Two tables down from Kaz, Callie dealt cards with expertise. Her brown hair stopped at her shoulders and her green eyes were focused on Kaz's table. His pale hands held the cards comfortably but she spotted the little slips his fingers made to deal Jesper into a corner. The chatter in the room held an eerie sense of comfort as Callie knew that as soon as the clock chimed, Kaz and Wylan would be well on their way. Her tunic and breeches were beginning to feel suffocating in the heat of the room, it clung to her arms with every movement she made and her breeches felt foreign and stiff.

She paid no heed to her table, only occasionally checking the hands and her deck. She knew exactly who had which cards. She saw Kaz begin to rise and she began to do the same. She cleared her table as Kaz disappeared with Wylan. As she headed out, she saw the flash of Jesper's revolvers as he set them on the table. She picked her coat off of the coat rack and despite the comfortable cold, she slipped it on.

A small smirk settled on her face as she entered the war zone that was the Barrel. She blinked the green tint out of her dark blue irises and pulled off her wig, letting her hair fall down her back in waves. She slunk into a deserted alleyway and pulled a simple black dress from a hidden cubby in the wall. The hem stopped above her knees and the sleeves were loose and short.

She preferred a dress to breeches for the extended range in motion. She didn't understand how other people did it. Fabric clung to everything and restricted your muscles from their full movement capacity. Her sleeves were airy and light, setting her arms free of her heavy coat and providing just enough layers for a chilly night.

Her coat became a cloak that sat on her shoulders and she clipped her knives on the belt at her waist. She pulled her ash brown hair into a braid and flipped her hood over her head. A gun was secured beneath her armpit and above her hip. Kaz and Wylan would be away for the next few hours. That meant they had the whole barrel to themselves.

She almost skipped out of the alley but she slowed her steps. She forced her feet to make a sound every time they hit the floor. If this was any other day, she would be scanning the rooftops and straining her ears for any sign of Inej, but not tonight. The Wraith wasn't going to be a problem.

Near silent feet and a shadow caught her eye. Anika, one of the Dregs. Close to the wall, another figure followed her, Pim. Their pockets were heavy from a job and Callie smiled. They were making it too easy to jump them.

She readjusted her weapons between her back and her cloak. She slipped into the shadows and waited for them to pass her. She picked up a rock and felt its weight. By the look of Pim's coat, she had about one thousand Kruge in her pocket and Anika had about the same. Callie struck once Pim and Anika were a couple paces in front of her. She switched out Pim's Kruge for a rock and Anika's for another one. She returned to the shadows and only emerged once Pim and Anika were out of sight.

"Cal," a voice hissed and Callie spun around. A dagger was in her hand and pointed toward the voice. "Relax, it's just me."

"Zion?" Callie asked into the darkness and gripped her dagger tighter. "Show yourself."

"Ouch," Zion faked a wince and stepped into the light. His hood cast a shadow on his face and his gun was pointed toward the sky since his hands were up. "You don't believe me?"

"No line," Callie tested and eyed his gun.

"No crime," Zion rolled his eyes and flipped down his hood. Callie relaxed and sheathed her dagger.

"Don't scare me like that," Callie snapped and turned her back on him. She only took a couple steps before Zion fell into step next to her. "You don't know if anyone leaked."

"What? We have the whole Barrel to ourselves tonight," Zion waved his hands around him. "Brekker and his team are back and busy, and we're back to leeching off of them."

"And everything returns to normal?" Callie's tone was sharp and she glared at him. "We're not making a difference here Zi. We're here to run this place to the ground. Kaz, Pekka, all of them. We're going to build an empire from the darkest part of the Barrel."

"And who will rule said empire?" Zion challenged and Callie grabbed the collar of his shirt. She slammed him into the brick wall and his skull bounced off of the stone.

"We will," Callie growled and released him. He fell to the ground and picked himself up slowly. She fingered the stack of two thousand kruge in her pocket and pressed her lips into a thin line.

"No need to get your panties in a twist," Zion mumbled and straightened his collar. Callie chose not to hear it.

"I've already got enough kruge to last a couple months. Tonight's when we can finally let loose without Kaz or his phantom around. Let's do some damage," a smirk settled itself on Callie's lips and she slipped into a grate that was slightly ajar on the street.

Zion followed her no less gracefully and her feet found the comforting cold of stone. Lanterns lit their way for a couple paces and she found an eclipse mark etched lightly on a stone. She pushed on a stone at eye level. It swung back at her horizontally and she ducked and rolled into the wall under it. The stone gave and spun on an axis vertically. Zion rolled in after her and she felt him come up beside her.

Another wall and a couple swinging stones later and she was wrapped in the comforting warmth of fire. She stood in the doorway as the rest of her gang played a five person game of Duces. Her two girls were the first to notice her.

"Tala," Sonia paused and nudged her twin with her elbow. "Tala."

Tala raised her head and met Callie's dark gaze. "Cal."

Everyone froze. They looked from Callie to Zion, then back to Callie. Renny was the first to speak. His dark hair and pale skin looked even more contrasted in the firelight.

"Callie," he cleared his throat. "Back so soon?"

"The Barrel is ours," Callie said and everyone dropped their cards. They moved as one, shedding unwanted layers and grabbing their weapons. "Brekker and his posse won't be bothering us for the next two hours."

"Tala," Callie turned to the dark haired twin. "You're our firepower."

Tala smiled in triumph and snatched two firearms from Renny's grip. She dumped her lockpicks in his open palms and winked.

"Terrance, you're with Ashton. Zion's with me. And Sonia, you're our eyes tonight," Callie said and gazed at her ready crew, their card game lay forgotten on the table. "We're going to make them burn one day. Every single one of them. But tonight, we're going to cause some trouble."

Zion cocked his gun as they slipped beneath the revolving stones.

"Never sleep," Callie said as they began to enter the Barrel.

"Never rest," everyone replied and they split up. The heist of the night was just beginning. Zion and Callie traveled along their route briskly, their breaths in sync and their steps in time with each other. Zion locked eyes with Callie and she ran a finger along the hilt of her dagger.

"No line," Zion mumbled and they caught sight of their destination.

"No crime." Callie smirked as she spotted everyone in their position. Tonight was theirs; nothing and no one could change that.