Chapter 1065: “Dear Boss” [8]
“Don’t shoot. I’ll come, please don’t shoot,” a feeble man crossed the brutal exchange, “-I won’t come here again. Please don’t harm them, they don’t deserve any of this. It’s my selfishness.”
The buff uniform fighter crossed his arms, the shirt nearly ripped by its size, “-young master. I said it before,” he looked at his underlings with a telling smile, “-orders from the boss are decrees. You must see the result of your actions.” Once more, the sinister grin. Igna kept his calm for the guns remained at him. The crowd fell in fear of harm.
“Bring her out,” he ordered. Another window crashed – the sound turned heads to the second floor, “-is this the girl?” inquired two violently dressed men. Nikki’s frail body was pulled by the hair and forced outside the window – she nicked her arms and cheeks. Blood dropped to the amusement of the others, “-the young master’s whore?”
“She’s the one,” the leader took one step and got so close Igna could smell the man’s nasty breath, “-one more word and I’ll have her killed in front of your hospice. These people don’t deserve treatment. Your skills are better served towards the city. Doc, here’s my offer. The boss wants to see what you’re made of. He wishes to have a sword that’ll clash and cut down people for his rise. Call me on this number,” he slid a card down Igna’s pocket, “-the sooner, the better,” he pulled back and clapped. The small army gathered, “-in the name of the boss, we have performed our duty. Hear us,” he addressed the crowd, “-may this reach every corner and diseases-ridden alley the slums bear; when the time’s right, your kind will be purged. As for you,” he turned at the nurse, rose his pistol, and fired, *BANG,* brain matter splattered against the hospice wall, “-Doc, we return favors in kind. Don’t get in our way, again.” Military vehicles rumbled to a stop. The mini-army took their soldiers, including the young master, and left. A cloud of uneasiness fell over the hospice. The few who stood up to the attackers laid either in blood or were cast aside for they were dead.
“HENNY!” a weeping mother ran to her son, “-HENNY!” she cried, her emotions pierced the very fibers of whoever listened. Her son’s split skull rested on her lap. The tears flowed endlessly. ‘Elize,’ he stood over her corpse, ‘-what an idiot,’ he shook his head and crossed his hand, ‘-don’t go wasting my time,’ he leaned and took her into his arms, “-everyone,” he stood at the doorway, “-I’m afraid I have to close the hospice for a few days. Such comes with the territory. Until my place is up and running; I’ll offer my services at Enno’s inn. Come to me only if you’re deadly ill. If I see someone with a cold asking for meds, I swear,” he flashed the crowd, “-I will kill you myself,” the doc’s distant outline climbed into the destroyed workplace. He closed what little curtain remained for what little privacy it offered. Shattered windows and the unforgiving wind – privacy was one hard-fought battle. Moans and cries snuck in. He laid her body and went back. Time froze, so it seemed. ‘-Shock and despair,’ he exited onto the bloodied alley, ‘-they’re frightened. Brutality is a weapon when used correctly. The power of fear is ultimate since life is destined to fight for survival. The apex predator decides his environment and how the lower class obey his whims. This is fun,’ he walked slowly towards the grieving mother, ‘-the world from the slums is something I miss. Being a king a reigning as monarch of one of the more powerful nations was one thing, I can’t express, the fear, the lawlessness, the amount of violence, and how death is around each corner. I’m having fun. I can play any part I want; I can manipulate people to my whims – I can do whatever without affection for the greater state of things. Envy for power, the lust for dominance – my world, I feel like I’m home,’ he grabbed the mother’s shoulder and lifted her pose, “-stand up, you have a visitor.”
“Excuse me?”
Igna turned at the edge of the crowd, towards another side alley, “-your employer. I’ll take care of him. Don’t worry about funeral expenses – life must go on, you should leave,” a purple hue glowed from the piercing gaze, she stood silently and walked into the arms of a brothel owner. “-Right people,” medics under his employment, now freed, spread across and healed whoever needed attention. The deceased was carried inside the hospice, thirty minutes later, the doors were shut and the broken furniture was put in a pile and lit ablaze. News reached high and low. The attack on Doc’s hospice went as far as newly boarding ships and over the canals. The crowd eventually vanished, well, anyone would disappear on hearing distant gunshots.
.....
The sea breeze moved curtains. Igna sat with feet kicked onto an upside-down wooden box. A cigarette puffed. A mediocre ceiling fan turned or screeched – made more sound than air. Three bodies laid head-to-toe against one another. Nikki’s grievous wounds were bandaged and healed using potions from a prior purchase.
“What now?”
“Nikki?” he puffed and looked over, “-you’re still able to speak?” he narrowed her closed posture, “-sitting on the floor will increase the likelihood of infection you know?”
“Don’t change the subject. You lost.”
“Lost?”
“Yes, you lost. Against Mirai and his family, you lost, Lyoko. It’s a matter of time before they come again. I’ve seen it before. Businesses who go against his father will be harassed out of town and maybe even disappear.”
“Right.”
“Doc, you don’t understand!” she clawed over and grabbed his foot, “-they’re demons. THEY KILLED MY FATHER!”
“Killing someone makes another a demon?” he uncrossed his legs and sat with his focus on Nikki, “-good thing I’m not a human.”
“Please, doc, move to another town. I don’t think I can do this...”
“Okay,” he snuffed the cigarette and exhaled the smoke in her face, “-I move then what? What will you do, go back to the street?
“Yeah...”
“Even the shit plaguing the street has standards. You won’t last a week without meds, much less on their drugs. Let me say this, I care about you because we struck an agreement. What was it you agreed?”
“To obey your orders.”
“Good,” he grabbed her chin and leaned so close she could smell his breath on her cold lips, “-you will listen, understand?” a purple amber pulsed, recognition in her eyes blanked. ‘-What is this?’ he leaned back and narrowed, “-slap yourself,” she hit her right cheeks. “-Pick your nose,” the lass went full-force into her nostrils. “Sing the symphony of Mester,” her crackling voice fought for signs of musical talent, “-stop,” her banshee-esque pitch tore, “-go to sleep,” she lowered her head and fell asleep. ‘How could I forget about the Dark-arts,’ he facepalmed, ‘-acquiring Grostian symbol’s unlocked the deeper part of my inner abilities. I influence people without so much activating mana or thoughts. I should have realized it when I asked the beggar to die. It felt weird he’d simply walk over and jump off the pier. How does it work?’ the mind drifted into the library of Mantia, countless pages passed, the strings of information waved like weeds on the sea floor. The depths, the sea of knowledge. ‘-The answer, for when the one bestowed by the powers of Nothings for action, the universe must heed his orders and obey his whims. For nothing’s embodiment of everything expands across infinity. He shall feel the ability activate, for when the god conjures their domains to extradite their influence – such is the same motion reserved to further his whims,’ Igna returned to the same broken office, ‘-I understand. To break my hold,’ he looked at Nikki then snapped, “-I can choose between temporary or permanent afflictions. My,” he looked at the bodies, “-I wonder if my words could,” and focused on Elize, “-become whole.” Nothing, no glow nor actions, ‘-good, it works on the living. The thought of influencing the inanimate makes me queasy. Accidently ordering the universe to vanish from existence would be a bad thing. A very bad thing.’
“Elize, stop sleeping,” her mortal wound rejuvenated.
“Young master?”
“Good job holding back. Here’s your threat.”
Her nails sharpened, “-two bodies just for me?”
“Yes. Once you’re done, return to the Shadows.”
“Understood, master.”
The evening was upon the city. He grabbed hold of the nearest parchment and pen, “-Dear Boss, the time has passed us. I miss going the street, I miss hunting for the fateless. You say I’m a doctor, ha-ha, you say I’m one of great clinical knowledge, ha-ha. Great line, the chief was very descriptive in how I was to be captured. Dear boss, I’m not so easily found, for I’m one person, and only one. The one who killed the unfortunate couple, I bring him as the present. Do take attention when unraveling the box – the head is yet wet. The next victim will be someone important – don’t mock my actions and don’t draw baseless assumptions. I will strike again, yours truly, the DB. Killer,” Igna folded the letter into his breast pocket and shot a glance at the night sky. The ground shook, and a shadowy entity materialized, “-Vengeance, what did you find?”
“The hitman was employed by the Extermina gang. He hangs out in the main city in a gang-owned tavern on the edge of the hill. Here’s a detailed report of his movements.”
“Good,” he smiled, “-go to this address and scout the area. Secrecy is of the utmost importance,” he handed the card given earlier.
“Understood,” the shadow puffed. Nikki awoke from her slumber to nightfall.
“Where am I?”
“The hospice,” he returned, “-feel cold?”
“What happened to my wounds?”
“I healed them fully. Head home. Mirai’s going to contact you sometime this week. He’ll propose and ask you to elope. Accept his offer but stall,” he threw a phone, “-report to me where you’re going and when it happens.”
“What about Tommy, I can’t leave?”
“Don’t worry about him. Don’t forget.”
“I get it,” she sighed, “-I will do as you say.”
They parted ways. Igna dawned a somewhat good-looking two-piece suit and exited the run-down hospice. The streets glowed with the light of modest households. The average working men returned and the nightlife started. Women lined the street, some dressed in peculiar outfits, others fully dressed. Brothels and all-night orgies were subject to a simple fee. A culture of drug and death.
Igna took the long way and headed Cub’s channel. Men in baggy outfits ran after a poor bloke. They leaped and caught his heel before he reached the bridge. A cloth was tied to his mouth and a handcuff with boulders was attached to his foot. *Bang,* then a splash. He stared the men directly.
“Good night, ain’t it, doc?”
“Yeah, lovely night,” he answered, “-Cub’s farewell ay?”
“Got to love the Cub’s sendoff,” they laughed and headed into town, “-Doc, I wouldn’t cross the bridge. Place reeks. Better off using the side roads.”
“Who cares,” he winked.
“Crazy bastard,” they laughed.
Igna came to the railing and leaned, ‘-they kill a man and throw him off the bridge into the channel. The value of human life’s worth nothing to them,’ he shrugged and continued, ‘-becoming a doc was the best choice. I’m essential for some gangs, they need my treatment. No real doctor’s foolish enough to get involved with the commoners. Was the best possible choice I made.’ Vengeance’s report detailed the hitman’s walking pattern, ‘-he goes to the tavern, drinks for a few hours, discuss business with the higher-ups, and returns to the slum through Cub’s bridge. He’ll pass here every night at eleven with armed guards. Guess I should stay,’ he lit a cigarette and waited for time to flow. ‘The strange invitation earlier was suspicious. A trap, or is it an invitation? If they want me to work for them, would I accept?’
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