Finances
Income
Mission #3
0
Expenses
Wages
14p
Profit
-14p
Total
4s 11p
‘I need some good news, Mila.’
‘I got some information for you,’ said the girl.
Lothar had asked the young thief to infiltrate Boris’s shop. That was where the reliquary was stored. But after the earlier break in, the dealer was on full alert. More guards had been hired, working shifts day and night. Lothar’s collection of crooks had no chance of getting in a second time.
‘This boy Wilky is well into me. Can’t keep his hands off me, honestly. Tells me anything I ask.’
‘And what has he told you?’
‘They’re taking it to the docks tomorrow. The relic-thingy. Wilky and three others are going to do the deal, and then it’s being taken abroad. This is the only chance to get it back, Stiff.’
‘I see. Well, with how things are going, I have to take the risk. I’ll set Wade and The Baron on it.’
‘Make sure Wilky don’t get hurt. You can pay me now.’
‘Pay you? For getting felt up by this Wilky fellow?’
‘Yes. I coulda spent the last two days getting felt up by someone else who pays for it.’
Lothar sighed heavily. ‘Alright. What can you tell me about this Wilky? Apart from what you and he get up to. I don’t need to hear any more about that.’
‘He’s a proper gentleman. Very protective.’
Lothar stored that nugget in his noggin.
Finances
Income
Spying on Boris
0
Expenses
Wages
6p
Profit
-6p
Total
4s 5p
Some of your mercs improved their stats:
Mila:
Intellect +1
Wade
Name
Trent Wade
Nickname
Wade
Race/Nationality
Human/Durnish
Age
35
Daily Wage
7 pence
Action Stats
EXP Level
3
Action Points
5
Hit Points
22
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Core Stats
Might
8
Agility
9
Grit
11
Intellect
5
Skills
Thievery, Knives (proficient)
Equipment
Weapons
Dagger (damage 3-12)
Armour
Padded
Other
Lockpicking and other tools of the trade
The Baron
Name
?
Nickname
The Baron
Race/Nationality
Human/Durnish
Age
31
Daily Wage
7 pence
Action Stats
EXP Level
3
Action Points
3
Hit Points
13
Core Stats
Might
5
Agility
12
Grit
5
Intellect
11
Skills
Thievery, Disguise, Knives (competent)
Equipment
Weapons
Dagger (damage 2-8)
Armour
Padded
Other
Lockpicking and other tools of the trade
It was a very uncomfortable thing to admit to. But The Baron looked good as a woman. It was almost enough for an old thief to question his sexuality.
The brunette wig seemed to bring out feminine features on his face that Wade had never noticed before. And his eyes—his eyes were pools of light that someone could easily get lost in. If that someone wasn’t careful. The Baron wore a fur shawl over his dress, which did much to hide his real figure. His legs and ankles were visible though, and they were rather shapely.
As for Wade, he looked no different than usual. The only addition was the padded armour he now wore beneath his clothes. Recent missions had persuaded him it was sensible to invest in some protection.
‘I'm really not keen on this plan,’ he complained. ‘I’m not an actor like you.’
‘We’re all actors, sweetheart.’
‘Don’t “sweetheart” me.’
The Baron sucked in his cheeks. ‘Look, just let me do the talking. It’ll be fine.’
They positioned themselves in an alleyway and waited. Sometimes, in the crime game, one has to be patient. Sometimes one has to wait hours to carry out a few moments worth of work. At least The Baron was as used to the boredom as Wade. He had no desperate need to fill the silence, like so many of the annoying knaves Wade had been forced to work with in the past.
‘That Stricken is a piece of work,’ he commented.
‘The worst,’ The Baron agreed. ‘A killer and a predator. Where in hell did Stiff get him from?’
‘At least he listened to our complaints.’
‘True, I suppose. I like the Mila girl, though. Quite adorable, really.’
‘Oh, you like her?’
‘Not in that way, Wade. She’s really not my type. I had to tell her so.’
‘Oh? She came on to you as well, then?’
‘If that’s what you want to call it. She hardly whispered sweet nothings in my ear. She was very upfront about money.’
Wade grinned. ‘Yep. I’ll admit, for a few moments I thought I was special. Doesn’t happen very often. I reckon she tries it on with everyone.’
‘I’m sure. Still, I like her. Not sure she’s cut out for our line of work, though.’
‘I don’t know,’ Wade admitted. ‘She’s probably realised she can make more from sex than this. Not everyone has the commitment to the profession we do.’
The Baron laughed. ‘True. Look here. I think they’re our boys.’
Four men were walking down the main thoroughfare. All were armed, and looked like the group Mila had described.
‘Looks like it. Are you ready?’
‘Is my wig straight?’
‘You look captivating. Come on.’
Wade dragged The Baron out of the alley into the path of the marks, taking care not to pull too hard and dislodge his hairpiece. ‘You saucy wench!’ he bellowed. In the heat of the moment, he found he was giving a pretty good performance.
‘Help!’ The Baron cried, full of emotion. ‘Get your hands off me. Leave me alone!’
‘What’s going on here?’ came the inevitable question.
Wade said nothing but still gripped The Baron. He studied the four men. One of them had a hand near the hilt of a sword. They had to play this carefully if he was going to avoid getting stabbed. Again.
‘He’s a jealous bastard. He won’t leave me alone.’
‘Is this man your husband?’
‘My husband? No. He’s just a drunken pervert.’
That prompted Boris’s guards into action.
‘Let her go if she’s not your wife,’ one of them demanded, squaring up to Wade.
‘Alright,’ Wade said, releasing him. ‘But she’s a cheating whore.’
‘Enough of that language. Listen, mate, get on your way and calm down, or you’re going to get a beating.’
Wade put his open palms in the air. ‘Alright, alright,’ he said, scanning them over one last time before he retreated towards the alley.
‘Thank you so much,’ The Baron said, fake crying. ‘I’m so lucky you fine gentlemen were here.’
Wade had identified his target. A bulge beneath the man’s coat had to be the reliquary. He prowled from behind, and grabbed the man around the neck.
‘You interfering bastard!’ he cried.
A scuffle ensued, as the man and his companions tried to pull Wade off. He grabbed the reliquary and put it behind his back. Quick hands took it from him. He was wrestled to the ground, and then a fist took him square in the mouth.
He lost two damage and tasted blood. And something else. He spat out a tooth. ‘You bastards! You knocked my tooth out!’
‘You’re lucky that’s all you got, you rotten piece of shit.’
‘Wait a minute,’ said the guard Wade had latched himself onto. ‘The reliquary! The bastard took it off me!’
They surrounded him, pulling at his limbs, lifting up his tunic.
‘Gerroff! I ain’t got nothing!’
‘The woman! She must’ve took it. Where is she?’
This was Wade’s moment to scarper, in the precious moments while they looked for The Baron. He was careful at first, avoiding attention. He used one action point to sneak away. When he had a few yards on them, he used his remaining three to peg it towards the alley.
‘Hey!’ one of them called. The sound of pursuit followed.
Over a fence, through a garden, then up a wall. He’d planned his escape route well in advance. Too many twists and turns for them to follow. He hauled himself onto the roof of a house and looked down on them. They’d given up on The Baron and were searching the alleyways for him, realising that he and the ‘woman’ had been working together.
For a moment Wade felt the satisfaction of a job well done. Then his tongue found the hole where his tooth had been.
‘Motherfucker,’ he grumbled. ‘Why is it always me?’
MISSION COMPLETE
SUCCESS: The reliquary was recovered
Some of your mercs improved their stats:
Wade:
Agility +1
No mercs levelled up