Matte Goad

Written by Septia.

“Outta the way.” A passerby huffed out as they pressed past Tam on the pavement.
-Thfdffhddw- a smack in his side from the hurried woman's dufflebag. A shiver drilled through his spine at the sight of it, watching the zipper reel back, the jags forming the teeth of a beast in its lurch towards him… then both the woman and bag disappeared, enveloped by the crowded streets.
It had only been a few weeks since the… incident. Though the worry laid painted stark on his face. Tam assured himself there was no worry, he had mapped out the city, taking all precautions to avoid areas and suburbs that… duffel wielding vandal would visit. Tam raised a palm toward their cheek… then fondled and brushed his pearl white drills in shape. Worry, were to wait. He peeked up at the sign above Chariot cafe, and nodded. There was business to attend to.

Tam's eyes wandered the cafe, tables crammed with guests; plates crammed with food; mouths stuffed intermittently with conversation or bread rolls. Cheap food, along with that near to expire, garnered the tables. Though, the customers cared not, as they gorged themselves. The tygla fast was a day away, and in that mess of people, one conversation was easy to hide. The greatest hunger comes, when told not to eat.
She shuffled to the middle of the cafe, hawked, and scratched the upper bridge of their nose…
“Cha-hrmmg.” A man coughed, a couple of tables away, one with an empty seat opposite.
Tam moistened their lips, brushed through their silk smooth hair drills, then sauntered off to take the seat.
“Hey babe, did not see you at first, glad I could make it.”
“A gal could get lost when there's so many faces to keep track of.”
The man's expression rippled, then sterned straight.
“You the one I chatted with, then?”
“And lucky I am, because, boy, you would look incriminate, I mean, silly, right now.” Tam mused, the redhead’s expression calcified.
“What do ya want for I?”
Tam leaned back, sloughed easy with her hair lining against her shoulder, drills jostled along the motion. “Actually, babe, I wanna take this higher up.”
“The junk you-… on about…?” he curted and leaned in, “you're looking at the manager… You saying the deal's off?”
Tam scoffed in a chuckle, “babe, you are a sweet thing, but what do you think your manager would say if they knew you were impersonating them? Its a…,” Tam sucked on her lip and drew out her next words, “serious crime.” She then fished, rummaged through her pocket. “It can be tough to pick out the right face in a crowd, how about we give them a call?” Tam clacked open the flip phone, and hit dial with the same motion.
-Vrrrrxxt- -Vrrxxt- A vibration thrummed from a seat three tables off, the occupant snatching up their phone to silence it, halting their motion, and turning to peer in Tam's direction.
“You do not think, they' are too busy for a face, hmm I could just leave them a message, and we pick this up some other time?”
The man's brow furrowed, as he cursed behind his lips. The man at the other end rose, and gestured. Heading towards towards the employee door.
“They'll… see ya shortly,” the man mumbled.
“Glad they were around to pick up.” Tam mused, and clacked the burner phone shut.

~ 1 ~

Seeing the shelves in the cafe's pantry depleted and desolate gave an eerie atmosphere, furthered by the table and chairs propped up at end. The thug Tam had talked to stood by the door, whilst the receiver sat down opposite her. The inky gleam in his eyes and numerous whiskers standing in for a moustache placed him as a prawn, or perhaps shrimp. Though with the clothes covering arms, chest and legs In many layers, that was all she could discern of the chimera.
“We could have done without the scene, girly.”
“I am just here to follow suit the way you handle me,” Tam said, brushing along their side, “gauges how much I'll squeal.”
His whiskers flicked.
“You've got the phone, proven that enough already. Mind if I pose you, just a coupla’ questions?”
“Keep em coming.”
“How'd, you, come upon Kefty Flimt's phone?”
Tam's expression lessened, swaying a leg under the table. “Sad to say, I was cleaning up, disposing of some, consumables, for a client, near the pier, and…” Tam bit her lip, “I saw this, pile of, dung, jiggling.”
The prawn's whiskers sloped. Yet his gaze kept steady, “then, she… “
“Smelled awful, stale, so guessing it had been there a few days, don't know if it means that-.”
“Second, question,” the prawn straightened their back. “Why shouldn't we silence you ourselves, since you've, been so kind, as to deliver it, and yourself. Feel? Is there really anything behind all that hair of yours?”
“Tam closed her eyes with a smile. “My, so many options, where to begin,” she hummed, “Oh, I know. ‘Cuz this.” she said, flicking up the phone, and with a few clicks navigated to an option labelled: terminate.
The man's eyes bulged. “W-.”
-Cltch- But she had already confirmed. The progress bar stretching across the screen, until it reached the end, and the screen dulled green.
“Do… you…” The prawn huffed, clenching his fist. “Have any idea, who’s much-.”
“117 young males, and 248 pretty girls, all stored away on the streets of Prosonull.”
The man’s gaze narrowed.
And since I got you on the hook, I'am gonna go ahead and reel you in,” Tam said, lounging back and playing with the phone between her palms. “I made backups, everything on this lil burner's burned into my mind,” she said patting her forehead, “along with my drive at home. And my room-mate got some clear instructions on what to do if I am not back by the time I told him. He can be, very nervous, and I can't stand anybody being nervous,” she said with a wink, “so I take precautions to avoid it.”
For a while, there was silence, the thug guarding the door glancing between Tam and the manager.
“Whddya want…?”
“Cheer up, bub, I just wanna lend you a hand.”
“You what?”
“Babe, its been a week, and you cotton balls are still using the same burner phones as when before your boss disappeared. Plus, the tygla fast is coming, and a busy time to root through your boss's notes and decrypt all her messages. She seemed like she had a handle on the situation. As on everything I deciphered myself.”
“She really was the brains of the operation. And with everything falling on her, it’s plain to see that, whatever operation you are carrying out, doesn't change that biggest thing you have, is the names in your contacts book. You made the news, babe, for junk's sake, that’s pretty premature.”
“Enough. That's… enough. You can root through the bureaucracy and Synd will continue to operate. Why would you bother? Got any idea what You're dealin' with?”
“Based on the fact I know that 172 and 214 being the actual numbers, I'd say I know more than most. And babe, why does anyone do anything? Money, connections, protection…” Tam's voice muffled at the end of the sentence, biting her lip and settling back into a smooth groove. “I' will ask a modest sum, could see what I don't demand being payments towards keeping me out of, direct affairs.”
The prawn chimera knitted his fingers. “How much?”
“Two employer's monthly's worth.”

They clicked their lips. “I'll give you that, it’s modest. Which ones?”
“Randomly decided, each month.”
“Seems like a hassle.”
“I'll paint it up for you, babe. The better compensated I am, the better I wanna work. So, if compensation's decided by the performance of all your… employees…”
“Then, it’s in their best interests to do a good job.” The thug at the door chimed in.
“Well thought, babe. Even imposter over there knows's what I am talking about. Can see why you had to rely on Kefty so much.”
“Oh, and, if someone's… falling behind on their quota,” Tam savoured her words, “they could compensate me more, directly, maybe a house call, and if there's any extra naughty one, a more, permanent, arrangement?”
Prawn scoffed. “You've gotta know what you like. As long's it’s covert, I'll invite another avenue to send some rascal lads your way.”
Tam's eyebrows sunk. “Hold yourself, salty. My preference tends towards, the ladylike.”
“Shucks, really, I could see a hot ass like yours bobbing on my lap for sure.”
Tam's eyes twitched, mouth contouring into a curved grimace, as for a moment Tam was uncertain if she would take this as a taunt, or a compliment…
“Hah, if that's the face ya'd make, then Ah might just be lucky.” prawn said and rose from the table. “We've spoken long enough.”
A quiver teetered on Tam's spine.
“Tomorrow, mid forenoon, behind the Chariot cafe, there'll be a bag, take its contents, trash the bag, leave through another alleyway. We'll be in contact midday.” The prawn walked towards the door. Tam following.
“One of us leaves at a time, ten minute gap, between us, we never met.”
Tam awarded him a grin. “Looks like you got some head on those shoulders after all. I've gotta have some dough to line my piggybank with.”

~ 2 ~

Met stared at the apron and chef's hat hanging on the hook by the door. There was still some flour dusting the rim. He grasped them, uncertain if maybe for the last time.
“Bro?”
Met turned, seeing Tam, fresh out of the a morning care, drills lush and bobbing.
“Sis.”
“Off to work?”
“Y-yeah, it’s-.” he was interrupted, as Tam's embrace sloped in around them, lithe, bony, strong arms wrapped around his back.
“We'll be alright, got it, bub?”
“Y-yeah…” Met mumbled in the hug. Even when it ended, he was left confused.
“What? Just wanted to check up on those twins of yours close up,” Tam said and jutted her chest out.
“H-hey,” Met huffed and tucked her head into the chefs hat. “I've gotta get going, goodbye, jerk.” He said, though waiting at the threshold.
“Have a good day, mah lil' piggybank.” Tam greeted, as the door shut behind the Satyr.
Tam scoffed. The nightlife was gonna be quiet, and with Met around home visits would be tough. But, he had gotten himself a little hobby. Tam sauntered off to the bedroom, bringing up a stash of papers littered with names, codes, messages, and addresses. “Least I've got myself a hobby.”