Master's Apprentice (Completed) Undergoing Edits

Problem Girl

Thanks for reading and sharing about the difference between German and Afrikaans words! I'd love to hear more about it!

Author's note: Don't mess with Uncle Bern.

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Uncle Bern:

"She's a problem, sir.  I think your nephew  has been compromised."

Uncle Bern slowly swayed his drink around before putting it up to his lips. As a young man, he had seen many things in the world crumble to dust before his eyes. If fighting in the war had taught him anything, it was the perversity of human nature and how with well-placed speeches and a bit of money, one could sanction mass killing of an entire race.

Standing up, he observed the view from his office in the company's headquarters and proceeded to speak.

"Let him have a little fun while he's at it. Having a wife will not make him weak. Currently, they're on their honeymoon, so don't bother annoying them with your line of inquiry," he swallowed his liquor and then placed it on his desk.

"It's her I'm worried about. There's something off about her."

A worried Russian mafia member? Now that is something you did not see every day, he thought.

"Leave your petty concerns to me. There are bigger fish in the water to fry right now."

Walking around the office, he picked up the phone and called his secretary's number.

"Yes, Mr. Bern. How may I help you?", she asked.

He smiled, that lady was the only one he let call him by his last name. The title of The Master usually sparked fear into unsuspecting hearts. Loyalty by intimidation was his motto on running an international criminal organization.

"Call the Lombardi brothers to my office, please."

"As you say, so shall it be done.", she hanged up the phone and started dialing rapidly.

"The Lombardi brothers? Is it that serious?"

"I'm on trial for criminal charges. It does not get any more serious than that. Forget what you have against my distant relative's new bride and focus on how to get me out of this...", he waved his hand around and added, "mess."

"Do you think..."

"...that there is a snitch involved? Definitely. All we have to do is figure out who, and the Lombardi brothers are great at finding people who don't want to be found."

"How are you not in...", he paused before completing his statement; what if the Master got mad at what he had to say next. He seemed to be in an angry mood and setting him off even more might not be wise.

"Jail? Please finish your ******* sentences for once!"

Calming down, he uttered, "Bail money is nothing for someone like me, a rich businessman."

"No flight risk?", the Russian mafia member said before thinking twice and instantly regretted it when he saw the glare upon the boss's face.

"Like I said, money will get you far in this world, even get you a lenient judge who is thinking of retirement."

"Won't the cops be mad and try to track you? I heard the FBI got a tip from the English about you."

"That's the thing about law enforcement. They forget that the future is the most important thing in this world. Planning ahead is the name of my game always. How do you think I made it out of Great Britain with my head intact? I had a man on the inside of MI6."

"Then how come you didn't see this coming?", the Russian mafia member squared up his shoulders in attempt to look tough, but only made The Master chuckle.

"I did. I saw people who were so in debt that they tried to betray me to the FBI and well, they're gone now. However, I was only told recently that the MI6 hired consultants off the books to go after me. Somehow, they infiltrated this organization and stole files leading to my arrest warrant."

"The cops played dirty this time?"

Ignoring his statement, he continued, "Unfortunately for them, their case will not hold up in a court of law without a witness to testify on their behalf.  As the FBI agents were practically giddy when they questioned me in the interrogation room the other day; it comes to reason that they must have a card up their sleeve."

"A card? I don't follow, Master."

"Are you that thick in the skull, Andrei? One of my employees or associates has ratted me out."

"A mole?", Andrei gasped, shocked someone would dare mess with the Master.

"Good thing this organization has a mole in the DA's office. We will find out which one turned against me."

Clearing his throat, Andrei looked to the door and motioned for the Master.

"Is it them?", the boss checked his tie and smoothed his hair down. Appearances didn't really matter in this case, but old habits die hard.

"The Master?", one of the Lombardi brothers called out as he opened the door and peered in.

"Come in! Have you met Mr. Petrushenkov yet?"

The Lombardi brother commented in a thick Sicilian accent, "I have not."

"Let me introduce you to the top lieutenant for the Petrushenkovs, Andrei!"

Patting Andrei on the back, he revealed that, "Andrei has been acting as my assistant to keep the feds off my tail."

"Interesting.", one man stated while spitting into the carpet.

Andrei, a giant compared to all the other men in the room, paled visibly in panic. There were lesser things that people had been punished for by this man who was a stickler for old-fashioned values and manners.

""My brother had gum in his mouth...Now apologize.", the other brother, a shorter man, insisted.

Suddenly, the Master clapped, and the three men turned to face him out of fear.

"It's alright. The carpet is scheduled to be clean next week anyhow; last time, they forgot to clean the blood from the corner of the office."

The threat lay in the air like fog and Andrei started choking from forgetting to breathe.

"Get it together, Andrei! Now as I was saying, we have several months from the trial date. We have two objectives-find the pipsqueak witness and snuff out the UK leak with help from my mole in MI6."

"What should we do when we find them?", a Lombardi brother inquired.

"Make them wish they had never been born."

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Author's comment:

(Can an author leave their own comment? idk.)

But that statement, (the blood in the carpet) right after I wrote it, and when I reread it, makes me go "oiii" and almost choke so yeah.

Author's real note: Here's a sneak preview of the next chapter.