The following day, the team met to figure out their next move, deciding on breakfast at Luke’s house. Pablo, thanks to his enhanced healing, was feeling pretty good after his surgery to remove the buckshot from his ass and back. He volunteered to pick up burritos on the way; Sam picked up coffees and a hot cocoa for Gwen.
“One greasy chorizo for Luke. A chorizo con papas for Sam. Bacon for Delilah. And another chorizo for the kid,” Pablo called out, handing out the spoils of his stop at King Burrito.
They tucked into their burritos, happy to be together after surviving a successful failure of a mission. They’d eliminated several vamps, sprung their trap, and escaped with only minor injuries, although they’d missed Cassius. Once they finished, Gwen took off to her room to read while the adults talked.
“So…” Delilah started. “What’s the next move since they’re using Bealer as bait?”
“Do we keep following to see if we can get a better opportunity?” Sam asked.
Pablo squirmed in his seat, looking uncomfortable. “I don’t know about you, but getting shot on the regular isn’t my idea of a gigglefest.”
“No, it really isn’t.” Luke flexed the forearm that’d taken some buckshot.
“Look at you. Get shot once and you get all cautious,” Delilah said in a joking mock voice.
“I’ve been shot more than once,” Luke said.
Delilah smirked. “And all it took to make you more cautious after twenty bajillion years is a little buckshot?”
Sam snickered. “Some people are slow learners.”
Luke shook his head. “Anyway, what’s our next move?” When he got nothing but blank stares, he sat back and fidgeted with the coffee jacket on his cup. “You know,” he mused, “I’m tempted to check out our pal Fred Bealer a little closer…”
“What do you mean?” Sam asked.
“I’m curious if he knows what kind of game he’s playing. Who’s opposing him? I’m wondering if I walk into his office, will he recognize that I’m the enemy he’s helping Cassius with?”
“We talking fake noses, disguises, and aliases and stuff? Gonna go all mission impossible on it?” Pablo started doing the movie’s theme song.
Luke chuckled. “Well, definitely an alias. I don’t know if I’ll want a disguise or a fake nose if I’m trying to test the boundaries of Bealer’s knowledge.”
“Ah, man. I wanted to dress up as a respectable member of society and meet with the mayoral candidate.”
Luke snorted.
Sam shook her head, looking serious. “You are a respectable member of the public, Pablo. You own a business. Take care of your friends and family. You don’t exploit your fellow Portlanders. You look out for your neighbors, human or wolf. I think the problem is that Bealer isn’t interested in respectable members of society, but those with wealth who he can exploit. Those who seek him out to use their wealth to exploit Portland.” Sam turned to Luke. “What’s your plan for getting into see Bealer?”
“I think you just came up with it, but to make it work, we’ll need some resources if we’re going to pull it off.” Luke rested on his elbows, leaning over the table.
Sam leaned forward as well. “What do you have in mind?”
* * *
The suit wasn’t Luke’s style. Since Delilah had started upgrading his wardrobe, he’d become picky about his clothes, choosing pieces that fit his developing look. There was nothing wrong with the suit. It was impeccably tailored and fit perfectly. In no way would anyone who knew suits mistake it for an off-the-rack number tailored to fit. All the details said the owner of the garment knew suits and paid for them. Luke’s complaint was in the conservative cut and fabric. He looked like a wealthy businessperson in the navy blue two-button suit with its notch lapel.
Archie, in a similarly conservative tailored suit, sat next to Luke, playing the part of Luke’s business partner. They were waiting for their appointment with Commissioner Fred Bealer in the antechamber to his office, his assistant sitting behind a desk to one side. Luke and Archie sat on an expensive leather couch. A couple chairs scattered about the room completed its neat layout.
The receptionist set down her phone. “Mr. Smyth?”
Archie perked up, closing the out-of-date magazine he’d been reading, purloined from the end table next to the couch. “Yes?”
“Commissioner Bealer just messaged me. He’s finished with his meeting and will be with you for your appointment after a brief stop by the restroom.”
“No problem. That’s important business, and my associate and I are not in a hurry.” Archie turned up his English accent, playing the part of a British businessman looking to open his first North American outlet in Portland.
“I’ll show you into his office to wait.”
Luke and Archie stood up and let the assistant usher them into the office. She pulled the door nearly closed, leaving the door propped against the frame. The office had several shelves along the walls holding books, a few potted plants, and what looked like some of Bealer’s personal mementos. The majority of the space, physically and focally, was taken up by a massive, antique wooden desk that looked like it would be more at home in the office of a robber-baron CEO than in the office of a city commissioner of a mid-tier city.
A few moments later, Bealer walked in, fixing a false smile on his thin face that couldn't distract from the dark rings under his eyes. His tailored suit hung off him, no longer fitting the way the tailor had cut it. Luke and Archie stood up and shook his hand.
“Mr. Smyth. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Bealer said.
Archie smiled. “Likewise, Commissioner Bealer.”
“Please, call me Fred.”
Once they were inside, Bealer shut the door.
“Please, have a seat, Mr. Smyth.”
“Reggie will work. Let me introduce you to my associate, Lucius Woods.” Archie used the modern pronunciation for Luke’s birth name with its soft “c.”
Bealer shook Luke’s hand, nodding at him.
“Reginald Smyth and Lucius Woods? Those are two very British sounding names.” Bealer smiled ingratiatingly, taking his seat behind the large wooden desk and gesturing for them to take a seat.
Archie, when he was asked to join Luke on this mission, had fun picking his alias, joking he wanted his last name to be Smith-Smyth-Smith, but had settled on Smyth after the nerds in the room had a good laugh.
“They are,” Luke said in his neutral American accent. “But I’m only English by heritage.”
“Well, gentlemen, what can I do for you?” Bealer asked, steepling his hands in front of himself.
“I’m looking at expanding into North America and my friend here”—Archie indicated Luke—“thinks Portland is an ideal location for my first American location.”
“Yes. My assistant provided me with the information you forwarded. I must say, I’m impressed with your operation. You’d be a welcome addition to Portland’s business community. How can I help facilitate your decision to choose my fine city?”
“Well, I’ve been reading up on Portland, and frankly, I’m concerned about the reports about the city. My associate assures me, though, that it is an ideal time to move here.”
Bealer turned toward Luke. “I’m glad you can see the promise in our fair city, in spite of the current turmoil.”
Luke leaned forward, fixing his intense stare on Bealer. “Well, where there’s turmoil, there’s opportunity. I expect with the lack of other new businesses moving here as well as some who’ve chosen to shutter operations, we’ll be able to find suitable real estate at a very advantageous price. Also, I’m sure the city would be very interested in enticing my associate to select Portland.”
“Lucius assures me that as the Police Commissioner and the leading candidate for Mayor,” Archie said, “you’re ideally positioned to return this city to order and prosperity. I was surprised by your bold move to bring a special security contractor. Most people in power won’t seek outside help when things get a bit wibbly-wobbly. Frankly, it shows me that Portland’s future mayor is willing to put his own ego aside to do what’s best for the city.”
Bealer’s smile was smug and self-congratulatory.
Luke shifted, leaning slightly toward Bealer. “I’m most interested in learning what Mr. Clay’s plans are, because that’ll directly affect my siting recommendations for my associate’s first American location. If you have any information that could inform my recommendation, I’d appreciate it, as would Mr. Smyth.”
Bealer chuckled, his early confidence sliding off his face, replaced by a wary nervousness. “Unfortunately, I can’t provide those details as they’re in a critical stage of development. When we’re ready to bring our plan to the public, myself and Mr. Clay will hold a press conference, but I assure you, his plans will bring stability back to our beautiful city.” He turned to Archie. “As a prospective member of the Portland business community, I’d like to invite you, as my guest, to the next meeting of the Portland Community of Businesses. The PCB is one of the leading organizations advocating for a bright future for Portland. I do believe Mr. Clay is scheduled to address the PCB at its next meeting.”
Archie’s eyes flashed toward Luke briefly before leaning forward, a false smile plastered on his face. “I would indeed be interested in attending. When is it?”
Bealer opened his phone and scrolled through his screen. Luke pulled the dummy phone from his pocket, pretending to unlock it, and waited expectantly for Bealer’s answer.
“Next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.”
Turning to Luke, Archie asked, “How does our schedule look, Lucius?”
“If we rearrange a meeting, I think we’ll be free.”
Archie smiled broadly at Bealer. “Excellent. Would you please have your assistant email the appointment and location to my email?”
“I’ll have her do that. And if you don’t mind, I’ll have her include the contact information for my campaign manager. We could always use the business community’s support to help make sure I can fight for Portland’s future.” Bealer looked down the end of his nose, an eyebrow raised.
Luke almost had to admire the man with the greasy smile leaking from his lips. Luke and Archie hadn’t even committed to opening their fake business in Portland, and Bealer was trying to grift a campaign contribution from them. Before either of them could relay their interest in being involved in his run for Portland’s mayoral office, the intercom on the phone hissed to life.
“Commissioner Bealer, sir, you wanted me to remind you it’s time to get ready for your next meeting.”
Bealer leaned toward the phone, pushing a button on it. “Thanks. I’m just wrapping up.” He stood and extended his hand.
Luke and Archie rose to shake his hand.
Bealer applied a smarmy smile to his thin face. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you Tuesday so we can remove any doubts about your decision to move to Portland.”
“We’re looking forward to it,” Archie said.
“Indeed. I’m very curious what your new consultant has to say about Portland,” Luke added.
Bealer ushered them out. Without saying a word, Archie and Luke made their way out of the building and to the parking garage containing the rental sedan they’d procured for the day.
Archie waited until they were well away before turning an eager grin to Luke. “I’m excited to be in the same room as you and Cassius. It should be interesting watching you two try to restrain yourselves from open violence.”
Lucius snorted. “Yeah. The sparks will fly, but I think I can restrain myself.”
It would pain Luke to not kill Cassius on sight, but they had a bigger mission than just killing him, though that was bullet point number one. He knew he’d grow more anxious as they approached the Tuesday meeting, but he was almost eager to show up and fuck up yet another of Cassius’s plans. He felt his cheeks tug up in a vindictive smile. Tuesday couldn’t come quick enough.