"Someone must have informed Ban about our coming. What's up with Shadow? Did he make it?" Don Black ranted when him and his cohorts all retired back to his house for a meeting.At 2AM, deep in the night, Greg Chase and his fang looked pale after facing a horrible nightmare at Mr. Ban's house. All of them stared into thin air as they pondered about what had just happened to them. "Any leads? Someone must have let the cat out of the bag and caused us this huge defeat," Don Black said again, looking at his comrades expectantly.There was silence in the room."Mr. Chase, your exerts were supposed to join us in this attempt, why didn't they show up?" Bane asked Greg Chase with a hoarse and tired voice. "It was too sudden, they said they couldn't just jump in to it like that. That's not the way they work," Greg Chase replied. "I said it earlier, Greg! I told you already, that this was happening too fast..." Don Black was saying this when Greg Chase interrupted him. "Yes, but us it not
Shadow walked to Don Black's house. By the time he got there, he could hear Bane talking about how they had lost him."You didn't lose anyone, I didn't die," Shadow announced as he walked into the house. "Shadow!" Don Black and Bane echoed at the same time, getting up to welcome him while Greg looked at Shadow, relieved that he made it. At least, Shadow would tell them what really happened inside Mr. Ban's house, and if the man was still alive indeed. "Ha! Shadow, I knew you'd make it..Someone like you can't just die like that," Bane said, praising Shadow. "Yet, I heard you crying and claiming that you had lost me. Who are you kidding?" Shadow replied, taking a seat tiredly. "Are you not happy to see me?" Shadow asked Greg Chase, considering the fact that he had not said anything. "I am," Greg Chase replied with a smile. That was probably the first time ever that Greg Chase smiled at Shadow, and Shadow could not hide his surprise in any way. "Oh, I had to almost die in the wa
"I just want to know who sold us out," Greg Chase asked. All four men exchanged glances among themselves. "We were sold out, if not we would have succeeded. There's nothing wrong with the plan that I suggested, it's just that someone told on us," Greg Chase made this as clear as day. "You might be right, but we are still on the same page. If we had thought it through properly, we would have left no room for being sold out, you get me?" Don Black said to Greg Chase politely. One thing about Don Black was that he never saw a mistake from Greg as an avenue to insult him, he always felt that Greg Chase was a special man. "What makes you thing that whoever leaked the information, still wouldn't have done so if we spent one year planning the attack?" Greg Chase asked. Don Black heaved a deep sigh. "At least we know that the spiller is not any of us here, that means it's one of our men," Bane said. Shadow immediately leaned back on his seat."I don't think I'm part of this conversati
"It doesn't work that way with me," Shadow said to Greg Chase. He could have been offended but he understood Greg's position, and the fact that they were on the same side made Shadow understand better, if not he would be cross with anyone that advised him to double-cross someone that saved his life. "I understand your position but you have to choose Shadow. Us or Ban? If you are going to protect Ban, it's best to take his side, or else you know that you should help us get him," Greg Chase explained, and he was right. Shadow had to pick a definite side. Shadow quickly came to a realization. The reason that he had not taken Barter's side was that Barter had told him that Mr. Ban was dead and that Barter was alone, prowling. So there was no need to take Barter's side since there was no head and no financial backing, but now he knew that Mr. Ban was alive.Or was Mr. Ban even alive? Shadow didn't see Mr. Ban nor hear anything from him or about him, so why was everyone so sure that th
"No, Mr. Ban is dead," Barter replied, maintaining the same aura that he had always had concerning Mr. Ban to Shadow from when Shadow first left jail. Barter was smart.Even though he was upset that Shadow asked him that question, he knew best not to show off an attitude that will confirm Mr. Ban bring alive. He knew that Shadow was suspecting that Mr. Ban was alive, that was why he was asking. "You don't need to lie to me, Barter. We are brothers. If Mr. Ban is alive please tell me so that I will abandon Don Black and that Greg of a cunt," Shadow said, and he meant every word of it. Barter glanced at Shadow secretly. He could tell that Shadow was being dead serious but he couldn't just give Mr. Ban out like that. "Shadow, you are thinking too much," Barter replied, still acting as if he didn't know what Shadow was talking about. "Barter, I'm not a child, okay? If Mr. Ban us not alive, then how come we were faced with such a heavy resistance. I bet you that you cannot have carri
''What do you think, Barter? Since rumors have started to spread that I am alive, I might as well start to go out,'' Mr. Ban said to Barter.Barter frowned in shock. ''That's a risky idea running through your mind, boss. Why do you want to go out?'' Barter asked.''Boredom. A lot is happening out there, I am making a lot to happen out there, yet here I am, locked up like a prisoner. My name is on everyone's lips, literally. But I cannot enjoy the attention because I am staying out of sight. I bet it is time to make something happen. It's time to flip the page of the script,'' Mr. Ban said with an ambitious smirk on his face. ''Boss, don't let your ego get the best of you. You are winning now boss. Look at the charts, they are back to being green and staying green, yet you want to go out there and surrender yourself to your rivals? No boss. I cannot let you do that, I cannot let that happen,'' Barter explained. ''So what are you suggesting? that I stay indoors, hiding for the rest o
Greg Chase allowed Scissors access to the surveillance that they had on Shadow. "He's Barter's friend, and they hang out together pretty often so if you listen closely enough, you might get Barter in a day or two," Greg Chase explained to Scissors as he handed over the surveillance to scissors. Scissors made a face. No wonder Greg Chase was skeptical about if he could do the job or not, both men were heavy duties that won't be easy to get past. Barter was a menace on his own, but if Shadow was going to be there when the kidnap was to take place it would be such a tussle. Scissors sighed. "What?" Greg Chase asked. "I would have been damned if I had gone on this task all by myself," Scissors replied. Greg Chase smiled. "I tried to warn you. But you can look for a way to get Barter alone. Maybe on his way to meet Shadow, you can corner him before he gets to Shadow. Shadow is a mess. I'd rather you don't even let him know when the kidnap happens. Apart from the fact that I don't w
Barter observed Scissors, trying to figure out who he was. No doubt, Barter knew that Scissors was from the rival faction, but under whose command exactly? From the way, Scissors was dressed, and the care and the well-thought-out way he had captured Barter, Barter started to think that Scissors was one of the mercenaries that Greg Chase had hired.Did Greg Chase still have enough money to maintain those mercenaries? Everyone knew that they were costly. Greg had been out of business for a long time, enough to make him consider doing away with the mercenaries if he was not courting bankruptcy. "Here," Scissors said and tossed a pair of handcuffs at Barter while he watched Barter step out of the car. Barter took the handcuffs and put them on, all the while, glaring at Scissors closely. "Who are you? Who sent you?" Barter asked. "Get inside the car, don't ask me no shit," Scissors replied. "What about my car? Are you just going to leave it there with my gun in the pigeonhole?" Bart