Broken Doll {ManxMan}

CHAPTER 19

"His name is Andrei Oliveira," Diego was saying from his seat, arms folded, and legs crossed, head bowed, "From Mexico I think, but I don't care. In his thirties, maybe, but I don't really care. I don't know what he did in the past, and I don't care. He's the true mind behind the Fer-de-Lance and its creation."

"Oliveira," Kailas repeated, "Alright."

"If he's the actual boss, then what are you supposed to be?" Dakota demanded, and Diego lifted his head, tilting it.

"A smoke screen to distract people from him. I'm the figurehead that takes all the anger and attacks from groups like you who want to destroy the Fer-de-Lance," he held a hand out, "It's a good idea. While you all were interrogating me down in the cells, Andrei was able to further his reach, probably get a lot done, without the rebellion trailing them. You thought you'd captured the leader, so you stopped searching. The Fer-de-Lance became invisible because of a smoke screen existence," he smiled, "You should get a smoke screen too. Maybe him."

He was pointing at Cass, who bristled and pouted, and Demi looked down at Kailas, "Truth be told at first I thought Malachi was the rebellion's leader when I first met him," he said, and Cass pointed at himself.

"What about me?"

"You didn't really have the calm presence of a leader..."

"That's rude!"

"So, what do you suggest?" Kailas asked, completely ignoring the conversation behind him, and Diego leaned back in his seat, head falling back with a sigh, as if the question was nothing but inconvenient, and Tobias spoke from beside me.

"Is there any chance he'll conform to an alliance?" he asked, and Diego laughed.

"That's a joke, right?"

"That's a no," Bryn muttered, and Kailas rubbed a hand over his eyes.

"We obviously have to force him," Efren piped, punching a fist into his hand, "Show him what happens when he doesn't follow us."

"No," Kailas said swiftly, dropping his hand, "I won't use violence against a group I want to fight alongside us. That would cause animosity and threaten betrayal. We don't want to attack them only for them to run to the enemy instead."

Diego held up a finger, "Which is a possibility by now."

"Maybe we can still come up with an alliance," Kailas murmured, more to himself than anything, looking over at Diego, "If Oliveira signed a document swearing us as allies, would the rest of his people follow in his steps?"

Diego was silent for a moment, staring at Kailas, "How do you expect to get him to sign that document?" he asked, and Kailas held a hand out in a silent prompt for the man to continue, so he huffed through his nose, "Despite everything, the people are loyal to him, so I do believe they would follow his wishes if he were to sign something."

"How do we get his attention, then?" Kailas asked, "If I wanted to contact him to set up a meeting on neutral ground, how would I go about it?"

"You could always send me," Diego suggested, then laughed at the expressions of distaste pointed in his direction as a result, "Go back to Chains," he chuckled, "and barter."

"Uh, yea, that's not gonna work," Dakota scoffed, "The only thing we have worth of value to them are our weapons and supplies, and we're not bartering that."

"Qué tonto americano," Diego clicked his tongue, reaching up for a black choker around his neck with a silver snake medallion hanging from it, unbuckling it and throwing it onto the table, "Give them that. Barter me."