Money To Burn
Feb 4, 2023 18:40:15 GMT -5
Post by Kenji on Feb 4, 2023 18:40:15 GMT -5
(Takes place some time after Bait and Denial)
Part 1
Had to put a fire at the club, tea downstairs. Dinner tonight?
Kenji got up rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and padded downstairs to the kitchen.
The tea was still warm so Zuka hadn’t left that long ago. Kenji poured himself a cup and sipped, giving a slight face as it hit his taste buds. It was the Fire Nation blend that Zuka preferred and Kenji now kept stocked since Zuka had taken to spending at least a couple nights a week at his place. Though, in truth, the tea was a little too bitter for his liking, but it should wake him up just fine.
He doubted their was much of a fire to put out at the club anyway, but ever since they officially had hit a wall with their various underworld contacts concerning Jaya, Zuka had taken her frustration out by micro managing the new club down to the last detail, to the point Kenji wondered if this thing was even going to actually open.
Though he supposed it was better than Kenji’s own method of venting his frustration, which was slowly but surely descending into insanity.
He had tried and tried for weeks after rescuing Zuka, to find an angle, any angle on Jaya but he still had nothing. It annoyed him because at this rate he was going to have to admit that Jaya was smarter than him.
And he’d never do that.
Jaya was good, very good, but Kenji had beaten her twice and he refused to let his streak go down in flames.
It was at the thought, as he downed the last of his tea, that he had an idea. It wasn’t a good idea, but it was one he hadn’t tried yet, so he had nothing to lose but time.
Padding over to the section of the first floor that now served as his office these days. He pulled out a large map of Republic City, which he had vastly overpaid for at a tourist gift shop a few weeks back. He quickly scanned the map and began jotting down street addresses one after the other that met the criteria for the wild theory he had in mind. Once he had a list down, Kenji picked up the phone, and dialed.
“Hello?”
“Zula, it's me,” Kenji said “ I need a favor.”
“One moment, I'm just finishing a meeting” she said with a polite but bored tone, clearly for the benefit of whoever else was in the room with her.
Kenji heard some muffled conversation, a few laughs, and a closing door as whoever was in Zula’s office left. Then Zula returned to the phone, her tone noticeably less bored.
“What do you need?”
“ Do you have any people at the City Hall permits office, you can lean on, discreetly ?”
“ A few,” she said with an edge of pride in her voice. Kenji was impressed, their was a time not long ago when Zula was too much of a blunt instrument to gain contacts in the Republic City government, but she had come a long way in a short time. However, there was a time for praise and time for answers, so Kenji kept his voice even as he continued on.
“ Good, I need to know of any building permits that were filed with City Hall at the following addresses.” Kenji said reading the street addresses off his list.
“Got it.” Zula said “ I should be able to have a messenger to your place by midday.”
“Good.” Kenji said before pausing and then slowly continued “ And Zula?”
“Yes?”
“You're coming along nicely.” He said giving some praise and then immediately after hanging up before she could respond he could hear the inevitable smugness that would creep into her voice.
Kenji opened the envelope, a little surprised at the large amount of documents, and got to work.
Finally, Kenji thought he had his answer, he double checked, looked at the map again, and then circled a location., letting out a small laugh in victory.
Gathering up the map, and tucking the papers and permits into a desk drawer, he then quickly jotted down a message to Zuka for when she showed up later tonight.
Working on something, might be a couple days, gonna need to extend that rain check.
He then darted out the door, he had an angle finally, now he just needed to make sure he was right.
“Hello.” Teo picked up his voice slightly muffled by the sound of car engines.
“ Hey Teo, can you close up the garage a little early tonight?” Kenji asked
“Why?” Teo said a small air of concern tinged his voice.
“Well, I’ve got a… job in mind and we need a place to meet. If you can get a hold of Neva, I’ll make sure the twins are there.”
If there was one thing that Zuka’s kidnapping had confirmed it was that any and all of their old safehouses from a while back were most likely burned, meaning the places they could safely all convene were limited, though for the first weeks of Zuka healing up, Teo and Kenji had kept an eye on Teo’s garage at intermittent hours and they knew at the very least the garage wasn’t being watched witch made it one of the few safe place to meet.
“This job….I get the feeling it’s gonna involve certain…spirits that haven’t been seen in a while.” Teo said
“ Your feelings are correct, it’s high risk but high reward.” Kenji said
“What's the risk?" Teo asked
Kenji laughed “ Oh if this goes wrong, and we somehow don’t end up dead, then we’re all definitely going to prison.”
“Who’s we?” Teo said in a slightly angry tone
“Oh don’t think for a second I won’t dime you out if I get caught.” Kenji fired back said keeping a straight face before they both laughed aloud.
“Haha, so if thats the risk, what's the reward?” Teo said
“Remember that other idea I had a couple months back?”
“The idea that we could in no way afford?” Teo clarified
“Yeah that one, well if this goes right, we’ll be able to afford that and more.” Kenji promised
Teo paused for a long minute, but Kenji knew it was just for show. Teo might be a bit more cautious than him, but Kenji had taught Teo metalbending and he knew that when push came to shove, Teo had nerve to spare.
“ All right I’ll close the garage early, and contact Neva, anything else you need?” Teo asked
“Yeah," Kenji said with a small chuckle “ How long do think it’ll take you to find a truck we can use?”
Part 1
***
Morning came too early, as Kenji groaned, refusing to open his eyes to the light that was coming in from the windows. He rolled over expecting his arm to wrap around Zuka but instead only found a note instead. As he opened his eyes just enough to read the hastily written script.Had to put a fire at the club, tea downstairs. Dinner tonight?
Kenji got up rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and padded downstairs to the kitchen.
The tea was still warm so Zuka hadn’t left that long ago. Kenji poured himself a cup and sipped, giving a slight face as it hit his taste buds. It was the Fire Nation blend that Zuka preferred and Kenji now kept stocked since Zuka had taken to spending at least a couple nights a week at his place. Though, in truth, the tea was a little too bitter for his liking, but it should wake him up just fine.
He doubted their was much of a fire to put out at the club anyway, but ever since they officially had hit a wall with their various underworld contacts concerning Jaya, Zuka had taken her frustration out by micro managing the new club down to the last detail, to the point Kenji wondered if this thing was even going to actually open.
Though he supposed it was better than Kenji’s own method of venting his frustration, which was slowly but surely descending into insanity.
He had tried and tried for weeks after rescuing Zuka, to find an angle, any angle on Jaya but he still had nothing. It annoyed him because at this rate he was going to have to admit that Jaya was smarter than him.
And he’d never do that.
Jaya was good, very good, but Kenji had beaten her twice and he refused to let his streak go down in flames.
It was at the thought, as he downed the last of his tea, that he had an idea. It wasn’t a good idea, but it was one he hadn’t tried yet, so he had nothing to lose but time.
Padding over to the section of the first floor that now served as his office these days. He pulled out a large map of Republic City, which he had vastly overpaid for at a tourist gift shop a few weeks back. He quickly scanned the map and began jotting down street addresses one after the other that met the criteria for the wild theory he had in mind. Once he had a list down, Kenji picked up the phone, and dialed.
***
Three rings later, Zula picked up, mid laugh.“Hello?”
“Zula, it's me,” Kenji said “ I need a favor.”
“One moment, I'm just finishing a meeting” she said with a polite but bored tone, clearly for the benefit of whoever else was in the room with her.
Kenji heard some muffled conversation, a few laughs, and a closing door as whoever was in Zula’s office left. Then Zula returned to the phone, her tone noticeably less bored.
“What do you need?”
“ Do you have any people at the City Hall permits office, you can lean on, discreetly ?”
“ A few,” she said with an edge of pride in her voice. Kenji was impressed, their was a time not long ago when Zula was too much of a blunt instrument to gain contacts in the Republic City government, but she had come a long way in a short time. However, there was a time for praise and time for answers, so Kenji kept his voice even as he continued on.
“ Good, I need to know of any building permits that were filed with City Hall at the following addresses.” Kenji said reading the street addresses off his list.
“Got it.” Zula said “ I should be able to have a messenger to your place by midday.”
“Good.” Kenji said before pausing and then slowly continued “ And Zula?”
“Yes?”
“You're coming along nicely.” He said giving some praise and then immediately after hanging up before she could respond he could hear the inevitable smugness that would creep into her voice.
****
Around lunch time a beleaguered and slightly nervous messenger knocked on his door. Kenji answered and took the envelope, slipping the messenger a few extra Yuan before he left. Equal parts tip and bribe. Kenji hoped that it would make the messenger think twice if anyone later asked him where he had delivered the envelope, though he was certain that Zula had probably put the fear of spirits into him already.Kenji opened the envelope, a little surprised at the large amount of documents, and got to work.
***
It was almost sundown and Kenji had the various papers and permits spread out on the desk. The map was now pinned to a nearby wall, several X’s drawn through it.Finally, Kenji thought he had his answer, he double checked, looked at the map again, and then circled a location., letting out a small laugh in victory.
Gathering up the map, and tucking the papers and permits into a desk drawer, he then quickly jotted down a message to Zuka for when she showed up later tonight.
Working on something, might be a couple days, gonna need to extend that rain check.
He then darted out the door, he had an angle finally, now he just needed to make sure he was right.
***
It had been a week. Kenji had been lurking in back alleys, sneezing through dusty basements, and had to duck a tail twice. He knew that if Jaya or any of her people got wind, then this would all be for nothing. It was tricky and occasionally nerve wracking, but despite himself, Kenji had to admit there was a certain thrill being back in the game. And after a week he finally had a plan. Which brought him to now. He was reclining on the desk, talking as his phone rang Teo’s shop.“Hello.” Teo picked up his voice slightly muffled by the sound of car engines.
“ Hey Teo, can you close up the garage a little early tonight?” Kenji asked
“Why?” Teo said a small air of concern tinged his voice.
“Well, I’ve got a… job in mind and we need a place to meet. If you can get a hold of Neva, I’ll make sure the twins are there.”
If there was one thing that Zuka’s kidnapping had confirmed it was that any and all of their old safehouses from a while back were most likely burned, meaning the places they could safely all convene were limited, though for the first weeks of Zuka healing up, Teo and Kenji had kept an eye on Teo’s garage at intermittent hours and they knew at the very least the garage wasn’t being watched witch made it one of the few safe place to meet.
“This job….I get the feeling it’s gonna involve certain…spirits that haven’t been seen in a while.” Teo said
“ Your feelings are correct, it’s high risk but high reward.” Kenji said
“What's the risk?" Teo asked
Kenji laughed “ Oh if this goes wrong, and we somehow don’t end up dead, then we’re all definitely going to prison.”
“Who’s we?” Teo said in a slightly angry tone
“Oh don’t think for a second I won’t dime you out if I get caught.” Kenji fired back said keeping a straight face before they both laughed aloud.
“Haha, so if thats the risk, what's the reward?” Teo said
“Remember that other idea I had a couple months back?”
“The idea that we could in no way afford?” Teo clarified
“Yeah that one, well if this goes right, we’ll be able to afford that and more.” Kenji promised
Teo paused for a long minute, but Kenji knew it was just for show. Teo might be a bit more cautious than him, but Kenji had taught Teo metalbending and he knew that when push came to shove, Teo had nerve to spare.
“ All right I’ll close the garage early, and contact Neva, anything else you need?” Teo asked
“Yeah," Kenji said with a small chuckle “ How long do think it’ll take you to find a truck we can use?”