With nothing to do, Macy sailed away into the sea of memories, riding the wind toward a particular chapter.
She hadn't always been an accountant. Yes, she had a good head. Always did. She didn't have to study as hard to get the best scores in school. But she held back, and that took some effort. She was always a little afraid of shining bright. She felt much more comfortable in the shadows. And for that, she had to maintain average grades, where she was most inconspicuous. All through school and then college, she remained unremarkable. Her greatest pride was how well she hid her two great gifts – ability to remember even the finest details and numbers. She did study accountancy and finance in college, but that was only a cover as she called it. Her true calling was something else, something she discovered entirely by accident a while ago. Those were things she didn't think about anymore, because she had neither the time nor the inclination to reminisce. People said those were the first things to be snubbed out at the orphanage. Someone like her who'd known nothing but the orphanage, she never even had them.
Today, she had a meeting. She'd heard rumors. From the kind of people who didn't gossip and with whom rumors were just a way of disguising the truth. There was a guy. An ordinary guy you'd see anywhere, on any street, in any corner of the city, or even in the busy markets. You'd walk by without paying the slightest attention, without even realizing who you were passing by. But he was no ordinary guy. He was a merchant. But not in the current sense of the term. No, he was a true merchant, in the ancient and truest sense of the term. The fact that he could so freely roam the streets was the greatest proof of his ability and standing. That she'd gotten a meeting with him was good. She was a broker. And brokers needed merchants more than merchants needed brokers. Especially, a true merchant. She'd never met one. Mostly because they were truly rare, and for some reason it was a claim no merchants were willing to make. Maybe because it didn't matter to them. Some ancient phrasing didn't affect them or their work or their earning. Why bother then? Maybe they were afraid, just a little. There were stories told in whispers in the dead of the night in bars and at parties, of old timers, monsters, devils, who didn't look kindly upon the young ones tarnishing old practices and titles. No one wanted to get on the bad side of those old timers resting in quiet places. Just the fact that people were referring to him as a merchant in the ancient sense of the term made her excited about the meeting.
The meeting was at a new coffee shop. She'd heard about it. Cup of Life. About how many were laughing at it. She'd also heard rumors about new offices, one across the street and another at the end of the street. And she just knew there was a connection. The coffee shop was still new and the customers were mostly the students from the hostel. She went to the upper deck, where she found an ordinary guy sitting at a table, looking blankly out the front. He was older but he could easily pass off as a resident of the hostel. He could also just as easily pass off as a regular employee of some medium sized firm enjoying unexpected time-off. She walked over, sat across the table from him.
"Hello. I'm Redd."
"Hello Ms. Redd. I'm Addy."
It was their first time meeting.
"My client needs a specialist. Sensitive information, stolen. My client needs it destroyed. Along with the thief."
Everyone had to be very careful with words. She had always been careful. Still, she was being even more careful than normal. Destroyed, not retrieved. That was crucial. Along with the thief. That as well. She shared the information about the client she was allowed to, that was also necessary. The request was accepted. Without mention of payment.
"That's all?" she asked at the end, somewhat unsure.
"Yes, Ms. Redd," Addy said with a smile. "That's all. Is there a time frame?"
"The earliest possible."
"Alright. I'll get in touch with you."
She smiled, without leaving immediately. Wasn't as if she had something to say. She was just, there.
Just like she was right now, here. The similarities were as great as the differences. She needed a nap. Addy wouldn't mind. Cup of Life wouldn't mind. In the back corner, she pulled a few chairs together as a makeshift bed, and lay on it. She might not want sleep, but she knew she needed it. It was one of those things reality taught you, you need what you need.
It was still dark when she opened her eyes. But the dark was blacker, like that of an older night. And her eyes burned, barely more than a light pinch, like they did when she woke before she'd slept enough. All of which told her the time long before the numbers on her phone did. Just past midnight.
She sat up. Stretched her neck. Warmed sore muscles. Eased her stiff back. And when she rose to her feet, she saw that she wasn't alone. But Addy wasn't looking at her. He was sitting on the opposite end of the deck, furthest from her, and looking out. He was nice, she thought. A funny thought that made her immediately smile. She could at least hold back the laugh. The sparkle was still in her eyes when she went over.
"I'm sorry," she said first, sitting at the table next to him and looking out where his eyes were. "And thank you. I needed that."
"I understand. Preparedness is good."
"Yes." She sighed. "Guess there's news."
"Of course." The was no pride or anything else like that in his voice. Just flatly stating a fact. "Red Earth. A private think tank. Employs a very small number. Specialists. Who are experts. Very, very good at what they do. The clients come from all over."
"Mercs," she said, her tone cold, and true.
"Mercs," he repeated. "Any further, and it's grey."
"I understand. I'm ready."
"Okay. The most recent client, which could probably be the one that concerns us, is an investment group. Stryus. Their money comes from deep pockets. They're very interested in buying out a new mapping system. TerraFarm. TF. A group of young engineers managed to integrate satellite positioning with ultra sonic deep earth scanning to create a system that maps the surface along with what lies a few kilometers underneath. Understandably, there's a lot of interest in TF. Stryus hired Red Earth to aid with the purchase. Considering the nature, very possible Red Earth would put specialists of Isabelle's kind on the job."
"It's a start," she said.
"It is. We'll know in a while. That brings us to the next question. What do you want?"
She didn't have to think hard for the answer. She hadn't thought of it until now, but it did come easy. "Revenge."
"Revenge?"
"If something happened to Isabelle, if something was done to her, I want the same to be done on those responsible."
"Might put you up against powerful enemies."
"I'm ready."
He didn't say anything, but she could feel it radiating off of him. He didn't think she was ready. But maybe that wasn't it. He was a merchant. He was very good. Terrifying. She'd knew from having witnessed it. So he wouldn't make the mistake of being read, least of all by her who wasn't even a merchant. Maybe it was just her. Maybe she herself didn't think she was ready.
She gave up on the train of thought. She'd know soon enough.