Chapter 43: The scent of death
"Are you the protagonist of that one mystery novel?" Four of Hearts guessed thoughtfully. "A brooding, calm aura, yet also one who gives off a sense of unhinged madness. What was his name again?"
"Ah, the one where the main character dies in the end? If I recall, his name was 'Lain'." Three of Diamonds spoke in turn.
Three of Hearts immediately burst out, shocked.
"Are you talking about 'Secret of the Conductor'?" Three of Hearts's tone took on an air of annoyance. "I haven't yet finished that one. Aren't you speaking too carelessly for a noblewoman?"
Hearing his words, Three of Diamonds's face flushed, and she immediately silenced herself. In unison, One of Spades turned towards the group, a grin creeping up his expression. He raised his hand in the air, and with a snap of his fingers, the barrier of saltpeter that surrounded them was set alight by bright silver flames. In the fiery atmosphere, One of Spades's face was still half-cloaked in shadow, sending shivers down the other's bodies in unison.
"That's my name, so don't speak about me like I'm fictional." Lain, otherwise known as One of Spades, smirked. "Fiction couldn't kill you right now."
"This is too good. Aren't you acting a little too well? Have you accidentally lost yourself, One of Spades?" Three of Hearts chided.
After Lumière Croft had begun to use the 'illusory murmurs' to gradually convince himself to become someone else, a character from an older storybook had popped into his head. It was the identity of a criminal who was the main character in a mystery novel, who opposed and evaded a detective while trying to clear himself of any suspicion as pertained to a murder. Such an unhinged, confident, and calm persona was exactly what Lumière had been trying to portray. However, as he had begun to slip into the role, he had forgotten who 'Lumière Croft' initially was. In the moment, he had truly become 'Lain', the One of Spades.
'Lain? As in, someone who has lied?' Four of Hearts mused inwardly. 'Isn't One of Spades too on-the-nose with his humour?'
As the saltpeter gradually burned away, so too did the safe atmosphere that had been present around them. As now they were open to sudden attack, it was important that they started to move. Fortunate for them, it was the same time that the current Five of Hearts, Johan Basque, began his nightly endeavours. Over time, as well as using his connections, Three of Hearts had managed to profile Johan Basque's daily life extensively. Most nights, he would spend his time at the 'Rouge Egret', a bar that catered towards the more perverse side of the nightlife's crowd. Three of Hearts began to walk through the streets, the others trailing close behind him. Lain had abandoned the cowl that had been given to Lumière Croft, and his eyes shifted about rapidly as he took in the atmosphere around him. However, he was not scared or full of anxiety. Rather, Lain felt a rapidly rising feeling of excitement and entertainment grasp his heart, as if he had been thrust into the depths of a fun trick or game.
"So, we're going to fight someone?" Lain asked with a grin on his face, his gaze still shifting from side to side as he excitedly eyed each site within the festival district, almost like a child in a new place for the first time.
"No, we aren't going to fight them. We're going to trick them and get them arrested. Really, didn't you have the foresight to remember at least this much?" Three of Diamonds sighed. Looking over at Lain, her face blushed slightly. Although she still felt a strong feeling of hesitance and anxiety towards One of Spades, his sudden childish inclinations that came with his new persona softened her heart a little bit. She reached into her cloak and procured a sheet of parchment, as well as a pen. As they walked, she began to scrawl out One of Spades's initially planned involvement in the operation before handing it over to Lain. "This is your job. Remember to memorise it well and follow it exactly as written."
In the novel titled 'Secret of the Conductor', the main character, Lain, was someone who liked to experience the many fun and exciting points in life. He was a thrill-seeker at heart. He rarely abided by caution, and was quick to jump towards danger with full confidence knowing that he would topple all that threatened him. However, he was also a person who knew that higher powers were something he should he subordinate to. This is why Three of Diamonds, having read the novel, was quick to treat him as if he were lower than her, and command him to do exactly as he was told.
Accepting the parchment, Lain took several moments to glance at the words scrawled carefully onto its surface. He seemingly took in each bit of information, nodding thoughtfully from time to time before looking back up towards Three of Diamonds. A sheepish grin spread up his face, and he spoke out.
"I can't read."
Three of Diamonds's face paled with a mixture of annoyance, shock, and dejection. Her eyebrow twitched, and beside her, Four of Hearts burst out into a fit of laughter.
'This fucker… really, what was One of Spades thinking, picking him of all people to mimick?'
"When the time comes, I'll tell you what to do. You'll listen to me, won't you?" Three of Diamonds tried her best to keep a genuine, charming smile on her face as she spoke.
"It's dangerous, is it?" Lain inquired.
Three of Diamonds nodded in response. "It's quite dangerous, that's why we're going to abide by the plan exactly."
Lain walked forward, striding alongside her before stopping her in her tracks. He reached out his hand, grasping her by the cheeks as he pulled her in close. His eyes radiated an unhinged malevolence as he smiled genially.
"Then, why don't I use you to fish out the danger? What better plan is there than that?"
Whatever anxiety that had dissipated in Three of Diamonds's heart immediately returned. Looking up at Lain, she immediately shook his grip on her off, and looked away, her expression blushing and embarrassed.
'Was One of Spades initially like this, or is this just the personality of 'Lain'? I think I preferred his initial state more… this man is too unpredictable."
"It's your job to steal a certain item, Lain." Three of Hearts turned back towards him. "That's all you need to do. Anything more than that and there will be repercussions."
Lain let out an audible 'tsk', but still continued walking beside them, his hands in the pockets of his longcoat.
'I wonder if this persona is a little too crazy. Hasn't this little magician inadvertently done the one thing we were trying to avoid? If this 'Lain' character can't listen to our plans, then it will truly go off the rails. Moreover, if I can't stop One of Spades from throwing himself into danger unconsciously, he may get detained by the Peacekeepers. If I can't keep the subordinates of my missions safe, then I will surely lose trust with my clients as a merchant.' Unlike his usually calm demeanor, Three of Hearts's internal ramblings were profound, yet full of anxiety.
As they approached the Rouge Egret, the bar that Johan Basque frequented, Three of Hearts spotted a man in formal attire taking large strides with a beaming smile on his face. He had greasy, slicked back blonde hair, and bright emerald eyes that radiated a sense of malevolence. Three of Hearts's heart erupted with anxiety, and he quickly fell back into the shadows of the street, prompting the group behind him to do the same.
"What are we doing now?" Four of Hearts whispered hesitantly.
"That bastard finished early… he's going back to his base of operations now. We won't have time to match the movements of the Peacekeepers… we'll have to adjust the plan when we get there."
Three of Hearts glanced over towards the unpredictable Lain, who still had a faint grin present on his expression.
"We're going to follow that man silently. Can you do that much?"
Lain looked over towards Three of Hearts and smiled.
"Whatever pleases you best." Lain laughed softly.
Three of Hearts nodded in response, and giving the two others a slight confirmation, they began to move. After scaling the side of the building behind them by climbing up a ladder meant for maintenance, they began to creep through the rooftop's shadows, trailing a mild distance behind the blonde-haired enigmatic individual. They passed by the streets filled with the remnants of those commuting home. Most of the streets by that point had become quiet and solemn. Unlike most people, Johan Basque had extensive power, and so he was not scared of the beasts that roamed at night. Still, he too stuck to the shadows to an extent, not only to avoid the Nameless, but also the suspicion of the Peacekeepers. In a city where the night brought danger, one who chose deliberately not to fear it was either a fool, or someone to suspect.
They eventually came to a small facility in the center of the middle borough. It was a medical facility where the sickly were taken, or where the elderly were taken care of. It was simultaneously attached to a building where terminally-ill children were treated, although that building was far smaller. Moreover, behind the facility, a small building of no regard sat quietly. The four watched from the rooftops as Johan Basque unlocked the gate that surrounded the facility, walking quietly through the courtyard and past the main building. He quickly approached the lone building behind the facility, and using a different key that was attached to a ring of many others, unlocked the door. He then stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.
'Fuck, we have to get closer on the ground…'
There weren't many guards present in the courtyard of the medical facility. However, the four stuck to the shadows regardless. There were several trees planted along the exterior of the facility, and so it wasn't hard for them to approach the building in the back unnoticed. When they reached the wall, they began to hear a faint gleeful whistle coming from inside. Four of Hearts's expression paled, and Three of Hearts immediately began to scale the side of the building silently using the maintenance ladder. The other three followed behind him, and they crept along the rooftop silently. They eventually reached a large glass window on the rooftop where moonlight shone in faintly. When peeking through, they could see the shadowy form of the blonde-haired man dancing about, whistling as he picked up various metal tools from a table beside him.
On a table within the room, illuminated in the moonlight, there was a strange figure lying still. Upon closer inspection, Four of Hearts's stomach began to churn. The figure's wrinkled, aged expression had glossed over, and its stomach had been torn wide upon, revealing bright-pink organs and blood-red fatty flesh. It was the cadaver of an elderly woman. At first glance, one could assume that it was a simple sight of a surgeon practicing his techniques on a licensed cadaver. However, his demeanor in the meanwhile was unnerving. Besides that, as the four inspected closer, they realised that the mouth of the surgeon had curved up into a maniacal, crazed grin, and was caked with bright-red blood.
However, the most unsettling thing thus far was that Johan Basque has stopped whistling. His dancing about had ceased, and he had set his surgical tools down on the table beside him. Soon, there was a sense of anxiety looming in the quiet air. Then, Johan Basque spoke out loud.
"Aren't you fellows being a little too averse to caution? To a man who knows many scents, a sense of smell marred by the presence of chemicals, don't you think I've become quite prone to recognising human presence? Moreover, the living are quite a foul scent to me."
Johan Basque turned to look towards the overhead window where the four stood, looking back down at him, before speaking once more.
"The only scent that should infest this place is death."