Chapter 22: Syndicate

Angel’s POV

It was surreal, and she kept looking over her shoulder every 2 seconds. She was really being escorted about town by a demon. She wasn’t sure what Castiel had said to Alastair, but she wasn’t about to ask and have him change his mind about letting her go for the wander. She had said one thing to Alastair during their whole walk, that she had to be back in the bar in 2 hours. She hoped he had a watch hidden under those long sleeves.

They swept past the Legion fishbowl, Taala standing outside the door with arms crossed. He raised his eyebows at the bizarre pair as they passed. Angel lightly waved but kept her stride, she didn’t have a lot of time for negotiations as it was. The ‘Syndicate Supplies’ sign came into view and she went over her speech.

With Alastair in her shadow, she opened the store door. Inside a lightly lit room were all sorts of bags and pots on wooden shelves. It looked like what the junky Yard may be if they had shelves to put things on instead of piles.

Immediately to her left sat in a short chair was an armoured Parker. Angel smiled wide and bounced the two steps to her. “Miss Parker! I’d like to talk! I come with a gift.” She held the sealed bottle out.

Parker smirked at her and stood with effort, shrugging her shoulder with a strap across it to reach out and take the offered bottle. “Little Angel, I never would have imagined you’d come here. Cats never do.”

Angel laughed. “Well I have a question to ask of Syndicate technology, and it was important to me that you had home court advantage.”

Parker laughed. She definitely seemed more relaxed here than when she was in the bar. “Well then wait here kitty, and, uh, friend? I will find the ones you can discuss with.” She turned to head off and Angel saw the sling over her shoulder was a long rifle with large circular chamber on her back.

Alastair was practically breathing down Angel’s neck. Angel wondered how to politely say ‘please go sit in a corner until I need you’, but decided strongly against it when Parker led two equally armoured men her way.

“Angel, this is Marshal and Dax. Syndicate Planner and our Arms Expert. Gentleman, this is the neko from the bar I told you about.”

Angel felt a little sick when three sets of eyes dropped to stare at her tail. Suddenly she heard Falkner’s growled ‘fucking freak’ in her head and unconsciously took a step back, bumping Alastair. Everyone in town WAS speaking about her it seemed.

Trying to stick to her planned speech, she brushed imagined dirt off her jean pants to seem unbothered. “A pleasure sirs. I, um, wanted to see if a bargain could be made to aid the city defense against the lycans.”

“Perhaps. What is it you need?” Dax with ax, that’s how she’d remember the Arms Expert with a brown buzz cut that spoke.

“I read in a book when I was younger about a flower called wolfsbane. I wonder if the old Syndicate research shows if rumour is true regarding its, um, effects on wolves.” They all seemed interested. “If it does have uses, I want to negotiate a certain kind of weapon with it.”

The first man with short brown hair spoke. “An’ why Syndicate? Why humans? Why not ask a demon to conjure such equipment?” Marshal’s eyes travelled up and down Angel’s bodyguard with open disgust. He’d be mistrustful Marshal in her name library now.

“There, um- There is a war coming in a few days’ time. I would like to spare as many friends as I can, and making sure Syndicate is on our side would be key to that.” Angel looked to Parker, and she gave Angel a thankful smile.

There was silence for a while until Dax spoke again. “There is truth in the herb. Trials in the past have shown it inhibits their ability to transform. It can be inhaled, injected or injested.”

Marshal added “Erm, it ain’t easy to come across these days though. Lycan’s actively seek it out to destroy it.”

Angel was glad her storybooks had some truth. Master had allowed her to read anything she found, and when she wasn’t lined up for a client choosing she had her nose in a book. “Perfect. What would you want in exchange for some aerial weapons using wolfsbane dust?”

Dax scratched his face with a bare hand, looking at Marshal. “Cynthia’s been bored lately, whaddya think?” Marshal nodded and Dax looked to Angel. “We have a Records Keeper who is good in the lab. She hasn’t had any projects in a while, and we think this may be a good chance to load her up with research.”

Angel shifted in place. This was 110% not what she thought they were going to say. She thought as outnumbered humans they’d want food, or more territory, or what she was going to offer was scrap from the Yard to be repurposed into their technology and weapons. Angel flicked eyes between all three waiting.

Dax continued. “We’d like to trade for blood samples. One vial from every group in the city. For each bundle of 5 different samples we’ll make and give you one of these weapons.”

Holy shit. She mentally counted factions to get to 5.. Angels, nekos, demons, vampires.. and lycans? No way! How in Hell was she supposed to do that?

“And a vial of yours Angel.” Marshal added.

“What? Why mine?”

Marshal shrugged casually. “I think we’d all like to know your mutation. Or if you’re mixed with anything.”

Angel looked back to Alastair who had removed his hands from his sweatpants to clench them at his sides. She stared at his feet thinking and turned back with a deep fake-that-confidence breath. “We’re negotiating right? Given that no one is on speaking terms with wolves, their blood will be off the table. 4 vials for 1 weapon, and m-my blood for 1 weapon.” Worst-case she would at least have 1 weapon to use.

The men looked at each other and nodded in unison. “Al’right little lady. We have a deal. What’s our timeline?”

“Weapons must be ready to launch before the full moon. I will bring vials as and when I can in coming days.” She shifted her weight again. “I can give my, um, donation now?”

Dax gave a creepy grin while Marshal made a dramatic arm gesture towards the back of the building. “This way miss Angel. The clinic is a small room so yer watchdog’ll have to stay outside and wait his turn.”

Angel and Alastair followed the men while Parker sat back down at her post and opened the beer.