I went to the small bathroom that this "office" had, and washed my face. I needed a small moment to think. To be honest, more than anything, my mind was racing. Some small feelings of inadequacy hit me when I looked at myself. While it was easy to get into the violent mindset at the moment, it was somewhat hard to manage any other time.
This is an easy job, I repeated it in my own mind. I didn't recognize the foreigner, and whatever this is is completely out of my hands. Maybe it's best to think about the bigger picture. I'm here for the information that Ms. Dakila has, no matter what I have to do. It's why I accepted being her lackey for these past few months, anyway. So focus on an individual endgoal, rather than whatever happens in the middle. That made some sense. It at least made me feel a little better.
I wondered what master Atsuko would think seeing her own pupil become a thug for a yakuza gang. This train of thought unfortunately happened from time to time, and it was hard to get away from. It's not hard to picture her being disappointed. While she rarely was upset at me, it was easy to find moments in my mind where I let her down, rare as they may be. All of her students were troublemakers: from me, to Maya, to even Yua. Whenever we caused a mess, even the really easygoing master sighed loudly and said, "don't do that again, alright?"
I know I shouldn't, master. I won't ask you to let much pain slide again. Just this one time, though, I'm begging for forgiveness. I don't really know what I'm doing, here, but I know it's not going to be good. Just this once, I hope you'll allow me to go through with it, without too much of a heavy conscience. After all, it's for your sake. I need to do this so your soul can finally rest in peace.
I got out of the bathroom, not feeling relieved but feeling more determined. Dakila apparently changed the channel to what seemed to be an action movie; there was some white, bald man fighting some other man in a railway car. I didn't find it particularly impressive or interesting. I went towards the suitcase that was thrown around haphazardly in the corner, and lifted it. It wasn't heavy at all. In fact, it was quite light: even a child could carry this.
"What is in this?" I asked, then felt stupid for asking. I wouldn't get an answer, and shortly after I realized my mistake.
Ms. Dakila makes case in point: "None of your business, kid. Don't open it, just deliver it." She didn't even look at me when I said that. The boss seemed more interested in her movie rather than answering dumb questions.
So I tried asking a smart one. "Where is the dropoff point?" Dropoff point. That's a term I learned from one of the many action movies she watches.
"Know King's Road Bar, at the center of town?" I recognized the name, even though I never been. It was a small bar, tucked away at a small corner in the center of town. From what I understood, though, it was meant more for enthusiasts and older folk. A somewhat fancy establishment. "She's already waiting for you there."
"What's her name?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Why, you interested?" Ms. Dakila laughed, then coughed once, but regained her composure shortly after. "It's Verity."
I didn't like that she teased me like that. I never really did. The name Verity at least implied she was from Vertera, maybe. She came a very long way for whatever's in this suitcase. I walked towards the exit. "This is where it ends. Remember that," I warned Dakila once I reached the door, then opened it.
King's Road Bar was at least close-by. Maulap City is separated into countless small districts (all of them with their own small sub-districts), but when you mention the "center of town" to anyone, it's somewhat very literal rather than just a hotspot where most things are. If you looked at a map of Maulap, you'd see that it has a sort of circular shape. Each of the nine districts gets its own slice of this big circle, each with their own sizes and shapes, but the middle of the city is the biggest one.
Making even a smaller slice of this pie your territory was an enthralling prospect for any gang, though few could make it that far. Eight districts were separated evenly between only four big yakuza groups, all of which had their own small subsidiaries and smaller families joining their mold. The Center, or the "First District": that's unmarked territory. Don't be mistaken, however, that it is out of kindness or respect. From my understanding, the four groups are constantly arguing about it or fighting for it, but it seems to have reached a bit of a permanent stalemate.
The Dakila family is just one of the smaller families that joined a mold of the Second District's leaders, the Villanueve group. Calling the Dakila family small would be giving it too much grace, almost. It was one step above just being a group of mooks doing things aimlessly, but that's as much credit as I could give them. Though Ms. Dakila knew this place well, and knew things I couldn't imagine. Most of this? It's what she taught me, albeit abridged, and it's clear she was holding things back. She's an informant; the best lead to my master's killer.
As I reminisced, I arrived at the First District. It's very clear when you're getting closer when you see that tower that's under construction. From what I can tell, that thing is quite literally in the very very center of Maulap City. While the yakuza gangs control most of this city, they have nothing to do with that tower. It's a project from some sort of foreign energy company or something like that. I didn't look into it that much deeper, but it's clear it's a big deal, even though I must admit it's a bold statement. The four leaders shouldn't be happy about this at all, yet they're letting this go through without too much issue or fuss. I wondered why, but then realized I had better things to be doing than worrying about this.
The crowds didn't die down, even in the night like this. I became just another shadow as I wandered towards the bar. It was easy to find; the First District had many shops, but they were well-organized. It's simple to just say, go where the bars are, and you'll be in the right track. I saw a sign that said King's Road Bar. Even the door screamed "fancy" with its nice wood.
I knocked at the door a couple of times, but heard no answer from whoever was inside. Then I realized shortly after my mistake that this was a bar, and that this isn't really something that I need to do. I can just go in. Frustrated at my own stupidity, I opened the door quietly.
Before I could even register how beautiful this place was, the owner of the bar, an older gentleman with a moustache and a kind face, tilted his head to the side as he cleaned his glass. "Oh, are you lost, child? I'm sorry, but you can't be here…"
A few of the already small number of clients looked at me, but they seemed to believe that the bartender could handle the situation.
"It's fine, Reyes." A woman sitting on a bar stool put a coin on the counter, and it seems like it pacified the older gentleman. Looking at her closer, she was the woman in the picture, even down to the suit she was wearing. Unlike Ms. Dakila, everything about her seemed very expensive and well-kept together. She had her legs crossed and a stern expression on her face as she looked over at me. "You're the one Villanueve sent?"
I stayed silent for a second, pondering over the question. Technically, I guess that's correct. Ms. Dakila worked for Villanueve. But the idea that a group like Villanueve's would leave a task that has someone expecting the main group to a family like Ms. Dakila's bothered me. I cast my thoughts aside for now, however, as I nodded. "Yes."
She turned her gaze to the older gentleman - Reyes. "We'll be in the back. Don't bother us." He simply nodded, and she stood back up and looked at me once more. "Let's go."
Verity wandered towards a door at the back of the establishment. I looked at Reyes once, then directly in front of myself as I started following her. We arrived in what seemed be a different booth than most of the ones here; it was more quiet and private, not to mention far away from the rest of the other ones. Almost like it was particularly set up for things like this.
Verity entered the booth and sat down on one of the sofas. I sat down across for her, setting the suitcase on the table. It made a small thud sound. Verity raised an eyebrow, "Be more careful with that," she warned, a small exasperation in her voice.
That just made me more curious. It was like an itch I couldn't scratch. "What is in this?"
The woman scoffed, incredulous, but then took a second and seemed to realize or understand something. After, she maintained her composure. "If your boss didn't tell you, then it really is none of your business. I'm going to hand you the money now, and we'll go our separate ways."
What she said next can just be considered absurd. Verity grabbed a small bag of money, and slid it over to me. I grabbed it, and it was quite heavy, unlike the man's wallet just a short while ago. A mindboggling number came out of her mouth: "A thousand hydra. It's all there."
"A thousand?" I balked without really realizing my own reaction. Verity had an expression of pride, like she was at least in some way somewhat enjoying my disbelief.
"Yes, a million Crescents." However, that pride disappeared quickly, as she grabbed the suitcase, turned it around towards her, and slid it nearer. I didn't resist. "Whatever you yakuza do with it is not my problem."
I shook my head and tried to regain my composure. Despite her being somewhat stern, the expression in Ms. Verity's eyes was easy to understand. She wanted to check what was in the suitcase, but was conflicted about me being here. It seems she was debating in her head what to do for a brief moment, before realizing: "Wait. Stay here. Put the money on the table."
I put the money on the table like she asked, still near me. Verity rubbed the back of her own neck, grimacing. "I'm just going to check what's in the suitcase, and if it's in here, you can leave. If it's not, then I'm going to want to talk to your boss."
Why was she telling me this? Despite her confidence from earlier, it seems she thought this setup was slightly too shady or suspicious, as there was a hint of doubt in her body language. I couldn't blame her: it was. But that was something she had to be aware of from the beginning ever since she stepped foot in Maulap City, which made me feel she was a bit amateurish. A hard feeling for me to grasp with, but it did make me feel a bit superior for a brief moment. I hoped I didn't let it show when I said, "Okay."
Verity cautiously started opening the suitcase. When she did, she lifted the lid upwards slightly, and for a brief moment took a glimpse of what's inside. I heard a small noise coming from inside, like a snoring mixed with a growling, but it was short. The second she saw what was inside, she closed the suitcase instantly. Verity seemed more nervous, but there was a small smile to her face, like she felt some sort of thrill from what was inside. There was a tiny drop of sweat on her cheek. "Okay--"
That was when it happened. There was a loud gunshot, not too far from this booth. I heard Reyes yell, and then there was a heavy thud. Afterwards, there was another gunshot, and another yell. The sounds were getting closer. I could feel myself get a little bit tense with each passing moment, and then I realized I was holding my breath.
"Fuck," Verity cursed under her breath, and then grabbed a gun from inside her jacket. I couldn't feel much killing intent from her. Just someone who knew they messed up.
I understood the feeling well.