Kai meticulously scrubbed the rocks glasses, holding each one to the dim light, examining for water spots and putting those he found unsatisfactory back into the dishwasher. If a job is to be done at all, it is to be done right. Even if it was just to keep up appearances.

There were only two patrons at the bar, one at either side. On his left was an attractive but forlorn-looking young man with sandy, ruffled hair. All he’d ordered since Kai’s shift began were two ginger ales; the kid just stared into the glass until he noticed the ice had melted, then ordered a new one. To Kai’s right, his target - one Edward Messinger. The dossier didn’t fudge Messinger’s description: a little stout, late 30s, greasy, slicked-back hair and an overall swarthy disposition. He was able to hold his own when it came to the drinks. Hard and fast; in 30 minutes he’d consumed two screwdrivers and two glasses of Castlemaine draught lager without looking ill from the combination.

The music playing in the speakers faded out as the DJ mounted his station and began loading his turntables. A steady stream of clubbers seemed to come out from the black-painted woodwork and within sixty seconds the dance floor was filled, as were the other seats at the bar.

Kai, ever the dutiful bartender, filled orders without stop for 15 minutes. When the first rush wore off, he washed his hands and splashed his face at the prep sink. Patting his face dry, he looked nonchalantly into the mirror. Behind him, he noted three couples of men at the center of the bar - each focused on nothing but the person they were flirting or necking with. On one end, the ginger ale customer; ice melted, swizzle stick with speared cherry at the end anchoring the bottom of the glass. And at the other, Messinger, swiping at his phone screen and half off his stool.

Kai pulled his left wrist to his face as if to examine a cuff or to wipe his brow. “Subject preparing to move,” he muttered. Grabbing a glass and the soda gun, he pushed the ginger ale button and looked into the mirror. The DJ cupped one headphone over an ear and pumped his free thumb in the air three times in sync with the beat. There’s my confirmation, Kai thought. Mugan has a lock on him.

In one smooth motion, Kai whirled towards the ginger ale customer, pushed the untouched glass to the side and nudged the new one into position. “I’m not one for cliches,” he said, pulling a bottle of whiskey from the top shelf of his workstation, “but if there’s anyone in need of a chat with the bartender, it’s you.”

Thumbing the nozzle off the bottle, Kai poured a shot into the ginger ale and another into a clean glass for himself. Getting no reply, he clinked his glass against the customer’s.

Sad Boy blinked a few times, suddenly aware he was being spoken to. He looked at the fresh drink. “Oh, um, no thank you,” he whispered. He sounded near tears. “I really should be heading out. How much is that...?”

“Nothing until you drink it,” Kai said, slinging the bar towel over his shoulder. “Which you will. Orders from the friendly neighborhood bartender.” 

The faintest of grins appeared in the corner of the young man’s mouth. He took the cocktail and raised it in salutation to the barkeep before taking a swig. Kai tossed his shot back, gave the kid a full-mouthed grin, and turned back to the prep sink. Kai covertly spat the liquor back into the glass and emptied it down the spout. Fuck, he thought wistfully. If there’s anything I miss about mortal life it’s the ability to knock back the occasional drink.

The electronic ding of a synthesized bell in his ear  brought Kai back to attention. With the growing noise of the bar, the communications team had added a signal that would ring when someone pressed their talk button.

“He’s leaving out the front door.” Mugan’s voice came into Kai’s earpiece a second later. “Hayes says the deal is gonna go down in the alley behind the club and the dude’s waiting for Messinger to round the corner.”

“Copy that,” Kai replied into his wrist mic. Turning to face the patrons at the bar, he put on a smile and said, “Sorry folks, I’m short-staffed and I gotta do some quick housekeeping. Bar service is gonna stop for now - just gimme ten minutes!”

There were some sighs of protest but a general sense of acceptance from the group at the bar. Kai noticed the depressed looking guy down the rest of his drink and slide some cash under the glass. He then hopped off the barstool and made a beeline for the restroom.

Hope he gets through whatever’s bugging him, Kai thought, before immediately chiding himself. What does it matter? What business of it was his? The kid’s not his focus right now - it’s capturing and interrogating Messinger… and possibly eliminating him if his role is as crucial as their intelligence had led them to believe.

The men’s room door was right next to the swinging door leading to the prep kitchen. As Kai swung past it, he heard a patron loudly complain, “Damn it! This door’s always locked when I gotta go so bad…”

Kai swiftly made his way to the back door. There was a garbage bag by the employee exit, waiting. It was filled only with shredded paper, made specifically to give him an excuse for being in the alley. He slowly, deliberately pressed down on the handle to prevent the latch making any unneeded noise.

An L-shaped cinder-brick wall guarded the outside of the door to prevent him being seen until he needed to be. The dumpster was just on the other side of the wall. There was a hole in the wall, large enough for one to put an eye against to see what was going down in the alley. But Kai only needed to concentrate, and allow his ears to pick up any noise going on as Messinger met his man.

“You got the drive?” Messinger asked.

“You… you got the money?” The voice was shaky, obviously nervous. “$500, you said.”

“I know I said,” Messinger said, aggravated. He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket.

Ding! “Be advised,” a female voice whispered through Kai’s earpiece. “We detect an unknown subject in the men’s room. There’s a visual from the window directly above where the deal’s going down. Mugan, can you confirm?”

Ding! “Affirmative,” Mugan said. “One guy went in a few moments ago.”

Kai pressed his talk button. “Don’t worry about him, I don’t think he’s connected to this. Is the exchange done?”

He didn’t need to wait for an answer. Messinger spoke. “This better be worth the five hundred,” he said. “Otherwise, you’ll have hell to pay.”

There was a nervous laugh from the man offering the thumb drive. “Of course it is,” he said. “It’s just what you asked for.”

“We’ll see about that.” Kai could hear a ruffling sound, probably Messinger’s inner pockets again.

“I told you, I worked at InnerCore for three months!” The unknown guy was getting more nervous. The pitch in his voice was getting higher. “I was able to hack into their mainframe, no sweat.”

“Doesn’t mean that’s what you’re giving me.”

Ding!

”He’s pulling out a palmtop computer…” the female voice started, before Kai heard the faintest squeaking noise. Where was that coming from? 

“… be advised, the men’s room window is opening!”

“I’m telling you, man,” the high-pitched man’s voice got more strained. “Names, addresses, bank account info, everything you wanted. 1,500 files.”

“I only see one in the directory.” Messinger’s voice was getting a harder edge.

“Hayes,” Kai hissed, “tell me what you’re seeing.”

He waited for the earpiece signal for a few precious seconds but didn’t hear it. “Hayes!”

“It’s a zip file… It-it’s…”

A small clicking noise told Kai the palmtop computer was hastily closed.

“Encrypted.” Messinger chuckled. “You stupid kid, you were gonna shake me down to unlock the file, weren’t you?”

Ding! “Kai, the bathroom guy, he’s” —

A large crashing noise interrupted the transmission.

Dropping the garbage bag, Kai whirled around the cinder block wall. He had mere seconds to act.

His rapid senses showed him how badly the situation would deteriorate: Shocked by the sudden noise, Messinger whipped out a pistol from his pants pocket, aiming it at the club’s mens’ room window, which had just fallen out and shattered in the alleyway. Doing so, Messinger dropped his small computer, letting it crash to the ground.

As Kai flew into Messinger, knocking him down, Messinger pulled the trigger of the gun, the bullet firing into the open window. There was a cry of— surprise? Injury?— coming from the restroom.

Meanwhile, the hacker, the guy offering the thumb drive for cash, hastily grabbed for the computer, yanking the device out and bolting down the alley towards the street.

A blur—a black-cloaked figure Kai knew to be Hayes—swept into the alley, yanking the hacker off the ground.

Messinger still had an iron-tight grip on his weapon. But it was no match for Kai’s strength. Kai applied enough force with his left hand to put Messinger’s wrist bone to the brink of cracking. He used his free hand to cover Messinger’s mouth, muffling his yell of pain. The gun dropped to the ground.

A tall and slender figure came jogging down the alleyway — Mugan, Kai was able to tell right away. “Whatcha got?”

Kai blew an errant strand of hair out of his eyes as he released his hands from Messinger’s person. The man writhed and moaned on the ground.

“Things kinda fell apart,” Kai said. “I’ve gotta check on the guy in the bathroom.”

Mugan nodded. “What are your orders?”

Kai looked at Messinger again. “Take his computer and bring it to Analysis.

“As for him,” he added, growling softly, “isolate. Interrogate. And terminate.”

“Yes, boss,” Mugan said. With the same swiftness and blur as Hayes, Mugan swept the computer’s remains from the ground and whisked Messinger skyward.

Kai rushed to where the bathroom window shattered. With a simple push, he leapt, grabbing onto the top of the club building and swinging his legs into the restroom. Dismounting, he swung easily into the room, landing on the closed toilet seat.

Seated in the corner of the room, shivering and obviously frightened, was his ginger ale customer.

“W… wh… what the fuck did I just see?” His eyes were as wide as saucers.

Kai stood on the toilet, cautiously choosing his words.

“Probably… more than you should have,” he admitted. He stepped down from the commode, towards the corner of the room.

His customer’s eyes began to water as he advanced.

“Please,” the kid begged, “d-don’t hurt me…”

“I won’t…” Kai began.

The ginger ale customer began to quake even harder as he watched Kai’s eye color transform from a soft, everyday blue into a bright, emerald green, with a glow that could easily be seen in the dark bathroom.

“…as long as you are totally honest with me,” Kai continued. “And I can be as honest as I can with you.”