58th of Ash 124, Gel’Grandal
Leon leaned against the door, keeping a watchful eye on the carriage parked in front of the house’s gate. He drew his revolver and checked the chamber. Tommy, busy with the lock, got it open in seconds. They exchanged a quick nod, and Tommy carefully pushed the door open, making sure not to make a sound. Together, they stepped into the kitchen, firearms ready, moving quietly through the dimly lit house.
They first checked the room on the first floor; Leon slowly pushed the door ajar and peeked inside; he lifted up a finger, to which Tommy nodded and took out his garotte. Leon pushed the door slowly until he and Tommy could slip into the room. Tommy walked around the snoring thug, and Leon took the pillow on the floor and held it with his left hand. Tommy inched closer to the thug with his garotte drawn and ready; as soon as he got within range, he looped his garotte over the thug’s neck from behind and pulled it, tightening like a noose in an instant while Leon smothered the thug’s face with the pillow. The thug thrashed around but was powerless since Tommy and Leon used their advantageous position and body weight to pin the thug down.
Leon silently mouthed the count. “One… Two… Three… Twenty… Thirty… Forty-one…” He waited an extra ten seconds after the thug stilled, then nodded to Tommy. Tommy let go of the garrote, cracking his knuckles as they crept out of the room as silently as they’d entered. The next room across the hall was empty. Tommy checked it and gave Leon a thumbs-up. Leon tested the front door’s lock to ensure it was secure, then gestured toward the stairs.
The two of them ascended in sync, weapons drawn, taking each step carefully to avoid the creak of the wooden floorboards. At the top, they approached the room closest to the stairs. Tommy pressed his ear against the door, while Leon kept watch. After hearing nothing, Tommy slowly turned the knob and peeked inside, signaling with a finger. With his garrote ready, Tommy approached another sleeping figure, and Leon kept his firearm aimed at the other doors. Moments later, Tommy emerged, giving a thumbs-up and holstering his garrote.
Leon took point, leading them to the next door. The pungent smell leaking from it made him wince. “Cook room,” he mouthed to Tommy. They tied black bandanas over their mouths and noses before Leon opened the door. Eyes stinging from the fumes, they searched for anyone hiding inside. Finding the room empty, they backed out, moving on to the final door.
Leon signaled Tommy to check his gun. Tommy nodded, and they pushed the last door open. Inside, they found a bizarre scene: a fat, naked man tied to the bed, with two half-dressed girls asleep beside him. Leon raised his gun as the fat man grunted, but the room stayed quiet. Tommy inspected the bindings and gave Leon a thumbs-up, then grabbed an empty glass from the floor. He poured a vial of liquid into it, followed by some wine, swirling it before offering it to the first girl.
Leon gently woke the girl, covering her mouth and pointing his gun at her forehead. She nodded, accepting the drink and soon fell back unconscious. The second girl proved more stubborn. Leon pinched her nose, forcing her mouth open, and Tommy poured in another dose. Leon held her mouth shut until she too went limp. They moved the girls onto a blanket on the floor.
Tommy eyed the man tied to the bed. “Look at this pig,” he muttered. “I bet he won’t mind the water and cloth treatment.” He ripped a piece of the sheet and handed it to Leon. Leon soaked the cloth in wine, draping it over the man’s face and pouring more liquid over it.
“Wuerhghegreh, Blrgghhgh, Weurehdeurhu,” the fat man spluttered, gasping as the liquid cut off his air.
“Wakey, wakey, piggy,” Tommy mocked, slapping his face.
Leon pulled the cloth away. “Whaa, whaat, who the fuck! Bas…..Bastardssss!” the man wheezed, struggling against his bindings. “Hee..llpp….HEEELLLPPPPP, HELLLLPPPPPPPP!”
Tommy smirked. “Sorry, piggy, but your friends are all sound asleep.” He slapped the man’s cheek again.
“Huft, Huft,HUUFT, Don’t you know who I am? Huft, Huft Huft” the fat man panted. “I’ll kill you all!”
Leon rolled his eyes. “Nope, and I don’t give a fuck.” He unfolded a crumpled piece of paper and studied it theatrically. “We got the right guy, right?” he asked Tommy.
Tommy squinted at the blank page, then at the man. “Yeah, right address, and this guy’s the fattest here.”
“Let….let GO of ME......” the man huffed, pulling at his restraints. “Who…whoo sent you? I…..I can pay you……How much are they offering?”
Leon and Tommy shared a laugh. “Something worth more than what you’re thinking of offering.” Leon replied.
“I still can’t believe it. Ater all this time, just hiding it under plain sight. Cocky bastard.” Tommy blurted out as if continuing a conversation that he and Leon had.
“W….wh….who?” Tony stuttered
“Who else dumdum? That slimy bastard Hassan.” Leon chuckled as he took out his gun, emptied the chamber and reloading the caster shells as he counted out loud.
“One…..”
“Wa..waittt. What’s that gotta do with me?” Tony shouted. Leon and Tommy paused and looked at each other,
“Yeah, well fatty got a point though.” Tommy added
Leon shrugged, “Well, we already know the location from Benito, it’s at that place in the Southside.”
“So, what’re we going to do with fatso?”
“This is still better than having fatso turned on us. Two…..” Leon continued.
“N….no, I……swear on my ma’s grave……I don’t even fucking know who you are!” Tony half-shouted.
“Well, he swears on his ma’s grave.” Tommy interrupted and nodded thoughtfully.
Leon stopped, lifted his eyebrow “As if he’s not the one that cause his ma to be there.” then continue loading the chamber with caster shells “…..Three….”
“N….noo….f…..fuck you……I……swear…….I will not tell anyone…..”
“Four…”
“Huffft…Damnnit…Dammniittt…Huufft, huffft.”
Leon looked at Tommy, and Tommy just shrugged in response. “Five....” he continued
“Nooo. Benito that bastard……he doesn’t even know where Hassan is. Benito….he’d been branded a traitor by Hassan……..I’ll tell……I’ll tell you the real location……” Tony pleaded gasping between breath.
“Well?” Leon asked, lowering the gun.
Tony looked at Tommy then at Leon. “Anytime know fatso, but if you spout the same bullshit as Benito, well....” Tommy then took out a plastic from his pocket, unwrapped it and placed it on Tony’s stomach. A severed ear with three distinctive piercing. Tony’s face went white as the bed sheet.
[color=#FF0000]“B…Be….Benito…..” he muttered. Tony finally caught his breath, although he was still wiggling in bed, trying to loosen himself. “Wh….what reassurance I have that…that you won’t kil…kill me?”[/color]
“It won’t matter, out of the five of you, someone would give us the correct location. We still got three more chances. So, it’ up to you Tony, how much is your life worth?” Leon exclaimed as he loaded the last bullet in the chamber and press the gun on Tony’s forehead. “So, what will it be? Will you save yourself or die for the person who would sell you out at the first sight of problem?” he threatened as he pulled the firing pin as slowly as possible until it clicked.
“The Reichtum, the one who financed us.....Herr Auch.....please, that’s all I know.” Tony pleaded Leon studied Tony’s face for a few more moments before withdrawing his gun.
“See, that’s not so hard after all.” Tommyy handed Leon the glass of wine, which he already spiked with the same vial they give the girls. Leon grabbed a glass, poured it and handed it to Tony, “Here, drink this, you must’ve been really thirsty.” Leon brought the glass close to Tony’s mouth. “Well, I’m not letting you immediately go. You need to wait for the girls to wake up, then they will untie you.” He continued as he helped Tony drank the wine.
“Right then fatso, see you next time.” Tommy leaving with a wave followed by Leon after he re-gagged the man.
The two made their way to the kitchen. “So, we’ve already got Benito and Fat Tony. Just Yaditz, Benji, and Ghali left. Then, it’s Hassan,” Tommy recounted, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag.
“We need to finish the job this time,” Leon said. “The old man would haunt us forever if he knew Joko Tek was still alive. Who could’ve guessed he survived that?”
“Solomon,” Tommy replied.
“The only one that comes to mind. Slippery bastard. I’m still not convinced—”
“Claudette was the one who delivered the killing blow,” Tommy cut in.
“Ah, I get it,” Leon nodded. “Even though I hated that guy, I feel bad for him, meeting his end at Claudette’s hands. Wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”
“Same here.” Tommy exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Think fatso’s asleep by now?”
Leon shrugged. “Let’s set the scene. Almost daylight.”
They hurried outside to the carriage. Leon pulled out a rucksack and handed it to Tommy, who dragged it back into the house. Leon grabbed a smaller pack and scattered empty caster shells around the garden. Inside, Tommy entered the locked room and injected the unconscious occupants with the same sedative he’d given the girls in Tony’s room. He then returned to Tony’s room, gently moved the girls back onto the bed, and scattered more empty caster shells nearby.
They worked quickly, breaking furniture and making it look like a fight had taken place. Once satisfied, they went back to the carriage and dragged out five dead River Rats gang members. They arranged two bodies in the garden, one with the thug on the first floor, and the remaining two outside Tony’s room. Tommy put on a bandana and headgear associated with the River Rats and took the driver’s seat. Leon climbed into the back of the carriage, leaving the door ajar. He emptied his clip, firing at the house, then reloaded and did it again before they sped off toward the abandoned warehouses near the Northside docks.
“Should we torch it?” Tommy asked, grabbing a small container of L.A.F. from the back.
“It’s just for show. The patrol will be by soon,” Leon replied.
They slipped into a nearby alleyway. As soon as the patrol appeared in the distance, Leon aimed and shot at the carriage, setting it ablaze.
“Well, that’s one way to make an exit,” Tommy chuckled. “Now, we just wait for Hassan to retaliate against the River Rats.”
"Spoken by Tommy"
"Spoken by Leon"
"Spoken by Tony"