“So there’s another contract out?” Changmin asked with interest while he leaned forward and met Key’s gaze intently.

                Key shrugged his shoulders in a fluid motion and let his eyes slide away.  “That’s the word I’ve heard.  There is or there will be one shortly.  You’d have to check with him to confirm though.  I can only tell you what my people pick up on or what I’m sold in turn.  You know that,” he chided with a perturbed expression.

                Sighing heavily, Changmin grumbled under his breath and leaned back in the chair, slouching so that his knees nearly touched the front of Key’s desk.  “Key.  We’ve been friends for a long time.  Don’t pull this crap with me now,” he muttered.  “You should also know Yunho’s in town.  If he’s the one I’m running against here, that is need-to-know information.”

                Somewhat uncomfortable, the shorter male stood up and busied himself over his desk, straightening papers that were already meticulously organized.  Stack of documents in hand, he tapped them quietly on the surface and took a deep breath, gathering himself.  “It’s a bit more complicated than usual and I’m afraid you’ll get in over your head,” he warned without looking up, holding completely still.

                Changmin allowed a smile to pull at his lips and he laughed, a breathy sound through his nose.  “I’m a big boy, Key.  I can take care of myself.”

                “Like last time?” he immediately asked looking up under the fringe of his bangs in some concern.

                The younger waved off his concern.  “That was a fluke and you know it.”

                “In this business, I never know for sure, but you at least I do keep tabs on.  If only because I worry about you, pabo,” Key frowned, setting the papers down and throwing himself back into his chair.  “Check with TOP.  That man has his fingers in everything,” he rolled his eyes with a wistful sigh.  “Oh!  And I hear that G has some new items in stock.  You should probably swing by his place too,” he waved, trying to distract him.

                For a long moment, Changmin regarded his friend without saying a word.  He folded his hands under his chin and frowned slightly, eventually gesturing with a flourish and standing up in one swift motion.  “Am I getting in over my head?” he asked at last in a soft tone of voice, hands hanging loosely at his side.

                “Maybe,” Key reluctantly answered.  “I got a bad feeling about this one.  That’s all,” he breathed, grimacing when he had so little to go on.

                “Thanks, Key,” Changmin smiled fondly, offering a polite bow before he quietly removed himself.

                “That was fast,” Kevin commented when he emerged from the back room.

                “And I’m usually slow?” he responded with raised brows.

                Kevin laughed and waved his hand in a playful manner.  “Good point.  Come back and see us again soon though,” he grinned, acting bouncy and cheerful.

                Changmin waved back and nodded in agreement, shaking his head slightly on his way out.  He knew the whole innocent act wasn’t entirely a front but if it came down to it, he wouldn’t want to actually have to face off against Kevin either.  He’d win, of course, but the petite, delicate looking young man wasn’t Key’s front man for no reason.  The equally slender businessman was many things, but stupid and unprepared were not among them.

                “Alright,” he murmured to himself, taking a quick glance up and down the sidewalk, watching the crowds of people drifting around.  He stepped out of the way of a curious customer and chose a direction at random.  When he’d sorted his thoughts enough, he’d find his way again.  In the meantime, walking helped to clear his head, even if he did get the aggravating sensation of being watched.

                Jaejoong sat in front of Kyuhyun’s office, a cup of cooling coffee in his hands, while he waited for the younger male to arrive.  He’d shown up rather early himself, by more than an hour, but his companion was officially late as of fifteen minutes ago and after his encounter at the casino, it made him nervous and edgy.  There had been no response yet to the voicemail he’d left on Kyuhyun’s phone either which further irritated him.  Some sort of answer should have been forthcoming.

                After another couple moments, he drained the last bitter dregs of the tepid liquid and pulled out his phone, calling his companion up again.  This would make the third such attempt…

                “Yes, umma,” Kyuhyun surprised him by answering in a dry tone, voice slightly strained.

                “Kyu!  Where are you?” Jaejoong asked hurriedly, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

                “I’m on my way back now,” he answered in a quiet murmur.  “I’ll explain when I get there.”

                Rather annoyingly, the call was dropped and Jaejoong stared at the phone with narrowed eyes, muttering under his breath.  Really…?  Frustrated, he stuffed it back into his pocket and stood up to throw the empty cup away, trying to find some way to burn off the nervous energy that plagued him.  What in the hell could have held him up?

                Just over twenty minutes later, he spotted the younger male briskly walking towards him.  “Bloody hell.  I thought they’d never give me an opening to get away,” he muttered as he unlocked his office and rushed inside, a curious Jaejoong following immediately behind him.

                “Who?” he couldn’t help but ask before he sank into the seat across from his companion.

                “Whoever those idiots were that looked sorely out of place near The Ferrier,” Kyuhyun gestured emphatically.

                “Eh?!” Jaejoong gasped, attention riveted on him now.

                “It was plain dumb luck I saw them at all,” he muttered, powering the computer up and staring at the screen intently.  Jaejoong waited patiently for him to continue, fingers tapping lightly on the desk.  “I was just leaving from giving things a once-over.  You know, the usual sort of scan and such,” he looked at Jaejoong who nodded in understanding.  “The ship’s only been in port for a day or so, if not less and things were still packed up, but those men did not look like they should have been there.”

                “How could you tell?” the other asked, clearly confused.

                Kyuhyun muttered something unpleasant under his breath, fingers tapping on the keys frantically, before he shook himself and dredged up an answer.  “It felt like they didn’t want to be seen.  Like I said, it was dumb luck I saw the one at all.  I caught a glimpse of him before he disappeared behind some boxes and crates on the docks, but I figured I’d stick around to see if anything else came up.”

                “What time was this at?” Jaejoong asked, trying to draw connections if possible.

                “Eh…”  The younger scratched his head and wracked his brain for the answer.  He honestly hadn’t been paying attention to that bit.  “Probably somewhere between three and four.  I didn’t check.  It was hard enough working my way closer without being spotted by them or those dock workers.”

                “Aish.  You could have just flashed your badge,” Jaejoong reminded him.

                “And let them know a cop was nosing around?  No thank you,” he snorted, eyeing Jaejoong until he flushed in chagrin.  “Besides, I saw more my way than I would have yours,” he smirked in satisfaction.

                Jaejoong looked uncomfortable for a moment but didn’t actually say anything against him.  “And…?” he gestured when Kyuhyun continued to enjoy his moment.

                The younger male relented with an air of victory and leaned forward, “I don’t know who the grunts were but I did see that little Kim whatever his name was that works for the captain.”

                “Ryeowook?” Jaejoong offered, perking up instantly as he ran the time in his head.  That was right around when he’d left the casino actually.

                “Whatever.  The cargo master,” Kyuhyun stated instead.  “He spoke with our unknown grunts and it looked like they were setting up some sort of meeting.”  At Jaejoong’s questioning frown he shrugged.  “I couldn’t hear anything but they looked like they were discussing places and/or times.”  He mimed their actions in looking at his watch and pointing random directions.

                “So any ideas?”

                “None…  Not for a time anyway,” Kyuhyun admitted, leaning back in his chair, fingers interlaced across his abdomen.  “Likely they won’t try to do anything until it’s dark anyway so I’ll bring it up to the Captain and see if we can’t organize some sort of stakeout or at least distance observation.  Something,” he sighed, roughing his hair with one hand.

                “Good.  I’ve got something to add to that though,” Jaejoong sat up taller.  At Kyuhyun’s interested expression, he went on, “At the casino, I saw the same Kim Ryeowook meeting with Yesung, the owner of the establishment.”

                “What the hell would the cargo master be doing meeting with Yesung?  And he was there by himself, correct?” the younger asked for clarification.

                “Ryeowook was, yes.  Yesung had that damned Sungmin patrolling about.  I don’t think he recognized me but he definitely approached me on the floor,” he admitted uneasily.  “He might have seen me when I went by the main office the last time…”

                “Ayah,” Kyuhyun muttered darkly, fingers tapping with nervous energy.  “You’re just going to have to keep your head down then.  That or maybe you can check out the Azgard Cartel but for now, I’d have to say Yesung and his area are off limits.  At least until we get something more concrete.”

                “Much as I hate it, that’s what I’m inclined to lean towards too,” Jaejoong sighed, slouching slightly.  He hated being shunted from one area he was working on for whatever reason, and this was no exception.  “I’m not sure that Yesung and Ryeowook’s meeting was strictly business though either,” he suggested carefully, replaying the scene in his mind once more.

                “Oh?  Out with it,” Kyuhyun urged, leaning forward to attack the keys again.

                Jaejoong paused to organize his word and then spoke without actually looking at his companion, focusing on a spot on the wall instead.  “They were standing too close to be entirely professional, hands brushing lightly though Ryeowook was slightly behind Yesung.  With the commotion in the casino, whispering wasn’t entirely necessary but they did, leaning very close.  I don’t know if they’re lovers exactly,” he explained focusing on Kyuhyun again, “but they definitely know each other.”

                “I’ll see what I can dig up on him at least.  Whatever history Yesung has will probably be buried under so much , we wouldn’t find anything until next year anyway.  A small fry like him though…” he grinned wickedly.

                “Right.  So we have at least a tentative connection between the Ddangkoma Foundation and the AFFC.  Any links to the Azgard Cartel yet?” he wondered, trying to think if he’d seen anything else worth notice.

                Kyuhyun frowned slightly and shook his head.  “Not that I know of.  But it’s definitely a start.”  He frantically typed over the keys again and leaned towards the screen with his eyes narrowed.  “Looks like The Ferrier just came back from a trip to Korea,” he added suggestively.  “This just keeps getting better and better,” he chuckled, clicking into several files while Jaejoong watched with interest.

                “And the next step would be…?” he asked, looking for something to do.

                It took him a moment to pry his attention from the screen but Kyuhyun eventually groaned and leaned back, scrubbing both hands over his face.  “Right now, nothing.”  He held up his hand to forestall the immediate complaint from his companion.  “I’ll let the Captain know what we found and see if we can’t get some sort of additional surveillance for the shipyard asap, but in the meantime, that’s all we’ve got.”

                “But what about Yesung and Ryeowook?  Scratch that,” he caught himself, shaking his head and forcing himself to take a deep breath.  “Circumstantial at best, I know,” he agreed before Kyuhyun could chastise him again.  He was going to have to take a step back if he wanted to keep a clear head for the next part…

                “For now, let me wrap up what we’ve got so far.  Take tomorrow off.  Don’t even think about work for at least a damn day.  Nothing’s going to change between tonight and Monday morning that we can’t just address then.  At least not with what we’ve seen so far,” he reminded him pointedly, already starting to recheck and make sure everything else was already locked up.

                Jaejoong grumbled under his breath but allowed his posture to crumble finally, leaning forward in reluctant acquiescence.  “Fine,” he sighed at last, hauling himself up wearily.  The adrenaline high he’d been running on since this afternoon was wearing off and all that was left was a heavy weight of tiredness.  “I’ll see you Monday morning then.  If anything happens while-”

                “Go home, Jae,” Kyuhyun interrupted him, giving him a critical look with one raised brow.

                Thoroughly derailed, Jaejoong deflated and waved awkwardly, running a hand through his black locks.  “I’m going…”  He’d made it two steps out of the office before he was back, reaching down for the briefcase he’d had by his feet.  “Can’t forget this.”

                “Would you go home!?” Kyuhyun snorted in amusement, tossing a paperclip at the other male and shooing him away imperiously.

                “Bye, Kyu!” Jaejoong gave him a slow wink and ducked out, holding the case close to his chest as his smile faded again.  He didn’t want to go home.  He wanted to solve this damn case, but he had to take things one step at a time, never mind how he felt about it.  A break wouldn’t kill him either.  Tiredly, he pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and started walking again.

                He didn’t want to be carrying the case all weekend but the banks, with their safety deposit boxes, weren’t open on Sundays…  With a resigned sigh, he stepped outside and hailed a cab to take him home.  At least he had a small safe in the apartment if nothing else.  It was better than nothing.  When he got to his door, he was mildly disappointed not to find any sort of sticky note on it.

                “Pabo,” he told himself with a shake of his head while he stepped inside.

                He made sure to swing by the desk in front of the vent to see if anything else had been dislodged but when he saw it was clean, he shrugged and retreated to his bedroom.  The safe was sequestered in the bottom of his closet, usually hiding behind whatever stuff he threw in front of and on top of it.  Documents safely stored, he sloughed his close off and settled for a shower, contemplating what he was going to do for food.

                Cleaned and still slightly damp with the towel wrapped around his shoulders, Jaejoong didn’t feel like making anything too complicated and since his neighbors hadn’t actually dropped by to invite him over, he opted to fall back on his old standby: instant ramen.  “Cardboard noodles and too much salt,” he sighed.  “Yum.”

                Cup of noodles in hand, he just stood in the kitchen, slurping the steaming meal up while he debated what to actually do.  It was a Saturday night… so would there be anything interesting on TV?  With a hearty sigh, he ambled back into the living room, briefly distracted by the card on his desk.  Jung Yunho.  “Hmm…” he murmured thoughtfully, going over to peer at the card closer.  “Yunho.  U-Know.  Really?” he asked himself with a roll of his eyes.  “Let it go, Jae.  TV.  Now!” he ordered himself, setting the card back down and marching over to the lonely couch.

                “What sort of mischief can we find tonight?” he sighed, snuggling further into the surprisingly comfortable surface.  He was going to have to utilize it more in the future.

                Jaejoong woke from his tentative slumber with a start, jerking upright when he realized he’d fallen asleep on the couch, empty soup cup in hand, and no idea of what woke him up.  Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he froze when he heard a sound at the front door.  “What the…?” he murmured quietly, pushing himself up and carefully heading to check it out.  It sounded like someone was trying to open it...

                On light feet, he hurried to snatch his handgun up and made his way back, peering through the peephole intently.  “Eh…?” he sighed, feeling a palpable sense of relief and some concern wash through him.  Running to the kitchen, he stuffed the weapon into the first drawer and then hurried back, unlocking the barrier and lunging to practically catch the young man that fell inwards, wreathed in the rather strong scent of alcohol.  “Changmin!” he gasped, stumbling slightly at the unexpected weight.

                “Jae?” the younger male clung to his slender frame and blinked at him slowly, staring into the dim light.  “Oops…” he slurred, trying to drag his feet under him and having a dreadfully hard time.

                “Oops?” Jaejoong chuckled, placing one arm over his shoulders and steadying the taller male with a hand to his chest.  “Right room, wrong floor,” he commented with an amused snort.

                “Shorry,” Changmin apologized, swaying in place.  “I’ll jus be goin,” he pointed back towards the hallway and made a very awkward attempt to walk which failed entirely and nearly had him sprawling through the doorway except for Jaejoong’s quick reaction.

                “Wait!” he yelped, wrapping both arms around his torso and hugging him close, legs spread for stability while Changmin essentially slumped over his shoulders, arms resting lightly against his back.  “In your condition my friend, you’ll never make it,” he reminded him pointedly, frowning at the smell of alcohol rubbing off on him.  “I’m presuming you put away more than you spilled on yourself,” he shook his head, carefully maneuvering the taller male so that he had one arm around his shoulders and the other around his torso.

                “I didn shpill,” he argued with a thick tongue, poking his finger into Jaejoong’s chest for emphasis.

                “Sure you didn’t,” Jaejoong responded, guiding and half-carrying his neighbor to the recently vacated couch.  “Knowing you, you’d actually try the stairs in your condition and would end up breaking your neck,” he muttered, lowering the tall and sluggish frame to the cushions.

                “Jae.  I’m fine!” Changmin reminded him in an exaggerated manner, gesturing with his hands in a strange pattern that had his host blinking in confusion.

                Jaejoong chose not to respond and instead went to his linen closet to retrieve a spare sheet and pillow.  By the time he returned, Changmin had fallen over on his side and was basically drooling on the couch, right on the edge of sleep.  “Quite fine I see,” he smiled, sliding the pillow under his head and wiping at the spittle with a corner of the sheet uncertainly.  “Here,” he urged, spreading the cover on top of the younger male as he helped to guide his feet to the couch.  “Shoes,” he reminded him, prying at the foot coverings and making his unexpected guest giggle.

                “Shtop!” he smiled, waving at him rather uselessly.

                “Is someone ticklish?” Jaejoong laughed, quite amused.  He didn’t expect a response and he didn’t get one, but Changmin did pull the covers up to his chin and snuggle further into the couch when the shoes were off and the sheet back in place.  “You can sober up here tonight but in the morning, you’re back in your own space,” he shook his finger at the drunk young man.

                Had he really fallen asleep that fast?  Well, when drinking it wasn’t exactly that surprising and it was a Saturday night after all.  Jaejoong scratched his head and peered at his guest uncertainly.  He had definitely not expected this, but what was he supposed to do?  Just leave him in the hallway…?  Now that he looked at him though, he seemed so peaceful resting on his couch accompanied by the soft sound of snoring.

                “Troublemaker,” he shook his head and leaned forward to smooth out some of the wrinkles on the sheet, tracing a few stray strands of hair out of Changmin’s face.  As soon as he did so, he froze, a perplexed expression crossing his face when he glanced at his hand.  “Umm…  Rest well, Min,” he urged, taking a quick look around to make sure he hadn’t left anything out.

                He headed for his room muttering under his breath about inviting relatively unknown persons into his apartment, even if they were completely plastered.  Well, at least Kyuhyun wouldn’t be able to yell at him for doing anything work related, if nothing else.

(a/n: Oh Changminnie.  Whatever could you be doing?  keke  So we now have a connection between two of our three possible players.  ;)  Can anybody say just a little bit of YeWook?  Then again, maybe not...  heh  Hopefully I'll be able to introduce TOP and G before too long and I'm trying to work in some of the rest of our informants and/or mentioned possible characters.  We'll just have to see what I can pull together.  I've got some ideas brewing and had a major epiphany about what I wanted to do later in the story, but that'll take a couple chapters to get to.  >.>  In the meantime, thank you for reading and I hope you look forward to the next update!)