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Chapter 15: Climbing The Ladder

"That'll be 300 beli, young man." The old vendor smiled as she handed Rocinante the small bundle of flowers. "My, that's a lucky young lady you're courting! You're always buying her flowers. I remember when my late husband, bless his soul, would do the same for me. I see a long and happy future ahead of you."

Rocinante blushed an insane shade of red as he handed over the money to the woman. "We-well…uh, thank you, ma'am!" He grinned down at her, not having the heart to tell her that he and the woman he was buying the flowers for every day weren't actually together. "I hope you're right!"

He continued on to work with a skip in his step. What the little old lady said had encouraged him. He clutched the bouquet of flowers close to his chest, careful not to set it on fire before he had a chance to give them to Aylin. He went into the Syndicate at his usual entrance and was about to head deeper into the building where Aylin's office was when someone stopped him.

The man was quite a bit shorter and dressed in dark clothing, so naturally Rocinante nearly tripped over him. Startled, he began to apologize profusely until he noticed the other man's steely gaze and promptly fell silent after one subtle shake of the other's head.

Rocinante gulped as his pulse quickened; the man was purposely blocking his path, standing with his feet shoulder-width apart and arms crossed. He looked vaguely familiar, although Rocinante couldn't quite recall where he had seen this person before. A big red flag went up inside his head as the other man continued to gaze up at him in a scrutinizing manner, eliciting a feeling of unease.

What was happening?

Just when Rocinante couldn't take the staring and the silence anymore, the man said in a low voice, "Come with me," and immediately turned away, his short silver ponytail bobbing gently with each step.

The man never looked back to see whether or not Rocinante was still there as he led the way, taking them in the opposite direction toward a place deeper within the Syndicate that the blond had never gone to before. They went down several sets of stairs, through a couple of password-protected steel doors and the deeper they went, the more the underground structure began to resemble that of a very elaborate bomb shelter. He had to marvel at its architecture and he wondered how long this underground fortress had been there; the vaulted steel ceilings must have been a chore to construct. Had the Syndicate built this, or was it perhaps something they had simply commandeered when they had made Agora Island their new home base?

The man in black led him down yet another corridor and Rocinante could have sworn his heartbeat was so loud it was echoing off the armored walls. A thousand scenarios raced through his mind. Was he in trouble? Had they somehow uncovered an incriminating piece of evidence against him? He'd covered his tracks and hid his true identity so well, there was no way they could know...or so he had thought.

Finally the man came to a stop in the middle of the corridor and turned to the wall. It seemed like an odd thing to do until Rocinante realized that he was accessing a secret entrance. Upon the touch of a panel on the wall, a keypad appeared and the man entered the code quickly; there was a muffled 'click' afterward and an otherwise invisible door slid upward to reveal a secret room.

"Inside," the man gruffly ordered, ushering Rocinante through the door before following behind him, closing the door as he went.

Luckily the ceiling was still high enough that the tall man did not have to stoop in order to avoid smacking his head on everything above him. In fact, as he looked around the room, he noticed the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and elaborate mahogany furniture placed around the room. A large rectangular table was the centerpiece, and several other individuals were seated in chairs around it. Rocinante recognized a few of them as members of the Blackburn Syndicate's Inner Circle; Scarlet in particular caught his attention.

She looked up as the two entered the room, catching Rocinante's eye and giving him a nod of acknowledgement.

"Have a seat," she said, her eyes gesturing toward the chair opposite her.

He did so, stumbling over his own feet in the process, but managed to right himself and sit down before he could break anything or set something in the room on fire.

The man who had escorted him took a seat nearby as well, clearing his throat before speaking in a gravelly voice, "Before we proceed, I would advise you in no uncertain terms that you are not to breathe a single word of this to another soul, living or dead. As far as anyone outside this room is concerned, this meeting never took place." His sharp gray eyes met Rocinante's once more, conveying a grave warning even without words. "Do you understand? I don't believe I need to elaborate on the penalty for betraying the Inner Circle's trust."

Rocinante opened his mouth to spout some kind of platitude to assure them of his utmost discretion, but thought the better of it and snapped it back shut. He nodded to the man, then made sure to look at each person seated at the table to show his acknowledgement.

They were all so stern and quiet. What the hell were they going to tell him? Also, he was seriously longing for a cigarette about now, but thought he shouldn't appear too casual and relaxed in front of them all.

He folded his hands in his lap. The nicotine craving would just have to wait.

"Good," Scarlet chirped, her arms crossed on the table before her. "Then we'll proceed. Clark has brought you down here today so that we could discuss your standing within the Blackburn Syndicate. You've been with us for nearly a year now and your superiors have made several comments regarding your work ethic and skill level. Denise de LaCroix in particular was all but raving about your performance at the Society gathering last month..." She leaned forward a bit more, her dark eyes boring into his from across the table. "With that in mind, we've elected to place you at a rank better suited to your particular skills. In short, it's a promotion. You've been doing an Escort's job without holding the title for a while now, anyway, but this meeting makes it official."

"But that isn't all," Clark spoke up before Rocinante could shake his stunned silence and respond properly. "We've been watching you since your arrival, as we do with all our associates. We gauge their personalities and their skills, we question their peers and examine them closely to determine what role they would best excel in. It seems that all of your peers agree that you have a strong sense of loyalty. As you might imagine, trust is an important aspect of this organization. We have many methods of ensuring cooperation, of course," he added with a rather sinister grin, "but true allegiance is often difficult to find.

"You see, we value those with such traits very highly. People like you, who have demonstrated unwavering reliability in the short time you have been with us, are the reason that we have managed to persist for so long despite the government's efforts to put an end to the Syndicate. We have eyes everywhere; watching, listening, reporting any suspicious person. Many traitors have been exposed and dealt with thanks to these people. They are referred to as Scouts, and while their existence is well known, their identities are never publically disclosed."

Rocinante was more than a little surprised at this announcement. A promotion though…that was just what he needed, and in far less time than he had thought it would take! Sengoku would be very glad to hear of it in his next report, which he was about due for, now that he thought about it.

Outwardly, he did his best to look honored. It was irony at its best that they'd count him so loyal. And loyal he was, but only because he truly believed that this job would be a major stepping stone toward his ultimate goal. Not only that, but he now had a loyalty toward the person he'd come to care for so deeply. Aylin's presence made his actions genuine, and gave him another reason for his allegiance.

Holding back the familiar salute that would have been appropriate in another forum, Rocinante stood and bowed towards the members of the Syndicate at the table. "Thank you very much. I'll do my best in this new assignment."

Clark nodded. "Yes, you will," he replied, and it sounded more like a threat than confidence in Rocinante's abilities.

Scarlet spoke up once more from the head of the table. "Let me reiterate, just so we're one hundred percent clear; nobody outside of this room is to discover that you are a Scout. Not even other Scouts will be informed of your promotion. The job is quite simple. As Clark has already explained, you will be watching and listening. Once a week you will report directly to us, using utmost discretion. You are to remark upon any suspicious activity or person. The consequences for shirking these responsibilities will be severe.

"Aside from that, you are free to make yourself known as an Escort. I will be sending instructions to our dear Miss Wild so that she may further assist you in preparing for your new role. I trust it won't be much different than what you've been taking on already." She gave Clark a nod, and he rose from the table before her eyes traveled back to Rocinante's. "You're dismissed. We'll meet again next week. Clark will send for you when the time comes."

Clark motioned for Rocinante to follow him. "I'll show you out. Come along."

Rocinante followed the man out of the labyrinth that was the underground headquarters of the Inner Circle. He'd never have found his way out without help. He felt a small sense of relief when they re-entered the regular portion of the Syndicate, and even welcomed the accidental head bump that came along with it.

"Ow! Uh…thank you, Mr. Clark, I'll see you around!" Rocinante turned around to bow to the man again, but he'd already vanished.

He fumbled for a cigarette, noting with dismay that the flowers he'd purchased for Aylin had become crushed in his hand during his trek and then the meeting.

"Oh no…" He scratched the back of his head which immediately burst into flames. "ACK!" He toppled over, rolling all over the ground and inadvertently setting a stack of old newspapers alight as well.

Several people in the vicinity began shouting in alarm, calling for help.

Suddenly a bucket of water was unceremoniously dumped over Rocinante's head, fairly soaking his upper body and effectively putting out the flames, leaving a small cloud of smoke trailing up toward the ceiling.

A sigh came from somewhere above him. "Rocinante, I swear...you're a wreck. It's a wonder you've even survived so long on your own," Aylin remarked in jest.

"Lin…" He breathed in relief, spitting out a mouthful of water. "Here you go…" He reached up weakly, placing the crushed and now waterlogged bouquet into her hands. "Sorry…erm..."

She exhaled a small chuckle as she accepted the gift. Most of the flowers had become misshapen and some of them were missing several petals, but their battered appearance somehow made the gesture all the more endearing.

"It's okay, you didn't even have to..." She felt a faint blush creeping over her cheeks, and tried her best to banish the sudden flutter in her chest. "But thank you."

"You're welcome!" The clumsy man sat up, rubbing his head as he reached for another cigarette, only to pull out a sopping wet pack and he groaned in frustration before giving her his full attention once more. "Well, guess who just got a promotion?"

Aylin raised her eyebrows. "Really? So that's where you went off to."

He nodded as he gave up sorting through his soggy cigarettes, tossing the pack aside. "Yeah. They decided to officially make me an Escort."

"Did they? Well, I'm not surprised," she replied. "It's about time you climbed up another rung around here."

Rocinante began to wring out his wet shirt, failing to notice the way Aylin tried extra hard not to watch him. "Hey, let's go out to dinner to celebrate. But you have to wear a red dress with heels! For dancing you know." Rocinante grinned cheekily at her as he stood back up to his full near-ten-foot height, smacking his head against the ceiling once more. "GEEZ!"

She rolled her eyes. "Is there a dance that can be done lying on the floor?" A split second after the last word left her mouth, Aylin realized what sort of meaning could be derived from that question and quick as lightning, she turned her back to him before he could catch sight of how red her cheeks had suddenly become. She hurriedly continued, "Anyway, I really need to get back to work! I'll see you later," she added shortly before rushing off without sparing him a second glance, leaving Rocinante standing there with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Huh?" Rocinante watched her walk off in a hurry, clearly bothered about something. He wanted to go after her, but thought it best not to loaf about after such a big promotion. He'd just find her later and see what was up, if anything.

oOo

The next morning, Rocinante woke extra early…not that he'd slept much the night before. He had gone out with Aylin—who had sworn up and down that she didn't own a red dress, and no, she was not going to wear high heels or dance—and they'd had a good time. He'd asked her what was bothering her earlier that day when she'd walked off in a hurry, and she'd passed it off as nothing; that she just hadn't been feeling well and had suddenly remembered something important she needed to do. Rocinante wasn't an expert on women by any means, so he simply chalked it up to something he just didn't know about. Aylin was usually frank and open with him, but she certainly didn't tell him everything.

Rocinante had gotten so hyped up that he'd just gone home with a huge grin on his face, partially due to all the alcohol intake, and partially from seeing Aylin laugh so much. They always spent such fun times together. He never wanted them to end…though they would probably have to eventually.

His smile waned a bit when he was brought back to the stark reality of his mission, and a superior officer that was no doubt impatiently awaiting his next update.

Once he'd dragged himself out of bed and through his usual morning routine, Rocinante created his soundproof barrier and dialed the number he'd memorized long ago. He hoped that the man was already at work, even though the hour was quite a bit earlier than he'd usually call.

After a couple of rings, someone picked up.

"Yes?" Came Sengoku's gruff answer.

"Bagels!" Was the overly enthusiastic reply from Rocinante. "It's been awhile. I'm so glad you're at work already! How are you? How is the family?"

Sengoku sighed. "I'm practically living at work lately thanks to everything that's been going on," he grumbled, muttering something under his breath about a mountain of paperwork. "Anyway, how are things on your end?"

"Awwww I'm sorry to hear that, I'm sure Sanga-san and Buki-kun really miss you! Don't forget to take care of them. You know, family first, right?" He gulped, not missing the irony in his own statement. "But anyway, things couldn't be better on my end. You're talking to the man who just got a promotion! Not only one promotion, but a DOUBLE promotion! You won't believe this!" His voice was brimming with mirth.

Sengoku's interest was clearly piqued judging by the hum of approval from the other end. "Really? Do tell."

"Well, I was officially promoted to the rank of Escort, but…" Rocinante explained about the Scout position and how much trust they were placing in him by granting him that much, and the fact that he'd done so well in this position so far that he'd been able to convince them of his utter loyalty. This was sure to earn him some points back at Marine HQ as well.

"Pretty amazing, right?" He finished, having given full disclosure to Sengoku and breaking all the trust and the secrecy that the Scout post had commanded in one fell swoop.

"I see!" Sengoku had to chuckle at the sheer irony of Rocinante's promotion. "Making the mole their spy...I have to commend you for that feat. Well done! This is truly good news, and it seems as though things are moving along much more quickly than I had anticipated. Although I would caution you to take extra care now that you've been placed in such a role...they may have made you their spy, but I imagine that only means they'll be watching you more closely."

Rocinante made a sound of agreement into the receiver. "You're right…"

Before he could continue, there came the sound of a door opening in the background and a loud voice began laughing.

"GYAHAHAHAHA! I should've known you were already here at work, Sengoku! Your wife must be worried as hell!" The loud voice was followed by some crunching noises. "Here I brought you tea and rice crackers, why don't we have a nice, chat?"

This was followed by a loud 'thunk' and some more crunching.

"I'm busy!" Came Sengoku's reply, a bit muffled as he wasn't speaking directly into the receiver. "No, no thank you, I don't need any cra—Garp! You're getting crumbs all over my desk!"

"You're too much of a neat freak, Sengoku! LIVE A LITTLE! GYAHAHAHAHA!"

There were more slapping sounds and crunching sounds. Rocinante was listening in with a huge grin on his face, trying to suppress his laughter.

"HEY, CUT THAT OUT! Get your damn hand out of my face and get out of my office! I'm in the middle of a report, for crying out loud! Have some manners, will you?!"

A moment later, there came the sound of a door slamming amidst boisterous laughter, and finally all was silent once more.

Sengoku spoke into the receiver again. "Bah. I apologize. If it's not one thing, it's another!"

Rocinante only laughed. "It's okay! I like to hear that things are still lively over at HQ. Well, tell the family hello for me, will you? I don't know when the next time I'll be able to visit will be. And take care of yourself, okay?"

Rocinante had to admit to himself he felt more than a little fondness for the man who'd helped him out after he'd lost everything when he was only a child. They'd maintained a good relationship over the years, and although Sengoku wasn't an outwardly affectionate man, Rocinante knew the elder marine cared for him too. It was evident by the fact that he'd helped the youngster join the marines and had been there to encourage him every step of the way.

"Of course, of course," Sengoku replied. "And you do the same. Good luck out there, Rocinante. We'll speak again soon!"