Chapter 1- Kaz
Kaz never thought about being a good person. All that mattered to him was getting the job done. He was known for doing whatever it takes for a good reason. He did not shy away from a challenge, even when it probably would have been wisest to back down. When you had nothing to lose, all thoughts of personal safety were useless. They only held you back. As de-facto leader of the Dregs (Per Haskell had become somewhat of a figurehead, providing investments and nothing more), Kaz couldn't afford to be seen as weak. No risk was too large. No job was too dangerous. However, sometimes he had to admit that he couldn't do everything by himself.
When the idea to rob the Van Ecks had come to him, Kaz had brought it to Per Haskell immediately. The old man had laughed him off, stuck in his ways.
"Such a risk is simply not necessary." He had chastised. What he didn't realize was that the lack of necessity was precisely what made it fun for Kaz. He lived off the adrenaline, growing stronger with every lock picked and every prized possession swiped. It kept him afloat in a way that no drug or legitimate profession ever could.
For this job, though, he would need a spider. Someone with the grace and stealth to scale the walls of the Van Eck mansion. Kaz had a limp and carried a cane. He simply didn't fit the profile. It was essential to be aware of your own weaknesses and to use them to your advantage whenever possible. He knew he would fail if he didn't ask for help, but that didn't mean he liked it any more. Recruitment was the only thing school was good for. It was ridiculously easy for him. He barely did his homework, but his grades were still exemplary. It was a strategic move. People trusted a boy with good grades, even if Kaz put them on edge. No one could write him off on any account. To excel, for Kaz, was to excel at all things he attempted.
Kaz had been watching a girl at school, Inej Ghafa, She had first caught his eye when she was practicing alone in a studio. She wore her pointe shoes like a second skin, leaping as if gravity did not have a pull on her. This kind of raw talent was exactly what he needed to pull off his heist. He learned everything about her, at least the superficial things. It wasn't difficult, just two locks picked, one to the principals office and one to his file cabinet. Her file was nearly empty. Good grades, she could probably give Kaz a run for his money. Dance was her only listed extracurricular. Her parent of record was Heleen Van Houden. The owner of the Menagerie.
He shuddered with disgust. Van Houden, or Tante Heleen, took in foster girls and used them for her own monetary gain. The specifics of her business were too barbaric and vile for even a self-proclaimed heartless criminal like Kaz. However, this meant Inej would be more susceptible to recruitment. With no real parents to obey, her only law was her own morals, and he doubted one of Tante Heleen's girls would waste an opportunity to wrench free from her clutches.
Kaz lurked at the door to her practice studio, waiting until for Inej to finish. He found himself noticing the way her eyes flashed when she perfected a certain section of her dance. The music was hypnotic. He didn't want to admit it, but so was she. Her movements mirrored the music. magnifying its rises and falls.
When she finally sat down to remove her pointe shoes, he entered without knocking. She didn't look surprised. Had she seen him? Or simply sensed him? Both would make her a good asset. Someone as observant as he was could run missions when he was too busy working on his passion project, carefully crafting the downfall of Pekka Rollins.
"Why are you watching me, Brekker?" So she did know him. Inej's tone was hostile, but that was to be expected. Just because he was well-known didn't mean he was well-liked. People often found his presence... alienating.
"Inej Ghafa. You move soundlessly. I need that skill. I'm sure you've heard, I pay well." He couldn't quite read her. The way she stared at him was unsettling. She saw him. Kaz did not want to be seen.
"I don't want to be caught up in some gang. I'm going to get into a good school and get out of this saintsforsaken place." Inej turned back to the elaborate ribbons on her shoes.
"So you would pass up half a million kruge?" Her hands froze and she slowly turned to face him. He had known that would get her attention.
"What kind of job is it? I won't hurt anyone," Inej said, clenching her fists.
"You'll only have to sneak. I'm going to steal Jan Van Eck's prized possession, a painting. I need you to climb the walls. I assume you can't pick a lock?" She looked taken aback.
"Of course not."
"I'll teach you, then. Trust me, this won't be that hard. I don't get caught. Have you ever seen me in the back of a cop car?" He could almost see the gears turning in her head as she tried to remember. Kaz knew he hadn't been arrested in the time she'd been in Ketterdam. His last arrest was at fourteen, and now, at seventeen, he simply could not be caught.
"No. I haven't."
"Then what's stopping you?" She hesitated for a moment, seeming to swallow her words. After a long and uncomfortable silence, she spoke.
"Nothing. I'm in."