The League

Chapter 21 - Sunglasses and Threats

Phoenix had just returned from Walker's to his motel room when the burner phone rang. The call wasn't from the number that texted him previously, which he assumed had been Sharmistha's. This was someone else. He answered and held the phone to his ear, waiting.

After a bout of silence, laughter came through. "You're being too damn careful," Evan said. "Not even a hello? Nick? Are you listening?"

"Sorry," Phoenix said quickly. "Yeah, I'm listening."

"Are you busy at the moment?"

He felt his throat closing up. "No," he said. "Why? Are we going to do something?"

"Come down to the credit union on 31st and Clark. I'll be on the sidewalk."

Evan hung up. Since he wasn't given a time, Phoenix assumed he was wanted there as soon as possible, and he couldn't disappoint. In record speed, he was ready and running out of his room.

His motel was on 31st and Archer, only one intersection away from 31st and Clark. He didn't want Evan to know that, so he left the motel lot through the back path, looped around a few blocks, and went to the credit union from the opposite direction, slowing down beforehand so it didn't look like he was anxious.

Evan was sitting with Liling on a bench just outside the doors, and they both stood when they saw him. Liling jabbed her thumb toward the coffee shop at the end of the block and said, "Sharmistha's sitting in there alone. I think she's waiting for someone, and we're going to find out who."

Phoenix was relieved—spying was better than robbing the credit union, which was what he was thought they were doing. "Okay."

"We go in quickly," Evan warned, "and sit before she notices us."

They waited for a big group to come by and enter, and they followed them inside, quickly sliding into a booth against the window and holding the menus in front of their faces. Sharmistha was in a booth against the side wall, staring blankly at the empty seats across from her.

"I can't see," Liling hissed, "and it's loud in here."

Phoenix and Evan were on one side, Liling on the other. If Phoenix lowered his menu a little, he could see about half of Sharmistha, but Liling would have to turn her head in a very obviously stalker-ish way to see her at all. Only Evan had a good view. Sitting down quickly meant suboptimal spying.

"Someone sat down across from her," Evan whispered.

Phoenix carefully peeked over the menu and saw that a man was now sitting in Sharmistha's booth, but he couldn't see his face from this angle. Based on the look she was giving him, though, Phoenix could tell she was not happy.

.....................

Sharmistha glared at Azure. "Can you lose the glasses?" she snapped. "I don't know if you're looking at me or not."

He took off his sunglasses and set them on the table, and he adjusted the black Yankees cap on his head. The bruising around his eye had healed a bit, but she could still tell it was there.

"I'm trying to hide," he said. "Violet and Crimson are in the city, and I don't want them to find me. Why'd you call me here?"

"I've been trying to meet for several days. Where have you been?"

"You know I'm not going to answer that." Azure grabbed the salt shaker and played with its cap. "I'm here now. So, what is it?"

"Ladock is suspicious. If he realizes I'm not carrying out his orders, he'll fire me. If he finds out I'm listening to someone else, he'll kill me. We have to do something."