Staff Master 2

by Daniel Sandoval

  Chapter 4:

  Connor looked at Andre across the table in the restaurant dining room. He had hardly spoken two words to Andre since they woke up. Andre seemed happy to be up and about while he cheerfully conversed with people in Ukrainian and Russian. Connor was struggling with how he would tell Andre what he agreed to do. He had rationalized why it would be a good thing for Billy to die, but it didn't parallel his values and respect for life. After the server arrived with breakfast, Connor finally mustered the strength to say something.

  "How was your night?" Connor asked.

  Andre glared across the room. "Is good Connor."

  Andre looked ravenously at his breakfast and tore into the meat, potatoes, and eggs on his plate.

  Connor interrupted the meal. "I meet a stick fighter yesterday."

  Andre paused in his motion of eating and looked up at Connor.

  "I know what we need to do next." Connor announced.

  Andre finished chewing and swallowing. "Vee vill talk at yacht. Vee leave Sevastopol dis afternoon."

  Andre gave Connor an approving nod and continued to devour his breakfast. Connor could hardly stomach the idea of eating, but managed to eat some hot cereal and fruit. The combination of good grains and fresh fruit helped his stomach settle.

  After breakfast, Andre instructed Connor to pack his belongings and meet him in the lobby in an hour. He also told Andre he had one stop to make before they went back to the yacht. Connor was very agreeable to the arrangements. As much as he had wanted to get off of the yacht he now wanted a safe space where he could let out everything pent up inside.

  By the time Connor made it to the lobby to depart he started feeling a sense of relief. He knew he'd be able to get his bearings again on the yacht. Connor waited five minutes in the lobby and Andre was nowhere in sight. He had the front desk call up to the room, but no one answered. Connor finally asked one of the concierges if he had seen Andre. The concierge informed him that he saw Andre leave in a taxi shortly after he finished eating, but that he had not seen him return. When Connor asked where he went the concierge didn't seem to know, but he remembered that he had asked for the address of a vodka bar the night before. Connor thanked the concierge, paid the hotel bill, and caught a taxi to the place Andre likely drank away the night.

  When Connor arrived at the Vodka bar a sign on the window said it was closed. After paying the taxi driver he walked up to the front door. The door was locked, but Connor could hear voices inside. The voices were speaking Russian and one of them sounded similar to Andre's voice. Connor cautiously looked through the darkened windows and couldn't tell what was happening inside. Connor quickly walked around the block to see if he could find an alley behind the bar thinking there might be a back door that was open.

  Connor dropped his bags behind a garbage barrel half way down the alley and took out his staff. He carefully perused the doors to see if he could identify the back door to the bar. One of the doors was slightly open and Connor cautiously approached it to see if he could see or hear anything. The voices weren't as clear as they were from the front entrance, but he could still hear them and the distinct smell of vodka lingered faintly in the air. Connor slowly walked down the hallway that lead to the back entrance while the sounds of the voices became more and more profound. As Connor approached the end of the hallway he could distinctly identify Andre's voice and it sounded like he was in some sort of argument with the other voices.

  Clutching his staff he crouched and made his way behind the bar. Connor was frustrated that he couldn't speak Russian and knew he wouldn't need to be taking these drastic measures if he did. A small protrusion of light shined through a small part of the bar. Connor quickly crawled to the light and could make out the layout of the room. He saw Andre sitting at on a chair and three other men standing over him. One of the men was carrying a gun and the other two men were very tall and broad. The lack of light in the room prevented Connor from identifying Andre's circumstance. He couldn't tell if he was tied to the chair, voluntarily sitting down or if he was being interrogated.

  After several minutes of watching, Connor could only assess that the other men were disagreeing with what Andre was telling them. Finally one of the large men grabbed Andre and hoisted him off the chair. Connor finally saw what he had been looking for. Andre had a bloddy lip and bloodied nose. Connor sprang out from behind the bar and hit the large man not holding Andre in the knee cap. The man immediately collapsed. Connor spun and knocked the gun out of the hand of the other man and then delivered a jolting thrust into the man's face. Andre meanwhile grabbed the neck of the man holding him and started squeezing with all his strength. Connor jabbed the man in the gut forcing all the air out of the man. The other large man tried throwing a bottle at Connor and missed. Connor retaliated with a crushing blow to his head knocking the man out. Andre ultimately took enough air out of the other man that he passed out.

  Connor put his arm around Andre to help him out. "We need to get out of here, let's go out the back."

  Connor led Andre out the back door. He grabbed his belongings down the alley and went to the street and hailed a taxi. They were on their way back to the yacht in a matter of minutes. Connor looked at Andre's face and could tell he had been roughed up quite a bit. He checked to make sure nothing was broken and when Andre complained about a pain by his ear Connor ceased the informal examination.

  The ride back to the yacht was shorter than Connor remembered. As the taxi came to a stop Connor quickly gave the driver some money and grabbed his belongings and Andre to board the yacht. He untied the line anchoring the yacht to port and quickly made his way to the helm. Andre followed him to the wheel after he grabbed a bag of ice from below deck.

  When the yacht was on its way out to sea Connor felt a need to lash out at Andre, but restrained his emotions. "What exactly was that all about?"

  Andre looked at him ashamed. "I tell you and you not believe me, but I tell you anyway. Vhen I boy I have uncle who make lots of money for mafia. He tell me one time if I go to Sevastopol to ask about black sapphire. Is mafia myth in Kyiv dat mafia in Sevastopol have magic jewel to make people do what you want. I sink is joke so when I out last night I make joke about finding black sapphire. On way back to hotel is man who tell me to meet him back at bar and he show me real black sapphire."

  "So you went out drinking and were told that this magic sapphire exists and decided to come back and check it out on your own?" Connor sounded authoritative.

  Andre waved his hand in front of his face. "I not drinking Connor. I go and dance. Is fun for me. And I think man really has something like black sapphire and maybe he want to sell it to me so I come back."

  "Was the man one of the guys that was beating you up?" Connor couldn't let go of his feelings of disappointment.

  "No!" Andre sounded defensive. "Men wait for me in front of bar and bring me in as soon as I get out of taxi."

  Connor was still irritated with the whole situation. "Why were they beating you up?"

  "Zey keep asking vhere is black sapphire. I tell zem I not have it. I don't know what happen Connor. Is stupid mistake for me." Andre finally admitted.

  "It was pretty reckless, but it doesn't really add up." Connor finally felt like he could let it go.

  Andre shrugged his shoulders. "Is same what I sink." He remorsefully patted Connor on the back. "You not tell me what happen with other staff fighter."

  Connor looked at Andre's penitent countenance and felt sympathy for his friend. "You won't believe this. I met with Shuji."

  "Kenshi fighter from El Djem tournament?" Andre perked up.

  "Yes. Same exact one. He told me that the Kenshi is divided right now and that he's fighting on the side to stop the expansion of the Kenshi in the west." Connor's pace of speech increased.

  Andre looked shocked. "Impossible. Kenshi not divided."

  "That's what I thought, but
it's not really a public division." Connor countered. "It's more internal and it's at the top of their organization. There is a man named Nobuharu who is Shuji's uncle. He is the one who doesn't want to expand west and then there is another man named Katsu who is going to be at the tournament in Kyiv. Katsu is working with Billy."

  "Nobuharu is old Kenshi master for very long time. He must be weak for division in Kenshi." Andre had a worried look on his face.

  "Sounds like you believe me."

  Andre nodded. "Sounds like is possibility."

  Connor continued. "It gets deeper."

  "How deep?" Andre asked.

  "Shuji asked me to do something."

  "Vhut he ask?" Andre asked.

  "He wants me to hurt Billy." Connor stared at Andre.

  Andre paused and looked intently at Connor. "Kenshi vant you to work for zem."

  "It's not that simple Andre. Shuji believes there is someone working closely with Katsu and Billy who might turn on them if the opportunity is right." Connor's stare continued.

  Andre was equally fixated on the conversation. "And who is person?"

  "My mom." Connor finally broke his concentration

  Andre stood to his feet. "Connor. Dis crazy vhut zey ask!"

  "And I need to enter you into the tournament in Kyiv so I can get close." Connor felt like he had to let Andre know everything.

  "I can't fight." Andre admitted.

  Connor was speculative. "You can fight! You almost beat me."

  "Zat before you found you power to fight." Andre said disappointingly.

  "Veloz is not around anymore and you are one of the best in the world even if your body isn't what it used to be." Connor coached.

  Andre was discouraged. "You ask me to make big sacrifice Connor. Fight may bring me bad injury and I no recover."

  "Would you sacrifice yourself to stop the Kenshi?" Connor persisted.

  "I don't know Connor. Maybe is time to run and hide?" Andre proposed.

  Connor felt frustrated. "It's time to take a stand. You convinced me to fight in El Djem, it's your turn to take action!"

  "I vill go to Kyiv, but I not promise fight. Vee go and see vhut is going on and decide." Andre conceded.

  Connor felt bad for pressuring Andre. "You don't need to be afraid about winning the tournament Andre. We might be able to pull things off before you even fight, but you fighting is the only way to get close to Billy."

  "Is stupid Connor. Like stupid for me to go look at black sapphire." Andre cautioned.

  "I don't know if that's stupid Andre." Connor swallowed his chastisement for Andre's misadventure. "I think it's your curiosity getting the better of you and I'm sure your curious to see if Shuji's story is true, just like you were curious to see if I could really become what you thought I was."

  "Fine Connor! You Vin! Vee go, but I not promise to fight, only register!" Andre demanded.

  Connor glinted out a smile and accelerated the throttle toward Kyiv.