The Black Teeth

VIII - Jasmine

Wes wouldn't lower his dammed revolver, and that was an issue. Of course Jasmine knew the boy across the table. Jackson Tiller. Jackson was their very first demolition, and the worst mistake they ever gambled on.

"So, where do we begin." Jackson asked in a playful tone.

"How about where you left us on the bridge after blowing it up, taking our money, and ditching us for the Flares. Sound like a start?" Wes suggested in a mockingly sharp tone.

"Oh yes, that sounds like a nice suggestion."

Wes's revolver pressed cold against Jackson's chest, lowered under the table. The café was empty except for a couple in the opposite corner. He jabbed the barrel deep into his torso until he gave an awkward yelp to continue talking.

"Don't think I won't kill you right here." Wes threatened.

"Wes, let him speak." Clyde said.

"Looks like someone has changed personalities. Have you found the good in yourself Clyde?" Jackson said, continuing his mocking and playful tone.

Clyde slapped him across the face with enough attention to scare the couple in the corner away. The café now silent, except for some dishes being washed in the back.

"I guess not." He spit.

"To the story, traitor. We have things that need doing, and your traitor ass isn't getting us any more time. So you better get your lying tongue to some dialogue before I rip in from your mouth." Wes straightened the gun against Jackson, who didn't flinch or move at all.

"Fine, so, after I left you on the bridge. Actually let's go back, jog your memory a bit. If you remember, you had found me in a gambling hall, and hired me as your demolition. I knew my way around powder and explosives so I agreed. We did a few jobs together so I could price my worth. On our biggest job we had ever got, we had to do a heist. Can you remember what we had to do?" He waited a moment as if toying with the conversation, but got no response from any of them, so he continued. ", That's right, we had to steal money from the Le Foranz Mansion. After succeeding, we set off the security protocols, which was needed to escape. We made way for a bridge, but little did you know I had a plan, I had rigged the exit with a bomb, so after I escaped with the money, I blew the bridge, in which you all got caught. I was also working with the Flares.  I had successfully achieved my first major contract with them and earned my spot.And brick by brick, explosion after explosion, I am now the their second in command."

"You stole our money. You left us to get caught by Grimace, and spend 3 months in that hell hole of a prison. We were friends, and after that, I've never trusted anyone since." Wes lead on.

"None of that history matters now. I've come to offer my assistance once again. An alliance between gangs. Think of the power we can hold. The city will be ours." Jackson suggested.

"We know what your word means Jackson. You come after months, and suggest to work together. You filthy traitor. Your worthless," Clyde gestured for Wes and Jasmine to hood him in place. Clyde pulled a sharp knife from his pocket. He tested the sharpness on his finger, which bled slightly after.

"Live alone." Clyde said.

"Or die together." Wes and Jasmine replied. Clyde swiped the blade against Jackson's tongue, cutting it cleanly off. Blood splattered everyone, and covered the table and chairs. Jackson's scrambled in pain, unable to make any noise.

"You never had a way with words anyway." Clyde spat in his face. Wes and Jasmine rose from the table, covered in Jackson's blood. They were used to being covered in various things, blood being one of the main.

A worker turned the corner from the kitchen and screamed at the scene.

"Turn around, and leave. You never saw anything, okay?" Wes said with the revolver pointed at the woman. She nodded slowly and began running, but immediately fell from the hole in her chest. Wes had disposed of the witness.

"Was that really necessary Wes?" Jasmine said as if he did something irresponsible. Well in many cases he did just on one hell of a bigger scale.

"Did you want the Grimace involved?" Wes retorted.

"Fair enough."

"Let's go. We can't seem to find one damn place without a problem." Clyde gestured to the door, before looking at Jackson's shaking body on the ground.

"Your lucky it was just your tongue. Could've been a lot worse." Clyde shrugged and gave a uneasy smile.

After departing the coffee shop and walking down the streets, they came up with a plan. They were to check their first location. As they walked the clouds above formed rain, like normal. Precipitation wasn't rare in Bliskam, as Jasmine quite enjoyed it.

"Should we get cleaned up. We look like we just murdered someone." Jasmine asked. ", Well technically we did."

"I cut a certain part of his tongue, which won't kill him. He won't enjoy his future though. It'll stop bleeding after about 3 or so minute, and at the rate he was losing it, he'll be fine." Clyde said like it was nothing. He had no problem getting his hands dirty in someone's blood. He was used to murdering and harming. Jasmine still was uneasy when it came to killing, but did it anyways. It was part of the gang, and she'd gotten more and more used to it. Wes, well he's a different story. He would blow anyones head off without a second thought and not show any emotion.

"Does killing with guns make it any different?"

They approached their first suggested location, which was a small, brick shack of a house, painted in a beautiful nature green which was hard to take your eyes off of. Clyde nodded for Jasmine to do the honours. She walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. After a few moments of hearing crashing inside, an old lady opened the door. That's when it hit her,

"What am I supposed to say?"

"Hi dear, how may I help you." The croaky voice gasped. She was at least 90, and Jasmine was sorry for making her get up from whatever she was doing, as it looked like if she nudged her, that would be the end of her.

"Hi, my name is Jasmine." She held out her hand as the old lady took her time to reach it and with her little strength, shook it.

"Oh, you must be my grandsons girlfriend! You are awfully pretty. He did good on choosing you," She said with a wink. "Would you like a cookie?"

"Uh. Thanks but, no. I'm here to ask if you have any connections with a man with the last name Hardam. Or any affiliations with The Black Teeth. Wolves? Anything?" Jasmine asked as the old lady sorted through her years of memories.

"The Black Teeth. Hardam. Hmm." She thought for another long moment. "You know, back when I was in my twenties-

Jasmine have a sigh of disappointment and said it was okay, and apologized for bothering her. The old lady gave no negative response as she wobbled her way to her chair and sat down.

"Well? She looked like quite the young bachelorette." Wes joked.

"Shut it. She could barely open the damn door, let alone traverse her century worth of information for the simple name, 'Hardam'."

"Well we still have a few other places to check." Clyde said as he lead the way the long narrow street.

"She had a nice house." Wes said.

"Shut. It." Jasmine shushed him from embarrassment.