Chapter 21
The Bribery
It was an old abandoned tavern. Heston couldn’t even read the name of the store. He frowned at the address again and looked around. It seemed like it was the only building with the light on in the entire block. He looked around, but didn’t see those mysterious ladies he saw in his office other night. The burnt spot on his chest ached.
“Probably they are on the cloaking device,” mumbled Heston.
There were few people on the iron stairs attached to the building, smoking outside. They didn’t even look at Heston. In front of the entrance, there was one guy sleeping on his cooled-down puke, snoring. Heston pushed the bar door, grumbling. It was the greasy, sticky door; there was one noodle thread and the carrot piece on the middle of the door. Heston took out his handkerchief and rubbed his hand, and entered the tavern.
It was a shabby bar. A rotten stench of fungus greeted Heston. There were many drunkards bellowing at each other; some of them were on the floor, snoring. Heston didn’t have any problem finding the assassins as they were only women in the bar.
They were talking to two muscular men; there were some expensive liquor bottles on the table. When Heston came near, Lucy touched the man’s shoulder and whispered to him. The man looked at Heston threateningly with sparkling eyes and turned around and smiled foolishly at Lucy. The man then looked at Heston again with a rigid face, stood up, stretched his muscle to look bigger and walked away. The other man followed, waving at Lucy with his huge arm.
Heston shuddered; he glimpsed at Lucy. She gestured him to sit. Lucy gave a glass and poured him a drink. Lucy was wearing a green dress. She smiled seductively with her red lips; she was quite beautiful. She was strapped with a long pistol on her thigh.
He gulped down the liquor; his stomach burned as he didn’t have any lunch or dinner. He felt a sudden buzz, relieving petty anxieties out of his mind. She smiled softly and poured him another.
“You made it,” smiled Lucy.
“Are you the headmistress?” asked Heston.
“Yes, since our former one is dead in the sea,” said Lucy.
“Well, you ladies sure got some guts. Don’t you know I can arrest you right now?” said Heston.
“Only if you want to die so badly,” said Lucy, smiling, sipping her drink.
“So, what do you want? I’m not sure I would want to do anything risky concerning my carrier,” said Heston.
“We were planning to make you king in Cassandra,” said Lucy. Heston scoffed.
“A king?” frowned Heston. “Are you kidding me?”
“If you don’t want to be a king, then you don’t have to, you can spread your democracy there, if you wish,” said Lucy. “All we need is to get our business going, Heston.”
“Your business?” said Heston.
“Yes, our business,” smiled Lucy.
“What is your business?” asked Heston.
One of the assassins went up to Heston and started sweeping the device around him to look for the bugs.
“Are you trying to dig our organization? Heston?” said Lucy.
“No,” said Heston. The assassin crouched and swept his shoes.
“Maybe since you have been working in the espionage division for many years, you might have something that will impress us,” said Lucy.
“I don’t have any bugs on me and no one knows I’m here,” said Heston.
“Yes on the first, no on the next,” muttered Lucy, whirling the drinks inside the glass. “Your wife knows.”
“…” Heston silenced. Suddenly the sweeping device made a beeping sound when checking for his left leg. Heston froze on the spot. The assassin grabbed on the tip of his boots roughly and pulled out the wiretap. The assassin threw the wiretap on the table. It was about the size of a dayfly.
“That’s that’s not mine,” muttered Heston, his face going pale, looking at Lucy examining the bug.
“I know, it’s ours,” smiled Lucy, putting it in her pocket. The assassin retrieved the sweeping device and stood up.
“It would be very helpful if Basileus Republic is on our side,” said Lucy, laughing softly.
“I thought the Assassins’ Chamber only had twenty five members,” said Heston. “How exactly are you planning to take over Cassandra?”
“We don’t, we let someone else to do it for us. But, currently no one is willing because they are shit scared. Nina Polchinski became very tedious object for us.” said Lucy.
“So you want the protection from the Basileus Republic,” said Heston.
“Wrong,” snapped Lucy, raising her eyebrows. “All we need is the database.”
“The database?” frowned Heston.
“Yes, we need the blueprint of Ricky Guido’s maze,” said Lucy.
Heston silenced; the laughter of drunkards was getting louder.
“We have recruited mercenaries and other military organizations from the poverty stricken towns nearby Cassandra. Bunch of petty criminals, I’d say. They are always easy recruits,” said Lucy.
“Uh huh, so are you trying to catch Nina Polchinski with the group of thugs?” said Heston, sardonically. “Are you trying to make a strong first impression to your peers? Well… since you became new headmistress?”
“I’d say you are underestimating us too much,” smiled Lucy. “But the answer is yes.”
Heston gulped what was left in his glass.
“Deal.” said Heston, hiccupping. He put his glass on the table.