𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝑬𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊 // 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘 & 𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝑭𝑭

𝟑.𝑶𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑨 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒘...

I don't know, how much time has passed. I've been wandering the streets of Ketterdam aimlessly, thinking about the previous encounters. Might have had a drink or two, however enough for deciding to steal from a few simple people. I spot my next victim. A man with a heavy watch, hanging around his waist. I walk up to him and bump into him.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry sir!" I look into his eyes and make a quick hand movement, raising my hands up then.

"Watch where you're going, young lady!" he barked at me.

"Of course! I'm so sorry!" I say as I slowly move past him. I would say pickpocketing successful as I smirk, holding his watch and money in my hands and stuffing it in my bag, hanging around my waist. It was dark. However, I spot a few men, walking inside the casino of Kaz. I hide behind a building, watching them enter. I put on the hood of my cloak over my head and covered my mouth with my cloth. I decided to sneak in and follow them. Soon I found myself hiding in the shadows in a corner.

Kaz was looking out the tiny window of his door when he turned his head, seemingly hearing a sound.
"Inej! Listen, I..." he stopped abruptly when men approached from the shadows and surround him.

He stands tall and two men stand in front of him, watching him. Kaz lifted his walking stick and hit one in the stomach with the top of the stick, that has a shape of a crows head and the man grunts. He blocks with it the other that attacked him but he managed to grab Kaz, bending his walking stick on the ground, the other kicking it away. The one that grabbed Kaz, slammed his head against the desk and forced him onto his knees, grabbing his arms from each side and holding them behind his back. Kaz grunts in pain and tries to escape as he hears footsteps approaching and stopped any resistance.

"Evening." said a man, well dressed. And a full beard around his face.
"Mr. Brekker, is it?" he asked as he approached closer, taking his hat off of his head.

"You're a long way from home." Kaz said, I could hear shaking in his voice.

"Am I?" he said as approaching closer.
"Like you were earlier? When you took a Grisha from the Orchid." he said, taking a seat on the chair, placed for him, in front  of Kaz.

"The Orchid isn't Dime Lions turf." Kaz threw back, still being held down by one of the man, one arm around his throat.

"Well, it's a new acquisition. Hmm." the man smirked. "You heard it here first. Now."

He signaled the man holding Kaz to throw Kaz's walking stick to him and he caught it. Kaz was still grunting.

He examines the walking stick and places it on his side, holding the top of it. "Now, I know you saw Dreesen. You got the jump on whatever job he has." he shakes his head.
"I don't know the details, obviously, just that you have a little travel hazard ahead of you."

I tried not to make a sound or move. I was observing the situation unfolding, right before my eyes. I've never seen such fear in Kaz's eyes before but he masked it well. While listening to the man speaking, it finally hit me. That man, was Pekka. Saints...this looks bad...

"So, here's the deal." Pekka continued.
"You can do nothing, walk away from it. I'll tell Dreesen I'm taking over for you. Then we're even."

"Not even close." Kaz instantly replied. Saints Kaz. For the love of your life, just stop being stubborn once.

"Hang on." Pekka warned and leaned closer, grabbing Kaz around the neck with the beak of the crow shaped tip of the walking stick, pulling Kaz closer. He grunts and his breathing became heavier and faster.

"The other option is...I'll cave your head in with your own cane and dump you in the harbor. Hmm?" Pekka stares in Kaz's eyes. That man doesn't feel a single emotion.
"That first option seems better now, don't it?"