Building a Criminal Empire

by Logan Jacobs

  “We got it,” Sully answered. “As long as you understand our concerns.”

  “I do.” I nodded. “Still want to talk?”

  “Of course, lad,” Sully replied. “We love what your business is about.”

  “Good,” I said. “Do you remember the terms of our last deal?”

  “Aye,” Sully answered. “Sixty-gold per barrel.”

  “Exactly,” I said. “Is that still good for you both?”

  “Aye,” Sully said again. “You’ll drop two barrels off here every other week?”

  “We may have an easier method if you’re interested in hearing it,” I offered.

  “Of course,” Wyatt began. “We love easier.”

  “I might move in down the street in the next few days,” I began. “Eloy’s bakery, you know it?”

  “We do.” Sully nodded.

  “Well, it might be easier if you send a wagon and pick it up from there once it’s ready,” I said as I turned to Selius. “The kid will be there and will help you load it up from the back.”

  “You said, ‘may’ have an easier method,” Sully said. “Is this not a for sure thing?”

  “I’ll let you know as soon as it is,” I replied. “I just have to finalize some things with Eloy.”

  “Very well.” Sully pursed his lips. “Well, that would be easier for us since it’s right down the street, and it would be more discreet, too.”

  “Exactly.” I nodded. “If, for some reason, Eloy’s falls through, then we will have Selius drop off your order like we did before, okay?”

  “That works for me,” Sully said as he nudged his brother. “How about you?”

  “I think this can work,” Wyatt replied.

  “I know it’ll work,” I added. “In the meantime, can you wait until I know for sure about the bakery?”

  “Of course,” Sully responded. “We’re in no rush, plus we still have a bit of the good stuff in our kegs.”

  “Yeah,” Wyatt wheezed. “Just have the kid tell us about the bakery as soon as you know.”

  “I plan on it,” I said as I stood and extended my hand out toward Sully. “It’s a pleasure doing business with you both, and I can promise we won’t disappoint you.”

  “We know that, lad,” Sully said as he stood and then shook my hand. “You’ve proven that to us already.”

  “Good,” I said as I extended my hand to Wyatt next. “We will be in touch soon.”

  “We hope so,” Wyatt said with a slight nod as he shook my hand. “If you need any help to inspect the bakery for any hidden issues, just let me know.”

  “Hidden issues?” I asked.

  “There are always issues with kitchens.” Wyatt pulled his hand away from mine and then grabbed the pipe from his lips. “I think Eloy took care of his, but either way, let me know if you want me to look it over for ya.”

  “Alright,” I said with a smirk. “I will.”

  “Thanks again, guys,” Selius said as he waved to the brothers.

  “We appreciate your time,” Dar said as he shook both of the twins’ hands.

  “Don’t blow anything else up,” Sully chuckled as he gave us a dismissive wave.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I grinned.

  Then we all walked out of the hall and back onto the street.

  “Job well done,” I said as I turned and faced the two halflings. “We are officially in business again in this district.”

  “And we’re gonna stay in business this time around,” Dar added.

  “You bet your ass we will,” I said as I started to walk down the road. “You understand the plan, kid?”

  “I-I think I do, yeah,” Selius said as he followed. “Once we know if we are getting Eloy’s or not, then I will either be dropping off the whiskey or helping load it up at the bakery.”

  “Exactly,” I replied.

  “Should we go talk to Eloy now?” Selius asked.

  “Lemme think,” I said as I looked up into the sky and guessed it was early afternoon based on the sun’s position. “We told Ava to meet us at the guild around this time, right?”

  “You did,” Dar replied. “Want to head back to the guild and see if she shows?”

  “Yeah,” I said with a slight nod. “If she doesn’t show within the hour, then we’ll go talk with Eloy while you stay at the guild, kid, okay?”

  “Alright,” Selius agreed. “Why is Ava coming to the guild?”

  “She’s finishing up a job, and we told her to meet us there,” I said. “She’s officially one of us now.”

  “Nice.” Selius grinned. “I wouldn’t want to fight against her.”

  “Neither would I, kid,” Dar chuckled.

  “She’ll only be fighting for us now,” I added as we turned around the bend in the road and headed toward Guilder Street.

  “How many customers do ya want in this district, Wade?” Selius asked after walking down the road for a few minutes.

  “That all depends on the amount of space that we have,” I replied.

  “What do you mean?” Selius asked as he kicked a loose rock.

  “That’s why we are trying to buy Eloy’s, you understand?” Dar asked. “We need more space to make sure we can give them--”

  Dar paused as a few halflings walked by.

  “...Enough whiskey,” Dar finished his thought.

  “I guess I understand,” Selius said with a shrug. “I just want to make sure I’m doing my job right.”

  “If you aren’t, we’ll make sure and let you know, kid.” I clapped him on the shoulder.

  “Well, alright then,” Selius chuckled.

  As we approached the Guild, I hoped Ava was inside, waiting for us. There was so much riding on what she discovered or did earlier today.

  “Let’s go around back,” Selius said. “I never unlock the front door.”

  “That’s what we figured,” Dar said as we walked around the side of the Guild, through the alley, and then stopped just before we jumped the fence.

  “Oi!” Olly, the one-eyed minion from Wilimar’s crew sat in a broken down chair in the courtyard. “I was hopin’ someone would show up soon.”

  “Who the fuck are you?” Dar asked as his hand hovered near his blade.

  “Who’s asking?” Olly spat and then pointed to me. “I’m here to talk to him.”

  “He’s fine, Dar,” I said as I patted my friend’s arm. “Where’s Wilimar?”

  “He’s the one who sent me over here to tell ya the news,” Olly said as he stood from his chair and meandered over to the fence. “We found your dwarf.”

  “Fuck,” Dar muttered. “Where is he?”

  “Where?” I asked too. “Wilimar is monitoring him as we speak, but he’s in a store, a store he had the key for, so I’m assuming--”

  “He’s back at his store?” I asked through a clenched jaw.

  “Sure …” Olly shrugged. “All we know is he’s inside.”

  “Is he alone?” I asked.

  “There was another dwarf with him,” Olly replied. “But w--”

  “Wade!” Ava jogged toward us from the far end of the alley.

  “You okay?” I asked as I noticed her cloak under her arm was covered in blood. “What happened?”

  “What kind of operation are you running, human?” Olly asked as he looked over Ava. “The dwarf won’t be there all day, you know?”

  “Fuck,” I hissed. “I know.”

  “Did they find Hebal?” Ava asked as she stopped just in front of me. There were small specks of blood on her cheeks, and she had an intense look in her eyes.

  “Yes, but first, tell me what happened with you,” I urged.

  “We should get inside,” Ava gestured toward the door.

  “Why is something wrong?” Dar asked as he sensed the assassin’s urgent tone.

  “Fallor knows.” Ava hopped over the fence, gestured for us to get inside, and then looked up at the surrounding rooftops. “They could be here any second.”


  Fuck.

  “Who?” Olly asked as he straightened his posture.

  “Yeah, who?” Selius squeaked next to me.

  “We should get inside.” I echoed the assassin and hopped over the fence.

  “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Dar asked as both he and Selius followed close behind.

  “I’ll answer all your questions,” Ava said as she tugged open the door. “But not out here.”

  “Fine,” I replied as I ushered Selius, Dar, and Olly inside the guild.

  “The dwarf is dead, but his death came with a cost,” Ava said as she turned to face me and then shut the door behind her. “The Assassins know.”

  “They know everything?” I asked as my thoughts started to flash in my head like lightning. We had enough enemies as it was, and I thought we had a little more time to figure out what to do with the entire Halfling Assassin’s Guild.

  “Is the door always unlocked?” Ava ignored my question and then latched the lock across the door.

  “I-I always leave it unlocked so--”

  “Fuck, fuck.” Ava dropped her cloak to the side, turned to face us, and unsheathed her dagger. “They might be inside. We gotta search the entire place.”

  I haven’t seen Ava like this before, and that alarmed me. But she knew who exactly we were dealing with and had every right to be upset.

  “We have to search the building,” Ava said again. “Just know the assassins will be relentless until they have their way.”

  “What’s their way?” Selius asked in a trembling voice.

  “To kill us all, halfling,” Ava breathed.

  “Will Fallor call upon the other Assassin Guilds for aid?” Dar asked as he wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead.

  “Not until he’s desperate,” Ava replied. “This one is personal for him.”

  “The new distiller is dead, though?” I asked to gain some clarity on the situation in front of us.

  “He is,” Ava said. “He never started distilling, but he was about to, just like you said.”

  “Okay, okay.” I nodded. “Then that’s one good thing out of this.”

  “Sure,” Ava said.

  “Listen,” I said as I rested my hand on the assassins shoulder. “We’ve already ended one guild in this district, so what’s one more?”

  “This will be no easy task, Wade.” Ava smirked. “Now, please, we need to search the entire place.”

  “Nothing is easy these days,” I said as I unsheathed my dagger and turned to follow Ava.

  Chapter 13

  “What about Hebal?” Olly asked as he tugged at my arm. “He will not be at the store forever, ya know.”

  Olly was right that the dwarf would be on the move again soon, especially when he found out about his dead distiller.

  “We need to make sure there isn’t an assassin in here, first,” I began. “Then, I’ll go to the store with you and pay Hebal a surprise visit.”

  “You will?” Dar asked as he pulled out his dagger and looked throughout the room for any movement.

  “He’s not expecting us,” I replied.

  “Are you going to kill him?” Dar questioned.

  “Not yet,” I answered. “I need him to think I’m clueless.”

  “But he knows you’d be upset after stan--” Dar started, but the assassin cut him off.

  “That will have to wait,” Ava said as she started to move forward through the cluttered floors.

  “Stay with Selius and Olly,” I commanded Dar. “Then, we’ll talk about Hebal after we check upstairs.”

  “Do not let anyone inside,” Ava ordered the halflings. “I don’t care how nice they look, what uniform they are wearing, or what they say. The assassins will use anything and anyone to accomplish their mission.”

  “Just like you, eh?” I remarked.

  “Precisely,” Ava muttered as we both moved up the stairs. “Now, are all the rooms up here?”

  “Yes,” I replied. “There is also a loft up on the third level.”

  “Search the loft,” Ava said. “I’ll handle myself fine.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “I think like them, Wade.” Ava flashed me a sly grin. “I’ll be fine, I’m their worst nightmare.”

  “I’m liking you more and more,” I said as we reached the second level of the guild.

  “Scream out if you need me,” Ava said as she moved left down the hall and entered the kitchen first.

  “Same with you,” I said as I moved to the right and continued up the stairs.

  Each step I took creaked underneath my feet as I climbed to the third level. The door to the loft was closed, so I moved over and pressed my ear against it.

  I could hear my heartbeat, a few birds chirping outside, and Ava’s steps on the level below. As far as I could tell, there was no one in the loft, so I nudged the door open and then peeked my head inside.

  Nothing.

  It looked like Selius made the space his own little nest and had his clothes in a pile in the corner, some dirty plates on the couch, and the smell of halfling feet lingered throughout the entire place.

  The window’s shades were open, and the sun cast a shadow across the carpeted floor. But there was an odd shape protruding from the corner of the shadow.

  I needed to get a better look.

  So, nudged the door again until it opened all the way, stepped fully inside, aimed my knife in the window's direction, and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that a plant decoration created the shadow.

  Then I scanned the rest of the room and didn’t see any assassin.

  Suddenly, a loud crash erupted from the second story.

  “Ava!” I shouted as I rushed back out of the loft and down the stairs.

  Then another crash echoed down the hall, so I sprinted to the left, entered the kitchen, and saw Ava strangling a halfling against the wall.

  It looked like the loud crashes were caused by broken cups, plates, and utensils. There was a pile of shards all around Ava’s feet, and the halfling still had a plate in his hand. He tried to swing the plate and hit Ava, but she dodged it and tightened her grip around his throat.

  Then I moved closer, punched the halfling in the side, and ripped the plate away from him.

  “Is there anyone else in here?” I asked the bug-eyed halfling assassin.

  “Fu—fuck y—you!” the assassin spat as he lifted his knees close to his chest and shoved Ava off him.

  Then he dropped to the ground, gripped his throat, and looked right at me. Before I could even move a silver blade appeared between his fingers, and he swung it right at my gut.

  I deflected the assassin’s blade attack away, but his knee connected to my thigh like a stone hammer. As I dropped to the ground, he swiped his knife at my throat, but I blocked his attack with my blade, grabbed his wrist, and tossed him across the room into the stove. The stove’s vent detached from the wall and nearly fell on the halfling, but he rolled out of the way just in time.

  Then Ava lunged toward him, grabbed his foot, and tossed him back toward me. The halfling crashed into the wall, and his back cracked like a thin twig.

  I hunched over him and kicked him in the ribs. His bones crunched against my boot, and then I swiped my blade down toward his heart, but he blocked it aside with a desperate maneuver.

  I countered and tried to stomp his face, but he rolled to the side, kicked the back of my leg, and dropped me onto one knee. Then I twirled around and faced him before he could attack again.

  His crooked nose bled from the left nostril, and he was hunched over, hurt badly, but he still pointed his blade at me and then at Ava.

  “Give up,” I said as I stood to my feet. “Looks like you didn’t bring any help with you, or else they’d be running in here.”

  The halfling didn’t respond.

  “Val,” Ava breathed. “You don’t have to die.”

  The assassin didn’t respond again. Instead, he charged right at Ava.

  Bu
t Ava ducked, hooked her arm around the assassin, lifted him in the air, and slammed the fucker down into the pile of broken plates across the floor.

  “Arrhg!” The halfling groaned as he arched his back.

  I moved over, put my boot across the halfling's throat, and pressed him further down onto the broken plates. I felt him sink, and a plate shard ripped through his chest like a blooming flower.

  “Y-y-you …” He gasped a few times, his eyes glazed over, and he died.

  Ava and I stood over his body for a moment before we both sheathed our blades.

  “He was a scout,” Ava muttered.

  “Aren’t all assassin’s scouts?” I asked.

  “Sure,” Ava replied. “But when it’s a high profile case, Fallor sends someone to scout a location of interest first.”

  “I guess that’s like how the thieves operate,” I said as I wiped some blood off my boot.

  “This building is no longer safe,” Ava said as she stepped over the body and walked into the hallway. “Selius can’t stay here unless you want him to die in his sleep.”

  “I agree,” I said with a slight nod. “Why don’t you take the kid back to the stables, while Dar and I go visit Hebal.”

  “Okay,” Ava began. “You should be safe, but don’t draw too much attention to yourselves.”

  “We won’t,” I replied. “How much time do we have?”

  “A few hours before they realize Val isn’t coming back, and then it will be war,” she answered.

  “Great,” I deadpanned.

  “I’ll drop Selius off at the stables, but I have to remain on the move,” Ava said as she swiped a strand of her blonde hair aside. “Do you have an extra cloak I can borrow?”

  “Try the third room down the hall,” I pointed to my left. “You’ll probably find something that fits you.”

  “Okay, thank you,” Ava said as she walked down the hall. “Don’t leave without me.”

  “Got it,” I said as I exited the kitchen, walked down the stairs, and saw Dar protecting both Olly and Selius.

  “Everything good?” Dar’s eyes opened wide.

  “Now it is,” I answered. “Selius, you’ll be going with Ava back to the stables, okay?”

  “Sure,” Selius stepped from behind Dar.

  “Go grab anything you need, for the long term,” I added.