After a refreshing nap, Team 0’s members found themselves at the hotel’s restaurant, scouring the menu for something that wouldn’t see them in a meeting with HR to discuss how much they had spent on dinner.
The rooms might have been cheaper, owed to the off-season and few tourists, but the restaurant operated on different margins. They couldn’t simply lower their prices because of the little demand, which meant that as much as they might have wanted to celebrate with lobster, they couldn’t do so on the AA payroll.
And I’m not about to pay for a meal that can be free. They gave us a budget, and as God is my witness, we’ll use it.
“I really don’t want to interrupt.” A voice came from the table next to theirs, where two of the only ten other clients for the night were sitting. He looked to be a man in his early forties with short brown hair, wearing a deep blue cashmere sweater and brown pants and loafers, appearing as if the model resident of Montauk. “But are you the team sent to clear the dungeon?”
“We are. Just got done killing all the monsters, we’ll finish up cleaning the cave tomorrow morning.” Lauren answered, not taking her eyes away from the menu.
A wide smile grew on the man’s face, and his eyes sparkled as if he had just met his favorite celebrities. “Oh, that’s just amazing!” His tone was a bit louder than necessary, but James had enough experience with wealthy customers to know they generally liked taking up the room for themselves, so it didn’t surprise him.
The man’s companion, a beautiful blonde woman with large blue eyes and a voluminous chest tittered in agreement, batting her eyelashes. “So cool.” She said, red lips curling with something that sent a shiver down James’ spine.
“Oh, please. You must let me treat you to this meal. Marty! Marty, come over here!” The man suddenly stood up, calling for the maitre. Before any of them could even attempt to refuse his offer, as they rightly should have, he had already decided for them “These people are my guests, Marty. Put their meal on my tab, no limits!”
Then he turned to face them. “Please just let me do this. The Dalmatian Guild certainly wasn’t good enough to clear that dungeon, and if we had to wait for the Coast Guard to move off their assess, we’d have to cancel the summer season altogether.”
The man was like a steamroller, evidently used to getting things his way. And since the maitre had not put up any resistance, merely nodding impassively and walking over to the register to speak with the cashier, they had no choice but to accept.
“Well, thank you then. We appreciate it.” Lauren finally said, finally looking at the man. “Could we have our host’s name?”
“Oh, how stupid! I’m sorry, I’m just so used to everyone knowing me here. I’m Theodore Clapton II, but you can just call me Theo. Make sure to go for the lobster bisque. Better than the ones I’ve had in New England, and that’s saying something.” His subsequent laughter was, again, very loud, but since the man had just offered to pay for their otherwise costly meals, they would just have to put up with it.
Theodore Clapton was the kind of rich man used to buying people’s attention and affection but was also lucky enough to have the resources to do so successfully. He evidently liked being the center of attention and monopolized the evening, asking questions about the dungeon, the monsters inside it, and what they had done to defeat them.
He looked so much like a kid in a candy shop that they didn’t see much harm, and James didn’t stop them. His mana had recovered enough from the foolhardy usage that he could finally use his skills again, and he had swept Thakinetic Awareness through the restaurant as soon as they had entered it.
Theo Clapton was nothing to worry about if his weak will was any indication, but the woman sitting with him, the one who should have been dismissed as eye candy - a mistake which James himself would have made if not for his skill - was an entirely different beast.
She blazed to his senses. The will hidden behind the carefully constructed facade of a vapid model in her twenties trying to bag a rich man was strong enough that it rivaled Miss Walker’s when she wasn’t hiding. Nothing in her image gave her away. Not a twitch out of place. Even her eyes didn’t betray her. They didn’t wander, her smile never faltered, and she kept her sultry tone steady.
This was a very dangerous person, and James had no way to inform his teammates without her noticing.
It was quite likely, he realized, that Theo Clapton was an unknowing patsy. The man seemed genuinely interested in their story and had that fascinated look that people obsessed with Awakeners would get.
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It wouldn’t be difficult to ask if the two had known each other for long, and James was ready to bet that the answer to that was no.
But this was no time to make assumptions. James’ mind raced as he smiled and answered Theo’s questions, always keeping half an eye on the blonde woman. He noticed how her eyes keenly followed their conversation, even as she acted disinterested and fiddled with her golden necklace, occasionally whispering something into Theo’s ear, making him laugh.
As dinner progressed, and they all enjoyed the delectable dishes served in a restaurant so fancy James would typically never approach it, he decided he needed to do something to get across the message that they needed to be careful to his teammates.
It seemed increasingly apparent that she was using Theo Clapton to get close to them, to pry information that James and his team wouldn’t give under normal circumstances.
When dessert came, and with Theo now regaling his own exaggerated tales of bravery in the face of a raccoon invasion at his summer house, James subtly tapped Lauren’s foot with his own, bringing her attention to him.
“I love raccoons.” He said, willing the girl to understand him “They remind me of rats, and I love rats. They are cute and cuddly, but have a hidden strength.”
A moment of confusion was followed by the realization that he was trying to say something. He couldn’t be clearer than that, but at least the message that something was going on arrived loud and clear. Lauren gave a slight nod, indicating she understood.
The others, having picked up from his words that something weird was afoot, closed up, letting the man speak rather than contributing more information.
They finished their meal with forced laughter and polite applause for Theo’s tale, and as they were about to get up to leave, the woman stood up and approached them, her walk a sultry swagger that was probably meant to be disarming.
“You guys are just so fascinating.” She said, her voice a silky purr. “What Guild did you say you were from?”
“Oh, we’re not from a guild.” Maria answered politely “We were sent by the Awakener Association.”
“Oh my!” The woman gasped, looking genuinely shocked. “I didn’t know they also had teams of beginners. Do they treat you well?”
James felt his skin crawl. He really wanted to get as far away from her as possible, but he kept his cool, not wanting to alert her. “It’s a good gig. Decent pay, decent training. Just about what you’d expect.”
By now, his teammates had all understood that he wanted them to get out of there, so nobody contradicted him.
“Now, I’m terribly sorry, but as you can imagine, we are truly exhausted.” He continued, giving Theo and his companion a grateful smile “We really need to get some sleep. The dungeon still needs to be cleared, so we have work in the morning.”
“Oh, you are right, poor dears. We must have kept you up for too long.” The woman replied, her lips curling into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Get some sleep, you deserve it.”
----------------------------------------
The next morning, they all had a quick breakfast before leaving for the dungeon, eager to get it over with as soon as possible.
“Now that we are here and we know nobody is listening in, can you tell us what happened?” Lauren asked exasperatedly.
James’ teammates had been frustrated the night before when he had kept his silence on why he had pulled them away from a pleasant evening, but had eventually acquiesced to his paranoia. Considering how strong he suspected the blonde woman to be, he felt justified in taking precautions.
Thus, he had waited until they were back inside the dungeon to spill the beans, explaining everything he had sensed from the woman and his suspicions about her true intentions. The team listened intently, their casual demeanor from the night before replaced by hardened concern.
“I should have noticed.” Lauren muttered, frustration coloring her words. “I let the luxury and the food get to my head. I should have been paying more attention.”
“So you think she might have even been a B-rank? Why would such a powerful person waste an evening trying to spy on us?” Daniel asked, not disagreeing with his assessment but confused at the excessiveness.
“She might have been a C or D-rank, for all I know. I just compared her to what Miss Walker feels like, but then again, she might not be letting out her whole presence, what with her stealth abilities.” James answered “My skill doesn’t tell me levels or stats. But I learned to trust it and I can assure you, that woman had a will of steel. Nothing like the vapid model she tried to pass as.”
“And her questions at the end confirm it. She wanted to know about the AA. Nobody that’s not an Awakener cares about the AA.” Maria concluded, looking pensive.
James shrugged, “We made it out unscathed, and now we're aware they are spying on us. That's what matters. Let's just be more cautious in the future.”
The team nodded in agreement, focusing their attention on the task at hand: cleaning out the remainder of the dungeon.
Hours of meticulous work passed. The team moved with renewed caution, watching not only for residual dungeon dangers but also keeping an eye out for external threats, particularly a blonde woman whose apparent harmlessness had been unmasked.
They gathered the mana stones with little trouble, the remains of the smashed crabs and Whip Seaweed not having stood a chance to their dressing knives.
When it came to the Boss, they made the executive decision to cut its body into pieces. The starfish was simply too big to fit into the van as it was, and no one wanted to lug it around.
Thankfully, its rocky armor had lost some of its durability, as the monster had actively enhanced it while it was alive. With it dead, James could smash its limbs without too much trouble, and Lauren finished the job, cutting off the attached flesh.
By the time they left the dungeon, it was already midday. They decided to head directly back to New York, not wanting to risk reencountering Theo and his scary companion. Their loot would be enough to refill their coffers enough to buy more mana potions, especially with the sale of the Boss’ corpse.
Unfortunately, James was forced to leave behind the giant crabs, having been convinced after a long debate with Ezekiel that the poisoned air in the dungeon had likely seeped into the beasts’ meat, making it too dangerous to consume.
They left Montauk with a sigh of relief, gladly leaving behind the annoying Coast Guard roadblock, after they had inspected the loot.
More importantly than any riches, they discovered a critical piece of information. Someone was deliberately tailing them, seeking to learn more about their team and how the AA treated them.