“Je comprends, merci.”

As Madeline lowered the phone down, she realized her hand was shaking. It was an odd sensation for her, really. She wasn’t often bothered by things so deeply; even the news of her mother’s death hadn’t sent such shockwaves through her. Although, that could have been because she was expecting that call for most of her life and had prepared for it time and time again, but that was a thought for another day.

For much of Maddy’s life she had attended a boarding school in France; her mother used to tell her it was to keep her safe and away from the dangerous life that she was living in the states. At the time, Madeline hadn’t known much about what her mother did or why it was so dangerous. She’d learned as she’d grown older but by then she didn’t want to return to the States. She’d made friends in France, ones so close that she considered them her real family. Her mother had tried to bring her back once, after Madeline had gotten into a bit of trouble at school, but Madeline had rebelled so thoroughly that it was only a matter of weeks before she was on a plane back to France.

Why she had finally returned here, to New York of all places, she still couldn’t quite explain. She had told her friends it was to handle her mother’s estate. Even with all her illegal activities, her mother had owned several legal properties. Homes, businesses, things that needed to be taken care of. But she hadn’t sold her mother’s home in New York; instead she’d chosen to move into it. She’d sold most of the antiques and things inside the home to pay off debts and make tributes. And as time passed it became more and more obvious that she wouldn’t be returning to France anytime soon.

She’d left all her friends behind though, and today she had received news that one of them was in trouble. Eloise had also been a beautiful and adventurous girl, which was likely why she and Maddy had hit it off so well from the start. Her friend had apparently been invited to the States by some big named producer, or so he claimed to be at least. She was supposed to arrive back in France two days ago but hadn’t arrived and her family was worried. They hadn’t heard from her since the day she’d landed in Los Angeles, with plans to meet this move producer who had promised to make her rich and famous. The whole story just left a pit in her stomach – how could her friend have been so stupid? Surely this was some sort of trick. What had Eloise walked into?

“Buck,” Madeline called, trying to force herself to focus on the present. “We’re going to Los Angeles, make the arrangements.”

---------

The minute she got off the plan in Los Angeles, Madeline began to question her decision to live in New York. The weather alone was enough to make her want to extend her stay – a sun shining brightly, warm, fresh air and a clean beach to visit whenever she wanted. The possibilities were endless.

But she didn’t need to be reminded that she wasn’t here on vacation. This wasn’t a pleasure trip, or even a business trip. This was personal, and she had to stay focused if she wanted to find her friend. She also knew that she would need help.

In her mother’s journal’s she had seen a name pop up on occasion. Kathryn. This was someone that her mother clearly respected, even though it seemed their interactions had been brief. When her mother had known the woman she had been based out of Las Vegas, but Madeline remembered hearing the recent street announcement that Katheryn had moved to Los Angeles, to run this city after the death of its former leader. She managed to use some old connections to get an address and when the car pulled up in front of the headquarters, Madeline didn’t hesitate to climb out and stride right to the door, knocking.

Even when the door opened and she was greeted by a large, rather intimidating man, Madeline didn’t flinch. She looked the man right in the eye and spoke confidently. “I need to speak with Don @Kathryn please. It’s an emergency. Tell her that the Daniella's daughter needs her help." This couldn't possibly go wrong.....right?

Kathryn blinked, tilting her head to listen. Had that been a... the sound of knocking repeated and she moved into action. Well, relatively speaking: it had been a late night, and she grumbled as she rose out of bed. She grabbed a light blue robe from behind the door as she walked, enjoying the feeling of silk as she tied it around her waist. She thought about grabbing her gun as well, but Finn didn't seem to be shooting anyone- and there were at least a dozen guards scattered around the grounds of the small mansion in the hills. 

Finn, currently her chief bodyguard, was a large, blonde, broad-shouldered man of Nordic stock. He grinned at Kathryn as she walked down the stairs before flicking his eyes back to the stranger. Kathryn walked up to the beautiful young woman with a look of confusion on her face.

"Who are you? Did you just mention Daniella? I don't usually like unannounced visitors dropping by my home..."

She smirked. The girl was beautiful; it was hard to be frustrated.

"... but I guess I'll make an exception for you."

A glare at Finn stopped him from commenting. 

The woman that stood before her was stunning, to say the least. Upon seeing her robe, Madeline wondered if she woken her? Was it that early? Then again, she of all people knew that time didn’t matter when it came to sleep. Maddy hesitated only a moment before she spoke, her green eyes resting on Kathryn.

“I did. Daniella was my mother. I’m sorry to just stop by like this, but well….it’s an emergency you see and I thought maybe you could help me.” Suddenly, Madeline was unsure of herself. She preferred to work alone whenever possible and coming to a stranger to beg for assistance was not in her normal scope of activities. But for Eloise, she would do anything. "If I could just have a few minutes of your time, I can explain everything."

Curious, surprised blue eyes met determined green ones- and Kathryn, after a few moments, gestured toward the nearby sitting room, full of several comfortable couches, chairs, artwork, and a now dormant fireplace. 

"Anything for Daniella's daughter. We had a... strange relationship. Occasionally we found ourselves as rivals, but for the most part we were respectful acquaintances. She was one of my mentors, early on. It's strange to be a young woman in our line of work..."

Kathryn paused for a moment, wondering if "our" reflected just herself and Daniella, or this young woman as well.

"... Look, give me a minute. Have a seat, make yourself comfortable. If you want a drink, something to eat, just let Finn know here. I'm not used to holding business meetings feeling like I'm naked, and- shut up, Finn."

The tall young man had entered the room, laughing quietly to himself. 

"Anyways. Give me two minutes- then I'll hear out anything you want to say."

Finn watched Kathryn walk briskly up the stairs before turning his attention to the stranger. He voice was low and seemed to match the nearly omnipresent smirk on his face. His hands were clasped behind his muscular form as he bowed slightly with his head in her direction.

"So. Miss. Get you something to drink? Still early, maybe a mimosa? Glass of water? Something to eat?"

“Of course, please, take your time. I’m sorry again to just barge in like this.” Madeline made her way to the room that Kathryn had gestured towards. She was too nervous to sit, so she walked around the room staring at the artwork instead. It was a curious thought, her mother as a mentor. She’d worked so hard to keep Madeline out of this line of work, she wondered what it would have been like had her mother taught her instead. Would she be better prepared to handle the situation that she was currently in? She’d left journals, sure. Things to help guide her. But if Madeline had known in the past what she knew now about the work her mother did, would things be different?

The man’s voice brought her back to the present and she glanced over at him, allowing herself just a moment to admire his physique. Madeline was a fan of beautiful things and well…there was no denying his appeal. But still, this wasn’t the time or place for that sort of thing. He’d mentioned alcohol and it was oh so tempting to take him up on that offer, but instead she simply shook her head. “No, I’m fine, thank you.”

Madeline continued her slow pace around the room, looking but not really seeing the various art pieces hanging from the walls and awaiting Kathryn's return so she could explain why it was that she was there. 

At several points, Finn seemed like he wanted to start a conversation. But the girl seemed preoccupied, so he instead took up a resolute position on the wall and let her pace around and look at the artwork in silence. There were a couple Renaissance pieces. Some Impressionists. Mostly American landscapes. Finn didn't really go in much for art- well, at least that kind of art.

After a few moments, Kathryn returned. She was dressed casually, not knowing how much activity the day would require. Dark jeans, black leather boots without much of a heel, a white button down shirt, and a thin brown jacket. Her hair, which had been slightly unkempt previously, was now tied behind her head in a long ponytail. She took a seat on one of the chairs and crossed her legs, motioning for the girl to have a seat as well.

"Okay. What's the emergency? Start with your name- and then tell me everything."

Leaning back, Kathryn prepared to listen.

Madeline hadn’t noticed Finn’s intent to start conversation; she really was preoccupied with thoughts of her friend. She tried to distract herself with the paintings; she had grown up in France after all and art was a popular pastime there so she knew a thing or two. Luckily it didn’t take long for Kathryn to reappear, dressed and ready to listen.

Taking the seat across from Kathryn, she bit her bottom lip for a moment before speaking. “Madeline. My name is Madeline. But you can call me Maddy.” She took a deep breath and then started to explain why she was there. “Two days ago I got a phone call from the family of a dear friend of mine. We went to school together in France and I haven’t spoken to her since I left. Her mother called me because two weeks ago Eloise had come to the States, here to Los Angeles specifically. She told her mother that she had met a movie producer and he had invited her here because he was going to make her famous. She was only supposed to be here a week but she never returned to France like she was supposed to. They haven’t heard from her since she landed and the hotel she told them she was staying at doesn’t seem to exist.”

Madeline frowned, clearly angry over the whole situation. She just couldn’t believe her friend would be so silly and she was fearing the worse. “I don’t know what she was thinking or why she didn’t call me. The whole story just stinks. Obviously, she was led here for something else but now I need to find her. I know you’re new here to Los Angeles yourself but I was hoping you might be able to help me, even if you just knew where to start looking. I don't know how to help her. Or if she's even alive for me to help her." The thought was distressing to Madeline and she was likely speaking faster then she realized but Eloise was someone she cared for deeply and Madeline was not used to feeling like she had so little control over a situation. 

Kathryn folded her hands in her lap as she listened to Madeline's story. She particularly noticed the younger woman's emotion. She actually reminded Kathryn of herself, albeit with the French connection. And Maddy seemed to display her emotions more readily, whereas Kathryn had usually tended toward calculating, especially when she was younger.

"Alright, I'll help. Call it a favor for Daniella. Or just call it good business. Maybe you'll find a way to reward me for my assistance- or maybe you won't, and I'll still consider it good business- because this is the sort of things that newspapers eat up. The image of Los Angeles should be bright, sunny, positive- a place where young people can go to make their dreams come true. Not get lured in and killed.

Kathryn noticed Maddy's expression.

"Well, if that's even what happened, of course. Anyways, do you know this guy's name? Currently, I'm thinking he might not be a real producer. Maybe just some sickos who lures girls to... well, the hotel wasn't real. Maybe he's just some camera grip or writer- or someone not connected to the industry at all. Do you have any leads at all here? If not, there's a place we can head to where we might be able to find some answers."

“I don’t have much to reward you with, but you’ll have my gratitude, if that counts for anything.” Madeline gave the woman a small smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “But his name uh….yes, I wrote it down. Just give me a minute.” She dug through the small handbag that she had with her, finally pulling out a slip of paper.

“Here it is; Max Borgnino. I don’t know if it’s real or not, obviously. Knowing Eloise, she probably gave her parent’s a fake hotel name because she wasn’t really staying in a hotel; I can only assume he convinced her he’d have somewhere for her to stay and she didn’t want to worry her parents by telling them the truth. They told me she called them from the airport and told them she was going to take a cab to the hotel. That was the last they heard from her.”

"You just tell me where and I'll go. Anywhere is a good place to start. I know you're busy, I can do all the foot work. I just need to be pointed in the right direction." 

Kathryn glanced up from the name on the paper.

"Never heard of this guy before. And you're probably right about the hotel. Here I am thinking like a cop when I should be thinking like an adventurous college girl... although that was a decade ago. Do you have a weapon on you, Maddy? And how good are you with it, if you do?"

The change of topic was sudden, but Kathryn sounded nonplussed.

Raising an eyebrow at the question, Madeline shifted slightly in her seat, slightly uncomfortable. She wasn't one to ever admit when she didn't do something well but....this didn't seem like the time to lie.  "I do. A small handgun but uh.....well, not very good, honestly. I've only used it at the range a few times. Never had much of a reason to shoot at anything before my mother died." 

Madeline glanced back at Kathryn, wondering why the question was even asked. Then again, she was still naive about how this world worked, even if she didn't like to admit it. 

As Maddy replied, Kathryn checked the .38 special in her jacket pocket.

"Right. So I don't want you roaming around town knocking on doors, except my own, without any kind of support. I owe Daniella that much. For all I know, your friend could just be on an innocent two day bender. Not saying she is; if she was the type, I don't think you'd be here. But it's happened before. But it's equally likely she could be in trouble. So I'll go with you. I've got a few contacts, but I'm still getting used to the city. It would be good for me to get out there and get to know places as well."

She reached into her jacket and slid on a pair of sunglasses.

"Although I'd prefer to do so without anyone knowing who I am. Unless I choose to share. So for today, call me Kat. Not exactly a masterful disguise, but I don't think I've been here in LA long enough for people to know much about me, other than my name. Finn, get the car."

A few minutes later, a sleek black Duesenberg pulled up in front of the estate. Finn was driving, while Kathryn and Maddy squeezed into the back. As the bodyguard gunned the engine, Kathryn spoke loudly over the wind as they traveled twisting roads down the hills toward downtown.

"Tell me about your friend. Anything else that we could go on, other than this guy's name? And I'll have Finn drop me off a mile away from the bar we're headed to; the car isn't exactly subtle."

Madeline had to bite her tongue to avoid replying to Kathryn’s statements. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, as she’d done all these years, and her friend was not simply out on some bender. Eloise would never do that, she was the sensible one in their friendship, she was the one who used to drag Madeline back to their rooms as obscene hours in the morning when Madeline could barely stand. Besides, Madeline had protection of her own; she’d left Buck behind at the hotel room much to his own displeasure but she could get ahold of him rather easily if she needed too.

But still, Maddy knew that she couldn’t find Eloise without this woman’s help so she stayed quiet except to nod in agreement to her second statement. “Kat it is then. Not sure how many people that will fool but it’s a start I guess.” She wasn’t sure if that was rude but to be fair if you wanted to be in disguise you probably should pick a name that was a little more distant from your actual name then just an abbreviated form.

She followed Kathryn outside into the impressive car that was waiting for them. Listening to the next question, Madeline shook her head, shouting back to be heard. “Her parents didn’t know much. This isn’t like Eloise, she’s a smart girl. Level headed, normally sensible. And she's gorgeous, honestly. A redhead. I called another friend of ours and they told me she met him out at a club. He told her he could get her into the business, if she came to Los Angeles. He promised her auditions at all the major studios. They said he was a creepy sort of man, and he had a mustache.” She couldn't help but laugh softly at the last part....her friend had been trying to hard to remember any detail that might help and she kept saying that his mustache was the one thing that stood out. Madeline didn't think that would help them but it was worth mentioning.

Kathryn enjoyed the feeling of wind in her hair through the open window; she let her fingers dangle outside, dancing in the currents as she listened to Maddy. The girl certainly had spirit. She looked about ready to spit when Kathryn suggested her friend could be on a bender or that she needed protection, and her barely restrained eye roll at "Kat" might have reached the second floor of the house if the younger woman hadn't caught it. But Kathryn was content to smirk and let it pass. She liked fiery, and Maddy's attitude was understandable considering her concern for her friend. In addition to doing a favor for Daniella's sake, Kathryn was looking forward to exploring the underworld of Los Angeles; other than a few individuals, no one knew her there. "Kat" made about as much sense as "Linda" or "Guinevere". Besides, she didn't mind if people made the connection after. 

Kathryn would help Maddy find her friend, if she was still alive to be found, and she'd help avenge her if she wasn't. She owed Daniella that much. She thought out loud as the car moved through downtown LA. 

"Alright. Beautiful redhead., usually responsible. Big city. Creepy guy with a mustache who is either a producer or pretends to be one. Hits on girls in clubs and promises to help them make it big."

She drummed her other hand against her thigh.

"I've got a guy in town. One of my only guys, if I'm being honest; I just haven't been here that long. But he's one of the best, and I've been paying a small fortune to keep him on retainer. He's an information broker with sources everywhere. Has a book full of phone numbers that can help get info on just about anything or anyone. His name is Ugarte, and he's usually..."

Kathryn checks the sun to confirm it was around midday. 

"... well, by now he'll be at the Blue Parrot. His favorite bar and base of operations. He's got a back room there. It's a bit seedy, but nothing a couple well educated young women can't handle. You can ask him about your friend, see if he's heard anything. Don't take it personally, but I kind of doubt it. Lots of beautiful women show up here. Hell, if this was Detroit and some gorgeous redhead showed up they'd probably throw a parade. Anyways, maybe he's heard something about her- maybe not. But I'm thinking I'll have him call the owners and the managers of the most popular clubs in town. If your mustache man pulls that move regularly, we'll at least know where we can look for him."

The car pulled to a halt a block away from the bar as Kathryn and Maddy exited. Finn nodded as Kathryn told him to just circle around for a while.

"That's my plan, at least. See if any managers or bartenders remembers a beautiful redhead- but also see if they remember the mustache. If she's in trouble, finding him should lead us to her. If we can figure out the club he visits most often, maybe we'll roll in there and throw ourselves out there as bait."

Kathryn opened the door to the bar and smirked at Maddy.

"But... that's just what I'm thinking now. Ultimately, we'll see what he has to say- and it's your friend, of course, so what we do is up to you."

“A beautiful redhead with a strong French accent and poor English. That’s gotta narrow it down a little.” Of course, she realized that they were in Los Angeles and plenty of beautiful young females came here to get rich and famous but still, she had to keep hope. Madeline listened as Kathryn talked about this source that she had, a man named Ugarte. She wondered where the man was from to have a name like Ugarte and if he was as good as Kathryn seemed to think he was. Not that it mattered because he would be better than anything Madeline could do on her own.

Climbing out of the car, she followed Kathryn and listened to her plan. “It’s as good a place to start as any. If we can find the man with the moustache, or find where he likes to hang out, maybe I could get him to lead me to her. I could be like….bait or something. He has a type obviously, so if I could draw him out.” She stopped for a moment, looking at the other woman. “I know it’s a long shot, finding her I mean. I know that. But I appreciate you helping me try.” Madeline gave Kathryn a genuine smile before she headed inside the bar, her face quickly returning to its neutral expression as she looked around the establishment. All they needed was one place to start – some lead on who this man was or where he liked to frequent. She hoped that this Ugarte would prove his worth today; hell if he did she’d pay a month of his fee herself.

The two woman walked into the Blue Parrot, drawing the eyes of the dozen or so men, and one woman, spread out through the establishment. It may look better during the evening, but in the harsh light of day the bar seemed sad, old, and broken. Kathryn walked by the men complaining to the each other at the bar and headed for the back corner. The door was open, and Kathryn closed it behind her once Maddy had walked in.

Ugarte was sitting in a comfortable chair playing solitaire on a table in front of him. There was a desk in the corner with three different phones hooked up and small fold up bed that had been pushed aside. 

Kathryn took one of the other two small wooden chairs and set them up for her and Maddy. Kathryn crossed her legs and sat, waiting.

After a few moments, Ugarte collected his cards in his hand and tossed them back on the desk.

"Ah, how can I focus with such beautiful company? Nice to see you again, Miss Renford. And this is...?"

Kathryn looked at him steadily: Ugate had narrow, snakelike eyes that he widened in surprise when needed, and a low voice that seemed to plead and beg with every syllable. Kathryn answered.

"A friend. She's going to tell you a story now."

Kathryn glanced at Maddy.

Following Kathryn inside, Madeline didn’t notice the state of the restaurant they were in or the shady looking people that watched them while she walked. On a normal day, she might, but right now her mind was completely distracted at the thought of finding her friend and if this man could help them. She walked straight to the back corner and into the room Kathryn had entered, the door shutting behind her. Taking a seat, she watched and waited. It wasn’t long before Kathryn had handed the conversation over to Maddy, so she could tell her story.

Nodding in thanks, Madeline glanced back at Ugate. The man was….strange, to say the least. His eyes made her feel like he couldn’t be trusted but she didn’t have much of a choice. She hesitated for a moment, trying to decide where to start. Finally, she raised her green eyes to meet his and she began to speak.

“A few weeks ago a man from Los Angeles found himself in Paris, France. While there he met a close friend of mine – Eloise. He convinced Eloise that she should come to Los Angeles to visit him. He spun her a story about being a movie producer; said he would make her famous. I know very little about this man. He used the name Max Borgnino and apparently the most distinguishing thing about him was his moustache. She arrived in Los Angeles and spoke to her parents shortly afterwards. She gave them the name of a hotel that doesn’t exist, most likely because he had convinced her to stay with him and she knew her parents were approve.”

Madeline let out a sigh, shaking her head slightly at her friend’s stupidity. “Eloise doesn’t speak much English, and what little she does speak would have a heavy French accent. She’s gorgeous, about five nine, and she has stunning red hair. I need to find her. Or find this man, Max. Or at least find someone who might know where they are. And I need your help to do it.”

She looked at Ugate as she finished speaking, watching as the man sat back and pursed his lips, clearly thinking over her story. Part of her wanted to push him but the rest of her knew the right thing to do now was to stay quiet. The man was aware that she wanted information and he was either going to have it or he wasn’t.

“I may have some knowledge that might help you.” His low voice seemed to drag on as it came out of his mouth. “I don’t know the names you speak but I do know of a group. They work underground to buy and sell things they like.” He paused for a moment, looking at the two women. “People that they like. And they have found recently that it is less troublesome if they find international women. Less chance of someone looking for them.”

Madeline felt the pit in her stomach grow. Buy and sell women? What kind of nasty no good…..she had never wanted to kill someone as badly as she did right in that moment. “How do I find them?” She asked, her voice strained.

“I might know of a club. Downtown. A place where they will bring the girls on their first night in town to show them off to potential buyers. But the people involved in this are quite powerful. That information will cost you.”

He looked at the two women, raising an eyebrow. Madeline looked at him, then at Kathryn and then back at Ugate. “I’ll pay you. Just name it.”

Kathryn leaned forward.

"I'm already paying you, Ugarte. A fortune. You're getting paid more than every other broker in the city combined. Now I'm not going to say that you'll give this for free, but she gets a discount. A heavy one."

Ugarte seemed physically pained as he raised his hand to his cheek, but after sighing he leaned forward and wrote a number on a piece of paper, which he slid to Maddy. Kathryn grabbed it first and raised an eyebrow at him. Glaring, he grabbed it back, crossed out what he'd written, and replaced it with a second, smaller number. This time, Kathryn nodded.

"Who are these powerful people? I know I'm not running the only gang in the city..."

Before Ugarte could answer, Kathryn spoke again.

"And what's our way in? Do these people buy, as well as sell? I suppose we could have my bodyguard try to "sell" us. But that's probably not necessary if they're parading her around the club like she's on the auction block. What about this? My bodyguard poses as a buyer, we pose as his "assistants". What do you think, Maddy? Ugarte, any insight here? And who are these people?"

Madeline watched as Kathryn intervened on her behalf; she was grateful for the woman’s health. She was by no means poor, but she was nowhere near as wealthy as her mother had been. Still, she was willing to pay whatever it would take to try and find Eloise. A paper slid back and forth between the two before a number was agreed on and questions started flying.

“You are in Los Angeles now Miss Renford; not all powerful people are connected to the mob. The rich and famous in this city have their tastes and they do not like for those tastes to be denied. They have money burning holes in their pockets and so they spend it on whatever their heart desires.”

Ugarte drummed his fingers on the table, thinking of Kathryn’s proposed plan. “You would not be assistants; you would be purchases. Most of these people do not bring their girls with them so he will need to make it clear that he has you well under control. After all, one girl saying the wrong thing to the wrong person and their whole operation would be blown.” He wrote an address on another slip of paper and slid it across the table. “Do not arrive any earlier then 11pm. Ask for Fernando. I will have word sent to him to expect a new buyer for tonight.” Ugarte seemed to know more about this operation then he had previously let on. It made Madeline want to reach across the table and shake the man but if he was giving them an in she didn’t want to take the risk.

Taking the slip of paper with the address, Madeline stood. “You’ll get your money if your information checks out. But if you are sending us into some sort of trap Mr. Ugarte, I promise I will make it so that you never have the chance to forget my name.” Madeline’s eyes met the mans for a moment and it would be perfectly clear that she was in no way joking. She turned to leave the room, hoping it wasn’t too presumptuous of her to assume that Kathryn would follow. After all, they had to get ready for an evening out.

-----

11pm

Preparing for a night out at a club was nothing new for Maddy. She hadn’t exactly brought everything she needed with her to Los Angeles but a quick shopping trip and an hour or so of preparation and Madeline was ready. Her dirty blonde hair was curled and hung loose. Her makeup was impeccably done; not so heavy as to make her look like a clown but just enough to highlight her features in the dark lights of the club. Her dress was unusually short for the time period and fitted in all the right places. To say that Madeline would grab attention would be an understatement.

Climbing out of the car in front of the address that Ugarte had given them, Madeline smoothed the winkles from her dress and took a glance around. Luckily for them it was a nice evening, the air cool but comfortable. The placed seemed busy, which wasn't all that surprising given the community they were in. Did weekends vs. weeknights matter to the rich? Apparently not. Glancing over at Finn and Kathryn, both of whom were equally dressed up for their night, Madeline raised an eyebrow. “Ready?”

Kathryn glanced over- and up- at Maddy. Her voice was dry.

"You know, I try to be humble- but I'd like to think I'm usually grabbing a lot of eyeballs. Tonight I feel like a side dish."

Winking, she adjusted the sleek black dress she wore. Her hair was up and her shoulders were bare.

"Alright, time to get into character. Maddy, you've got way too much conquering Greek goddess going on at the moment. And I'm into it; hell, if we weren't on this job I'd probably be trying to buy you a drink. But at the moment, you've got enough fire in your eyes to cook a steak. We've got to make it look like we've been broken- or at least tamed. Finn, you'll do all the talking from here on out."

Kathryn slung her purse, which contained her revolver, over her shoulder as Finn stepped forward and lead them into the club proper. After making their entrance, he scowled and spoke.

"I'm going to ask for our contact at the bar. You two, go get a table. Now."

Demurely, Kathryn nodded- and she also seemed to disempower herself through a slumping of her shoulders and accompanying body language as she walked off toward a booth, expecting Maddy to follow her.