The coffee mugs steamed in the cool spring air as Joe, Mary and Darius sat discussing their next plans. Passers by enviously side eyed the trio as they scurried to and fro to their day jobs. London was bustling as was its wont after a cold and dreary winter. The various flowers that lined the pedestrianised streets emitted a sweet scent that mixed with the smell of coffee, insects rejoicing in their new found freedom. Mary held Joe’s gaze as Darius regaled them with stories of his new job, a hidden understanding passing between them. Mary was not happy. Joe knew that she had staked some form of reputation on him with Bob and despite him completing the Pict trials he somewhat betrayed her. Still, she was amicable enough to agree to this meeting and Darius offered an appropriate buffer with his inane ramblings. “And so the tiles were hiding mouldy clapboard, can you believe it? I tried to preserve the tiles but they fell from the wall smashing all over the shop. I’m thinking of tiling it myself but Poppy says it wouldn’t be up to scratch!” He sucked deeply into his vape which Poppy had forced him to change to after an argument prior, emitting a dense cloud of pungent vapour as he exhaled. “Me, an engineer, can’t even tile?” As the vapour dissipated Darius’ chest deflated slightly “the tilers coming next week, bloody two grand down the drain”. Joe laughed “the perils of adulthood Dar. Did you really want to tile though?” Darius looked slightly sullen which was a somewhat amusing expression on his mountainous frame. “Bah, it’s the principle you know?”
“Anyway” Mary said interrupting the pair “what exactly do you plan to do now, since you don’t want special training?” Joe coughed awkwardly looking into the depths of his coffee hoping it would swallow him up.
“Well Black Rock is our main focus. They must have a record, however shady, of what happened to previous employees. Maybe someone will squeal, who knows?”
“This is much bigger than Black Rock. I thought I told you that Joe?”
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“Yeah but I’m really only interested in what happened to my father, not to pursue some grand vengeance against a multi billion megalopoly!”
“You made that word up” Darius quipped.
“So what, my point is still valid, we have our goals, and no offense, you have yours. And it's not like you’ve been willing to share what you found out from the greaseball eh?”
“We have a vested interest in going after the big cats Joe, and you can’t do that as you are, Gods you barely…” she stopped as Joe gave her a warning look. She sighed. “Look my point is you can’t go at this like two dumb cowboys, this is and will be a lot more dangerous than you could ever know. Powerful people do not like their secrets being aired like dirty laundry Joe. Especially not these powerful people. If I’m right, and they are who I think they are, we might as well already be dead”.
“And who are these mysterious people?” Darius asked. “Why would they want to kill us even if we did find out that Dad died in questionable circumstances? He was just a geologist for fuck’s sake.” Joe nodded in agreement.
“It’s not like we plan to burn down their headquarters Mary, just get to the bottom of some truths that's all. And I reckon I could handle a little bit of danger, you know my strengths”. Mary scoffed as she elegantly placed an errant lock behind her ear. “Do you think you’re the only one who has completed the Pict’s path? Be wary of delusions of strength Joe, there are people out there who would carve you up and spit you out like a piece of yesterday’s lettuce. Still” she stood up. “I have some documents that might help you at the office. Whether you go down this path is your choice to make, but be careful with whom you bring with you” she looked pointedly at Darius who looked back seriously.
“What I do is also my choice, and despite the mysteries that seem to surround you both, he is my father too”. Mary nodded, feeling somewhat flushed at the intense gaze from Darius.
“Fair enough boyo, fair enough”.