Chapter 21, Blackmail

Cain first felt a tap, and then a hand being placed on his shoulder. He started to turn around and then abruptly stopped as he felt the barrel of a gun being pushed in to his side.

"Why, it's Wyatt fucking Cain!," said the familiar voice.

"Antoine Demilo." Cain replied in an icy-cold voice.

Demilo slapped his shoulder and asked loudly, "How the hell have you been?"

Jeb, who had been leaning up against the bar, stood up at attention. His gut told him that something was not right. Jill also noticeably stiffened.

"You were always the silent type," Demilo said without waiting for Cain's reply. He looked at Jill, "I just need to borrow Wyatt here for a few minutes and then you two lovebirds can go back to whatever it was you were doin'." His gaze shifted to Cain, "You don't mind having a quick talk do you?", he asked as he shoved the barrel of the gun deeper in to Cain's side.

Cain stiffened and his face continued to harden. He stared at Demilo and snarled, "Of course not." He looked at Jill and then Jeb and told them, "Wait here, I'll be right back."

As they made their way to the staircase side-by-side, Demilo commented, "I take it that you're not fucking that princess anymore." Then he added, "That's too bad. She was a lot more lively than that nerdy broad you're hangin' out with now." Cain's fists clenched together as he refused to dignify Demilo's comments with an answer.

They reached the stairs and Demilo forced Cain to the outside, so that he would be between the railing and himself. Demilo nodded and smiled to the other tavern patrons coming down the stairs. After they passed, he continued his one-sided conversation, "Man, did my jaw drop when I found it was the great ex-Tin Man and hero of the O.Z. that killed her parents… execution style; just because they walked in on you fucking her."

Cain had had enough. They reached the top of the stairs and Cain grabbed Demilo's shoulders and half-shoved, half-drove him to the nearest wall. Cain growled, "It didn't happen like that." Some of the patrons looked up from their meals and stopped their conversations. Demilo swallowed hard as Cain's eyes burned in to him. The noisy din quieted and Cain took note of it. He turned to the room and quickly smiled, and then smoothed the wrinkles from Demilo's jacket. As he did so he quietly hissed, "Smile Demilo."

Demilo quickly smiled to the crowd and regained his composure. The patrons that had been looking at them returned to their conversations and the noisy din of the room returned.

Out of the corner of his eye Demilo spotted an open table. "Go over there," he motioned to Cain using the hand that was in his jacket pocket; concealing his gun.

In a few short steps they reached the table and sat down. Demilo took his free hand and brushed some dust off of his jacket. Cain realized that he had not changed much. He still had his old sleazy entertainer look complete with his customary gold earrings. But his new gig was that he was carrying a gun and trying to act like a tough henchman. It disturbed him.

Cain sternly asked him, "Why the gun Demilo?"

Demilo looked over at him, "Oh that? It's a requirement for my new job."

"Your new job?"

"Yeah Cain, everybody's gotta' earn a living somehow. I wasn't left with too much after you stole my wagon and left it stranded in the fucking north you know," Demilo scoffed.

Cain coldly replied, "We didn't steal it. You told us how to start it."

"Whatever," Demilo replied with disdain. "After your little band of goodie-two-shoes killed the sorceress, the Queen and her husband started their clean-up. I lost my business and the twins."

Cain was growing tired and irritable, "This isn't like you Demilo."

Demilo glared at him. "And just when did you become an expert on my type?"

"Then cut to the chase Demilo, what do you want?"

"My boss sent me here to make you an offer Cain."

"I don't take offers from two-bit slime balls like you," said Cain. He started to rise from his chair.

Demilo smiled and said, "I don't think so. See those two boys over there by the double doors? They don't want you to leave right away either."

Cain sat back down and scowled. He let his eyes wander over to the other wall and just like Demilo said, saw two men standing near a set of deep, blood-red double doors. One smoked while the other leaned against the wall, with a glass of some kind of alcohol in his hand. Each took the occasional glance over at them. They brazenly carried their guns in the open. Cain squinted to see them more clearly and what he saw shocked him; the guns that the henchmen carried were police regulation. He continued to give them the once-over and found that they were also wearing standard issue police uniforms underneath their long coats.

Demilo saw Cain looking the henchmen over. He said soberly, "The Queen may be back in charge but it's still hard times for most people." He pushed those thoughts aside and reminded himself why he was here. He took his free hand, reached in to his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a silver disc. He threw it on the table.

Cain looked at it, "What's that?"

Demilo sneered, "A picture disc full of the royal household's dirty little secrets. There's Lord Ahamo and his mistress. Princess Azkadellia losing her marbles and killing soldiers with her magic. Princess Dorothy fucking old geezers in the House of Lords to buy their loyalty to the Queen." He paused and then smiled, "You're photogenic self is on it too. It shows you planting those explosives used in the attack."

"Liar," growled Cain.

Demilo smiled. He was starting to enjoy his new found power over the old Tin Man. He started to believe that he could actually make this new gig work. "Really? Okay, maybe yours was staged. But believe you me, the others weren't."

Cain continued to glare at him. He already knew that Azkadellia went insane. Did she go as far as killing soldiers? Maybe. Would the palace try to cover it up? Probably. Would he be surprised if Lord Ahamo decided to take on a mistress? A little. But DG selling herself to keep the lords in line? No way.

Demilo studied him and then said, "Oh come on Cain, don't be such an idiot. No one in that royal house is as noble as you are, including your precious princess."

He went on with his one-sided conversation. "After you went off with your little clean-up brigade, the House of Lords started a revolt. Then, just like that," Demilo snapped his fingers, "it was over. That's when the rumors started to circulate that they were bought off. Some with money, some with land, and others…for sex. The Queen did what she had to do if she wanted to save her precious O.Z. And you know that the princess does her own thing. She went along willingly. Rumor is that she actually liked it."

Cain could stay silent any longer. He slammed his hands down on the table and leaned forward, "You're a fucking liar Demilo!"

There was a moment of silence. Demilo picked up the silver disc and let the light play off of it for a moment before he put it away in his jacket pocket. He replied, "As they say in her world, a picture is worth a thousand words. Turn her over and this all goes away real quietly."

"And if I don't turn her over?" Cain challenged.

"I know that you would take the high road and sacrifice yourself, but what about the others? Are you going to let them fall?" sneered Demilo again. He rose from the table without waiting for Cain to answer. He knew what it would be. "We're all going to go downstairs and then leave this joint together. Real quietly, remember?"

Jeb was strumming his fingers on the bar. He kept his back to the bar and was warily watching all of the patrons. If he was not watching the patrons his attention turned back towards the staircase. He was waiting for his father to come down at any moment. Meanwhile Jill had her hands in her outside pockets, but every now and then she reached in to her inside pocket. Jeb thought to himself that she was fidgeting too much. If she did much more of it he was going to have to say something to her.

Jill finally said, "It's been too long hasn't it?"

Jeb nodded.

"Turn around and put your arm around me," Jill whispered.

Jeb looked confused, "What?"

"Just do it."

Jeb did what he was told. From the viewpoint of any other patron in the tavern, it only looked like they were getting cozy.

Jill whispered, "There's two things that you need to know. First, I'm packing."

Jeb whispered back, "Ummm…. Where are you packing to go?"

Good one Jill, so much for trying to use 'street talk'. "Your father gave me a gun," she said as quietly as she could through clenched teeth.

"He did what?!" Jeb exclaimed in a loud, angrily whispered voice.

"Shh!! Keep your freaking voice down… if your Dad didn't get me one I was going to get it on my own eventually. … The second is that you need to have some of these." She reached in to her inside pocket and handed Jeb a few tiny balls of the C4. "It's an explosive. But the balls should be small enough that if you throw them in to the fire it'll just cause a distraction.. Hopefully… It shouldn't bring the whole place down. "

Jeb raised his eyebrows, "Shouldn't? That's a comforting thought."

"And don't get any ideas about leaving me here either," she said with resolution.

Jeb looked at her. He knew that it going to be useless to argue. "Alright. You're going to get up, walk over to the staircase and stand as close as you can to the back wall. Once you're there, I'll get up and throw some of those balls in to the fire place… Ready?"

Jill nodded her head yes. God I hope I'm right.

She got up from her stool and started to make her way over to the staircase. Surprisingly the tavern had not cleared out at all. At least there was no one standing near the fireplaces. She climbed the first step of the staircase and stood along the back wall as Jeb told her to do. Then Jeb got up and quickly walked by the first fireplace and threw a few of the balls in to it; then quickly did the same thing to the second fire place. He reached Jill and stood alongside her. For a moment neither thought that it was going to work.

BOOM! SNAP! CRACK! WHOOSH!

It was enough to scare the piss out of anyone who was standing nearby. Some of the embers were thrown out of the fireplaces and landed on nearby patrons and tables. Some screamed in pain as the embers hit them. Then a few of the women started to scream out of terror and others ran to the door. Acrid smoke began to fill the air. That was all that was needed to start the commotion. Jeb, followed by Jill right behind, started up the stairs.

Upstairs the noisy din died down and then stopped as the commotion from downstairs increased. A few of the patrons stood up and those nearest to the staircase looked down it to see what was going on. They saw the smoke and started yelling "FIRE!" Everybody started to run towards the fire escape that was outside one of the windows.

It provided Cain the opportunity that he needed.

Cain grabbed the edge of the table and upended it towards Demilo. He knew that no matter how tough Demilo tried to act, at the end of the day, he was a lover, not a fighter. It took Demilo by surprise and he stumbled backwards towards the wall. As he did so he tripped over the chair he was sitting in and he hit the floor.

The two henchmen who had been guarding the double-doors rushed through the patrons, heading towards Cain. The first man threw a punch at him. Cain dodged it and threw back his own. His fist landed squarely on the man's jaw, stunning him.

The second man lunged at Cain but to his surprise was taken a hold of from the back. Jeb grabbed at him and with all his might, twisted him towards the floor. The man shook loose and threw off his grip. Both Jeb and Cain struggled and exchanged body blows against the men; trying to beat them in to submission.

The smoke began to drift up the staircase and there were the continued shouts of men down below. Some of the flying embers had started small fires within the tavern.

Demilo crawled out from underneath the fight and saw Jill near the staircase.

He regained his footing and clumsily lunged at her.

Jill tried to sidestep his lunge and almost avoided it, but she lost her footing on the slippery hard wood floor. Demilo reached out with his arm as he was falling and grabbed at the lower part of her leg. It caused her to fall awkwardly and she landed on her side with a hard thud.

It took Jill a moment to reorient herself and she rolled away from him.

Demilo was back on his feet before Jill was and he grabbed at her; trying to pick her up and drag her along all at the same time. She yelled out in pain and anger. She struggled and stomped the heel of her boot into Demilo's foot. He screamed in pain and it allowed her a chance to get one arm free. Demilo's arms were still around her chest and her other arm in a bear hug though, so she could not reach her gun. She fumbled around and found the inside pocket of her jacket. She reached in and with her remaining strength, awkwardly threw the rest of the balls of C4 in to the nearby fire place. She prayed that at least one of them made it.

It took a moment but then the familiar sounds of BOOM! CRACK! and WHOOSH! came.

But the sounds were louder this time. Lady Luck made an appearance and more than just one had landed in the fire place. Nearly all of the embers and small bits of charred wood were sent flying across the room. Some bounced off of Demilo and Jill and they both cried out as Demilo released his grip and attempted to shield his face. They staggered away from each other. Jill regained her footing and drew her gun from her holster. She pointed it at Demilo.

Cain and the henchman continued to thrash about. Cain punched him yet again and the henchman doubled over. As he rose back up he pulled his gun out of his side holster. Cain lunged at him and drove him as hard as he could in to the nearest wall. The move momentarily stunned him and Cain reached for the gun; trying to smash it out of the henchman's hand.

Jeb's fight was done. He had grabbed the guy and smashed his head on top of one of the wooden tables a few times. Jeb took the back of his hand and brought it up gently to the side of his mouth. He looked back down at it and saw that it was covered with his blood.

There was a gunshot and Cain screamed out "No!" Out of the corner of his eye he saw Demilo fall to the floor with a heavy thud. The henchman was near collapse. Cain reared back and threw one last punch. The henchman's eyes finally faded out of focus and then closed as his legs gave way. He slid down the wall.

Jeb looked over and cried out to Jill, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He stumbled over a chair in his haste to get to where she was standing.

By now Jill had dropped the gun down to her side. She was horrified at the sight of Demilo. There was a large gaping hole in his forehead that was gushing blood. The stray bullet had entered Demilo in the back of his head. She yelled back, trembling as she did so, "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! THAT OTHER GUN WENT OFF!"

Both Cain and Jeb reached the lifeless body of Demilo. Cain knelt down and closed his eyes. Then he reached in to Demilo's pockets. He was searching for the picture disc. He found it and held it up to the light to make sure that it looked like the right one.

Jeb asked, "What's that?"

Cain dryly replied, "A picture disc. Demilo was trying to blackmail me in to handing Jill over to him."

"You knew him well?", Jill asked softly.

"Yeah, we went back aways. He was one of the first cons I ever arrested." Damn it Demilo, why did you have to get involved?

Smoke continued to pour out of the fire place and more smoke drifted up the staircase.

Cain stood up. He put his hands on Jill's shoulders and asked, "Are you okay?" He saw where a piece of charred wood struck her on the forehead; leaving a mark of ash. He went to brush it away and she jerked her head away with an "Ow."

But then she then replied, "Yeah, I'll be all right. But we better get out of here."

Cain said to Jeb, "Help Jill down the fire escape. I'm going to get Demilo."

Jeb asked, "Why?"

"He might have been a sleaze but he deserves a proper burial in the ground, not in a burning building."

The fire escape led to a small alley next to the tavern. They saw fire trucks and police cruisers in the main street. Cain and Jeb gently laid Demilo's body on the far side of the alley. Jill gave Cain a handkerchief to lay over his face. It was the best that they could do under the circumstances. The henchmen carried police regulation handguns and wore police uniforms. Right now, none of them, including Cain, could trust the police.

They ran away in to the night.