How It Started: Part 2

She called herself Mimi. In hindsight, this amused Jeb, because it should've been an unmistakable clue about how terrible a criminal she was -- and not in a good sense of the term -- but at the time, her proposal was so enticing that he likely would not have turned it down even if he'd known she was only a bottom-rung thug in Riverview.

He was told to meet her at the riverside warehouse, the broken down office building connected to the river's shipping yard. As far as he'd known, the warehouse was just one more business, a place for the self-employed to set up shop, or the shipping business to keep boats moving up and down the river in an orderly manner. He was right, for the most part.. Until he, upon meeting Mimi at the back, was led into a concealed entrance leading down into the basement.

 Thus began his professional career as a criminal. Led to the darkened office of "the Leader", he was told he had great -- if amusing -- potential, but that he'd have to prove himself before being given any of the more important Jobs. It was enough to get Jebidiah feeling motivated again... excited again. After he got home, he rushed to tell Meredith the news -- but was careful to conceal his career under the disguise his new employers told him he'd be expected to maintain.

He waited patiently for his first assignment, but he didn't have to wait long -- it came rather abruptly over the phone the next evening. Someone had contacted the agency with information regarding some high profile goods, and someone needed to go to the storage building to pick up the lead and pay the informant. They'd be waiting at the storage building at midnight.


After he arrived, he made contact... And man, if it wasn't the hottest contact in town. Kiki Diaz, town bike; she'd broken up quite a few marriages, but it looks like she was trying to do a little bit more breaking than that. Still, he had to see if the lead was good, if she was actually worth the money.

Apparently one of her "victims" had disclosed to her, in his attempts to woo her, that he had made quite a bit of wealth in Egypt, particularly of finding some notable artifacts that he was planning to sell for high price on the Simolean market. Kiki knew the day it was planning to be moved, by whom, and where -- all she wanted was the taste of revenge, and a small percentage of the profit.

Done deal.

When he brought the information back to Company, they decided to give Jeb a runner's job; go to Egypt, meet with a contact, and bring the artifact back to Riverview. Apparently some local operatives would be paid off to do the initial stealing, and then hand it off to Jeb for transport.

With all the arrangements for travel made, Jeb said his goodbyes to Meredith and left for Al Simhara. He had to come up with a good cover story, but still being a bit of a rookie at this, had to convince her that he was going there to train some locals on computer construction. Not being the most brilliant cookie, Meredith didn't ask many questions, and wished him a fond farewell.

Navigating Egypt was a breeze, but the scorching sun was not. Still, the payoff of earning the respect of his colleagues was enough to risk a mild sunburn, so he traversed into the desert, speaking to several of the locals on the way, until he finally found, near the shoreline, a woman waiting with The Package. Right on schedule.

With all the to-do over with, and plenty of time to spare, Jebidiah decided to do some tomb diving. However, it didn't exactly have the greatest results; he got caught in a firetrap and was badly singed, enough so that he had to spend the rest of his "vacation" recooperating so that Meredith would believe that it was really just a 'bad sunburn'.

The extra time also proved in handy, as he was able to do some jewel scavenging on local dig-sites, and finally found the perfect gift for his red-headed lover. With that in hand, he travelled home... But naturally, stopped off at the warehouse first to drop off the Package. Were they pleased? Naturally. He was given an instant promotion, and found himself quickly rising in the respected ranks of the Riverview criminal agency.

But another thing that his family didn't know is that he'd done a little digging into the history of their house... And discovered a hidden basement, what he assumed was for hiding goods of some kind long before the Kanes had made their way into the home. Naturally, he'd kept it a secret, and converted it into a secret cellar of his own, and began work crafting Meredith's perfect gift...

After several weeks, it was finally ready -- and so was he. Ready to seal the deal, to tie the knot, to jump the bridge... He only hoped that she was, too.

Maybe love can be bought.