Dead Men Bleed

Blackhand Waters

10:47am. The light reflected off of his ring, studded with rubies. He wore a white suit with a black, buttoned shirt underneath.
He tapped on his elegant chair impatiently. A man trembled in front of his black, marble table.
"Bi-Billy. Y'know I'd never betray you. But, I went on my own to bring in a little extra cash for myself."
Billy was muscular, tall, calculating, and impatient. Sweat trailed from his white forehead. He wasn't in the best of moods. Not one where begging would bring out his mercy.
"Tommy." He called with his deep voice. He rose from his chair and smoothly stepped toward Tommy.
"Do I not pay you fairly? $16 an hour of guarding. $1,500 for each guard job. $7,900 if that person or object is precious. Is that not fair?"
The man stammered, tripping on his words as Billy inched closer.
"I'm disgusted. Your greed is an insult."
He wrapped his tree trunk of an arm around a scrawny Tommy. He began to sob.
"Try to understand. This isn't personal. It's just I don't like competition."
Immediately, he threw Tommy down and brought his foot onto his face. He stomped mercilessly on Tommy's face. Blood splattered onto the white tile. He continued to stomp and stomp until a brutal "CRACK" broke out.
Tommy's face was smashed. Bone jutted from his cranium. Bloody teeth clattered on the floor. A crimson puddle formed from the crushed head of Tommy. Pieces of brain stuck to the floor.
Avirace opened his office. "Jesus..." He whispered as he looked at Billy.
"Tell me something good, Doug."
Doug Avirace squeezed his 6'4 frame between the door crack. His orange hair waa messy. His face grew pale. Well, paler.
"The arms just came in."
Billy smiled as he studied his murder drenched Oxford shoes.
"That's good. Samuel doesn't disappoint."
Avirace's face grew cold. "We found him dead next to the boat. Hole in his head and his skin on his left arm was peeled off. We took the cargo. One crate is missing some goods."
Billy grunted as he slid his black hankerchief across the surface of his shoe. A strand of pink brain was caught at the bottom.
"That's tragic. Any idea on who it could be?"
Avirace shrugged. "Vigilante. Can't be Midnight. Or Infamous."
Billy turned to Doug.
"Night before last, one of our drug ops was killed. Broken neck. Not before a beatdown. Not a callsign of any of our enemies so I assume it's the new lone man on the street."
Avirace nodded.
"Max Ammo. I heard of him."
Once again, Billy grinned.
"Good. Now, go and proceed as planned. Keep an ear out for this Max Ammo." He lowered his attention to the carcass.
"And get someone to clean this up."