Setting the Shot

For a city that never sleeps, constantly aglow with lights and life, the Lower East Side of New York City was a dark and quiet place. Lights still shown down in the streets, but they casted out long, deep shadows, obscuring everything that fell within in. In the evenings few would pass down these streets, even by car, and for good cause. It was true that nothing ever slept in the city, but many wished that the things in those deep shadows would, or at the very least hoping against hope that whatever lingered there would stay.

From the illuminated window of Vigil’s Gallery, Eli could always keep an eye on those shadows, watching for whatever might poke its head out. He usually was up in these late hours, busy as he toiled away at his work. To be an information broker required constant effort of keeping up to date on news, keeping everything organized, keeping an eye on people of interest, and drafting documents to send out to clientele.

His gaze finally left the shadows and the glow of his monitor as he turned to look at his office space, reaching for his mug of coffee and taking a long sip. His office was also his living room, a large, wide open room, sunken in the center where three couches sat around a coffee table which held a few magazines and newspapers. They had been pointed at a wall that held a mounted TV which was bordered by bookshelves built into the walls, each lined with a wide variety of books and a few files. To the other side of the room there was hanging staircase that led up to the second floor which could overlook the entirety of the living room office. The second floor also housed his room, along with a couple of guests room, should the need ever arise.

It was a cozy, modern home and one he was quite comfortable in. He leaned back in his chair, admiring it, before slowly turning his eyes back to the monitor, giving a serious look and a sigh. Everything was moving a bit too slowly for his tastes. He needed to find a way to give his plans a jumpstart, a kick in the pants so the show could finally begin. The question was who should be the ones to take it? He sent two people off to Antarctica to see how they would handle the situation out there, but even that didn’t bare the fruits he needed.

He slowly spun around in his chair, humming as he considered the options. It was times like this he wished his staff was awake so he could talk their ear off, work his way through the problems vocally. Mimi and Daniel were asleep upstairs, Blight was off taking care of a pesky investigator and wouldn’t be back for a few hours, Clockwork was away on vacation with her boyfriend, and Reader was out on a special job, securing a few pictures for their next few operations.

No, for tonight, for this moment, he was all alone and he would have to get through this by himself. At least, that’s what he thought.