AN: Hi, this chapter I had written a while ago and never gotten around to posting. I have started the next chapter, but I have no time to finish it yet. I am pretty busy with school...so when ever I have time to get back into the swing of things with this story I will post. I appreciate the follows and everyone that has read this story. If you like to review that is always welcome as well. Hope you like this story so far, and thanks for reading
Akuma ^^
Chapter 4: Quid Pro Quo Anyone?
Hotel Hermitage, 4th floor Penthouse Suite
The warehouse agents got up and got ready first thing. They went over to their next door neighbors as it were, to the penthouse suite to get the meeting going. They would hold it in their suite, but it is much too small to fit 12 people in it. Both groups decided on having it back at the penthouse suite for the extra room and agreed to meet first thing in the morning to discuss what the warehouse agents want help with.
The warehouse agents knocked on the door to the penthouse suite and waited for someone to get the door. The door opened and revealed an irritated Danny. He was looking like he didn't sleep all that much or maybe he was just not a morning person. Whatever the case, he was looking like a mess. He stepped aside and let them in.
"Danny thank you for getting the door. It was very nice of you and I will repay you back later, promise." came Stacie's voice as she was coming into view. She walked over to them and greeted them and kissed Danny on the cheek.
"Yeah, yeah. Should I get everyone together then?" Danny asked.
"Yes, that would be nice. Thank you Danny." Stacie thanked him with a smile and led everyone else to the living room.
They all sat and waited and Stacie offered if they would like anything to drink or eat while they waited. They made small talk in the mean time.
"So, Stacie... is Danny... are you two, well together?" asked Pete. He was hoping to maybe get a second chance with a hot woman after his strike out with Helena. He got tricked by H.G. when they first met.
"Maybe. Why would you like to know Pete?" Stacie replied and asked in a fun teasing way.
"No reason just throwing out what I was observing from yesterday and today with the kiss and everything..." Pete denied and stated what he suspected was going on. He was a bit disappointed to learn she didn't deny what he asked meaning that more than likely he had no chance with her.
Just then Danny walked in looking better as apposed to his earlier state and announced that everyone would be meeting in here in a few minutes. Mickey was not far behind him and they both sat down with the others waiting for the rest to meet them. They continued with small talk but dropped the subject that Pete brought up.
A few minutes later everyone was in the living room ready to start the meeting.
"So what's this about exactly" Mickey wanted to know.
"Well, we are here on a mission, which is to snag, bag and tag the artifacts we find that is causing a muck in the certain area that we got as a ping" replied Claudia as she was typing on her computer and turned it around to show them the radius in which the artifact could be with in.
"Ok, so basically this artifact could be in any casino around the area of Monty Carlo, correct" Asked Emma
"Well yes, that is why we were doing recon yesterday to narrow down where it could be." Steve replied back.
"Alright, so have you guys narrowed it down?" Mickey asked
"No, not really," Claudia conformed pointing to her map on her computer. "We didn't see anything out of the ordinary yet, so all of this is still fair game."
"Do you have any idea what it is or what we might be looking for." Ash asked hoping that they might at least be able to know that much.
"Unfortunately no we don't." was all Myka said with a sigh.
"Could you maybe guess what it could be then?" asked Danny hoping to have something to go on.
"Well, not really. It could be anything, ummm...the last one that we had at a casino back in the U.S. was a poker chip." Pete added.
"Really, well that doesn't leave much to go on." said Stacie. "Do you know what it does at least?"
"Yes, actually. We know that people become abscess with gambling and never stop. They will keep going till they are cleaned out and find more money to keep playing." Helena replied back.
"Well that sounds like that could be very dangerous. The people that get infected seem to be desperate to keep playing and desperation can get very out of control to the point were they might crack." Albert said as he took in the situation.
"Yes, that is why we are around to stop things like these from being used to harm or against people." Myka stated.
"We will help, but it seems we will have to do a bit more recon to know at least an exact location." Mickey stated.
"Thank you very much for this favor." Myka stated.
"Hold on a minute, what do we get out of this darling?" Danny asked Myka "I get we are helping you and the greater good blad-edy bla thingy meh-jiggy, but I don't see where we benefit from this."
Myka wasn't sure how to answer that. She open and closed her mouth a couple of times. She looked at her partners for ideas.
Helena saved her and stated, "Well, we need to find the artifact, so that would mean not only watching, but playing. We have a budget Mr. Blue. We can spend so much on this trip that was given for use. I do not intend to use my personal money at all either, therefore it is a quid pro quo we are looking at. You get to gamble by any means you like and make a profit while we do surveillance and also get you out of trouble if necessary." Myka was rather grateful for Helena's quick thinking. "Does that sound good to you Mr. Blue?" H.G. questioned.
"No problem at all, darling. Was just wondering what playing field I was working on, and it's limitations." Danny said with a smirk.
"So we are in an agreement then?" Mickey asked already thinking that they would somehow make a profit out of this as payment.
Everyone in the room nodded their heads.
The warehouse agents once again went to do recon, but this time they had help. Everyone was hoping that they could narrow down the search, so everyone split up once again but this time each agent had at least one grifter.
The grifters played the tables while the warehouse agents looked for suspicious people. The hustlers were using the money that the warehouse crew had as their start to make a bigger profit as a keeper and to keep playing the tables. They did this until all the con artists played all the tables in the casinos that they split up in. None of them came back to the hotel with any thing suspicious or worth looking into. So they all concluded that the artifact was more than likely at the main casino, Monte Carlo Casino, which was not going to be easy to get into as it is the busiest. It was also the largest one there with many rooms and places where the artifact could be. The good thing was that they at least narrowed down the possibility to one area in Monty Carlo.
Everyone was sitting in the living room of the penthouse suite, once again, and going over what they would do next after they went over their intel.
"Ok, now that we narrowed it down, so what do we do next?" Emma asked.
"Well we still don't know what it could be and with no suspects, so the angle we played it at is are fastest way of finding it." Steve answered.
"Well don't you guys have the people that were infected listed? Couldn't you guys hack into the cameras and figure out where all of them have been before they went and became obsessed players?" Sean asked.
"I could, yes, but that would take time that we don't really have and Artie is already trying to do that. We still have to know where they all were or what they were playing when that happened so, we were all here to better our chances of finding it." Claudia explained.
"Oh." was all Sean could think to say to that.
"This would be so much easier if there was a person involved. We could lure them out then like we normally do." Stacie said.
"Well, easy doesn't normally come with this job." Myka chuckled.
"I am starting to see that." Stacie commented back.
"Ok, say that we do find the object though, how do we stop it? I assume you guys know how to do that?" Mickey asked.
"We do, we simply neutralize it." Helena said with a smile.
"Right, well that helps." Mickey said sarcastically in frustration.
"Chill man, all she means to say is that we got that covered. We can neutralize the object with this kind of purple goo, ok." Claudia said in passing to attempt to calm down the older man.
"Purple goo? Purple goo is going to neutralize an object that can manipulate a person?" Danny asked in disbelief.
"Yup, that about sums it up." Pete told him.
"Right, ok..." was all Danny could say to that.
"I am curious to know what we could do if we get infected by this artifact. I know you said you have it covered, but we are playing the tables for you...let's say it is something at one of them and we get infected. What are we to do then?" Albert asked.
"Right, that's a fair question. Ummm...well you would be infected and the artifact will manipulate you. So..." Myka was explaining and was interrupted by one of her team members.
"What Myka is trying to say is that you can do nothing to prevent it unfortunately, but as I promised in our agreement that we would bail you out of trouble. Unfortunately the only way to stop the infection from the artifact is to neutralize it or in some desperate cases break it. There are some cases in which you can outsmart it, but this is not that type of artifact unfortunately." Helena said honestly.
"Oh, and we didn't have the right to know this before we agreed to help you guys?" an angry Sean said.
"I am sorry; I was just trying not to get in further trouble. I am not everyone's big fan when it comes to...what's that phrase Myka used...ah yes, the higher ups." Helena apologized and tried to explain. "I have gotten in more trouble and I am in enough trouble as is right now of involving citizens in this mission. Not to mention if word got out that I have unmasked who I am. I am sorry for leaving out information. I did not mean to upset you I, we planned on protecting you all, just with out telling you what could happen."
"It's alright. I understand why you did it," Stacie said with a smile. "Mickey does that sometimes, most of the time to either protect us or he does it for fun. Point is that we eventually learn that we work better as a team if we all know what is going on."
"Yes, I see your point. I suppose I forget that we have such a privilege sometimes in doing so." Helena said with a small smile.
"Ok, so we know that we are at the front lines and that you guys are to watch us as well as suspicious people. Let's say that one of us is infected, would you know what the artifact was then?" Mickey asked.
"Well, we should unless there are quite a few variables that will make it a bit harder." Myka said.
"What do you mean variables, exactly?" Ash asked.
"Other things that could be the artifact. We had a few cases in which we thought one thing was the artifact when there was a different thing and sometimes there were two artifacts in one place." Claudia answered.
"So basically we are screwed." Emma said.
"Well not necessarily. We are the best the 'agency' has to offer and we have been doing this for awhile. We can make sure to get the artifact before anything goes all to hell to any of you." Pete stated.
"We also have all different talents that the 'agency' took notice of when hiring us. I can tell if anyone in lying, Pete gets these vibes, Claudia is a great computer wiz and a fast thinker. Myka and H.G. pay attention to small details and know their literature." Steve mentioned.
"Not to mention Myka's photographic memory that sometimes saves me from getting lost in the maze that is our work." Pete said with a smile. "So you guys are going to have to trust us to do our jobs." Pete said to the con artists in the room.
There was silence in the room for a minute or two. Everyone was contemplating what was said so far and how they wanted to go about this agreement.
Danny was the first to break the silence. "I like you guys, I just...worry is all. I am the one that is normally ok, so go with the flow, hang on to our seats type of guy, but I have never come across something like this...magic-y, crazy...stuff before. I don't want to go head first into something I know absolutely nothing about. I have done that type of thing before and I tell you it is not a pretty result at the end."
"Danny's worried, so now I know then that I should definitely be." Mickey said.
"You don't have to be I assure you. Even if your infected we will help you and your mates out along with dealing with the artifact. I can not guaranty your safety, but I will guaranty your survival. Nothing will happen to you on are watch that will not be reversible." Helena tried to convince.
"Alright we will make a leap of faith with you as you have done us." Mickey stated.
There was silence once more in the room. There was a throat clearing. "Well if that is all, I think I will be going. Had a long day and all." Pete said.
"Yes, it was a long day, wasn't it. Just one more thing before you all go, when are we going for this artifact? Are we meeting here and doing it tomorrow...?" Stacie asked.
"We won't be going tomorrow, but we will be meeting here and we will all be doing recon on and off at the casino tomorrow. We don't want to walk into anything that will be too big. We could possibly narrow down the place if Pete gets a vibe or if we see something out of place. Is that alright?" Myka asked.
"Yes, it sounds like a good plan. We will meet here as usual and we will discuss this further. Have a good night and thank you for unveiling what we were getting into. It is much easier to plan for, or at least attempt to." Mickey said gratefully.
"You are welcome and you all have a good night as well." H.G. said.
Everyone from the warehouse got up and said there good nights and left to their suite. the hustle team didn't know what to do with themselves and eventually they all scattered to varies parts of the penthouse.
Danny and Stacie went to one of the terraces with two glasses of wine. It was a nice night, not very cool or humid out. It was rather comfortable and had a beautiful view of the sea. Stacie was looking out at the landscape of the city and the scenic view. She was in her own thoughts when Danny brought her back to reality.
"Are you sure you are ok with the whole H.G. thing...I mean I know you said you were last night, but I wanted to make sure. I-I know you don't like showing your vulnerability to the table, but Stacie if there is anything-anything at all I will be here. I just wanted to make that clear." Danny said looking out at the scenery in front of them. He did not want to risk making Stacie more uncomfortable than she must be.
"I am alright Danny, really." Stacie said looking at Danny now. "I know it was-is a shock to hear that your ancestor is H.G Wells and well, is a women for starters and then... " She lead off and took a pause for a minute. "The overall shock is to be talking to her. I-I like Helena alright. She seems to be a very brilliant person with her heart in the right place."
"Why am I sensing a but in there?" Danny asked in concern.
"Because there is. I find myself wondering...if...if I am myself to her or her daughter sometimes. She seems to want to protect me and all of you without telling us. I mean I get the other reasons she said and she seemed to be genuine when she said it, but there was something more there like she didn't want me in danger and that she would save me at any cost. I worry about that. I know who I am, but how can anyone that barely knows you want to protect you without thought or reason?" she wondered.
"She may see her daughter in you, but I think she feels guilty for endangering us in the first place, darling. She revealed who she was when she was not supposed to and now that we are helping them bag this magic thing-meh-jiggy she feels like she just waltzed in and messed up all our lives. She just wants you to carry on with life and be happy. Or at least that is what I get when I am study her when you are in the room together." he said back reassuringly.
"I suppose, but it doesn't answer my other worry...will she see me as me or will I be a dead person to her; someone that I can never be?" Stacie asked in worry and frustration.
"I think she does see you as you, just she sees herself and a lot of her daughter in you. She seems to want to get to know you but, is afraid that if she does, you won't want to be around her any more. I am not sure why that is, but I think she is afraid just like you, if not more so." Danny stressed wanting to make Stacie see what everyone else more than likely saw too.
"You are probably right, but I am just afraid that I won't match up to her expectations. I mean what if I am not what she was picturing when she first saw me. What if I am not good enough for her. I am a grifter Danny. She is an agent with the United States government. I-I..."
"Shhhh-shhh." Danny put his finger to her lips. When she quieted, he moved his finger to her cheek and started to gently rub it. "It's alright darling. You are perfect Stace, ok. From what she has told us about her past, she was not all rainbows and sunshine either. She has bigger mistakes to live with then you. If anything, she will understand. Stop worrying about not being good enough ok, you are perfect the way you are. You are smart, intelligent and sexy." Danny said with a smile putting his forehead to hers.
Stacie cracked a smile by the end of Danny's speech. "Danny, smart and intelligent mean the same thing." she laughed out.
"Yeah maybe, but in the way of grifting it ain't" Danny said with a wider smile "And out of all I said that was all you heard. I was being all mushy for you, you know and that is all you heard." Danny said in his most disappointed voice and expression, but could not quite master it.
"Oh, I heard everything, even the part where you called me perfect and sexy." Stacie chuckled. "So you think I am sexy do you?" she teased.
"Well, yeah. After all, earlier today we were having fun snogging and we were getting to the best part when people came to knock on the door. I do believe you said that you would make up for it later. Soooo-" Danny teased back.
"Sooo-What?" Stacie pretended as if she had no idea what he was referring to. "I don't know if I remember that, Danny Boy." she chucked out his nickname.
"Oh, you will. I will make you." was all Danny said before he kissed her. It was to be a short one, but ended up being much more then intended. The kiss became deeper and they forgot that they wanted to hide their relationship from the others. They forgot that the game was to make Mickey go mad not knowing what was going on between them.
Mickey and Emma were on the other balcony enjoying each others company. They talked about this and that. Eventually, Stacie and Danny's relationship came up and Emma thought it might be a good time to go see what they were up to in order to prove to her boyfriend that they were in fact dating. Then she could just take that 50 P off Mickey's hands.
They went to go look for them to see what they were up to. They found them on the other balcony of the penthouse. They were talking in hushed tones and they could not make out what they were saying. A few minutes later, Danny was quieting Stacie and stroking her check with his finger. Emma looked over at Mickey and saw that he was looking at them in disbelief. Emma tapped him and made a motion with her hand that signified to pay up.
Mickey shook his head and pointed to them and whispered, "Not until there is hard evidence."
Emma rolled her eyes and looked back at the other two on the terrace. They seemed to be in a better mood and then the next minute they were kissing. Emma looked back at Mickey and whispered in victory, "Need any more evidence there Mickey?" she chuckled quietly after that when he gave her a look that said shut up and pulled out 50 quid out of his pocket and gave it to her.
Mickey walked off in a bit of a daze and aggravation. He was shocked that Danny actually got Stacie to date him and aggravated that he lost 50 P to Emma. He was the one that was to be the smartest and could plan for anything, but this was very unexpected. He wondered if he was losing his touch.