Jacob sat there in a hard wooden seat, a chess set sitting between him and an empty chair. It's pieces were eagerly waiting to be moved from the starting line, to play their part in a battle of wits.

A battle that was going to have to wait.

The trees stilled, standing tall like statues; their branches just out of reach from the small hands of children. He looked away from the wooden giants and out at the rest of the park. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Kids were playing on the structures, trying and failing at getting across the monkey bars. Their parents were cheering them on from the sidelines or watching them from the comfort that the shade offered. Across the playground was an elderly couple feeding the birds, grinning from ear to ear as they talked to one another. His partner Trouper- charading as a stray homeless man - was sitting on an old ratty piece of clothing with a cup in hand. His nights spent sleeping on the park benches and under trees coated him in fresh dirt and twigs. Something he had been selling for about a week, trying to establish trust with the regulars that would pass him by. He averted his gaze and spotted a couple of joggers making their way down the trodden trails; dirt kicking up beneath their feet.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

He pulled up his sleeve and looked down at his wristwatch: quarter after one.

They should arrive at any moment.

He pulled his sleeve back down and leaned back against the chair; his leg flung out across the grass. Trying to look more like a laid back dealer than a man on a mission. He looked down the trail at the park's entrance. No one of interest caught his eye. His chest heaved up and forced out a sigh. This was going to be a long day. The target could have at least tried to arrive on time. His tardiness was just wasting some of his own valuable time. Time that could be spent doing something more productive. Something that would actually get him closer to finding her. But instead he was forced to play dress up, and go on an investigation that could mean nothing. It could just be another rustle in the wind. One of many that would usually go ignored. But for some reason this was different. For some reason he was sitting on a hard wooden chair, trying to intercept a drug transaction of some sort. Something that could have been handled by the local authorities. But no, he had to handle it. His lips pulled down angrily.

"Care to play a match?"

The tenor strung voice came from behind, catching him off guard. He paused for a brief moment before swinging his gaze over to the man as he composed himself with a goofy smile. "You know it dude."

The man paused for a moment, looking at him closely like he knew that something was off. His fingers tapped his leg before he nodded and sat down in the other chair, placing a small gift bag down onto his lap. An ecstatic pink strap barely being seen. He clasped his fingers out on the table as he looked down at the chess pieces. "What's your interest in our product?" He asked, knowingly brushing past the pleasantries. He strategically moved a white knight out onto the battle field, staring the other down with questioning eyes.

"To sell it." Jacob responded looking at his pieces and randomly grabbing a pawn. "Your product could make it big," He moved it forward a space. "...and I'm feeling a little lucky." He looked up to meet his eyes, which were looking over him carefully, like he wasn't quite sold on what he had been told.

The sunlight peaked out from behind a stray cloud, and the man's glasses darkened against the beaming sunlight as he nodded. "Of course." He moved another piece with only a quick glance. "Now you understand that we expect 85 percent of the profits you make."

"Whoa, hold up there. Isn't that kind of steep?" Jacob responded, resting his hand on his leg and leaning forward. There was no way that this was the agreement. There was no way that the man he was pretending to be was this dim.

The man looked up at him and re-positioned his glasses. "When we spoke last you didn't say that was a problem."

Jacob's lip twitched. Apparently he was. "Yeah, yeah. I just thought you were joking." He shrugged and moved another piece.

"Let me make one thing clear. I don't joke." The man said, moving another piece without bothering to look at the board. His body bent over as he leaned in closer and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Which I'm sure I told you the first time. But to make sure, I'm only going to say this once." He paused and gave him a calculating look. "Cupid's arrows strike true and through." He said before his fingers began to dance against the tabletop.

Jacob's lip twitched again. The operation was quickly unraveling and it was about to be fully exposed. The man was asking for a code and he didn't have it. He had never heard anything close to it.

Clean audio sounded in through his ear and a feminine voice broke through. "Shake your head if you need us to interfere?"

He didn't need to think twice; he shook his head and his eyebrows knitted together slightly. He began to reach down to where he kept his gun securely positioned under the table before he spoke next. "You know man, I don't really have a good memory for these kinds of things?" Another lip twitch.

If he had looked out of the corner of his eye he would have seen Trouper get up. Trying to make his way over inconspicuously. Rattling his metal cup as he walked; coins clinking against its prison walls. He still wanted to sell the facade.

The man's eyes lingered down, spotting Jacob's movement. His hand flew into his jacket and he pulled out a tiny gun. He wasn't as oblivious as Jacob would have hoped and he wasn't going to take any chances. Who would. Maybe the fool Jacob was pretending to be. But that did him little good. "Now, how about you put your hands down on the table." The man demanded.

"Listen dude, I don't know what you're talking about." Jacob said having to retract from his pistol to place both hands onto the table.  This wasn't the place for a shootout, there were too many casualties to be had.

"I admire your commitment to this role, but we both know that it isn't doing you any favors." He fished his hand down and started to search the table's underbelly. His hand rubbed against the tip of the gun and he pulled the weapon out of its secure strapping. A crisp rip sounded before he brought the weapon up and placed it down onto the table. "People in your line of work are always jumping at the chance for an opportunity like this one.  Trying to stop a disease before it can start." He said, never peeling his eyes away as he took the cartridge out and put it in his pocket. He huffed before speaking again. "But you were a little too eager weren't you," He shook his head slightly. "and I hate to say it, but you're already too late."

He let out a heavy breath before perking up. "Now we wouldn't want to make a scene. So, I'll be taking my leave." He stood up and was about to walk away when a click erupted towards his side. Trouper's gun poked out from his filthy clothes and looked at him with piercing eyes. "Now how about you put the gun away." He said lowly. The smell of BO and earth clung to him, making the man scrunch up his nose.

The man put his gun down onto the table and Jacob immediately scooped it up; aiming it at him. "Now that's how you keep up an appearance." The man said nodding in approval.