Disclaimer: Not making any money from this
Slaves to the Cause: Scene 4"I'm sorry Ms Carter, we operate an appointments only system…"
"Look." Ms Carter, alias Blaze, demanded. "I've just flown in especially from Amsterdam. I'm tired, I'm hungry, I need a shower and I'm not in the mood for your weak excuses. I only have an hour before I have to fly to the Czech Republic, so I don't want to make an appointment. I want to see Mr Lowry now."
Staring down the minion who sought to deny her passage was strangely satisfying. Eventually the young man stumbled to his feet and mumbled something about seeing what he could do. Blaze resigned herself to wait, tugging straight the black fitted blazer that she wore. She'd matched it with black leather hipsters and a tight black t-shirt, along with black stiletto boots. She wore her long hair in a braid with fingers of curls loose around her face. The outfit hid most of her tattoos, but not all. Her hands and face were still decorated, but not even the gloopy mix of make-up she used to hide the scar on her shoulder would cover them seamlessly.
"Jacki Carter I presume?" A man in his thirties with a shaven head and designer glasses addressed her, offering a hand that she shook briskly. "Marcus Lowry. I understand you are a busy woman. Please, my office is through that door."
The office was dull and obviously infrequently used. Maybe once it had been sumptuous, but now the sash windows were drafty and badly fitted. The old decorative cornicing and ceiling rose was faded and covered with cobwebs. Plaster was peeling away from the damp-ridden walls, and the old floor tiles were cracked and full of gaps. Blaze placed the small attaché case she carried on Lowry's coffee table and sat down on a leather sofa opposite Lowry's desk. Lowry himself perched on the desk, looking down on Blaze with a quizzical look on his face.
"I'm looking for something very specific." She told him, crossing her legs and making herself appear as relaxed as possible. "I've been told you're the man to see about this."
"Interesting." Marcus Lowry commented, nodding to the minion who had followed them in to place two glasses of Vin de Pays on the table beside Blaze's case. Blaze made to refuse the wine, but Lowry only smiled. "Oh I never take no for an answer, Jacki. Indulge yourself."
Hardly able to turn him down, Blaze did as she was told and picked up her glass. Yet only after Marcus had sipped and swallowed a mouthful himself did she drink any of the alcohol herself. The wine was rich and tangy, subtly delicious. She metaphorically crossed her fingers that it wouldn't go straight to her head.
"Those are intriguing tattoos you have Jacki. Can I ask where you got them?"
"Singapore actually." Blaze lied casually, "My employer is a global contractor. I'm his PA, amongst other roles."
"I understand." Marcus chipped pleasantly, watching her with eagle eyes. "You're looking for something for your employer then? How can I help?"
"My employer has very specific requirements." Blaze warned strictly. "Boy, eighteen to twenty-one, Caucasian, taller than six foot, leanly built and with brown hair. There's only one thing, his eyes have to be somehow mutated. I need to know what kind of pool you're drawing from. This is important, I don't just want the first kid you see when you walk out the door here."
"Don't worry about that." Marcus told her. "We draw from many sources. We'll find what you want. Tell me, this is obviously a purchase to indulge a passion? Why have an imitation when you could have a perfect replica? Have you thought about a shape shifter?"
"No," Blaze replied, "I hadn't thought about that. Can it be done?"
"Jacki, with the right portfolio brought forward by yourself, my team and I can work miracles with shape shifters. Of course the cost is substantially increased…"
"That's understandable, cost always increases exponentially with effort. But if your team can prove its expertise I'm sure we can come to an agreement. How many are there of you?" Blaze fished hopefully.
"We're a close-knit business actually." Marcus informed her, pulling a laptop off his desk and setting it on the coffee table. "You've met my aide Jethro. Carmen in the room next door liases with the teams we use to monitor and bring in the right mutants."
"Are they all runaways?" Blaze wanted to know. "My employer would hardly appreciate a visit from the creature's adoring parents."
"Creature?" Marcus smiled cruelly. "I like that, though I usually prefer to call them merchandise myself. No, they are usually runaways, not to be missed by anyone."
Silence fell as Marcus Lowry was distracted by his laptop. Blaze found herself sipping the wine again without thinking about it. Only after she swallowed, tasting the alcohol as it slid down her throat, did she remember what she was doing. Not since she'd experienced Garthen Doking's powers of persuasion had she so casually enjoyed the substance that had almost killed her once. She couldn't understand why she felt so calm about it now…
"Ah, here was are." Marcus swivelled the screen around and came to sit by Blaze's side. "Just before we begin, could I ask to see some form of ID? Merely for the paperwork you understand… Oh and confirmation of funds would be a normal requirement of our meeting…"