Super Blogger

12. ARCHER I

       ALAIN ARCHER'S POV

•August 1st
•10:30 pm EST
•The Night Of The Gala_

"Idiot!" I bellowed in rage. "They're all idiots!"

"Should I turn it off boss?" A henchman inquired from the corner of my office. What was his name again....? That bodyguard of mine who took a bullet for me last week, his name was just on the tip of my tongue. Argh, forget it!

"Not yet." I blurted and faced the flat screen TV that was mounted on the wall directly across from me. I leaned forward on my leather chair with my palms clasped beneath my jaw. My black suit tugged at the elbows, threatening to tear. Inferior work for the King of crime?

"Where's Morris?" I glowered at Cage's leaning figure to the left of the room.

He swung his shaggy black mop of hair as he nodded. "Aye Bossman, I ain't his babysitter."

I frowned. Cage had a lesson or two to learn about how I despised evasive answers. But his loyalty earned him his place and for now, his pardon. "Find him, cut his elbows, and bring him in here to answer for his workmanship. And be quick about it."

"As you wish, boss man." Cage pushed off the wall and lumbered towards the door. He unsheathed his signature jagged knife from somewhere in his cargo pants right before exiting the room.

The name of the other bodyguard finally hit me. "Hank, get over here."

"Yes, boss." He moved his huge figure across the room and stationed beside me.

I pointed a finger toward the tv screen. "Take a look at this moron, and he calls himself the head of the Hybrid Cloak."

"Haha!" Hank snorted. "Way beneath your level, boss."

My fist slammed my desk."The fool was desperate. And it cost him big time. Couldn't even do his mission right."

"He should have given you a call for assistance." Hank grunted. "It'd only have cost him a few hundred grams."

"Well, I always knew ol Zen was greedy. Good a thing our mole tipped us on his plans just in time."

Hank folded his burly arms; his black suit looked freer than mine. "You're always one step ahead, boss."

"Always." I reaffirmed. "And my raid party is back from Zen's hideout. Tonight, the Bleeding Bones triumph once more. It's a shame Zen wouldn't be able to see the state of his hideout from behind bars."

"Tekeon got him good!" He bellowed in laughter.

I scowled. "Yes. Too good. He made my gang rival look like a bunch of kids! When word gets out on the street, other gangs will get bolder to compete with me."

The door creaked open halfway and some bodyguard I could vaguely remember stuck his head through. I was about to order Hank to blast his head off for his unmannered intrusion but that would have been a good waste of manpower.

I glowered at him. "How dare you interrupt me?"

He opened the door fully. "Apologies, boss. I forgot to follow protocol, it won't happen again. It's just that Dr. Leiber has something extraordinary he wanted to show you. He said he's made some progress."

I pinched between my eyes. The kidnapped Scientist. How could I have forgotten he was still in the lair?

"What's so extraordinary that you forgot to knock? Bring him in."

A rumbling noise accompanied the sound of marching feet. Before my very eyes, the stout shabby haired scientist pushed a white sphere-about the size of my desk-- with all his might into my office. The contraption not only contrasted the dark decor but also gave off eerie vibes. It looked so...outer worldly, sending shivers down my spine.