[Jaykobell]

Taking on a quiet job surely changed up the monotony and the stress of the usual. But driving through empty plains really wasn't all that exciting, and not even really that relaxing.

He could've sworn that he'd already passed by this area, but he couldn't say for sure. These things were called the "Vast" Plains for a reason: even driving through them, it could take hours to get through one side to the next.

He tried to keep himself motivated by listening to music. He'd heard some songs a few times by now, but it was better than complete silence.

[Jaykobell]

He'd been driving for over a few hours by now. And while he was annoyed at the music being cut silent, he supposed the incoming phone call might serve to keep him invested in this job.

He didn't have time to open the conversation that the voice on the other side spoke, "So?"

"Getting there," he answered. Few knew this phone number — only those who gave him jobs, and only those who needed to know it, knew it. And considering where he was headed, and considering his track record, he knew this familiar number and this familiar voice.

[Jaykobell]

There was a short silence in the car, with only the static from the phone call crinkling in the background. "Good," the voice said, sounding satisfied with the answer.

"Are you going to tell me what I'm supposed to be doing here, then?" He had accepted this job because this client was his number one — a regular who had the cash to pay him, and a regular who hadn't slammed him so far. A lot of folks who dealt with the underbelly of society eventually cracked under the guilt and the pressure.

Fortunately for both of them, this client wasn't one of them.

[Jaykobell]

Of course, that didn't mean he allowed this regular to get away with things. Knowing exactly where he had to go, and knowing exactly why he had been hired, were crucial details that could make or break a mission. He liked transparency. Even one tiny detail could make the whole thing fall apart.

"Get to that canyon that I mentioned," his client explained. "Once you get there, just get what's in there and bring it back to me."

He sighed internally and rolled his eyes. "What am I supposed to find in there?" he clarified, since his question had clearly gone over his client's head.

[Jaykobell]

His regular chuckled nonchalantly. "Oh, you'll know when you see it," was his response, nothing to help the thief establish his goal.

"You know I don't like that," he reminded his client dryly. "If I fuck up because you're not transparent with me, I still want and will get my cash for this job." Folks liked to believe thieves and crooks acted with no rules in place, but that was a bad misconception — were they acting this way, it would utter chaos. Nothing would actually get done.

And one of his rules was that his clients and himself had to be transparent and honest throughout the deal.

[Jaykobell]

There was a small sigh from the one on the other side of the line. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," his client said quietly, his tone indicating he knew full well about the rule. "I get it. Don't worry, you'll get your cash," he promised, "because I know you'll get the job done, Blaine."

"And you're sure no one's on my tail?" Being chased by the cops was just par for the course in this line of work, but it was especially dangerous to meet them here, in broad daylight, in such a massive area that offered little cover and little chance for escape.

[Jaykobell]

A chuckle. "Isn't that your job to find out?" his client pointed out. "But I wouldn't worry," he assured the thief. "Especially if you're concerned about Sienna." There was a careful emphasis on the name. "The cops have got a lot more pressing issues to go after right now. A perfect time to tackle this."

"Not just Sienna," Blaine clarified, momentarily looking away when his eyes caught sight of a rock formation in the distance; hadn't he seen this already? This scenery was driving him nuts by the minute. "Any cop. Escaping in cramped, dark places is much easier than getting around this kind of place."

[Jaykobell]

"You'll be fine," his client promised. "With what's been going on in town, they have their hands full. You're right off the radar right now."

"Hope you're right," Blaine replied, and he felt relief at the sight of scenery that looked just a little bit different. "'Cause I think I'm almost there," he announced, just as the plains started to change shape a little bit. They slowly started to give away, the flat, dry, repetitive background slowly shifting into crevices and trenches. The more he drove this way, the closer a canyon seemed likely to appear.

[Jaykobell]

"Good," his client said, the smallest hint of excitement in his voice. "I better let you go, then. I wouldn't want you to miss it." Another chuckle. Strange how a high-ranking office businessman could find such thrill in an illegal activity. "Good luck, Blaine."

"Later," Blaine agreed, and considering he was the one driving, he let his client hang up on the call. Soon enough, there was a click, and right away, the radio picked up where it had left off, pulling back the music Blaine had been listening to before the call.

It would be his companion again for a little bit, until he got to his destination.

[Jaykobell]

After about another half hour, his destination started to take shape. As the trenches got bigger, the distinct shape of a canyon started to appear. Now that he had found it, he just needed to drive to and explore a specific location in this canyon.

Eventually, he got to turn off the car. The music stopped, and the only sounds he had left were the winds outside, whistling as he exited the car. The view was grand, honestly — he couldn't remember the last time he had really gotten to enjoy a view like this in the last few years, considering his jobs always needed him to sneak around in the dark.

[Wild Pet Found]

[Jaykobell]

He enjoyed the view for a little bit before actually getting to the brunt of the job. He still had no idea what he was looking for, and what he was supposed to get for his regular client. "You'll know when you see it," was hardly a clear guideline. Was it some kind of rock? Was it some kind of artifact hidden in the canyon? Was it a plant?

It could be virtually anything. How was he supposed to narrow it down? It was easy for his client to give him this kind of flimsy job when he knew what he wanted, but Blaine didn't.

[Jaykobell]

With a sigh, he locked the car and started heading out towards the canyon. He looked over the edge, almost immediately regretting it as he felt lightheaded and dizzy. This place was no joke — one wrong move, and he might as well be falling to his death. He would need to be careful. He was used to being watchful, but not quite in this fashion.

As he recovered from the shock of the vertigo, he took a deep breath, and he tried to listen. But surely, his client wasn't after some sort of living animal? Regardless, it would also be wise to make sure no predator was about to tear him apart.

[Jaykobell]

Of course, he was aware that a large variety of animals lived in this area. There were small prey animals, but there were also large, dangerous predators. It went without saying that every wild area would house both. The little ones who concerned themselves with scurrying about mattered little to him, but he knew some terrifying creatures lived here.

Working in the wild wasn't something he was used to, so despite being in broad daylight and safe from the cops, he would need to stay alert.

Just as he was mulling this over, something moved in the corner of his eye.

[Jaykobell]

He wouldn't go as far as calling himself an expert, but he did know about the usual species that inhabited the land. They were usually highly publicized, the general populace having great interest in the many species that could be found in the wild. How could they not, when there was such an appeal to finding them and bringing them home? The wild species were so easy to tame, especially considering special services existed strictly for that purpose.

And it hit him then, that maybe his regular client really did want him to bring back a living animal. But if that were the case, how was he supposed to know which species his regular wanted?

[Jaykobell]

And that was when the movement caught his attention all the more. He saw something there, something unusual. Even in broad daylight, he could see some sort of eerie light shining from the creature, a hint of pitch-black and ominous purple slipping away out of sight so quickly.

He stared, watching the general area around him. There wasn't much that could hide the creature; at most, a few big rocks spread out by the edge of the canyon. Otherwise, it would be running out in the open. Even if it tried to reach one of the small woods sprinkled around this place, it would need to run quite a distance to get there.