Disclaimer - I don't own anything...part from Tamarisk, she's mine...and
Mike Towers...
A/N thanks for all the nice reviews
Chapter seven - Partnership?
Artemis was asleep when Lars arrived outside the hotel. He forced open the door and looked at the book to find Fowl's room. He crept up the stairs and onto the first landing, tracing the gold numbers on the doors, in the darkness.
He found the room he was looking for and carefully pulled open the door, to his surprise finding it open. He managed a smile, he didn't know what the boss was worried about, a fourteen-year boy would prove no problem to Lars. There was a bundle in the bed breathing softly. He crept up and put his large, unwashed hand over the mouth of the sleeping figure.
Tamarisk jumped up and attempted to scream Lars almost removed his hand in surprise.
"Who are you?" he barked. He moved his hand so she could talk but pulled out a revolver and pointed it at her head.
"Tam...Tamarisk Carlton."
"Where is Artemis Fowl?"
"He is in the next room," she said shaking.
"Call him."
"He won't hear me...it'll wake up half of the hotel..."
"Call him."
Again she shook her head.
Still holding the gun to her head, he pulled her roughly off the bed and dragged her from the room. He opened the next door where Butler was waiting for him. But even Butler hesitated when he saw
Tamarisk on the end of the gun.
"Where's Fowl?" Lars demanded slightly shaken, this was turning out to be harder then expected. Artemis had been awoken by the sound of Tamarisk whimpering in the next room. He picked up the small gun by his bedside and entered Butler's room.
Lars spun round. "Drop the gun or I'll kill the girl."
Artemis had no choice but to drop the gun, as it went to the floor he kicked it, roughly in the direction of Butler, but not so to raise comment.
"You're coming with me?"
"Am I? And where may I ask am I going?"
"There's someone who wants a quiet word with you."
"I'm not going anywhere, if this someone is so desperate to meet me, then we shall meet at this hotel." Artemis replied.
Lars laughed; it was not a nice sound.
"Your out numbered, three to one."
Butler stepped forward so gradually that Lars failed to notice, the gun, which had once been pointed at her head, had dropped down to her neck.
He stooped down and picked up the gun, he raised it and prepared to shoot.
"Stop." Artemis said stepping between Butler and Lars. "You will return to your employer, Mike Towers, I believe. Tell him to meet me here at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon."
Lars released Tamarisk and she ran to stand next to Artemis.
Lars nodded and left the room with a grunt.
Artemis turned and smiled at the other two.
"All went according to plan."
"Was me nearly getting shot according to plan?" Tamarisk asked sullenly.
"He wouldn't have shot you, it is my thought that he was instructed not to harm anyone, if possible."
"Artemis!" Tamarisk said as she turned and left the room.
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Hotel, three o'clock.
Mike Towers was precisely on time, he entered the hotel where Butler was waiting for him, he was then conducted to a private sitting room. Tamarisk sat next to Artemis, apprehensive at meeting the man she had vowed revenge against. Holly was invisible behind the couch to ensure nothing got out of control, whilst Mulch was using the opportunity to scout Tower's Tower.
"Master Fowl." Artemis and Mike shook hands.
Mike was a thirty three year old man, he was tall with brown hair and eyes, pretty average really apart from the sadistic, greedy look in his eyes and his long cruel mouth. He sneered as he said 'Fowl'. Artemis nodded in recognition.
"And Miss Carleton, what are you doing here?" this time Mike was taken aback, what was his old business partner doing with Fowl?
"I want my money back that's all." She replied, hiding the sinking feeling in her stomach. Mike sneered again and turned to face Artemis, ignoring Tamarisk from then on.
"You wanted to speak to me?" Artemis said.
Mike nodded, taking his time. "I did. Your father and I had an old trusting partnership, a lot of money was made from it. I was wondering if you wished to continue the partnership."
"What about my father?"
"What about him?"
"Well where is he? He came to America to settle things with you."
"I have not spoken to your father for years, before he disappeared and was thought dead actually."
Butler stood near the door watching with menacing eyes.
"Don't lie to me. I cannot join such a partnership where I cannot trust the other member. Just tell me the truth about my father."
"I have not spoken to him..."
"He came here to collect the money, which was rightfully his, maybe you refused..."
"What are you suggesting?" Mike demanded with a hard face, a sneering face. "There is no need to bring him into this. I received a letter telling me he wished to leave the partnership, I need someone to take his place, who better then his own son."
"My father was to settle with you in person."
Mike ignored the statement. "So?"
"What does the partnership involve?"
"I am a smuggler Fowl, I bring illegal goods into the country, your father once helped me before he went legit. You have quite a reputation."
"And my share?"
"You put half in and you get half out."
"Sounds fair, what's the catch?"
"No catch."
"My father was settling with you, how much money did you owe him."
"Nothing, he was trying to get more out of me, but we had already settled before he disappeared."
"Very well, I will think about it."
Mike Towers stood up. "Well don't think too long."
Butler watched at the door as Mike Towers left the hotel.
"You're not thinking of joining him, Artemis?"
Artemis managed a grin. "No, Butler. I laid a trap for him and he fell for it. For a start he owed my father at least three million, but my father wouldn't have even considered settling a deal this big before his kidnap. It was only the kidnap which made him go legit, he would have been foolish to throw such a deal away."
Tamarisk smiled in silent wonder. "Artemis?"
"You pick up a few tricks when dealing in the business world Tamarisk."
Holly made herself visible. "That's all very well but what do we do now?"
"We need to find out why he wants me to join him, and what part Opal Koboi plays. We will know more when Mulch returns."
A/N A bit longer this time, tell me what you think and any suggestions for improvement.
A/N thanks for all the nice reviews
Chapter seven - Partnership?
Artemis was asleep when Lars arrived outside the hotel. He forced open the door and looked at the book to find Fowl's room. He crept up the stairs and onto the first landing, tracing the gold numbers on the doors, in the darkness.
He found the room he was looking for and carefully pulled open the door, to his surprise finding it open. He managed a smile, he didn't know what the boss was worried about, a fourteen-year boy would prove no problem to Lars. There was a bundle in the bed breathing softly. He crept up and put his large, unwashed hand over the mouth of the sleeping figure.
Tamarisk jumped up and attempted to scream Lars almost removed his hand in surprise.
"Who are you?" he barked. He moved his hand so she could talk but pulled out a revolver and pointed it at her head.
"Tam...Tamarisk Carlton."
"Where is Artemis Fowl?"
"He is in the next room," she said shaking.
"Call him."
"He won't hear me...it'll wake up half of the hotel..."
"Call him."
Again she shook her head.
Still holding the gun to her head, he pulled her roughly off the bed and dragged her from the room. He opened the next door where Butler was waiting for him. But even Butler hesitated when he saw
Tamarisk on the end of the gun.
"Where's Fowl?" Lars demanded slightly shaken, this was turning out to be harder then expected. Artemis had been awoken by the sound of Tamarisk whimpering in the next room. He picked up the small gun by his bedside and entered Butler's room.
Lars spun round. "Drop the gun or I'll kill the girl."
Artemis had no choice but to drop the gun, as it went to the floor he kicked it, roughly in the direction of Butler, but not so to raise comment.
"You're coming with me?"
"Am I? And where may I ask am I going?"
"There's someone who wants a quiet word with you."
"I'm not going anywhere, if this someone is so desperate to meet me, then we shall meet at this hotel." Artemis replied.
Lars laughed; it was not a nice sound.
"Your out numbered, three to one."
Butler stepped forward so gradually that Lars failed to notice, the gun, which had once been pointed at her head, had dropped down to her neck.
He stooped down and picked up the gun, he raised it and prepared to shoot.
"Stop." Artemis said stepping between Butler and Lars. "You will return to your employer, Mike Towers, I believe. Tell him to meet me here at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon."
Lars released Tamarisk and she ran to stand next to Artemis.
Lars nodded and left the room with a grunt.
Artemis turned and smiled at the other two.
"All went according to plan."
"Was me nearly getting shot according to plan?" Tamarisk asked sullenly.
"He wouldn't have shot you, it is my thought that he was instructed not to harm anyone, if possible."
"Artemis!" Tamarisk said as she turned and left the room.
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Hotel, three o'clock.
Mike Towers was precisely on time, he entered the hotel where Butler was waiting for him, he was then conducted to a private sitting room. Tamarisk sat next to Artemis, apprehensive at meeting the man she had vowed revenge against. Holly was invisible behind the couch to ensure nothing got out of control, whilst Mulch was using the opportunity to scout Tower's Tower.
"Master Fowl." Artemis and Mike shook hands.
Mike was a thirty three year old man, he was tall with brown hair and eyes, pretty average really apart from the sadistic, greedy look in his eyes and his long cruel mouth. He sneered as he said 'Fowl'. Artemis nodded in recognition.
"And Miss Carleton, what are you doing here?" this time Mike was taken aback, what was his old business partner doing with Fowl?
"I want my money back that's all." She replied, hiding the sinking feeling in her stomach. Mike sneered again and turned to face Artemis, ignoring Tamarisk from then on.
"You wanted to speak to me?" Artemis said.
Mike nodded, taking his time. "I did. Your father and I had an old trusting partnership, a lot of money was made from it. I was wondering if you wished to continue the partnership."
"What about my father?"
"What about him?"
"Well where is he? He came to America to settle things with you."
"I have not spoken to your father for years, before he disappeared and was thought dead actually."
Butler stood near the door watching with menacing eyes.
"Don't lie to me. I cannot join such a partnership where I cannot trust the other member. Just tell me the truth about my father."
"I have not spoken to him..."
"He came here to collect the money, which was rightfully his, maybe you refused..."
"What are you suggesting?" Mike demanded with a hard face, a sneering face. "There is no need to bring him into this. I received a letter telling me he wished to leave the partnership, I need someone to take his place, who better then his own son."
"My father was to settle with you in person."
Mike ignored the statement. "So?"
"What does the partnership involve?"
"I am a smuggler Fowl, I bring illegal goods into the country, your father once helped me before he went legit. You have quite a reputation."
"And my share?"
"You put half in and you get half out."
"Sounds fair, what's the catch?"
"No catch."
"My father was settling with you, how much money did you owe him."
"Nothing, he was trying to get more out of me, but we had already settled before he disappeared."
"Very well, I will think about it."
Mike Towers stood up. "Well don't think too long."
Butler watched at the door as Mike Towers left the hotel.
"You're not thinking of joining him, Artemis?"
Artemis managed a grin. "No, Butler. I laid a trap for him and he fell for it. For a start he owed my father at least three million, but my father wouldn't have even considered settling a deal this big before his kidnap. It was only the kidnap which made him go legit, he would have been foolish to throw such a deal away."
Tamarisk smiled in silent wonder. "Artemis?"
"You pick up a few tricks when dealing in the business world Tamarisk."
Holly made herself visible. "That's all very well but what do we do now?"
"We need to find out why he wants me to join him, and what part Opal Koboi plays. We will know more when Mulch returns."
A/N A bit longer this time, tell me what you think and any suggestions for improvement.