Author's Note: Thank you so much for your kind reviews. As noted, my chapters so far have been fairly short, but the aim is, as it gets deeper into the plot, they'll get meatier! Also, thus far I've managed to update fairly regularly; I aim to continue to do so, but am about to go on holiday, where I am uncertain of my internet connection. However I shall keep writing so that if I find an internet cafe I can upload! Thank you for reading, and I hope you like what is to come.
The voice came from nowhere.
"You must be Arthur. And his associates, of course."
They turned around to be confronted by a man, seated in a white leather chair behind a desk, dressed in all in black. He looked strangely out of place with the light room; the walls were white, and most of the furniture glass, in fitting with the glass of the structure. It couldn't help but be sinister in stark comparison with the dimness of the rest of the building.
Arthur stepped forward. "Yes, nice to finally meet you Mr. Warner. I have briefed my team on the situation, and would appreciate a chance to see the environment in which the mark had been working."
The man said nothing, but gestured to four chairs placed in front of the desk. The group obliged and sat down. Without warning, the chairs produced steel restrains from between folds of white leather, making it impossible for them to stand. In the same moment, two more guards entered and roughly searched them, presumably, for weapons.
They spluttered objections and various barks of irritation that stemmed mostly from panic. This was not the way in which they liked to work. Arthur's mind was racing, trying to determine what they could physically do if this turned out to be a trap. It suddenly occurred to him just how vulnerable they were.
As the guards finished rooting through their clothing, only finding one handgun, which belonged to Eames (who merely shrugged at Arthur's warning look), a concealed door opened in the wall. An older, slighter man in a light grey suit entered the room and the truth dawned on Arthur.
"My apologies. You can understand with an operation as… sensitive as this, I would have to take precautions."
As the guards left and the group's restraints were released, the man in the chair stood up and went to take position standing next to the main door, as Warner took his place in the chair. He looked about 45, bridging the gap between 'older generation, experienced businessman' and 'young, driver career shark'. It was a formidable combination.
"Mr Warner, I appreciate your concern, but this was… You found us through recommendation, I assumed? This wasn't necessary. If you don't trust us, and I do mean entirely, then this arrangement isn't going to work. I must stress the intricacy of the work we do; it's fragile, and we need to know that you will uphold your end, or the entire operation with be jeopardised." Arthur spoke with heavy earnestness and more than a little irritation. Warner was playing games with them, which was not only degrading, but dangerous. Plus he could feel the uncertainty of the rest of the group radiating and he needed to assure them he hadn't led them to the lion's den.
Warner laughed. "Well it is done, and it seems you are what you say, so I am happy"; he spoke in a thick German accent. "Although I would prefer if you didn't bring weapons into my building" he added looking at Eames. "Now, how is it we might be able to help you?"
Arthur inwardly sighed, deciding it would be diplomatic to drop the issue for now. "We need to take a look around your offices. We want to get a feel for the environment the mark worked in, so we can reproduce some of that atmosphere in the dream. Since we know little about his true background, we're going to work with what we have."
Warner seemed to contemplate for a moment before answering, "This we can arrange. I simply ask that you are accompanied by one of my guards, and if anyone asks you say you are representatives from a prospective partner company."
"I thought we were to pose as private detectives?" Eames voiced the query on all their minds.
"You are Mr. Eames, am I right? Very perceptive, Eames. Yes I have told my senior members of staff that you are private detectives, however I would prefer even they do not discover the specific nature of your… methods of detection. Only my personal assistant, Claus", he gestured to the black-suited man still standing statuesque by the door, "and myself know the full details of the assignment. But the majority of my staff do not even know we have an infiltrator; and I would like it to stay that way." Warner spoke with an amiable demeanour, but there was menace behind every syllable.
"We can agree to this. Thank you for your time, Mr. Warner."
"My pleasure. It has been very useful to meet you. Auf wiedersehn."
The group rose and exited, as Warner watched from his seat. Once outside the door, and a reasonable few feet from the guards still either side, the group turned to Arthur expectantly.
Ariadne was the first to speak. "How could you not know it was him? I can't believe we were ambushed like that. Do you have any idea how dangerous that could have been? No-one knows I'm here Arthur. We would have just disappeared."
"Alright, calm down." It was Eames who answered, to Arthur's surprise. "Arthur won't have known what he looked like before we went in; companies this big can keep identities secret if they want to. A bribe here or there and security cameras mysteriously crash when he's in the area. Besides, initial hostility is common. This is the circuit; don't make me say 'We're not in Kansas anymore'…", he winked and rubbed her shoulder.
"Thanks," Arthur said.
"You", Eames turned to him, "are a plonker."
Arthur gritted his teeth and decided to let it go. There was nothing he could have done to prevent the situation, and it seemed the group were aware of this; but he was still the leader so he'd accept responsibility and move on.
"So where do you want us to go first?" Yusuf asked.
"I think if we split into pairs, then two of us can go down to level six, where he worked, and the other two I think should take a look round the cafeterias and break rooms on level four."
Eames answered quickly. "Right, I'm definitely taking the break rooms; too much corporate stench up here. Besides, cafeterias are ideal for people-watching." He noticed Ariadne, still looking stony-faced, adding "And I'll take this one with me. I think a break in the break room is just what the doctor ordered."
"Right, then Yusuf and I will check out level six; make sure you keep your pagers on, to arrange when we're done. Now, I guess we should pick a guard…"