people, she was also using her ability get a vague sense of what others were thinking. It was a useful skill, and made her invaluable in many situations, though, Nero admitted, her ability didn’t always work.
“Most were fine,” she continued, “but there were a few I was unsure of, so I’ve done some digging on them. Most of these turned out to be just minor cases of theft - which you can deal with later, if you’d like,” she added, looking up at Nero, “but there’s one that I’m worried about...”
“Who is it?” Nero asked, feeling himself getting annoyed at whoever it was already.
“Nero, it’s Col.” Talyah said, with just a brief hesitation.
He didn’t know what to say in response to that. Col? “How sure are you?”
“As sure as I can be, Nero. I didn’t want to believe this either, but his movements have become increasingly strange recently. There are periods that no one can account for, and it has been the jobs that Col was involved in that have had the most... resistance, from the Nostra.”
“But you’re not certain?”
“Not certain, no. He’s being watched closely, so if he tries anything we should find out.”
“Good. I hope you’re wrong, Tal.”
“I hope I am too.”
Nero sighed. “There are fewer and fewer people I can trust,” he said. “What’s happened to the honour, and respect, in our world? We used to stick together, fighting against the world, but now, it’s every other week we find someone who’s stolen from us, or betrayed us. And this, when I make sure everyone has enough to eat, somewhere to live...”
Talyah watched Nero as he talked, a sympathetic expression on her face. “If Col has betrayed us,” she said, “we’ll need to make an example out of him. We need to show others that we won’t tolerate that sort of behaviour.”
“We will. I’ll think up something special,” Nero said, a menacing glint in his eye. Changing the subject, he continued. “You said you found some men stealing from us, Tal?”
****
Back in the main area of the cave, a bit of a commotion had started up, apparently centred around the men who had been gambling.
“That move isn’t allowed!” yelled one of the players, directing his vehemence at a newcomer to the game, who wasn’t there when Nero had walked through.
“What move?” the guy politely asked.
“You know perfectly well ‘what move’. You saw it, didn’t you Staf?” the player said, referring to the female player on his left.
“Hey, don’t get me involved in this,” she protested, with mock anger playing on her face.
“See, no one saw anything. It was a perfectly good move, and you, Ty, are just annoyed that you lost,” the newcomer said with an horrendously satisfied grin plastered across his face. “Now, if you would hand over those bonds to me...”
Reluctantly, the man slid the money over, which the newcomer swept off the table, and into his hands, with a flourish.
“I thank you,” he said.
“You know I’ll win that back, don’t you Nate?”
“Ha, I look forward to it. I shall see you all anon.”
The newcomer, Nate, stood up from the table, and placed the money in one of the pockets on his combat trousers. “Where’s that boss, anyway...?” he muttered to himself, having been waylaid only briefly by the allure of the game. Even as he said that, the door from Tal’s room opened, and out strode Nero, followed closely by Talyah. Both, Nate noted, with rather serious expressions.
“Why the glum faces, chaps?” he asked, walking over to them.
“There you are, Nate,” Nero replied. He glanced at the table behind Nate, where the others were still sat, with Ty obviously in a sour mood. “You been playing Ty again? I told you to take it easy on him.”
“Me? Ignore your commands? You know me better than that, Nero...” Nate said, his tone perfectly contradicting the words. Nero rolled his eyes.
It was about a year ago now that Nero had first found Nate. He’d heard of
“Most were fine,” she continued, “but there were a few I was unsure of, so I’ve done some digging on them. Most of these turned out to be just minor cases of theft - which you can deal with later, if you’d like,” she added, looking up at Nero, “but there’s one that I’m worried about...”
“Who is it?” Nero asked, feeling himself getting annoyed at whoever it was already.
“Nero, it’s Col.” Talyah said, with just a brief hesitation.
He didn’t know what to say in response to that. Col? “How sure are you?”
“As sure as I can be, Nero. I didn’t want to believe this either, but his movements have become increasingly strange recently. There are periods that no one can account for, and it has been the jobs that Col was involved in that have had the most... resistance, from the Nostra.”
“But you’re not certain?”
“Not certain, no. He’s being watched closely, so if he tries anything we should find out.”
“Good. I hope you’re wrong, Tal.”
“I hope I am too.”
Nero sighed. “There are fewer and fewer people I can trust,” he said. “What’s happened to the honour, and respect, in our world? We used to stick together, fighting against the world, but now, it’s every other week we find someone who’s stolen from us, or betrayed us. And this, when I make sure everyone has enough to eat, somewhere to live...”
Talyah watched Nero as he talked, a sympathetic expression on her face. “If Col has betrayed us,” she said, “we’ll need to make an example out of him. We need to show others that we won’t tolerate that sort of behaviour.”
“We will. I’ll think up something special,” Nero said, a menacing glint in his eye. Changing the subject, he continued. “You said you found some men stealing from us, Tal?”
****
Back in the main area of the cave, a bit of a commotion had started up, apparently centred around the men who had been gambling.
“That move isn’t allowed!” yelled one of the players, directing his vehemence at a newcomer to the game, who wasn’t there when Nero had walked through.
“What move?” the guy politely asked.
“You know perfectly well ‘what move’. You saw it, didn’t you Staf?” the player said, referring to the female player on his left.
“Hey, don’t get me involved in this,” she protested, with mock anger playing on her face.
“See, no one saw anything. It was a perfectly good move, and you, Ty, are just annoyed that you lost,” the newcomer said with an horrendously satisfied grin plastered across his face. “Now, if you would hand over those bonds to me...”
Reluctantly, the man slid the money over, which the newcomer swept off the table, and into his hands, with a flourish.
“I thank you,” he said.
“You know I’ll win that back, don’t you Nate?”
“Ha, I look forward to it. I shall see you all anon.”
The newcomer, Nate, stood up from the table, and placed the money in one of the pockets on his combat trousers. “Where’s that boss, anyway...?” he muttered to himself, having been waylaid only briefly by the allure of the game. Even as he said that, the door from Tal’s room opened, and out strode Nero, followed closely by Talyah. Both, Nate noted, with rather serious expressions.
“Why the glum faces, chaps?” he asked, walking over to them.
“There you are, Nate,” Nero replied. He glanced at the table behind Nate, where the others were still sat, with Ty obviously in a sour mood. “You been playing Ty again? I told you to take it easy on him.”
“Me? Ignore your commands? You know me better than that, Nero...” Nate said, his tone perfectly contradicting the words. Nero rolled his eyes.
It was about a year ago now that Nero had first found Nate. He’d heard of
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