Elegy - Chapter 2 -

A Story by Fish

Would you be willing to do anything for family?

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Chapter 2: Starting Hand

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"Thanks for the ride." I thank the driver that was sent for me.

"No probs, boss." He tips his hat and drives away.

I get inside my house and do my cleanup.

"And now... for some sleep..." A stifled yawn escapes me.

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I wake up. I feel sweat all over my body. It must be the afternoon already.

I stretch in bed to get some blood flowing and immediately spring myself up.

I head to the bathroom to do some rituals.

Steam everywhere.... I wipe the moisture off of the mirror.

I stare deeply into the mirror.

"Much better." My reflection tells me.

My stomach rumbles, saying that it demands nutrition.

"Hmmmm... what can I eat today?" I sink deep into thought.....

(I know. Mom brand spaghetti.)

"Time to go to the convenience store." I grab a coat specially made by the "corporation" I work for and head off.

(Did I get too much? I've got about 5 bags or so of my necessities, mainly Mom's spaghetti.)

This is going to be quite a walk. I drag myself to the counter.

Someone walks in the store. Strange, I'm usually the only one in here. Turning my head slightly to the side, I look back to inspect the person.

Height. I'd say 20-30 centimeters shorter than I am. Clothing. Seems to be wearing a familiar coat and... shades? Wow, he looks more suspicious than I am.

He meets my gaze. I put on a smile to bait a reaction. He immediately goes to the magazine section. VERY SUSPICIOUS. I should hurry this up.

I return my attention to the counter. I hope I didn't stare for too long.

"Sir, sir...? Excuse me, your total is 20$." The store clerk holds out his hand as he sighs.

"S-sorry, something caught my eye"

I hand him a 20. Time to go home.

I grab my bags and get to the door. These bags are damn heavy. I drop on them the floor, so I can hold the door open. I see something coming from the corner of my eye.

The suspicious person holds the door for me before I even get a chance to grab the handle. I smile at him again. He does another kneejerk reaction.

This time, he stares at the ground. At this point, I'm just trying to hold in my laughter. I lift up the bags and pass through the doors.

....a nostalgic, sweet and fruity scent assaults my nose.

She always did put on too much perfume. I wonder how she managed to find me? This isn't good...

I keep my calm and just walk. Footsteps behind me. I can't believe this girl. Sigh.

Home at last. I look around, pretending not to notice that she followed me. She’ll leave me soon enough.

She doesn't need to get involved in this. New priority. It'd be too reckless for her to come inside here right now, so I don't have to worry about her.

I'm sorry, my stomach buddy. I immediately set aside my bags near the coat rack and make a phone call.

My fingers are clearly shaking with each press of a button.

I'm not sure if this request of mine is going to get approved, but I at least have to try.

Ring.... ring.... ring---

"Uh... is this G?"

"What seems to be the matter? A growly voice answers me.

"Sir, I might need to get transferred." I request in a timid voice.

"My past... seems to be catching up with me."

A minute passes. He seems to be mulling over it.

"Hmmm... seeing as how you accomplished your very first mission, my opinion of you has changed. Most of our new recruits often fail their first mission, so recruits such as yourself should get what they deserve."

He sounds really calm, this time around. It's like he's talking to an old buddy of his.

The first time I met him, it seemed like he'd chew up anyone who'd stare at him wrong.

I guess he's approved, then?

"However,"

...or not.

"there is no guarantee that you will get what you want.”

"Understood, sir."

I should probably ask where I'll get transferred, if ever.

"Sir, where might I get transferred to?"

"I think HQ would be suitable, does that sound good enough? But, for now, you shall stay at your current post to carry out missions."

I'm very surprised. Only the top-brass gets to be there.

I feel like I might stutter if I talk now. I try to hide my surprise by taking a deep breath.

"I would be honored to be in the same building as my boss is." I sincerely tell him.

"Good. No further requests, then?" G questions me.

"None."

G ends the call and I get a sense of relief.

"No one needs to get involved in this."

I grab a can of Mom's spaghetti from one of my bags, not even bothering to heat it up. I serve it on a plate.

I take a bite. Tastes just like home. I notice the bags in the doorway. Should I arrange them already?

"There's always tomorrow."

I finish the rest of the spaghetti and get in bed----

But, not without a doubtful heart.

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Ring.... ring...

Ring...

I wake up to the sound of the phone ringing.

"A mission...?"

I look to the side to check the time on the alarm clock. 4:00 AM.

"8 hours? Ugh... I'm still tired and I didn't even do anything yesterday."

I let out a longwinded yawn and proceed to pick up the phone.

"2"

"2? What do you mean, sir?" I ask, confused by what G means by the number.

"You need 2 more missions before we can get you here in HQ." He answers my question.

"You see, before you get into this 'school' of ours, you still need to pass an 'entrance examination'."

He pauses for a few moments.

"Right now, you are one of the most promising recruits we have. But, even if everyone was very impressed with your results for your first mission, most of us feel that you have much to prove to us."

"With that said, I have chosen 2 special missions for you. Mission Number 1: You need to win a game of poker with some VIPs. Mission Number 2: You need to babysit a rival syndicate boss's daughter."

Honestly, these missions seem pointless. All I need to do for the poker game is to win. Now, the babysitting thing, I'm not so sure. She's from a rival syndicate, why would G want me to babysit her?

G interrupts my train of thought before I could think of a plausible reason.

"Take note, these are very special missions."

He put a lot of emphasis on special. There's gonna be a catch with these missions. I just know it.

"I'll give you a day to make necessary preparations."

Preparations for what? Hmmm....

"As usual, further details to be delivered at your doorstep."

He hangs up.

"I don't know what to make of this. A poker game, and babysitting, huh. I'm not even good at poker, but at least babysitting will be easy, right?

Prepare, prepare, prepare. What to do....

I'm just at a loss right now. Best to get some sleep.

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Waiting. I'm watching TV, not paying attention to whatever is on the channels. The only thing that I'm giving attention to is the fact that I have to wait for G's letter.

How much longer....

Suddenly, I hear knocks on the door. As I'm about to open the door, a letter is slipped through under it. I feel light again.

I look through my window blinds. Sure enough, the goons and their car are there again. I shouldn't really pay them attention.

I have better things to do. I pick the letter up and read it on the couch.

"1st Mission..."

It reads:

We have VIPs waiting for you at Hanging Gardens Estate. I've asked my tailors to help you get fitted with the finest attire they could sow. I will also send one of my personal drivers for an occasion such as this. The poker game will start at around 6PM. I've sent this letter a bit earlier, so you could be prepared for this mission.

I will tell you now that you will be pushed to your limits. Please keep that in mind at all times.

P.S. If they're looking for an invitation, tell them that G sent you.

-G

"Pushed to my limits....?"

I try not to think about it and focus on being prim and proper for tonight.

"I've got about an hour and a half left. Need to get dressed and do a bit of shaving."

"...did they forget to send me the attire?"

I look around the house. Nothing. They only sent a letter. If they sent in a package, I would have noticed it from the start.

Outside, maybe? I check outside. There's a box on my mat. I take it inside to check the contents.

Not surprised.... Why does G always make things tedious for me?

"Hmmm, these are some really classy clothes."

I'm not really into clothing, but you can tell that these are well made based on their fabric alone.

I take my time in the bathroom to make sure I'm presentable. Everything looks good. I step outside to wait for my ride.

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I get off the limo and thank the driver as he drives away.

"Here, at last." I take a deep breath to shake away any nervousness I'm feeling right now.

"Hanging Gardens Estate, huh...." This is definitely a sight. True to its name, it has hanging gardens lining the house.

A fountain with Venus de Milo in the middle. It also has well-kempt hedges at the side with flowers. Just a typical mansion.

Sure, it's your typical mansion, but a mansion isn't something your average person can see, especially if you’re someone of my status.

Before I appreciate the beauty of the estate a little too much and forget about what I came here for, I try to get my head in the game. Poker game. Need to win a poker game.

How does one win in a game of poker? I had zero idea on the inner workings of the game. Heck, I’ve never even played it. I remember friends playing it way back in high school, but I was never too keen on it.

One thing was certain in my mind, all I needed was the luck of the draw.

While heading to the front, I see a mansion guard who's about twice as big as I am. Intimidating, gotta admit. I approach this man of brute-like stature and speak up to him.

"I'm here for a poker game. I was--"

He cuts me off with a glare. I feel all shaken again.

Well, now...

I get straight to the point.

"G sent me."

The guard reaches for his walkie-talkie and calls for the door to be opened.

"Go right ahead, sir." The guard beckons me inside with a bow.

"Much obliged." I reply to him in a fancy way so as to match my suit and tie.

As he hails me inside, I'm greeted by two files of maids and a lone butler.

"Greetings, Master Lix." They proclaim in unison. What a grand welcome. This warm treatment didn’t do much to my nerves, however. To calm myself a bit, I try to inspect my surroundings.

“Ahem.”

I don't get to look around the interior of the mansion as the butler almost immediately calls for me. I heave a small sigh.

"Please come this way." I follow the butler up the double stairs and into what appears to be a game room. He opens the doors and hails me to the table. I’m given a slight push and somewhat stumble inside the game room. The butler then closes the doors behind me.

I see 4 people of differing descents seated at the poker table. G has summoned quite a diverse audience. At the left, there was a big, bald and burly guy, in a white pastel suit. No doubt that he’s Russian. To his right was a woman with bobbed black hair in a blue Chinese dress, who was also leaning her head into his shoulder. Lovers, I assume. Next to her was a black man all suited up like a pimp. Maybe he was a pimp. Not much I could say about him. Last, but not the least, was just some ordinary looking guy. He’s about as normal as I am, based on first impressions. A red suit, slicked back hair and sharp looking in every regard.

Enough observations.

A thick Russian accent hits my ears as soon as I take a step towards them. Their heads turn in unison.

“You have kept us waiting, comrade.” Is this a movie? I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. This is too good to be true.

I just stood there and looked at them in silence.

“Don’t scare him, Anton.” The lady perched at his shoulder pokes his cheek.

“It is just a welcome remark, Ai.” He laughs.

“Kali.” The black man tips his hat.

“Leon.” He smiles at me and holds out his hand.

Phew. Seems like I can relax now. I give them a smile as I tug a little on my coat.

"My apologies, I needed to make sure that I was in top form for tonight, everyone. The name’s Clyde."

I approach Leon to shake his hand and get seated beside him.

“So, who’s going to be our dealer for tonight?” I ask the other players.

“None of us know.” Anton answers me.

“We were just called here to play a poker game, much like you, Clyde.”

Are they also part of the Cabal? Could they be trusted? Best not to push my luck right now since I’m not even a proper member of the organization.

Since the dealer wasn’t here yet, I took the chance to get to know them.

Anton came to this city to escape the miserable life in Russia. He just wanted to party every night. Through that partying he met Ai at one of the clubs that he frequented. Anton told me that he wanted a piece of that Asian a*s, so he grabbed it. Ai didn’t take kindly to that and beat him up. His nose got fractured and was admitted to the hospital for about 2 days. Hard to believe a burly guy like him got hospitalized. Anton kept up his behavior. A*s. Hospital. A*s. Hospital. Eventually, Ai gave in to his persistence, on one condition, which was to marry her and make her happy.

Ai, on the other hand, was raised on a farm. She told me that toiling in the fields “wasn’t her thing.” It was boring. She wanted to become anything besides a farmer. One night, she tried stowing away in a cargo ship headed to America. She took her chances and made it. All she could think of when she arrived at the port was how to make money. With no knowledge of the English language, she set off in random directions trying to find work. She spent a few days dumpster diving for food and sleeping on park benches. During one of her usual trips to the dumpsters, a man spoke to her in Chinese saying that a little girl from the mainland shouldn’t be here. He says it was a miracle she wasn’t handed over to the police yet, or worse, human trafficking. He handed her money for a return trip. Ai pleaded with the man to give her work. Luckily, the man owned a restaurant in Chinatown. He took her in as a daughter to cover up that she was illegal. Ai worked at the restaurant as a waitress and was also taught how to speak English by her father. Once she was confident enough with her English to go to the outside world, Ai frequented to blow off steam from work. And that’s how he she met up with Anton.

Kali didn’t say much about his story. He mentioned that where he was from, wars were pretty frequent. Diamonds fueled those wars, he says. He stashed enough diamonds to get away from it all, including his family and move to the US. He says he’ll come back for them someday, if they’re still alive, that is.

Leon says that he grew up here in this city. Finished school with a master’s degree. Married his highschool sweetheart and had 3 kids with her. Works a 9-5 job that paid 5 figures. Pretty sweet deal.

Much too ordinary of a guy to be playing with us. I doubt that he’s saying the truth. Before I could mull things over as to why he’s here, Anton asks me to introduce myself.

“So, who are you, comrade?” Anton scratches his chin.

“I’m Clyde Lix, son to Oliver and Stella Lix. I have two younger siblings, Caitlyn and Colton. I work as an English teacher at the Zion Academy. Single. 25.”

I give them the bare minimum of what I can say.

“Single, with your face and age?” Anton chortles.

“I’m guessing you are terrible with the ladies, friend.”

“Once we are done with this game, I will show you how to grab a woman’s a*s at the club, yes?”

I nod to Anton. They don’t need to know about her anyway.

We all hear knocks at the door.

“Can someone open these doors, please?”

It’s the butler.

“I’ll get it.” I get up from my seat to open the double doors.

“What took you so long---?”

My eyes widen at what the butler brought. Quite an array of torturing tools on a push cart.

“Apologies, sir. These things were just too heavy for me.” He brings the instruments over to where the dealer is supposed to be.