70 Unmasked

By the time the group from OP arrived at the Songbird, it was nearly time to break for lunch. The other three members were surprised when he ushered them in. 

Lark was sitting at the bar when QJ walked in, her orange hair tied into a neat bun that made her look young. "What can I get you guys?" 

"We've come to help with the special inventory," QJ replied. 

"I see; follow me."  Lark led them into the backroom and motioned them in before locking it tight. Pushing the desk aside revealed a trapdoor with a ladder leading down. "The light switch is on your left. I'll let Jezi know you are coming."

[OP: Ringo] A secret passage between the Songbird and the Painted Lady? Who knows about this?

[OP: QJ] Only life and death friends. 

QJ pushed open the secret door next to the wall and climbed out. The rug that had been camouflaging it was rolled up and standing in the corner. 

Jezi was sitting in her customer chair, looking like she was going to have a napping lunch. Stifling a yawn, the painted lady stood up and welcomed her guests with a smile. "QJ and Dessi, nice of you to drop by. Did you bring me customers? Sadly, I don't discount referrals."

"Hey Jezi," QJ gave her a quick peck on the cheek before glancing at the blond medic. "Did you get inked?" 

Dessi nodded, her pretty face blushing a deep red. "A few days ago. It was a healing amplifier. And no, you can't see it." 

QJ grinned but let the comment slide. "Close up, Jezi. We have a problem."

"I gathered as much since you didn't want to be seen coming in here."

Dessi exchanged glances with Ringo; both were surprised when the painted lady put up the closed sign and pulled the door shade down. She did the same thing with the shop's only display window before stepping behind a changing screen in the corner. 

Jezi slipped off the silk robe, seemingly unaware that her nude silhouette was viewable as she changed clothes. When she appeared a few moments later, she wore a black heavy metal shirt with the sleeves cut and faded blue jeans. Miraculously, the tattoos on her arms and shoulders were gone. 

[OP: Ringo] How did she do that?

QJ smiled silently. He knew the tattoos were downloaded into the gold bracelets she wore on her wrists, but that was one of her secrets, so he watched without comment. He took a few minutes to brief Jezi on the Barti fight and then waited while she processed it. 

"I knew something was up. Ravenwood chat has been going crazy." Jezzi leaned against her drawing table, deliberately moving into QJ's space. "Barti has never been inked, so where do I fit in?"

"Both figures were cloaked, but I caught a glimpse of the one I was fighting before she gated out."  QJ paused and waited long enough for Jezi to nudge him. 

"Spill it, QJ! Must be someone I know, or else you wouldn't be here." Jezi slid a thick book from the back of the drawing table. "Maybe someone I inked?" 

QJ shook his head slightly. "It was Barti." 

Jezi's gaze automatically moved to the corner where she kept her safe. "You sure?"

QJ nodded. 

[OP: Sato] How could Barti attack herself?

[OP: Ringo] What's going on QJ? 

Jezi used her body to shield the safe door while she spun the dial; a moment later, it clicked open. "Oh no... No fucking way." 

"It's gone?" QJ didn't need an answer; her face said it all. 

Jezi nodded. "My mask is gone." 

"What mask?" Ringo asked. 

"Jezi has a mask that can alter her appearance to match anyone."  QJ muttered a curse under his breath. "When's the last time you saw it?" 

"I used it last night while inking a customer. I'm a hundred percent certain I locked it away." Jezi's pale features looked sickly. "What can we do?" 

Ringo's confusion showed on her face. "Are you talking about the Mask of Fortune? The one that Leah Fintree used in the arena against Civil Unrest?"

Sato whistled softly. "Exodus Arena paid a shit ton of credits to have it displayed at their museum. It was stolen years ago; no one has seen it since."

Jezi nodded. "Sold by Q, then reacquired by the Songbirds and given to me."

QJ wanted to laugh aloud, but given the severity of the situation, he didn't. His father sold it for a hefty sum, then waited a few months before sending the Songbirds in to get it back. "How often do you use it?"

"Maybe once a month," Jezi replied. "I want it back, QJ. It's important to me."

QJ nodded and opened up his hud. A moment later, OP's Information Broker popped up before him. "I need you to set up surveillance in the Painted Lady. Rush job, has to be done now." 

Wu nodded. "Set up in a virtual space? Easy, I've got everything I need."

"Come to the Painted Lady under the guise of getting inked; this job is incognito." QJ paused while Wu started a list. 

Dessi watched Jezi's interaction with QJ; they obviously had some history. "You think they'll come back? Why would they do that?"

"Jezi is a loose end. If it were me, I would return the mask if I felt its theft was undiscovered." QJ gripped Jezi's hand, squeezing tight. "This would eliminate the trail."

"Or..." Jezi's face was calm; she was under the Riley umbrella of protection both virtually and in real life. 

"Or we'll never see them again." QJ tapped his chin while considering the possibilities. "It would be worth the risk to me, just saying." 

Jezi nodded in agreement and embraced QJ before releasing him. "I'll wait for Wu. You four return to the Songbird." 

QJ motioned for the others to exit through the trap door while he held it open. "Put the rug back on and close up at normal time. I'll make sure the Songbirds are on alert." 

*************

The desert road stretched out into the distant dunes; Nimda sat comfortably with the teamster on the driver's seat while Robin sat on a folded-up blanket on their crate. 

The orange-haired Songbird checked her messages, including a brief by Lark that detailed the attack on Barti. Her warm brown eyes scanned the horizon. "Pull up, Nimda. Someone is here." 

The sand shifted slightly, and a figure cloaked in sand-colored clothes appeared at the side of the road. Her face was brown and cute; a dimple appeared on one cheek caused by her friendly smile. She stood motionless until the wagon stopped. 

[Group: Robin] This is Dara. QJ showed me a picture of her. She doesn't speak, but she can hear perfectly. 

Robin jumped from the top of the crate, landing gracefully on the sand despite the four-meter drop. "I'm Robin, you must be Dara." 

The small woman's smile widened even more before she nodded and approached. She took a moment to size up the Songbird; everything about her gave off the hint of danger. Dara produced a notebook from beneath her robes and scribbled something before holding it up. "You are QJ's woman? He has made an excellent choice."

Robin read the note, returning the infectious smile of the smaller woman. "Thank you. He's looking forward to seeing you again." 

Dara scribbled some more before holding up her notepad. "I could be his woman also, but my chest is too small." 

Robin laughed suddenly. "Your chest is fine, little sister." 

Dara wrote a few quick words and showed her. "Let's go see Ra!"

Robin nodded in agreement. "QJ's sisters are there also." 

Dara's head tilted slightly to one side. Instead of writing a question, she walked past the Songbird and climbed onto the wagon. 

The ride to the Sandhealer compound took the rest of the night. Robin passed the time learning a few basic words and phrases in sign language. 

"QJ taught you to sign?" Robin shook her head in amazement. "That guy..." 

Dara scribbled a sentence and handed it to her. "You smile when you talk about him." 

"I suppose I do."  Robin glanced at the skyline; the first hint of daylight was barely visible, a crimson blush hovering low on the eastern horizon. "I see buildings in the distance."

Dara stood on the crate, squinting in the direction they were traveling. A moment later, she nodded and displayed a note she had written earlier. "Let's go see Ra." 

An unforeseen phenomenon was occurring throughout the Dunjai desert; this was especially true as one traveled toward the Sandhealer compound. Patches of grass, weeds, and other flowers were cropping out of the sand in small bunches. Roughly a quarter mile from the front gate was a newly built bridge overlooking a fast-flowing river. 

"Did something happen to the old bridge?" Robin was reminded of the Ravenwood river and QJ's prank. A smile settled on her lips as she accepted a scrawled note from Dara. 

"There was no bridge or river." 

Robin whistled softly and handed the notepad back to Dara. "How many of the ghosts have learned to sign?"

Dara jotted a quick line. "All of them." 

When the wagon was a few dozen meters from the front gate, two guards opened it without saying anything. In the courtyard, Sasha and Sarah stood with a half dozen natives. 

"How many want to follow you to Maelstrom?"

Dara held up the same note. "All of them." 

"QJ's ghosts..."  Robin wasn't sure what to say; Thunderkeep was large enough to garrison a large number of operatives. She did a quick rundown of QJ's known assets in her head: the black market, including the gypsies, the casino and its spy network, the operatives from Murderer's Row, Angel and her minions, the Maelstrom Royal family, the Sandhealer Faction and the City Fort. "There's probably more I don't know about." 

The Sandhealer compound consisted of three connecting two-story buildings surrounding a large central courtyard. According to the regular messages Robin received from Sasha, this area housed most of Ra's living relatives. 

A dark woman in blue robes stood between the Riley sisters; even though Robin had seen pictures of her, they didn't do her justice. 

Nimda pulled on the reins before turning in his seat. "We'll take care of the crate; you say hello for us." 

Robin nodded and followed Dara when she climbed down from the perch they had shared most of the night.