Dark Reign (Side): Meeting a snake in a uniform.

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It had taken a very long time to get this particular meeting set up, but it was one that they simply could not afford to refuse or ignore.

The construction of this deal had begun nearly since Miranda Blair and her grunts entered into the AFW with the intent to twist the federation into a drug operation front for their shady employers.Miranda was never one to not do her research, and with some proper digging, she found a valuable candidate for their plans. One that could serve them well, if the stars aligned and the rumors about this person were true.

The person in question was one Garuga Ise, a well respected police officer renowned for high marks on her police academy tests, as well as being one of the youngest female officers to climb the ranks in such a short time. Within a few months she had become a police sergeant, and a few months after that she had earned the prestigious rank of lieutenant. It was a major accomplishment that was even celebrated in the local newspapers and news stations. Her accomplishment brought her many opportunities, one of which was an AFW drug consultant. She helped ensure that the company and its competitors stayed off any illegal substances and prevented any from circulating around the federation.

Few really knew the dark secrets that lay in Officer Ise’s closet. While the test results were all real, as far as Miranda could identify, everything else was a sham. She had poured through countless years of emails and by complete accident, stumbled upon a string of messages between the drug consultant and her father. Turns out, Ise’s father was something of a powerful politician, and his daughter was as dirty as they came! She slacked on her actual police work, and was only kept from getting fired thanks to her Father’s powerful influence! Anytime she got close to trouble, he would pull her out of the fire and place her in a cozy new position, promotion and all. It was no wonder she got as far as she did, but even with all of the bluster and high positions, she still stayed pretty dirty.

It didn’t take long into Miranda’s investigation to learn that she was always willing to take a bribe to look the other way. Be it a bribe of favors, monetary gain, or cruel acts only the dark underbelly of the city could provide. After all of her digging, Miranda was convinced that this woman could be used to her advantage.

Of course, she needed to test this theory first. She instructed middlemen to hire a goon to bribe the officer. She simply needed to look the other direction when a theft occurred near her office. There was ample time between the theft and the bribe to let Ise tell someone about the crime, but she never did. The deed was done without a hitch, and so Miranda would continue. The crimes grew more serious in nature as time passed by, and Ise’s demands for bribes seemed to grow a bit outlandish as the more serious crimes began to pile up. So long as Ise had her payment, nothing on her end ever went wrong.

So, that is what brought them to where they were now.

For the first time, it would be Miranda who came to meet with their esteemed guest. Before, it was always done by some second rate goon of a goon. Nothing could ever lead back to Miranda, but today was one that could not be left up to others. This was one she needed to see carried out herself. Anything else, and something could go wrong.

That didn’t mean she was looking to take any risks. She had set this meeting up, giving Ise the offer to come or not by, once again, using disposable goons under her employ. Miranda was told the officer would only come if it was neutral ground, somewhere with no cameras or signal. A strange, but not unreasonable request. Miranda relayed the location, and soon Ise would be escorted to the warehouse location. The goons were carefully instructed to drive through false roads and backtrack so that Ise would remain in the dark.

The scientist waited patiently inside the warehouse...waiting for the woman she had made countless deals with, but never with the same face.It was a risk, inviting her, even after all she had done… but a calculated one. Miranda could not say for certain how the night would go, but if all went well, then they would be one step closer to accomplishing their mission of destroying the AFW.

A cascade. A pretty slick and long term way to get a relatively uncompromising contact with someone, but from the top of her head she could not think of a much more safe way to do it. So she was already mildly impressed  when she finally had been contacted by someone who had a semblance of midlevel importance.

For certain circumstances, misleading Ise was extremely difficult. But she was not exactly worried or took it on herself to wrench her head to look for street signs or other such stupidities as she was rather curious who made such a long and arduous way to talk to her. But she had taken good and long looks on the thugs that escorted her.

Stepping out of the car with a little sigh, she would put her hands to the side to fish for her lighter and a cigarette before stepping into the warehouse, making out of her the prime target of any hitman. Walking slowly toward the woman that was waiting inside the storehouse, a small smile appeared on her face when she had arrived face to face with Miranda.
"So you are the noble but up until now invisible benefactor which so reliably paid into the pension funds of so many hardworking and honest officers under my command that try to carve out a meager living on the streets. Nice to finally meet you."
No man was an island, not even Ise. But her personal goons wore uniform and sometimes helped an old lady over the street.

The goons that had accompanied Officer Ise were a bit twitchy, but subtle. The moment she reached into her pocket, the one on the furthest side of the car began to reach for a weapon of his own while the other seemed prime to intercept Ise should she pull anything lethal. Miranda herself simply stood and watched as her guest removed a lighter, then a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. Her demeanor was cold and focused. She didn’t budge an inch, while her goons were getting ready for a nonexistent fight. They relaxed once Ise lit her smoke, and soon the officer was greeting her host for the night.

The lights of the warehouse cast a shadow over Miranda, making her somewhat difficult to see in the light. Her suit was pressed and formal, and the long white hair she had was tied up into a braid. Intentional or not, the breathing mask she often wore in her lap was still strapped to her face. She was almost like a single pillar of darkness, standing against the light with no one to accompany or assist her. Besides a single table with prepackaged food from the local grocery store and a cart with chilled drinks, there was nothing inside the warehouse. A vast, empty void that was exemplified when even Ise’s soft tone created a rippling echo from inside. But that void was pitiful in comparison to the emptiness inside Miranda’s eyes. Even as Ise smiled and opened cheerfully, Miranda stood there...watching the woman like a machine trying to scan a barcode. The soulless look of the scientist, along with how perfectly still she was made it seem as though she were a corpse made to stand for this meeting.

It wouldn’t be until she spoke that she proved those doubts false.

“Garuga Ise...Welcome.”

Miranda nodded towards Ise, as though that were the same thing as a handshake, before turning around and walking inside. The mask she wore altered her voice, making it seem a bit robotic and cold, and her actions were difficult to decipher by themselves. Was Miranda always this strange? Or was she simply being careful?

Before they let Ise follow, the goons would halt her, silently apologizing as the first would pat down her body to “Ensure both parties safety and confidentiality.” Once Ise’s phone and keys were placed in a lockbox, as well as any other items deemed dangerous, the two grunts stepped aside and let her proceed. Miranda was seated at the table,all of the food containing intact tamper proof seals found in stores. Strangely, Miranda had a drink set next to her, despite wearing a mask.

As soon as the Officer stepped through the doorway, the door would softly shut behind her. A quick click made it clear it had been locked, leaving Ise alone with her mysterious and strange host for the night.

“As you requested...No signal, no recordings...not even eavesdroppers. After your years of service, I think you earned the right to have your wishes respected.I hope those men didn’t give you a hard time, did they?”

Miranda peered at Ise with a hint of curiosity...the same kind one might see in the eyes of a praying mantis. Miranda was cold, but she seemed interested in learning about her guest, as though she were the first she had in a very long time.

Ise did not object getting searched, although she wished it would have been a little bit more professional. And not so greedy grabby. But maybe that was just what you were thinking when you were often the searcher and not the searched person.

Taking a long look around, she would finally step into the more confident area and sit on a seat there, taking a big draw from her cigarette before snipping the ash aside her with the tip of a finger.

"Oh no, everything was fine up until here. I had a blast of a time with habitual offender and armed robbery over there."
She replied in her usually sarcastic witty self that pretty far from the serious stance Miranda was basically exemplifying. Therefore she had also snipped away the ashes to see how much was facade and how much was really dictated by habit.

At this point, she was pretty sure that this woman was first and foremost a dangerous kind of psycho and sociopath, the one with no real connection to the world of the usual people. A drug cooker that had too much looked into her own pots maybe. Her eidetic memory had already reduced the possible candidates to about half a dozen people from the police records or highly published police stories, only the mask was keeping the count that high. Given some time, the list would even shrink further.
"So, what brings me here?
She asked in all seriousness before leaning back.
”Please excuse my rudeness. I would of course dance around the pot of formalities with you too, but I am pretty sure that I would just waste our combined time."

Miranda didn’t even react towards Ise’s complaints. Despite asking her, Miranda didn’t seem to care very much about Ise’s comfort or her habits. Even as she took a drag from her cigarette and flicked the end onto the floor, Miranda’s dull, half-lidded  red eyes continued to stare at her with a hint of apathy. The officer’s eccentric and wild personality didn’t seem to put a single dent in Miranda’s cold exterior, but neither did Miranda openly disregard Ise’s words. Once she was finished and a minute or so had passed, the scientist would nod her head gently. No offense was taken. In fact, Miranda seemed to prefer getting straight down to business as she easily pulled a strange looking case out from a sack near her feet. The case looked similar to one someone would store glasses in, with a tough protective case hidden underneath some well stitched padding to soften and brunt trauma it may endure. With ease, she pushed the casing over towards Ise, almost eager for her to open it up and find out what was inside.

Should the officer comply, a single syringe would be resting in the center of the case. A cap protected the thin needle, and the syringe itself contained just a small amount of green liquid inside it’s contents. Besides that, there was little else inside the case, and Miranda leaned back into her chair as Ise looked it over.

“What brings you here, Officer Ise, is your position as the AFW federation’s primary drug consultant, as well as your high rank inside the police force. Both of those jobs are high value positions. Positions not often found in others.”

Dead, red eyes watched Ise like a camera might. The woman across from the police officer seemed to have more interest in her own concoction, watching Ise examine it carefully. It was as though Miranda were waiting and watching to see how long the needle held the woman's interest, a silent test from the scientist.

“I’m introducing a new product into the AFW, one that I can not allow to be stalled by authorities, nor anything else. You are the most likely official that would be tasked to look into this situation, should it ever be brought into the light, and so securing your situation is the most logical course to keep my product in line and my schedule in check.”

The unnerving, nearly passive presence of Miranda was not exactly new to Ise. As a lieutenant of one of the world´s largest police forces, she had met some of the most vicious, delusional and detached individuals imaginable. Still, after she had *enjoyed* a minute of looking into the eyes of the woman she had the short thought that if she would have thrown her into jail and misplacing any key for it, the world would instantly become a better place for anyone. But on the other hand, she had obviously very far reaching resources, something the cop was always in need for. Not that she was needing any money, her father had a considerable fortune that she would inherit and had already access too it, but there were things clean money could not buy without losing face or freedom.

Looking at the presented case with the look of a curious accountant, she would give it a light shove to see if it was bubbly, rather slow or fast to flow and how it generally behaved when it moved.
”What properties are included in your product? Target Group? Price? Drawbacks?"
She asked after the fluid had stopped to move, looking back at Miranda.

The liquid inside had a single bubble that moved around slowly as Ise turned the needle, implying that the contents inside was slightly thick then average. Upon holding it against the light, small crystals could be seen glittering inside. The type was impossible to discern from the view alone, but they weren’t natural by any means. A microscope would be needed to get a clear idea on what exactly the serum was, as the masked woman’s eyes finally seemed to focus on Ise. A subtle flash of hostility flashed and burned away so quickly, it may never have been there in the first place.

“Are you sure these questions are wise? I fail to see the logic in spreading any information based on my product. It only poses a danger to yourself and I.”

Miranda had proven herself to be a careful person. Every precaution to hide where she was had been placed, her words guarded and cold. The only reason she had revealed herself was simply to prove how important this conversation was. These questions that Ise asked could prove dangerous in the wrong hands, and while Miranda assessed the risk of meeting with her, she was not yet willing to trust the officer.

Loose lips, after all.

“My being here should exemplify the importance of this project…”

The synthetic voice creaked as the voice behind it grew soft. With the still, quietness of the room, the tone was like a lingering phantom, one that rested just out of normal reality. A tone that seemed just inhuman enough to seem unreal as Miranda leaned in towards Ise. The synthetic words caressed Ise’s ears, like that of a gentle wind one feels when you are certain someone is there in the dark...but impossible to see.

“My question...is your price.”

Reluctance. Of course the woman was reluctant to tell her what was in the little bottle, it was her product after all. This alone was already a valuable information, there was something of an emotion inside the respirator. Pride for her product, nothing that she would have expected from the apathetic scientist.

”Do you know what is the difference between all the people you employ and me?"
She asked, looking with a sharp glare in her own gaze to meet the unnerving stare of her counterpart.
”I don´t just do what people say me if the odds are getting relevant without having a contingency plan and knowledge about the product or happening that is causing the trouble. Up until here, the odds of our indirect interactions were irrelevant or at best of mediocre interest for anyone not directly involved. But with your product, we leave the cozy zone of small time hoodlum and enter the big leagues."
She took a sip of her cigarette again. This whole affair was very, very promising, but she had to play it safe because her father had not raised a stupid girl.
”Tell me what it does and pick someone expendable yet halfway important as a scapegoat if things should fall apart so I can present someone to my superiors. Then I can tax my price."

“...”

“Hmm…”

Ise was a hard woman to figure out. She acted so carefree, but her questions seemed careful, looking for any perspective issue that may create a trail right back to her. Miranda remained silent for a few moments, almost frozen as she seemed to process Ise’s reasoning and come up with individual answers for each.

A part of Miranda wanted to laugh, if she still had any sense of humor. Ise seemed to think that Miranda would ever trust her, or vice versa. Miranda already figured that Ise was likely looking at her scapegoat right now, as it was the logical choice. The alibi wrote itself: “I’m a police officer! The opportunity to get into their organization was too tempting to pass up! I heard they had agents in my sector, so I couldn’t say anything to anyone! Here is a list of their operatives and operation plan!”

There was nothing wrong with having a contingency plan, nor having a scapegoat should something go horribly wrong. The problem in this case was sharing said contingency plans. There was no honor amongst thieves...Miranda never believed in such fairy tales. Ise was a business deal. Someone who could make Miranda’s actions fly under the radar until it was too late.

Miranda didn’t care to give any details to Ise. Logically, the less she knows, the better. If her colleagues somehow had enough evidence to point towards her, then not only would her ignorance be genuine, but there was nothing she could share.

Though Ise was starting to get irritable. Miranda scratched the bridge of her nose, debating whether Ise was getting angry or simply being bullish. Ever since she herself abandoned such things, it became difficult to read other people's emotions. Miranda didn’t fear either, but she understood giving and taking in a partnership. Negotiations were logical, on some level.

“I will provide you with a name…after a grace period of one month into our partnership. To ensure the legitimacy of both of our intents. As for what it does...the product is a muscle enhancer. It has certain properties that can make one addicted, if the right dose is achieved.”

It seemed like Miranda would continue, but after a few moments of silence, it became clear she had stopped talking. Her answers were curt, but not provocative. The simple gaze peered at Ise to see if she was satisfied, but the cold atmosphere was telling. It was unlikely Miranda would budge much more, unless given incentive.

A muscle enhancer. You could wander into prison for a long time in conservative Japan for something like that. So it was a pretty big deal, but nothing she had no experience in handling with. A few open palms among the women and men she knew that she could trust should be enough to keep this under the rug. And if she wanted to learn more about the product, a sample was surely not that hard to get when it went into circulation.

”Very well then."
She would answer, much more relaxed than she had been seconds before in that rather tense moment. If there was one thing she did not like, it was when she was being kept into the total dark, her commission to the cop that was indeed somewhere resting in her.
”My prize is pretty small. A budget to motivate my subordinates, anonymous account on some tax paradise of course. For me personally…"
She would pause a little, licking her lips as her mouth felt a little dry.
”I am in need of a specialist who can silence investigative journalists and paparazzi alike. Not eliminate or beat into a bloody pulp, silence. A professional with the precision and care of a surgeon."