The Herd

Chapter 20

"You're telling me McKyles is the Jack?" I said, unbelieving what I had just heard.
"The guy at Spider V's?" James asked.
"The very same one, yes." Chris answered with a smile.
"McKyles is a wormy conman, sure." I said. "But he's as intelligent as a brick compared to the ol' Alvin the Jack."
"Yeah, I find that really hard to believe." James said. "If Alvin was as good and as sneaky as you say, McKyles isn't at all his style. He's flashy and he's loud."
"Why do you think he hasn't been arrested for his fighter trafficking?" Chris asked.
"I always thought he had a man on the..." I stopped and thought for a moment. "Inside of the police."
"With the files he possesses, he owns the police."
I leaned back and ran my fingers through my hair. "That fucker's the Jack."
"Just like that?" James said. "Based on that you're going to believe he's a 50 year old gang veteran?"
"You don't believe me, James?" Chris asked.
"It's not that I don't believe you, but that I don't trust your sources." James stated. "I mean, you're our friend, Chris. You are. But it's not like you haven't double crossed us before."
     "What?" Chris said heartbroken. "Name one time."
     "That time with the Jackals. The time with the ComicJacks. The time with the Solid Arms. Or that time when you left us to the Fangs. Or that time just last month with the-"
     "Okay okay okay..." Chris said, slumping his shoulders. "I get your point, but I swear to you this is real. Go to The Games this Thursday and get a hold of him. I'll be at V's in case anything goes wrong and you want to hang me."
"We wouldn't want to hang you in front of your girlfriend." I said.
Chris shrugged and smiled. "Wouldn't be the weirdest thing she's seen me doing."
"Pft." I rolled my eyes, almost believing his claim. "Alright then. Spider V's on Thursday. We'll be there to see the games."
"Ah, but as you know it'll take a lot more than just that to get to him." Chris said.
"What do you mean?" James asked.
I leaned back in my chair again and sighed. "The only way to get close to him, or to even see him anytime after he opens the Games, is to win the games."
"The winners see him? I never knew that."
"Yeah." Chris chuckles. "The Jack may be smart, but cMcKyles is dumb enough to hand out the prize in person."
"Then I guess we have a new lead and a plan." I said. "Thank you, Christian." I stood up holding out my hand for a shake.
"Of course." He said standing up. He took my hand and smiled. "Anything for my favorite gang in the Kingdom."
James stood up and shook Chris's hand as well. "Thanks, man."
"Yes, yes." He said humbly ignoring the short praise. "Now, y'all can show yourselves out. I have some things I gotta do down here."
"Sure thing." I said. James and I headed through is small hideout and left out the ladder. We climbed out and watched the plant slide itself over the hole again.
"Why don't we have one of those?" James asked.
"How'bout you dig the hole and pay for everything out of your own pocket." I said. "Not using group money on a rabbit hole we don't need."
"Fair enough."
"Let's go."

* * * *

Later that night James and I informed the rest of the group on the plan. Thursday we'd go to Spider V's and enter the games. I promised them we wouldn't talk to much about it til the next day.
It was now Wednesday. It was slow. It was boring. Not much was happening by the time I got back from my nap.
Catherine was chilling in the living room by then and told me that Antonio and Ben had gone on a mission. Cameron was in there as well, finally allowed to leave the health room.
I met with Brooklyn in the practice room after James' sweaty ass passed me on the way to his room to get ready for a shower he felt like he needed. I couldn't help but agree.
I sat on the bench with Brook, watching Kap and Kahu do laps around the room like a track. Damien was in the firing range with his bow, hitting his marks as always.
"Any plans tonight?" I asked her.
"No, not really." She said laying her head on my shoulder. "Even if I did you'd have to stay here and talk to the boys about your mission tomorrow."
"The mission of which you're tagging along with right?" I asked her.
"Wassup, boss." Kap said as he passed by. His arm was still in its hammock, but he didn't look as stressed about it anymore. Beaded in sweated, he nodded to me as he continued his run. He wore sweatpants and sneakers. His bare chest and back revealing his tuned muscles required from our years of this work.
Kahu followed close to his side, bandages still wrapped around his chest, and a slight limp to his stride but he pushed through and still caught up with his master.
"Tag along?" Brook asked.
"Yeah." I exclaimed. "We're going to Spider V's for crying out loud!"
Spider V's is the Kingdom's biggest casino, bar, strip club, normal club, arcade, mini mall, and really it's anything you want it to be, but a hotel. We also know the owner. An old friend from high school days, she always welcomes us there.
The lowest level is the Games. The area gang members, mob bosses, and crook cops go for a little fun. The biggest entertainment there is a fighting ring we call the Hell Hole. With different versions of the fight, from wrestling, boxing, sumo wrestling, all the way to the Bloodbath. The Bloodbath is when one or two fighters pay to stay in the ring and fight waves of payed killers.
The people of Spider V's Games are sometimes the top of the top dogs when it comes to fighters. Their security gotta be top shape when it's a place like that after all. You win by surviving until there is no longer anymore willing fighters to take you on. Rarely ever a winner. But when they do win, they get 50% of whatever's currently in the Games' bank account. That number always being on the top screen of the room. None of us has ever tried it.
"Sure." Brook said. "It'll be nice to see Mia and them again."
I stretched my arm out around her and sighed. "Hey, babe?" I said nervously.
"Yeah?"
"I... uh..." I stopped and thought for a moment. "Tomorrow isn't that big of a deal, but what happens after." I paused for a moment to think. "We're starting a war." I stated simply. "I just want you to know-"
     "Are you scared?" She said teasing.
     "I can't afford to take risks." I said. "I can't afford to assume we'll always come out on top. So I'm taking this moment to tell you-" she quickly put her index finger to my lips, and quietly hushed me.
     "You guys will come out on top." She said smiling. "You always do."
     "But what if we don't?" I said, holding her hand away from my mouth. "The Jocks are the biggest rivalry we've ever faced. Now we're facing them alongside a drug lord."
     "Why're you being so serious?" She said.
     "Because this is serious, babe."
     "Then take it slow." She tilted her head. Her beautiful eyes bore into mine. I got caught in their glimmer and couldn't speak as she held my hand. "Don't worry so hard about the future. Do what you do best and improvise."
     "Yeah, you've always been good at finishing things last minute." A voice jumped me from behind.
     I turned around as Antonio's hand wiped around through my hair. "We're back." He said.
     "Yeah, I kinda noticed." I replied.
     Brook laughed and stood up. She turned around and left us, leaving the room.
     "Oops." Antonio said, not meaning it at all. He wore his black and blue jacket with a bulletproof vest underneath over  his gray tee. His cowboy hat over his head.
     "How'd it go?" I asked, slightly annoyed.
     "Went fine." He said. "We got the money from the hit. Ben's upstairs with Catherine."
     "No Jocks?" I asked.
     "Nope." He said happily.
     "Good." I said. Then I knocked off his hat and stood up, making him stumble. "I thought I said to stay low?"
     "Oh, please." Antonio rolled his eyes and picked up his hand. "It was clean, off radar, and no hiccups."
     "I don't care if there wasn't, what if there were?" I said. Through the years Antonio has certainly grew, but he was still a hell of a lot shorter than me. I easily looked down to him.
     "Stop being such a boss, Noah." He said. "You don't intimidate me, stop acting like you own me."
     "What if you got caught by the Jocks?" I said. "What if thy followed you here?"
     "They didn't! Not a single sign of them!"
      "Not to mention we need you and Ben on the top of your game for tomorrow. We can't afford you guys losing the Games!" I exclaimed.
     "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Kap slowed down his run to step to the side of us. "What's going on?"
     "Nothing." Antonio said.
     Kap nodded in agreement. "Alright cool." He stood for a moment before looking at me. "So what's going on?" He asked specifically me this time.
     "Kap, fuck off." Antonio scoffed.
      "Whoa, hostile much?"
     "Okay, cool it." I said. "The both of you."
     "'Both of you-' me?" Kap said, putting his good hand to his chest. "Sour trout here's the one with a steaming forehead."
     Laughter sounds behind Antonio as Damien makes his way over. "That was a good one."
     "Oh Jesus. Damien, do you mind?" I asked, gesturing to the already large and annoying circle jerk of jerks going on.
     "What? I just came over to enjoy the show." He said strapping his bow over his shoulder.
     "Can we, like, not with this right now?" I said.
     "Oh, you start it up and now there's to many perspectives and you wanna jump out?" Antonio said.
     "Hey, look, you need to step down, Antonio." I said angrily.
     "Wow." Damien said nodding, an awkward smirk on his face. "Whoa, I know you're the boss and all Noah, but damn."
     "He ain't no damn boss." Antonio scoffed.
     "Well technically...-" Kap shrugged.
     "Shut the fuck up." Antonio rolled his eyes.
     "I'm sorry, what was that?" He said, cupping his hand around his ear. "I couldn't hear you from down there."
     "Really a short joke?"
     "I thought it was pretty good." Damien said smiling.
     "Dude, if you're not going to be helpful right now, I'd appreciate it if you left." I said.
     "Helpful?" Damien scoffed. "What part of any of this is supposed to be helpful."
     "Damien and I don't even know what this originated from." Kap said. "I asked, and for a team, I was expecting an actual answer. Not to be attacked."
     "You were already attacked." Damien laughed. "Look at your arm."
     "Hey, let's not bring up that night." Kap said, pointing at Damien.
     "Oh, sides shifting." I said.
     "You trying to strike a joke, boss?" Antonio mocked.
     "If I wanted to strike a joke, I would have punched you already."
     "Damn." Kap threw his arms up and turned around. "I'm done." He shook his head and walked away. "That was an amazing roast and this argument is cancer."
     "Look, I am not having this argument right now." I said. "I need to focus on our plans for tomorrow. Get your head out of your ass, and start playing by the rules. You disobeyed a direct order, Ben's going to hear from me too."
     Antonio rolled his eyes and swatted the air like I was an annoying fly. "Whatever, man." He turned and left.
     Damien huffed and shook his head. "Glad that's resolved."
     I sighed and rubbed my eyes. "What do you want, Damien?"
     "Nothing. Just wanted to check what was up."
     "Nothing, man." I said softly. "Just nothing."
     Damien put his hand on my shoulder and shook me lightly. "No worries, man." He said, a smile gleaming. "We're a team. A small argument like that's no big problem."
     "I hope so." I said. "We all need to be on the top of our game."