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Jul 24, 2017 10:22:33 GMT -7
Post by Clark Amasteros on Jul 24, 2017 10:22:33 GMT -7
Clark's arrangement was a delicate one. For it to work, it required a level of trust toward a city-wide criminal organization. They, in turn, had to trust him. Part of this trust consisted of monthly meeting with a man name Reggie. Clark didn't know much more about Reggie, just that he acted as a supervisor over the arrangement. Whatever the man said, Clark had to do. If he complained, he did it through Reggie. So far it worked.
The businessman approached the warehouse. To most people, it would appear deserted, like every other warehouse was in the middle of the night. The large loading doors were all shut, and all of the trucks in the parking lot were silent. There was no reason for Clark to walk up to a side door and knock. At least, no legal reason. The door was opened by a large thug pointing a shotgun through the doorway.
He yelled back to the others, still hidden past a dimly lit hall, "It's Mr. Amasteros. He's early."
"I'm always early," Clark argued, "Though admittedly I finished some paperwork faster than usual. Reggie usually has me wait outside his office."
"Reggie's dead."
Clark was taken aback. "I... um I'm so sorry! What happened?"
"Reggie was caught hiding some money from the boss," the thug answered. "Now everything he's touched is under suspicious, including you, Mr. Amasteros. The boss sent some new youngster to take over things. Fresh eyes, you see. If you give him one reason to doubt you, I get to pump you full of lead."
"Of course. I understand." Clark made a note to choose his words carefully. "Where would you have me wait?"
"Uh just a second," the thug answered. "Let me check with him now."
He had his fun intimidating Mr. Amasteros, but it was time to get back to real business.
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Jul 25, 2017 3:12:31 GMT -7
Post by Tristan Carter on Jul 25, 2017 3:12:31 GMT -7
Unsurprisingly, it was rare for someone to try and betray the mafia for personal benefit. Oh, sure, there would always be moles, but the crime syndicate treated its people well. The benefits of cooperation and risks of being found out generally outweighed the potential gains of crossing the family. Still, rare as it was, there were those who who did little but remind everyone else of why it wasn't common. Coincidentally, there seemed to be a correlation between those who were stupid enough to betray the family and those who were stupid enough to get caught.
Reggie, whoever he was, was one such prime example. Tristan had never met him, and tried not to judge too harshly based because of that. Still, he couldn't wrap his head around how someone who had obtained the position that he had could be so obviously stupid. Then again, he couldn't wrap his head around why anyone would feel the need to go behind the mafia like Reggie did. While he was aware that, due to his magic as well as his parentage, he enjoyed some degree of special treatment, he knew plenty of others who didn't get the same benefits but who had little to complain about. That was why Reggie's actions, whatever the reason behind them were, simply struck the young man as a pointless mistake.
It was especially so when one considered that Reggie had quite the sizable operation, given his standing. Of course, with him now gone, someone had to take over. Tristan couldn't say for certain that the responsibilities would permanently fall to him, but he had been assigned to go over the assets that had been left behind and to determine their true value, now that there wasn't someone lining their pockets with the profit. Going through unknown amounts of paperwork and contacts wasn't exactly the most thrilling task, but Tristan was admittedly curious about what all information could possibly be found.
After a few hours of pouring over ledgers, files, and various other paper-themed forms of tedium, he was practically beside himself when one of the boys meant to deter unwanted visitors announced that one Amasteros had arrived. It was considerably easier to tell when a person was false than a metric ton of papers written by someone who died because they had been falsifying papers. People were also easier to negotiate with or manipulate, depending on what the situation called for.
When the guard dog of a man came to ask where Amasteros could wait, Tristan instructed him to let the man in. Upon seeing the man's uneasiness, he sighed. "Listen - Vance, was it?" Tristan waited for a nod in confirmation before continuing. "Alright, Vance, whereas these papers could sit here for years before I turn my attention to them, guests need tended to as quickly as possible. Not only is it a tad rude to have them wait for no good reason, it's also impractical and unprofessional. Besides, unless you happen to know the explicit details of what business went on between Amasteros and Reggie-" He was quickly met with an abrupt shake of the head "-then the only person still living who does know is Amasteros himself, and he's done us a favor in saving us the trouble of finding him. The least we can do is send him back on his merry way as quickly as possible, don't you think?"
Tristan maintained a pleasant smile until Vance went back out to retrieve the guest, at which point he directed a few fake sobs at the piles of papers that he still had yet to get through. By everything holy, he was thrilled to have an excuse to distract himself.
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Jul 26, 2017 18:27:21 GMT -7
Post by Clark Amasteros on Jul 26, 2017 18:27:21 GMT -7
Clark followed the thug down the hallway, and stopped just after the door to the office. He glanced around the room to pick up what information he could. There were stacks of paperwork, indicating Reggie left a mess, the thug that he now knew was called Vance, and the youngster put in charge. He was still surprised by the youngster's age. This kid had to early twenties at the latest. He probably shouldn't have been surprised by this, as that was what "youngster" meant, but a lot of it was that more and more people were younger than him. That's what truly surprised him.
"Thank you," he replied. "Excuse me, Vance."
The businessman knew his name, because had overheard bits and pieces of the conversation. He had to take a couple steps inside without being heard, and was careful to duck back out before Vance made it back to the doorway. Dropping this hint now was somewhat of a test. Would this new person catch it, and if they did, would they care? Clark Amasteros passed the thug and made his way up to the desk. When he began talking, he leaned over it and put his hands down on either side.
"This might be insensitive of the newly departed, but you seem to be a caliber above Reggie. My previous arrangement with him was full of redundancy, posturing, and hostility. It might be best to draft a new agreement from scratch."
Drafting a new agreement from scratch was very much in Clark's favor. The mafia had orchestrated a couple accidents for him in the past, and had been holding it over Clark's head ever since. Most notably, they caused the fire that allowed Clark to purchase the property that got him started. This was his chance to be on equal footing, for once. If he made it there, he could even imagine being free from the mafia entirely.
That was all long-term, though. The first step was to stay focused on right now.
"That also seems like the surest way you to get rid of any suspicion your superiors might have."
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Aug 22, 2017 23:19:40 GMT -7
via mobile
Post by Tristan Carter on Aug 22, 2017 23:19:40 GMT -7
When the man presumably known as Amasteros stepped into the office, Tristan's concern for the business to be conducted was temporarily moved to the back burner. He firmly believed that Lady Luck had a stronger influence on his life than most, in one way or another, but every once in a while he was still astounded by random coincidence. He smiled professionally, albeit broadly, as he listened to the proposal made by Amasteros. Once the man seemed to finish, Tristan gestured towards the seats that he had walked past.
"It's good to see you again, Mr. Amasteros," he said warmly. "Especially without the looming threat of magical traps or monster attacks." He wasn't about to question the odds of running into the unnamed man again, let alone meeting him in such a position. He knew a stroke of luck when he saw one. Having worked together before, Amasteros would likely be more willing to cooperate. Cooperation would, of course, be mutually beneficial; luckily, the man seemed smart enough to realize this as well. If not, well, the events of that expedition would have given little reason for Amasteros to not underestimate Tristan. Everything was already looking up more than he had even realized.
"A new arrangement could definitely be within the cards, Mr. Amasteros," Tristan said, his voice taking on a slightly distant edge. "But, first, I'd like to ask about your previous agreement with Reggie. For the obvious issues with his work ethic, the man was meticulous; likely so as to be better aware of where he could skim funds, not that it did him any good in the end. Now, in many respects, this is beneficial. However, it means it may take some time before I find the information relevant to your case."
Tristan looked briefly at the desk and the various unread stacks of paper on it. The fact that he still hadn't even went through a twentieth of the full amount after dedicating himself completely to the task didn't bode well, especially given how this wasn't the only task he was expected to do. It was by far the largest, at the moment, but that was anything but comforting.
"It would be greatly appreciated if you would provide your assistance in this matter."
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Aug 27, 2017 12:39:30 GMT -7
Post by Clark Amasteros on Aug 27, 2017 12:39:30 GMT -7
Clark Amasteros was confused by Tristan's familiarity, but only for a moment. He pieced it together when Tristan mentioned monster attacks. Clark wasn't sure if this was good or bad news for him, and figured it was likely neither. Expeditions into the jungle were a completely separate matter from this.
"It's good to see you too."
His jovial response masked the sinking of his hopes. Tristan refused to discuss anything before they found the old case files. He wasn't sure exactly how documented his disadvantage with the mafia was, but any evidence would be enough. There was still a chance, though. Oddly, Tristan trusted him enough to help him go through the paperwork. If he could find his file first, he could confiscate the evidence.
"You want me to help you with the paperwork?"
Clark had to repeat it before he believed it. Tristan was using what leverage he had in order to get help with the stack of papers. At least the young man knew who to ask. If there was one thing Clark had experience with, it was this. The enormous heap of manila, white, and the yellow neon of countless sticky notes was admittedly frightening, but not the worst he had dealt with.
"Sure, I can help. First of all, it's easier to organize it first instead of diving right in."
The businessman continued giving pointers as he quickly and efficiently burned through the nearest stack. His actions were fast enough to almost be frantic, but every movement was still deliberate and productive. Clark didn't just do paperwork, he asserted himself over the paper. There was more at stake then just getting something done, he needed to find that file first.
Edit: missing words
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