[center][img]http://s8.postimg.org/yxi027ag5/The_Cowl_Word_Art.jpg[/img][/center]

	[color=7bcdc8]“I still don’t understand sir, the Ironworks was one of our most prominent safe houses.  Why are we cutting our losses and not rebuilding it?”[/color]

	Specter adjusted his weight his small, quaint little chair in the indoor seating of [i]La Rose Solitaire[/i], a Cafe on the edge of town and one of The Cowl’s favorite places to contemplate his next move.  The Cowl had purchased it personally through a number of third parties several years ago.  It was not a safe house, nor was it a trafficking or smuggling checkpoint, in fact The Cowl had gone through great lengths to make sure that not even the Shroud Syndicate was aware that he even had interest in the establishment.  He had purchased this place for one reason and one reason alone; the coffee.  He had fallen in love with the smooth, sensual grounds, the care that went into every cup of coffee was unparalleled since the Shroud’s expansion into Europe. 

	He never told anyone he went here, never hinting that he even knew this place was on the radar, keeping even the closest of the Syndicate affiliates in the dark on his secret hideaway.  But whenever he disappeared, La Rose was where he would be.  The only other people to even know of La Rose’s existence was Specter and the cafe owner, Louis.  He always made room for the Cowl when the kingpin made a reservation, taking great care to let his employees take some time off and close the cafe down for the morning.  The place was all but abandoned, the ‘closed’ sign swinging on the cafe’s entrance as the pair of criminals discussed their future in a darkened corner of the small establishment, away from the prying eyes in the windows.

	[color=a0410d]“Specter, it’s been  months, we aren’t in a business where we can wallow in despair over every chance we take that does not pan over,”[/color] The Cowl said, his face was obscured by a wide-brimmed hat shadowing his face, only allowing to see the warm smile on his face as he brought the elaborately decorated cup to his lips. [color=a0410d]“We took a risk, and we failed, we did not hide well enough and were were caught woefully unprepared for the assault we fell victim to.  In the kind of world we live in, busts of that kind of nature are going to happen, and the best we can do in these situations.  The best we can do in these situations is to look at the mistakes that were made and remedy them for the next occurence, and that starts with not making our safe houses and activities so obvious.”[/color]

	[color=7bcdc8]“Sir, you have to know that was not just a simple bust.”[/color] Specter said, adjusting the polo shirt he wore as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  Neither he nor the Cowl were in their trademark attires.  No masks, no suits, no extravagant attires to separate them from the other cafe patrons, only casual attire in the cafe.  They were seated in the corner, away from the windows, even with nobody knowing they were here, it was never safe enough for The Cowl to completely let his guard down  [color=7bcdc8]“The Ironworks was one of our primary hubs for trade here in the city, and metahumans tore straight through it.  The underworld is beginning to stir, and it’s other factions are starting beginning attempts to gain traction.  Word has it that someone by the name of ‘The Baron’ has begun stepping into our territory, and many Syndicate cells are turning up dead or missing, assumedly by his hand.  However, there is another player on the field as well, we’ve got eyes on the streets that some of our own boys have lost faith in our organization, and have been stealing our resources and sending it to an unknown third party.”  [/color]

	[color=a0410d]“Yes, it only makes sense now that there is metaphorical blood in the water, the sharks are appearing in the water looking for their opportunity to strike.” [/color] The Cowl responded, his wide-brimmed hat shadowing the face enough to obscure everything but a charming smile and a strong, tan jawline. [color=a0410d] “I’ve heard of the Baron before, and this is not the first time he’s taken a swing at Syndicate resources.  He rules the West Coast of America through numerous gangs and third party affiliates, placing his group under his name alone rather than unifying under a banner.  He's been around as long as I have...maybe longer, and simply managed to keep his name under wraps.  Like me, he came out of nowhere, a rising star in the west, only expanding nationally he simply grew his assets exponentially until he had a local goldmine.”[/color]

	[color=7bcdc8]“So we’re dealing with a very powerful man.”[/color]  Specter said. 

	The Cowl chuckled, leaning forward and pressing his elbows onto the table. [color=a0410d]“I should say so. Back when I was expanding our trade in Nevada, I got a first-hand look at his dealings when The Syndicate were hollowing out a bit of recently abandoned territory in Las Vegas.  We had recently been come across some abandoned territory, taking advantage of Vegas' lack of business during the great recession by buying up a series of cheaper casinos as safehouses.  Sure, we had enemies there, and we tried to deal with them accordingly...but with the Baron?  We could never gain the edge.”[/color]  The Cowl sighed, his eyes glossing over as memory overtook him. [color=a0410d]"He must have been an incredible dealer.  He knew how to outmaneuver my men, anyone I sent to his territory usually ended up dead or on his side.  He knew who to bribe, who to smile at, who to intimidate...a criminal most admirable in the ways he undercut out business. We had hard times getting into the gun and trafficking trades, and he had a downright stranglehold on the cocaine business...if I didn't know any better, I'd say I was playing a game of chess against myself in that town.[/color]

	The Specter’s brow furrowed, he could see the concern in The Cowl’s face, very rarely did he have issue with the dirtier elements of his position, yet he was struggling to explain what happened.  It was rare to see the current Kingpin of Lost Haven act anything other than collected. [color=7bcdc8]“So what should we do with him?”[/color]

	[color=a0410d]“Give him a warm welcome, send an olive branch and see if he’s willing to do business.” [/color] The Cowl said, gesturing freely with his empty hand as he placed the coffee cup back down on the table. [color=a0410d]“However, I’ve only assumed he has no interest in such a truce if he’s come this far, so we should expect the worse.  I’d suggest we poke at his resources, see what kind of operations he is running, possibly delve into what kind of powers we are really dealing with.”[/color]

	[color=7bcdc8]“And what of the mystery third party?  The figure who is stealing Syndicate money?  Do you think they’re connected?”[/color]

	[color=a0410d]“Not in the slightest.” [/color] The Cowl said with a scoff, waving Specter’s accusation off with a flick of his wrist. [color=a0410d]“The Baron's sending a message right now to get my attention, he does not need to steal from me yet.  It’s someone else...and I’ve got a fairly good hunch who it is.”[/color]

	[color=7bcdc8]“You do?”[/color]

	[color=a0410d]“Yes, but with our current situation, we don’t need to go on a witch hunt.  We have eyes on the streets, in the city council, the mayor’s office, and in the police department.  If anyone in the Syndicate roots out this mysterious interloper who’s converting our men on the street, we’ll get word one way or another.”[/color]

	[color=7bcdc8]“Of course, sir.”[/color]  Specter said, scratching at his greying goatee as he sulked back in his chair.  Without the mask Specter was really beginning to show his age, the beginnings of wrinkles in his skin revealed as he furrowed his brow as he reached for his own cup. 

	[color=a0410d]“Not to mention the problem that we have other, more dire matters at hand.”[/color]  The Cowl remarked, letting a huff of disappointment escape his lips. [color=a0410d]“Mainly the fact there has been no progress on the relocation of Racheli.  GeneCo has been increasing the pressure on their trade agreements and Jacqueline is on the verge of her patience on the matter.”[/color]

	[color=7bcdc8]“Right,  men all over the city heard your call looking for the one you said was named ‘Gabriel’.” [/color] The Specter said, his fingers wrapping around a coffee cup of his own to take a brief sip. [color=7bcdc8]“However, without a last name or more information, there is little we can really do to follow up.  There has been numerous sightings of the metal-clad man, but nothing of substance other than saving the day.  The same goes for the one called ‘Evergreen’, though he is far more active in the city, but other than monitoring his abilities from a safe distance, there is little more we can do than observe possible weaknesses.”[/color]

	[color=a0410d]“And Racheli? What about her?”[/color]

	[color=7bcdc8]“Much more difficult, she does not wear superhuman attire and does not go out of the way to get herself spotted like the others.  Our boys don’t have a lot to go on in this case, so finding her is near-impossible in a city like Lost Haven.” [/color] 

	The Cowl sat in silence for a moment, his eyes locked in the swirling fluid in his coffee cup, occasionally darting to the half-eaten scones in the center of the table.

	[color=a0410d]“In that case, it sounds like traditional methods have failed.”[/color]  The Cowl eventually respond. [color=a0410d]“I suppose that is to be expected, the Syndicate has not fully adapted to meta human trafficking yet.  No matter, I already have a backup plan in motion.”[/color]

	[color=7bcdc8]“Oh?  And what plan would that be?”[/color]

	[color=a0410d]“Let’s leave that to me for the time being.  It’s still very much in infancy stage and I’d rather not divulge into it if it doesn’t go off the ground.  I’ll forward my plan to Jacqueline tomorrow and see if she is on board with it.”[/color]

	Specter only gave a frown and a glance from over the steam of his coffee, holding the glare for a second before glancing to the window in the front of the establishment.  He disliked when The Cowl kept things on a need to know basis, especially when the only other person who is going to be informed was GeneCo’s CEO.  He knew that GeneCo had a lot of product the Syndicate could peddle, but they were company that was hard to trust, especially knowing what they know.  There was never any guarantee that GeneCo would grab onto a better opportunity and leave the Shroud in the dust.  

	[color=a0410d]“Hm...I believe it’s time to leave for now.  We have plenty of work to do if everything will continue to run smoothly.”[/color]  The Cowl started again, motioning to the cafe proprietor.  [color=a0410d]“Louis!  I would appreciate the check, please!”[/color]

	The man the Cowl beckoned, a man somewhere in his 40s judging by the slight hunch in his form.  He was short man, well dressed in a clean polo and slacks as he nodded to the criminal kingpin, his French accent coming through as he responded in a nervous tone. “Of course, [i]monsieur[/i] Cowl.”

	He fiddled with the receipt, scuttling over to the Cowl in a hurried but careful manner, making sure to approach the Cowl in a respectful manner, sliding the check to him. “Your total today is--”

	The Cowl raised a hand to Jaque to cut him off, reaching into his coat pocket to pull out a firm stack of bills. [color=a0410d]“I pay for this place to keep standing, Louis, and I always will.  You have the best coffee in all of Lost Haven, combined with the best scones I’ve ever had.”[/color]

	“T...thank you sir.” The baffled cafe owner stammered out, placing his hand on the money and taking it delicately.

	[color=a0410d]“Oh, and how is your family by the way?”[/color]

	“O-Oh...well my daughter just got accepted to college on a scholarship for her grades…”
	
	[color=a0410d]“Ah, so she’s going to school for biology like she wanted?”[/color]

	“Y...yes sir.”

	[color=a0410d]“You must be so proud.” [/color] The Cowl said, giving the man a genuine, borderline kindly smile, as if the simplicity of Louis’ life soothed in some manner. [color=a0410d]“Please, take a portion of that money and put it to her college.  After all, in this day and age, we’re going to need all the scientists we can get.”[/color]