Captive: Hopeless

Chapter 28 - Shadows

"While the world and underworld focus on the wedding and the uneasiness between us and Thane, it may be the perfect time to investigate our suspicions?" Marcus suggested the next morning at breakfast.

"And maybe sow a little mischief," Darius said.

"Are you suggesting we poke a hornet's nest and try not to get stung?" Adrian asked, with a tiny frown furrowing her brow.

"Yes," both men answered, despite her obvious worry.

***

"What have we discovered?" Darius asked two days later while they were having dinner.

"A small bit of sniffing around evolved into a snowball of intricate intrigue and danger. In the unlikely event that we can pull it off without showing our hand or losing our heads, it could be a thing of beauty," Marcus said.

"There will be a lot of moving parts involved, in-depth planning, setting the stage to get everything in place at just the right moment and subterfuge to hide our involvement. The result would be a thing of elegant simplicity and deadly drama," Adrian said, obviously involved in his plan.

"What would you suggest?" Darius asked.

"It will all start with a spot of tea," Darcy said unexpectedly. "With me being the 'bad girl' in the family, I will arrange a 'run in' with Taylor Fallon. Back in the day, we were at Catholic boarding school together with me being a little too bad to be good and Taylor being a little too good to be bad. With me being light fae and Taylor dark, our parents were not impressed.

"But we still occasionally run into each other, and although we're light and dark, we still get along. There were some taboo subjects and some vicious shared rumors, but not all dark fae are evil and not all good fae are nice. It is life. As long as we obeyed the rules, no one cared, but I digress.

"The thing is, Taylor Fallon and her family are dark fey royalty. The lady knows every significant person worth knowing. If we want to spy, she's a valuable resource, but I'd have to be very subtle about it."

Kay already learned that if Darcy felt like it or saw the necessity, she could play people like a violin.

"The first thing we need is a small but not trivial matter. Linda Tolliver, the closest thing to a confidant Azera has, is a very private and paranoid person. Being friends with the dark fae queen, one can understand that. Linda is a powerful woman, and as such, we cannot ask questions openly—it would be suspicious, and she has a knack for finding things out. The underworld fears her for her knowledge and her ruthless will to wield the power that knowledge gives her over people.

"We have one simple goal, we must acquire a personal effect from Linda, and there is no way to get to her at her house. The lady turned it into a fortress that could put Fort Knox to shame, and she does not do public places unless she has no choice.

"Thus, Marcus and Darius have to know exactly where she would be and when. Unfortunately, we would only get one chance, and we had to do this in such a way that she would not miss the object we intend to steal.

"It sounds simple, but robbing the White House would be less complicated and dangerous. Everything hinges on her not missing the object, but it must belong distinctly to Linda and people should associate it with her—a tall order on which the whole rest of our plan hinge," she said, taking a sip of water and seeming oddly nervous.

"This is the initial and most critical gambit of our first act. It would throw the dark fae world far enough off kilter to implement the rest of stage two. It should happen in such a way that it would remain unseen and unnoticed, which would allow our plans to fall into place, one by one," Marcus said, and they were being a bit mysterious.

"There's only one event scheduled before the wedding—a charity function for the mayor. It's private, exclusive and involves donations to his private fund, Linda will attend," Marcella said, also seeming to be in on their plan.

"This caters only to the wealthy and influential. If you want the mayor on your side, a good man to have on your side or rather in your pocket, you donate generously to his 'campaign to aid the city.' If you really asked, no one could tell you what the fund's supposed to do.

"The mayor is not a man to be crossed with many influential friends in many places, and he knows how to toe the line. No one dares to ask about the fund."

"Taylor will get us invited. Marcus, Kay, and Claudia will go and I will be their 'chaperon,' but everyone might just assume I am there on behalf of Darius.

"Get it in motion, but what about the rest of your plan?" Darius asked, scowling at their mysteriousness.

"Let's get this part in motion first, the less anyone else knows, the safer for them," Marcus said.

"No one will believe I did not know about whatever you have up your sleeve, but I trust you," Darius said, and Marcus nodded.

***

Susan Collier greeted them at the door and checked their reservations twice until she saw the amount of Darius and Marcus' contribution. She smiled somewhat more sincerely and asked no more questions.

Predictably, the mayor made his way over to Darcy, they exchanged pleasantries, and he got to the point.

"So, who does Darius want me to assassinate?" he joked.

Music, the sound of many voices, and the decision to have a private conversation in the corner instead of moving elsewhere, made their dialogue as inconspicuous as it could be.

"Thane was not happy about being excluded from the engagement party. Although we sent him a wedding invitation, and hand delivered it, his daughter will attend in his stead; his way of telling us to get lost. With us starting a couple of new development projects, and him being on the city council, I have a feeling he's going to be a little contrary," Darcy did not have to explain anything more, the mayor was not a dumb man, and he knew how business worked—if you step on someone's toes, they step on yours.

The mayor bought it without a second thought.

Thane would play his part to the hilt, and it would amuse his cronies to make Darius and Marcus squirm by threatening their companies, time, and money.

Shady human Mayor, what a shocker. Newest Version ©2014-2023 All rights reserved. If you find this on any other platform but Wattpad under @CSDreamer, please report it. No part of this book may be copied or reposted without the author's permission.