Saima knew where she was going, without any stops she could make it to the warehouse just in time. She avoided contact and hoped that people would just assume she was a normal runner in the park.
She ran for what felt like a full mile until she reached the outer rim of the park. Saima spotted the donut shop neon sign and panted. Before she could take another step she noticed two figures coming into her peripheral vision.
Silver followed behind from a distance and saw a henchmen duo approach the pale cat. They were much larger than her, were they also Mafia? He kept an eye on the envelope. The goal was to trail her to Canstella's location and these two could get in the way.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"You're the messenger, aren't you?" The dark grey wildebeest loomed down at her. "Samuel phoned to inform us about your arrival. The Boss is coming very soon. We're just picking up the donuts." The stork beside him huffed. "No self-respect, this one."
Oh, he's seen these two before. Canstella had plenty of bulk among his men to make threatening people easier. In fact, he recognised a police officer who is related to the wildebeest a few months ago. He was probably discharged to remove the small suspicion from the watchful few in the town.
Espio kept a comfortable distance from the trio, and looked back to see if Silver were around. He noticed a light grey figure safely hidden by the trees.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Yeah, that's me." Saima looked around nervously. The three of them were quite a picture, she tightened her grip on the envelope. Well, at least they were friendlier than the last henchmen she dealt with, she flicked her tail behind her. People either liked or disliked Jon, being associated with him wasn't always good, especially now. Saima steadied her breathing and then cleared her throat awkwardly.
"So-What kind of donuts does the Boss like?" Who knows, it might save her worthless life. She had heard stories about messengers who barely made out of his clutches. Knowing your enemy is always a good idea.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Like that matters. We just clear what's on the racks. What I'd like to know is why a lowlife bitch such as yourself still works for the Boss. We all know about that prickly piece of shit. Why didn't you leave with him instead of giving Sam bragging rights?" The wildebeest looked at the stork then sighed and mumbled, "You don't have to hassle her..."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima stiffened. Of course Samuel would say something, but trying to bribe him to keep his mouth shut would cost more than she was already willing to give. Every single person she came in contact with in this organization pissed her off. "Jon left without telling me where the fuck he was going. Believe me or not, I don't give a shit." She shrugged dismissively. "Your friend is right, though. No need to hassle the messenger."
Silver shifted his position in the grass and grunted. This was uncomfortable and unusual, he was so used to running into his objective head first. He watched and sighed inwardly. How does Espio do this all the time?
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"I'm going to go get the donuts." The taupe henchman walked into the store, wanting to avoid any involvement in that conversation.
"You had a choice of getting into this lifestyle. You could've had a normal life, but you decided to follow your friend who now ditched you and you're stuck in the shittiest position I didn't even know existed. Now you're sucking cock so you don't get your skull bashed in because you don't even know how to do your own job? The fuck is wrong with you?" It seemed sudden, but he couldn't respect someone who didn't even respect themselves. His family was involved and he was raised in the Mafia. A regular life seemed priceless. It really peeved him when people brought shit upon themselves.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
She was royally pissed. "Who's to say I don't fucking do my job? I was completely fine with my assignments before Jon left. You're the one standing around a donut shop with his dick out ready to do whatever it takes to get on top." She paused for a brief second. "Makes me wonder if your one of these Mafia career men. You take it so seriously, after all. How does it feel to be a fucking tool?" She sneered.
"Mind your own goddamn business." She flipped him off for good measure.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The stork cackled. "Ooooohh, was that a nerve I hit?" He straightened his posture and looked down at her with a wicked grin. "He left you. You're fucked without him, metaphorically and literally. Getting donuts just means Canstella trusts us enough to not poison what we're bringing back. I'm taking orders from the man himself when you probably got stuck as the messenger because no one else wanted to take up the task. By the way, we're in the same business. Maybe if your friend didn't disappear, we wouldn't be having this conversation." He pet her head lightly. "Now wait out here like the good little bitch you are." He went into the donut shop.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima couldn't retort since the Stork walked off. She turned her back to the glass door and looked out at the treeline. She didn't have an advantage anywhere in her life, it seemed. If she made it out alive with Canstella she needed to lay low for awhile. She scoffed at her earlier thought, at least they were friendlier. Fuck it, she was convinced that there were no decent people left.
Jon leaving was the ultimate death sentence perhaps he thought leaving her in the dark was supposed to help. She brought a hand to her eyes and harshly wiped away the tears that threatened to fall.
Silver watched as the white cat touched her face, maybe she was upset? It made things hard when he had a moral code against reading people's thoughts and feeling their emotions. He waited eagerly for their next move.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The towering duo soon emerged with boxes up to their chins. "Let's go." Finally, Espio thought. He loathed the intensity from their biting remarks. Eavesdropping made him feel ashamed for not defending the right side, but in this case, there was none. He walked behind the trio as they turned the corner. He looked back to make sure Silver was still around.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima was going to need a strong drink after this. If there was an after, that is. She kept her distance from the two as they eventually approached a stark, concrete building with a red door. It looked more like a bunker than a warehouse, but she noticed the docking doors on the left side.
Silver stayed close by and saw the red door open and then eventually slam shut. Shit, was Espio in there? He carefully relocated to the roof and found a window that looked straight down into the dark room. He couldn't quite get a good view of Canstella, but he noticed a flicker of hair to his left.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The wildebeest pushed his back into the door, swinging it open and allowing Saima and the stork to come in. "The messenger and your donuts have arrived, Boss." The stork set the boxes into two shorter piles on his desk, then stepped back against the wall.
Canstella brought his head up slowly, his fingers intertwined and arms set over the desk. Saima could vaguely see him in the darkness, his long, snaggle-toothed snout coming into view in the dim light. He reached for a box, pulling back the top and picking up a single donut. His eyes scrolled to the envelope of interest. "Read me the document, please." There was a deep, subtle roll in his voice as he spoke.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima tried to get a good look at the figure of authority in front of her, but his face was obscured by well placed shadows. She wasted no time opening the envelope, she glanced at the others in the room.
The only one she knew by name was- Jekyll, but was that his name? He watched her closely from Canstella's left side. She set the report on top and read aloud.
"To the Boss Canstella." She swallowed. Was that even necessary to include? "I regret to inform you that our attempts to locate and secure the memory device have been unsuccessful. Miles Prower was last seen at the Science Convention with the device. Jekyll has sent out his men to investigate for leads, at this time." Saima took a quick pause.
"On to the matter of Jon there is still no confirmation of his whereabouts. However, one of his-" Saima felt her heart leap into her throat. "One of his closest associates will be delivering this report and may know adequate information."
Saima looked hard at the page and felt like she was going to burst from the inside. "-I will keep in touch with our efforts. Signed by Silas."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
He chomped down on the donut, scrolling his eyes towards her face near the last sentences. "Sit." A man nonchalantly placed a chair a few feet away from his desk. The wildebeest set the boxes on the floor near Canstella and positioned himself in front of the door. His claws reached for another donut.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima took a swift step forward and sat in the chair that was provided. She slipped the report back into the envelope and folded her hands on top of the document. She swallowed again, her throat was suddenly very dry. Telling the honest truth would be the best thing, wouldn't it? Of course, except that no one believed her in the past. A lie would get her killed, so it was too risky. She was fucked, either way.
Silver could see Saima now that she was sitting in the middle of the room. The glass made it hard to hear what was being said, but knowing that Espio was there made him worried for his well-being.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Why did Jon leave?" His timing was awful. He was sent on an important business task to bring in Victor, but even he has disappeared. Coincidental? Absolutely not.
Espio stepped silently across the room, into a corner he doubted anyone would happen to step in on. His voice was so different to Vector's-he had an almost comedic value to his voice, but Canstella's was drained of any hint of existing humour. His low grumbles made is tail curl, reminded of moments when Vector would get so pissed off even Charmy didn't dare to say anything.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima tried to calm her nerves. She sat up straighter than she was before, somehow. "Jon came to me with concerns one evening." This was true. She had some idea of why, but not where he went.
"He was frustrated about his job being intruded upon by Silas. A relatively new associate in the organization compared to Jon who had been working for the Mafia for a much longer period of time." She tried to remember to breathe. "He had expressed these concerns to me in the past, but never indicated that he would leave."
"The last time I saw Jon was that evening. The next morning he was gone without any kind of note or hints to his location." She swallowed and hoped it was sufficient.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Why didn't he tell me, these concerns?" It was true Jon was with them for a long time, but whether they knew where he went or not, leaving the Mafia was not an option. No excuse would allow for such betrayal; he knew too much. There was no way Jon would tell this woman and not his Boss, especially in this delicate, close-knit family. It was impossible for her to not know.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"I can't exactly say why, Boss. I simply provided an ear and Jon took matters into his own hands." She shifted again in her seat. "I can't control what he does, but I provided the information that he was gone in an appropriate window of time."
"Wouldn't you say so, Jekyll?" She called him out with a smoothness in her voice, but her line of sight never left Canstella's shadowy figure. At the moment she needed to alleviate the suspicion on her with a credible source. Jekyll was the one she went to that morning, she knew that if she delayed the information it would be worse for her in the long run. Jon must've known this, too.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Espio could hear a low, reptilian hiss coming from the Boss. "Since you were so close to him, you'll be the one to pay for his mistake. If you won't work, that is." He consumed the entire donut in a few bites. "My other men will search for him. I'm going to assign a partner to you so you can finish the job he failed to complete. If you happen to find him and bring him back, dead or alive, I'll consider your redemption."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima sent an icy glare towards Jekyll who simply smirked. Being surrounded by all of these men who didn't give two shits about her set her on edge. She hoped her new partner was no one in this room, especially that stork.
"I accept your terms." Was all she could manage. I accept my death warrant, basically.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Good." Canstella looked around the room at his associates. The stork tensed. He didn't want to even breathe the same air as her; going on a mission with this cunt might get one of them killed. "Trudor." He sighed in relief. The wildebeest nodded and stepped up beside her chair.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima also let out a small relieved breath of her own. At least this wildebeest, Trudor, didn't seem to have a stick up his ass like his partner. Saima awkwardly looked up at the looming figure and then back to Canstella. She needed to be excused, right? She waited patiently.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
He shook his head and laughed softly. "No, excuse me. I meant Trevor." FUCK. "I keep confusing their names." He looked at Saima who stared back. "Understandable, Boss." Trudor stepped back.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima tried her best to not grimace. She watched as Trudor returned to his original spot and Trevor stepped forward. She averted her gaze quickly and clenched her jaw. Damn it to fucking hell, she cursed.
She could see Jekyll's smirk grow into a smug grin as if it was a hilarious turn of events.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Espio winced. Witnessing their interaction outside the donut shop was enough. You should've stuck with Trudor.
"You are dismissed. Good luck." Right before he fit three donuts into his mouth, he turned the box around. "Would you like one?" Trevor shook his head slightly.
He looked at the gigantic stacks full of sweets. It was sad to think Vector only had two plain waffles, yet this crocodile could easily give two entire boxes to everyone in the room.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima looked at the variety of donuts in front of her. She could hardly remember the last meal she had, she reconnected eye contact with the crocodile. "No thank you, sir" She set the orange envelope next to the sweets. "I appreciate the offer." She nodded curtly. It was a simple enough trap, unless he would feel offended? The mind games were starting to piss her off. She stood up from her chair and folded her hands again.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Pity." He turned the front back to himself. "Oh, one last thing." Canstella opened a drawer and pulled out a photograph. "As everyone has, keep your eyes peeled for Miles." He handed the photo of the fox pinched between two claws to Saima. "We need that device. Dismissed."
"Thank you, Boss." The stork held the door open for his new partner. Espio quickly fled through the door before she could.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima stepped outside and felt like she could breathe again. She inhaled and pretended for a moment that Trevor wasn't glaring at her from behind, she glanced down at the photo in her hands of the young fox inventor. Such a bright kid with a shitty future, she thought.
Silver noticed movement and quietly made his way to the edge of the roof. He peeked out and saw Saima with her back towards the door and a picture of Tails in her hands. He ducked out of the way when he heard the stork starting to speak.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
He let the door slam to a close. "Unbelievable." Trevor groaned, facepalming. He wanted to split up, but there was a reason Canstella assigned a partner. He didn't want another mishap similar to Jon's occurring again. He strode past her, unsure of where to begin.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima watched Trevor walk past her, she decided to keep a normal pace behind him. Her mind was starting to put together options that she could take. Finding Victor would require finding Jon, or at least his current hiding place. Trevor was going to make this job a living hell for her. The duo walked past the donut shop without exchanging one word.
She felt a deep rumble in her stomach, she was super hungry. That donut offering would have been her downfall if she had accepted. She wasn't sure how Trevor would react to her going to get lunch, but she had to eat sometime today.
"I- need to eat something first. We could talk about a plan-" Saima noticed that he stopped and she prepared for the worst.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Where?" He posed bluntly. Sidetracked already? This was a new record among his former colleagues.
Espio wondered if Silver was bored of waiting around with nothing seemingly significant happening-yet. Or if he was bothered by the necessary stalking. As a ninja detective, he had grown immune.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Anywhere that's cheap. I'll just go in and get something from McDonni's." She started to walk again and passed the tall stork. "I'm thinking about going through Jon's things again to see if I missed anything." She folded the picture Canstella gave her and slipped into her back pocket.
Silver safely navigated through the trees that surrounded the warehouse and reached the donut shop. He could see the white cat and stork walking away in the distance. He wondered if Espio moved on ahead of him.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
He didn't even bother responding. Instead, he took notice of her strange apparel. "Why does your vest look like that?" He couldn't make much logic out of the cut-out. "Did you get it to show off your future tramp stamp?"
Grabbing food...Espio took the opportunity to freshen the plan with Silver. His keen eyesight allowed him to spot Silver peeking far away. He approached him quietly, then turned visible at an adequate distance. "Silver."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima looked on with a annoyed face, but took the opportunity to fuck with him. "Yeah, maybe. I think it would look real nice with your name in bold, old english lettering. That way you'd always be with me." She sighed dreamily and casted him a glare. "I didn't know you were the fashion police."
Silver spotted Espio and went to his side quickly. "Hey-What happened in there?" He looked at him inquisitively. "Where are they going?"
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Pfft. Maybe I am." He rolled with the joke. "That tattoo idea is pretty trashy, which is why it suits you so well." His voice wandered to sarcastic territory. "You could probably fit my name under Jon and Samuel's, right?"
"They're going to pick something up to eat at McDonni's. After that they'll be looking for Jon and hopefully lead us to Victor." He hoped the end to this case was near. "We know where Canstella is for now. I'll keep track of the pair. You could use your telekinesis to control everyone and wipe their memories with Tails' device, but you'll have to work fast and be careful."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
She wanted to strangle that long neck of his. "This vendetta against me is unnecessary." She turned and stopped Trevor from walking any further, she glared at him with her intense eyes. "You don't even know me. You don't know my side, nor will you ever." She sneered again while shrugging. "Stop thinking about who I sleep with and let's get this fucking job done." She brushed him off by turning back around.
Silver blinked once while soaking in the information. Use my telekinesis to control everyone? He almost started to laugh at the way it sounded. "It's not going to work if I do that." He sighed. "I'll pass out before I can even set the device." Flying to and from the detective agency, and keeping everyone together in one room was going to be chaotic. "What about Silas? He wasn't in the warehouse."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Yeah, okay. Let's go order some McDonni's. Yippee." He pffted and walked ahead, bumping into her hard on purpose as he passed her.
Damn, he's right. "He doesn't matter right now." He thought quickly. "We can switch roles, then. I can...try to get them all. I'm not sure how you'll be able to listen in well enough." The plan seemed to deteriorate. "Or maybe..."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Fucker." She muttered under her breath. She could see the red building in the distance, and her stomach growled again in anticipation of her Biggi Mac.
"You stay with them." He was the only one who could eavesdrop the entire conversation, so it made sense. "I'll just hurry and see what I can do, but if I'm not back at the agency. I'll probably be out here." The plan so far was to retrieve the device and come back to the warehouse to wipe their memories. If he did lose consciousness at least someone knew where to find him. "Good luck, Espio." He gave him a quick touch on the shoulder.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
They reached the fast food establishment with the twin golden arcs. He held the door for her with a smug expression.
He nodded quickly. "You too." He stepped back, turning invisible, then ran off. Could this finally be the day?
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima reached the counter and didn't bother looking at the menu board. "A number one combo with a small drink, please. To go." She reached into her back pocket and grabbed a wad of folded up cash. She straightened the bills out and paid the cashier, in return she received her cup.
Silver watched as Espio disappeared from sight. Without wasting any time he jumped off from the ground and started to fly in the direction of the tall buildings in the distance. He hoped he could make it back with enough strength to carry out the job.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
He leaned by the drink dispensaries. "What if we don't find anything in Jon's stuff? Do we head to the casino, then? No way he'd be there."
Espio entered the establishment and very carefully came near the stork. He knew they'd be fast, but any morsel of information could be useful in the long run.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima pushed her cup on the ice lever and filled it halfway. "No, I don't think he would return there. I could try asking Jon's associates down at Cooper's." She bit her lip as she filled her cup halfway with Cola and then added spurts of Dr. Pepper. She swished the drink around to mix and then topped it off with A&W. She wasn't sure if the hardass knew of the Cooper's bar downtown, but if he didn't he was going to soon.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Cooper's...got it." His face churned at the sight of her concoction. What in the hell was she making?
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima popped a lid on the cup and pushed a straw through the opening. All she had to do was wait for her long awaited Biggi Mac. She stood next to Trevor and sipped through her straw. The inside was barren, only a couple of customers were in the dining room. "Ever been there?" She asked without looking at him.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Do I look like the type of guy who spends his nights drinking?" He looked at the employee bringing up the bagged meal.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima grabbed the bag and thanked the employee. She gave Trevor an annoyed expression. "A simple yes or no would've been fine." She grabbed the burger and threw the bag away before walking out of the restaurant. She folded the wrapper down around the sides and took a large bite. Damn, this is soo good. She spoke in between chewing, "Cooper's is full of Jon sympathizers, so act like you care and we'll be fine."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"The answer was yes." Two lardy patties layered between supposed pieces of bread and phony cheese and a mixture of three different tar brown corn syrups? She sure knew how to eat. "And don't worry. The only talking I'll be doing is with the bartender."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Saima figured she would be okay with speaking to Jon's associates by herself. She took another bite and ignored the stares of civilians passing them. "Fine by me." She swallowed and brought the straw to her lips. Jon showed her this amazing mixture of soft drinks, Black Shit, he called it.