Thief's Honour

Chapter Two- The Boss

The jet landed in another private airstrip, far away from New York. Madeleine exited the plane, and was immediately met by a nondescript black SUV. She climbed into the back seat, and the blank-faced driver nodded once at her in acknowledgment, before making a hard U-turn and speeding off the tarmac.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled into Enigma's main operations base, where the Boss ran all the business. It had used to be a manufacturing plant, but had been stripped down into a suitable base that could hold a couple hundred people, if necessary. Madeleine was quickly escorted to the Boss's office, the only immaculate, luxurious room in the building. The desk was polished cherry, with several neat stacks of paper on top. The Boss himself was sitting in an expensive leather chair behind it, and gestured for Madeleine to take the oak chair in front of it.

The Boss was in his mid-forties, with well-groomed black hair, a goatee, and a confident, arrogant aura. He directed all of Enigma's operations, and also ordered the permanent silencing of anyone who dared to double-cross him or leave Enigma without permission. Or leave Enigma, under any circumstances. Sometimes, when she was really drunk, Madeleine was concerned by the fact that no one ever left. But it was insurance, to make sure that they couldn't bring down the whole organization. As long as Madeleine could do what she wanted and was getting paid handsomely, she didn't really care about leaving. Regardless, the Boss was someone who would be exceptionally dangerous to cross.

The Boss didn't say anything, he merely waited. Madeleine dropped her suitcase on his desk, pushed aside a few wallets and bundles of cash, and pulled out a velvet box. She closed her suitcase, set it on the floor, and carefully opened the velvet box.

The Boss smiled, pleased. "Excellent work as usual, Madeleine. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Probably find some less talented person to attempt to get it, only to fail miserably and face the wrath of Heaven, sir." Madeleine replied cockily, in a tone that most people would get their heads blown off for using.

But Madeleine wasn't most people.

"Quite true, disappointed as I am to admit it." The Boss sighed, "You are our best thief." He gestured to a bodyguard at the door, who handed Madeleine a briefcase. She accepted it, without opening it. She didn't need to. It was all there. It was always there.

"Pleasure doing business with you, sir." Madeleine left the room.

Being the best thief in Enigma meant that she was allowed some liberties. She could work freelance, as long as she didn't work for a specific group too often and didn't take a job that competed with Enigma in any way. She didn't stay at the base, or even in the country. She deposited her earnings into her (obviously untraceable) bank account, and took a plane to Las Vegas. She was in the mood for some fun.