Starlight Shuffle
Kadim Stories
Chapter One
Prologue
Night fell over the city like a blanket over a bed, covering the star-bright lights in a sheath of ebony darkness.
As traffic flowed through the city, like marching ants in an anthill, he watched the city lights entrancingly as it mirrored off the glass windows of Gothic Towers. He had a job to do, and though it was true that he was a hell of an assassin, he was still nervous. He got nervous before he pulled the trigger of any gun, before the bullet exited the chamber and left en route to his victim's death. But, this time it was big, real big way. This was the real deal, and he couldn't wait. Yahmato Wong walked into the Gothic Towers building a matching briefcase, in his hand. Yahmato looked like any other schmuck that was in the Tower, and that was a good thing. Blending in was all a part of the job. Yahmato walked into the elevator and took it to the fifteenth floor, and walked down the blue-carpeted highways of walkways and hallways of the Gothic tower building. He walked down the hallway until he saw the last office on the right of the hallway. There were two men in black suits standing guard by the office door, and Yahmato knew exactly why. Suddenly, he felt his gut wrench. He was nervous again, and that meant only one thing. He slowly, placed his hand in his pants pocket. He could feel the cold steel of his Glock in his pocket. Quickly, Yahmato pulled out and fired three shots. Pfft, pfft, pfft, thetwo guards collapsed on top of each other, Yahmato took the keys from one guard and unlocked the door, and opened the door. The two men inside the office were George Martinez and the next person in line to take control of the Red Dragon syndicate, Richard Kobayashi. "Well, if it isn't my dear business partners. You couldn't expect to have a meeting without me being present. Now could you?" Yahmato said, and George and Richard and looked at each other as if they had seen a ghost. "How the hell did you get in here?"
"You really ought to teach your bodyguards to give some respect. They acted like I was some common threat. They could've acted like I was going to kill them, showed some fear. Hell, they should've have bowed to me." Yahmato said, disgruntled.
"What do you want?" Richard said finally, and Yahmato smiled.
"I want to carry on my father's legacy that was so very rudely cut short. I want to claim revenge on Vicious's killer. I want bring glory and fear to the name of the Red Dragon's like never before.""What you want, Yahmato is to take control of the Syndicate." George said, and Yahmato smiled. "If I have to I will take control of the organization, yes." Richard nodded knowing, and talked evenly and calmly as he slipped his hand into the pocket of his pinstriped suit pants, and the cold hard steel. He took the safety off his Beretta. "You see, Yahmato. No one wants to continue the reign of Vicious through you. To be very honest, everyone is very distraught over the death of Spike Spiegel two years ago. Many people of the Syndicate actually believe that Spike is still alive, people like you. We want another Spike in the syndicate not Vicious. Not you." Just then, Richard pulled out his gun, and fired two shots. Swiftly, Yahmato dove to the floor, and pulled out his two Glocks and fired six times. Two shots went into Richard's chest, as he spun backwards in his chair, and fell onto the floor. Martinez made a break for it, running for the door. Quickly, Yahmato turned around toward the door and fired four shots into George Martinez, as he fell forward into the door of the soundproof room. Yahmato placed the black briefcase atop of the table in the office, removed the handle of the case, and fingered the red button on it, careful not to push it. Yahmato walked out the office and walked out the office and headed to the elevator, and gave the receptionist a friendly smile, as he left Gothic Towers, and walked down the street, blending in with the crowd of the city, as he pushed the red button on the handle. Suddenly, a loud, thunderous boom echoed in the city the people dispersed like roaches to light away from the building. As the chaos broke out, Yahmato smiled. He was the leader and no one was in his way now to challenge him or the legacy of his father.
Chapter Two
There are pasts that never stop haunting us, like relentless ghost of the past.
I heard the gunshot and my heart dropped, as I turned to face the sound, as my eyes saw her falling. Never had I seen such a graceful, that I only recognized it as her, and my heart almost stopped. She hit the ground, and ran full speed toward her and coddled her in my arms. Her body was weak and fleeting, like some sick creature of beauty and grace, of peace and chaos and life and death. "Don't cry, Spike." She told me. Though tears were hard to come by from a person like me, I couldn't fight them back. I could feel the warmth of her blood on me, and tears flowed more. "It's all dream, like you said. You know it's true." She said,
"I know. Just wake up soon, Julia. I need you." My heart was breaking into thousands shards like a broken mirror, seven years bad luck. "I will, but so do you." Julia said, and my heart began to heart as if I had been shot and not her. "I will, Julia. I'll see you soon." I said, and Julia smiled as she closed her eyes for the last time. She was to take her long sleep, eternal and peaceful.
"Spike! Wake up." I shot up in the driver's seat of the Mercedes, and binoculars in hand. "You okay to drive?" Jet asked, and I nodded. I took me a minute but I remembered where I was and why I was there. After my battle with Vicious, I had passed into a "medically induced coma," I died and when I awoke I remembered things that I that I wished that I never would.
We were looking for a man named Robert Vinsinky, the leader of a crime syndicate called Trinity. Trinity had been taking over the notorious docks of mars for about a year now, and now the Red Dragons want to take it over. Not surprising to me; the docks were a strategic focal point for the crime leaders. Whoever controlled the docks controlled whatever came in and out of the city. That's I wanted it when I was a dragon, that's why people still want it now. Vinsinky was to meet with the new leader of the Dragons to "discuss," the docks issue. Jet and I sat in the Mercedes waiting for the two meet. Suddenly, two limos pulled in front of the old warehouse. A man stepped out of the back seat; it was Vinsinky. "Showtime," Jet said as he placed the clip into his Glock and an extra couple clips in his pocket. I did the same, and we got out the car. For a meeting as important as this one, I was kind of hoping for more obvious security, it made me think that we were expected. That we were just playing right into their hands. Jet took his position to a stack of crates adjacent to my position behind a wall. I pried from around the corner, and I could see Vinsinky my bounty, but I could also see some other I guy I never even heard of before. I decided to wait before we went in. "What is this all about, Yahmato. I don't have time to make deals that aren't going to make me money. If you want the docks, I want to be paid promptly. "I could care less what you want, Vinsinky. Besides, I don't buy I take." Bang, bang. Two gunshots went off. My heart stopped, as Vinsinky's bodyguards fell to the floor. Quickly, I cocked my two Berettas, when I heard "Kill the two bounty hunters too." I sprang from behind the wall, and fired four shots, three of the Dragons collapsed onto the ground. Quickly, Vinsinky ran into his black Towncar. "Shit, Vinsinky." I said, as dove behind as a stack of wooden crates. I fired back three shots, taking two more dragons down. Quickly, Jet and ran back to the car. The sickening roar of a machine gun my heart sink as we piled quickly into the car. I hit the accelerator and the car took off down the emptied road. We sped down Edison drive, and I made a sharp turn onto Connecticut avenue, and floored the gas. I could see the black Towncar in the distance. We were closing in on them, when suddenly, a black Hummer in front of us. The back doors of the Hummer flew up in front of us, two guys stood inside the Hummer with m16s headed our way. I hit eh brakes, and ducked our heads under the dashboard. The Hummer pulled away from us as the bullets crashed through the window shield. I rose and I didn't see anyone anywhere. We had just lost the biggest bounty I ever had our hands on, the fucking Dragons.
Chapter 3