The red phone rang and Dante frowned. The red phone never rang, and he knew exactly where most of the people who had that number were - and none of them would have need to call the red phone. That meant that he didn’t know who was on the other end of the phone, and as Dante’s business was information, he didn’t like not knowing.

"Hello?" he growled, and tapped a key on the keyboard. The trace was instantaneous as it was surprising: no signal.

"Hello, Phoenyx. I need your help."

"Well, well, well: if it isn’t Rowena Logan. I must say, you caught me off guard. I didn’t even know you had this number."

"I didn’t, but dad does."

"He gave this number to you?"

"No, but I know where he keeps his important things."

"Things like your birth certificate?" The silence on the other end was as cold as it was deafening.

"Okay, that was uncalled-for."

"I guess he mentioned that I was on the prowl?"

"As a matter of fact, he did. Guy’s got guts to call me and tell me to turn down a client."

"What are you going to do?"

"Your father has ticked me off once too often in the past. I think it’s time I see that stony exterior crack a little bit. I’m sending you a name and an address now - consider this pro bono.

"I appreciate this, Dante."

"Don’t thank me yet. You may want to call a friend for backup."

Rowena sighed. "Why’s that?"

"Remember that nasty business with the Yakuza and the underground fights?"

"Oh no..."

"Yep," Dante said, cheerfully. "Good ol’ Dr. deFaria - he’s the next step in the chain."

"I thought I was done dealing with the Syndicate."

"Heh. When it comes to these kinds of things, the Syndicate is always involved. Either them or us."

"What kinds of things would that be?"

"Money. What else? It makes the world go ‘round."

"So I’ve been told. I guess I can put in a call to Wind. Near as I can tell, he’s bored out of his mind these days."

"May want to hurry. Last I heard he was working on getting back into the fight club scene."

"Thanks for the tip."

"No problem, kid."