Building a Criminal Empire

by Logan Jacobs

  “This is definitely the kind of job I’m used to, but I usually have more information to work with,” I explained but felt a grin growing across my lips. “But I like the challenge.”

  “I thought you would.” Wade nodded.

  “I have a dwarven contact I can check in with and see if they recognize the name,” I said as I tapped the table. “They should give me something to use.”

  “We don’t even know what he looks like, do we?” Dar asked.

  “But he’s working with Hebal, right?” I wondered.

  “He is,” Wade responded.

  “I can make that work,” I replied. “Hebal’s name is famous enough in the Dwarf District, and if this Kazmus is working with him, then I can track him down.”

  “Perfect,” Wade said. “Again, I wish I could give you more info, but that’s all we have for now.”

  “Not a problem,” I responded. “And you want this guy dead, correct?”

  “That’s right,” Wade said as he scratched at his neck. “If you can make it look like an accident, then that would benefit us in the long run just so we don’t have another elven investigation sniffing around here.”

  “Makes sense,” I said as I stood from my chair. “Alright, I’ll get on this.”

  “Wait, wait, wait,” Dar protested. “We still have a game to play.”

  “I’m sorry, halfling.” I shrugged. “I need to get started on this if we want to find the dwarf.”

  “Any coin or anything of value you find on the dwarf is yours for the keeping,” Wade said. “But if he has any info on him regarding Hebal, please share that with us.”

  “Of course.” I nodded. “I’ll keep you updated on the Assassins as well if I find out anything else.”

  “I doubt you will,” Wade answered. “I think he knows you’ve gone rogue, so to speak.”

  “You’re probably right.” I agreed. “Should I meet you back here once the job is done?”

  “Hmm …” Wade tapped his chin in thought. “You know where the Thief’s Guild in the Halfling District is?”

  “Of course,” I said. “We were neighbors.”

  “Exactly,” Wade began. “Meet us there tomorrow afternoon with any information you find, or with news that you found and killed the dwarf.”

  “Sounds good.” I smirked.

  “Dar and I will be there to meet you,” Wade gestured toward his friend. “But if you show up before us, Selius should be there.”

  “Of course,” I answered.

  “Why’re we going to be there?” Dar asked. “I was hoping to sleep in for once.”

  “If you want, I can join you instead?” Cimarra offered.

  “Same here,” Penny gestured toward Dar. “If lazy over here can’t get out of bed.”

  “Eh,” Wade tilted his head. “I want you girls to hold down the theatre and keep an eye on Rindell.”

  “Of course.” Cimarra nodded.

  “And Penny, if you get bored, and I know you will, feel free to make a small supply run with anything we need to get the next batch going,” Wade said as he faced the red-head.

  I felt myself agreeing with everything Wade said. I didn’t know how to explain it, but I was drawn to him. I liked the way he thought through his problems, I liked the way he planned, and I liked the way he speaks to me; as an equal, even though his eyes occasionally drifted over my body and face with clear appreciation.

  “If I have time, I can even start maintenance on the tubs, too.” Penny eyed the giant cylinders behind us.

  “That would be a big help,” Wade replied and then turned to the halfling. “As for us, I want to check in on Selius and make sure he’s good, then I’d like to go meet the halfling twins, and connect with Ava after.”

  “Time to reconnect with the twins, eh?” Dar added.

  “I think they can be a good start to our full-time expansion into the Halfling District,” Wade replied. “I told the kid to check in on them, so hopefully he did and he can let us know what those two old bastards are thinking.”

  “Alright, boss,” Dar said. “Can we play cards, now?”

  “Am I good to go?” I asked. “Sorry again, Dar.”

  “It’s fine,” Dar stretched out over the table and collected my cards. “You’ll just owe us a game later.”

  “Thanks for the help.” Wade nodded. “Let us know if you need anything from us.”

  “I will.” I waved as I noticed Penny’s eyes narrowed a bit. She didn’t trust me, or maybe she noticed the way Wade looked at me. I didn’t see why she would be offended, but then I realized that Wade might only be sleeping with Cimarra, and not her.

  “Be safe!” The dancer gave me a genuine smile.

  “Of course,” I said as I walked to the front door, picked up my cloak, put it on, raised my hood, and then walked out of the stables.

  As I moved throughout the backlot of the theatre, I noticed the sun starting to peek its head over the horizon, and the morning chatter of the streets grew louder. I wouldn’t have the cover of darkness for much longer, but I thought that might be for the best with this new assignment from Wade.

  I was damn good at what I did, but what made me better than most is the fact that I asked the right questions for finding someone. Some assassins tried to outlast their target by just waiting out for days at their last known location, and sometimes that’s what was needed, but I’ve never been a fan of sitting still.

  I looked at the streets as the lifeline for my kind of work. Not only because they naturally led me to where I needed to go, but everyone left a footprint behind them. Not only a physical imprint but an emotional and spiritual one, whether they liked it or not.

  Everyone was traceable.

  As for this dwarf, I really had no leads to work with other than the asshole's name. So, the first step I needed to do was head to the Dwarf District and visit with a contact I’ve used in the past when trying to track down certain high-powered dwarfs.

  I considered this Kazmus to be in the “high-powered” category strictly because he was working with Hebal. I didn’t know much about Hebal, but most dwarves did, so that had to count for something.

  I was confident that my contact would lead me to my target. She was more than knowledgeable with the happenings throughout the entire district.

  So, I continued onto the main avenue near the theatre and headed toward the gallows on the far end of the street. I didn’t see the executions happen, but I heard through the chatter on the streets, that the elves forced Rindell to put the criminals to death.

  Elven justice was always brutal, no matter what they did.

  As I passed the bodies, I could smell rotting flesh in the air, hear the buzzing flies, and feel the heaviness that death liked to leave behind.

  After walking down a few blocks, I entered the Dwarf District and headed toward my contact’s place of business. She owned a small spice shop close to the district’s entrance, so I figured I’d check there first.

  I walked for a few more minutes and saw the humble store on the right side of the cobblestone street. Every building in the Dwarf District looked similar to me. Each structure took on the demeanor of the dwarfs themselves and was dirty, built with stone, mud, and iron.

  But my contact’s store stood out like a fairy in the middle of a crowd because she kept the place clean and painted it bright red.

  I stepped up toward the entrance and tugged the door, but it was locked. That didn’t surprise me since it was still early, but dwarves usually opened for business as soon as the sun showed its face.

  I knocked and pulled the string attached to a bell just to the side of the door. Then I waited for a few moments before I rang the bell again.

  “Hold yur panties!” A muffled voice came from the other end of the door. “No one needs spices dis early!”

  “It’s not spice I’m after!” I shouted back.

  “Shut up down there!” Another voice bellowed from across the street.

  I turned and saw a rosy-che
eked dwarf hanging out of a second-story window. Then he flipped me off before he slammed the window shut.

  “You’ve come to the wrong place if you don’ want any spices,” the voice from inside the store responded.

  “No, I haven’t, Hilda.” I used her name because that always worked to get a dwarf to pay you the time of day.

  “Ya know me?” The voice seemed closer. “Ya don’ sound dwarven, either.”

  “I’m not,” I replied. “Open up and take a whiff, you’ll recognize me.”

  Hilda was also blind, so she relied on her nose for everything. That was probably why she owned the spice store and ran the spice market.

  “Mehh,” Hilda groaned. “You’re too pushy for dis early, girlie, give me a sec to put some knickers on, eh?”

  Not the visual I wanted to picture, but I was glad she was going to at least open the door.

  “Take your time,” I replied.

  I waited for a few more moments and watched the rising sun create new shadows on the street. As I observed the change in light, I noticed a banner strung up over the street, advertising the “Eclipse Festival” in a few days. I was curious how the night and day elves would create an eclipse later in the week during the stupid celebration. That would mean they would have to work together for once.

  I’d believe that when I saw it.

  “Aight, Aight,” Hilda’s voice returned along with her heavy steps near the door. Then I heard about thirty locks unlatch, and finally, the door swung open.

  Her hair was curled tightly underneath a pink nightcap that matched her bright pink sleeping gown. Then she stuck her nose at me and took a big long sniff.

  “Do you want me to tell you who it is?” I asked as I watched her mull it over.

  “Hushh,” She clenched her already closed eyes and flared her wide nostrils. Her nose was bulbous and rosy, just like every other dwarf, but those nostrils were one of a kind. Probably because she relied on them for everything.

  “Still don’t know?” I sighed. “I’m a little upset about that.”

  “I know ya …” Hilda sniffed one more time. “Ava.”

  “Damn,” I chuckled. “I thought you’d forgotten me.”

  “It’s been longer den usual,” she said as she unclenched her closed eyes and relaxed a bit. “Come in, ya hungry?”

  “I don’t want to stay too long,” I said. “Is it your day off today or something?”

  “Aye,” Hilda sniffed again. “Yur not buggin’ me, sit down, I’m making some corn cakes.”

  She probably already knew why I was there. Plus, she knew I’d pay for any information.

  “Fine.” I stepped inside her store, and as expected, the smell of cinnamon, pine, chilies, and the potent blend of dwarven spices made my eyes water. The inside was just as bright as the outside with red and yellow painted walls, the wooden floors were polished and featured an intricate dwarven design carved along the molding, and multiple metallic shelves overflowed with glass jars of spices.

  “Head up the stairs to your left,” Hilda ordered as she shut the front door and latched every single lock again. “That’ll bring ya to my apartment.”

  I wondered if Penny, Dar, or Wade could break in here with that many locks? If they were as good at being thieves as I was at being an assassin, I’d bet they could.

  “Okay.” I nodded as I turned to my left and saw the twisting staircase.

  “I figure you’re here to pick my brain, eh?” Hilda chuckled.

  “You figured right,” I replied as I walked up the steps.

  “Now, now,” Hilda said as she followed me. “As much as I enjoy yur company, I hope ya brought some of the shiny stuff I like so much.”

  “How can you tell what’s shiny or not?” I smirked as I stopped mid-step on the stairs.

  “I can feel it, girl,” Hilda chuckled and then bumped into me. “Ya trying to kill me or something?”

  “Sorry,” I said as I finished climbing the stairs and arrived at the second story where her apartment was.

  Just like the store, she painted the walls bright red and yellow, the wooden floors was covered with a giant woven rug, and the place smelled like the spices downstairs, just not as strong.

  Right in front of me was her kitchen with a burning cast-iron stove and a small table near the triangular window that overlooked the street below. To my left was her unmade bed, wooden dresser, nightstand, mirror, and other dwarven furniture.

  “Okay,” Hilda panted as she reached the top of the stairs. “One day, I’mma die climbing doze things. Now, sit, sit by the window, and ask me anything ya want.”

  “Thank you for taking the time,” I said as I moved across the room and sat at the small table near the window.

  “I can always use the company.” Hilda smirked as she glanced over to me with her shut eyes. “And the coin.”

  “Good,” I breathed. “And I can use some information from you.”

  “It’s a win-win then.” Hilda moved over to the stove and slapped down a thin cornmeal patty that hissed in a pan. “Ask away.”

  “Alright,” I breathed. “You know a dwarf named Hebal?”

  “Aye.” Hilda looked up from the frying pan for a moment. “Dwarven mafia, someone finally put a hit on em?”

  “Something like that,” I began. “Do you know where he’s been lately?”

  “Hmm …” Hilda flipped over the corn patty. “He and his boys have been quiet.”

  “That’s what I’ve been told,” I said as I looked out the window. “How about the name Kazmus?”

  “Sounds familiar.” Hilda nodded. “He’s a different lad.”

  “I can pass as different, too,” I said.

  “Aye, you most definitely could, Ava,” Hilda chuckled as she flipped the corn patty once more. “Kazmus is just different from most of his dwarven brudders.”

  “Do you know if he hangs around Hebal?” I questioned.

  “That depends,” Hilda paused.

  “Fine,” I said as I dug into my pouch, pulled out a silver coin, and placed it on the table.

  This was how most of our meetings went.

  “Very good,” Hilda sniffed. “Yes, yes, my employee witnessed them together at the docks the other night.”

  “The docks?” I asked. “Does Kazmus work there?”

  “No,” Hilda replied.

  “Do you know where he works?” I asked.

  “That depends …” Hilda said again and then paused.

  “Alright,” I said as I pulled out a copper this time and placed it down.

  “Copper?” Hilda snorted. “I don’t think I know--”

  “Fine,” I huffed and added another silver to the table.

  “Ahh,” Hilda grinned. “Much better.”

  “So?”

  “He works down at the spice market,” Hilda chuckled. “He even helps me out here some days.”

  “So you know him well?” I asked.

  “Aye, that I do,” Hilda said as she tapped her spatula on the side of the pan.

  “I think two silver has earned me a few more facts about him,” I said.

  “You’re lucky I like you, Ava.” Hilda reached for a plate and then placed the corn patty on top of it. “Do you want butter?”

  I wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing that she liked me. She knew this dwarf well, but was still giving me all of the details I needed to kill him. I’d hate to see how Hilda treated her enemies.

  But she was no different from most people in the realm. Coin, fucking coin, is the heartbeat of the land.

  “Please,” I answered.

  “How about my mudder’s spice blend?” Hilda asked as she tilted a bottle of red and black leaves.

  “Uh,” I grimaced. “No, thanks.”

  “Your loss, girl,” Hilda said as she buttered the paddy, wobbled over, and then placed the plate in front of me. “It’ll be pretty bland, but you humans like it bland, don’ ya?”

  “We sure do,” I replied. “You were about to
tell me about Kazmus?”

  “Hold yur horses, girly.” Hilda furrowed her brow. “Let me grab my food, too.”

  “Of course,” I replied as I looked at the flat yellow cake in front of me. I never had a dwarven corn patty before, but they smelled just like cornbread.

  “Aight,” Hilda breathed after she grabbed her own plate and then sat across from me. “Kazmus?”

  “Kazmus,” I confirmed.

  “Like I said, you’ll find him near the spice market,” Hilda said as she cut her patty and took a bite. “He’s about as tall as me, angry-looking fella, and most importantly has blonde hair. That’s the different part I was talking about.”

  I wasn’t sure how she knew what he looked like since she couldn’t see anything, but she had never led me astray before. In fact, she was more reliable than most of my other sources who could see perfectly.

  “Interesting,” I said as I cut a small slice of the corn patty and ate it. The cake tasted just how I thought it would, hot buttery cornbread.

  It was good.

  “Yeah,” Hilda chuckled. “We don’t have a lot of blonde dwarves runnin’ around here. Those are usually up in the far East mountain range.”

  “Is that where he’s from?” I wondered.

  “I believe so,” Hilda replied. “But he’s been a vendor at the market for me for quite some time.”

  “How long has he worked for you?” I asked.

  “Not long.” Hilda smirked. “But I have a feeling he won’t be anymore.”

  I hummed as I took another bite of the corn cake. “He’s working at the spice market today?”

  “Should be.” Hilda nodded as she ate another forkful of corn cake.

  “Do you know what vendor stand he’d be at?” I questioned.

  “I’d ask that you don’t do whatever you need to do in the market,” Hilda said as she wiped her mouth. “That would affect ma customers.”

  “Sure,” I replied. “Like you said, maybe I’ll chat with him during that lunch break of his.”

  “If that’s what you have to do,” Hilda said and then she tilted her head. “What did the poor bastard do, eh?”

  “If you really want to know, that’ll cost you one of my silver coins back,” I said as I put down my fork.

  “That’s too bad,” Hilda said as she mirrored me and put down her fork, too. “I’m okay with not knowing …”