Chapter 9

Our flight to the Big Apple was to leave at 10:30, but we boarded ten minutes prior. We sat together in the business class where we wouldn't be disturbed by other passengers, and so we could formulate a plan. It proved to be really difficult when we took into consideration that since we were underage, we would draw a vast amount of unwanted attention. The best we could do was improvise as we went along. Our flight landed at 5 pm, and we had no problem hailing a taxi that took us to the closest hotel which was on Bleecker and Christopher Street. From there we were only 5 minutes away from the tavern, so we didn't have to travel far. After getting settled into our room, I told them to hang tight while I walk over to the bar. Everyone else seemed OK with the decision except for Black Star. He seemed rather impatient and adamant against me going on my own leaving him and the others to just sit around.

"Why should I sit here wasting time, and do nothing? I could go over there and assassinate all of them by myself. It would be easy to take them out and we can be done, and out of here." I stared at him with an incredulous look and said with utmost patience, "Because you'd stick out like a sore thumb. Aside from that, you can't assassinate anyone if everyone can see you, especially in broad daylight. I know you wanna get this over with, and do so in grandiose fashion. But we need to know what to expect before we act rashly." Tsubaki walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and tried to reason with him. "Vladimir is right, Black Star. None of us gain anything by barging in without a plan." Unfortunately her attempts to calm him down only angered him further. He growled in agitation, smacked her hand off his shoulder, and stomped past her. "I don't need you to belittle and talk down to me! I'm a god, and gods don't need people to tell him how to kill his enemies." He walked into one of the rooms and slammed the door. I sighed and said, "Anyway, I'll be back as fast as I can. Once we know what we're dealing with, we can better plan our assault." However before I walked out of the room, I walked over to Tsubaki, who was trying to hide her tears, and said to her, "I'm certain he didn't mean to lash out at you like that. Give him time to chill out. He'll have a cool head after a while and he'll apologize." Liz, Patty, and Maka walked over to console her while Kid and Soul walked into the room to talk some sense into Black Star leaving Crona to sit alone on the sofa as I stepped out of the room and began my short trip.

I went inside the tavern to have a look around and see what the layout was like. The bartender, a bearded, short and stout man, glanced in my direction menacingly and shouted: "Hey! What the hell you think you're doing in here?! People inside the bar instantly looked up from their drinks and stared in our direction. I walked towards the bar and said to him, "I'm not here to cause any trouble. I'm not from around here, and I was just hoping to get a drink." He looked me down, and sighed before barely cracking a smile and spoke once more. "Alright then. Sorry for unloading on ya like that. Lately we've been having a bunch of punks come in all high on coke or meth and they harass the customers." Once the others noted that our conversation had taken a calmer tone, they returned their attention to their drinks. I began to pay closer attention to what he was saying as he filled a glass with beer and handed it to me. I was about to tell him that I wasn't legally able to drink, but he just gave me a wink, so I accepted. "Yeah, these little shits are ruining the place by coming here trying to either sell their crap or pick fights with people." I took sips from my beer as he explained his dilemma. I then asked, "Why not get the fuzz to keep 'em from coming in here?" "I tried. But my business partner, Al, he pays me good money to keep quiet and not call the cops." "Al?" I asked curiously. "Al who?" "Alfred Roger Jackson, but most know him as Jackal." I feigned my surprise to not arouse any suspicions. "So you're aware that he's in on the whole deal?" "Yeah, but I got into a financial pinch some years ago. That being said, I'm in his debt. Lost my job, my house, my savings, my marriage and my kids because of a gambling addiction. I met Al a year ago when I barely started working here, and he said he'd help me get back on my feet." He sighed heavily before he continued, "Had I known of his methods of helping me out, I would've just turned around and walked away." Once he finished, I drank the last of my beer before telling him, "Your luck just might change." He looked at me warily before asking, "Why do you say that? What can you do?" I merely grinned mischievously before saying, "Refill my beer, please, and I'll explain."

One hour, 2 beers, and 20 bucks later, I returned to our hotel room where Maka and Soul were sitting on the sofa awaiting for my return. "So what did you find out?" Maka asked. I smiled roguishly before replying, "I need you all to gather 'round so we can begin making preparations." Everyone else immediately sat around the coffee table as I began to explain. With just one conversation, a window of opportunity opened broadly for us. "It turns out that the bartender, Frank, knows of Jackal and his operations that take place after midnight. He's in Jackal's pocket so that's why he hasn't ratted him to the police. I told him I'd do him a solid by taking care of Jackal and his cronies, and he offered me a spare key to the bar." Maka then interrupted my train of thought by saying, "But Vlad, that doesn't answer the question of how we handle the thugs inside." I looked to her and smiled before proceeding, "Perceptive, and quite the clever girl you are. But hear me out. It's a good thing that today's Friday, because it turns out they hire music acts to play while they mingle, drink, and get high." It was then that their eyes gleamed with excitement and I kept speaking.

"Frank told me that a band has already been booked. Yet he went ahead and gave me their phone number. I got in touch with them and after some negotiating, they said they could use an extra guitar player and pianist." It was then I looked directly at Soul and he looked genuinely surprised. He asked, "How do you know I play piano?" I couldn't help but somewhat laugh at his shock. "You didn't think I'd take up the position without doing some research on you guys, did you? Yeah, I'm quite aware that you're quite the musician, which means this mission could benefit from utilizing yours, as well as my talents." Soul became enraptured at the idea of getting to perform during a mission. "We'll be in there performing with them, but when the time comes, I'll signal for an ambush and we attack while their guard is down. Crona will wait by the back exit in case anyone tries to escape. Black Star and Tsubaki will take the right entrance while Maka, Kid, Patty, and Liz take the one on the left. And Black Star," I turned to make direct eye contact with him and continued, "Will have the honors of crashing the party by killing Jackal." At this he chuckled and said while grinning broadly, "Now you're beginning to make sense. Letting the real star shine by taking out the VIP, you flatter me."