Walker was the first of the group to wake up after their
long night of partying and sex. Considering he didn’t participate in either of
those and spent his whole night at the bar, it was no surprise he woke up
first. Walking down the stairs he smiled seeing Para again behind the bar while
she cleaned up what was left from last nights’ patrons. “You ever leave that
bar?” Walker asked her as he sat down across from where she worked. He couldn’t
see anyone else besides them anywhere near the bar. Back into the stripper
section there was a girl or two working on cleaning themselves up, but that was
it.
She smiled at him and chuckled, “Not when duty calls. Not
much to do around town here besides go to other bars. Figure I might as well
stay in mine and make money.” She
shrugged, “Plus, we’re slow as hell in the morning and early afternoon.
Practically don’t have to work.”
Walker shrugged, “Fair enough. I got nothing else to do till
my friends wake their asses up, want some help?”
Para laughed at him, “Oh no. I got this covered. Anyways,
won’t take help for free.”
“Coffee as payment?” He asked her.
She shook her head at him while cleaning more glasses, “Coin’ll do me more good than you helping out.”
Walker sighed and reluctantly pulled out a few coins and put
them on the bar, “Here ya go. Speaking of coins, I pay you enough last night?”
She scooped up the coins smiling at him, “Certainly.” She
said pleased, “I told you this last night.”
Walker chuckled, “Ah, well…I was a bit drunk.”
“Tell me about it.” She rolled her eyes at him and started
making him a cup of coffee, “Cream? Sugar?”
“Both, but make sure the brew is real strong. I want that
coffee flavor bursting through those sweeteners.”
“Just how we like it.” She nodded at him, “So…Pascal told me
some of your story.”
“Did he now?” Walker asked, “Wonder how much he got right.”
“You weren’t just any old crime lord, were you?”
“Why you asking me? Didn’t he tell you?” He asked her.
Para chuckled, “I’ve learned it’s always better to hear the
stories first hand.” She looked back over at him.
Walker smirked and stretched out, “Most bartenders try to be
more discreet about learning the truth.”
“You’re not like most customers.” She told him, “Trying to
be sly about it would get me nowhere.”
He shook his head with a smile, “Well I’ll give it to ya.
You’re good.”
“I know.” She turned around with his coffee in hand and
smiled, “So, Walker, what type of crime lord were you?”
He grabbed his coffee and took a drink from it. Setting it
down he sighed happily, “That’s good coffee…” He mused quietly. Looking back up
at her his face turned stoic, “I was the peoples’ crime lord. I was a hero,
thanked and worshiped in the shadows.” He cracked his knuckles, “Operated out
of Port Phishk, the capitol of the Sovereign Trade Dominion. I’d target the
corrupted wealthy, steal all of their worth, ruin their name, and give what I
didn’t need to the people.” A genuine smile slowly started to cross his face,
“Our name was on every alleyway, sung about in the taverns…” He took a deep
breath, “Those were the good days…” His face slowly became onset with grief as
he looked back down into his coffee mug and drank.
“Pascal said you were betrayed by another criminal
organization.” Para halfway asked him.
Walker scoffed lightly, “If only it were so simple…” He
shook his head and drank again, “Anyways, that life is behind me now. I run
with these rag tag fools making it paycheck to paycheck, more or less.”
“We could use a criminal like that.” Pascal said in a
gravelly voice as he silently walked out from the kitchen, “We need a criminal
like that.”
Walker quickly looked up surprised. Para also was shocked to
hear and see Pascal here, “How long you been eavesdroppin’?” Walker asked him.
“Just long enough.” Pascal smiled and leaned on the bar next
to where Para stood.
“You haven’t been here in the morning for years!” Para said.
Pascal laughed deeply, “No, but then again, we haven’t had a
man like Walker in here for years either.”
Walker shook his head, “If you know my story, then you know
why I left. I’m done.”
“I also know you were doing that shit long before you were
Night Walker.” Pascal told him, “You’re a man driven to do some wrong things
for the greater good. Just need some motivation.”
“Look, I appreciate the respect you’ve given me,” Walker
took a deep breath, “But no. I’m done. Even if you know the story that got out
about why I quit…that’s not even the full truth. I’m done. I’m out.”
“I helped found this city centuries ago,” Pascal told him,
“We built this city to be a truly free city. The only rules are the ones set by
what building you stand in. We built it with the purpose of letting criminals
come here for sanctuary…and we succeeded. Any trouble that was caused outside
of this city, we didn’t give a shit about. We built the type of city you fought
for in Phishk against the Trade Correlation.” Pascal smiled as he noticed
Walker eye him out of the side of his eyes, “We’re losing that city, slowly but
surely. Someone, some people, have been forming a government in the shadows.
They are gradually gaining power too.” Pascal took a deep breath, “I ain’t
asking you to take on a corrupt politician, I’m asking you to stop it before it
starts.”
“Pascal…” Para said softly, “He clearly said-“
“It’s okay, dear.” Walker cut her off, “Your boss knows a
questionable amount about me.” He turned to face Pascal, “How?”
“Your friend who left the letter.”
Walker immediately slammed his hands down on the bar, “WHO
WAS IT?” He shouted at him.
Pascal smiled at him, “You know how it goes. If a man asks
to remain anonymous, he remains anonymous.”
“There’s always a price.” Walker snapped at him.
Pascal nodded, “Yes there is…yes there is.”
Walker bit his cheek and slowly nodded his head, “Alright
alright…I see what you’re doin’.” He chuckled lightly, “Need some coin though.”
“Hold up,” Pascal raised his hands, “I’ll be honest with
you. I don’t know the lads name, but I can describe him and tell you more of
what he was telling me.”
Walker’s eyes narrowed, “Coin?”
“Take what you find,” Pascal said, “Trying to run a shadow
government must cost huge amounts of it, no?”
Walker took a deep breath, “You played me.”
Pascal shook his head, “You’re free to leave and let this
city fall to ruin. I didn’t directly play you.”
Walker gritted his teeth in silence for a few long seconds
before he finally knew what he wanted to say, “I’ll make you a deal. You let me
sit here and talk to Para in peace, and I’ll ask my comrades about taking on a
job like this once they finally wake up.”
Pascal laughed and nodded his head, “That’s a fair deal.
Should you take it, Para can find me to give you more details on the job.” He
stood up and took a deep breath, “I hope to be seeing you and your friends
soon.” Pascal then turned around and left them alone.
Walker grumbled lightly, “Mother fucker…”
“I can’t say I agree with how he went about it,” Para told
him leaning on the bar, “But he does speak the truth. The freedom here is
slowly dying.”
Walker smirked and smiled at her, “He went about it that way
because it’s the only way I’ll do it.” He took a deep breath, “Can’t believe
I’m actually getting back into this line of work…I swore I never would.”
“What…happened? If I may ask?” She said softly.
Walker finished his drink, “The next ones’ are free if I
tell you.”
Para grabbed his empty mug, “Free coffee coming up.”
Walker chuckled and waited for her to finish making the next
one. As she set down his drink and leaned back over he spoke up, “You heard him
call me Night Walker last night?”
“Yea, you said you were just the latter half, correct?” She
asked him.
“Indeed…and it’s the truth. Night was my wife.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment