Rue: Web of Deceit - Part 31

Gathering / Conference

After receiving some particularly bad news regarding The Dingo, Rue's day is made no better by yet another mission from The Spider.

"What the fuck do you mean she's being released!?" Rue cries down the phoneline, cursing under their breath as they quickly scan the various rooms of the flat with their x-ray vision, relieved to see that Doug and Tara are both out.   "It's a joke, Rue. I know," the Detective groans from the other end of the line, "The order came from the higher ups. She's made a deal with them; a commuted sentence in exchange for evidence on all her clients."   “So what, she gives them the addresses of some pedos and gets away with a slap on the wrist?” Rue asks incredulously, pacing back and forth, “She’ll just relocate, assume a new identity and build it all up again! How is any of this okay?!”   "She's going to be on a fairly strict probation for the foreseeable future," he says, trying to explain the situation but clearly not buying it himself, "Her devices will be monitored and she'll need to check in with a parole officer regularly. She won't even be able to check her email without us knowing about it."   “Like that will fucking work,” They snort bitterly, angrily kicking their boot aside, “She’ll disappear and you know it. Then what, hmm?”   "Then I'll track her down myself, Rue," he says, his voice becoming sterner at the idea, "She won't have a chance to ruin any more lives."   “Should’ve known better than to trust the system,” They mutter just loud enough for Alec to hear, laughing mirthlessly, “Roaches get locked away for stealing a pack of nappies, but a fucking human trafficker gets off easy.”   Before the Detective has a chance to respond, Rue abruptly ends the call, unable to listen to any more excuses he may have to offer. They wonder if Rani knows yet, the thought leaving a bad taste in their mouth. Maybe they should have followed through with their threats.   It doesn't take long for them to be pulled from their train of thought however, as another message comes through. One that does little to improve their mood from The Spider himself, "Need you to come in. Got a job."   Rue lets out a groan before retrieving the boot they just kicked across the room, sending a quick message to their employer to confirm that they’re on their way. They choose a dark grey hoodie that day, slipping it on and grabbing their keys from the bowl.   The sunshine warms their back on the walk, the small comfort and exercise allowing them a moment of peace before they get to the club. They give a small wave to Maggie at the door, then slowly climb the stairs towards the office.   The air inside is stuffy as always, the stench of spilled liquor, cheap cigars, and something Rue doesn’t want to identify assaulting their nostrils. Eager to get outside again as quickly as possible, Rue knocks on the door.   "Come in," the familiar growl of the Spider sounds from behind the threshold. Rue pushes the door open and is met with the usual sight, their usual employer, sat at his usual desk, chewing on his usual brand of cheap cigars, "Ah, Rue. Thanks for coming. Feels like I haven't seen you in months! You eighteen yet?"   Rue has to repress the shudder that creeps up their spine at the comment, biting back a snarky remark in the process, ''Not yet.'' They say instead, the polite smile looking more like a grimace as they try to swiftly move past the subject, ''You said you had a job for me?''   The same old toothy grin appears on the man's face as he notes their discomfort, "Always the eager worker. Eh, Morsel?" He stubs his cigar out on the nearby ashtray and begins rifling through the papers on his desk, "A couple jobs, actually. But you shouldn't have any trouble getting it all done at once."   He pulls out one of his trademark sealed envelopes and slides it across the desk, "With Marcus out of the picture, so to speak, I need someone to deliver the usual message to someone currently awaiting trial in the courthouse, to make sure they know what not to talk about," he says, leaning back and clasping his hands behind his head, "Y'know, show up, make sure he sees you, pass off the letter to the guard on my payroll. The whole 'you're being watched' package."   Rue picks up the envelope and slips it into their pocket with a shrug, ''I don't suppose you can tell me exactly who will be the recipient of this 'you're being watched' package?'' They ask, raising an eyebrow, ''Or which guard to hand this to? I imagine it wouldn't go over well if it went to the wrong person.''   "Ah, well that's the fun thing, Rue," he says, chuckling to himself, "It's Marcus. He's a little worse for wear after getting his shit mixed by that robot cop, but he's out of hospital now and about to have his day in court. I reckon he's smart enough to know when he should keep his mouth shut, but a little reminder never hurt anyone. And as for the guard. Name's Montana, you can't miss him. Got a missing eye that kept him outta the police. Wears a patch."   Rue’s eyes widen in surprise, a perplexed laugh escaping their lips before they can stop it, “Sorry,” They say awkwardly, their bemusement barely concealed, “I’m sure Marcus will appreciate a familiar face in the gallery during his trial.”   "Oh, I'm sure he will," Spider continues, "Couldn't have just any random face send him a message, after all. And, I'm sure you've worked out his... special connection to you."   “If by special connection you mean how he followed me around to report back to you, then yeah,” Rue admits, raising an eyebrow, “The irony of this situation isn’t lost on me.”   "Knew you were a smart one, Morsel," he remarks, shrugging his shoulders innocently, "Couldn't have you hanging around here regularly without a bit of background. But, now I'm giving you the chance to repay the favour in kind. You're welcome."   “Well then, unless there’s anything else, I’d best be on my way to court.” Rue says, ignoring the discomfort that comes with Creel’s comment, “I’ll report back when it’s done.”   They leave The Six-Nines shortly after, walking down the street towards the Administrative District. Their fingers brush over the envelope in their pocket, and for a moment they wonder just how many people in law enforcement the Spider has caught in his web. The more cynical part of themself wonders if it matters in an already broken system.   The thought sparks the frustration from that morning back to life. While they can understand wanting to bring down an entire network of monsters, Rue still cannot believe they’d willingly release that bitch to do so. There had been her laptop and phone, viable leads that the police could have followed to track down her buyers - had that not been enough? Even a lighter sentence, whilst still unjust if you asked them, would have been better than essentially letting her walk.   They slowly try to push down their anger and frustration as they get closer to the courthouse, the grand building abuzz with the usual activity, amped up by the pending trial. Rue can see many members of law enforcement around in case of trouble and grimaces slightly, keeping their head down as they make their way inside.   To be continued...