Rahn's confidence was beginning to wane. Six more days had passed and she hadn't seen the woman again, nor had she made any other contacts. She was glad Kahal wasn't meeting with her tomorrow as originally planned. He'd lose all confidence in her abilities to make progress. But she reminded herself that undercover work was a game of patience and perseverance. This rebel group was smart, they wouldn't go showing themselves to any random person that hints to being in line with their cause. Especially a newcomer to the area.

She reminded herself that these things took time. She could play the long game, if that's what it took. It's not like she had a life or loved ones waiting for her back in the grand hall, anyway. So on the third day of no contact she'd actually gone out and found a job instead of just pretending to look for one. One that would allow her to blend in with the community, be in the streets as needed where she could blend in with the crowds and listen in on conversations. A job where no one would think twice of her hanging around.

"You look bored." A barely audible, deep voice said from behind her.

She forced her body to not react, not turning to look at th male. "Do you ever do anything useful, or is your sole purpose to show up at random times and annoy me." She softly spoke back as she stabbed a discarded wrapper with her sharp metal stick and tossed it into the large bag hanging across her shoulder. He didn't respond but she knew he was still there. "Perhaps you could actually help me instead of being a distraction."

She risked a glance at him. He was leaning against the wall under the shade of an awning and eating an apple by bringing it up under his loosely hanging mask. She noted how easy it would be to just rip the thing off and get a look at him. When he was finished he tossed the core onto the ground in front of him. She watched as it rolled in a circular pattern before stopping right in front of her boot. She stabbed it and put it in her bag with the other trash.

She quickly picked up the remaining trash from the area and turned down a side alley to head towards a bin. She dumped the trash and glanced around to see no one around.

But just in case... "A street cleaner. What has become of you, Lana. You used to be a finance officer, and now look at you." She closed her eyes and exhaled a long breath, channeling the inner turmoil of the persona she had created for herself. She had given the backstory she'd chosen to Lord Kahal, trusting that he would do things on his end to make sure her story could be confirmed should anyone ask.

"Oh, that's right. Dumb premier and their stupid rules about being forgiving and understanding." She stabbed a nearby piece of trash with extra strength to show her frustration. "Funny how they didn't apply that to me after I was just trying to protect what was theirs."

"Taking your frustrations out on the trash?" An unfamiliar male voice called out to her.

She turned and looked at him warily and made sure to show a slight bit of surprise before responding. Here we go, she said to herself. "Yeah, well, it'll have to do." She said as she stabbed another piece and put it in the bin. "Unless you're volunteering as a replacement?" She turned and leaned her elbow on her stick, putting part of her weight into it.

"I think I'll pass."

"Smart choice." She said as she turned and continued on her way down the alley, stopping to collect trash along her way.

"Finance, huh?"

"Yeah." She said as she continued her job, just sending him a brief glance.

"Never was all that great with numbers myself."

"Yeah well, you always have your looks to fall back on." She commented wryly. The man was missing a tooth on the right side of his mouth and had a large scar covering the cheek on that same side. She was sure there was an interesting story there.

"Ha!" He bellowed. "I like you already."

"I'm flattered." She said flatly, picking up her pace as she made her way collecting trash down the alley.

"How about you stop what you're doing and come with me."

"And why would I do that?" She said as she looked him over before continuing her work.

"I think you and I could have some fun together."

She stood fully and placed her hands on her lower back, pressing in as she stretched. "Dare I ask..." she sighed as she leaned on her stick again. "What exactly does this fun entail?" She watched as he stood there and stared at her. She fought the urge to flinch under his gaze. She hoped he was a contact for the rebel group trying to feel her out, but she also couldn't rule out that he was just an unsavory character in an alley hoping to feel her up... or worse. He was large and his muscles were bulging out of his tight shirt. She hoped that meant he was also slow. If it came to defending herself, she would need that advantage.

"I can think of a few things."

Movement from behind him caught her eye and she saw the masked male watching them from the end of the alley. They locked eyes and she began to shake her head. "Sorry bud, I'm not interested." She hoped her "friend" understood her message she'd tried to give him discreetly. Don't interfere.

"What if I told you we could get back at the premiere for all their wrongdoings to us. Would you be interested then?"

Her eyes locked onto the male and her face went stern. "Don't joke around about that stuff." She said as she glanced around, making it look like she was worried people would hear their discussion and take them in for speaking treason.

He took a step towards her as he matched his serious face. "Who says I'm jokin, love?"

She eyed him up and down. "What exactly are you trying to say here? How could we possibly do anything to get back at them? You want to splash red paint on the grand hall or something? I'm not interested in kid games. Now leave me alone, I'm trying to work so I can go home to my miserable little dwelling." She picked up her stick and began to stab trash again.

"I used to live in the grand hall with a big, soft bed with smooth linens and room service whenever I wanted." She murmured to herself again as she made her way down the alley. "Now I'm living in this slum and being harassed by loony males."

The male jogged up beside her and continued quietly where only she could hear. "If you decide to get serious, come to Poul's Tavern tomorrow at dusk." He quickly took off down the alley before she could respond as quietly as he had.

"You want a date, ask directly! So I can directly tell you no!" She called out from their now growing distance apart. She heard him chuckle as he turned the corner of the alley and onto the adjacent street.

It took every ounce of her self restraint to continue the slow process of picking up trash. She reminded herself that she needed to keep up the charade. Someone could be watching. And also, if she lost this job she'd have to find a new one. People might question how she afforded to live if she was never seen working.

An hour later, she'd finished the area she was assigned for that day, promptly deposited the last of her trash into the closest bin, and walked briskly to her dwelling. She was itching to go for a run but didn't think Lana would go out in the woods at night. But she'd have to do something soon to let out all of her pent up energy.

Once inside with the door locked behind her, she retrieved her tablet and sat down on the sofa to begin typing up her report. She finally had a breakthrough. She was sure of it.

"Progress?" The voice came from behind her.

This time she didn't hold back her reaction. She reached behind her and grabbed his wrists, flinging her body forward to have the momentum to pull him down to the floor. He quickly countered her attack by rolling them over so he was on top of her. But before he could get in position, she twisted her body and wrapped her legs around his torso, practically jumping onto his back.

It was a move she had done countless times. Before... she paused as memories flooded her and he used that to his advantage. He grabbed her leg and rolled her off of him, pinning her to the ground, his arms and legs holding hers down so she couldn't move.

"You hesitated."

"Get off of me." She said angrily.

"Make me." He challenged.

She struggled and fought against him but he already had her firmly held. She tried everything she could think of but nothing worked.

"Giving up?" She could hear the amusement in his voice.

She glared at him in response, but from this close she noticed his mask was just a thin strip of material. People can feel things through thin strips of material...

"Never." She said with a slight smile on her lips before she leaned forward and pressed them against his through the mask.

He flinched and she used the opportunity to release her limbs and flip him off of her. She quickly rolled and jumped up to stand several steps away from him.

He stood slowly, staring at her as both of their chests moved up and down from the exertion of their wrestling.

"Don't look at me like that." She scoffed. "A female has to do what she must to survive against men twice her size." She shrugged her shoulder and turned to retrieve two purple vials from the kitchen cabinet and brought it back into the room. "Peace offering?"

He reached out and grabbed it, but put it in a pocket of his jacket instead of drinking it. She was disappointed her trick didn't work. She was now more curious than ever as to what he looked like under there. Now that she had confirmed he had plenty of lean, strong muscle under his dark clothes.

"Since our friend the Lord insisted I share information with you..." She began as she took her seat on the sofa again. "Yeah, it's looking like I finally made some progress. A male invited me to meet tomorrow night. I don't know if it will be an actual meeting with others or maybe just him further vetting me, but it's something."

"Where."

"You're not coming." She said quickly and sternly.

"Where." He said a little more forcefully.

"Listen Dom, you could have blown my cover today. What were you thinking? Lurking behind that male? What if someone else was watching?"

After a long moment of silence he asked. "Dom?"

"Well you certainly haven't told me what to call you, so I made that up in my mind so I could stop referring to you as the masked stranger."

"Well you certainly haven't told me what to call you, so I made that up in my mind so I could stop referring to you as the masked stranger."

"I'm coming." He insisted after a long moment of silence.

"Ugh, fine. Poul's tavern two hours after dusk. Happy?" She lied about the time. But at least this way, if they killed her someone would show up to find her body.

He simply stared.

"I'm going to make an evening meal." She said as she turned her back on him and entered the kitchen. She heard footsteps go down the hall and the back door open and close.



~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note:

Longest Chapter Yet! I hope you don't feel things are moving too slowly? I want to make sure the ground work is laid before throwing you in the deep end and getting everyone confused.