by Noah Harris
He went down to the dock, and we waited patiently for our contact to make his acquaintance. They performed the necessary pleasantries and then the boat left with the both of them on it. His new look consisted of what a fisherman would wear out on the open seas. He would blend in nicely, and nobody would be any the wiser that he was about to inherit a sizable retirement package.
“Hiroko told us that he wasn’t going to be the only one. This is somebody that means business and doesn’t mind forking out the kind of money that can get him that professional touch. I should’ve known that something was wrong, and Hiroko is all about the money. Let’s just say that the Yakuza are not cheap to employ by any means.” I didn’t like the idea that Derek had a limited life span. He may be a werewolf, but to survive would mean having eyes in the back of his head. I could be those said eyes, but only if he was willing to abide by some rules.
“Duncan, it’s not the first time that somebody has taken exception to how I do business. They usually send me nasty letters or try to discredit me somehow in the public eye. This doesn’t feel like it’s all about business. I believe that this may be something personal, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out what I could have possibly done.” He didn’t look worried, but if I were him, I would be battening down the hatches and making sure that nobody could get to me. “I still don’t think that it’s a good idea that we should be seen together. Somebody may get the wrong idea and decide that they can use you to get to me.” I was actually smiling inside, thinking about how quickly I could dispatch anyone that got in my way.
“I think that you know by now that I can take care of myself. I’m not exactly proud of some of the things that I’ve done in the past, but I’ve learned to live with the conscience that was given to me by Hiroko and his father. They taught me how to live with something of a moral compass, instead of just doing whatever the hell I wanted to do. I will protect you as I know that eventually somebody is going to find a way to cash in.” I think I saw this sense of relief in his eyes.
“You have a different skill set than myself. I can fight with determination and ferocity, but I don’t have the kind of speed or that tendency to act without thinking. I’ve seen you in action. I have to say that I don’t think that I’m in any better hands than yours.” That was high praise coming from a man with a wolf lurking underneath the businesslike attire. The full moon was closing in quickly, but I had to make sure that he realized that going out with this kind of price on his head was foolhardy.
“I’m not going anywhere, Derek. It doesn’t matter that I want to tear your clothes off and lift you into my lap with your legs wrapped around my waist. You have no idea how hard it is to stand here and look at you and know that I can’t do anything about it. It hurts me more than you can know. It might sound selfish, but I hope that you are feeling the same thing. One thing that I want to make painfully clear is that you will never be out of my sight. I will be there whether it is in the business boardroom or out hunting down prey in your natural wolf form.” I was going to be his shadow, and that was never more necessary than what we heard from a man that could have easily made our life tough.
He told us that if anything were to happen to him that the first place that they would look for answers was us. He said that he would make a phone call an hour after he got on the boat. That way, he could tell them that he was leaving. He didn’t have to elaborate any further, and they would take it that he was not somebody that had the stomach for this kind of business anymore. He was broken, and that sort of employee was not somebody that anybody wanted to hire to do their dirty work.
“I don’t usually let anybody tell me what to do, Duncan. It doesn’t feel right, and it kinda sticks in my gut like a knife twisting for that maximum damage. For this one time and until we find out who is ultimately responsible for coming after me, I will relent. I still say that you really shouldn’t be around me when I become that primal creature. I can usually keep it under control, but then the full moon is something that is in a league of its own. All I ask is that you be extra careful around me. Stay out of sight and don’t wear anything that’s even remotely fragrant. The wolf will sense it; smell it a mile away and come running like a scalded dog about to attack its master.” We drove back to the city, and I could see that Derek was thinking about something. I was concerned that he was going to do something foolish like sticking his head into the lion’s mouth.
“I don’t sense that you’re worried, but for the first time in my life, I really don’t know what somebody is thinking. I can’t compel you like I have others and that includes Hiroko. I might have to touch base with him and find out what he knows about this bounty. If anybody can find out something about it what’s going on, it would be him. He does have an empire that he runs with an iron fist.” I was a little surprised that Hiroko would’ve turned his training to that of the dark side. I wanted to shake some sense into him, but the best that I could do was be his friend.
“I don’t want him to do any favors for me. I don’t care that you backed him down. I would rather fight to the death than to owe him one damn thing.” I had to respect his wishes as this was after all his life.
Chapter 14
I waited patiently in the park, looking around at all of these ‘sheep’ and knowing that they had no idea who was standing right in front of them. They were too engrossed in their lives to give a damn about anybody else. It was incredible how humans could be blind to the plight of their kind. That man sitting in the shadow with a bottle of liquor perched up to his lips told me that his life hadn’t gone exactly, as he planned. The angst on the new mother and the stress around her eyes was a good indication that she was living a life without the guidance of a man or any father figure. I could practically read these people like a cheap novel. It amazed me that their lives were, so fragile that it could be gone in the blink of an eye.
I avoided newspapers like the plague because I didn’t want to feel that crushing desperation by watching humanity crumble onto itself. People were killing each other over trivial matters like religion. I’d seen it throughout my years on this planet, and it still sickened me.
I had reached out to Hiroko, and he had reluctantly agreed that we should meet and talk about things in a more public setting. I think that he was worried that my friendship with Derek would cloud my judgment in some way. If anything, I would say that my eyes were open, and my mind was, as clear as could be.
I saw him for a brief second, but then he was gone and then he was suddenly sitting beside me like some kind of ghost. “I hope you know what you are asking of me, Duncan. I’m the leader of one the most infamous gangs in the world today. We have our fingers in just about everything. Our primary concern is Derek at the moment, but I have promised you that one week and I do hope that you have been making the most of it. I would’ve been happy just to take the information off his dead body, but you have made my job infinitely more challenging. I missed my chance to take his fortune, but his death was always going to be the coup de grace.” He was wearing a gray suit with an open white shirt underneath. His eyes were alert, and I could tell that there was practically nothing that could approach without him knowing about it. I had no doubt that his other members were out there watching.
“I know that I put you in a horrible position and for that I can never be more apologetic. You don’t deserve my interference, but Derek has made me see that life is about choices. I know that he regrets some of the things that he has done in business and in his personal life. It’s not like he can take it back, but he can move forward and change to become a better man. I told you that after one week that I would step back, but I’m not sure that I can do that.” He looked at me with his head cocked to the side with what looked to be a little bit of confusion.
“I didn’t take you for somebody that would go back on his word. You’ve always been somebody that had a moral compass, or, at least, you did when you left the company of myself and my father. He actually told me that he felt that you
were more like a son, and I think we both believe you to be family. You’re the big brother, and you’re trying to make me see that maybe there is a better way than violence. Unfortunately, you left me, and I had no choice, but to throw in with the very gang that my father would be appalled to see me a part of.” He was struggling between what was right and wrong, and it was a never ending battle.
“I didn’t call you here to debate the issue of whether or not you’re going to kill Derek. I think that I’ve been making some inroads into changing his position. I will work on him and see if it’s possible that he will reach out to those that he has injured financially or personally to make amends. Hopefully, his attempts to make up for past misdeeds will get back to the people or person that has been hiring you and several others. That’s precisely the reason why I wanted to talk to you.”
“I knew that there had to be a reason for this impromptu meeting. I guess that you found out about the bounty, and now you want me to give you more details. For anybody else, I would tell you to go to hell, but you’re not like everybody else. Even though we’re not blood, I still feel that connection that was born out of respect for each other. I thought for sure that we would never see eye to eye, but even these years apart have not destroyed the friendship that I’ve held dear.” He still hadn’t told me anything, but I think that he was hedging his bets that I was going to leave this one alone.
I was still wearing the same black suit, but this time, I was sporting a blood red shirt. Just looking at it made me yearn for the taste and maybe I was tempting myself to see if I could stand it. “I have heard about the bounty, and I do hope that you will see clear to give me a little bit of information. Call it a favor to an old friend.” I was asking too much, and I knew that eventually he would push back. “Let me put it another way that will make more sense to you. I need this information so that I can protect him, but it will also protect your best interest. You know what it will make you look like if anyone else accomplished something that you couldn't. It would look unfavorable for your organization, and that kind of black eye is not something that you can come away from unscathed. You may be the leader now, but it’s more than possible that somebody is waiting in the wings to take over. You and I both know that these kinds of organizations are not predicated on one leader. Once that one head is gone, somebody else will step forward to fill that vacuum. It would be foolish to think that you don’t have to worry about that.”
He sat there quietly, and there was no point in projecting my thoughts. I’d already said what I wanted to say. It was going to be up to him to decide how he was going to play this. “I see your point. You don’t exactly hold anything back, and I suppose I shouldn’t have expected anything less. My father was right about you. He told me after you left about the things that you’ve done in the past that have haunted you. He also said that you were a nice guy, although a bit more manipulative than others. I applaud the way that you have turned this around on me. I would’ve probably done the same thing in your shoes.” I knew that Derek was safe, but how safe could he really be with others looking to put him 6 feet under.
“Your father was always a good judge of character. He told me in confidence that you were destined for bigger things. He was worried that you had this black hole in your heart from where your mother left you alone. He was afraid that one more loss like that and you would lose yourself. I should have thought about that before I left you. I just hope that I wasn’t the catalyst for making you become what you are today. We all make our own choices, and we walk down that path alone unless we’re willing to reach out for help.” I sounded like a damn fortune cookie. I didn’t mean to dispense this kind of wisdom, but I wanted him to see that I would always be his friend, regardless of what mistakes or what path he took.
“I don’t particularly understand your friendship with Derek. We both know that that friendship is more than just a healthy respect for one another. I’m not one to judge, but I think that you can do a whole lot better than him. The bounty that you are, so worried about is something that has been in the works for some time. The rumors of a certain individual reaching out to organizations became reality a couple of months ago. It wasn’t until that money was in an anonymous escrow account that people started to take things seriously. I don’t know who’s responsible, but I don’t think that it would take much to break that cone of silence.” I didn’t want him to do anything that would risk his life, but I had to weigh the pros and cons of whether or not to get him involved in the first place.
“I know that you will do your best, and hopefully, you can get that information without alerting others of your duplicitous ways. The one thing that I do need to know right away is how many organizations have been contacted about this bounty.” The look on his face, as he turned towards me told me that I had just said a mouthful.
“I would like to say that the bounty was secretly put forth to only those select few, but I can’t do that. It is an open-ended contract, and anybody and their mother can come after him. The one bounty is for his capture, and the other is for his head. It’s not just professionals, and you’re literally going to need to have your head on a swivel and your instincts honed to a razor’s edge. I’m sure that if you question Derek, he will tell you that there have been several close calls in the last couple weeks. I understand now how he managed to survive, but that wolf inside of him is not going to be enough.” He didn’t say the words, but I could see in his face that he was also referring to me.
“Let me get this straight. Anybody that sees this bounty will know that a huge payday is in their future. It could be some lone assassin, or a group of brothers that get drunk one night and go searching for a way out of their mundane existence.” The consequences of what that meant were mind boggling. That kind of money could make even a family man or mother of three turn into a killer overnight.
“I will tell you that the contract has been open to the general public for only a couple of days. I think the person that put up that kind of purse thought that some organization would finish the task quickly. When that didn’t happen, he decided, or they decided that it was best to hedge their investment and give anybody that chance. They were making sure that nothing was left to chance.” I didn’t like that the public was aware of this contract. It also meant that my job of protecting him was not going to be easy.
“I appreciate the heads up, and I know how distasteful it might feel to give up your only advantage. I don’t think that you have done it out of the goodness of your heart. You did it so that I would protect him for this one week and then you can step in and take the credit for the kill. It’s actually pretty crafty, but I really didn’t take you for someone that thought ahead in that way. You have learned a lot, but I’m not sure that your father would be very proud of where you are today. Don’t mistake my criticism for anything, but the desire to see you strive for your best. By the way, Derek has already taken steps to hide his fortune. He’s not foolish enough to have that information on him anymore.” He got up and bowed like that of a true warrior. I stood and gave him the respect of doing the same.
When I glanced up, he was gone, and the very idea of fighting him in the future was not something that I was looking forward to. I couldn’t decide at the moment whether I would actually abide by my word to step out of the way.
Chapter 15
“That’s just great. I not only have to worry about those that look like professionals, but also the damn idiots that have been down on their luck. Gamblers will take this, as a way to rid themselves of their problems, and never really understand that it is a stopgap method. Their problems will always be there. That kind of addiction can lead you down a road of a painful self-discovery. The money that they would receive would be gone before they knew it and then the gamblers would be right back to where they were when all this began. I can’t stop living my life, Duncan and I won’t let anybody dictate my comings and goings.” It was time to tell him part of my plan, and hopefully, he would understand that
this was for his own sake.
“Derek, there is one thing that you can do that might help you in the long run. I know that you are a proud man, but sometimes it takes a bigger man to admit his faults. No matter how hard it is, you have to reach out to those businesses that you have destroyed financially. It’s a good first step, but there’s really no way to know who is the one that has taken this price out on your head. Don’t think of it, as humbling yourself. Think of it as making amends for the past. You never know, you might actually reach that one person and then all of this will disappear. The contract will become null and void, and people will go back to living their lives looking for that next way to easy street.”
“I told you that you could be my conscience, but do you think that anybody would listen to my apologies? I’ve never shown any remorse for stepping over the little guy and for me to do so now would be hypocritical. I will do you this one favor, and I will reach out to those that I feel I have hurt the most. I will have to compile a list. I’m sure that there are those in the past that have an ax to grind.” I watched him go into his office in his penthouse suite and looked down to see that my hands were shaking. It was almost like I was having withdrawal symptoms from not touching him in a more profound way.
I listened to his spiel over and over again about how he was willing to make things right. He was losing money, but I don’t think that it was much for him to worry about. He probably had more than he even realized. It kind of made me sad for those that were suffering and struggling every day. Watching the dregs of society crawl out of the ooze, just so that they can eat or find shelter for the night was something that I had learned wasn’t right. When I turned, I had lost that part of myself, but Hiroko and his father were able to reawaken that conscience. I was doing the same thing for Derek, and I could only hope that he wasn’t just paying lip service.