Wilson’s riding with Robert this time. Eyeing the compound that Yaga’s crew took over while everyone’s distracted about the Magi Families going to war.

“It’s good that you got your own ride now.”

Wilson commented while rolling the window down. He lit his cigarette and leaned it outside. Robert’s half-opened eyes glaring at him as the ash touched the pain of his car.

“So, what can we expect?”

“Soviet-armed thugs. Bolsheviks that have left their country after they were disgusted with the compromise of their nation. I have not asked you. Are you?”

“The one that earns more money.”

“Ah, a capitalist.”

Robert snorts at him and then checks his pistol before holstering them. His guns were on his shoulder holster and the most noticeable was the double-barreled shorty on his right thigh.

The car rolls to the front of the compound. Wilson shows his face to the guard and the guard nods at them to continue. They park at the end of the cul-de-sac with leisurely dressed men peeked out to watch them.

A man comes alone with a kalashnikov slung to the side. He stood with his hands clasped in front.

“Gentleman, I need your weapons.”

Robert got out of the car and then stood in front of the man with a simple word.

“No.”

It was a quiet commanding voice that made their trigger finger itchy. Wilson sighed loudly and stepped in.

“He’ll keep his iron. I don’t have mine.”

Robert’s half-dead look made the man stare before allowing them in the compound where they were greeted by an entourage of Slavic men eyeing the iron that Robert’s wearing. Mixed in with them were Mongols and Asians from Southeast Asia wearing semi-formal attires.

Wilson went to the office where their Boss was staying. It was located on the second floor. It smelled of smoke and newly watered plants and soil.

A man sits down arranging the cigar box on his side. He gave them a look before placing the box under his desk. He stood up. And then greeted Wilson and Robert with his arms spread.

“Welcome, welcome, I was expecting you two. Sorry if my boys did not have manners. They are not fond of the law-enforcing types.”

He took a bottle of whiskey out and a shot glass. He poured one for himself and took a sip without any intention of offering them a drink. There was an uncomfortable silence, but Wilson and Robert were like dead men staring him down. Then it came to this man that it was hard to intimidate these men and found it useless. He laughed as if amused by his act.

“I had forgotten that you two live on that side of the world. They call me Yaga. I know the two of you from my friends. Enforcer Oswald and Agent Wilson. I have been told that you represent your organization and Mr. Wilson here is the middleman.”

“That is correct.”

Wilson introduced Robert to Yaga with a placid voice.

“Enforcer Kato, meet Yaga.”

“Please. Please. So, I assume that you friends have come to warn us about our moves.”

Yaga decided to start speaking directly. With authority on his voice and like he had the permission to speak like he had the right. Robert didn’t like his tone. Agent Wilson was passive.

Hearing no protest from his initial tone of voice. He said seriously with a calm mocking tone of voice.

“The Lupu family had sponsored my crew to take over the criminal elements. At first we were thinking of moving to Georgia when one day a kind group of people with connections to this side of the world said to us. ‘Go to this city. Take over it. Be the top dog and let no criminal other than your people operate.’ My boys were obviously laughing then they showed us what they can do.”

Wilson interlocked his fingers. His face showed keen interest in the honesty that Yaga was showing. Was this honesty or was it a show of honesty?

“I have no interest in this city. I tell you the truth and what interests me is how someone would make me his puppet king for a city-state? Will I stay a puppet? Or will the puppeteer holding the strings get cut?”

Something was unusual with his words. Like borrowed words that he needed to speak in front of them. His face stirs to this cold placid one that said business. The cold demeanor came like a stony mask that he had just placed over himself.

Here’s the true Yaga without the playful mask. He raised one finger and spoke without a tone.

“I will take down the criminals of the city. We will take over their rackets. Kill and capture their members. They will be given the choice to work with me or die with their crew. Second. They will be limited to selling illegal drugs, contraband and many other possibilities that don't involve the transaction of human organs and blood.”

Like a man speaking a contract. He said with certainty that he would. Agent Wilson listened quietly.

“Quiet or loud?”

“It depends on the reception, Agent Wilson. If your office and the Enforcer’s office can come to an agreement. I will have the seat and will be a direct subordinate of the organization funded by the family, that you know, and allow a certain stability. Please, I hope that you simply do not think that we’d be foolish enough to set up shop without knowing anything?”

It was someone who knew that he had the power and the backing. It was surprisingly bare that Agent Wilson couldn’t  feel angry. Robert held no emotion to this. And Yaga who spoke to them didn’t need to lie or be indirect.

Someone wanted control of the operations here. Someone who they can use to control the criminal syndicates in this city. Stopping crime is a fantasy unless everyone has a collar or a surveillance device that warns people of their crime.

 

Robert and Wilson got a break after they talked briefly with Yaga. They had no words to speak to him and Yaga seemed like he was more an obedient puppet leashed.

“What’s your take, Oswald?”

“He’s collared by something. Either a curse or a poison that if he doesn’t take, will cause him to die. His crew can’t smell it or sense it. But my eyes can tell that there’s someone tugging on him.”

Robert felt something that was attached to him. He had been sensitive about magic after encountering Lesnik and the Devil’s words. Not to mention that he had witnessed Gia perform spells.

He can tell when there’s a spell around. It was already a feeling that his predecessor had known. He was only rediscovering it.

“Someone has a shit mood.”

Robert pointed at himself. Wilson nodded quietly and threw Robert a stick to smoke. Robert flicked his thumb on the trigger finger and lit it up. There were eyes on them.

“Is it evil to ignore evil?”

“No doubt. An inability to act in the process of evil is evil. Evil is evil no matter how you justify it to be greater good,” Robert said. “I condemn it, but I understand it.”

“Robert, I used to believe once that if you do good it will be rewarded. That if you make the right choices it will become alright as well. That if you do good it will be rewarded. That if you just grid of the problem it’ll go away. No, there's always a consequence for whatever you do. Good or bad. Righteous or evil. Always end up with something that you’d regret.”

“Quite sentimental.”

“Getting old. Trying to make sense of both sides of the world can be tough, Enforcer. However, if the bug really does fade this madness away. That we’ll have to take care of one side of the madness. It might not be so bad after all.”

Robert looked away. His mind’s foggy. Like it was swimming lately. He had always thought he could do better. Easy to say the words, hard to do. No matter how you talk bravely. It becomes a bother. 

Beyond the illusion of the mind.

Still a dead man occupying the body of a living.

Living memories that are hard to get rid off. Emotions are hard to manage when met with sweet nightmares. Robert had to cope with a professional demeanor, let it be his mask while he does jobs.

“What now?”

Wilson finished his cigarette. He took his phone out and called someone.

“That’s what they said to me. Got it. Will do.”

“My superiors said that we should lend them a hand when they need it. The Lupu Family had decided to call the Lionheart about this. They’d allow these men to operate here. Our job’s to ask the old timers here whether they want to join or get a bullet to the head.”

Robert nodded slowly and started walking back to his car with Wilson following.

 

***

 

Their next visit brought them to one of the local syndicates who had taken control of the port that Saint Lucius uses. The problem with them, after Wilson had a conversation with a man named Dawi. A polish who had been living in Saint Lucius was connected to the Witches. Some of their containers even had creatures preserved to be taken.

Wilson felt a headache coming at the possible outcome of their visits. Each racket was connected to a certain family, and somehow Robert wasn’t surprised by it.

Saint Lucius had many districts. Each district had a certain family connected to it. By the time that they were done surveying the districts. Wilson had a grim face and was calling his superiors about the situation.

Yaga’s crew just got the Lupus Family’s support.

They want to take over, not knowing that every illegal business in the city, the families were profiting from it.

It made sense to Robert that they couldn’t let go of the chance to make profit. Power and wealth was always a necessity and knowing that there might be a day where they would lose that very power means that they’d find a solution to their problem.

Wilson had expected them to take part. If anything, what he confirmed made his headache even worse since no one wanted to join the power that recently came to this city.

Yaga’s crew were ignorant and yet they were the wolves of the Lupu Family who had decided to devour the business that some of the families had here in Saint Lucius. It was a direct threat not shrouded in any secrecy. Without even daring to hide it. THen it came to Robert that the Family didn’t need to hide their intention because of their own power.

Although, most of the people that they had come to were not willing. It didn’t mean that they didn’t become wary and alert at the news that Wilson and him brought to them about the intentions of the Lupus Family.

It was past six when Robert stopped by a fast-food restaurant to eat. Wilson was writing down on his notes while massaging his forehead. Trying to figure out how to make sense. Connecting the dots and deducing the families who these racketeers and criminals were associated with.

The Yaga Crew with the backing of the Lupu Family was about to start a war with the families. Most of these families were stubborn and with money involved it wouldn’t be easy unless they offer something that would rationalize letting go of their business and livelihood to some newcomers who didn’t give them a benefit and just asked them to give it all up.

No one was willing to do that.

They’d be idiots.

No matter how big the Lupus Family was.

It was a different age where these names don’t matter as much.

Magic was potent and he can’t deny that people who can wield them are dangerous.

But so is an assault rifle chambered in with 7.62mm rounds. And the people they had visited so far were armed to the teeth with enough guns and ammunition to make the charms and trinkets they were using useless.

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