"Let's go over this one more time," Levy said, her notebook spread out on a small fold-down table in the back of the surveillance van.
Gajeel groaned but bit back the argument Levy knew he wanted to make.
"Your meeting is with Minerva Orland. Minerva is the daughter of the owner and founder of Saber Tooth, Jiemma Orland. His name may come first, but it's Minerva who pretty much runs the show for him."
"Right, so I get in good with her and we should be set."
"Sort of," Levy corrected. "Rogue will be in the meeting, along with Sting Eucliffe. It turns out Sting and your brother are co-heads of Saber Tooth's Private Security team."
"You mentioned that," Gajeel said lazily, fiddling with the microphone Levy had planted in the cuff of his shirt.
"That means, Gajeel, you have to get them on your side too. You are going to have to get along with Rogue at this meeting, or they are not going to hire you onto their team."
"Right, right," Gajeel grunted.
Levy rolled her eyes.
She felt a gaping hole in her chest when she looked at Gajeel. She wished he could see what she saw in him. But he had made it clear that he wasn't willing to let his guard down for her. She felt a quiet emptiness within her as she worked. The sense of satisfaction she usually had from doing her job overshadowed by the weight of his presence.
"You have your mic and here," she said holding out her hand to him, "is your earpiece. But more than likely once your inside we're going to lose radio signal due to the disrupter I can only assume they have in place. So you'll be on your own."
"I can manage," he said without looking at her, taking the tiny device and fitting it into his ear.
"But we need this on tape, so you have to wear a wire." Levy took in a breath and held together her professional resolve. "Undo your shirt."
Levy could swear she saw a flash of fire pass through Gajeel's red eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. Wordlessly Gajeel unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it open, revealing the hard lines of his chest. The vivid memory of his half naked body looming over her in the moonlight of her bedroom jolted into her mind. She tried to shake the thought away.
"This," she said as she approached him holding up a small rectangle that looked like a memory card to a phone, "will record everything said in the room."
She placed the device gingerly on his hard chest, smoothing a small sliver of tape over the top, her fingers brushing against his warm skin.
"Don't lose it, don't break it, and obviously don't get caught with it. I'd rather do this remotely, but unfortunately I don't think that will work."
He looked away from her, an emotionless expression on his face as she finished attaching the device.
Levy moved back to her computer. Clicking several keys she pulled up a map of their location. A neon red dot flashed at the center of the screen.
"I already placed a location device behind the top button of your shirt, this is you," she pointed to the screen. "I may lose that signal too, but it should be minor enough that I won't. We won't know until you're in there."
"Got it, we've been through it a hundred times already."
Levy pursed her lips as she grabbed a small round object the size of an eraser head from her drawer. Using a pin she pushed a microscopic button on the bottom of the metallic circle.
"This is the bug I need you need to plant. If Minerva knows anything about Lullaby or is in contact with Tartaros, we need to listen to what's going on in that office."
"I thought you said the signal wouldn't work?"
"Different kind of signal," she said with a wave of her hand.
"Whatever you say," Gajeel laughed as he fixed his shirt, "you're the expert."
"There is a thin film on the back side of the bug," Levy held the device up and pointed with her nail. "All you have to do is run your finger over it and then it will self-adhere to any surface. Look for something heavy that isn't easy to move- a desk, a file cabinet, a bookshelf. But if all else fails just plant it under the chair. It's not ideal but it will work."
"Alright," Gajeel said, taking the small object and pocketing it. "Anything else?"
"Yes," Levy said with a frown, eyeing Gajeel seriously. "Don't push trying to get too much information in this meeting. This isn't recon, this is just a foot in the door. We'll be able to get more information once you're in with the company. Just get through this meeting, and try not to offend anyone."
Gajeel sighed, "I'll do my best, but no promises."
Levy glared at him but said nothing in response.
Her nerves were on edge. All she wanted was to do this right, to get through this operation without any mistakes. At least, without any more mistakes.
Gajeel pushed through the double doors of Saber Tooth's massive complex. Immediately he caught sight of Rogue waiting for him near the front desk. He was standing with another man Gajeel could only assume was his partner.
"Gajeel," Rogue greeted coldly. "You're on time, that's a good start," he said under his breath as he shook his brother's hand. "This is Sting. He runs the Private Security branch with me."
"Gajeel!" Sting greeted enthusiastically, a wide smile on his face. He shook Gajeel's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you! I'd like to say I've heard a lot about you, but Rogue tends to be pretty reserved when it comes to sharing."
Sting laughed at himself as he ran a hang through his ruffled blonde hair. He wore a navy jacket with a tan undershirt. Unlike Rogue who sported a black suit with a pristine plumb colored tie, Sting ditched the formality of a tie, the top buttons of his collar undone. They made an interesting pair. Gajeel knew they had been friends a long time, but he never bothered to get too involved with Rogue's personal life.
"Nice to meet you," Gajeel said, resisting the invitation to pick on his brother. Levy would be proud.
"This way," Rogue said, guiding him through a security door. They walked down a stark white hallway lit with florescent lights.
After turning a few corners Rogue stopped at the end of the hall and knocked lightly on a lonely set of double doors before turning the knob and pushing them open.
The large room was lit by floor to ceiling windows that looked out into a private garden. All the furniture looked like glass, including the long executive desk behind which sat a tall woman with long purplish black hair.
"Gajeel Redfox," the woman said with a warm voice but a cold smile. "I've heard a lot about you from your brother. Please, have a seat," she said gesturing to a set of uncomfortable looking steel framed chairs.
Gajeel and the other's took their seats. He waited silently for the woman to speak.
"My name is Minerva Orland, I'm the vice president of Saber Tooth and I hear you're looking for a job. Tell me, why Saber Tooth?"
Gajeel looked at her with a grin. "You guys are the best, right? I figure, why not start at the top?"
Sting laughed loudly. "He's got us pegged m'lady," he said using an unusually formal title. "I say he's in."
Gajeel saw Rogue grimace at his friend's flippant response.
"You have worked in private security before," Minerva said, blankly ignoring Sting's outburst. "I've heard you were well respected at Phantom."
Respected would not have been the word Gajeel used to describe the atmosphere at his old employer. Feared, he thought, would be more appropriate.
"I get the job done." He replied simply, deciding that less information would be better than too much. Phantom, after all, was taken down for the shady business they had fallen into.
"Our security department is still new and growing. I believe your experience could be valuable. Would you say you're a team player, Mr. Redfox?"
Gajeel paused. He could lie, but by the way Rogue was eyeing him he could tell his brother was just waiting to call him out on it.
"To be honest I'm used to working more on my own," he said casually. He glanced around the room with a disinterested look. There was going to be no good spot to plant the bug. He'd have to place it under the steel frame of his chair.
"Hmm," Minerva hummed, watching him with a calculated expression. "That may not be a problem. What I value at Saber Tooth is your unquestionable loyalty. Do you believe that's something you can offer?"
"You give me a job, I'll get it done. No questions asked."
A small smile crept across Minerva's face.
"I've heard enough," she said flatly. "We'll start you on a probationary period-"
"M'lady," Rogue interjected, strained frustration in his voice, "Isn't there anything else we should discuss-"
Minerva raised her hand, cutting him off with the gesture. "I've heard enough. I've already had Mr. Redfox investigated and I believe he will be the perfect fit. So unless you have a problem Mr. Cheney, we can leave it there."
There was a look of fury in Rogue's eyes as he bit back his argument. Sting, on the other hand, gave Gajeel a swift pat on the back.
"Welcome to the team!" He said with an earnest smile.
The group stood. Gajeel used the distraction to discretely pull the small metal disc from his pocket, sliding off the film with his thumb, and pressed it a under the rim of the chair as he pushed himself to his feet.
"Hey, Gajeel!" Sting said excitedly, "You should come to our party on Friday! It's going to be legendary."
"You should bring your girlfriend along," Rogue said with a hint of sarcasm, "If you haven't scarred her off already."
Gajeel couldn't restrain the scowl he gave Rogue.
Sting and Rogue disappeared back through the doors as Gajeel headed after them.
"A moment, Mr. Redfox," Minerva's voice rang out from behind him. He stopped dead, turning on his heel. Had she seen him plant the device?
The woman stood and moved towards him. She was even taller than she had seemed sitting down, her long hair cascading down to her waist. She wore a straight black dress that hugged the prominent curves of her body, a high slit on her thigh allowing a glimpse of her long legs.
"There is one more thing," she said in a low voice, as if she did not want to be overheard. "I've been told you are a man of discretion."
Gajeel gave her a sly smile. "I won't argue that, who said-"
"It doesn't matter," she said sharply. "There is another project I have been working on, one I think a man of your background would be a perfect fit for. But the work... well, it's not for everyone. Are you interested?"
Gajeel eyed her narrowly. "I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty," he replied.
Minerva gave him another cold smile.
"Perfect. We'll discuss the details later. For now, though, let's just keep this between the two of us. Agreed?"
"Whatever you say," Gajeel smiled.
He left the office and followed the other men back down the hallway. The meeting couldn't have gone better, Gajeel grinned to himself. He was in, and he and Levy were another step closer to their goal.
