“Ahem.” A man across the table stood, his turn to report arriving. “From cell seven, we have successfully managed to subdue the local Tiger Claw gang and have begun integrating its members into our own.”
“Very good,” the boss at the head of the table said. Leonard had turned and asked John what the man's name was only for him to respond that no one knows.
“He was assigned by our… backers when we first began our rapid expansion some years ago,” John explained. “No one knows his name but we all know that he’s good at what he does, or the fact that he doesn’t hold back when… disciplining the often unruly local gangs.”
“Discipline?”
“He’s very brutal when forcing the local gangs into line,” John whispered. “Getting executed would be a lucky punishment when he comes around.”
“I see.”
Leonard turned back to listening to the current report with apprehension, making it a point not to look at the boss at the head of the table. While he usually would have questioned whether a fate worse than death as John had described even existed, after what he saw in the White Skull base such an ideology was long gone.
“So the local gangs don’t like working with the Bloodhounds, but are only doing so under threat?” Leonard mussed. “It could be something I could work with.”
“-verything within previous expectations.”
The member finished giving his report and took his seat, specific details obfuscated through abbreviations and lingo that only those in the know could understand. But while locations and numbers were obscured the fact that they were expanding wasn’t
“Very good,” the boss at the head of the table said. “Speed up the merger, I want them fully interrogated by next week.”
“Sir,” the member simply responded.
“Well then, that's everyone's reports out of the way.” The boss began. “Now let's move onto the main point of today's meeting.” He gestured at the man opposite him at the bottom of the table. “Kyle here becoming the newest member of our table, and manager of our new cell.”
This kicked off a round of hushed murmurs, everyone had already known it was happening, but knowing was one thing, watching it happen in person was another.
“Silence,” the boss raised his hand, the chatter instantly coming to a halt. “In our line of work loyalty is everything,” the boss continued. “Kyle has proven himself time and time again to be one of our most dedicated members. His loyalty to the organisation is unwavering, and I trust him to lead this new cell with precision and discretion.”
“Proven time and time again to be your loyal dog you mean..” Salvador couldn’t help but quip under his breath, however as quiet as he was his words did not go unnoticed. The boss's eyes turned to him, an invisible pressure radiating out and suffocating the air in the room.
“You have something to say?” His voice was even and steady, drawing out the words in a slow and methodical manner.
“Salvador! What are you doing!?” Conrad grabbed Salvador's arm and whispered in a not so quiet voice, alarm clearly showing on his face.
“Leave it old man,” Salvador pushed him away and stood to his feet. “Im sick and tired of bowing down to this fuck!” He yelled, whipping his hand down to point at the boss at the head of the table. “All he does is take take take! What’s the fucking point in joining together like this if we get nothing out of it! From today me and my boys are out!”
Salvador marched off, stomping his way around the table and towards the door, however as his hand reached down to the handle he froze, a guttural gurgling sound echoing out from his throat. He clutched at his neck, however the slight pressure was his undoing, a thin straight line of blood emerging, before his head slowly slid off his shoulders, collapsing to the ground. His eyes were still wide open, staring up at the ceiling in shock as his body fell limply to the ground.
A faint click drew everyone's eyes back to the head of the table, the boss sheathing his sword before placing it atop the table for all to see. “Well then,” he began again, voice completely calm as if what had just happened never had. “That settles Kyle here’s man power issue. All of Salvador’s men and assets will be reorganised under his new cell.” He turned to the older woman, Camilia at his side. “See to it that there are no issues.”
“Of course,” she gave a small bow.
“Very good,” he gave her a small nod in return. “Now then. Where were we? Ah yes,” he turned his attention back to the nervous wreak at the end of the table. “Why don’t you give the people gathered here a few words?”
“Ahem…” Kyle stood tentatively, a clear sheen of sweat covering his face as he tried his hardest not to keep staring at the bloody mess on the floor. “I am uh… I am truly honoured by this opportunity to umm… join this uhh… exclusive group.”
Leonard couldn’t help but feel bad for the boy, however he wasn’t about to stick his neck out for him. Everyone in the room could tell he was nervous, voice shaky and uneven as his hands kept fiddling around with his pockets. Not that anyone would blame him, or at least Leoanrd wouldn’t, he couldn’t speak for everyone else.
As Kyle finished his hesitant speech, the boss nodded in approval, a faint smile playing on his lips, seeming to enjoy the boy's unease. "Welcome to the table, Kyle,"
“Thank you sir,” Kyle bowed, maybe a bit deeply based on the frowns from the otherside of the table before quickly sitting back down, wanting to get out of the limelight as quickly as possible.
“Well that should wrap everything up then.” The boss stood, everyone around the table following suit. “Same time next week.” He said simply before marching out of the room, callously and purposely stepping on Salvador's dead body as he made his way out.
The tension in the room visibly lessoned as the door closed behind him, everyone letting out a breath they hadn’t realised they had been holding. Leonard was probably the best off out of everyone in the room, being a pilot himself he had gained some resistance to the pressure higher level pilots could exert. And the fact that he had recently advanced to Advanced.
“Well looks like you have your work cut out for you then,” John reached over and gave Kyle a pat on the shoulder. “Make sure to listen to anything Camilia has to say during this transition period. The local thugs can be quite unruly, but the old woman has ways to keep them in line.”
John said rather loudly, causing the otherside of the table to glare bloody murder at him. “Keep them in line huh?” One of the gang bosses repeated. “The fuck you mean by that John?”
“Exactly as I said,” John held the man's stare, refusing to budge.
“Eat a dick you son of a whore.” The man quipped back before standing and marching out of the room, though unlike the boss he made a point to step around the collapsed corpse of Salvador, giving the man some modicum of respect.
“Was it a good idea to anger them like that?” Leonard, or Jared as he was now couldn’t help but ask John as he watched the entire otherside of the table all get up and leave with a huff.
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” John waved off his worry. “They’re trained well enough not to bite the hand that feeds them.”
“If you say,” Leonard relented, although he didn’t think that it was that simple.
“Well I don’t know about you, but I'm about done for the night,” John stood. “Congratulations on your promotion Kyle, and good luck,” he reached over and shaked the man's hand, fake smile and all that Leonard had gotten somewhat better at reading. “And I look forward to seeing your work Jared,” he patted Leonard on the shoulder before heading out, stopping briefly to give his regards to Camilia on his way.
“So,” Leonard turned to his new ‘boss’, and while he would prefer not to call it ass kissing, that's exactly what he planned to do. “What’s the plan to start your new cell? I'm here to help as much as I can.”
“I’d appreciate that,” the young Kyle lit up at the prospect of help. “To be frank…” He trailed off, waiting for the last person to get up and leave the room, only continuing once it was just the two of them left. “I have no idea what im doing.”
Leonard hid his smile. Even if they were alone in the room, it was still in the centre of a Bloodhound base, he had no doubt that there were a million and one bugs and surveillance tools all around them.
If he could play his cards right here, he could be influential in the creation of this new cell, and in doing so learn more of the inner workings of this organisation. And perhaps, if he was being bold, take it over for himself. He had seen first hand that it wasn’t a completely unified group, the local gangs forced under the Bloodhounds umbrella weren’t too happy with their current circumstances.
“It won't be easy, but when is anything worth having ever easy.”
