The Greatest Pretenders

04.3

Paris (France)

Rue Kilford

19 04 2016

2000 hours

Poe stares up at the giant gym located on Rue Kilford, where Sauvageon was last seen a couple of weeks prior. Irina and Ryn are currently spread out over the area, asking for the man, so it's up to Poe to find out if anyone knows where Sauvageon might be.

He walks up to the front desk and plasters a smile on his face, before he asks for the guy in perfect French.

"We can't give out any personal information about our clients, sir," the lady behind the desk replies in French.

Poe pouts and bends further over the desk. "I just haven't seen him in a few days and I'm really worried. He's got a...you know. A drug problem, and I was hoping you could tell me when he's usually here."

The lady sighs and checks something on the computer.

"He came in half an hour ago, which means he's still here."

Poe smiles. "Merci."

He meets up with Ryn and Irina by his car, parked a block away. "He's in the building right now. I say we wait for him to come out and then follow him to wherever he's headed."

Irina gives him a brisk nod. "I'll follow him on foot, and you can trail behind me in the car just in case I need backup."

They get into the car, with Irina in the passenger's seat and Poe behind the wheel, and just wait. They listen to the news on the radio while they smoke and talk about what they did during their break.

"That's him," Irina suddenly says and rolls down the window when she sees a guy dressed in a hoodie that matched the one on the tape.

Irina gets out of the car and nonchalantly starts trailing after the guy, while Poe and Ryn look after her from their places in the car.

When Irina is out of their sight, Poe starts up the car and slowly drives in his direction. The sun is starting to set when the car eventually stops a few blocks away, in front of a bar.

"I'm going in," Irina says into Poe's earpiece.

"Alright. We're ready," Poe responds, taking the watch to his lips.

He turns off the lights and engine, before he settles into the seat and looks towards the door.

For some reason, Poe feels like there's some kind of tension between Ryn and him, but then again, it might just be his own imagination playing tricks on him.

"Ryn," Poe starts after a while.

He sees Ryn raising her eyebrows in the mirror. "Yeah?"

"Eleanor Faudet."

Ryn makes an impressed face, "Not bad, Rousseau."

"Formerly known as Erina Norris."

This time, Ryn tenses up and avoids eye contact for a few long seconds.

"So which one is it?" Poe pushes, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel.

Ryn opens her mouth, at the same time that a gunshot is heard. The two of them immediately react by grabbing their guns and getting out of the car in a heartbeat.

Poe nearly tears the door open and enters an outdoor bar. The scene in front of his eyes is unfolding to a quick pace, but he manages to see Sauvageon holding a gun to Irina's forehead, three other guys pointing their guns towards Poe and Ryn, while two bodies lay lifeless on the ground.