Coming around the tarp wall to a small supply area lit by hanging lamps, Jeremy finally got a good look at her.

  She stood leaning up against a rack of bottles, eyes drooping slightly. She wore plain blue jeans, a warm jacket, and a faded t-shirt advertising something he didn't know — a band, if he had to guess. Her hands were deep in the jacket pockets, fidgeting as she waited. Her eyes, exhausted and sad, were pure silver-grey.

  "...Hi."

  Jeremy just stared at her.

  "I… well I guess I did ask you first. I need your help."

  "The fuck is going on…" Jeremy muttered to himself.

  "A lot."

  He wasn't even surprised she could hear him from across the way. "I assume no one's gonna come back here uninvited?"

  She nodded. "They can't hear us, either."

  "So why me, then?"

  "Huh?"

  Jeremy sat down on the edge of the card table behind him, trying to suppress his frustration. He was dealing with someone impossibly powerful, but that was basically par for the course of his life by now. "I'm done getting jerked around by all you people without a fuckin' word of explanation. Why is it always me, huh?"

  "I… I'm sorry."

  "How's that then?"

  She glanced away. "I'm bending the rules by talking to you at all."

  "What rules?"

  "Well… my rules."

  "Your rules," Jeremy sighed. "Well, your rules seem to be causin' a lot of people a fuckload of trouble. Including me. Ever thought about breakin' em?"

  Her eyes snapped up like lightning. Jeremy recoiled. There was so much palpable, repressed fury behind those silver-grey eyes that he felt utterly humbled. She was not someone to cross, ever.

  "Every single day."

  Fucking hell… Jeremy felt the temperature of the place drop just from her tone. He took a few seconds, waiting to see if she'd say anything else, but she seemed to be waiting for him. Finally, he gave in.

  "So… you said you needed somethin' from me."

  "Yeah…" She rubbed at her eyes.

  "You good?"

  "Just… just tired. I'm okay." She blinked a few times, wincing. "Sorry. I need you to help Hailey."

  "...Help her with what?"

  "She's had a really bad day…"

  Jeremy couldn't help it — he chuckled. She'd sounded so gloomy, it was like an old cartoon character. "No kiddin'. That interview was a train wreck."

  "Don't be mean."

  Oh shit. He gulped. "Sorry."

  She shook her head. "I wasn't talking about the interview. She made a deal with the FBI."

  "...Shit. What kind of deal?"

  "A cooperation agreement?" She hesitated. "There was a lot of legal talk. Hailey agreed to tell them what happened in Rallsburg. Plus a bunch of other stuff, like consulting on magic. There was an agreement she wanted that they didn't sign, and they offered her a full-time job she didn't take. But after tonight…"

  "After tonight you aren't sure who's got the upper hand," Jeremy filled in. "So you go to the only G-man you've got an in with and ask him to take over."

  "I guess so?"

  Okay, is she more manipulative than the devil himself, or really this naive and sincere? Fuck, I can't tell. "You know I'm still suspended, right?"

  "You are?"

  "Huh. I just assumed you knew everything."

  She laughed — just a single, sad syllable, but it was there. "I feel like I don't know anything."

  "So why am I helpin' Hailey?"

  "She's my friend."

  "Nice to know you have those."

  Grey-eyes smiled. "Just a couple."

  Even if I'm suspended, I can probably still pull some strings… Might have to use Courtney and Maddie, but I'll figure it out. "Well, she's my friend too."

  "That's why I came to you."

  "Thought you came here to save that other girl. Laura."

  She shifted uncomfortably. "I was already here, I just… hadn't figured out when to talk to you."

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  "The whole time?" Could've done something when I got fuckin' abducted...

  "No… Only a couple minutes earlier. I hoped, you know, since you're friends with Hailey too..."

  Jeremy grinned. "Guess we're all on the same side, then."

  "You two are. I… don't know what side I'm on."

  "I don't even know what the damn sides are."

  She looked up, dismayed. "I was hoping you knew."

  Jeremy sighed. He glanced over, spotting an open bag of peanuts, and crunched through a few before answering. He was still pretty hungry, since he'd missed out on his planned dinner with the save-the-world committee. "I thought I did. After tonight, though…"

  "What do you mean?"

  Fuck it. "You sent me after Rachel. Why?"

  The girl took a long time to answer. Her eyes flicked around the whole small area, jumping from object to object. "I think she knows what's she's doing."

  "I don't think anybody's gonna disagree on that," muttered Jeremy.

  "I think she's probably the best chance everyone has at working together."

  "...I get the feelin' you don't like her."

  Her eyes flashed red. "I despise her."

  Jesus. "So then—"

  "I can't do anything to her."

  "'Cause of your rules?"

  "No."

  Then why the fuck… whatever. She ain't gonna tell me. "I've been told a lot of stories tonight by some pretty unreliable witnesses. You tell me. Is she one of the good guys?"

  Grey-eyes shook her head. "I don't know."

  "Easier question, then. Should I keep helpin' her?"

  "...Yes. I think so."

  "Why's that?"

  She hesitated. Her eyes flashed, and Jeremy felt a chill run down his spine. He wasn't one to scare easy, but this girl? Grey-eyes scared the shit out of him.

  "So you can stop her before she goes too far."

----------------------------------------

  Jeremy plopped down at the table again. "Deal me in," he said, nodding to the dealer.

  "Back to fold some more?" asked Laura, with a sizeable pile of bills in front of her. Kyle had vanished, but the middle-aged guy was still there, and Julian himself had joined the table as well.

  "Just lookin' for a quick out," he replied. He glanced up at Julian. "Got a question though."

  Again, the toothy grin. "Shoot, friend. I like to think of myself as an honest proprietor."

  "Know anyone who can give me a ride out to Seattle?"

  "Long drive. I'm sure someone's headin' that way end of the night though—"

  "Right now."

  Julian scratched his chin. "Well, that all depends on what you've got to bid, don't it?"

  Jeremy checked his cards. As he watched, the six printed on the card faded away, replaced by a king right under his fingers.

  He grinned. "We'll see. Now let's play."

  As expected, the cards seemed to line up perfectly for him with each draw. He didn't have much to bid with though, and Julian didn't seem to be biting on his paltry bait. He needed something more… enticing.

  Jeremy dug into his pocket reluctantly and withdrew the little stone. He set it on the table, with the Korean glyph face-up.

  "...It's a rock," said Laura dubiously.

  Julian stared at it, completely silent. He's seen one of them before… I'd bet anything.

  "This stone against that ride home," Jeremy added, watching Julian carefully.

  The toothy grin got even wider. "Done and done," he replied.

----------------------------------------

  The truck thumped over the edge of the asphalt as they mounted the road proper. To Jeremy's relief, he recognized the area. They really weren't that far out from Olympia. It was way past midnight though, according to his irritated and increasingly suspicious driver.

  "So tell me, friend," Julian said, the first word he'd spoken since they'd gotten in the truck. "Where'd you find a trinket like that?"

  "Found it on the ground," Jeremy said with a straight face.

  "Uh huh."

  "I'm surprised you let those two run your show while you're gone," he added, before the man could ask anything else. Julian had directed a subordinate to take over, and Kyle to take the place down at the end of the night if he wasn't back in time.

  "I trust 'em." He left off pointedly, waiting for Jeremy to respond.

  "Well, you seem to be runnin' a solid operation." Jeremy shrugged. "Who am I to tell you what to do?"

  "You weren't in Rallsburg, were you?" Julian asked suspiciously. "I think I'd remember you."

  Well, this is a nice fuckin' change of pace… "Nope. Not until after it burned down, anyway."

  Julian snorted. "Burned down, as if. More like exploded, y'know?"

  "Actually, I was wonderin' about that. How did the grocery store explode?"

  Julian grimaced. "Bit of this and that. Sad to say that was my fault, actually. I owe my friend Hector a good chunk of change for his store. But I'll pay up, don't you doubt! Julian Black pays his debts, sure as sure."

  "Wasn't the fault of your council, then."

  He frowned. "Actually, when you put it like that… It was her fault they stored all them boxes in the store. I made 'em, but she was in charge of cleanin' em up. So yeah, I guess it is her fault too!" He shook his head. "Nah, it don't matter. I still gotta pay Hector back. I know she sure as shit ain't gonna, so I'll take care of it."

  Julian continued rambling on about his debts and his history of clearing them. Jeremy leaned back and reclined his chair, watching the street lamps go by as they drove. Julian was the worst type of driving buddy, the kind Jeremy had spent far too many stakeouts with back in the day. He couldn't fall asleep though, not in the presence of a man he still couldn't quite trust.

  They passed Olympia in good time, thanks to the late hour. It was still a good ways to Seattle, though, and Jeremy decided to try and get some more information out of the talkative man.

  "You really think this market such a great idea?" he asked, interrupting a long talk about how Julian had practically invented the idea of trading money for a service like magic.

  "Oh, absolutely!"

  "But… seems a bit dangerous, doesn't it? Sellin' magic."

  Julian shook his head, so enthusiastically that the car swerved slightly. "Nah, see. The way I figure, people are always gonna want to buy and sell this stuff. End of the day, they need someone to run the show, don't they? I've been around longer than most. I know the ins and outs. Hell, I was gonna be elected to the council once, didn't I mention?"

  "You did."

  "So yeah, I got the leadership skills and all that jazz. I can run somethin' as simple as a barterin' post."

  "And you set it all up with your friend. Jerry, right?"

  Julian sighed. "Yeah. Bad deal, what happened to him."

  "What did happen, if you don't mind my askin'?"

  He shook his head. "Jerry was scoutin'. Tryin' to find us some new paper, y'know? But… well, he ran into the other guy."

  Jeremy nodded. "Sorry."

  "Thanks." Julian smiled. "Truth is, Jerry was always a sonuvabitch, but he was a friend. I've got all his money stashed away for his kid. Just haven't figured out how to get it to him yet."

  "He had a kid?" Jeremy asked, more to keep the conversation going than anything. In fact, after Jerry's body turned up so late, he'd gone to interview the ex-wife personally — little good it did him.

  "Oh yeah. Cute little critter, can't remember his name for the life of me. I got it written down somewhere."

  "What about the other guy? You know, the one who offed him?"

  Julian frowned, hesitating a long while. "...I'm stayin' the hell away."

  No honor among shifty fuckin' merchants, I guess. "So you got an idea where he is?"

  "What, you fixin' to go after him yourself? You ain't even one of us."

  Jeremy shrugged. "Doesn't mean I can't take an interest."

  Julian shook his head. "I don't have a clue, and I'm happier that way. If I ever see that psycho, I'm bookin' it in the opposite direction and I ain't lookin' back."

  "What about that council you mentioned? Think they'd do somethin' about him?"

  "Shit, friend, if I see them I'm bookin' it too!" Julian snorted. "I'm… what do you call it. Neutral. I'm a neutral party in this mess."

  Until Brian hunts you down and kills you anyway… "I get the feelin' there aren't gonna be any neutral parties."

  Julian shrugged. "Well, in that case, I'll just side with the winner."