THE BLACK NINJAS

Some men sneaked close to a warehouse that is constructed in the middle of a big farm of opium, and their speech was halted by their leader. 

"Shh, " the voice of El Capone was heard, as he stepped in front of the sneaking men. He halted his movement, veered back, and whispered to the men at his back. "It's dead of the night, your voice is too loud." 

"Those weaklings are sleeping by now." Another voice let out. 

"We need to suddenly plunge into them," El Capone whispered back. "Our strength lies in our sudden attack."

In truth, their strength lies in the sudden assault, as they were only twenty in number, and are about to attack an illegal opium warehouse, that is probably guarded by fifty or more men. 

The warehouse is big and rectangular, with two doors at the entrance and the rear, along with several glass panel windows. 

And it's always guarded twenty-four hours by menacingly looking men from El Ramon's gang. 

A few miles off, two guards were seen lolling their bodies on the wall close to the door, and El Capone signalled to his men to halt, he brought out his sword, then walked with the tip of his feet, and dived at the men, as one of them suddenly jerked awake. 

"We have unknown..." the man's cry out was suddenly muffled, as his head suddenly rolled off his shoulder. 

The second guard stooped to evade the second slash, he spread his arms and dived to knock his attacker down. 

El Capone hopped off his reach, turned suddenly, and chopped the two outstretched arms, then the head, as the man opened his mouth to scream. 

"You are as fast as an eagle!" One among the men exclaimed. 

"Aye, our boss is getting better." Another man let out in a whisper. 

"Where are the kegs of fuel?" El Capone asked. 

"Over here." One among the men answered back. 

Wet the whole area, then set them all ablaze."

"What?" 

"You heard me right, Banjo. I said set them all ablaze."

The man called Banjo was the second in command, he was a tall man with a barrel kind of chest, and thin legs that seemed to be wobbling from the loads they were carrying.

He glared menacingly at the men at his side and whispered in a hissing voice.

"You heard what the boss said, set them ablaze."

In a few minutes, the whole warehouse was wet with fuel, and the splashing of it, as it landed on the wooden building was heard by the inhabitants, who instantly raced towards the entrance and the exit to attack the intruders. 

But El Capone's men were already stationed at the two doorways, and close to all the window glasses.

 As soon as a few among the guards emerged at the doorway, they were attacked, then drove back into the warehouse, and the attacking and counter-attacking raged on. 

"Break the glass and pour it inside." El Capone shrieked at the men's sluggishness. 

The glasses were shattered with just a punch from Banjo's sledgehammer, and the men quickly pour some of the fuel inside.

"Get off the warehouse now!" El Capone cried out, he dipped his hand inside his pocket and brought out a fat Cuban cigar and a lighter. He lights the cigar, inhales it once, then throws it inside one of the broken windows of the warehouse, and everything instantly goes boom.

It was an emergency gathering of the merchant stakeholders, and their faces looked grim, to portray their turbulent minds. 

"El Capone and his men had been destroying our warehouse and killing our men, yet El Ramon cowered and only send weaklings to protect us." The priest cried out. 

"We have lost millions of dollars in a few days!" Another man exclaimed. 

"We already paid El Ramon for security." 

"There is no security until El Capone is killed." Priest mumbled. 

"Killing him will be a bit difficult, as he is always surrounded by his men."

"Yes, but I heard there is a lady that is willing to give him up because of love." The priest announced. 

"That is marvellous!" The men exclaimed. 

"We need to assist El Ramon to take his brother out of the way." Priest said. 

"But how can we help him, when he won't tell us anything?" One among the men asked. 

"I now have my spy in his house, that was how I knew of the treachery going on in El Capone's palace."

"You are a shrewd businessman, am glad we are on the same team." 

The priest smirked at his follower's compliment. Calling him shrewd is an understatement, none of the men with him knew of his ultimate desire. None will ever know, until the right time. 

But for now, they will call him insane, if they hear the magnitude of his ambition. "We need an assassin that can't be traced to us, nor the house of El Ramon." 

"Arg! That will be too difficult, and the amount will -" 

"The amount is not the problem, I can afford to pay twenty million dollars for El Capone's head." The priest cut into the speech of the speaking man. 

"Then the problem is half solved." The man concluded his speech. 

"Where can we see a qualified assassin?" 

"The most honourable and feared assassin gang, known around here are the black ninjas." An aged bald man replied. 

"And where can I contact any of their agents?"

"Johji inn." One among the men answered back. "You just make your intention known in the inn, and someone will contact you, within ten days, if you are believed to be worthy of their services."

"I have heard of their unfathomable power and secrecy." The priest announced, after a few minutes of deep thought. 

"Yes, their secrecy is next to none, and they are reliable."

"I heard they will only guarantee one attempt, and the assassin will either die trying to achieve his task or commit suicide afterwards if he fails." One among the men in seating let out. 

"One assassin in one attempt? We need at least ten of them." The priest announced. 

"Their fee is exorbitant and we can't possibly raise such an amount."

"You can't, but I can. I can pay anything to get El Capone out of the way." The priest mumbled back. 

"Then I will be spreading the news that I need the service of the black ninja." 

"Please do this as soon as possible. Remember it's very urgent and more delay is dangerous." The priest said.

"We need to summon El Ramon as well, we must know his plan." One among the men let out. 

"Yes, I have asked for his presence." The priest announced, stood up from his seat, and sauntered out of the big hall.