The Crows Next Mission - Wesper

Chapter Five

"I wanted you to send a message, not to kill him."

"Can't be picky."

The tension in the room was high. With the door closed the tense air had nowhere to go but build inside the four walls that surrounded the two. One was a boy who leaned on a cane with a metal crow's head. He happened to have a face as tense as the room but he also happened to be a smart boy knowing not to mess with the man across from him. The man that was dressed like this meeting was a high-class dinner party where they only served the finest wine. This man had friends in high places and could get what he wanted in the snap of his fingers, most of the time. But he was a man who also knew not to mess with the boy across from him, the boy who wasn't afraid to get a little blood on his hands.

"I have a new mission," The man said and if he had a fancy glass of wine he would have taken a sip, "And I only ask for you to do it right this time." He pulled a folded piece of paper from the pocket of his newly tailored jacket.

The boy leaned his cane against the desk to unfold the paper, "Who is this man?" 

"Who he is isn't important," The man said pulling something new from his pocket, a little sack.

"Why are you sending me to do your dirty work, Van Eck?"

"Well, Mr. Brekker, I need to know if I can trust you." Van Eck said plopping the little sack on the desk with a clink. His hand reached to pick up something he dropped the sack next to, it was a small object Van Eck held up to examine. An old coin that had been fabricated into a crow.

"I'm not a man you should trust," Kaz said folding back up the paper and placing it on the desk.

"I trust you can't walk away from kruge."

"Where'd you hear that?"

"A little birdy told me," Van Eck said curling his fingers around the warped coin. "600 kruge."

"I never agreed to do your dirty work."

"700."

"You can't bribe me, Van Eck," Kaz said sliding the piece of paper along the desk towards the man until it was out of arms reach.

"1,000 kruge," The man said doing the same by sliding the paper back.

Kaz picked the paper up and pocketed it. "Why me?" He asked picking back up his cane.

"You sure do ask a lot of questions." Van Eck said placing the small crow back on the desk. "How does 10 million kruge sound to you? How would you like to be a rich man Dirtyhands?"

Jesper had his ear against the door when it was opened from the other side. Act natural he thought after stumbling into the room. He leaned his arm up against the door frame and smiled at the man who opened the door. "Morning sir!" He said in a chirpy voice. The man clearly wasn't impressed. 

Jesper stepped to the side and held out his arm in an after-you way.

Once the man was gone Jesper walked into the room where Kaz stood with a look he couldn't read, "Who was he?" Jesper said pointing his thumb over his shoulder.

Kaz didn't respond and only handed Jesper a small sack before leaving.

Jesper opened the palm-sized sack to find it was filled with shiny coins that looked to be freshly polished. "This is only half of what you promised!" He yelled chasing after Kaz who wasn't hard to catch up to.

"Don't mess up this time and you'll get the full amount," Kaz said handing Jesper the paper he had just received from Van Eck.

"You told me to use force."

"Hello, Inej."

"Saints!" Jesper yelled clenching his hand over his heart, "Where did you even come from?" He asked the girl who had appeared next to him.

"I have information," Inej said, her words were directed at Kaz but Jesper seemed to butt in between them.

"Do tell," Jesper said. 

Jesper grumbled some inaudible words after being kicked out of the conversation. He always felt left out when it came to anything important. All the secrets were always shared between Kaz and Inej, never Jesper. He was never a part of anything, "It was one time," He mumbled throwing open the doors of the Slat and stomping his way upstairs like a child throwing a tantrum. "Mess up once and they leave you out of everything!" He yelled opening the door to his room.

He crumpled the paper Kaz had given him and threw it across the room in a rage of frustration before throwing himself onto the bed. He let out a sigh into the pillows. His tired mind and body thanking him for finally lying down. He was, after all, just tired. 

Kaz's mission could just wait till later.

This time he made sure to do the mission right, simply just threatening a man to leave Ketterdam, and this time no bullet was imbedded in someone's head. Kaz will be pleased Jesper thought as the man before him was begging for his life on his knees saying he would be gone by morning. But then there was that one thing the man said that caught Jesper's attention, "I promise I didn't have anything to do with it!"  He cried holding his hands up to shield his head from the barrel of Jesper's gun.

"With what?" Jesper couldn't help his curious mind but ask.

"The kidnapping! Please! I said I'd leave! Please spare me!" It was funny to see a grown man on his knees begging for his life to a child. Now look how powerful a rich man is without his money to save him, but that was beside the point.

The point was Jesper couldn't just leave it at that. He shoved the gun a little closer to the man's head, "Who was kidnapped?"

"Mr. Van Ecks wife! Please don't shoot!"

"Van Ech, huh? So that was the man Kaz was talking to earlier," Jesper said thinking out loud. He did try to eavesdrop on his and Kaz's conversation earlier but it was hard to make out anything from the other side of the door. But now it was clear, Mr. Van Eck's wife was kidnapped and he'd hired Kaz to rescue her.

Jesper placed his gun back in the holster attached to his hips, "Better be gone by morning or else." He threatened before taking his leave. He felt a little like Kaz in that moment, it had always been Kaz's job to be the threatener and now Jesper could understand why. It was a little enjoyable.

Turns out he wasn't that good at threatening when the man wasn't gone by morning.

Chapter Five - May 2, 2023

Word Count - 1131 Words

Why is dialogue so hard to writeeeeeeee

- Flyon