She looked at the tall structure, feeling some relief that they would not be staying at ground level. Stepping up to the main entrance, the front doors were already opened or broken through, allowing them to proceed with ease. They made their way up the stairs.
SETH
Seth Graves appreciated being hand-selected for missions. Today's task was venturing into the streets to track the enemy's movements. Before that day, he had not heard anything worthy of concern about the troops' activity. Now, it seemed, entire areas of downtown were being reclaimed. That was the rumor, at least. One could only see so much from the roof of their building, which was nowhere near one of the city's taller ones. The boss chose him, Cameron, and Lamar to find out what they could with their own eyes. In those early hours of the morning, it seemed the city was starting to go to sleep, as always, which made the mission easier to undertake. Despite this, Seth didn't leave far from base. He and the other two scattered to cover more ground, which meant he was alone, and more vulnerable. He would have greatly preferred they stick together.
Before the boss sent them on their way, Cameron had given him a new gun. Well, new by present-day standards. It was a Beretta M9 semi-automatic pistol with half a clip remaining. A decent gift, but an inferior weapon to what Cameron kept for himself: a fully-automatic AA-12 shotgun. Seth figured Cameron would use up its ammo before the end of the day, so he wasn't very jealous. Seth took his new pistol, dressed into his favorite black rain jacket, then headed out. He had only made it one block, stopping on Lovejoy St., which was the road that led to the blockaded Broadway Bridge. Rather than look around, he opted to remain in place and keep watch.
It wasn't long until he heard two gunshots, followed by another, then one more. It firmly gripped his attention, prompting him to investigate. The bridge, he figured. Strange that there was nothing more than four shots. Primarily, the troops were the ones who attempted to cross, until the blockade was formed. Only smaller parties could get through, and only at a price. From then, if the troops tried to cross, they would be met with the resistance of the entire area. No one troubled smaller groups. Whoever's over there, thought Seth, either they got through, or it took four bullets to take them down. Regardless of the situation, he only moved to investigate because activity on the bridge was rare, and always interesting.
Portland was quiet most mornings. One could hear crows squawk from a mile away at that time. But the unpleasant sounds of raids, rapes, or massacre were normally heard in the night. Early morning carried an unwritten rule to be peaceful. Seth had the patterns memorized. Families mourned for their missing or dead loved ones first, then as the day progressed, parties crossed their boundaries to war over resources.
He walked down Lovejoy St., keeping close to the buildings on his right to hopefully get a better view. When the Broadway Bridge came into view, he paused. After a moment, he saw two figures departing from the bridge. Without a second's thought he slipped behind the car nearest him. He crouched down, watching their footsteps and adjusting himself around the car as necessary to not be seen as they walked by. When their backs were to him, he was clear to get a good look at them. A big man and a small woman, he noted. He could not make sense of it: how did they bypass the bridge crew? The woman looked too malnourished to have done much, while the man appeared to be well fed. Did the man take them all by himself? They had more people... More guns...
Then he got a good look at the woman. That woman...He only briefly saw her face, but she was truly a beauty in his eyes. Seth lost his concentration. Part of him wanted to believe he had seen that woman before, but only to have something to talk about if he approached her. The thought of meeting her already made him nervous. I look filthy, he thought, looking at the filth on his black leather trench coat and feeling the grease in his hair. The woman appeared to be college-aged. A whole decade, or more, younger than me? Would that make me creepier or more attractive? Doesn't matter, 'cuz I can't approach her with … that, he thought of her companion. I can take him. He's big, but I doubt he knows how to fight like I do. After some time weighing the odds, he opted not to risk an encounter. Not without backup. He observed them as the man appeared to select a building for them to enter then lead the young woman into it. Isaac will want to hear about this. I can probably talk him into letting the girl stay.
Once his targets were out of sight, he ran south, further into downtown.
An army tank was passing down that street, rolling the same direction Seth was running. He hid anyway. Fear crept over him from the chance that troops were in the vicinity. He scoured every direction, then again, and then a third time to be sure. His home was visible from there; a five-story complex with multiple apartments. The entrance gate was on the opposite of the building from his position. Once the coast was clear, he ran the remaining distance.
Stepping up to the gate, he saw five men guarding it, which was unusual. His abrupt appearance prompted them to shift their weapons at him. “Whoah! Take it easy, guys. What's going on?” he asked them.
“Troops paid us a visit,” replied Daniel, Isaac's narcissistic right-hand man. His place was on the front lines for every serious occurrence. “Boss thinks they're gonna make a move on us.”
“Would you just let me in?” Daniel gestured for the gatekeeper to unlock the entrance. Seth pushed his way into the courtyard.
“What's the hurry?” called out Daniel as Seth ran toward the north wing.
He stopped to respond, despite his haste. “News for the boss. You'll want to come along.” Daniel followed as Seth made his way to the top floor, to meet with the boss in his suite.
Isaac was nearing his sixties. He was the old man of the gang, and he had some prior experience in the criminal underworld, which made him a respectable figure from the beginning. That was why Seth and the others were drawn to him as a leader. A father figure of sorts. All his subordinates, like Seth, were all men in their twenties, which he preferred because they were 'easier to teach' and had, of course, healthier, more agile bodies to get work done. Seth admired the boss' cleanliness and proper mannerisms, opposite to his own personality, which he only didn't see when Isaac was either going to sleep, or waking up, like was at that moment.
“This better be good,” Isaac had said once Seth and Daniel came into his apartment. The aged man was sitting on the edge of his bed, yawning incessantly.
“Maybe the early hour is to blame for this, but... I had been on my watch for only like half an hour when–”
“Spit it out, Seth,” the boss ordered.
“I saw a guy get past the bridge guard. He must have only killed a couple of them. He's tall, in great shape... I don't know how he did it, sir.”
Isaac looked at Daniel, an impressed expression in his eyes. “Did they put up a fight, or did they just stand around and let some guy shoot 'em?”
“I didn't see anything. I just heard –”
“Well, that doesn't matter. Point is, he got past. All right,” he sighed. “Dan, take Seth and five others. I'd like to question him.”
Daniel nodded, slickly turning around in the same motion as he headed for the door. Seth was there first. As he made haste toward the stairs, he pulled the strap across his shoulders and checked his rifle's ammunition. Seeing the weapon was suitable for combat, he returned it to his back. He looked behind; Daniel was behind, already being followed by five selected men. They must have known he would select them before he said a word.
Seth led them out, toward the building he had seen his targets enter. Within that glass exterior, the building consisted of apartments and penthouses. He recalled a past mission that involved infiltrating that building. He and his companions had found it occupied by multiple families. Seth kept the faces of his targets firmly in mind, since he expected to see many others in their search.
The group was swift with their movements. Upon reaching the building, they entered the first floor stealthily. Right past the doors, they were met in the halls by a gathering of at least a dozen re
fugee families. Everyone but the youngest children rose to their feet, aiming their weapons. “Stop!” called Daniel. “We're looking for someone.”
“Who?” said a man who had a little girl hiding behind his legs and a brave unarmed son standing at his side.
Daniel looked to Seth, who nervously analyzed the area around him. “Not here,” he said. “I don't see them.” Judging by the glare Daniel shot him, his admission apparently displeased the boss' right hand. The company departed and took to the stairs. Seth accepted that Daniel was now leading the party.
The higher the floors they searched, the fewer refugees they encountered. Seth grew nervous. Daniel would undoubtedly punish him for wasting his time if he ultimately didn't locate their target; and Daniel wouldn't need permission from Isaac first. He was not important enough for anyone to need permission to strike or outright kill him. He had known Isaac for years, nearly longer than any of his other men, but Daniel was more proficient with their line of work and was naturally granted more privileges – almost complete free rein.
Eventually, they reached the eleventh floor. It was the only floor devoid of inhabitants in the halls. Seth could hear the voice of a man speaking solemnly to the soft voice of a woman. It's them, he substantiated. He turned back to Daniel and the others, signaling 'straight ahead' with his left hand. Daniel looked ahead, and he seemed to know immediately where Seth pointed. As the company approached the room, Seth heard the talking abruptly cease. They had been quiet, but somehow, they know we're here. Seth backed up as Daniel stepped up to the door.
Daniel mouthed the signal 'three, two, one...' and raised his right leg to burst open the door. But he was interrupted by gunfire coming from the other side. Two bullets shot out; one grazed Daniel's shin while the other strayed off. “God damn!” he screamed.
Seth looked to the others, waiting for one of them to attempt to break in after Daniel. Only after wasting five precious seconds did one of them finally take the initiative, shooting the handle until it flew off, then kicking in the door. He and the others clenched their triggers and sprayed the room until their clips emptied.
“No! STOP!” cried Seth. He shoved them aside with his full body. “He's not alone-” he said until he saw a man more massive than himself charging straight for him from around a corner. Seth pulled his shoulder strap, but it was too late. The man swung his elbow straight at Seth's nose. The force cast Seth backward. As he fell flat on his back, he felt his nose bleeding profusely.
As far as he knew, the man wasn't a man, but a blur. It seized the rifle from the person at Seth's right, then punctured his throat with the barrel. Daniel was still incapacitated and the remaining men were too afraid to shoot. Seth finally mustered the courage to force himself toward the assailant's legs, pulling them with enough force to knock him down. Then Seth rose and proceeded to attack the assailant, with his remaining companions finally assisting.
“Stop!” cried a woman from the room. “Don't kill him!” She stepped out of the suite, her face radiating that familiar beauty, and fear.
Seth relaxed some as his victim lowered his shielding arms. “Who are you?”
“Mercy... That man you're killing is Ethan. Please... He's just protecting me.”
Daniel held his leg, cringing. “Seth, is he the guy?”
Ethan stood, shoving Seth aside.
“Yeah,” Seth answered, straightening himself up, holding his nose and keeping his head back. He couldn't help himself, gazing at Mercy. Following a moment of tension-filled silence, Seth asked her, “What's your business?”
“Not yours,” growled Ethan. He kept himself composed as the men kept their weapons aimed at him.
Mercy kept her eyes on Ethan. “We're...” Seth wondered why she paused. “We need a safe place to stay for the time being.”
Daniel struggled to his feet, pulling his gun once he straightened his legs. “I'll be damned if the boss gives you a place to stay.”
“We have our orders, Daniel. The boss wants them.”
“Them? I heard nothing about some bitch. So, who's this, Seth?” asked Daniel. “You never mentioned her. Our orders were to bring – Ethan, is it? – back to the boss. I didn't hear shit about this woman.”
Ethan pushed aside everyone in his path as he approached Mercy. “If I'm going anywhere, she comes with me.”
“So, you consent to coming with us?” spoke Daniel.
Ethan sighed. “Mercy needs somewhere to stay while I'm gone.”
Gone? he thought.
Seth breathed a sigh of relief, but was quiet about it. It was as if Ethan spoke directly to him, saying he was leaving his beauty behind for Seth to have a shot at. Though, the nature of Ethan's relationship with Mercy was uncertain. A romantic couple, obviously, but the love seemed to be diminishing. Suddenly Seth transitioned from being firm where he stood, to being loose on his feet. He kept his focus on the discussion at hand. “Let's just take them both to the boss, Daniel.”
Daniel shot a stare at Mercy, like an animal salivating, imagining the taste of its prey before pouncing. He turned and limped to the stairs without further fuss. Seth remained back as the other men rounded up Ethan and Mercy, escorting them away.
Passing through the front entrance onto the streets, Seth was on full alert. Mercy was walking behind Ethan; only he and one other were behind her. He did not know the name of the man walking behind her, but whoever he was, he did not appear physically fit to protect even himself, let alone their prisoners. Not that I'm one to talk, he internalized.
In a short few minutes, they were already at the shelter. Seth observed Mercy staring at the barriers covering many points on the exterior of the building. Seth almost explained their purpose to her, but kept his tongue, figuring she could piece it all together on her own. Daniel made it to the courtyard gate with haste. Once it was unlocked for them, he stood idle as everyone entered ahead of him. They were close to the boss now, and judging from how Mercy kept her head down, she was more afraid of the boss' decision than he was. Isaac will have me beaten if Ethan tries anything, or if Mercy is too useless to keep. I should have evaluated them more, somehow, just to be sure it was worth his trouble.
Isaac was not impressed with the people presented before him. Seth had entered the suite first and introduced them by name, before finding himself a hand towel for his nose. “Ethan, huh? He looks serious enough,” was all Isaac had to comment. He then asked Seth, “You failed to mention a companion with him. Was that on purpose?” Internally, Seth admitted that he was unsure of the right answer. “What have you learned from them?” asked the boss.
“I – I didn't ask them anything. I just brought them here like you asked.”
“I helped,” Daniel interjected, raising a hand.
Ethan rolled his eyes. “Isaac,” he addressed, utter lack of formality in his tone. “I have something to collect. I would like to leave.”
Isaac grinned. “Leave us, all of you,” he instructed to his henchmen and even his bodyguards. Daniel was the sole exception, as Seth always knew he was. Seth grudgingly turned to leave, but Isaac stopped him. “You may stay, Seth. This is your mess, after all.” Seth remained, but turned to face them.
Daniel brought a tipped bar stool closer and seated himself. Isaac gestured for the others to sit as well. Mercy seemed to not even notice she was brought to stand in front of a couch, judging from how she looked at the furniture behind her. Mercy sat down, but Ethan did not. “You're a serious one,” Isaac commented.
“Kill me or let me go, but I'm not interested in discussion.”
“How did you make it to downtown?” Isaac cut straight to business, which Seth preferred as well.
“I walked.”
“I hear you shot three of the bridge guard... Then you just walked by. With a young, beautiful, vulnerable woman by your side.”
“Two. The tall one deserved two bullets.”
“Still less than half the guard, nonetheless. Where are you from? Were you in the Corps?”
“No.”
“Where did you learn how to take action like that?” Seth read some annoyance in Isaac from Ethan's short responses. “My second-in-command comes back with an injured leg, one with a broken nose and two others return with bruises and black eyes. Where did you learn to fight?”
“Practice.”
Seth prepared to teach Ethan a lesson in proper etiquette, clenching his gun and keeping a finger on the guard. Isaac passively waved a hand, ordering Seth to stand down.
“Most would kill you for what you did. If those were my men, I wouldn't be so patient with you. But I like to consider myself a reasonable man, and I can't help but admire what I've heard about your aptitude. I'll make you a deal, Ethan. Tell me what you want, apart from leaving, and I'll grant it. My only condition is that you tell me who you are and where you attained your abilities.”
Ethan said nothing. He seemed to be tensing with anger. Even Daniel was preparing to strike now.
“Ethan,” said Mercy to the boss. She stuttered and hesitated before finally adding, “He has a sister named ...um, Lilith, I think.”
Useless information, thought Seth. But to his surprise, Isaac's face brightened.
“...Ethan Krohn?” Isaac tilted his face, staring at his captive until finally he nodded. “Well... This is a treat. I have one of the Krohn twins under my roof. I'd ask you again about your background, but, no need anymore.”
Daniel shot a glance of confusion at Seth, shaking his head as if offended. “The fuck's an 'Ethan Krohn?'”
“He's the son of Phoebe Krohn. She was the … respectable Matriarch. You've heard of the Matriarchs, right Daniel?” His second-in-command only shrugged. “I guess that still doesn't answer the question of where you learned to fight. Mobsters aren't generally warriors or... martial arts masters,” he laughed. “They're more like aggressive diplomats, really. If you're Phoebe's son, you're a welcome guest of mine.”
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