London, England, The British Isles:
Lyle Gideon Jr. was scared. He didn t want to be, but he was scared.
He d seen men killed over a lost poker game. Wars started for nothing more than a quarrel. He d ordered loyal servants killed in cold blood after a lifetime of service. He was a crime boss. They called him Headhunter. He was crime, he was villainy.
But if he was all these things, then why was the scariest thing in the world to him the 11-year-old Irish crime lord who sat before him?
The boy was pale as a vampire, with raven hair and blue eyes. They seemed to pierce into you and search the deepest, darkest corners of your soul for your weakness, your Achilles heel. And it had been found.
The living nightmare spoke. So, Mr. Gideon, have the trades been made?
I-I .Yes, Fowl.
The boy grimaced. Lyle stuttered. I- mean master fowl! Mr. Fowl. Mrs. fowl-I mean..yes, yes.
Too bad. That s not enough. said the boy.
What? asked Gideon. He saw a look in the boy s eyes. A look of hate, of evil
You see, Mr. Gideon, I do not like backstabbers. And you are a backstabber. Thought you could go whining to the Russians and come out alive? think again.
Gideon s eyes widened. ERIN!
His bodyguard did not respond. That was when Lyle noticed the shoe sticking out of the doorway. Erin Hayles s shoe.
Hayles. Hayles! HAYLES! he yelled, all pretense of bravery gone now. A shadow fell across his doorway. The shadow of a giant. The shadow of a Butler. He closed his eyes. As he squeezed them shut, he saw a hand reaching for him. HAAAAYYYYLEEEEESSS!
As a hand picked the former kingpin up, he muttered a kindergarten rhyme he d heard in elementary school, so many long years ago now One lollipop, two lollipop, close your eyes, wish for right, and all will be light..
Famous last words.
As he descended into unconsciousness, he heard a cold, cruel voice say I hate lollipops.
-fin.
