The rain had finally stopped. His salt-and-pepper beard was still damp, and he could feel the last of the rain trickle down from the crown of his bald head to his lower neck. The clothes on his heavy frame were also slightly wet. He looked at the small diner across the street. It seemed peculiar to be meeting there, and he still had no idea why he'd been asked to come to Seattle in the first place.

  The walls were adorned with checkered tiles, while the booths were plush and gray, evoking a distinct fifties vibe with their vintage charm. The room was filled with the gentle hum of conversation as older men sipped coffee, some engrossed in newspapers, others lost in animated chatter.

  The man's eyes scanned the patrons until they landed on a thin man, impeccably dressed in a black suit with a silver tie that complemented his slicked-back hair and neatly trimmed facial hair. A young blonde woman stopped and offered a polite smile. "Do you need a table?" she inquired.

  "No, I'm meeting someone," the man replied brusquely, dismissing her as he strode past toward the table where the silver-haired man sat sipping coffee. He sat down firmly at the table, staring into the silver-haired man's dark brown eyes. They were the eyes of someone who chose his words deliberately and directly.

  The man took a sip of his coffee, placing it gently on a small napkin on the table. Showing no emotion, he spoke in a monotone voice, "Hello, Gore. Thank you for coming. How is the weather treating you?"

  "Wet," Gore grunted, as the same blonde server from before approached the table, setting down a neatly wrapped silverware set. Before she could speak, Gore barked, "Coffee, black. That's all."

  "Coming right up," the server replied quickly, scurrying away from the rude customer who unfortunately sat in her section. The man sitting across from Gore lifted his cup carefully, taking another sip, seemingly preoccupied with avoiding coffee stains on his fine suit.

  “Why have I come all this way, Pike?” Gore asked bluntly as the server returned, carefully sliding a white mug with a strong aroma. The man took another cautious sip of his coffee as Gore watched with irritation. “

  They say he’s here, Gore,” he replied.

  “And who would be in this fucking rainy city?”

  “The gray sorcerer.”

  Gore grunted again. “He’s been on the run for five years, Pike,” he said before taking a long sip of coffee.

  “I, too, find it hard to believe he would suddenly be advertising his whereabouts,” Pike responded, gently setting his cup back on the table. “But that is why you are here; he has asked you to investigate the matter.”

  “Why would my mystery boss be so interested in him?”

  “Because he thinks having someone like the gray sorcerer would be helpful in the fight against the cadre.”

  “Ah, yes, because whoever he is thinks he is the second coming of Viktor Stonecroft,” Gore said with a scowl directed at Pike, who smiled dismissively in response.

  “He will make a true believer when his plans are finally set in motion.”

  “Fuck his plans,” Gore growled menacingly. “I was still pissing my diapers when Stonecroft died. I don’t care about any of it. You know what I want, and if it just happens to align with whatever your group is planning, then so be it.”

  “He hasn’t forgotten about our deal, I promise you that, Gore,” Pike assured him as the blonde server returned, refilling Pike’s mug. She glanced over at Gore, who returned the glance with a sinister smile. “The sooner we recruit more people, the sooner we can make our move.”

  “What would he want with him anyway?” Gore asked.

  “The rumor going around says that he has interesting powers that could benefit us.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “I don’t work off of rumors.”

  “Neither does he,” Pike responded.

  “Then why doesn’t he send his favorite errand boy to carry out such an important task?”

  “Because he’s asked me to attend to other matters for him,” Pike answered. “Plus, he doesn’t want any chances of getting ideas of our organization existing quite yet.”

  “So you send someone disposable?”

  “I would hardly say you are disposable, Gore,” Pike smiled again to the annoyance of Gore. “We all know you can take care of yourself and you have certain luxuries that I do not have.”

  “What fucking luxuries do I have,” Gore growled. “Would you be sitting here sipping coffee with that stupid smile across your face with me if you didn’t want me to do something for you?”

  Pike's smile momentarily disappeared. He sipped his coffee, slowly, as if he were trying to pick the right words. The only sound the two could hear was the chatter of the others in the restaurant, the scraping of silverware along plates, and the sound of footsteps as people moved around either to or from their tables.

  "Even to someone of your standing, Pike, I am considered lower than garbage, and to people like the fucking cadre, I am considered even lower than that," Gore snarled, awaiting for Pike to say something.

  Pike gently placed his coffee on the table, his smile returning. "Gore, you're right. I wouldn't be here if I didn't think you were the perfect person for this task. Your standing makes you the ideal candidate to carry out something like this."

  "Drop the fucking pleasantries, Pike."

  "Fine. So, are you going to do it?"

  "Of course, but when it's done, you give me what I want," Gore snapped, his fist clenching tightly. As the server approached, nervously refilling both men's coffee, even she could sense the tension emanating from Gore. Her hand trembled slightly; something about his energy felt off, almost menacing.

  "That's what I wanted to hear," Pike said. His smile widened almost sadistically as he watched the young woman's hand tremble. He looked up at her, meeting her eyes. "Don't be afraid, my dear. Just go get our check for us, if you would?"

  She nodded and quickly scurried off.

  "Now tell me how I'm supposed to find this rumor of a man in this city," Gore inquired.

  "That would be up to you, Gore," Pike responded. "I'm sure you know how to shake a few branches loose. This city is full of novices and online dabblers aching to be a part of something special."

  "There's that high house elitism you're known for," Gore replied. "Still a bit resentful that your family didn't get a chair at the table?"

  "If anyone can agree the cadre is an antiquated idea, it would be you, wouldn't it, Gore?"

  "I don't care about your speeches, Pike," Gore replied. "When I find him, I will let you know."

  "Excellent, then let's depart," Pike said, before taking a long drink of coffee and looking for the server. As Gore let out a laugh of amusement, Pike inquired, "What's so funny?"

  "I'm not paying for this mediocre coffee," Gore said calmly, opening his clenched fist. Pike watched as dark hues of blue began to radiate from Gore's hand. Pike's smile widened again as the table started to tremble lightly, while the items, such as coffee cups and silverware, seemed to dance from the shaking.

  Pike heard a light thud behind him as he turned around to see an older man, dressed in a suit, lying unconscious on his plate of breakfast, breathing heavily. Another similar thud followed from another table as a woman passed out. Their server alerted the restaurant staff, hurriedly moving toward the man and calling out, "Is there a doctor here?"

  As she got closer, Gore began to concentrate more. Pike watched as her legs began to wobble, her eyes began to get heavy. She took another step as her knees began to buckle, falling to the floor. She began to crawl almost on instinct, but her arms slowly became limp before finally falling onto the floor, breathing heavily as the others.

  "Quite a way to dine and dash," Pike chuckled with amusement, as more sounds of people collapsing around them echoed through the diner. After a few moments, it was eerily silent. Pike stood up and looked around to see not a single person outside of him and Gore were conscious. The only sound was coming from the kitchen area, where he could hear the sizzling of food.

  The two men stood up, both amused by Gore's work. The patrons of the restaurant were scattered about the restaurant, unconscious on their tables, counters, and floors. The smell of smoke filled the air as Pike looked to see a small fire coming from the kitchen. The flames bounced around for a moment before Pike snapped his fingers. The flames grew smaller as if they were being smothered.

  “We don't want to cause too much attention,” Pike said, grinning at their unconscious server lying on the floor. He knelt down, looking at her breathing heavily, and turned her over. She moaned as if she were being awakened from a deep sleep. Pike placed two fingers on her forehead before kneeling down further to whisper something into her ear.

  Gore began to walk to the door as Pike stood up, straightening his suit and began to follow him. “I will let you know when I find him,” Gore said as he opened the door to outside.

  “I look forward to it," Pike replied, casting one last admiring glance around. "It's a shame to leave them here, but I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate me playing with them too much.”