42 Chapter 3: Going In (1/2)
Happy Valentine's day! Some sad saps(me) are lonely man, drifting in the wind all alone.
Well, all melancholy thoughts aside, I hope you enjoy the new cover page. It is a pic of the city of Exastrand.
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”Once more you have raised a good concern Bulut, and thankfully I have the answer to that. That is where our second half of the plan comes into action, the distraction.”
For the second time in a row, Soykan reached into his pile of parchment and brought out two portraits of two individuals. One was a middle man who looked tall and lean with suspicious darting eyes. The second was a gaunt young man who had arrogant and viciousness written all over his face.
”Wait didn't you have me shadow those two for days on end?” Taylan asked as recognition blossomed on his face.
”Yep,” Soykan replied.
”Who are they then?” Magnus inquired, if they were taken notice of, then they must be important to their plans.
”They are the folks who will help us create our distraction,” Soykan answered back, clearly trying to drag out the suspense.
”Mhh, I think this one here is the Jade Viper boss's son,” Taylan mused out loud shattering the anticipation Soykan was trying to build up. ”And I think this one is the boss's right hand man.”
”Thanks for clarifying on that, Taylan,” Magnus said with a satisfied grin. ”Now do you want to continue before somebody else spills the beans on your master plan?” Magnus asked Soykan who just looked like he had the rug pulled out from under me.
”Fine,” Soykan said. ”Though all of you are joy killers,” he muttered under his breath. ”Can't even let a fellow have some fun!”
”Alright, now where was I? Yes, for this plan to work we need them both. How it works is that we will be taking them out and assuming their roles,” he said with great finality. Seeing nobody was mind blown, he cleared his throat and begrudgingly carried on.
”To clarify, I mean we will only be taking on Mr. right-hand role, but still, we will be taking them both out. Plus it would be preferable if we took out Mr. right-hand in secret with nobody being none the wiser. For Mr. gang leader's son the opposite is true, taking him out in the open with everybody as witness is much more favorable .”
”Whoa, I see what you are up to,” Magnus pronounce as he now had a general idea of what Soykan's plan was, and how he was going to create the distraction.
”Hey, hey, hey! Stop right there,” Soykan shrieked. ”This is my plan and my plan alone. Thus it is mine to share and nobody else's!”
”Alright, alright, just don't chew me out,” Magnus voiced, not liking that overzealous look in his eyes.
”Ahem, as Taylan said he has been trailing both of them for days on end,” Soykan carried on with, pretending that nothing just happened.
”First, there is the right hand man, he has a secret lover who he likes to go see thus we will take him out when he visits his mistress, disguise as him, and then assume his role.
Then there is the boss's son, he likes to regularly visit the Golden Lily, a brothel down in the Pleasure District. That is where one of you will get the jump on him, publicly kidnap him, and make your escape
Next, whom ever disguises themselves as the right hand man, should go break the news for the gang leader and recount the staged kidnapping to him. That should draw them out of their rat hole and pave the way for us.”
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”Wow, I gotta say that is actually a good plan!” Taylan commented, poking fun of Soykan.
In spite of his best efforts, nobody paid him any attention to him, as they were hashing out the plan and fine tuning it.
”Why don't we add some finesse to the kidnapping by publicly proclaiming some along the lines 'it is us, your rival gang.' That should do the trick,” Magnus inputted.
”That is a good idea,” Soykan uttered as he nodded his head to himself and pulled out another parchment with information scribbled on to it. ”Let's see here, one of the Jade Viper's biggest rivals is the Phantom Tribe. If we blame the abduction on them, that might really rattle them, and make them expedite more men.”
After Magnus raised his idea, he was followed up by Shui, ”What about instead of risking our own lives setting off those dwarves ashes, manually. We instead use a coil of thin rope to light the powder from a safe distance.”
”Would that even work?” Soykan asked, as he gave Shui an unsure look.
”Trust me,” Shui replied with a slight bob of his head.
”We have a lesser version of this dwarven ash back home in the Drifting Archipelago called firecracker. It is used during celebrations to light up the sky with beautiful, sparkling illuminations,” he came to a head with as a look of yearning and remembrance crossed his face.
Magnus knew Wang Shui was Island folk, his narrow, round features and his warm skin tone with the yellowish cast-- told it all. Shui's mannerism, idiosyncrasy, quirks, and traits all spoke of Mountain folk to him, Magnus always took him as a denizen of the Starry Mountains.
But who would have guessed that he was born and bred far off into the east, in the archipelagos?
Getting back to the matter at hand, Soykan gave a shrug in response and said, ”If you say that's best then we will go with it.”
Then Bulut spoke up next, ”Even if they have a ghost of a shell reminding, you still need somebody to guard your back to take care of those left behind in the tunnels.”
”Well then it shall be you while I empty the treasury,” Soykan responded with.
Bulut gave him a look and Soykan just waved it off and added, ”Nobody is more wicked with a blade than you, Bulut, especially with those axes of yours. If somebody is going to guard my back and keep those gangsters off of me, then it is you.”
”If we are assigning roles, then I guess I will be the one to take out the right hand man and disguise myself as him,” Taylan stated as he rested his feet on the table. ”I am after all the best when it comes to these sorts of things, plus I am the only one close to him in stature and frame,” he added with a grin.
”Alright, good, Taylan could take care of that,” Soykan pronounce. ”Now moving on to taking out the gang leader's son?”
”Woo, can I do it, please?” Magnus asked, hoping that he would finally make a break. ”I will make sure to take out the sleazebag real quick and smooth,” he added, trying to reassure them.
”Nay, I think it would be better if Shui takes care of it,” Soykan declared without even turning to face Magnus and saying it to his face.
”Certainly,” Shui said with an inclination of his head.
”In addition to all that make sure all of you are non-lethal, we do not want to draw any more heat than necessary.”
”Are you guys seriously going to be ignoring me like that?” Magnus grilled, incredulous with the way he was just waved off.
”What is it that you want?” Soykan asked with utmost patience written on his face.
”What am I even going to do?” Magnus asked.
”You will be our getaway driver,” Soykan replied.
”Oh come on!” Magnus screamed. ”Why do I always get the most useless, boring, and inferior jobs?”
”Magnus,” Soykan said in a calm, serene tone. ”This is an important role, and I do not have to tell you how important, you should already know that. Now, please take on the job like a grown man and hush as we conclude this meeting.”
Magnus knew when he was being babied and if there ever was a moment that it was true, now would be it. Well if Soykan wanted to play like that then he could play like that.
”Well, if this is so important as you preach it out to be,” he said as he put air quotes around the word important. ”Why don't you do it, or Bulut, Shui, and Taylan? I am just a child who is many moon turns away from his coming of age.”
”Woo, he has you there,” Taylan commented off to the side.
Soykan paid the thief no heed, but instead turned his gaze done upon the insolent pupil of his. ”Now listen up here, kid, and listen good. You will undertake the role of our getaway driver, and you will do it without any more complaints. You hear me?”
Magnus could see that this tactic of smart mouthing it wasn't going to cut it, nor throwing a tantrum with how severe Soykan was acting. Maybe it was time to go for something else, perhaps the softening of the heart? Hmm, that might work.