Iguana was what they called him.

He was a bald man with a lizard tattoo on his neck.

Rubio Ferric with his body sits sharply.

Back straight and hands interlocked.

His questioning eyes and frozen expression made the man called Iguana feel like he was a student being lectured by his superior.

“We lost a lot of men. My boys saw how these fuckers were using magic. Now, I know that this doesn’t make sense.”

“It makes sense, Lopez,” he said calmly. “I’ve met with these people and they are tenacious. If anything I am pleased that your men were able to escape.”

“It took sacrifice, but they were not invincible.”

“They are not. Hmm, are our operations in this region costly?”

“It is. We heard that a team of Americans is interfering alongside these freaks. Our boys are being careful, spreading them, moving on a smaller scale.”

“Are we getting profit?”

“We do,” he took a piece of paper out. “I had the boys make a list. Half our revenue has been cut off in this region. The rest outside is getting hit, but they haven’t been affected.”

Rubio drew a map of the area.

Most of the hits were happening north of his place, specifically around Europe. He had heard from his subordinates that most of the attacks can be traced back to where they began. Saint Lucius, a strange city-state in Croatia that was strangely independent. He had made moves there because of the port that they have, but even he could tell that it all started because his subordinate got killed there.

It was Dayton who was in charge of the operations there. He was the first friend that fell.

But there was no blame on Rubio’s words.

All that was in Rubio’s mind was that he failed to notice these variables.

He added them in his head.

Finding a better way to get out of this alive.

There are our competitors who are probably going to use this to entrap us, Rubio thought. They are going to be the problem first. Then the elements who fought us killed Dayton and started this. Hmm, they are hidden, strong, and certainly burrowed. Information is hidden and they have a vastly superior information network.

Seeing Rubio go into deep thought. Iguana calmly waited. He knew it better to interrupt Rubio now. The last time someone did, it ended with a punch to the face and a beating from his people.

Their versatility and their network mean they should have been able to find us, which means that they are not omniscient and that they still need clues to find us. They wouldn’t have captured Guzman. Can they read memories? Or use some sort of magic that can reveal the truth? If the Americans who are hitting us hard are part of them, no, it should be right to assume that they are helping with dismantling them. 

Now Rubio was going to what was the cause.

What made them so eager to do this when in the last years they didn’t care?”

It’s the Order of the Solar Temple and the Sin-Eaters. Organ trafficking is not unusual alongside the slave trade to sweatshops and factories. I haven’t got into trouble and is it because of human trafficking? No, from the start what those magicians wanted was this wine of blood that they concoct and sell to rich men who want to extend their life. The younger the child, the purer this wine is. It is said to have a magical effect due to the concoction’s nature.

He looked at the data again.

The timeline checks out.

If they are after the concoction then it should be clear that the reason they are after me is because of this wine. Those sin-eaters were talking about humans like they were cattle as well — and I know better than they are using human beings as cattle like they were for a sacrificial purpose.

Rubio checked on the previous conversation with the Sin-Eaters and made his own conclusion based on it.

They are going after me not because of the organs, but because of the human trafficking and the sale of the blood. As for organs, there is a high chance they don’t care about that. What they care about are human cattle and their blood.

“Iguana. Tell me, are the rackets they hit mostly the human trade and the blood transfusion operations?”

“Yes, Boss.”

“I see.”

That’s enough clues to figure out why. But looking at the damage there is a high chance that they will not stop to hunt us down. The question is, even if we do pull out… will they stop hunting us? Or have they decided in earnest that we are despicable monsters that need to be eliminated?

Rubio took his phone out. He dialed a number and signaled for Iguana to keep quiet.

“Ferric. You called, what is it?”

“Do I have an assurance that this attack against me will stop?”

“Are you scared?”

“I am asking if it is worth my men getting killed to continue this transaction. There is no evidence, no reason to continue this unless I have assurance.”

“And miss out on the money they are paying?”

“You don’t understand. Yes, a lot of money is flowing into us. But the attack on our operations and the loss of competent workers isn’t enough. Without them, this deal is nothing more than a loss-creating transaction. That is why I need assurance that you can protect me and my business.”

There was no answer.

“You will not pull out. Do you understand me?”

“I don’t. Threats are boorish and you must understand that it does not work on me.”

“You are a decisive man, Rubio Ferric.”

“This causes more than I want. This is nothing personal and I assure you that all transactions that have been done will be completed priorly.”

“Do you really wanna let go of this cooperation, Mr. Rubio Ferric?”

“You speak as if I have no money. It saddened me but this will be the end of our cooperation.”

Rubio finished the call. Iguana stared at him, clearly questioning him about how he had ended the cooperation.

“Is this wise?”

“Iggy, you need to understand that there are many reasons why I choose to end our cooperation. First, it’s too dangerous. They guaranteed our safety and yet they couldn’t stop the waves after a wave of attacks. Both sides are doing their best to eliminate the transaction.”

Rubio raised two fingers.

“Secondly, the loss of personnel. The disruption of our old businesses and the fall of the branches. We are risking our own rackets to transport what they want. We have invested money into this and although it is a shame to let it go. We can cover our loss by pulling out before disaster strikes.”

He raised three fingers.

“And lastly I have come to a conclusion that this business with them will not last. Their desperation for live humans, blood, and organs is born out of fear that this will be their chance to extend their lifespan.”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“This magic will soon pass. It will come to an end so they have to young themselves before it's too late.”

Iguana had been able to survive because of the charms and trinkets that absorbed the damage. He has gotten used to relying on them. He understood how powerful these trinkets are and how these charms save lives.

“So it’ll be all useless.”

“Then this transaction will be useless in the end. So instead of relying on them, we need to lessen the damage.”

“But the guys that died…”

“Will be buried and their families compensated. We can fight anyone for this, but when it comes to these people who wield magic. We need to be careful. We need to be vigilant.”

Iguana knows that this was the rational path. But humans were commonly irrational to the point of frustration. They do more than they think and sometimes do and think collides leaving them frozen and unable to act.

“We lost a lot of good men. We will lose more. So I hope that you understand where we are going with this. We cannot wage war against these monsters. We can fight men who play our field, but people like this.”

“And what if we provoked them?”

“Then we fight hard. As we always do. We have to turn to other businesses. Create new opportunities that require no interaction with these magicians and cannibals.”

Iguana dropped his shoulders.

“Not that I cared about interacting with these monsters. It’ll be a joy to finally not butcher men like cattle.”

“Indeed…”

The revenue loss will be painful for his organization and will be quite massive.

Nonetheless, Rubio had always believed that if there is no reason to do business then he shall not do business. He doesn’t sell humans because he liked it, simply because it was profitable.

Moral qualms were already beyond his scope.

After he met with Iguana.

Rubio returned to his safehouse where he took a burner phone and called a number.

“Mr. Jones.”

“Rubio Ferric, the most wanted man of Europe. You have attracted a lot of attention from the bad to the worse. How can I help you, Ferric?”

“I have decided to quit in regards to my dealings with the cult and the Sin-Eaters.”

“That will not excuse you.”

“I know. I’m willing to give up all the locations of the humans we gathered. Their exact position.”

“You will get rid of any trace of you then?”

“Obviously, what I offer you is around 40 thousand live men and women, young and old in exchange for this.”

“Forty thousand lives…”

“They are useless to you, Mr. Jones. But imagine the report. Agent Jones manages to uncover forty-thousand people that were about to be trafficked by soulless men for their blood and organs.”

“An interesting take, but we know that you aren’t doing this as a gift.”

“You know me too well, Mr. Jones. So is it a deal?”

“Give me the location of the dead drop. I want every location. I don’t see you as a coward, but you must be seeing quite a loss to do this.”

“Men who can throw fireballs from their hands. Who can create concoctions that make old men and women young again? It is troublesome. And knowing that this isn’t going to last. Might as well not dip my foot on that side.”

“It wouldn’t be easy to get away with this. My reach is limited. These families who have put a target and a bounty on your head will not comply with any government other than their own.”

“And that is why I’m offering you these people and possibly more, Mr. Jones.”

Rubio took out a Rosario with a small ruby on it.

“I will get these people. Are you going back to your old trade?”

“We never let go of those trades. We might have lost two but it will not affect our business.”

“I see.”

The call was cut off. Rubio looked at the phone and then broke the phone in half. He leaned on the railing of his safehouse and eyed the gardener maintaining the hedges.

This will give us time to escape. Get rid of some paper trail. Recruit men and gather people to take back old routes. If they don’t stop then we lay off, make plans and wait for them. Don’t make the mistake of vengeance and poor assessment of your foes. Never underestimate them, Rubio.

He is strong. He has the manpower. He has the arms to defend their trade and make it hard for them to win. But a war that is won without doing anything is what Rubio prefers. If giving up two of their business to keep the ship floating and cut off the rotten parts that had been attached, then he was willing to do it.

And if they keep coming despite all of this.

Then we’ll fight back like cornered animals.

Rubio swore to himself as he gazed up to the skies.