Day 181 - Maliq

 Maliq

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

After the dustup and Club B, Maliq had been assigned to guard Yaz and Junko and drive them wherever they needed to go. At first, he thought it might be a fun assignment. Everyone had heard the stories about Yaz and the wild parties he had been throwing. No one knew much about Junko but she hadn’t been stopping Yaz, so Maliq figured there was a good chance she was down to party too. Of course, after the police raided and cleaned out Club B, there wasn’t much partying going on. Still though, he thought, it was a good way to impress the bosses. Naxis was an important business partner and Yaz was an important dealmaker, so sticking close to him would be a way to earn trust and respect.

But then Rama went missing. That was nearly two weeks ago. And now Bagus, Rama’s protégé, was gone as well. Maliq didn’t like them, but he didn’t want to see them dead. They needed fighters and Rama could fight. Times were tough and getting picked off one by one wasn’t supposed to happen. Naxis was supposed to help them grow, get strong, challenge for the city. But nothing had gone right so far and now it seemed as if his gang was falling apart.

Maliq wasn’t supposed to listen in, but he couldn’t help it. He drove them in a BYD T-3 seven-seater van, and even though Yaz and Junko sat in the far back, he could still hear them. Yaz was boisterous and loud and they disagreed a lot. When it was something important, Junko would try to speak in Japanese, but Maliq knew a few words of that as well. He considered trying to record those conversations and translating them later, but if he got caught, it might mean his life. Still, he wanted to find out anything he could to help his bosses. If Naxis had reconsidered its plans in Jakarta, he needed to know.

Mostly Yaz complained about being bored. He also liked to talk about women and all the women he had slept with and planned on sleeping with. Junko would often remind him about his father, and then they would argue in Japanese. Yaz also liked to tease Junko about her sex life or lack thereof. Yaz seemed very interested in her, or maybe he just liked getting under her skin and annoying her.

The came the day when Maliq came to pick them up and Junko told him to leave. Maliq waited for Yaz to say the same. No way was he going back to his bosses without checking twice just to make sure. But Yaz wouldn’t get in the car either. So, Maliq left them. But he made sure to follow them.

It was hours later on the south side of town. Maliq nearly lost them when they turned into a parking garage and he couldn’t risk following them in. Maliq drove around the block for close to three hours and was just about to give up when he spotted them coming out of the building. They were with an old woman who was surrounded by female bodyguards. He had never seen anything like it before. He snapped a picture with his phone and took off. He didn’t know what they were up to, but was sure his bosses would want to know.

Day 180 - Unlikey Partners

 Unlikely Partners

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

Kay watched as two men ran Bagus down on the street and tackled him into the mud. She watched, but she did nothing. It wasn’t her fight. Bagus was a punk, always shaking down vendors for free food or demanding spare Rupiah. She pitied him. Maybe the vendors did too. It wasn’t intimidating and he had never gotten physical when someone failed to provide his demands. He was just a punk and it didn’t shock her to see someone stand up to him.

Later of course she learned that those had been police who grabbed Bagus, which again came as no surprise, but in the moment, it just seemed like another day on the street. Bagus had fallen in with a crew, but his benefactor wasn’t there that day, and these were the sorts of things that could befall a person.

Everyone on the street knew who Kay was, but she never demanded anything and always paid for her food and drinks. Plenty of the men there owed Ruel money, but she didn’t see the benefit in taking advantage. Better they save their profits and pay Ruel back all the faster. Some of the older men nodded their approval when she passed. Ruel wasn’t all bad, despite the names come called him. He lent money to those that they banks wouldn’t touch. He gave strangers a chance. They had to be smart and they had to pay him back, but he built more lives than he destroyed. That had to count for something.

Rendy was eating when Kay arrived back at the restaurant. Always eating. Rendy picked on the cooks and never tipped. His outfits were nice, but he was oily and sweat through his shirts. His skin glistened and he leered at waitresses. A long time ago, before he knew better, he had propositioned Kay. She told him she’d kick his teeth down his throat before she went out with him. The way he smiled made her sick. He thought she was a challenge he could master. She was well aware he earned too much for Ruel to be disposed of, but the day was coming where they would be at odds and Kay wasn’t going to back down to him. If that ended her relationship with Ruel as well, so be it. But Rendy was the type to keep pushing and eventually she would have to put an end to it.

“No Ruel?”

“Nope.”

That wasn’t good. He hadn’t been around last night either. It wasn’t like him to be gone for a day with no word.

“Nobody’s seen him?”

“Nope.”

Rendy when back to his food.

“Do you know anything? And if you give me another one-word answer, I swear--”

“I haven’t seen him. He didn’t tell me anything yesterday. Just business as usual. Except he didn’t come home. He’s probably hung over in some hotel somewhere.”

Ruel didn’t do that, she wanted to scream, but she knew it had happened before.

“Rendy, what do you think about this new guy?”

“Arch?”

“Yeah. You have eyes all over. Is he trouble?”

“He’s well-funded. His operation is ten times ours and it’s been growing ever since he first came here. He’s got a boss, just like everybody. The kids have seen them meet, but I don’t know who he is.”

“We need to find out what they want. It’s one thing to make more money, but we have no idea what these guys want with us or what they’re getting us involved in. If we step out against one of the families, we all die. Arch and his crew just disappear back into the shadows.”

“Why Kay, you actually sound a little scared.”

“I’m angry. You should be too. I’ve never seen Ruel try to expand like this. Never. We should both be scared.”

“Are you suggesting we team up?”

“I want you to stop being an ass and think about what’s in all of our best interests. You don’t get to sit this out. Ruel’s missing and we have no idea what he’s gotten into. Someone comes crashing through that door, we both get hit. Arch is bad for business, bad for all of us. So yeah, let’s team up for once and stay alive.”

“You always are practical.” Rendy pushed his food away and got up from the table. “Okay, deal. My boys will hit the streets and we’ll find everything there is to know about Arch and see what’s been done with our dear beloved leader.”

Rendy extended his hand, and Kay shook it. It was just as sweaty and oily as Kay had thought it would be.

Day 179 - Bagus

 Bagus

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

It had been a week since they had heard from Rama and Sonny was growing concerned. Declan had other plans. He was driven to break Naxis and didn’t care about Rama or his assignment. Declan decided it was time to start kicking over cans and see what fell out.

“His name is Bagus, and Rama was training him as part of his role with the gang. He’s going to know whatever Rama knew.”

“We arrest him, we blow Rama’s cover.”

“Rama has gone silent. You know what that could mean.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“We worry about that after. We can’t keep waiting and reacting. It’s time we put some pressure on them.”

Sonny didn’t like it, but he didn’t have much of a choice. It wasn’t his city or his command. He could take it or leave it and Sonny suspected Declan would be just as happy if he did leave and go back to Bandung.

Sonny agreed, and they went to find Bagus.

Day 178 - Midnight Assault

 Midnight Assault

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

If all things were moving correctly, Rikard should have made the first strike and he would be bringing the women to the warehouse. Arch didn’t have time to wait. He had to hit the hotel at the same time before word got out or anyone began wondering why none of the drivers were returning. Danik was leading one group of soldiers, Haatim another. They would come from the back and the side. Arch and his men would come from the back. According to Rikard, the guard on duty tonight had been properly bribed and there would be no resistance. Arch had made Ruel come with him along with his best fighters. There was no reason for it, other than to force Ruel to prove his loyalty. It was one thing to funnel money to an enemy, it was another to fight in open rebellion. If this went as well as Arch expected they could be in and out before reinforcements or police could arrive to break things up. Arch knew nothing ever went as well as expected, but this was as close to a sure thing as he had ever planned. The building was surrounded, most of the drivers were out on jobs, and no one inside should have any idea what was about to happen. If Rikard could be trusted. If not, they all might die. Or Arch would find Rikard someday and make him pay. Either way, the die was cast and there was no turning back tonight. Either the old order would fall or he and his benefactors would burn. There would be no coming back.

Day 177 - The Cleaners

 The Cleaners

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

66 sat on a bench in the back of the van, Von’s soldiers on either side. Von’s top killers was more accurate. The men willing to get junked up on Von’s drugs. They were a powder keg of rage, jacked, probably not even seeing straight. 66 took a deep breath and tried to relax. He hadn’t been part of a crew in years. He hadn’t had to worry about getting killed by one of his own men ever, but with these roided out monsters he wasn’t sure what would happen. 47 assured him everything would be alright, but that was just one of those things people say. Both men knew they were going into a war with men they couldn’t trust or rely on.

“It’s time.”

66 looked at 47 and nodded.

47 handed out capsules to the men. Each of the Cleaners snapped them open and a dust swirled out into the air. The men breathed deep, eyes went wide, muscles flexed. They called it ORE and said it gave them strength. 66 called it madness. He held his breath and hoped he didn’t catch any.

The men chanted and screamed. They pounded fists and hit each other on the chest, making guttural bestial noises.

47 handed 66 a capsule, but he waved it away.

The van doors burst open and the men emerged.

They were out back behind a warehouse full of a rival gang. Whomever Von had met with downtown had given him new orders – the neighborhood was to be cleansed and a new order imposed. Von was agreeable, but Von wasn’t the won doing the fighting. The Cleaners spread out and headed for the back entrance where several guards were caught unaware. They didn’t stand a chance against ORE and wouldn’t see another sunrise.

The Cleaners moved inside. The man they called Dante was here somewhere and it was their job to kill him tonight.

The shadows crept along poorly lit halls. The Cleaners’ movements were exaggerated and choppy. They moved like monsters. 66 kept towards the back of the group. If they were so eager to charge into possible death, 66 was happy to let them be the first through the door.

The twisting hallway came to a fork and the group split up. 66 watched as 47 headed off with his troop. Good luck, thought 66, hoping he would see his friend again.

66 and his group came around a corner and found a group of the men they were here to kill. The groups charged each other. Knees were bent the wrong way. Elbows shattered. Groins pummeled. 66 moved in short bursts designed to incapacitate his opponent. The rest of the cleaners were there to destroy lives and satisfy their ORE infused blood lust.

66 fought his way through the group. He couldn’t let Dante escape. Some of the Cleaners followed 66.

66 spotted Dante. He held a gun to 47’s head. 66 slowed down, pulled his gun, but couldn’t get a clear shot. He caught eyes with 47, expecting him to make a move to free himself. But before either could do anything, one of The Cleaners ran past 66 and charged Dante.

Dante shot, ending the man’s life, but it gave 47 a moment to move.

66 returned fire, but failed to land a fatal shot.

Dante stumbled off, while 66 made his way across the room to check on 47. He looked at the dead Cleaner then 47.

“Go get him. I’m okay.”

66 ran off in the direction Dante went.

Day 176 - The Aftermath

 The Aftermath

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

“Are you insane?”

“It was a business opportunity.”

“The men we work for – they’ll come for you.”

“They have no idea it was me. Not unless you told them.”

“You have to get out of town. Tonight.”

“And leave mom?”

“I’ll take care of her.”

“I’m sure you would. Look, Vik, I’m not afraid. The men we work for have no idea what’s about to happen. Their day is done.”

“You think they’ve never fought rivals before? You think they’ve never been in a gang war before?”

“I don’t think they have any idea what they’re facing. It’s not me or a gunman or even twenty. There’s a tsunami about to hit and they barely even felt the first tremor.”

“This is ridiculous. When gangs go to war it’s people like you and me that get hurt. I don’t want that. You shouldn’t either.”

“You’re the only one who saw my face. Keep it that way. Do it for the old lady. You don’t want to break her heart. When the time it right, meet Arch. Listen to him. He’ll tell you what’s coming and we’ll both get rich.”

“I don’t want another boss.”

“This is different. We’ll be bosses ourselves.”

“You believe his promises? Enough to risk all our lives.”

“Trust me. Help me. I’m your family. You and I are pawns right now, but we could be more.”

“I’d have to betray everyone.”

“But you’d betray me?”

“No. But you had other choices. You didn’t have to do this.”

“There’s no money in a chicken restaurant. There’s barely any more in driving those girls. You’re thinking small. I’m tired of small. Mom isn’t getting any better and we aren’t any younger. I’m willing to take my chances and see if we can all live well for once.”

“What about the women?”

“Arch has some. Some got away. We can find them if you want. Put them back in the life. Or just let them run.”

“They’ll be killed if they’re caught.”

“Arch won’t do that. I promise. Vik, I’m your brother. That’s your mother in the back room there. Maybe not by blood, but that’s what we are. We need you. Don’t throw that all away for some prostitutes. Who cares about them? This is about us. The three of us. This is our life and our world we need to protect.”

Vik nodded.

“I’ll keep your secret.”

“Good. Trust me, we’ll meet Arch and you’ll see. Change is coming and you want to be on the right side.”

Day 175 - Plans Collapse

 Plans Collapse

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

Something had felt wrong at the beginning of the night. Joon and some of the other girls were too happy. Vik had seen them fake it before when the party called for excitement, but this was different. There was a nervous energy in the air and the girls actually seemed eager with anticipation. He didn’t know what it was, but certainly didn’t expect what was to come. Vik had seen Rikard earlier with a man at the bar, but now were missing, lost somewhere in the chaos.

The men with the guns burst in and there was suddenly smoke everywhere. Someone had set a fire in a back room and now men and women were running for their lives. At first Vik thought about the night at Club B, but this was different. This seemed planned, but it was unclear who was behind the attack. Joon and the girls were gone. Rikard was gone. Vik got a sick feeling as he realized what was happening. His brother had stabbed him in the back and was either an idiot or a fool.

Vik needed to get out of the building alive. He could worry about the rest later. Then the thought occurred that this might not be an isolated attack. All the girls across town, the hotel, his bosses. It could be one sweeping move from a rival and Rikard had left him here to die.

Vik pushed past some of the other drivers. There were men on the floor, bleeding, dead. Others were tripping over themselves to get out. Vik punched a man in the face and threw him aside, no idea who he was.

As Vik exited a back door to the building he saw a gunman in the back alley, leading some of the prostitutes towards a waiting van. Vik got in a brawl with the masked gunman. He was a good fighter, but seemed hesitant, not wanting to engage Vik. Vik wrestled him to the ground and pulled the mask off to discover it was Rikard. Both men stated at each other.

“I’m so sorry.”

“God damn you. God damn it. Get out of here. Run.”

“Vik, I’m sorry, I’m--”

“Run!”

Rikard ran off into the night.

Vik looked towards the front of the building and saw Joon running with another gunman. He took off after them and tackled the man.

Joon began to scream and hit Vik. He threw her off and hit the man again to make sure he was down. Then he turned to see Joon running down the street. Vik chased her down and grabbed her arms. She cried and struggled and tried to get away, but Vik was stronger. He used a zip tie to bind her hands and pushed her towards his car.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Maybe. But that was my chance.”

“You’ll get all the other girls killed.”

“We were going to be free.”

Vik pushed her into the car and slammed the door shut. He leaned against the car, took a deep breath, frustrated. He still had to check on the bosses and deal with Rikard. It would be a long night.

Day 174 - Kaylee

 Kaylee

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

Kaylee had ignored all her better instincts and gotten herself in a precarious at best situation. After being caught and confronted about following a man, she had lied to him, then upon seeing him again at their apartment building, accepted an invitation into his home. She had foolishly held on to the belief that she could trick him or turn him or find out some valuable information. But now she found herself in the middle of his living room with him standing between her and the door. Declan would never let her forget this. That is if she survived it and told him about it. Right now, she was more worried about getting out of the situation more so than what her supervisor might say.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She didn’t see the point. She could admit anything, but that would probably make him kill her a little faster. She could fight, but that might just make it go slower. She thought through her options and considered offering to work for him. He didn’t seem the type who needed police help.

“If there’s something you want, then I suppose you should tell me what it is. Otherwise, let’s get on with whatever it is you plan on doing.”

The man took a moment to study her.

“You know who I am?”

“I believe so.”

“Good. And I know who you are.”

“Can I ask how?”

“I have a lot of women throwing themselves at me lately. I know who most of them are. Your arrival was a bit unexpected. There were only so many options of who you could be working for. I’ll admit, when I first saw you, I was hoping you were a spy for another family and we might have a little fun. But you’re a little too professional in your approach. You had to be undercover.”

“If you know so much, why even talk to me? Why risk me having backup or doing anything that might get you arrested? So far all I’ve seen is a man about town.”

“You have your suspicions. I could lie. I could avoid you. I could lose you in the crowd. But you kept coming back. If you could arrest me for anything, you would have. If you had blackmail to force me to work for you, you would have already mentioned it. You think you know me. You think you know my compatriots.”

“You’re saying I’m wrong?”

“About a few things. Especially why I brought you here.”

The man stepped aside, giving her a path towards the door. He put on a good show of it, she thought. Either it was a real gesture, or he knew how to make it look like one. If she moved, he could still react before she moved a foot closer. If she ran, he would have the power.

He smiled at her, watching her inner turmoil.

“What am I supposed to call you? Agent? Dragon? You have a name or a number?”

“Jinn.”

“For real?”

“For you. You won’t get anything else.”

“Okay, Jinn, you’ve left me alive for minutes or days--”

“Or weeks.”

“Or weeks. What do you want? What can I do for you?”

“I think I know who you work for. I think he’s more interested in peace than he is in war. He might now act like it, but I think he understands stability. Tell him I have evidence of a wave of chaos about to hit the streets. He might be more interested in that then taking down one of the pillars holding everything up. Maybe I’m wrong and you both come back and find some reason to arrest me. Or maybe I share with you a hint of what’s to come and we all get to prepare and survive to fight another day.”

Kaylee took a step towards the door. Jinn didn’t move.

“I’ll let you know. Can I ask?”

“About the others? You’re very pretty. But neither of them was trying to arrest me. It was just easier.”

Kaylee nodded.

“Sure. If that’s what you think you keep telling yourself that.”

Jinn smiled at her and seemed to consider saying something, but Kaylee didn’t give him time and walked out the door.

Day 173 - Joon

 Joon

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

It was an expensive apartment. That is up until Vik kicked the door in. Drugs and drunks fell to the ground as party guests scattered. Some of the men looked surprised; the women did not. They knew how to tell time and knew the party had run long. Some ran to challenge him, but Vik was a vicious fighter and seemed to enjoy leaving them on the ground. The women knew better than to run. Sure, they might make it to the street, but then where would they go? There was no way out of town on foot and none of them had any contacts around the city to help them escape. Joon sat and watched the fighting. It was impressive. She couldn’t remember the last time she had actually be turned on, but seeing Vik in action reminded her about what she had once appreciated about a man. Not that he’d care. He looked at the women with disgust, sometimes pity. He had looked at Fiona one or two times too many, but had never said or done anything. Joon considered him a dead-end. She had her own plans on how to escape the life, and none of them relied on one of her slave masters to suddenly turn benevolent. Joon was a realist that way, unlike many of the others.  

Vik found a man who seemed to own the apartment and threw him on the couch. Vik made eye contact with the women he brought and simply said “time’s up” like it was an order. The women began to file out of the room. The men protested and some even offered more money. The time for negotiations was over and once Vik had made up his mind, it was made up. As she made her way past him, Joon smiled and said “you’re pretty tough,” to which Vik had no reply. Joon wasn’t done and she reached out to touch him, but Vik put a stop to that right quick. Time to go home.

Back at the hotel, Vik walked towards the manager’s office, probably to get his money, and Joon when to her crowded room with five other girls. “Anything?” asked Fiona. “He’s a dead-end, just like I told you before.” “And your friend?” “I’ll see him soon.” It wasn’t an answer, but it was the best one Joon had.

“What about the brother? You sleep with him yet?”

“I won’t need to sleep with him to in order to use him. We only need him distracted for a moment.” Joon acted confident, even though she was doubtful inside. The plan she had was hardly a plan at all, but a fool with too much money and love in his eyes had made promises, and Rikard was never as careful as his brother. She couldn’t get all the girls out, but she would make sure she got a couple to come along with her. The real challenge would be where to hide and then how quickly they could move. The right car, the right street, it might only take an hour or two to get out of town. If no one was even looking yet, she could be long gone. The gangs had reach but she doubted they would look very hard. There was always a new boat coming in and a new group of girls. She just needed a back staircase and a waiting vehicle in the alley and a slew of distracted eyes. Not a lot to ask but maybe too much to hope for.

Day 172 - Followed Following

 Followed Following

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

Kaylee had followed the man she believed to be an Agent of The Dragon’s Claw. Normally she thought she was good at her job, but the man moved like a ghost. She didn’t think he noticed her; it was more that he just always took extra precautions. Every morning he would leave and she would be on his tail, but at least half the time, she was left wondering just when exactly she had lost him.

So far, she watched him visit stores, meet up with other well-dressed men, perhaps other Agents, train at a local gym and watched as he went on to date two different women. One lived in the same apartment building. The other seemed to be the aggressor and years younger than him. Either way, Kaylee understood why her efforts to approach him hadn’t been successful; he was already a very busy man. Photos of the women so far hadn’t resulted in them being identified, but Kaylee thought it was likely that they could be associates of some kind.

One routine seemed more interesting than most. She had seen him visit electronic stores and computer programmers. Nothing obviously exciting or criminal. If he was working, it was cyber and she wouldn’t be able to figure that out without help or better access. If it was extortion, it didn’t seem like a good mark. It could have been personal, but he seemed like a man on a mission. But a secret one.

She wished she had more support. Where was Declan or Sonny when she needed them? She couldn’t follow The Agent and everyone he met with. She would have to circle back later. Try to figure out the missing link. Maybe some pressure on one of the programmers could reveal what was happening.

Kaylee didn’t notice when she lost him. She also didn’t notice when she was approached from behind. The man did move like a ghost.

“Who are you and why are you following me?”

Kaylee took a deep breath and wished she had a better cover story.

Day 171 - Fiona

 Fiona

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

Fiona came to Jakarta inside a shipping container. They were all immigrants from around the Pacific Rim, but none of them were legal and none were free. Some would obviously become laborers. There were those that she couldn’t identify, perhaps too poor to get to a new life any other way, but not so poor they were being sold into slavery. Fiona was one of two dozen women; they all knew what they were headed for.

That had been nearly two years ago

Fiona was still unadjusted to this life. She had learned to fake it. Violence was a fast teacher. Terror and fear worked as well. It was lonely and rotten and she lived in an old hotel room with four other women. None were friends, but at the end of a long night, they could all count on the others to share a sad glance and a moment of understanding. Sometimes they partied together. Sometimes separate. When someone came back with a new bruise or something broken, they all shared the pain.

Vik was her driver tonight. He never took advantage of any of the girls. That counted for something. He wouldn’t talk to her, but Fiona could respect him a little. He would watch her in the rearview mirror, sometimes with pity, sometimes a long stare like he was trying to understand something about her. Fiona figured he would open up sooner or later and then perhaps she could use that to her advantage. If was a kind soul, she might be able to find a way out of this life.

Tonight, her normal routine had changed. She and several others had been working out of Club B. But the club had been raided a few weeks ago and business still hadn’t returned. Tonight, she was working at a private party in a high-rise down town. Maybe they’d have alcohol or drugs there and she could blackout fast enough to not remember much of the night.

Day 170 - Those Were the Days

 Those were the days

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

Ace felt obsolete. Years ago, he felt a certain pride when his son became an Agent. Now, a relative of his lifelong friend, a friend who was now led one of the families, petitioned to become Agent Nine, and Ace felt joyless. The man was a decent enough choice – quick, athletic, smart, a good fighter. He would do well enough as an Agent and he was Gideon’s choice. It was fine. It was all perfectly fine. But there was no excitement, no thrill, no feeling that any of it meant anything except keeping the same system in place, and the same wheels turning. When he and Gideon were Agents, they were young men, looking for adventure, feeling like the were building a better world. That world had come and gone, and despite the successes or the money, the world was no different than when it began. Some would say there were fewer gang wars, fewer killings, less waste. That felt hollow and Ace longed for something more. He had spilled so much blood thinking he was providing something for his son, but what had he built? What was he leaving to him? A dojo and a pile of bodies, lies, and a million shortcomings.

His minded wandered to Queenie and he could feel a smile beginning to form. It was nice. It made him feel happy to feel that again. She was a good woman and a boss, and she might take him to bed from time to time, but there could never be much more than that. Despite a twinge of pain, it was good to remind himself of that. They were of different worlds. He had to be happy with what he got.

Day 169 - Arch

 Arch

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

Ruel said he had something interesting to show Arch and Ruel did not disappoint. It wasn’t clear at first what the value was, but there was no doubt that it was indeed interesting. Ruel had a man tied up with a bag over his head and a tiny tear around the mouth so he wouldn’t suffocate.

“Looks like you had fun.”

“The man was less than forthcoming. I tried to dissuade him of that behavior.”

“And did it work?”

“I give him to you. A gift of solidarity as we embark on our new partnership. May you find more use for them than I did.”

“He someone important?”

“No. But he’s a Reaper and I thought you might want someone with connections to Naxis. He picks up money and makes drop-offs. Maybe you can find the next step in the ladder and work your way up.”

“Yeah, I can work with that.”

 

 

Danik was waiting for Arch when he got back to the warehouse.

“I’ve got something waiting for you in the car. Keep him alive, but find out if he knows anything useful about Yama or Naxis.”

“Jacob is here.”

Arch nodded and smiled. “Maybe we get to start breaking things.”

“Maybe. He does seem a bit more aggressive as of late.”

Arch went to his office to meet Jacob and Danik went to the loading docks to greet their guest.

Jacob was about Arch’s age, but he carried himself with the attitude of aristocracy. Arch was fairly certain he wore finer clothing, but knew that was a choice. He was sure his style was better than Jacob’s, which meant little, but he still prided himself on it. Jacob was born rich and would die rich and had never had to eat dirt the way Arch had.

“How can I help you today?” After a pause a moment too long, Arch added, “sir?”

Jacob waited until Arch poured them both a drink and had sat down.

“They’re building an army.”

“So are we.”

“A new Nine has been nominated. The Claw will be back at full strength.”

“One man. We’ll overwhelm them ten to one and if that doesn’t work one-hundred to one.”

“You’ve secured the financing?”

“Ruel was easy. And I have an inroad with Naxis. Soon we can negotiate or surprise them if necessary.”

“This should have been done by now.”

“Trust me. I’ve done everything you’ve wanted so far.”

Jacob was silent, but Arch could see the conflict on his face. He was a boy in a man’s body. He had never had to go this far before, never had real stakes. He finally realized he was a path with no way back. He was getting scared. Either he won or he would die. Arch almost felt sorry for the man. But then again Arch wasn’t the one to have begun this game.

“Are we ready to move on the drivers? The women?”

“Whenever you’re ready.”

“Good. We can do that quiet. No one notices when those faces change.”

“You’ll have access to most every important bedroom in the city.”

“Do it. I’ll figure out Naxis. Their ambition will blind them into thinking I’m interested in a partnership.”

“What do you want me to do about your father?”

Jacob raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

“You had to expect me to do my research.”

“I suppose so. My father has his plans and I have mine. The difference is, he only has time to think of his own.”

“For now.”

“For now. And soon it will be too late. Let him continue for now. His chaos will blind the rest while we continue. It’s time to move up.”

Arch nodded in agreement.

Day 168 - Kay

 Kay

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

Once upon a time Ruel had saved her life and Kay had never forgotten it, following him ever since. That was nearly fifteen years ago, and they had faced countless enemies and fought them all and won. Ruel was a winner. That was for sure. They were street kids together, and now he owned his own restaurant and provided bank to every other business in the neighborhood. Kay didn’t worry about legal or right or just, she worried about survival. She was on the street and nearly dead, and then she wasn’t. That was the only absolute that mattered to her. Life. What Ruel did and what he had to do to keep it going was okay if it meant she kept going too. Whatever the job was he needed done, she would do, without question.

Kay couldn’t remember her father, but she could remember the stench of alcohol when he would arrive home late at night. Her older brother had fought her father once or twice, but she was too young to know why. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw her father, but she could recall the day she accidentally called her brother “pappa.” He was ten years older and her childish mind saw him as a protector and provider so it only made sense to think of him that way. But then one day he was gone, arrested and jailed.

By ten Kay was begging on the streets and stealing food when she didn’t make enough any other way. When she was eleven or close to it her mother began disappearing for days or weeks at a time. At twelve she stole money from the wrong boys and that was when she met Ruel. There was no telling what would have happened if he hadn’t come along. Ruel was seventeen and able to fight four boys at the same time. Kay was so frightened that day. She was scared that Ruel would leave her and she’d be stuck fending for herself again. He turned and nodded and she followed. She vowed never to let herself be scared like that again.

Ruel lent money and collected it when payments were late. Kay saw every sort of violence there was. Ruel let her run errands, and when she was a little older, he began to teach her to fight. It went like that for the next few years as his operations grew. Kay wasn’t violent, but she was never afraid to get violent as needed. Men always underestimated her, but she was quick to strike and didn’t let up and never failed to prove their estimations wrong.

Rendy came along later. Another street punk, he made his money running pickpockets all around the city and skimming their earnings. Ruel remembered his time on the streets and hated the idea of taking advantage of kids. He made Rendy pay and feed them well and promised to send them to school someday. Kay hadn’t seen that day arrive yet, but at least Ruel made sure they had a better life than other street beggars. She didn’t fully trust Rendy, but he earned well and knew how to grow operations. He developed contacts with some local card clubs and Ruel’s profits doubled overnight. Kay couldn’t argue with that.

Things were good. They all had enough. They paid their dues to the families and were mostly left alone to work for themselves. Kay had more than she had ever dreamed of. She was old enough now that Ruel looked at her with fresh adult eyes, but so far, he hadn’t demanded anything of her. Of course, she loved him and appreciated everything he had done for her, but she didn’t know if she loved him like that. She had never had time to think about anything beyond staying alive. If he asked, she would probably be with him forever. She couldn’t imagine anything else.

That was until the recent troubles started. There were new faces in the neighborhood. Customers started going elsewhere. People started paying in counterfeit money. And Ruel started taking secret meetings and not telling her or Rendy what they were about.

It made her nervous, not knowing. Something was brewing and she didn’t know how to prepare for it. Ruel had never cut her off before which made things worse. She wanted to trust him, she always had, but now he was acting different. If he could change, anything could.

Then came the day Ruel asked her to go against their bosses. One of the men from his private meetings had convinced him he was better off switching sides. Maybe it was the right thing to do, but Kay didn’t like it. They were a small crew, five or six debt collectors working out of the back of Ruel’s restaurant. They weren’t prepared for a war. Even if one was coming, picking sides seemed like the worst thing to do. Better to hide out and wait and see who won. But that wasn’t Ruel’s style and it wasn’t her style to question him. She didn’t ask why, she only asked what he needed her to do. Ruel smiled, glad to see she was loyal to a fault. Kay might have been, and she might still seem that way on the outside, but for the first time ever, Kay had begun to consider her options.

Day 167 - Rama Caught Surrounded

Rama Caught Surrounded

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

Rama hadn’t paid enough attention and because of that he faced ruin. Not by the police arresting him or Declan blowing his cover or Maliq having a bone to pick. His attention divided, his suspicions aimed at his own gang, Rama hadn’t thought it through when he went to do a round of collections. And now he was surrounded, sitting across from Ruel with an entire crew blocking him from the door.

The man named Ruel had questions concerning Rama’s bosses, or more specifically the bosses who were funding Rama’s bosses. Ruel knew about Naxis and he knew about the counterfeit money. But he wanted to know more. What he most definitely didn’t know was that Rama was an undercover cop. If he had, Rama was fairly certain he wouldn’t be breathing right now. Ruel was angry but was no fool. If he killed a random collector, the Reapers would come down swiftly and Ruel would be no more. Ruel just didn’t like being ripped off and wanted to know what Naxis’ goals were.

“It sounds like you know more about my bosses than I do.”

“This isn’t a joke.”

“I’m well aware. But I can’t tell you what I don’t know.”

Rama could see a man to either side – an oily man in a suit, and a taller, more muscular brute. There had been a woman there when Rama arrived. She was probably behind him, maybe at the door or maybe had a gun aimed at the back of Rama’s head.

“I’ll tell you what, I would most definitely like to live past this meeting. So, while I can’t tell you what my bosses are up to, I can certainly promise that as soon as I get out of here, I will begin spying on my bosses for you.”

Ruel looked at the man to Rama’s left and both had a good laugh at Rama’s expense.

Rama had pretty much figured out Naxis was in the counterfeit game, but he hadn’t suspected they were flooding the streets to such an extent. It made sense they would be feeling the pinch by now and wouldn’t be happy about it. Ruel played bank to the entire neighborhood. Without trustworthy currency, his business was over. Rama wished he had some bit of intel to offer, but he really wasn’t trusted with Reaper or Naxis business.

“Okay, I can tell you something. There’s a police officer working this case. His name is Declan and he almost busted me working at Club B.”

“I already know him. But I do appreciate you being so forthcoming. What was going on a Club B?”

“I just delivered cash there. Prostitutes, drugs, all sorts of businesses. But there was a big fight between the police and Agents. I haven’t been back since.”

“And who there knows about Naxis and the money?”

“Some? None? I don’t know. I really don’t. I have no idea.”

“Go back to Declan. Why’s he after you?”

“I got away from him and I think it embarrassed him. Club B was an accident, but he came after me again.”

“You must be pretty skilled to keep getting away like that.”

“I guess. I don’t know. Lucky. The guy likes to fight, but I can handle myself.”

“Well maybe I should just turn you in myself and see if there’s a reward.”

“Come on, don’t joke about that.”

“Oh, I don’t joke. But there’s someone else who I think would want to talk to you first.”

Rama was about to ask who, but that was when the plastic bag came down over his head and was pulled tight against his face. Rama tried to stand, but the men on either side slammed him back down into the seat. It was probably the woman holding the bag, but that didn’t make things any easier. Someone punched him in the stomach and Rama lost what little breath he had. He began to panic as he struggled for air against the tightening grip from behind.

Day 166 - Team 66

 Team 66

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

It had been a long time since 66 had been in charge of a group, but it had also been a long time since he had been in a fist fight with a police officer. Von’s men were still Von’s men, but 66 was in charge of two teams now. One was focused on finding the shotgun assassin that 66 knew to be a fake 22 running around with a real 22 tattoo. This other team was kicking in doors, trying to figure out who told what to who and why things had fallen apart at Club B.

A lifetime ago, their numbers meant something. The Dragons were the ones with important numbers now. 66 had yet to meet an Agent in the flesh, but he had seen two that night at Club B and he could see they were men ready to throw down and win a fight. In his younger days he’d like to think he could have handled himself in a battle with them, but younger days were long and longer ago and thing things we like to tell ourselves isn’t always the way things really were. 47 kept his calm demeanor. He enjoyed the hunt and having two missions was exhilarating and satisfying. Whether they found their answers or not, 47 just enjoyed kicking in the doors.

Rumor was that Von got called downtown for a meeting and took Kimi and a few top men with him. Rumors didn’t say who Von met, only that he got the call and was in no position to ignore it. The families or The Claw or both, thought 66. Von had enjoyed a certain amount of freedom, paying small taxes at the docks to bring shipments in, and paying a small fee for the streets his employees used to sell their drugs. 66 imagined that the price had just gone up.

66 thought about what 47 had told him when they first hooked up, how this drug was supposed to build an army, an army that could rival the families and take over the town. So far, he hadn’t seen a single hint of that coming war, but 66 wasn’t in the inner circle. But now he’d get to see what sort of man Von really was. A man willing to lose money in the short term, but speed up his own agenda could be respected and followed. A man willing to fight to soon would get them all killed. A man willing to swallow his pride and back down wouldn’t be long in charge. Especially if he was still in that wheelchair.

It had been months since his battles in Bandung. He was feeling better every day. The bruises gone and the stitches out. He was back to working out full force and once again winning his fair share of sparring matches with 47.

Word arrived that one of the officers at the club was Interpol and had worked with the Chinese on one of their anti-pirate task forces. He had gone for 47. Maybe because of their connected past on opposite sides of the law. It might not have had anything to do with 22 or the gunman. But now that officer had seen them both. He knew their numbers, which was pretty much the entire game. Any camera, any photo, video, informant, could now lead the police right to them. 47 had been cavalier before, but wasn’t so indifferent now. He wanted to kill the cop. 66 suggested they get out of town. But 47 won that argument. For the moment. It had been a few years but 66 had worked overseas and could do it again. It might take a little more planning now to get out of the country, but it could be done, with or without 47.

The time was coming soon to make a few decisions and plans of his own.

Day 165 - Rikard's Choice

 Rikard’s Choice

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

“I think we need to leave town.”

“You’re overreacting.”

“That was close. We’re lucky we got away alive and avoided being arrested.”

“I think you need to calm down and think things through.”

“There were police there. And Agent.”

“We have no idea what was happening. We work for Tarik and Tarik’s boss works for one of the families. Those Agents weren’t there because of us.”

“Tarik will kill us. His boss will kill us. None of them would stand up to The Dragons if came down to it. We’re just a couple of drivers.”

“We didn’t do anything wrong. We did what we were told and we drove the girls to the club, that’s all. The police weren’t there to bust us.”

Rikard knew Vik was making sense. But Vik didn’t know the whole story, about Arch or any of that. If he did, he might want to run too. But to admit that was to admit he was betraying his bosses and the families and that he deserved whatever the Agents wanted to do to him. Rikard trusted his brother, but he didn’t know if he could trust him that much. They weren’t actual blood and as much as Vik seemed to love him and their mother, ultimately if it came down to survival, Rikard was pretty sure Vik would want to live more than he’d want to protect an adopted family.

“What about mom,” asked Rikard.

“They wouldn’t hurt her.”

“If they want us, to punish us, they’d do anything.”

“You want to take her and go? Go where? Do what? Leave Jakarta. With no money. Lose the restaurant.”

“Better to lose all that than our lives.”

“Why are you so worked up about this? The Agents were there for Rama. You saw it, same as me. We just have to find him. If he’s alive, then it was nothing and the police were a coincidence.”

“And if we can’t find him?”

“Then I’ll think about where we can take mom. But we can’t walk away now over nothing. The gangs might not send someone to find two missing drivers, but we’d never be able to come back here. I don’t want a life of running.”

“Fine. You go look for Rama.”

“What are you going to do?”

Talk to Arch and see if he could protect us, thought Rikard. But he wasn’t ready to tell Vik about Arch yet.

“I’ll go talk to Tarik, check in on the girls. It might be a risk, but it’s worth taking.”

“Be careful. Bail if anything seems off.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay.”

Day 164 - Declan's Mortal Enemy

 Declan’s Mortal Enemy

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

Sonny almost felt sorry for Declan. Almost. He had lost fights to the same man twice. And now he was being forced to work with him. Declan was a man of massive pride. The losses were a slap in the face. Sonny couldn’t imagine how this felt. But Sonny had lost many fights along the way and he wasn’t moping about it. Part of the job was picking yourself up and moving on to fight the next fight.

Things hadn’t gone the way they wanted at Club B. That was a massive understatement. His tattooed man turned out to be two tattooed men, and both had gotten away in the chaos at Club B. The man with the forty-seven on his arm was a mystery, but the sixty-six had been caught on CCTV in Bandung. Sonny had alerted the Bandung police and they were sending a team to assist. But they wouldn’t get there for a day or two. Right now, the interesting development was the appearance of Rama, the man who had defeated Declan twice.

Sonny and Declan had been called in to talk to Declan’s supervisor. They were told that no one blamed them and they couldn’t have known. It was confusing for a moment, for they thought they were going to be praised for uncovering all the counterfeit currency hitting the streets. Instead, it sounded like they were the ones in trouble. It was explained that another department had an officer undercover and that their efforts had nearly exposed him. Sonny found that hard to believe, but he appreciated the danger and efforts undertaken by an undercover officer.

Sonny was happy to leave it at that, and go back to tracking down his tattooed suspects. But Declan couldn’t let it go and demanded to meet the officer. It might put him in danger, but Declan was adamant. He had informants all over town and was certain he could provide information the undercover office might need. The higher-ups here hesitant, but after many private conversations and secret phone calls, it was agreed that Sonny and Declan could meet the man.

Sonny was fairly certain Declan had hoped it wouldn’t be the same man he fought twice, despite that making sense, as their fights would certainly draw attention to whatever he was working on. Whatever he thought or expected, Sonny could see the pain on his face when they first met Rama.

Some officers would argue. Some would blame. Rama was fairly understanding, but demanded they stay out of his way from now on. Declan demand an exchange of information and it turned out they were working on the same case but from different directions. Rama explained what he knew about Naxis and The Foreigner and Yaz and Junko. Junko had meet with The Agents and sold them a story about wanting to spread international business and support each other, but Rama was fairly certain that was all a lie. He didn’t know their goals, but it seemed they intended to cross paths with The Dragon’s Claw and the major crime families in the city. It sounded like Naxis was preparing for a fight, but it was unclear if the Dragons understood what was happening.

Declan thanked him for the information and was suddenly quite respectful of the man. Maybe seeing a dangerous problem for the city at large helped put his petty grudge in perspective. Declan shared a list of informants and how they could get a message to Declan if Rama needed help. The low-level cash businesses around town were already being disrupted as people were losing faith in money. Fights were going to get worse as more and more people had trouble paying their debts and duties. It wouldn’t just be a war between two gangs, but battles on every level from street all the way up to the boardroom.

Sonny was to inform Interpol and try to pressure them to contact all the countries in the region. Jakarta was first, but it was likely just a testing ground and the problems here would soon flood everywhere. If the governments couldn’t contain their cash problems, then it would take an international alliance to find and stop Naxis.

They left in different directions and Rama disappeared back into the shadows of the night.

“This is going to get bad,” Declan finally said. “We don’t have the resources to handle this.”

Sonny agreed but didn’t know what to do. It was so much simpler to track a gunman with a tattoo. Sonny longed to go back to simpler days and simpler problems. This seemed so far beyond him, but it was apparently the cards he was dealt.