10:25 am

"Are you sure this is where he's supposed to meet us?" Zelena asked, glancing around the small cafe.

"I'm offended you doubt my information," Hades replied, pretending to be hurt.

"You're not exactly trustworthy," she commented, leveling him with a look over her sunglasses.

Hades placed a hand on his chest in mock outrage. "Says the woman who tried to steal three hundred thousand dollars from me."

"Says the man who tried to steal half a million dollars from me," she countered.

"Says the woman who lied about that half a million dollars."

He had her there.

"Touché," she relented. Hades smirked in triumph.

A bell rang at the front of the cafe. Hades glanced up. "He's here," he muttered. Zelena sat back in her chair, trying to maintain an appearance of disinterest, her back to the door.

A man slid into the seat across from them. He was probably in his late fifties, with salt-and-pepper hair. One could see that once upon a time, women and men alike had probably flocked to him, practically begging for him to cheat them of their money.

Jonathan Gardner. Zelena felt her insides clench as she stared at her biological father, sitting across from them.

"Jonathan," Hades greeted warmly. "How are you?"

Gardner's gaze slid from Hades over to Zelena. "Persephone called today. She was particularly livid about the fact that you never met her. So I assumed you'd found someone else to help you. I assume this is she?"

Zelena lowered her sunglasses in acknowledgement before slipping them off completely. "Dorothy Gale," she introduced herself. "A pleasure to meet you." She extended a hand, which Gardner took, before pressing his lips to her knuckles, a gesture Zelena had to refrain from vomiting at.

"Well, you certainly look the part," Gardner drawled. "So what has our dear Mr. Graves told you about this job thus far?"

"He's been rather mysterious about it actually," Zelena said. "I'm afraid I'm rather in the dark, which, as you may guess, doesn't work for me."

"As he should be," Gardner said. "My associates must always remain mum when bringing new parties into a job."

"It's admirable you have such faith in that agreement," Zelena noted.

Gardner chuckled. "I don't. But there are...well, consequences if the agreement isn't honored. You see, darling-" He leaned forward, and Zelena felt her fingers curl around the tabletop in anger, "-when you work with people who cheat others for a living, it's difficult to trust."

"You forget I'm one of those people," Zelena replied coolly. "I'm well aware. There's no one you trust, though? I myself have at least one or two people I can routinely count on."

"I'd drop those people if I were you, sweetheart," Gardner advised her. "But no. Probably a good thing, considering the trouble I've been having lately…"

"Trouble?" Hades echoed. "What sort of trouble? I wouldn't want to run into that during this job."

"I wouldn't fret about it, Graves," Gardner told him. "But someone has been going around, immobilizing and framing my associates, making it so that I and my friends can't make any profit."

Zelena tensed. He'd caught on to what she'd been doing. She'd spent the last several months trying to dismantle his web of con men and various accomplices, while attempting to make it look random.

She had been wondering how long it would take before he wised up to the pattern.

"That seems bad for business," Hades commented.

"It is. But it's nothing I can't handle," Gardner said airily. "Now, Miss Gale-"

Zelena cocked her head to show her acknowledgement.

"You'll be targeting a wealthy millionaire couple. One of my safe houses has been prepared for you and Mr. Graves to pose as a pair of rich newlyweds moving into a new neighborhood for the wealthy. You and Mr. Graves will, for lack of a better phrase, seduce the husband and wife, respectively. Is that something you're comfortable with?"

Ha. As if he cared. Zelena only nodded.

"You will then pose as your 'spouse,' and demand money as compensation for the infidelity."

"Both of us? At the same time?" Zelena inquired.

"Yes. With multiple wealthy houses, if possible."

"That's wicked," she said, a smile spreading over her face. "I love it."

Gardner grinned back at her. "I can see why you ditched Persephone for this one, Hades. I like her."

Like father, like daughter, Gardner, she thought. Instead, she pretended to preen at the compliment.

"You flatter me, Mr. Gardner," she said sweetly.

"Honestly, though," Gardner said. "If all goes well, I might be interested in recruiting you. Where did you meet her, Hades?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Hades replied, with a half-smile.

"Try me," Gardner challenged.

"Well...I tried to con her," Hades admitted. "Turnabout's fair play, it seems."

Gardner laughed. "Dear me, we'll have to keep an eye on you, won't we, Miss Gale?"

"No need to worry, I'll be good," she answered with a honeyed smile.

"I'm eager to see what we get out of you on this, Miss Gale," Gardner said. "Keep me updated, Graves. Call me in two weeks. I've arranged for plane tickets to your destination. The plane leaves tomorrow at seven A.M. The tickets are at your apartment." He rose from his seat. Hades and Zelena stood as well to bid him adieu.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Gale," Gardner said, shaking her hand, then moving to Hades. "Good luck." And with that, he was gone.

"That went well," she said, her spirits lifting at the prospect of getting closer to Gardner. She'd never come this close to him before, and just seconds ago, she'd been sitting across from him.

"It did," Hades said, eyeing her.

"What?"

"Nothing. You just...seemed off. And why did you use a different name?"

"Hades, it's almost as if you think I trust him," she replied.

"I hope not. No one should. What did you think about working for him?"

She scoffed. This seem to surprise him.

"I don't need Gardner. I'm perfectly capable of doing this on my own."

"We all are. It's just nice to be funded," he said, obviously a little prickly about her insinuating he wasn't capable of being a lone wolf. "Gardner leaves us alone as long as we pay our dues."

"I don't like being a lapdog," she said shortly.

Hades bristled. "None of us are. We just get free rein and someone to bail our asses out of jail if need be."

"I suppose I'm lucky I've never been caught then." She slid her sunglasses back on. "We'd better get back to the hotel. We've a plane to catch tomorrow."

With that, she turned and walked straight towards the door.

She was one step closer to checking another name off her list.

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