Chapter 4: Respective Missions

                                    

                                          


                          
Ketterdam. Island of Kerch (on the other side of the Fold). 
                          


                          
Kaz sat in the booth, twirling the head of his crow cane around, spinning it, staring at the jewelled eyes, his jaw set and ticking with disappointment and irritation as inaudible chatter was heard all around the tavern. 
                          
'Here's what I don't get,' Jesper mused, his feet up on the table.
                          
'We're going to be here all night,' Inej commented, a hint of a smirk playing at her lips. Kaz did not smile, nor look at his companions. 
                          
'Rude,' Jesper replied, then took his feet off of the table and leaned forward. 'Why haven't they tried going under it?' he asked the gang. 'Just build a tunnel.' 
                          
'They tried that,' Kaz said blankly, his head finally raising to stare at Jesper. 'More than a century ago. Something... heard them digging.' Jesper finally leaned back, looking thoughtful. 
                          
'It was made hundreds of years ago by that crazy Grisha...' 
                          
'The Black Heretic,' Inej finished for him. 
                          
'The one who controls shadow. They've got one in their army now. General Kirigan?' 
                          
'Your point?' Inej asked pointedly. 
                          
'If one of his kind made it, can't he - unmake it?'
                          
'Have you ever put out fire by adding more fire?' Inej asked him. 
                          
'Then what's the opposite?' Jesper asked, answering Inej's question with another question. 
                          
'A Sun Summoner.' 
                          
'Right, then, one of those.' 
                          
'Doesn't exist,' Kaz finally spoke in utter disbelief. 
                          
'Doesn't exist yet,' Inej pointed out. Kaz leaned forward. 
                          
'Dreesen comes into town; doesn't waste a minute. Sends out for a crew to steal something but doesn't specify what.' His two accomplices stared at him. 'Is it heavy, large, worth more than a million on the black market?' The two still said nothing. He leaned back, letting out a heavy sigh. 'Maybe he doesn't know.'
                          
'We can let this one go, Kaz,' Inej said softly. 
                          
'Sounds like a trap, anyway,' Jesper chimed in. 
                          
'A trap would sound easy,' Kaz mused. 'This is something else.' Just then footsteps thudded towards their table as a rather large man came into view, wearing a black bowler hat and dark suit jacket. 
                          
'Boss, boss,' he repeated. Kaz turned to gaze at the man. 'We intercepted a note from Dreesen.' 
                          
'Did you, now?' 
                          
'It's for the owner of the Orchid. Says they require the services of a Heartrender, tonight.' 
                          
'A Heartrender?' Kaz asked, confused. 'Why?'
                          
'Doesn't say. Just they need it before midnight.' Kaz's gaze was planted forward, not on the man, listening but not entirely present. 
                          
'You don't bring in a Heartrender unless you need an answer out of someone who isn't willing to talk,' he said, his gaze sliding over to Jesper. The younger Zemeni sharpshooter frowned in confusion. 'That's how we get this job before anyone else.' Kaz stood. 'Bring Dreesen a Heartrender.' Kaz moved to limp off to prepare. 
                          
'Boss, just one problem,' the man in the bowler hat said, making Kaz turn. 'Pekka Rollins knows.' Kaz turned away from the man again, his jaw clicking in unseen anger, and let out a breath, spitting out the name as if it was a bad taste.