Chapter 9
Jor walked into the room, servile, bowing, his tanned leather rags arranged to cover himself as best as possible. He had better clothes, but he chose not to wear them. Dress any fancier than the rest of his gang and he would single himself out.
He wanted to blend in until he was ready to reveal himself to this new boss.
He smiled, and bowed again, asking the man’s toadies what he could get them. When one of them asked for him, he shook his head apologetically and maintained that he was reserved only for his master, the boss, the one called Jor.
The toady frowned, but cheered up when Jor offered him some real meat, and some surface alcohol.
Jor walked around the room, serving the other toadies, the other lickspittles as he went, working his way towards the boss.
He was familiar with this kind of person. This lickspittle. He surrounded himself with them after all. They did help to make things run efficiently. Sometimes. Other times they just got in the way, and bogged down the running of his organization.
When that happened he had them shot usually. Maybe this new boss, this man named Callion did not know when to have underlings shot. Or killed. It might explain why they had been able to beat the supposedly unbeatable man.
Maybe nobody but Jor knew when to have underlings shot. That would be strange. If he was the only one who knew how to run a criminal organization?
But he was approaching this man now.
“Sir, would you care for anything?”
The man looked at him to wave him off, then did a double take.
“Boy, how old are you?”
“Sixteen sir”
“Sixteen? That would make you the right age…”
The right age? Did Callion know that Jor, the fearless leader, was really younger than he pretended to be? Had he given away his best advantage?
But no. Callion continued.
“How long have you lived here boy?”
“All my life sir”
“All your life?”
“Yes sir”
“And how long have you worked for Jor?”
“As long as I can remember sir”
“And what is it that you do?”
“I do what everyone else does sir. I kill people”
“You kill people? You walk with a grace, a certain art boy. When did you first kill someone?”
“Pardon me sir?”
“What age? How old were you when you first killed someone?”
“I was four sir”
“Four?”
“That is what I said sir”
“You were four, and you killed someone. Why did you kill them?”
“They had killed my mother sir”
“They killed your mother? This would have been twelve years ago then?”
“Thats right sir. If I may ask sir, is this line of questioning going somewhere? I am sure that Jor will be ready to see you now”
“Ah, yes, of course. Show us in”
Jor nodded and went to the doors. He had learned everything that he needed to about Callion. The man was single minded. When he put his mind to something it would not stray until it pursued it to its complete conclusion. Wherever that complete conclusion may be.
He would be a difficult foe, but if he could be sidelined, then Jor could defeat him easily. He just needed to find a way to distract the man.
He opened the doors and ushered them into the relatively spacious chamber beyond. There his lieutenant, Efram sat on the throne he had constructed for just this occassion.
“Welcome!” He boomed, his voice loud “Welcome to my place Cassion. How may I help you?”
Callion smiled and bowed.
“This war between our factions is, as I am sure that you know, is ridiculous, and a waste of resources. I would rather propose a truce”
“A truce?” Efram leaned forwards eagerly.
“Yes, a truce. I require only one thing of you in return”
“And what is that?” Efram had strict instructions to continue as the boss until Jor stepped in and to do what he felt was best.
“I want this boy” Callion turned and pointed at Jor.
Jor always had good control over his emotions, but he felt his eyebrows raise.
“I am sorry-” he began before Efram cut him off, a glitter in the man’s eyes.
“The boy? That is all that you require?”
“Of course”
“Efram, don’t you dare! I am the one in control here! You won’t last a day without me!” Jor stormed towards Efram, fists clenched, but Efram waved him off.
“Take him Callion, and let this peace stand”
Jor tried to dodge as he realized what must happen, but it was too late. He felt the cold of a dart enter the back of his neck, and the world began to blur.
As he fell he saw Efram smirking down at him and Callion grinning maniacally.
Then he knew no more.
Jor woke up. As he regained consciousness he became aware of movement. Whatever he was in; it was moving. He stirred and opened his eyes.
He was sitting in a chair in an aircar. His seat belt was fastened, but not too tightly, and there were no restraints. He could have gotten up and killed everyone in the vehicle.
He tried to do just that so that he might have his revenge on Efram.
His body didn’t respond. He could feel the toxin coursing through his body. Evidently he wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.
“Ah, awake?”
The voice came from beside him, but he could not turn his head to see. A moment later Callion moved into his view.
“I didn’t think that you would actually put yourself into such a risky position. But, you can rest assured in the knowledge that I will stay true to the deal that I made with your subordinate. I will not attack your territory again so long as you work for me. It shall remain a bastion of hope down here.
“Further, you have a better life now! No more will the pressures of running an organization lay on your head. Now you will be free to enjoy that which you enjoy, whatever that may be. Right now though you are at the bottom. You will do as I say, and as anyone in my organization says until you move up. But, be happy! Even those at the bottom eat better than you ever did in the Undercity!”
He laughed and moved off.
“Oh, and by the way, the paralysis should wear off soon, but I wouldn't do anything rash if I were you”
Jor heard a door close as Callion left that part of the car.
“Hello? Is anybody there?” Or that was what he tried to say. The remaining toxin flooded his veins still and made it more of a ‘Hoooo? Syaybd th?’
He got an answer anyways.
“I told you that I wanted you. And we, us, Callion’s gang, we always get what we want”
Jor turned his head and saw the lecherous toadie from before coming closer to him.
“And I figures that while you are nice and paralyzed I’ll take what I want”
The man kept coming, a nasty grin spread across his face. He got closer to Jor and felt along his face.
“You’re such a pretty boy. It’d be a shame to mar that pretty face”
He dropped his hands to his trousers as Jor felt the paralysis continue to wear off. He knew that he would have only one chance.
“And so I won’t ruin you after I’m done with you. Maybe you’ll even like it”
He grinned wider, in a way that made Jor very seriously doubt that he would like it.
So he swing his legs up and scissored them on either side of the man’s head. As the today flinched from having his ears boxed Jor tightened his legs around the man’s neck, unbuckled his seatbelt, and threw himself over the man.
With a snap the today fell still and Jor rolled to safety.
“The rest of you see that? Thats what’ll happen if you try and molest me. Leave me alone”
The rest of the toadies in the car looked at him scared, but he also heard slow applause. Turning he saw that Callion had not left the car after all.
“Everything that I had hoped for. Everything and more”
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