Gods and Monsters

V

Canterbury Manor Caves - Mentmore, Buckinghamshire

Jack passed the balcony overlooking the caves as he spoke to Dominic on the phone. "So you mean to tell me that Koba, Eugene, whatever he wants to be called has placed a bounty on Atlin's team? What's happening out there?"

"We haven't heard from Miss Suhyun Kim regarding her or Atlin's status so I am unable to provide an update on them specifically, however it appears that the Deadbeat team are holed up somewhere outside of London with numerous groups pursuing them. We do not have a specific location for them yet though."

Jack spotted a small table to the side which he lifted up, throwing it over the balcony where it landed on one of the cells below. The patient leapt out of bed before proceeding to try and use the small crack as an opening, however the glass was promptly covered by a thick metal shutter, not that the patient would have made it out anyway. "Leave it to Eugene to employ such cheap tactics to win favour with the group. He's out of control and needs to be stopped. Once the Purple Vice exchange is over please make it clear that we will no longer be dealing with someone so crude and insane. Deadbeat can be more valuable to us alive than dead...they just need time."

"I'm afraid not everyone in the groups sees it that way Mr Canterbury. You know that you will always have my support, however I do fear that others may not be so loyal when the time comes."

"At this point, I do not care. Our operation here has been more than a success, and if the others fail to see that they are just as insane as Mr McDonald. Keep me updated." Jack hung up the phone as he walked towards Maria who was just coming up the stairs from the cells below.

"If I didn't know better, I might have thought you were aiming for me with that table down there. What was that about?" Maria moved close to Jack, her delicate lips lightly pecking him on the cheeks.

Pulling away, Jack moved along the floor and stared back across the balcony. "Do you remember when I told you about some of my less desirable associates? Well, one of them has decided to go off on an errand they really should not have and they are causing issues for all of us."

"Why do you stand for it, Jack? You are a powerful man who could crush these people like bugs under your shoe. Why do you let them treat you with such little respect?"

Jack had asked himself this question numerous times before but always came back to the same answer. "Unfortunately I have certain...obligations that need to be fulfilled, and for that I need to associate myself with these lesser people. I do not like it, however after our next exchange I will no longer deal with this particular person."

"But another person will take their place though, Jack. They always do. Each time you crush one bug another will crawl out from underneath your shoe again."

Not liking where this was going, Jack turned back to Maria and held her close. "Things will be different next time. It is just that this particular person...they're insane. They have no morals, no decency."

It was Maria's turn to pull away now. "I'm not sure I can believe that Jack. As I have always said, I trust your decisions and support you one hundred percent, but I can't sit back and watch you become that bug under someone else's shoe. Run away with me Jack. Leave this life behind. Damien can run the company and you and I can disappear forever, together."

"You must realise that I cannot just walk away from this now. There are certain...operations I still need to oversee before that can become a reality."

Maria sighed as she too looked over the balcony at the patients in their cells below. "I can only give you a week, Jack. Then I will leave here for good. I want you to come with me, I want that more than anything in the world, but if you are not ready in a weeks time I will not wait for you."

One week wasn't enough. The Purple Vice exchange was in one week too. Jack knew that he wouldn't be able to oversee the deal and leave with Maria on the same night as so much needed to go into the exchange to make it a success. "Maria, can you please extend the deadline for an extra day. There is one final exchange which -"

"There you go again. Work has to come first with you. No, the deadline stands. You have one week to make the necessary preparations and then we either leave together, or I go myself." Maria turned quickly and stormed off to the elevator taking her back to the surface level. Jack wasn't sure what to do. Did he choose between the love of his life or associates he would rather have dead? It seemed an easy choice, but knowing his associates, if Jack did decide to leave and news of his departure came out too early then steps would most certainly be taken to keep him quiet.