Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Venice Beach, CA

Anne looked out into the darkness, savoring the utter quiet. The lull of the swell rocking her to almost sleep. As a practitioner who specialized in lunar magic, she appreciated simultaneous grace and power of the great Pacific Ocean. It was deceptively serene. She recalled sitting on the sand with her mother... where was that? Was it Santa Monica? They were staring out into the distant horizon. It really did seem so peaceful. It was warm. It was quiet. It was eternal.
"Careful to think of that vastness as peace, my sweet Anne," her mother said, as if she read Anne's mind. "It can be. But depending on where you are and when you are, the Pacific Ocean can taunt you, deceive you, and throw you."
As if the ocean heard, it responded with a pod of dolphins jumping in the distance. Anne caught her breath and pointed, "Mother, look there!"
"Ah, Annie! Isn't that just beautiful. And sometimes the great ocean can show you such magic as that. One day, sweetheart, we'll go out there and see that together." Mom, you'd spin at the thought of the Venice Canals in California.
"Well, at least we timed this right," Roy said, the deep voice interrupting the memory. "I can't see anything. Are you sure we're supposed to meet them tonight?"
Annie jolted out of her reverie, having completely forgotten for a moment where she was and what she was doing. "Yes," she answered, "we are." Lighting a match to reorient herself with who she was with and what she had with her. Annie imagined the small, dim glow amidst the vast emptiness.
For the briefest of moments, she felt the insignificance of life. What distance... We really are nothing, aren't we.
She came back to herself and continued, "Hank sent word last week and gave me the time and date. Not only that, he left this rowboat for us, remember?"
"Right," Roy answered. "But Boss, it's been a while. And this ocean... what if there's, ya know, a storm or something." Roy said it as a statement.
In the dim light, Annie saw Roy's grip on the side of the small row boat as he looked back to shore. The fear in his voice was obvious. Roy had been with her outfit for, what, two years? She knew him quite well by now, but this was the first time they had to go out to sea. She hadn't known he was afraid. I guess that just demonstrates his loyalty to me. That's actually a relief. "Look, Roy, we're safe. The ocean is big and scary, I know. But May is ideal for us to meet because it's typically a calm month for the Pacific. We had to meet tonight because it's the New Moon. We needed the darkness. When we get back, the waves will be calm, too. Don't worry, Roy. We'll be okay. We only need to do this once, until we can establish our own connections. We'll do the train route, or I'll figure out how to use that pocket dimension to flatten the space."
"Okay, Boss. Thanks. But remind me again why we couldn't just meet on the beach? Venice is such a nice place. What is this stuff we have to pick up anyway. And what the heck's a pocket dimension?" Roy's voice was fast.
The match had gone out, but Annie could just make out Roy's eyes. "Well, out here we're outside of police jurisdiction. It wasn't my idea, but Chuck Crawford's. He wants to stay safe out here, so we're making the trade on the water. We don't really have a choice, since we need his gambling fleet and his stash. And you know what we're picking up. Remember the shipment that got intercepted by Chief Steele?
"Right, Steele. Think he's out there on the shore? He coulda followed us."
Annie could now make out Roy's head turning this way and that. She needed to get him to calm down. She couldn't have him ruin this entire operation. Not to mention her tranquility on the Pacific. Maybe she should have taken Ruth. "Roy, we've known each other a while, right?"
"Yeah, Boss, sure. Couple a years."
"Okay, so you know my specialty, and you know what I can do. Would it help if I... if I worked some of that while we're out here on the water?" Annie was already starting the sigil on the plank Roy was sitting on.
"Boss, I'm fine. Really. I just.. Okay, yeah, yeah. That would be swell, Boss. I'm freaking out out here."
"Okay. Touch your hand to the plank you're sitting on. I'm going to bring the power of the Pacific to help us and be with us, and help you to feel that. I know it seems counterintuitive, and that's exactly what you don't want. But trust me, you'll feel the calm, as if you're just another wave. As if you are also the horizon, the dark, the quiet, the distant sparkle, the coolness of the sea breeze..." All the while, Annie was moving her hand around Roy, a faint glow trailing her fingers.
"Thanks, Boss, that's incredible."
"How do you feel now?"
"Calm. Fine. Just fine. I now completely understand, you-" Roy fell over and was immediately asleep.
Oh good grief. Well, at least he's calm. "Roy, you're such a light weight. Also, I'll just remove that memory..." Annie touched her thumb to her forefinger and pulled a silver sliver of light from Roy's forehead. She dropped it in the water where it swirled down and down. "There we go, and there you go La Pacífica. Feed your fish with that, will you?"
Not even a minute later, another small boat met them. In it were two people and a small shimmering box. "Is that Sweet Annie Shine? What's the word."
"Yes, I'm Annie. Word is Birgitte Helm. It's from that film Metropolis. I'm guessing you're Hank then? Who's with you?" Annie grabbed for the other boat to hold it to hers. Hank did the same.
"Yeah I'm Hank. Good to meet you face to face. Finally. You're getting quite the reputation. Enough to have a name. This here's Henry. But don't call him Hank. He's here to row. Say hi, Henry." Henry grunted.
"Alrighty. Henry, Hank, how do you two do."
"What's with sleeping beauty?" Hank asked.
"The ocean put him to sleep. You sure did take your time." Annie pulled a small satchel from her coat. "Here's the ten grand. I take it that's the vermouth?" Annie pointed to the shimmering box, forgetting that Hank may not be able to see anything in this darkness.
Hank picked up the box and handed it to Annie. "Yep. Sweet, dry, and amber. Italian, and spelled by the best of the best in Quebec. This stuff has traveled quite a distance. Ol' Chuck's sorry to let this go. It's powerful, and keeps the clientele. But he knows it's easier to get for him than it is for you... Besides, he'll be contacting you for something in the near future."
Annie almost dropped the box in the deep. "What? That wasn't the agreement. The agreement was ten cash. And to make the trade out here on the water."
Another grunt from Henry. Annie forgot he was there. She could see Hank pick up both of his hands in innocence. "Look Sweet Annie-"
"Just Annie, please." Annie made sure to hide her glowing fingers behind her back.
"Look, Annie, I'm just the help. But take it from me, when you're dealing with people like Chuck, any agreement is loaded. There's always... extra, and it ain't generally in your favor. I'll uh... I'll see what I can find out and send word. I don't know why, but I like you, Annie. I just met you, but I can feel you got... somethin' about you I can't quite make out, but I like you. I'll send word."
"Thanks, Hank. And thanks Henry." Another grunt.
"You take care. And be careful heading back. This ocean is big, and we're nothing by comparison. Don't get lost. As soon as you cross back from that marker, there, you're out of maritime protection."
"Got it. We'll be fine." Annie smiled, holding up her amulet, and knowing no one could see it. It was better that way. Better to let Hank have his feelings of worry.
They shoved away from each other. Annie started to row, enjoying the peace and solitude of the Pacific. She'd wake Roy up in a couple of minutes and explain what just happened. Well, let Chuck ask. She'll turn it to her advantage and get her connections. What sounded ominous now seemed to be rather a stroke of dumb luck. Not only would she get her connection, she'd get her pocket dimension to boot.

Type

Ocean