Chapter 31

At the Red Lounge, patrons wandered as usual, their idle and often boisterous conversations muffled by the glass orb where Dema stood. This dampening of outside conversations was usually enough to keep her mood from becoming too severely annoyed. Today, it wasn't working. The annoyance was inside the space that usually shielded her, and it was becoming more and more aggravating. 

"Are you serious?" Dema stared down at the golden knife now sitting on her desk, its metal reflecting off the glass surface. "This wasn't the first thing you thought to mention?"

"I still don't think it's relevant." Wen pointedly ignored the annoyed looks from the other two men in the room."

Dema picked the weapon up carefully, holding it by its handle and carefully touching the flat part of the blade. "I've seen a few of these before. This one looks real."

"Maybe," Wen said. 

Dema closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Without opening them, she asked, "What are you planning on doing about this?"

Wen's brow furrowed. "Nothing. Why? I'm going to find him, and if he feels like telling me about it he can."

"Hey boss," Caid asked, his tone surprisingly light considering the moment, "remember that one time some weird guy broke into your office and you told me to watch him because he would probably turn out to be a major threat?"

Wen didn't reply. 

"I'm not going to ask," Dema set the knife back down on the glass table. "But I think we can all agree we know where this is going." 

Again, Wen didn't reply.

"Uh, I have no idea where this going," Shan was quick to fill in the silence.

Caid looked back at him with absolute exhaustion seeping out of every part of his being. "We are going to have to find the Shadows."

"Ooooh," Shan nodded in understanding, "you mean we are going to find the centuries-old hidden base of the super duper secretive and deadly group, the one no one knows how to get to?"

"Yeah. That."

"Are we done here?" Dema tossed the knife back to Wen, who caught it silently and stared down at the engraving. 

"How the fuck are we supposed to find them?" Shan turned to Caid, despite knowing the other man had no answers. He didn't understand why his presence was required at all and didn't like the implication that he was going to be joining them on their next outing.

"I don't know." Caid rubbed his temple, "there has to be a way. They work on commission, so there has to be a way to request a kill, someone who goes back and forth between them."

"I know how to request a kill," Wen said, "and anyone going back and forth like that has direct ties to their organization. They are known for their loyalty. And their fear. Nothing we could threaten them with would be as scary as the punishment for disloyalty. Not even death."

"Okay, so it's just hopeless." Shan was really, really getting tired of doing difficult tasks without clear-cut instructions.

"You know how to find them," Tama spoke, staring at her sister. She left her gaze unbroken, and Dema stared back unflinchingly.

Wen took a step towards her and stared.

The silence in the room grew tense until finally, Dema broke.

"Okay, okay!" She flung herself down onto her chair, "I have a contact who might know how to get to them."

Shan's mood immediately lifted. Maybe this would actually be easy. "You have a contact who knows the Shadows? Will they give us info? Who is it?"

Dema pursed her lips and considered. "I don't know. They don't owe the Shadows any loyalty, but they seem to have some sort of…affiliation. Like I said, I don't know, I don't ask questions."

Caid immediately tensed. "Someone who is affiliated but doesn't owe loyalty? That seems unlikely, given their reputation as, you know," he waved a hand around.

"Creepily secretive," Shan provided.

"Like I just said, I don't know," Dema said, "They've been a supplier for years, and their goods require knowledge only someone familiar with the Shadows would have. I'm not saying they can help, but there is a slim possibility they know something."

"What supplies?" Wen immediately asked. Dema only shot the knife in Wen's hand a pointed look.

"Really?" Shan's eyebrows shot up. "Why are you buying a bunch of fancy knives?"

"Collector's items," Dema shrugged, "you would be surprised at how many people want a knife proven to have killed some big shot."

"So…this supplier…" Shan began, and Dema quickly caught on to his question.

"Yes. My supplier tracks the Shadow's kills fast enough they can retrieve the knife before anyone else. Before anyone even notices their boss is dead, and definitely before the authorities find out. I've had my suspicions that they seem to know ahead of time when and where a kill will take place, but god knows how. I don't care, as long as I get my goods. Each knife sells for a ridiculous amount."

After a moment's pause, she added, "I can set up a meeting. But that's it."

Wen nodded sharply. It wasn't a great lead, but it was something. After weeks of nothing, it felt almost too good to be true. Wen quickly squashed the budding fear that it wouldn't work that nothing would work and instead focused on breathing steadily. 

"I'll contact you with the information when it's set," Dema said, a clear dismissal. 

Wen nodded again and turned to give Tama a polite nod as well. She smiled back brightly and chirped "Good luck! I really hope you find him okay!"

"I will." Wen turned to leave, but Dema stood and made her way to his side before he could. She leaned in close enough that only Wen could hear.

"I've gone beyond my end of the bargain. If you want this meeting, I'll need more from you."

Wen's eyebrows raised. He was in a somewhat better mood now that he had a lead, so he asked carefully, "What more?"

"After this, my debt to you is paid."

Wen didn't hesitate, "When I find Day, I will consider us even."

Dema considered and then nodded sharply. As she stepped back, Shan eyed them both curiously, but Wen waved him off. They descended back down to the main level, and Wen found despite the increase in smell and smoke, he could breathe easier. He had a lead. They would find him. They would.