame him, even though that would have been half of the fun."
"How come you never told me this, all the time I..." Charlie lowered his voice considerably now, "offered to sell you one?"
"Come now, Charles!" Grell laughed, nervously. "That did sound very illegal, you know."
"No different than counterfeit handbags." Charlie rationalized for him, "What harm is it really doing to give people a great product? Except these are the real thing. And trust me, if you got one from me, you wouldn't be dealing with 'taming' or any of that, we tame 'em down real nice before we sell them."
In the van Henry was pumping his fist in the air, celebrating the first victory they had had in this case.
"I don't know...that still sounds awfully sketchy." Grell said, looking around as though afraid someone would hear them.
"Why don't you at least take a look sometime, and think about it?" Charlie asked. "I'd love to set you up with something you've been pining after."
Unseen to the listeners in the van, Charlie tugged gently on a lock of Grell's short, red hair. The man giggled into his glass, before lowering it and saying,
"I must admit, I have money for the first time in a very long time...if ever I was to consider such a thing...it would be now...but no, I mustn't, what if...what if it was discovered?"
Charlie made a dismissive sound.
"The police have never been able to catch us before. We operate purely underground, trust me. Not one slip up since I brought the system over from America."
Grell hummed, as though excited, but still a bit frightened by the prospect.
"It just...seems like a dream that's beyond me, you know?"
Charlie shifted his bar stool closer to Grell's and leaned in to whisper in his ear,
"Tell me your dream. What's your type? Calico? Tawny? How about jet black?"
Grell shivered for more reasons than one, his hand clenching tightly around his glass to hold back his urge to punch the man who was breathing gently on his neck.
"To be honest...the stray I liked..."
"Yes?" Charlie asked, actually being bold enough to place a kiss on Grell's ear. Grell pushed him away seemingly teasingly, but shaking inside from rage.
"He was on the darker side." Grell said, "I don't think he was black exactly but...I've always fancied the darker ones. Their eyes are so much prettier somehow."
"You are in luck, my friend." Charlie growled, taking Grell's hand and rubbing his thumb across the top. "I know of one who would be perfect for you, but with enough spirit in him to indulge your 'taming' fantasy."
"It's not really a fantasy." Grell clarified, not wanting Charlie to think of him as more of a pervert than he actually was. "I just thought it might be...entertaining."
"This is perfect." Charlie said, "You have to see him. What are your plans for tomorrow?"
Grell pretended to think hard before saying,
"I can blow anything off, I'm so excited. Ah! I can't believe that this is really happening!"
Charlie chuckled.
"You're even more adorable when you're excited." He stated, before saying, "Can you meet me at The London Eye tomorrow?"
Grell squealed a little, and then covered his mouth as though embarrassed.
"The Ferris Wheel? Are you in earnest?"
"Of course."
"I've lived in London most of my life and I've never actually ridden on it!"
"Then this is going to be a double treat for you." Charlie said smoothly. "I'll bring the kid so you can check him out, and my boss will probably want to come along; he insists on being present for some of the more important sales opportunities."
"Oh, Charles," Grell drawled, sounding almost tipsy, "I'm important?"
"Of course you are, my pretty-boy."
Grell gave another sickening giggle and took a loud swallow from his glass.
"What time should I get there?" He asked dreamily.
"Let's say one o' clock for now. I'll call you if something changes."
Grell shifted in his seat, and deciding that he needed to play it up even more, reached out and touched the side of Charlie's stubbled face.
"Is this real? I can't believe it..."
"It's always been real," Charlie replied, "you've just had to reach out and take what's in front of you."
Over the audio in the van came a small, tender smacking sound that made Becky's face wrinkle up in disgust of recognition. Grell would go so far as kissing the revolting man just to gain information. It was dedication, to be sure.
"Do I get to name him?" Grell asked when he pulled back, "Or have you given him a name already?"
Charlie paused, then looked around before leaning in close.
"He has a name, but you cannot repeat it. If you do, you could get into trouble."
"Oh my!" Grell sniggered. "How dangerous!"
"His name is Ciel."
"Lovely." Grell forced out, managing to sound convincing, while all the while he burned inside. "He sounds absolutely gorgeous."
"He is quite a cutie. Big blue eyes, dark hair, pale, slender little body. He's a tender thing with a tough bite, so watch out."
"Ohhh!" Grell laughed like a silly schoolgirl, placing polished hands over his chest in mock excitement. "How enchanting!"
"And I'll tell you this; I think you'll get a good deal on him; the boss is ready to be rid of him because he's getting tired of the rebellious mouth on him. So I think he'll lower the price quite a bit."
"Providence is shining on me!" Grell sang, and giggled again.
The team in the van was silently cheering Grell on, now just waiting to see how the meeting would end. It went on for about thirty more minutes, the two men discussing nothing of real value. The nuggets of gold had already been retrieved, and the rest was just granite. Becky knew that this must be agonizing for her cousin now that they got what they needed, but still, there was little they could do about it until they heard an accented voice interrupt the conversation.
"Alright, gents, I'm afraid that's the last call for tonight."
"Come, on, Lau, not even for old friends?" Charlie asked, as the slender Chinese man grinned ambiguously at them.
"Afraid not." He answered simply, an unnerving smile on his lips.
"Alright, we should be going then." Grell said, and pretended to almost fall off his stool, making Charlie catch his arm to steady him, both of them laughing.
"You might have had too much, pretty-boy." Charlie teased, "You alright to drive?"
"Oh you!" Grell quipped back, "I'm perfectly fine; I just got numb sitting there for so long is all; you captivated me entirely."
In the van, the team let themselves chuckle at how long it took to actually separate the two. Grell allowed Charlie to walk him to his car, where yet another few smacking sounds made all of them cringe, and finally there was a long pause before they heard a door shut. Then Grell went off.
"UUUUUGGGGG I hope you got what you need to nail that scumbag! I can't believe it! Talking about Ciel like that, as if he were MERCHANDISE! ARRRG you'd better slap the cuffs on him so hard tomorrow! I can't believe I had to let him KISS me! OH IT WAS SO VILE!"
Becky couldn't help but laugh despite feeling for her cousin at the moment.
"Hang in there, Grell." Henry said to the man who couldn't hear him, and who continued to rant, "You still have another date with him tomorrow. And so do we."
