Fill My Lungs | J. Todd ✔

[14] The Devil's Auction

Just like Jason had thought, Valerie caught a cold from staying in the icy cold water for so long. So breakfast that morning was served in bed consisting of soup and soft baked buns.

Jason had taken a trip to the nearest convenience store to buy some medicines as well and by the time Valerie woke up, he had everything ready for her.

Her nose was red and her eyes were puffy as she sat up, surprised to see that he had everything prepared already. "Jason... You really didn't have to..."

"Of course, I had to," he remarked, "I should have known taking you to the beach would make you get sick. So it's kinda on me that you've caught a cold."

"It's fine," she took the tissue paper box and wiped her reddened nose, "aside from the fact that I probably look like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer..."

A soft smile tugged upon his lips at that joke. She somehow always made him smile, either with her playful words or her carefree antics.

"How come you didn't catch a cold?" She asked as she came out of the bathroom after freshening up.

"I'm accustomed to colder climates," he replied, watching her eyes spark in curiosity so he added, "there was a time I used to live in the mountains."

"Sometimes I really do wonder if you only told me you were a contractor to keep me from asking further questions," she said, dipping the bun into the hot soup before eating it.

That remark caught him off guard but he mended the brief gap, "oh no, I was there for work too. People need to build on mountains just as much as they build on land."

She shrugged, "if you say so... Would have been more fun if you said you were just traveling."

He considered, realizing that was indeed a better option than sticking to such an obvious lie. She probably knew that he had nothing to do with construction but for his sake, she wasn't confirming it.

"This soup is really good though," she added, changing the topic conveniently, "you literally cook like an expert."

"I'm glad you like it."

She noticed that his eyes were flickering time and again to the clock so she asked, "is something on your mind, Jay?"

His eyes snapped back to her, "no. Not really."

"You can tell me," she remarked in her soft lullaby-like voice.

"It's just that I have some work to look after and my team will be here soon," he told her at last, "also, I won't be here for a few days. We have a project out of town."

"Oh... Okay."

"But I'll be back by next week," he quickly added, seeing her crestfallen expression, "hopefully, if everything goes well."

She smiled, "don't worry, it will. I wish you all the best."

"Thanks," his eyes softened and he leaned closer, kissing her forehead gently, "now you finish breakfast and I'll take you to your place before my team comes here."

"Yeah sure, just give me a few minutes..."

After breakfast, he dropped Valerie off at her apartment but didn't stay as her friend Sarah shut the door in his face and he also had other tasks to tend to.

Once out of that building, he texted Roy, telling him to bring Kori to the safehouse so that they could discuss their next line of action.

The Devil's Auction was going to be held the next day and they needed to prepare for it so that they could easily blend in with the people attending.

His screen lit up with a thumbs-up emoji from Roy so he pocketed his phone, knowing the other two Outlaws would be at his house by the time he would reach.

***

It was the day of the auction and the Outlaws were going to attend, prepared to take down all obstacles in their way. Kori and Jason were to go as bidders while Roy was the one responsible for the main espionage.

He would enter the premises stealthily, disguised as a staff member. From then onwards, they had to carry out their tasks without being in contact with each other through comms as the security protocol did not allow the guests to bring any means of communication; especially smartphones, cameras, and recorders.

They couldn't afford to be deterred at the security check and raise any suspicion so they had avoided bringing their comms. As such, everything relied heavily on Starfire's powers, Jason's quick thinking and Roy's spy skills.

They had to find out where the weapons were being kept and somehow empty the storage before the weapons were distributed to the bidders. According to the rules, each item would be shown to the audience for a fixed amount of time, bidding would be placed and the highest bidder would win the item. Then at the end of the auction, the weapons would be handed over if everything else went smoothly.

So the Outlaws had to smuggle all the items out before the auction ended which was definitely not an easy task. They had to manage it all without attracting any attention to them throughout the span of the auction and the less people got hurt during the task, the better.

Kori's arm was linked through Jay's as they stepped up to the main entrance, handing their invites for examination. The lady at the counter put a seal on the invites and then nodded her head, giving them the signal that they were cleared.

Jay and Kori were going undercover as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Vincenzo Rossi, from an Italian crime syndicate. Roy had laughed his ass off at their made up names when they had been discussing their plan but thankfully the staff didn't find anything wrong with the identities and ushered them in.

Roy on the other hand was going undercover as one of the workers responsible for loading and unloading of valuables. He could get access to the main storage area without risking suspicion if only he stuck to their plan.

With no means to communicate between them, they had to strictly stick to the time and the signals they had discussed beforehand. Jay would start bidding at the fourth item and that was Roy's signal to sneak into the storage area. From then on everything had to be carried out precisely within their time limits as by the end of the auction, the weapons had to be out of the storage room and safely into the garbage truck that would stop at the back door briefly.

Time was of essence and everything depended on the clock.

Kori gently squeezed Jay's arm to let him know that everything would go well. She knew he didn't show it but deep down, he was anxious as he considered it more of his responsibility to make sure everything went smoothly as their leader.

They were seated in a grand hall with a high vaulted ceiling, draped with expensive fabrics to block out any view from the windows. The seats were arranged in a theater style in front of the stage and Jay and Kori had their seats two rows lower from the topmost row.

They had a clear view of the stage as well as the audience below them, each holding their bidding cards as the first item was brought onto the stage. The fun was just about to begin, Jason thought, keeping his eyes on the people in the background, bringing out the items one by one.

A woman on the stage was explaining the value of the weapon brought forth, an ancient shield claimed to be used by an Amazonian goddess. Jason's eyes swept back at the weapon, knowing that the auctions usually started by items that were of slightly lower value compared to the rest.

For a total of fifteen items, the weapons after the tenth would be the more priceless ones. The bidding started and Jason tapped Kori's finger, conveying to her to be on guard.

By the fourth item, they had to place their own bid and by the last, they had to stop the people on the stage from escaping. It was going to be a long night but they were not going to leave until they had accomplished their mission.

***