"boss... Boss... Please calm yourself" whispered Ivan, as placed a gentle hand on his Boss's shoulder.
Lloyd on the other hand had been zoned out for several moments after he saw the man in front of him. His kinds were filled with memories of that night, over a decade ago, when his family was killed, and now the culprit was here in front of him. That night he never saw the bastards face, so he never had anything to go off, but now that had changed. Lloyd soon released his clenched fist, and took a deep breath, he would have to control his bloodlust for now. "Who the hell are you?" asked the man with the dragon tattoo, suspicious of Lloyd and Ivan. "Oh, sorry I haven't introduced myself, my name is Simon Harland, this is my friend Ivan" replied Lloyd. "How exactly do you know my nephew?" He asked, still suspicious. Both Ivan and Lloyd would heavily suppress their gasp. Did he just say that Jacob was his nephew? "I was the one who brought him here after he overdosed" explained Lloyd, causing the man to laugh. "HA!, I didn't know Jacob had anyone who still gave a shit about him to help him" the man said, extending his hand to Lloyd. "I'm Camren Stillman" said Camren as Lloyd shock his hand, making Ivan breathe a sigh of relief that his boss wasn't killing this man. "That's a nice tattoo you've got there, what does it mean?" asked Lloyd. Camren covered the tattoo slightly, obviously uncomfortable with the question. "Say, you look like a strong and capable man... what do you think about doing some work for me?" asked Camren "A nice offer Camren, but I'll have to decline" replied Lloyd. "Dissapointing, but if you ever need money, ask Jacob... he'll tell you where to find me". As Lloyd stepped out of the hospital, Ivan could see the rage in form of steam, emanating from his boss's body. "HE WAS RIGHT THERE!" yelled Lloyd in the car park. "The man who took everything from me, I wanted to kill him so bad, but..." But Lloyd knew that at best, this Camren Stillman was a high-ranking enforcer, working for one of the many gangs that operated in Hilburg. So he knew he couldn't kill him before he found out who exactly sent him that night. Turning to Ivan, his eyes red with rage, Jacob commanded "I want everything you can find on him, EVERYTHING!" Lloyd had initially planned to return to Lisa after seeing Jacob, but the appearance of his uncle had complicated things. Would it truly be right to kill the uncle of his best friend, a man who did care enough about him to visit him in hospital. What if it caused Jacob to spiral even more, even possibly killing him. Jacob sighed, was he selfish enough to let his friend die to satisfy his own vengeance? Because of this, Lloyd decided that he would have to go back to Jacob after Ivan provided him the necessary information on Carmen. Lloyd wouldn't have to wait too long, merely two hours later, Ivan would inform Lloyd that he had complied a comprehensive profile of Camren. It apparently wasn't hard to do now that they had his face and name. "Camren Stillman, 47 years old, unmarried, no children" began Ivan. "Good, no one will miss him when he's gone" expressed Lloyd. Except Jacob, a voice sounded in Lloyd's head. "It seems like he's a gun for hire, operates a squad of assassins named the Draguns" "So my instincts were right, he was in fact hired that night, but the question is by whom?" wondered Lloyd. "Unfortunately there is no clear profile on that boss, he seems to work with anyone willing to pay him enough at the moment" replied Ivan. Lloyd groaned in anger, "That means we're just going to have to find out from him" "He owns a bar on the west side of town, apparently that's where him and his gang congregate the most, if we want to find him, that'll probably be a good place to start" explained Ivan. "But first I have to go back to see Jacob again, he has a lot to answer for this uncle of his" concluded Lloyd. Ivan nodded in agreement, but knew that deep down his boss was conflicted. As the top enforcer to the sun king, Lloyd was no stranger to getting his hands dirty, but Ivan knew that this case was different. He had a personal stake in this, unlike the others. Both Lloyd and Ivan would head back to Jacob's hospital room. There Lloyd found Jacob already trying to get out of bed. "Hey man, what the hell are you doing? You're not ready to move around just yet" cautioned Lloyd. "I can't be wasting my time here man, I need to make money Asap" responded Jacob, still trying to rise from the bed. "Who are you going to kidnap this time?" asked Lloyd, his face angry. Jacob was silent, but stopped trying to get out of the bed. "Don't worry, I promise I'll cover any debts you have, just get some rest" added Lloyd, as Jacob finally lay back on the bed. "I encountered your uncle earlier today, what's his deal?" asked Lloyd. Jacob's mood soured immediately, as he turned his face away. "BAH, uncle my ass... he's my uncle in name only, he treats me like nothing but shit, and is the reason I'm where I am today" said Jacob. "So you're saying you don't like him?" asked Lloyd. "Like him, I HATE HIS GUTS!" yelled Jacob. "When I lost my job, and became homeless, I asked him for help, and he gave me a loan and bought me a taxi" began Jacob. "But little did I know that he was putting me in a debt trap, and when I couldn't pay him back fast enough with my taxi business, he ordered used it to do his dirty work" "He came here today to collect this week's payment, and when I said I didn't have it..." Lloyd could now see the massive bruise on Jacob's temple, it was obvious Camren had hit him. While this should have caused Lloyd great anger, it actually caused him to smile. "I'm guessing that if something bad were to happen to Camren, you wouldn't care?" asked Lloyd. "Not even a little, in fact I'd even pay someone to whack him if I could" replied Jacob. And with that, Camren Stillman's fate was sealed. **** The time was 1:03 am, Camren had been partying at his club for the past 6 hours straight. This was the last time he'd get this much spare time for a while, as he had a very “special” job coming up, so he decided to have as much fun as possible. So far, the night was going great, and he was partially drunk. Usually, he wouldn't let himself be so vulnerable, but he was surrounded by his boys, gunmen part of his assassin squad, so he felt he was safe. Suddenly, an unknown man would bump into Camrens shoulder, causing him to slump slightly. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE..." But the man had disappeared into the crowd. Camren sighed... "fucking bitch", he thought, angrily as he continued his partying. Soon though, he got even drunker, and soon realized that he had to pee. At first, he wanted to head to the bathroom, but it seemed so far away due to his drunken state, so he decided to go through the back door and do his business outside. After he finished urinating at a nearby alley close to the club, he heard a rattling sound close to the dumpster. "WHO'S THERE?!" yelled Camren, but no one answered. Camren then reached into his coat for his gun, but he couldn't find it. "Are you looking for this?" asked a powerful voice coming from behind him. Camren turned around only to see a shadowy figure blocking the entrance of the alley, holding his gun. "Who are you?" asked Camren, as the man slowly stepped out of the shadows. "Simon Harland?" asked Camren as he saw the man's face. "Simon Harland?" asked Lloyd, feigning confusion, "Oh that's what I told you my name was... But I lied" "My true name, is Lloyd... Lloyd Bishop" Upon hearing this name, Camren's eyes would widen in horror as he took a few steps backwards. "No, that's impossible... your family was eliminated" he said. "Indeed, by you and your goons, with this very gun" responded Lloyd, as he looked at Camrens gun, a gun he remembered well from its dragon medallion. Sensing the danger he was in, Camren would attempt to scream for help, but a hand would come from behind to cover his mouth before tossing him far away from the club This was Ivan's planned ambush. Seeing that he was outnumbered, and his scream wouldn't reach anyone, he pulled out a knife from his pocket, and readied himself to fight. "C'mon then, you want your revenge?, Let's see you try me, you son of a bitch" he said. Lloyd suddenly charges at Camren like a freight train, dodging Camren's stab before grabbing the older man's hand and snapping it. This causing Camren's bone to pop out in a bloody mess, but this wasn't enough for Lloyd, as he proceeded to rip his hand off along with the blade. "ARGH!!" yelled Camren in pure agony, as the blood spilled from his wound. Ivan, seeing how much the man was bleeding, knew that he would die from blood loss soon, so he stomped on his arm. This shattered even more of Camren's bones, causing him to scream even louder, but the bleeding did stop. "HEY!" yelled Lloyd, as he gave Camren a powerful slap across his face, before squatting in front of the man. "Shut the hell up, there is no amount of screaming that's going to save you" said Lloyd. "Your fate has already been sealed, and tonight is your last night on this earth Mr Stillman, but..." Lloyd would pause as he looked at the man's agonized face, "If you tell me exactly who sent you after my family that night..." "I promise your agony before death will be way less than you deserve" Lloyd offered."I won't tell you a damn thing" said Carmen, still trying to be deviant. Lloyd would laugh manically at this defiance. "Oooh what a wonderful response, you have no idea how much I wished you would struggle" remarked Lloyd, as he turned to Ivan. "Did you bring the kit?" He asked. Ivan nodded, and set down the backpack he had been carrying all this while. Lloyd would opening it, revealing that it contained scalpels, razors, burning salts, and other unspeakable horrors. "Y'know, while the position of Mother confessor belongs to the crimson duchess, I am not too shabby with confessions myself" joked Lloyd, as he pulled out a blade. Camren began quivering violently, horrified at what was going to happen to him. "Hold him down Ivan, cause it's about to get messy" said Lloyd with a satisfied smile. For the next 30 minutes, Camren would feel more pain than time than in his entire life combined. Dean had completely broken his will, and he was now ready to say anything just t
Lloyd was still, so still, that he could hear the wind rustling between him and... he still couldn't believe itCompletely forgetting the things that their things were lying across the floor, both men would rise simultaneously, their gazes locked.Both men had the exact same look on their faces, the look of men who had just seen a ghost."Lloyd... is that... you?" asked Mason, his voice conveying his shock.“Uncle Mason?” Lloyd’s voice was cool, but Mason could still hear the alarm in them."We can't talk here" said Mason, looking around himself in suspicion.He had absolutely not accounted for something as significant as Lloyd showing up, so he wanted to make sure they were alone."Lets go to the inner cafeteria, it's more private" offered Mason, as he quickly gathered his things, before heading back into the mall.Lloyd was incredibly suspicious of this entire situation, but he was more curious than he was suspicious, so he decided to follow him.Once they were both seated at the in
The night air was thick with tension, as Lloyd accompanied Lisa up the narrow stone path leading to her family’s compound. A slight chill ran through him, though not from the cold, as he wasn't sure exactly how this reunion would turn out. He could sense the unease in Lisa’s steps as they reached the doors. She paused, resting a hand on the doorknob, her expression a mixture of anxiety and apology. “They’re… they can be difficult,” she murmured, glancing at him with a look that warned him, yet pleaded for patience. Lloyd gave a reassuring smile. “I can handle difficult, don’t worry.” Lisa managed a faint smile, and knocked on the door. Soon, the door would creak open, and a short, tan woman wearing a maid outfit would peer through. "Who...?" she was confused, as she recognized neither of the people she saw. "It's me aunt Jenna" replied Lisa tears in her eyes. Suddenly, the maid's eyes lit open in shock. "Lisa?" she muttered in disbelief. "You're... You're heal
The morning sunlight slanted through the thick curtains, casting a warm, golden glow across the room as Lisa stirred awake. For a brief, blissful moment, she forgot the past night’s turmoil and tension.But as she blinked her eyes open,she found herself gazing at a sight that instantly brightened her morning...Lloyd, carefully balancing a silver breakfast tray.“You’re awake” he said with a smile, setting the tray down beside her. A spread of toast, eggs, and fragrant tea filled the room with warmth, and Lisa felt her heart soften.She sat up, brushing a few stray hairs back. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble, you know,” she murmured, smiling “But I think I could get used to it”Lloyd returned her smile, pulling a chair closer. “You deserve it, Lisa” he replied, lifting the cup of tea to her.They ate in a comfortable silence for a while, but Lisa couldn’t shake the heaviness in her heart. “Lloyd,” she began slowly, looking down. “About last night. I’m sorry for… them
The neon glow of the Dragun Ash sign cast an ominous red hue across the narrow alleyway, illuminating the graffiti-streaked walls. Lloyd glanced at Jacob as they approached, noting the tension in his old friend’s clenched fists and tightened jaw.“This place still feels like a prison,” Jacob muttered, his voice low. “Camren trapped me in debt, dragged me into his dirty work… If this is where I’ll lead them, they’ll need to see that Camren’s hold over me is over.”“They will,” Lloyd replied, his voice calm yet commanding. “But it won’t be simple, they still view you as Camren’s pawn, that’s why I’m here, to make sure they know what's up”Jacob nodded, glancing warily at the entrance. He’d worked under his uncle for years, moving through the Draguns’ ranks under the constant weight of obligation and intimidation. But now, with Camren dead by Lloyd’s hand, the power vacuum needed to be filled.As they entered the bat, the conversations that filled the bar slowly evaporated, and eyes
The sharp crack of the gunshot echoed through the dark alley.Jacob froze, wide-eyed, his mind barely processing what had just happened, but Lloyd was already moving.With a lightning-fast reaction, Lloyd grabbed Jacob by the collar, yanking him back just in time.The bullet whizzed past, breaking into the brick wall behind them.Jacob stumbled, clutching at Lloyd for balance, his breath coming in panicked gasps.“Stay down!” Lloyd barked, his tone sharp and commandingLogan, standing at the far end of the alley, cursed under his breath as his first shot missed.He really thought that he would have gotten Jacob with that shot, so he didn’t wait to try again. Spinning on his heel, he bolted into the shadows, his footsteps pounding against the cracked pavement. But as he ran, he fired two more shots blindly behind him.Lloyd was already one step ahead, dragging Jacob down to the ground, allowing him to evade the stray bullets, his sharp gaze scanning the ground. His eyes landed on a
The streets of Hilburg were eerily quiet under the pale glow of streetlights, save for the hum of a distant car engine and the faint buzz of fluorescent signs. Lloyd leaned against the brick wall of a building across the street from the Hilburg Police Department, his arms crossed as he watched the building intently. Ivan stood beside him, chewing absently on a toothpick, his sharp eyes scanning the perimeter. “This makes seven” Ivan muttered. “Seven nights of the same patterns, same rotations, same blind spots, either Mason gave us the real deal, or we’re walking straight into a trap” “It’s real,” Lloyd replied quietly, his voice carrying the cold certainty of a man who trusted his instincts. “Every detail Mason gave us checks out, if this were a setup, we'd have probably sniffed it out” Ivan flicked the toothpick to the ground and stepped forward, narrowing his gaze at a patrolman casually walking past one of the station’s side entrances. “Still, feels too clean... Can’t
Chapter 14Ivan has known his boss for a long time, but ever since returning to Hilburg, he had seen that his boss wasn't the wealthy, cool, stoic killing machine he knew.He had layers, and a scene like this was one of the few times these layers were peeled back.Officers lined the exits, their weapons drawn and faces grim.Standing at the forefront was a man Lloyd hadn’t seen in years, Morty Flanagan, his childhood friend, now a high-ranking officer.Lloyd’s heart sank as he studied Morty, who hadn’t yet recognized him thanks to the mask. But this wasn’t the boy he’d once played baseball with in Hilburg park. Morty was colder now, his eyes cruel and calculating... still, Lloyd couldn’t let the situation turn into a bloodbath.“Listen,” Lloyd said, his voice steady but firm “We don’t want trouble, et us walk out of here, and nobody has to get hurt”Morty chuckled, shaking his head, not believing what he just heard “Really?” He gestured to the officers flanking him, all with their