Chapter 6
The carriage dropped Garrett off in front of his house. Galen opened the carriage door as Garrett jumped from the frontboard. "There is no time to discuss whatever you discovered or failed to discover, I must return home at once. Come to Donovan's manor three days from now, I will be waiting there to hear from you." Without waiting for him to reply she slammed the coach door shut and it clattered off down the street and around the corner. Garrett simply turned and went to his apartment door. He arrived in the staircase in front of his flat. As he came up the stairs he saw something glint at the top of the stairs. He stopped moving completely. Slowly he lowered himself so that he was flat on his stomach on the stairs. The chainmail he wore clinked slightly and he wished desperately for his cloak. With surreptitious caution he pulled himself up the stairs, keeping his chest raised from touching the stairs so that the mail wouldn't jingle. He reached the top and looked over the edge. In the flickering light of a single torch mounted in the hall he saw the cause of the glint. A dagger was jammed into his door, through the center of a note. He stood up and walked to the door, looking around cautiously, lest the messenger be waiting to deliver more than just a note. He yanked the dagger out and looked at the note. It was written in a very sloppy hand and splotched with several dark stains. Garrett whiffed the note and took the stains to be some sort of liquor. He read the note.
Garrett
It has come to my attention that you have been selling your services to one Donovan Fendrich. You were commissioned by him to acquire an item of value, the Vestrius, if I remember correctly. In any case, whatever he is paying you, I can triple it. I have a great interest in this item and I would not want you to go uninformed as to its true value. Should you wish to take me up on my offer I will be waiting at the Crippled Burrick pub near the market square. I will be waiting inside at twelve noon sharp. I will be wearing a white rose. Come with the Vestrius piece you have. I have nothing more to say, except that it would be wise to take my offer.
The note was unmarked, Garrett hadn't expected it to be signed in any case, people like that didn't get to where they were by being stupid. The biggest thing that scared Garrett was that they knew where he lived. Disclosing his address was the last thing he would ever do. Garrett unlocked his door and went inside. Thinking. This smells rotten. But then, everything in this city smells rotten. I told Galen I was loyal to my employer…I lied. My employer is the highest bidder and always will be. The reward outweighs the risk in this case, I think its worth checking out. Triple 8000…excellent. But…why does it feel like everyone but me knows something? I feel used, and I hate it. Oh well, nothing to do but press on.
Garrett removed the disgusting smelling uniform and donned a clean set of trousers and a dark blue tunic. He placed his loot and equipment in the secret compartment and grabbed something to eat from his kitchen. With that he turned in.
In the morning he rose late, around 10 o'clock. He had breakfast and at eleven thirty he left for the pub. With him he took his dagger and also his broadsword, boots and a flashbomb. Lastly, he took the Vestrius piece he had kept hidden, and placed it into the leather cylinder. This he hooked to his belt. He deigned not to wear his cloak. If he needed to disappear into the crowd, wearing a black cloak amongst a group of plainly dressed commoners would make him stick out like a sore thumb. Instead he wore a light brown tunic and gray trousers. His sword hung at his side in its sheath, his dagger in his boot, and the flashbomb in his sleeve. As he walked the streets he felt exposed. He was unaccustomed to walking in plain daylight. The feeling was uncomfortable, as though all eyes were upon him, scrutinizing his every action. He reached the pub five minutes early and so lingered outside until the stroke of 12, denoted by the bell tower ringing off in the distance. He strode into the pub.
Even at noon the place was filled with people: drinking, laughing and talking. The bar was lit well enough, and there was the music in the air coming from an antique sound capture device sitting on the bar countertop. Garrett moved through the press of tables and bodies. He felt the scrutiny of others upon him even more in here, and truly not all of that fear was uncalled for. As Garrett pushed through yet another group of men he saw his contact…and balked.
Emilio Cathegar was a noble of no small repute. He owned several estates around the city and two in the countryside. He had his hand in various merchant guilds around the city and had made himself wealthy in doing so. Not that he was a businessman. He hired others to do his work, and therein lay his secret. He was a motivator of people, he directed from behind the scenes, the chessmaster himself. He sat in a booth near the back of the bar. He wore a short coat of deep red overtop a black shirt and matching trousers. Upon his head was perched a black bowler hat, the sides of his short-cropped black hair peeking out from under it. His hazel eyes glinted cunningly as he peered around the crowd, the white flower sitting pretty against the red of his coat. Sitting in the booth next to him was his hired muscle. The man was big and broad shouldered. He wore a suit of black and nothing else.
But it wasn't the fact that Emilio Cathegar was powerful that scared Garrett. It was the fact that the Vestrius piece Garrett owned belonged to him. It was one of his country mansions that Garrett had infiltrated to steal the first half of the Vestrius. He didn't know what the hell Emilio was playing at but he needed to be somewhere else, fast. He turned to move back into the crowd but bumped straight into someone's chest. Garrett looked up. Another of Emilio's muscle men stood towering in front of him. Without a word he turned Garrett around like a child and pushed him towards the booth. As Garrett moved he looked over his shoulder and could just catch a glimpse of another muscle man standing watch by the front door. Damnit! How could I be so stupid! Garrett thought as he walked towards the booth, the muscle man on his heels.
Emilio's eyes glittered as Garrett sat down opposite him and his companion. The man who had led him to the booth stood with his arms crossed behind Garrett. Emilio smiled the kind of smile a predator wears before devouring its prey. "Garrett, so glad you decided to join me, drink?" "…No" "Fair enough." Emilio said and waved one of his men away to the bar. "So what shall I do with you Garrett?" "I assumed you called me here to tell me that." Garrett replied his face a stoic mask. "I called you here to repossess some of my property. Where is it?" Emilio said, still smiling. "What? No more light chitchat? And I was so getting to like the sound of your voice." Garrett said stonily. Emilio laughed quietly. His bodyguard returned and placed a foamy tankard of drink in front of Emilio who took a drink. He set the mug back down. "Well we have plenty of time to…extract the item from you." Emilio said. "Why did you bring me here? You could have just searched my place. Why wait?" "Excellent question, I do so like it when I may explain my own ingenuity. You see Garrett; I did this to humiliate you. You, the great Garrett, master thief." He sneered. " To be caught like this is a mark on your reputation, unfortunately, it is to be the last." " I'm glad you're enjoying the show." Garrett said humorlessly. "You have no idea. But, I am not so stupid as to jeopardize something as precious as the Vestrius for simple show. You see there was no way I could have found something so valuable in the home of a thief. So, rather than tip my hand by searching your place and possibly leaving empty-handed, I used your own greed as a tool, and lo and behold here you are! I applaud your compliance." He clapped his hands; the sound rang in Garrett's ears like a mocking laugh.
"But, before we complete our business, I would like to ask you about some of your own cleverness." "My simple tricks could never measure up to the cunning maneuvers you have pulled." Garrett said sardonically. Emilio ignored the comment. "My sentinel skull, how did you avoid it's gaze?" "Removed its eyes." Garrett said. "Yes, I saw that, but how?" "From behind." "Í see. Well, this has been an enjoyable conversation. I would have quite relished conversing with you in greater detail. But now, I'm afraid, we must return to the business at hand. The Vestrius Garrett, now." His eyes hardened. Garrett showed no sign of moving. He stared straight into Emilio's eyes. Emilio sighed. "Must you make things difficult?" He said. Emilio looked to the man standing behind Garrett. "Take him outside." The man moved to grab Garrett.
It was then that Garrett chose to move. He leapt upwards, catching the low ceiling support. Garrett scissored his legs outwards. His left foot kicked the man in the booth next to Emilio who had risen. The man's head snapped back and he fell back into the booth, clutching at his face. His right foot caught the man behind him under the chin. The man flew backwards a foot and landed on his back. Garrett dropped from the beam and leapt over the man lying prone on the floor. Emilio yelled for the doorman to stop him. He pushed his way through the crowd, slamming bodies out of his way. He saw the henchman guarding the door appear in front of him. He made a grab for Garrett who ducked under his arms and ran. The man was hard on his heels, pushing through the crowd, which was now milling around confused and with much shouting. Garrett grabbed a table and flung in to the ground behind him as he darted off. The henchman leapt the table without stopping. Garrett made it to the door and slammed it open. He dashed off down the street and away.
He had almost made it to the corner when a patrol of watchmen appeared, running towards the pub, no doubt in response to the disturbance. They saw him running and figured him to be involved somehow. The leader shouted for him to stand down. Garrett skid to a stop and ran the other way, his boots making him fairly fly down the street. The bluecoats were after him now, swords drawn. But none could match his speed and when they rounded the corner at the other end of the street he was nowhere to be found. They turned their attention to the pub and dashed inside.
Garrett reached his home minutes later. He was inside like a shot and slammed the door behind him, locking the bolts into place. He ran to his closet and began emptying his things into a sack. Stupid, stupid stupid! How could I not see it? It was so obvious! Damnit it all to hell! I've got to get out of here; they'll be bashing down my door within the hour! Better make for Donovan's, he's got an interest in protecting his treasure and me. Garrett patted the leather cylinder.
It took him two sacks filled to the brim to empty his closet of things. The rest he put in a rugsack, which he slung on his back. His papers, some clothes, some food. He stood in the middle of his living room looking around at the house. He liked the place; maybe he would come back when this was done. With that he ran out and slipped his keys under the landlord's door. He lugged his bags out into the street and looked both ways. The day was still bright and the sun at its zenith. He saw a carriage clattering down the street. He flagged it down. "I need transportation now." Was all he said and tossed the man a pouch, which jingled as he caught it. The man merely nodded and gestured to the carriage door. Garrett pulled it open and tossed his bags inside. "Wellington Street, fast as you can." The man nodded again and turned to the horses. Garrett jumped up the steps and into the carriage, shutting the door behind him and drawing the shades. With a bump, the carriage set a quick pace.
Garrett peered out through the curtains every few minutes as the carriage made its way through the city. His eyes searching furtively this way and that, expecting to see assassins dropping in at any moment. He reached Wellington Street at length and disembarked, dragging his bags out with him. The coachman started off down the street and was away in moments. He turned and moved up to the fence around Donovan's house. Pushing through the gate he fairly ran up the path and rapped on the door. Harold answered.
"Oh, its you again." He said. "I need to see Donovan, let me in, quick." Harold thought about this for a moment. He nodded and stepped aside, letting Garrett walk in before shutting the door. As Harold closed it, Donovan came down the stairs in the foyer. "Mister Garrett, what are you doing here? Galen told me not to expect you for another two days." Donovan said, looking puzzled. Garrett couldn't tell him the truth about his willingness to sell him out. "Emilio found out about my little job at his manor, he sent his men to my house to collect the Vestrius and me. I managed to hide until they left. Listen, they know where I live, I can't stay there." Garrett finished. "And you want to stay here?" Donovan asked. Garrett merely nodded. "Then you may stay, I still have a contract with you and I need your assets." "How thoughtful of you Donovan." Garrett said, with a touch of sarcasm. Donovan ignored it. "Harold, take Mister Garrett's bags to one of the guest rooms." Harold nodded and took the bags from Garrett. As he went up the stairs Donovan led Garrett into a parlor off the main foyer. He gestured for him to sit. Garrett settled into an armchair and Donovan did the same.
"So, what have you discovered?" Donovan began. Garrett explained the whole incident at the manor and told Donovan about the letter. "The Moonshadow guild? I have very little experience with thieves' guilds. What do you know of them mister Garrett?" Donovan asked. "One of the two most powerful guilds in the city. They are an extremely large guild, with connections throughout the city. They have an enormous amount of men, materials, and wealth. In addition they have outpost and hideouts throughout the city. There are very few who know of their main headquarters, which is located in the huge complex of abandoned storerooms and cellars that run underneath the docks. It is said that they have converted one of the larger storerooms into and underground dock, which is hidden from outside to all those who don't know where to look. The dock is supposed to allow the transport of men and materials into and out of the complex without anyone noticing anything."
Donovan nodded, soaking in all of the information. "And what of their leader?" He asked. "The man goes by the name of Fengil Anerson. A ruthless cutthroat, and a cunning thief. His one weakness is wealth. More so than any thief, he covets gold. It is a passion of his which is unquenchable." "Have you ever met him?" Donovan asked. "No." Garrett replied simply. Donovan looked thoughtful for a while as they sat in silence. "This obsession with wealth, could we use it against him somehow?" Donovan asked. "Not likely, Fengil is not stupid, he knows when an item is priceless. He will not sell the Vestrius piece for any price, and will probably keep it locked away in a very safe place." "I don't mean buy it, but perhaps pretend to be interested in looking over some of his other items?" Donovan suggested.
Garrett thought. Finally he spoke. "It could work. If Galen were to go and appear at the guild door as a potential customer, she may be able to slip inside. She could pose as a representative for Richard." "But the letter said they would not trust anyone to enter but Richard himself." Donovan objected. "Maybe, but Galen is quite good at bluffing her way through things, and she is a sorceress right? Could she not use some of her magic to help persuade them to allow her access?" Garrett asked. "You'll have to ask her, but even so, you keep saying her. What will you be doing? I did commission your services, Mister Garrett." Donovan said. "I will be entering via the secret dockside entrance." "But you said it was supposed to be hidden." "It is, but I know somebody inside the guild who could tell me its location, if the right kind of motivation were offered."
"So, supposing you are able to enter via the dockside access, what's the point of Galen going in then?" Donovan asked. "Galen, posing as the buyer, will provide a distraction for me. If she can divert guards away from wherever the Vestrius piece is hidden, it would make my job easier." "Is this Garrett I hear talking? The master thief requires help." Donovan said acerbically. Garrett held back an angry retort. "Yes, I will need some assistance. I will be going up against trained thieves, not lazy guards. These people know how a thief works, and so they will be much harder to bypass." "Alright, but just one more question remains. How are you going to locate the Vestrius piece once your inside?" "I'm sure my contact can point me in the proper direction. Once I grab the piece, I'll link up with Galen and we both get the hell out of there." Garrett said. "And how are you going to find her?" "I may be able to procure a map from somebody, the place was old storerooms so a map may not be as hard to find as we think. All we have to do is arrange a meeting point and an escape route."
Donovan thought this over for a few minutes. "We will try this plan of yours, you still are the authority on infiltration in this venture." Garrett nodded. "I will send for Galen at once so that we can begin preparations at once." Donovan said. "The preparations should take about three days." Garrett informed him. "Three days then. Well mister Garrett I will allow you to get settled into your quarters, Harold will show you to them." Garrett rose from his chair and followed Harold who had been standing by the door. As Garrett followed him up the stairs he thought. Here goes nothing.