Thread: In Cold Blood [Mach & Merc]

The little bite at her lower lip told him far more than she might have guessed, betraying her nervousness, her excitement, and even a little hint of her attraction. Her eyes locked with his held an intensity and a spark that he craved and fed on, an excitement and a thrill that intoxicated him. He made no attempt to disguise the appreciation and desire in his own gaze, and instead let her see every last bit of it. There was nothing to be gained in shyness or holding back. He gave her a little smile. My father told me at thirteen that I needed to be nice to you, to protect you. Now it's just a habit, it seems. he said with a quiet laugh, Your clothes are likely in the dresser, along with anything you were carrying. There are also some other garments in there, should you want to wear something else. he added, pacing easily to the door as he prepared to depart, to return to a few hours of planning, organizing, and negotiating before the end of the day. But she hovered not to far from him, an action that drew his attention as he moved away and she stood in the doorframe, as if awaiting something. Then she let herself go, making that little request of him, to which he allowed an amused, but pleased expression to come to his face. Certainly. Six thirty, on the patio on the second floor. I'll have dinner prepared. But it needn't be just as old friends. He teased with a charming smile, giving her a quick wink. Until then, feel free to explore the house - just don't pick any locks. I'll see you then, Iris. He said, smiled, and then turned and departed, his slim figure vanishing down the hallway and around a corner. He found his own way back to his personal office, sinking into the antique leather armchair that contrasted pleasantly with the modern glass and steel of his desk. With a soft sigh, he picked up the phone on the aforementioned desk and dialed a number quickly. After two rings, a man answered. Sir? Good afternoon, Emil. Would you put out the word to the underground and my associates that Iris Hannigan is under the protection of House Occisor, and that any harm to her will be treated as both a violation of my trust and a direct move against my organization? Of course, sir. Anything else? Yes. Do you remember the opportunity we discussed last time we spoke? Yes, sir. Do you think Miss Hannigan will be suited to the task? She might. I'll propose it to her tonight or tomorrow. I'm going to put together the plan for the operation as soon as we are finished with this conversation. Make sure the other operatives are still on board. Yes, sir. Good man, Emil. How's the family? The wife and daughter are fine, sir. Ricardo is not. He needs another surgery and there's no way we... Nicholas cut him off easily. Take your son to have the surgery done, Emil. I'll cover it. Sir? Seven years of loyalty and service don't go unnoticed by me, Emil. Send your son to surgery, and I'll pay for it. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Of course. You've never failed me. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, sir. Placing the handset back on the base, Nicholas tapped the keyboard to his laptop, which lit up once more. There, on the screen, was his next prize World's Largest Sapphire to be Displayed at NYC Metropolitan Museum of Art Another perfect prize. And a value of 300 million. More than enough to cover Emil's son's surgery, operation costs in order to take it, and have some profit. And a perfect time to test the loyalty of Iris, to see what she was willing to do in order to earn her keep. Not that the operation would be dangerous if all went well - Nicholas hated violence in his heists, and preferred to work his way around it, and to use trickery to take what he wanted. He was clever, and cleverness meant no need for force. Standing, he moved to a bookshelf where he had stored plans for various operations. He had known that at some time, the Museum of Art would have something worth taking, and this seemed like the perfect time to take this plan out of the mothballs. Unrolling the bound papers, he mused over the floorplans of the building. After several minutes of consideration, he shook his head. There wasn't enough information here. He would have to go to the museum to see it first hand, to know what the security would be like. No doubt he wouldn't be able to pull of the heist during the day, not if the sapphire was on display at all times. But a night break-in left far more possibilities open for problems, and that was not an option he liked terribly much. Unless there was a way to get all of the visitors away from the sapphire for a period... Ideas still mused in his head as he glanced up at the clock, which now read 615. Nodded slightly, he closed the laptop, pursing his lips. There was a beginning of a plan, here. Now just to bring it to a full, complete operation, with nothing left unconsidered or ignored. However, there were more important things now - dinner with a beautiful woman.