Ghosts of Koa

A Flag Death

A Flag Death

“I don’t want the police to find him. I want you to find him. Do you understand?”

As he spoke, Morris Green looked up from his desk, his puffy red-rimmed eyes barely able to meet the cool gaze of the man that stared out at him from the back shadows of the office. Green hadn’t slept in days. He’d been sitting in this exact spot, staring at the dossiers of his smiling nine-year-old daughter, a perpetual glass of whiskey at his right hand. 

The kidnapper hadn’t asked for money; he hadn’t wanted any. In the single phone call Green had received, he was merely told to “not intrude upon their oasis”. Then, the conversation was over. That was a week ago. He hadn’t heard from his daughter or the kidnapper since.

“Perhaps the police would be a more suitable choice, Mr. Green. That, or a hunter's cell from the Order. My services don’t come cheap.” The voice said this from the darkness; its same cool gaze never shifted. 

With almost an air of resentment, Green glared at him.

“Don’t give me that shit, muzzie. Whether I hire them or you, it’s all the same, so what’s the difference? I want my baby back, and they aren’t doing shit about it. I don’t wanna admit it… but you are my last hope. And hers too.”

Hand trembling feverishly, Green took a long swig from his glass, draining it. Then, he started to refill.

From the shadows, the silhouette nodded its head. “Do you have any special requests?”

“Yeah. His dick on ice, and his brains to the wind. Do you understand me, muzzie? Let those bastards know that anyone who screws around with Morris Green or his family is a dead man. That he’s got Azure muscle and isn’t afraid to fucking flex it!”

As if propelled by Green’s anger, the sweat and alcohol wafted off of him, expelled moistly from every fold and crevice of excess fat on the man’s 350 lb body. Morris didn’t notice, but the shadowy man in the corner scrunched his nose up in disgust as the smell finally washed over him.

It was time to go.

“Done,” the shadow said simply. “Expect results in a week.”

“Everything is paid for in advance.” Green threw a nod to the silver briefcase that sat upright on the floor in front of the desk.

“Leave the briefcase with your secretary. I don’t collect until the job is done.” And as the shadow turned to leave, he looked back over his shoulder. “Oh and Green? Call me a muzzie again, and paid for or not, you’ll never see your daughter again. Are we clear?”

Green sat back, his chubby chin wobbling just slightly. Whatever words might have surfaced froze on his lips, and he stared at the shadow in fear. 

“Good. We’ll touch base on Wednesday,” the shadow said. With those words hanging in the air, the silhouette turned and walked out, disappearing into the darkness. 

* * * *

Xakiah breathed out evenly as he walked his Echo from Green’s office back into his own apartment, the trip only a few steps long. He leaned against his desk as he watched the shadow return. The Echo wasn’t a perfect creature as far as alchemy went, but it was a useful one for message and blood work. Efficient. He released his mental hold on it, and it disappeared in a black wisp, the knowledge it had gained from Morris melding with his own. 

He looked over at his window, noting the steady brightening of the sky, and then glanced at his clock. 4:15 AM. He had been cutting it close with Green, the fool keeping the Echo hostage with his whines about his brat daughter. Any longer and the rising sun would have shrunk the shadows in Xakiah’s room to nothing, leaving his Echo stuck in Demesne 20, scavenging for darkness for hours until the sun moved again.