Friends in Low Places

Sam stood outside of the fancy Chinese restaurant, arms folded. He had dressed up for the occasion, wearing a fancy black suit with a white dress shirt; he hated it with a burning passion. Still, Father insisted that the Golden Dragon was not a place to go to in ripped jeans and an unbuttoned shirt. Sam was playing lookout and bellboy for Charon and his men when they arrived, and wasn't too happy about it. Jadetown always put Sam on edge; he preferred being in enemy territory to neutral ground. At least in enemy turf you know everyone's gonna try to kill you. In Jadetown? It was tense for him. The Crimson Scar was a known gang affiliate, and gangers were often killed for being in Jadetown. Someone as recognizable as him wasn't a good thing.
To make matters worse, Father chose Maribelle to be his second bodyguard to this meeting. Of all the choices he could make, he chose a serial killer they knew next to nothing about. Sam would've preferred Lazy Eye to Maribelle. It wasn't that he didn't trust her; he just didn't feel comfortable fighting alongside someone who might kill them due to a lack of control. But Father had heard that Charon knew about the link, and Father wanted to confirm the suspicions. And it was not Sam's place to argue with Father.
The Golden Dragon was one of the fanciest restaurants in Jadetown, and was regularily used by gangers to work out peace treaties and end turf wars; this was due to the resturaunt's neutral location and their policy of "ask no questions" when people paid to use their "party rooms" for business negotiations. It wasn't Sam's first time bodyguarding here for a negotiation, and he felt it wouldn't be his last. Didn't make him like the place any less. The curry was mild and bland.
Sam checked his smartphone; seven twenty-eight in the evening. Meeting was supposed to start at nine, but Father insisted on arriving early; even if it was neutral ground, being settled in always gives the illusion of the other party being the guest, Father insisted. "The guest is always out of their element." Sam didn't like having Father out any more time than needed; a leader of a large gang like this is often looked at like a hungry meal, so being away from home for long was always a bad move. Father seemed to be flaunting many common sense rules these days, and Sam didn't like it... He hoped Charon would arrive early. Sooner begun, sooner done and all.

So the day had come. A few days after Sam and Charon's initial meeting, a letter arrived for Charon by messenger explaining where they were to meet and the time that they would start the meeting. Well, so this offer had been legitimate. Charon made sure to keep it quiet amongst the gang, not wanting any rumors to spread. This was already dangerous enough, Charon didn't want anyone thinking that he was trying to off Sam's father and gain power for himself. He needed to do this the right way, professionally.

Charron dressed in his nicest suit, a black suit with a red undershirt and black tie. It wasn't anything to brag about, but when meeting someone this important you needed to look your best for the occasion. For his bodyguards he picked Marcus to show some sign of faith to his newly acquired gang, along with one of his more trusted lieutenants. With them dressing equally as nice, they made their way to Jadetown.

Charron saw Sam as he walked down the street. He was about thirty minutes early, and wasn't even surprised to see Sam there along with a woman. Now that...that was interesting. Charron smiled as he approached. "Hope I'm not too early, I just didn't want your father to be waiting that long...assuming he came here to negotiate himself"

Sam jumped slightly, looking up from his phone with a jolt, almost dropping it. He caught the phone and straightened himself out. "No, no, not too early at all." Sam assured them; he was clearly on edge. "And of course Father came in person. He's in the back room waiting." Sam turned and gestured to Maribelle, who followed him inside, somewhat adjusting her violet strapless dress that came down to her knees. Sam led Charon and his two men to the back room, which had a large table adorned with a wide variety of foods. On the far end of the table was a short, fat man who was calmly eating what appeared to be beef lo mein.
"Ah, welcome, friends, welcome!" Father called to Charon's group; he had thick Chicago accent, had a cigarette perched between his teeth, and wore a dark blue suit. He stood up as they entered the room and gestured to the many empty chairs. "Take your seats and help yourselves, everythin's already been paid for! I believe introductions are in order!" Sam and Maribelle moved to Father; Maribelle sat down on his left hand side while Sam leaned up against the wall behind him and to his right, nervously tapping his foot. Father somewhat dramatically gestured to him and said, "I assume you already know Sam here. He don't like being called Sam by those who ain't close to him, though, so I'm gonna kindly ask you address him by his title from the ring, 'The Crimson Scar'." He smiled and gently put a hand on Maribelle's shoulder. "This here is one of our, ah, newer acquaintences. She's not technically part of the gang, but she's one of our best, shall we say, 'exclusive contacts'. We just call her 'Maribelle'." Father gave a peculiar smile, one that was a mask of kindness, but beneath held the vagueness of a threat; Sam knew he was showing off Maribelle, the fact that the East Diamond Ripper was in his pocket. Father straightened his suit jacket and spread his arms wide as though offering an embrace. "And I, as ya may've guessed, am Father. Leader of the Red Diamonds. Pleasure to meet you all." He back down in his chair and pushed his plate to the side.

Charon nodded, happy to be there and was excited. This seemed like a legitimate opportunity, but the only way to figure it out was to see the meeting through. Charon was very aware of the possibility that this might be his last meal so to speak. However, he highly doubted they'd put their leader at risk to kill someone as low as Charon, there were much easier ways to do it, especially if they did have the East Diamong Ripper in their pocket as Charon suspected.

Father wasn't exactly what Charon was expecting, but in this world so many people were more than what they appeared to be. Father was much the same, or so Charon suspected. When offered seats, Charon and everyone else down and looked at all the food that had already been paid for. It was a kind offer, and seemed to be sincere. Charon smiled through his mask, not that father or anyone else in the room could see it. "Sam and I have indeed met, and he was kind enough to relay your message to me. We're happy to be here Father, and appreciate you approaching us with the idea of an alliance. I must admit that a part of me feels guilty, in the face of such a strong gang I fear that my own is still on the smaller side. We will help you in any way we can, but even our guns and ammo are quite limited" Charon spoke honestly.

"Oh forgive me I'm being rude. This is Marcus, he was the second in command of the gang I defeated a few weeks back. Along with this I have Mute, we call him that because...well he can't talk. Had his tongue cut out for insulting someone a lot bigger than him when he was younger. Mute got his revenge though" Charon said before turning back to Father. Sure Charon's guards weren't on anywhere near the same level as Sam and Maribelle, but they were at least loyal.

"So tell me Father, how is it that I can help you? In terms of resources I'm sure there's much you can do to help me, but is there anything at the moment I can do for you? I wish for this alliance to be mutually beneficial"

Father bowed his head slightly and smiled. "Good man, you are, Charon. And smart. Last man I offered a deal to seemed oblivious to how small his operations were. He wound up getting a lot of good men killed doing that. But you, you know you don't have much to bring to the table. I'm not saying this to be rude, I'm stating it as a fact." Father drummed his fingers on the table casually. "Now, when I say an alliance, that's exactly what I mean. We're not merging the to gangs, so no finances or men are going to be crossing borders unless something, ah, significant is going on. You get into a tussle with a gang twice your size, you call me. I'll send Sam here to crack some heads. Patrol beetles snag Mute here and you don't have the pocket change to pay bail? If you've been good to us, I'll be willing to give you a loan to be paid back when you can. But apart from that, no men, and no money. Understand? This is more about, ah, mutually assured growth." Father stood up and started calmly walking around the table. Sam stopped leaning on the wall and began to follow, but Father held up his hand, telling him to stay at ease. "See, the way I see it, any gang that's as petite as yours that can not only eliminate a rival, but take them over?" At this point, Father was standing behind the chair next to Marcus and leaned on it. "And not just take them over, but earn their loyalty so fast that not two weeks later one of their men is loyal enough to be trusted as a bodyguard?" Father's eyes widen slightly as a slight smile appears on his lips. "That's the sign of a leader with potential. See, Charon, you sound like you think this alliance is foolish for me since your gang has about the same amount of resources we spend in a month." He waves his hand dismissively. "I say it don't matter. Running a gang is more than just having guns and money and drugs and booze and turf and ladeeda. A good gang, one that last, like mine? That takes brains. Leadership. And if half the stories about you are true..." He gestures to Marcus. "And this man here is living proof they are - then you are a man with the potential to build an empire like mine that'll last. But, potential can only get you so far." Father continues his walk, walking behind Marcus, Charon, and Mute, continuing around the table back to his spot as he talks. "I've seen a lot of potential go to waste on these streets due to a lack of resources and a series of unfortunate events. You may think I've got it made, but honestly, a run of bad luck could have my family in the grave before the end of the month! And I'm sitting pretty. You? Hell, I don't need to tell you how rough you got it. You're dealing with merging two gangs, I can only imagine the chaos going on back home, the suspicion, the paranoia, the rumors... But you're keeping it in check. And that's what I want."
Father sat back down in his chair. "See, I want you and your family to grow. And I want my family to help that. Imagine that, kid; two of the greatest leaders East Diamond has ever seen; that's the stuff empire's are built on, that's what the EDM is built on! You may not have much to offer now, that's no lie. But down the line?" He snickers to himself. "Oooh, down the line you'll be a force to be reckoned with. And if you got me at your back? Ain't no one gonna mess with you. And ain't no one gonna mess with me..." Father concluded his speech by taking a long drink from his glass of red wine. "I hope I've made it clear why I want to form this alliance, correct?"

Charon was very well aware of just how weak his gang was right now. Even with the addition of the second gang in to the family, it was nothing compared to what so many others had. They had to struggle and fight almost every day just to keep their lips above water and breathe. Charon worried for his gang, though he did his best to never let it show. For a man who had the power of fear on his side, Charon was actually afraid almost everyday. Charon learned a long time ago that even the bravest of men could be scared. Bravery was truly determined by what you did even when you were afraid. Those were the decisions that mattered most, and that was why Charon was both terrifying and inspiring at the same time. He understood this chaotic nature of emotions as well as anyone else did.

"Your words are kind" Charon said once father took a break from speaking. The last thing Charon planned on doing was interrupting this leader in the middle of his praise. Charon didn't let it go to his head however, he still had a long way to go before he really amounted to anything decent. "Your desire for this alliance now makes far more sense, and I want to make it clear that I'm extremely grateful for the appraisal and the faith you show in me. The only thing I can say on my behalf is that I will do everything within my power to not let you down in this matter and any future matters. An alliance would be of great help to the family of loyalists I've collected thus far" Charon continued on. He was trying to make this quick as he didn't want Father to feel like he was wasting any time at all.

"My resources are limited, but as you help us I'll make sure to show that your faith and judgement were not misplaced. My failures will be my own, but I'll make sure my victories will also become your victories. If you can help my men and I become a strong as you say....you'll gain an ally that will do anything for you"

Father gave Charon a cunning smile. "That is exactly the kind of attitude I like to hear. A man who will own his mistakes and share his victories with his friends. That is hard to find in the world in general, let alone this line of work. Now, enough niceties, now is business." Father wiped his lip with one of the cloth napkins and readjusted himself. "First and foremost we hammer out territories; where we can and cannot peddle drugs, collect debts, etcetera. This is to ensure neither side is cutting in on the funds of the other. Second, supply check. You said you were low on guns and ammunition? As a show of faith in our alliance, or shall I say as an investment, ask and I shall deliver what you need. Within reason of course. Third, contacts. All contacts and associates are to be shared. Well, with the exception of Maribelle here." Father puts a protective hand on her shoulder and smiles. "She's a bit of a gem." His face becomes serious again. "Those are my largest points. If you have any points you wish for us to hash out, now's the time to speak up."

"Your points are all agreeable, easily" Charon acknowledged. "Knowing our borders will be extremely important, so that shouldn't be any issue. You also willing to give us weapons is a huge boon. I'll have a list of requests by tomorrow, as I don't want to keep you waiting for too long" he added. "And I'll make sure to get a list of all of my associates at the same time. The list will be rather short I admit, but I'll also list out each of their preferred talents and skills. I always try to arrange my gang based on what's needed, as I'm sure you do with your men on a general scale"

Charon smile and lifted up his glass. "Your points are all fair, and if any issues arise I shall try to vocalize them, but for now I think we only have reason to celebrate. To a new alliance, may our glasses always be full, and our wits sharp" he said in celebration. Even with the mask, everyone could see the smile that was on Charon's face. This was only the second time that anyone had taken him seriously, and things were only seemingly getting better.

Father smiles widely and raises his glass. After a moment of hesitation, Palm does the same. Sam remains in the corner for a moment before stepping towards the table and picking up a glass of his own, raising it; it seems like a forced gesture, a formality with none of the energy put behind it. Father let out a hearty laugh. "To a long lasting friendship, and to many, many tomorrows!" He called before taking a long drink from his glass. Palm and Sam both only took light sips from theirs.
The evening progressed, and Father, Sam, and Palm finished eating rather quickly. Father stood up and walked around the table to Charon, offering him a large, sausage fingered hand to shake. "It's been an absolute pleasure meeting you, tonight, Charon."

Charon and the others enjoyed the rest of the meal, joining in on the toast and spending the rest of the night discussing further alliances. The night was a huge success, and would continue to cement their power play.

Charon looked to father and offered his hand. "I assure you, the pleasure was absolutely all mine Father, I look forward to working with you as both of us continue to grow in strength. Thank you again for this opportunity" he said before glancing over to where Sam is. "I know the evening is late, but may I talk to Sam before all of you go? I wanted to thank him for running in to me the other day. Unless there was anything further we needed to discuss?"

Father shrugged and shook his head. "No, not at all, go ahead. Get him to eat some more of the peking duck, that was expensive and is gonna go to waste." He jabs Sam and laughs. "But, ah, fair warning: If this is a play to get my best man alone just to jump and kill him, know that he's taken on five men at once in the ring and got out with nothin' more than a black eye. Just so's ya know." He laughs again, clearly enjoying himself and most likely a bit tipsy. "Sam, I'll be outside with Maribelle here. And don't rush, I need a smoke before we start headin' home."
Father and Maribelle left the room, leaving Sam alone with Charon and his men. Sam tucked his hands in the pockets of the suit jacket and put on a friendly smile; not his trademark wolf grin, but a genuine smile; he seemed relieved things went smoothly. "I appreciate you being civil with Father. Any day that ends with him in a good mood is a good day for me."

"You have nothing to worry about, I like to keep my head firmly on my shoulders" Charon said with a laugh. "It's just a talk, you have my word" Charon said before making sure to pay his proper respects to Father and Maribelle before they left.

Charon sat next to Sam, smiling at his point. "You have nothing to thank me for, as I said your father is doing much more for me than I can do for him at this point of time. I'm grateful" he said quietly. "Now that we're allies though I was hoping I could ask you a personal question, one that you have my word no one else would know the answer to...may I ask?"

Sam's expression turned stern. This sounded like he was getting a might bit personal; while Sam liked to think he had nothing to hide, this man gave him chills... Either way, he swallowed his pride. "You can go ahead and ask. I can't guarantee I can give you an answer, but there's no harm in asking a question."

"Maribelle, she's the Ripper isn't she?" Charon asked before turning his single eye to rest upon Sam as he took whatever time he needed to think of his answer. "Now then, the only reason I ask is because last week you couldn't help but let slip that it was a she, rather than a he like most people suspect the Ripper to be" Charon said quietly to make sure no one else in the bar overheard what they were discussing. "I also assume that's one of the reasons that I can't use her as needed, I'm guessing Father doesn't want me recognizing any of the ways that she kills"

Charon turned and looked at Sam. "You better be more careful with what you say. I'm guessing Father wouldn't be happy if you let this slip to me, accident or not"

Sam's stomach did a turn; his mistake was noticed, and now it was being presented to him in embarrassing fashion. He swallowed and locked eyes with Charon; again, he felt like it took a great deal of his will, but he refused to waver. "If we did have such a well-known serial killer in our back pocket, Father would want to show them off, parade them around as he does with the Crimson Scar. Due to the infamy surrounding it, he might not directly be open about it, but he's always been a fan of implications, and not talking about his pet elephant in the room." A drop of sweat rolled down Sam's face; he wasn't sure why he was talking in such a roundabout fashion. Father wanted people to know about Palm; he wanted her to be their newest reason to be feared. Besides, Sam hated people who talked like this; it was always better to be direct. He steeled himself and said with confidence, "So to answer your question, yes. Maribelle is the Ripper. He will never admit to it as he wants no connection to the Ripper. So for our purposes, she's simply a hitman who's good at her job."
Sam bit his tongue slightly; he was going to of course alert Father to this conversation upon leaving, bite the bullet and keep Charon from having something to pull out at an embarrassing moment like now. If Father didn't like what he said, Sam would eat the punishment now. Since Father was in such a good mood and a might tipsy, he might get off with little more than a warning, assuming what Sam said here was a bad thing.

"Had a hunch, glad I can still trust my gut on some things" Charon remarked as he played with the top of his water glass by having his finger trace around the dampened lips. "As I said, you should be careful about these kind of things. I also want no connection to the Ripper, as it might draw a lot of hatred towards my gang since we're easier targets then Father or anyone else in the gang. If you have any concern that I'll use this against you you're very mistaken, I gain nothing from using this information against you" Charon said in a very diplomatic fashion as he wanted to make his intentions clear.

"Besides, it gives me another reason to want to ally with you. No girl like that kills on her own just because she feels like it. She must have either some very special training, or a personality that's most intimidating than my face" Charon slightly joked as his eye rested on Sam. "I take it there are no issues between us here? Your father agreed to share assets with the exception being Maribelle, and I don't think I'd feel comfortable working with her anyway. As I said, this doesn't affect our alliance. No one will hear about this from me....besides, who would believe me anyway?"

Sam nodded curtly. "Understood. Glad we cleared this up." He wasn't sure how he felt about this; Charon was so nonchalant about the situation. Then again, why wouldn't he be? He already knew more or less, and it meant a threat was off of his neck. Still, Sam knew he had to keep a bit tighter of a leash on Palm. "Anything else you wanted to discuss?" Sam asked professionally. The combination of the atmosphere of the Golden Dragon and this man had Sam very much wanting to get out of here and back to Mocca City.

Charon shrugged. "I don't think there's anything that needs to be discussed right now. Just know that I'm not your enemy. I'm strange, I have an ugly face and I like my privacy...but there's nothing to fear from me" Charon said quietly. "So long as you're not my enemy which I now believe you to not be" he insisted. He looked over to Sam and just gave a nod. "You need of anything of me, you just let me know. Simple as that, I'll do whatever I can to help. My resources are at your Father's disposal"

Sam gave Charon a slight bow. "Appreciated, friend." He then hurried out to meet Father, who, sure enough, was smoking a cigarette and laughing about some joke he made to Palm. Palm seemed somewhat confused by whatever joke it was, which Sam wasn't surprised by. He announced his presence to Father and the three of them left; he was going to wait until Palm left before telling Father what had happened. He was simply relieved the entire ordeal was over.

Charon just bowed back, watching the three as they left. So the deal was now made and official, something that Charon had suspected would take him much longer. Apparently killing that gang member in such a fashion had been the right move. The fear is what made everyone obey, but Charon also knew how to keep them here. The more powerful of friends he acquired, the better this life was looking for him. Perhaps one day people would honestly bow to him in respect.

Charon just smiled before turning and walking away with his two bodyguards. "Like I said boys, things were going to get interesting. Now it's up to us to make sure it stays that way"