The doors of the monorail opened and most of the people on board poured out into the Korvin HQ plaza. Jared waited until the crowd had dispersed ahead of him before stepping out into the sunlight. The monorail station sat about a hundred yards from the corporate plex that was Korvin Enterprise, connected by a great, gleaming bridge that stretched over the courtyards below, filled with fountains and countless people coming and going.
Jared was clearly the odd one out as he crossed the bridge at his usual, brisk pace. Well-groomed people in fancy suits and ties would constantly cast sideways glances at the young man in a tattered leather jacket and jeans with a high and tight, almost as though they had never been beyond the walls of their corporate rat race. Jared never so much as turned his head as he slipped his way through the large, glass doors and into the towering atrium. He removed his black sunglasses and gazed up at the massive chandelier hanging above that spread hundreds of lights throughout the atrium like many glistening tentacles.
Sets of escalators were lined on either side of the open rotunda, with several traveling both up and down. Jared veered to the right, cutting through the crowd without so much as an acknowledgement of their presence. He came to one of the downward escalators, biding his time to allow those in front of him to take their spots before stepping onto it himself. There were three escalators traveling down, each to a different level. Jared's was the longest, descending for a good hundred feet. As he waited, he took out his phone and checked the time. It was only a little after 2:30 in the afternoon. He would be catching Marcus earlier than expected, but then again he knew that Marcus would be restless waiting for him to show up.
The lowest level the escalators led to was darker and much less crowded than above. Most of the people coming down this way were either security or maintenance, but still nobody questioned why someone like Jared would be heading that way as well. Jared stepped off the escalator into the dim, gray hallway and hung a right without diverting his attention. He had gone this way many times before. He continued for a few dozen yards as the corridor began to curve around the structure of the tower, passing many doors before he came to one on his left pinned with a sign that read only, "B28 - Authorized Personnel Only." It was just as unassuming as any other door down here, but it was the only place he had ever been to. Jared pulled the keyring out of his pocket which only ever held two keys; one for his motorcycle, and another somewhat rusted key for this particular door. He pushed aside the hinged cover over the keyhole and stuck it inside. The lock clinked loudly in the empty corridor as he turned the key, and without wasting another second, Jared pushed open the door and entered.
The heavy door shut with a loud bang as he stepped inside. The room in which Jared stood contrasted greatly with the rest of the level. A very official-looking desk sat on the left side of the room with a number of folders and papers stacked neatly to one side. Next to it stood a shelf containing bottles of various alcoholic drinks, but what was most noticeable was the large board which hung on the right side wall. It was pinned with printouts of faces, many of which Jared recognized as Korvin executives and board members. Also scattered around the board were similar profiles on less recognizable faces whom Jared could only guess were members of the Watchdogs, as they shared gaunt and unruly expressions as the man he had encountered at the monorail station. Marcus himself was well embedded in the Revel City underworld, but also made private business with the heads of the enterprise. He was a man who knew how to play both sides well, and as such he kept tabs on just about everybody he had ever been involved with. Jared doubted Marcus was even his real name, but he did not care about that. All he cared about was the work Marcus supplied for him and the money that came with it.
Just then, the door at the back of the room opened. Jared darted his attention to the man who stepped out. He was around his mid forties, tanned and gruffy-looking as though he had not slept in days and preferred it that way. His dark hair was somewhat unkempt except for a single balding patch in the center of his head. He pushed open the door with his back as he stepped into the room, carrying in one hand an open folder like the ones on the desk and a glass of rum in the other. It was only when he turned around that he looked up and spotted Jared.
"Ah, finally!" he greeted Jared with a friendly smile and a southern accent. "I've been waiting for you all day, my friend."
Jared rolled his eyes. "The day's still young, Marcus."
"Never too young for business," Marcus said, taking a sip of his rum.
"I agree," Jared replied. "That the job?" He pointed at the file in Marcus' hand and made a motion as if to take it, but Marcus withdrew and closed the folder.
"Whoa, whoa, take it easy," Marcus said coolly as he stepped around to the other side of the desk, throwing the folder onto the pile. "What happened to a simple hello? No need to rush things."
"Well, you rushed me out of business with a cute blonde this morning, so I hope it was for good reason." Jared once again gestured to the file now sitting atop the others.
"Oh that?" Marcus followed his direction. "No, no, that's just a copy of a police report that came in."
"A police report," Jared repeated, looking over his shoulder at the board behind him. "Involving the Watchdogs?"
"I can see why you might think that, but no, nothing too big." Marcus leaned back in his chair and stared piercingly at Jared. "Though it seems you couldn't come back to Revel City without stirring up a little trouble with them yourself."
Jared returned his gaze to Marcus. "What makes you say that?"
"Oh come on now, Cross. You think picking a little scrape with even a lowly street pup goes unnoticed? Word travels fast around here, and if the Dogs decide that they're offended by your actions, then it may make life in the city much more uncomfortable for you."
Jared straightened himself into a defiant posture. "I'm not afraid of them. I've been through worse."
Marcus snickered and gave a confident grin. "That you have." He stood up and stepped over to the shelf of alcohol. He reached for the same bottle of rum from which he was drinking and poured a small glass, handing it to Jared. Jared took it without question, as Marcus was one of a handful of people he would ever accept a drink from. As far as he was concerned, it was a gesture of trust and mutual respect.
"So how was she?" Marcus broke the silence.
Jared took a second to swallow a burning sip of his rum before answering. "What?"
"You said I interrupted you and a cute blonde. How was she, if I may ask."
"Hell if I know," Jared shrugged. "I barely remember leaving the bar."
"That good, eh?" Marcus laughed. "Well I suppose you'd like to get back to it then. So how about we discuss why you're here?"
"I'd like that," Jared responded plainly. "So what is it this time? Another bounty?"
"I wouldn't say that," Marcus answered. "Not something you're particularly used to, but I see no reason you couldn't handle it."
"I'll be the judge of that."
"Good. I like that attitude. We'll take it back here." Marcus beckoned for Jared to follow him to the door through which he had just come moments before.
"Why not here, per the usual?" Jared questioned.
Marcus turned and gave him a serious look, almost as though he was glancing from him to the front door. "Sometimes caution dictates, my friend. Now come with me. I think you'll be interested in what you hear."