To Become King (Book One)

One: Heathens

Code of Criminals (C.O.C)
*Rule #1*
The King's word is Law. One may only become King by dethroning the former head or marrying into the family of the previous King.

Knight's P.O.V~
Rock music blasted from the speakers.  The all too familiar smell of cigarettes and alcohol filled my nose as we opened the door to the run-down bar.  Dragon, the man I consider to be my best ally, and I were careful to avoid eye contact with the other dangerously smart lowlifes that sat at the tables.  This sort of environment was not strange to either of us.  I would even go so far as to say that it was comfortable.  Normality left both of us years ago.

Some of the men gave passing glances to us as we wandered further into the bar, but our focus was on one man sitting alone at a table in the far back left of the building.  I pulled out the small transparent bar from my pocket and scanned my fingerprint on it to watch the small bar unfold into a phone.  I pressed on the link to the Nailliv database to see the photo of the same man.  I read the information on the screen to be sure of the man I was about to deal with.

Name: John Hancock
Gender: Male
Age: 45
Height: 6'0
Description: fair skin, grey hair, brown eyes
Code name: Plague
Kill Method: Poison
Level: 10 (currently retired)

I pressed the bottom of the transparent screen and watched the phone fold away before I put it back into the pocket of my black leather jacket.  This man was at the same level as me with twice the experience, but he looked as if he hadn't showered in days.  However, I wasn't one to make an opinion based on the looks of a retired criminal.  If the information on the database was accurate, this man was highly skilled and highly dangerous.

I scanned the environment around us once more, noticing that there were two more beer bottles on the table across from him.  He was expecting us.  I glanced at Dragon and subtly brushed my shoulder against his, letting him know that we had to keep our guard up against this guy.  We neared the table and sat down across from the older gentlemen.

I smirked and opened the bottle, taking a long swig of the depressant drink that we were always warned to stay away from as children. Yet it still ended up being a central part of our adult lives. If not in our teens, in our twenties for sure. I wasted no time to cut straight to the point.

"So, my information tells me you're the only one who knows the whereabouts of the Princess.  Tell me, where is this 'angelic-beauty' everyone is so fascinated with lately?"  I questioned, placing the bottle down in front of me while I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms.  The old geezer chuckled and leaned forward.  He looked me dead in the eye before saying:

"You're information is wrong.  I don't know a thing about the Princess, nor do I care to.  I'm retired from this fucking life.  What the hell would I want with some teenage girl who's barely become an adult?"

"That wasn't my question.  I don't care why you know her whereabouts."

"Do yourself a favor, Boy.  Don't seek her out.  Leave the young woman alone to live her life freely.  She's been through a lot more than you know."

"So you do know her."  I pointed out.  "Great.  Tell me where she is."

"Fuck off, Kid."

"What d'ya say we take this outside?"  I told him as I stood up and walked out the back door while the man named John followed closely behind me.

***
I slammed the middle-aged man back against the brick wall of the alley, placing my silver pistol against his right temple. The night was so cold that you could see our breath as the tension began to rise between us. I cocked my gun and gave the frightened man a smirk before asking my question for the second time.