Little Red Riding Hood Comes to Town
Summer 2021, Week 2
Thursday evening
The Red Door, Downtown
Dallas Lock
"Travis, it's good to see you again." Dallas seemed to float through the entrance as he greeted the door watch, slipping a hundred into his pocket as the man gave a bow. "I'm expecting company, I'll want to meet her in the private room. You should know her when you see her. I expect she is treated with the utmost respect." The man in red never raised his voice, but the emphasis he put on the words made the door watch gulp and give a stern nod. "Excellent, thank you. Have Dennis serve us today and get him to start on one of your amazing old fashions for me again. Thank you." Walking past the half-filled main lounge, he twisted down a corridor and entered a well-furnished private room. It was a dining area with plushy chairs and a fine wood table. Slipping out of his jacket, Dallas took a seat and waited, humming along with the music that wafted into the room through the one-way sided glass walls.Alekto Starr
The world was forever changed in the eyes of the young devil-like woman having been whisked away from her hateful homeland of Israel and into a new land filled equally with disdainful eyes and strange customs. It was a world away from what she knew, but perhaps that was fitting for the girl that didn't belong. Red skin scarcely hidden by the deep, heavy clothing she wore across her like the tattered vestments of vagabonds past. Alekto's horns giving her no choice but to pierce holes in the hood of her cloak drawing many a suspicious eye as she trotted through the bustling streets of New Victoria. Those golden eyes of hers flicked over and over across her surroundings, their molten color gleaming bright beneath the flickering florescent hue of old streetlights and drinking in the oddities of the city. Ranging from shit-faced pedestrians, some bear shaped bushes, and the neon lights so far removed from her reality it was laughable. Rustling within her cloak she fished out the scrap of paper she'd been given, slit pupils devouring the information upon that slip as she matched the address with the location resting just before her eyes. "Seems like this is the place," Alekto murmured to herself in her mother tongue, sighing in annoyance before crossing that final distance to the Red Door itself. The wash of color and light pouring from between the cracks of the building were oddly blinding for her despite having been accustomed to the harsh rays of the sun. There was something so painful about this foreign light that she was forced to bring a hand over her eyes, glancing between the space between her fingers to the bouncer at the door. Before she had a chance to even breathe out a question she was ushered inside, led by a spindly man to an area hidden from the rest of the club. A private room in which opened for her despite the odd glances she received in her trek through those sacred doors. With little ceremony she settled down in the seat across from Dallas, heaving off the heavier bit of her equipment and settling down the dust-laden bags, backpack, and garments. The action enough to send plumes of dirt and sand into the otherwise pristine interior of the club. Not a moment later she tore the hood from her head, freeing that ragged mane of black locks from its confines so that it spilled across her shoulders and back, the crest of her horns piercing the air with all their devilish fury as those gleaming eyes looked suspiciously at the man clad in red. "Guessing you're the guy? I hope you have a few answers for me; starting with why you brought me here." That grating, suspicious tone of her bled into the words as she spoke to Dallas trying to get a gauge of the man sitting before her and hoping to get a few answers from who she suspected summoned her from half a world away.Dallas Lock
Smiling as she walked in, the man stands up with a fluid grace as she enters. "My, aren't you stunning." Are the first words he says, his tone conveying nothing but honesty in each word that slipped from his lips. As she sat down, he joined her, grabbing his drink in his hand and taking a sip. "Would you like anything? It's on me, of course." He slid over a menu and seemed to relax, ready to respond to her inquiries. "I am indeed the guy. Dallas Lock, a pleasure to meet you Alekto. An absolute pleasure." He set his drink down and leaned forward slightly against the table. "As for why I brought you here, that's because I was looking for someone who could assist me in a few errands. I have jobs that need doing, and I need someone who I can count on to do those jobs." Reaching under the table, Dallas pulled out a purse. A simple black handbag with a strap. "You see, people can betray you if you pay them. Someone can run by and pay them more, leading them to turn on you. But when you give someone who had nothing the opportunity, the single break in life they need to truly rise up to all the potential they have, well then. It suddenly becomes a lot easier to trust them." Opening the bag, he revealed it was full of cash, nearly $20,000 in total. "This is for taking the meeting with me today, and nothing else. This is yours now."Alekto Starr
The devil woman watched him carefully, as a woman who'd spent her entire life being hunted might look at her next potential enemy. Suspicion and wariness, tension coiling within her muscles but following both verbal and non-verbal prompts as she settled into her seat. Her gaze briefly flicking down towards the English script sprawled across the menu. She'd learned swaths of English from U.N. soldiers stationed both within and outside of Israel's borders, but hearing the words did little to prepare her for their writing. Yet she struggled in silence with naught but the near imperceptible scrunch of her brow before she looked towards Dallas once again, ignoring his first statement and instead addressing the question at hand. "Get me what you're drinking, fitting since I'm on your turf it seems. Doubt they'd let me in otherwise." Despite being so wary, she lounged backwards into her seat, letting the plush upholstery cushion her sore muscles as they whined with the applied pressure. An eyebrow being cocked briefly as thoughts ran through her mind of just how much this man knew about her. Then it struck her. Why else would he summon me across the world if not for what I am? She was quiet for a few long moments as he spoke, drawing out her words, her voice coarse with disuse. "Dallas then, I guess I should thank you for getting me out of that sty. So yeah, it is pleasure, mutual for now at least." Despite her rough words, her tone broached little outright aggression as she seemed to perch upon that knife's edge of uncertainty as he explained himself to her. Alekto listened despite herself, perking up slightly as he began to reach under the table as her instincts screamed for her to move until the shape of a purse caught the edge of her gaze. It was then she settled again and sighed, that sound of disappointment soon being caught in her throat as the cash was revealed to her. It was then an unbidden memory flooded back, her mind flashing with images of American soldiers betting wads of cash in Israel. Soldiers that laughed at her and even with their rank held only a small portion of the wealth in the bag before her. This is for taking the meeting with me today, the words rung in her head, and she tried to calm her heart but instead she snatched the bag from atop the table, rifling through the bills. Despite her inadequate knowledge of American currency, she knew from her past that this was a significant sum of cash. It took only a few heartbeats from that realization for her to look up towards Dallas, that suspicion still present but now cracking as hesitation seemed to bubble up within her. She knew where this would lead, obligated to do some unknown jobs for a man she didn't know but at the price of wealth she never even fathomed and delivered from squalor by someone who treated her with a modicum of respect. Practicing more patience than when she snatched the bag but seconds ago, she cleared her throat. "I won't promise I'll do the jobs... But I'll hear what you're offering and what you need done. I'll even give you the courtesy of giving you an answer before I leave this room, since you went through the trouble of bringing me here and giving me this." She motioned towards the bag of cash, "What're these errands then Dallas? Something important I'm guessing."Dallas Lock
A broad smile spread across the man's face, showing a perfect set of teeth gleaming white. "That is an excellent choice." Raising a hand in response, Dallas waited a moment before one of the staff members walked into the room despite not being able to see inside given the privacy of the room. "Steven, my good man, could I get two old fashions, please?" With a stern nod that approached a bow, the server, Steven, responded with a Yes, Mr. Lock. before leaving through the door, allowing Dallas to give his full attention to his guest. "I hope it stays mutual, my dear. That would be beneficial for the both of us int he long run." Watching with eyes lit up in excitement as she grabbed the purse and started counting the money, Dallas didn't say anything. Eventually their drinks came, and he finished off his first one in a gulp before taking the second and handing Steven a $100 as per his custom. When she looked up and spoke, he smiled once again but spoke with a calm tone like describing a set of employment criteria. "The jobs will vary depending on what exactly I need, but the pay will be worthwhile. To start, most of the jobs will concern visiting certain locations and ensuring they are...within compliance with the rules my employer has set out. Simple things really. The other starting jobs will be more dealing with watching and engraining yourself in another group as my representative. Neither of these are truly difficult for someone with your abilities, I imagine. And the better you do, well, the more opportunities open." "If you agree to be on retainer for me, for at least three jobs based on what I described, you will be given an additional $20,000 and a place to stay until you can make your own arrangements. Each accomplished job will earn you another $5,000. After you accomplish each, we can discuss a raise in compensation." Taking a slow slip of his drink, he seemed to pause as he enjoyed the flavor running down his tongue. With a sigh of enjoyment, he looked at the woman. "So, does that interest you, Alekto?"Alekto Starr
Merely offered a curt nod to the man as he complimented her choice in drink, it simply seemed to right choice given the nature of their conversation even if she wasn't the most graceful socially. This fact was ignored as they were left alone again in the wake of Steven's brief presence within the room, her attention falling fully back upon Dallas as he began to lay out the parameters of the jobs he was offering to her. Idly she supported her chin with a loosely balled fist, her eyes narrowed but slightly pointed ears flicking like an animal’s as she listened to Dallas speak. It was relatively straightforward, but a few of his propositions caused her brow to narrow in confusion. If he knows so much about me, he must realize working with others won't end well for me? It was that thought that made her look over Dallas once again, getting a bead on his bearing while she ground her teeth back in forth as her mind reeled with the possibilities. He isn't stupid, there's gotta be more too it. At that she brought both hands back upon the table, one entrapping the crystalline glass of her drink as she raised it to him before knocking it half of it back in a single go. Alekto hissed as the bite of its flavor and heat traveled across her tongue and branded the insides of her throat with its infernal presence. "Sounds too good to be true," Alekto's words came out with a lilting tone as she swirled the remainder of her glass within her hand. "Setting a few heads on straight is easy, but spy work isn't exactly my forte. What's the catch with that one?" Sitting the glass back down onto the table, that idle motion snuffed out as that tension seeped out from her body bit-by-bit, growing more comfortable by the moment as she realized what opportunities lie before her. She still wasn't sure she could trust that man, but at the very least Dallas had an offer she couldn't refuse. "Fuck it," Alekto ground out as she slammed her train of thought to a halt, "Sure. It’s better than running through ditches and dodging IEDs back home, I'll take your jobs and whatever arrangements you're offering. Just give me the details of the jobs I'll need to complete whenever they become prevalent, and I'll get them done. I'll just need some time to get ready if you suspect any kind of fighting, but otherwise I'll be good to go in a day barring that exception." Folding her arms over her chest, she tilted her chin upwards in Dallas' direction. "So, Dallas, just what'll I be getting myself into exactly?"Dallas Lock
The man was a mask of casual enjoyment, but his eyes did reveal his mind was active. It was a test, an assessment of character, a determination of Alekto's potential loyalty to the job as opposed to him. A man like Dallas doesn't get far believing in such a thing as blanket loyalty. But a binding to one's own word, that's something you can rely on if the person was judged to be honorable if only to themselves. "I'll answer both of your questions in one go." He said as he also took a sip of his drink. And then he vanished. No pomp, no flash, he was just gone. For about ten seconds, Alekto was alone in the room before he reappeared back in his seat like almost nothing had change--except now he was holding a briefcase. "I'm sure you have enough of a read on me that you can put together what I do may skirt the lines of legality but that I am not a 'thug.'" For the first time his tone adjusted to add some disdain on the last word. "I'm a businessman. My employer is a businessman. And what I need are agents who can communicate that to those I deal with." Waving around the room as if in demonstration, he continued. "I need someone who can get what I need done with a touch of decorum. But that person also needs to be able to actually get done what I need done." "So, the first jobs are simple. You'll be my agent, my representative so to speak. I'm a busy man so I can't do it all myself, but I hate when things fall through the cracks." Setting the briefcase on the table, he popped it open with a click. Inside was another stack of money and folders. "You'll go to various groups, tell them what I direct to you and ensure they comply." A slight smirk grew on his face at what was left unsaid. "If you prove to be a decent agent for those three jobs, all three which will fall into that category, we can discuss the 'spy' job." The folder contained a list of business places with descriptions next to them. Clothing boutiques, jewelers, gunsmiths, all contacts with notes written by them about who to ask for and what they're best at supplying. Each also had prices listed next to them generally, the numbers well into the thousands for most. "That job isn't spying as much as it's reminding a partner of mine that I'm keeping an eye on him. They'll know who you work for, and likely that'll be more than enough. He is a dangerous man, less than me, but regardless I want to make sure you can actually handle yourself before I task you with that." He slid the briefcase over and finished off his drink. "Take the weekend to visit those places listed. Get yourself whatever equipment you need, you'll find an extra ten grand in there for expenses but be sure that you have an appropriate wardrobe. A stunning woman like yourself, Alekto, I won't have you representing my name in anything but the best. If you remember nothing else about what I require from those working for me, remember this. We are not thugs, we are businesspeople."Alekto Starr
Endured the gaze in a brief bout of silence. Two predators eyeing staring one another down and waiting for even the slightest crack to appear but the power was quite obviously skewed in the favor of the regal lion of a man, perched upon his plush upholstered throne versus the starving wolf that sat his opposite. Her hunger for more betrayed much of her usual apprehension and the vast wealth being offered to her now, coupled with the seemingly mundane jobs to accompany her new mantle, only served to further reinforce that. Those golden eyes raked along Dallas' face at his prompt reply and then scoured the room in his immediate absence quickly coming to realize her benefactor, too, was an Evo. It should've been obvious, her own mind screamed at her as she stood up from her chair in a rush and clatter. It wasn't until he returned that that alert posture seeped away but that did little to abate her thundering heart and the adrenaline rushing through her veins like magma. Rather than sitting down immediately she scraped her knuckles along the mahogany table, the sound of bone on wood clicking together resounding throughout the small space between them. "'Businessmen,' you're people with agendas and plans. Nothin' wrong with it, but I'm callin' it as it is." Alekto snorted as she tilted her head upwards towards him, "You don't strike me as a gambling man, but you gotta know that people have been want to call me monster or terrorist where I'm from. 'Specially one from a world away." Finally, the devil girl recomposed herself and sat back in her seat, pulling it until her body was nearly flush with the table's edge as she fixed her gaze back upon the man and then to the contents of the briefcase with curiosity. With more decorum than she had with the money, she began to sift through the folders and cash, taking in the details as they were being fed to her. It took several minutes for her to fully absorb all the information that now sat in front of her as she gave a brief nod her lips tugging at the edges as she mouthed words quietly to herself to better understand what was written on the page. Dozens of intricate pieces for a widespread scheme but it was hardly scratching the surface, and a part of her yearned to satiate her own curiosity. Meeting Dallas' gaze again she bobbed her head in a facsimile of a nod before speaking up again with her rather informal tone. "Sure, I'll be the iron fist that you're hoping for. The jobs seem simple enough so far, nothing that's out of my capabilities that I can tell. And plus, I'm sure I can be an angel if I need to be." That last sentence of hers dripped with malice not directed towards Dallas but spawned from distant thoughts, her lips peeling back into a wolfish grin as she reiterated, "Yeah, I'm sold on this. Plus, the benefits are pretty hard to pass up even if I'm curious 'bout the other guy." She collected the briefcase fully as it was slid over to her, taking it, closing it, and pulling it off the table so it was not obstructing their view of one another. "So, take the weekend to scout but not engage, and once I've settled over the next few days you'll send me the details, got it. I'm assumin' you've got a burner for me, or you'll find me at wherever that place is that you mentioned I'd get if I accepted?" She took a brief moment to mull over his latter statements, making a point to draw out the silence before shrugging. "I'll get something suitable, but I'd like a recommendation as to a tailor that you're in good with just so I know I'm not gonna have any problems." As she finished speaking, she gestured to her features, her face quickly pulling into an annoyed expression at the thought of further discrimination before it faded away. "Anything else, Dallas?"Dallas Lock
"Of course I have an agenda, would you trust me even an ounce if I didn't?" Raised eyebrows and a slightly cocked head was the only expression of concern he had for her statement. His slight frown slowly curled up at the edges as he continued. "The only worry you need to have is that my agenda doesn't misalign with yours. And so far, it doesn't." Standing, he pulled a jacket off the back of the chair, swinging it over his arms and sliding it on with practiced ease. "It's not a fist I'm looking for, it's a message. Fists are blunt objects, only useful for one task. I need a hand. I need you to be able to break a nose, shake a hand, choke out life, whatever the situation calls for. Don't limit yourself on only being one thing because that's what the world told you it's all you could be." Jacket button, he pulled out a silver case and popped it open, pulling out a cigar but not lighting it. Rules are rules after all. "I'll find you. And you'll find that there's recommendation for tailors and everything else you need in the folder. Simply tell them you work for me, and they'll assist you. Do make sure that you get something to turn some heads. Beauty and strength are always motivators to do what's asked." Setting out $300 on the table for Steven, he drained the last drops of his drink and gave her a smile, his eyes lingering on her. It wasn't in an attracted sort of fashion, more like a lion observing his prey. "Yes. You're going to be something, Alekto. Quite something. I'll see you in a few days." And with that, he was gone, the room suddenly empty. Only Steven came in a few seconds after, picked up the money on the table and informed Alekto he was to assist her with anything else she'd like while here or was to call her a vehicle when she decided.Alekto Starr
"Agendas aren't inherently bad but people with 'em tend to have pretty scary goals for the most part, so I'm just wondering what yours, in the end, might be." She stated rather bluntly, her voice cutting through the scraping of Dallas' chair across the ground as he pulled back. His response frustrated her, but the devil girl did little about it beside scrunch her brow in distaste, "We'll see, but I'll do what's needed of me regardless." She explained as she stood up from her chair once again, gathering up both the briefcase and the purse as she turned to look at him as he began to make his leave. "I'll look over it when I get to the apartment, and I'll make sure that its plenty enough to catch eyes in more ways than one. But do not expect to see me prancing around in some low-cut dress, that isn't my style." She warned, jabbing an insistent finger in his direction as she didn't let her eyes leave his. It was a sign of weakness to back down and this starving wolf still had quite a bit of pride, even if she'd just handed herself over on a silver platter. Rather than reciprocating the smile, Alekto gave him a curt nod in response. "See you soon, and don't be a stranger. I'm looking forward to this." After he made his leave, Alekto took her time collecting her things. During her time with Alfred, she'd interrogate the man regarding a number of locations listed within the folders, suggestions he'd have based on the recommendations Dallas made, among more mundane questions that'd better acclimate her to New Victoria. It'd take the course of an hour and despite the dense context of the conversation, she'd give him her thanks and accept the ride back to her new residence wherever it might have been. "This is going to be interesting," she said to no one in particular, her head rolling back as she heaved a heavy sigh into the cool night air.
Type
Record, Historical
Medium
Digital Recording, Text
Authoring Date
July 1, 2021
Authors
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