𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫

Ⅳ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓

"JESPER! NEW JOB!" KAZ CALLED. Brey followed behind dirtyhands, laughing as Jesper jumped at the sudden orders. "Come along." Kaz and Brey strolled past Jesper as he looked around the stalls, mumbling to himself.

"Jes!" Brey called over her shoulder. Jesper huffed and ran to Brey, throwing his arm around her shoulder.

"You know what we should have, a demo man," Jesper suggested looking around at the different stalls. Brey laughed softly and Kaz simply shook his head. "I mean it. We need a demo man."

"You're still on that?" Kaz questioned, looking over at him.

"I just brought it up tonight," Jesper scoffed and removed his arm from around Brey.

"Jesper, you ask for an explosives expert on every job," Kaz sighed, glancing behind him at Jesper.

"Because I don't want to be the one you point to and say, 'Explode something for us'," Jesper sighed moving his hands around. "That is not a Jesper talent. I shoot things with style. And I look good." Jesper threw his hands out with a large smile and Brey laughed at him again. "Just play to my strengths, boss."

"Alina Starkov will be kept at the Little Palace," Kaz explained. "Entering the Little Palace requires us to be quiet."

"Though it would be a sight to see Jesper toss a bomb at a Squaller," Brey laughed, imagining the bomb fly back at the tall Zemeni.

"Then we should take Inej," Jesper spoke up and Inej nodded. "She's a good investment. More quiet than I'll ever be. She can't stay here, you know that." Kaz stayed silent, continuing on his path. "Whoa. Hang on, aren't we on Pekka's turf now?" Jesper questioned, holding his hand out and stopping Kaz from walking further.

Kaz glanced down at Jesper's arm and Brey pulled at Jesper's sleeve and his arm lowered. "I go to Heleen now and ask for her buyout, she knows I need Inej and sets a price I can't pay," Kaz explained.

"Pure evil, and so brilliant," Brey hummed.

"Besides, Inej refuses to kill," Kaz added. "Would you trust her in a matter of life and death?" Kaz questioned looking back at the building.

"Well, I've trusted her so far and I'm still alive, so, yeah," Jesper nodded. "Now, you want to tell me why we're scoping out a rival club?"

"To have a talk with an old business partner," Kaz explained simply.

"The bouncers will know you on sight," Jesper pointed out.

"That's why I brought you," Kaz continued. "Make sure they don't see me."

"Do I get to be your body guard?" Brey questioned, looking up at the boy.

Kaz's dark smile broke, "For tonight." Brey nodded and followed Kaz as he walked for the shadows. "Be a decoy."

Jesper sighed and flicked his coat collar. "Handsome decoy is also not a Jesper talent," Jesper complained. Once the two were completely hidden Brey nodded at Jesper.

Jesper quickly pulled his gun out and slotted it back in his holster and if it weren't for the loud bang that came from the bullet that rang out, no one would have noticed the shot at all. The bullet hit a nearby sign and people screamed as they heard the shot.

The two bouncers rushed out, their guns trained on Jesper, who had his back turned to them; which made his shot even more impressive. "You!" One bouncer called, pointing at Jesper. He spun around, his hands raised in the air.

"You heard that, too?" Jesper questioned.

"Was that you?" The man snapped.

Jesper shook his head, his hands still raised. "No, I'm, uh... I'm, uh, bouncing for the Clipper," Jesper lied. Brey nodded at Kaz and they moved toward the open doors.

"Haven't seen you before," The second bouncer spoke up. "Where's Tombar?"

"Oh. Don't know," Jesper mumbled. The man started to turn, his gaze moving towards the door but Jesper called out. "Hey! Was that sign damaged before?" Again, Jesper's hands moved too quick to be noticed as he sent another bullet at the sign. "Saints! Where was that?"

.

Kaz led Brey through the building until he reached the dark oak door. Kaz opened it, stepping in first and Brey closed it behind her. "Boris, would you-" Poppy cut their sentence off when they turned to face Kaz and Brey, in their dark black suits.

Both of Kaz's hands rested on his cane and he smiled softly. "It's been a while, Poppy," Kaz hummed. Poppy turned and grabbed a gun, and Brey copied the action. Brey was quicker and snatched her revolver from her side holster training it on Poppy's figure.

Poppy clicked the safety off first, the trained gun on Kaz and Brey clicked hers off after, waiting for a sudden movement. "I see you're still upset," Kaz recalled, his tone unusually calm for someone who had a gun trained on them.

"About you stealing my shares of the Crow Club?" Poppy snapped.

"It wasn't stealing. It was just a raw deal," Kaz spoke softly. "Most deals in the Barrel are."

Poppy lowered the gun but didn't speak as Brey still had hers out. Kaz nodded at her and Brey clicked the safety back on, slowly put her gun away. "I see you've got yourself a guard dog, a pretty one at that," Poppy hummed tossing the gun back on the table. "Your that Slicer aren't you?" Brey raised her eyebrow at Poppy but Kaz waved her down. Poppy shook their head. "What do you want, Dirtyhands?"

"I need to find someone," Kaz started, moving around the room. "Or at least, learn how to find them. Tonight."

"Looking for a club act, are we?" Poppy questioned, moving to continue applying lipstick.

"If you call the Conductor a club act," Brey snarked, covering her Kaelish accent and matching Kaz's. Poppy's head snapped up, moving their eyes between Brey and Kaz.

"So you do know him," Kaz hummed.

"This is about a job, isn't it?" Poppy questioned making Kaz sigh and continue to wander around. "One that sends you all the way east, for a million kruge? You'll never make enough to compete with Pekka, you know? He's a king. You're just the Bastard of the Barrel."

Kaz looked down at a mess of Poppy's stuff, noticing a note. "Tante Heleen wrote you?" Kaz questioned, moving the beads away with his cane.

"Just this evening, yes, you snoop," Poppy confirmed. "She was asking about the Conductor as well. Probably about the same job. So I warned him to steer clear of her."

"You warned him? With a note?" Kaz questioned his eyes darting over to Brey. Poppy shrugged, confirming their suspicions. "She wanted you to do that so she could have the messenger followed."

"She wouldn't hurt him, would she?" Poppy questioned, their movements pausing.

"She would if it meant hurting me. Now, if you have any loyalty to him, tell me where he is. Right now," Kaz ordered.

"He's renting an apartment down by Turov's, top floor," Poppy answered.

"Go," Kaz ordered Brey.

Brey nodded and rushed out of the room. Once Brey was in the empty hall, she brought her hands together, slowing time. Once the sound had stopped, Brey sprinted, weaving through and past the frozen bouncers outside the club and down alleys.

Once Brey got close to the apartment block, Brey's light flashed and she ducked behind a wall, hiding as time sped up again. She waited a moment before walking into the crowds. Brey got close to the entrance and pulled out her gun, firing above the man at the desk making him duck. Brey rushed to the stairs, running to the top floor.

Brey walked through the broken door, Inej's voice echoing through the room. Inej raised her knife to slice it down at the man tied down underneath her but Brey shot the knife from her hand. Inej turned around, reaching for another knife and flinging it toward Brey but she jumped out of the way with her hands raised. "Heleen knew about our plans, she's trying to make you sabotage us. He is our way to Alina Starkov," Brey explained quickly, ignoring the adrenaline her trick shot brought her.

"No, she and I made a deal," Inej denied, shaking her head.

"Whatever it is, it isn't worth what we get if he's alive," Brey counted, taking a small step forward.

"You choose him over my freedom?" Inej scoffed.

"You believe it's one or the other, but with what the boss has planned, it's so much more," Brey explained, moving her gun back to her holster. Inej turned back, her body shaking as she weighed her options. "I swear on my life, we will get you your freedom." Inej sneered at the man before tearing her knife away, leaving a small cut on his neck and Brey released a heavy breath. "Conductor," Brey called after a moment of silence. "My boss has a job for you. Get us to the Little Palace."

𓅨

❝ 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 is a funny thing ❞