Today's #flashfiction The Goblin's Employer

 “You're barking up the wrong tree.”

Treebeard, The Lord Of The Rings*

Fixed a bug in my programming today. I'm pretty satisfied with my progress and I'm getting better at this as I go along. Anyway onto the flash fiction!

The Goblin's Employer

        I hate goblins. The little green runts have great eyesight in the night so all the ones that mixed up in crime get mixed up deep because they're such great runners. And when they finally get caught they clam up tight.

       This one seemed particularly cocky. My red uniform of the Magical Bureau of Investigation didn't intimidate him at all. It takes awhile to break goblins, but they always break since even from the beginning there's a bit of sweat on their face. They just take forever. Sometimes longer than you have. This one was different.

      “Mr. Hopins, I don't work for anyone in the Crime Circle,” the goblin said just like he'd been saying for the past three hours. The Crime Circle was what the MBI called the largest gangs that controlled most of the magical crime in the country. The Crime Circle hated one another but also sometimes associated with one another. One day a gang could be cooperating, the next a massive bloody battle between them. The amount of magical contraband we found the goblin with there was no way he wasn't working with one of these larger gangs.

      “Rat out your associates. A deal with make everything easier. You must know somebody. Considering the dangerous materials you had you'll see a lot of prison time if you get convicted. Cooperation will spare you a sentence.”

      This idiot goblin. Anyone in his position would make a deal. The evidence was against him was crazy. Why didn't he take the logical option?

       The goblin repeated himself, “I don't work with anyone in the Crime Circle.” This time he gave me a cocky smile. Like he knew something I didn't. Wait. Maybe he did. Am I missing something Unless he's crazy there has to be some reason he isn't cracking a deal.

      Think, Hopins. Think. No, that's just bizarre. Was there the possibility the goblin was telling me the truth? He wasn't working for the Crime Circle? Alright, working on that assumption that meant he couldn't make a deal for his freedom. Then how could he be so calm?

      “I figured you out little green criminal,” I told the goblin smiling.

      “Agent, what do you mean?” The goblin asked me, now concerned.

      I laughed. “I know who you work for.” This goblin only had one reason he'd feel safe if he had no one to rat out on. If he was working for someone in the system. Now I just need to investigate everyone who's working on the prosecution of the goblin. They must be in the pocket of who the goblin works for or are the ones who employ the goblin themselves. Thank you annoying, little criminal for making me aware of corruption in my ranks.