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But he’s one of my most important characters. One I need to go see a very important player in the game.
Dad's not wrong about one thing, that's for sure. There is a war coming. I’ve seen in on the streets. From the looks of it, it's going to be a three-pronged assault, maybe more. There's other players trying to move into town.
We've got the city council, Dad's people. Most of the upper crust are on his side, ready to dump their money into keeping themselves on top.
Second, there’s the Block, the Motorcycle gang that runs guns, sells bone-breaking security details. They've got their own territory, highway routes. They keep a compound on the edge of town, well-hidden.
Last, you’ve got the Holy Ghosts, a collection of drug addicts, street gangs, and pimps. They run Wharfside, the trailer park, the back end of the railyard.
All three of them are carefully balanced by the other power in SH.
The person I work for.
“For fuck’s sake, Jack, you look like shit.” Oliver Devonde doesn't bother hiding his disgust at my appearance in his office. Jack is haggard, itching for his next fix. Devonde glares at my ragged suit and tie.
“Heh, not all of us got showers in their offices!” I cackle.
And Devonde is not amused. “Well?” he demands in his nasal whine, always furious.
I cough, slipping into my tweaker voice. “Checkin’ in. News.” Jack is a fence, a messenger for the Holy Ghosts. Spreads news, reports to Oliver Devonde, who also happens to be the head of one of the most successful pharma producers in the world.
“Make it quick. How’re the numbers this week?” He sets down his phone, glaring at me with those beady eyes. He’s a walking skeleton, wiry, bald. The only swatch of hair, his gray goatee, makes his face look even longer, gaunter.
“Good, good. Jelly says he needs more product for the brothel. Only shortfall is Leo and Bull. Fuckers got their asses beat, hard.”
“By whom?”
“Not sure. You think it could be the same guys that’s been targeting our captains?” I know exactly who beat the shit out of Leo and his guys. I was there. And I know Gavin is not who has been killing off gang lords.
“That is a good question. One I need you to find me an answer for.”
“What do you mean? You need me to pass along a message for the crews to keep an eye out?” As far as Jack is concerned, Devonde has more resources than he does.
“No. Not this time. I need you to get involved. Find out if the Block is taking out our people.”
“Uh… Boss, I’m happy to do anything you need, but how am I s’posed to get in to see them? The Block compound is a fuckin’ fortress!”
“Exactly. I need to know if they are building an army in that fortress and preparing to wipe us out!” He’s on his feet, fingers clawing his desk. “I dragged these pathetic street thugs up and gave them a purpose. I gave them a product to sell, money, and power! I will not sit back and have it all torn down. It’s high time the balance in Sanctum Harbor shifted toward me.”
Me. He doesn’t think of the Holy Ghosts as humans.
They’re just meat for the grinder, fodder for him to use.
And he’s right. Most of his crews are the scum of the earth. But there are innocents, too. The whores. The teens they sucker into delivering. The mules.
A few decades ago, the Ghosts were just street gangs until Devonde brought them all together. Until Devonde opened his factory east of town. Where he makes illicit drugs under completely ‘legal’ pretenses. Then ships them out into the world.
“How do I buy my way in?”
“Offer them a deal. Ask for parlay. Someone has been targeting our guys. Key figures, key sellers. Don’t make accusations. Just give the Block a chunk of territory, offer them free drugs, I don’t fucking care, just find out who’s killing my pawns. And find out how big of a threat they pose to our expanding our reach.”
Jack is dismissed without another word. He’s sweating bullets for the job he has to go do.
Fortunately, he, I, don’t have to actually do any of that.
I’ve got someone else on the inside in the Block MC. And Dirk is overdue for a check-in at the compound.
I leave Devonde Medical, shaking off the persona of Jack and the sickening feeling I get whenever I have to talk to that maniac. He’s a sociopath. One of these days, I’m going to see this fucker burn for poisoning this town.
