A Story of Cinders: From the Ashes

Chapter 30: Joker and the Thief

 "No guns," Charlie said, strapping his kukri to his back. His revolver sat on the nightstand beside him, the Galil propped up against the wall adjacent. "Let's try to keep this quiet."

"It'd be easier to just shoot him," Ana said, tightening the belt on her navy-blue peacoat.

"True, but gunshots lead to witnesses, and witnesses lead to complications."

"Fine..." she sighed halfheartedly. She took the Skorpion submachine gun out of her bag and placed it on the counter. Then she sat down and started lacing up her boots. They were dark brown leather and went up to her knees. Underneath, she wore black denim pants.

"So this target of ours..." Charlie started, staring at his own boots.

"Cassius Johnson."

"Yeah, him. What can you tell me about him, other than that he's into hookers?"

"He's a real bastard. Been kicked out of all but three brothels in Crockett," Crockett being the capital of the Barlow territory, in southern Texas. "Mistreats the ladies in there."

"Mistreating's kind of a broad term."

"He doesn't pay, and on top of that, he abuses the girls."

"Okay, I don't like him. But I don't think that's enough to kill him..."

"And he's killed six of them."

"Okay yeah, we're gonna slit his throat."

"Thought that might get you on board..."

"And the Barlow's voluntarily employ this motherfucker?"

"Way to call the kettle black..."

"Okay, that's fair. At least I'm not rapey and murderey, though. I treat them well." She glared at him, unhappy with that information. Quickly he went back to the main topic. "So, we're sending him to the special Hell?"

"Well, we have to find him first. We know he's in The Devil's Den, but we don't know rooms, who he's with, or anything." She finished lacing up her other boot, then reached into her bag for her knife. A vicious looking blade called a karambit. At one end of the handle was a ring to stick her index finger through. On the other end was a curved, talon-like blade. It curved outward, like a kukri, but with a much more natural curve, rather than the abrupt bend in Charlie's blade. She spun the knife around her finger and stuck it in the scabbard.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said, cracking her knuckles.

"Fantastic. Let's move out." Charlie pulled his hood and balaclava up, Ana pulled up her cloth mask over her lower face. They climbed out the window, hopping into the back alley. Best to stay unseen for this one. They crept through the dark alleys, darting through openings, moving quickly and quietly. The main streets were quiet, but open, with a few stragglers and soldiers hanging about. The alleys and back roads twisted and wound their way through the city without any real sense of direction. Charlie muttered under his breath that Will needed a new city planner.

The Devil's Den was on the other side of town to the east, and further to the north. How they eventually ended up there, neither of them knew. They stared at the back entrance. Locked.

"Alright, how do we get in?" Charlie asked.

"Well, this might sound crazy, but we could always try the front door..."

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" Charlie remarked moving around to the front, pressed up against the wall, his voice hushed. He peered around the corner. "And then there's the small issue of the bouncer," he added.