Human Trafficking
The apartment complex was a dark and dingy place located in the ruins of Old Midgar. Only Chaos knew how the building was even still standing. The Valentines moved swiftly from shadow to shadow until they were alongside the old building. Seven went in through the front while the rest, along with Vincent, were already positioned on the roof.
The two groups moved in precise timing with each other, having already gone over the plan several times and even run through a practice drill. The first group silently slipped through the unlit hallways. Their forms only briefly illuminated as they passed windows where the moon light filtered in.
Up the stairs they flew, or so it would seem because their feet barely brushed the steps they ascended. They positioned themselves around the three doors that would all open into the same huge room. They waited. One man with short dark hair removed the cover from his watch. Darien held up one finger as he counted the seconds. A second finger came up next to the first. The sudden twist of his wrist and they┘
The second group secured their lines and hung their heels over the building's edge. Only the red caped man remained un-tethered. Instead, he crouched along the ledge looking down. Without even a nod he fell forward head first. The others immediately launched themselves.
Vincent's dive caused his hair and caped to be whipped and pulled back. He reached out a claw and sunk it into the buildings exterior. With a snap his descent was abruptly halted. He pulled himself onto the ledge outside of a black painted window. Soft scrapes were the only indicators that the others had also perched themselves on the window ledges.
Vincent hunched on the inch and a half ledge precariously. He didn't need a watch to tell him when to strike. He knew. He gave a curt nod.
He was called the White Giant, and rightly so. He was a massive man, standing over six feet and weighing over 500 pounds. His head was devoid of hair and his eyes were a piercing blue. The white suite he wore gave his pale skin a little more color than it really had. Half of his fingers wore huge rings encrusted with different precious stones. His white cane, more decoration than anything, was topped off with a diamond that seemed to sparkle no matter how little light there was. His four body guards seemed miniscule in comparison to him. They stood a respectful few feet behind, hands idly fingering their weapons.
In front of the White Giant there stood three men in a rough triangle. The two in the back wore dress suites, while the first one dressed in sloppy kakis and a wrinkled dress shirt. The first man was also the smallest in the room, barely reaching a height of five feet five. His brown hair lay damp and oily in a tangled mop atop of his head. Hence his own nickname was born, Greasy.
Greasy spoke with a guttural clearing of his throat, "Here's yer damned cargo. Where's the money?"
The Giant looked at the cargo, a set of tiger cages filled with men and women. The people weren't much to look at. They were stinky, dirty, and thin from hunger. Many of them stared blankly ahead, already dumping their human emotions for a sense of apathetic surrealism.
Walking past the cages, the Giant let his fingers trail along the edges. Those inside tried to back away, but had no room to do so. He pulled his hand away and wiped it on a white napkin.
The White Giant glanced around the rooms multiple doors and windows. An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach, but he pushed it aside. Perhaps the hanging lights were to blame. They cast odd shadows about the room, around the cages, and behind the metal beams. He shrugged and motioned to one of his bodyguards, who bent to pick up a suitcase.
The doors slammed open and shattered glass from the windows scattered through the room. Dark figures surged into the room. In response to the threat, the room's shadows moved and formed into at least two-dozen new henchmen. The Valentines engaged battle.
Swords clashed and deflected bullets. The sound of gunfire echoed loudly. Greasy cowered between the two cages. The White Giant merely stood with his hands laid on top of his cane.
Vincent shot the first man he came across. He clawed the second across the throat. He and the rest of the group moved in and out of the shadows at will. They would appear suddenly, the shadows still clinging to them, and then when they had finished their attack they would melt back into the darkness. Cries could be heard as a few of the henchmen were dragged into the shadows to never see light again.
The battle continued for a full twenty minutes before the last henchmen crumpled to the floor. The resulting silence was eerie in comparison to the clatter from before. The lights over head swayed causing the shadows to dance.
Slowly the Valentines slipped from the shadows and formed a circle around the remaining criminals. As per Vincent's request they had been left alone. Vincent dropped from the rafters and landed in front of the White Giant.
"You're done, White Giant."
"Oh no, young man." The Giant squared his shoulders. "It would be very unwise to bother me further. I may overlook your..." he looked around at the bodies "...indiscretion here. Saves me from having to pay a few people. However, killing me...well, that would have dire consequences for you and your friends."
Vincent straightened to his full height, still looking awe inspiring despite being the shorter of the two. "Bastard, my friends and I would like nothing more than to see you pushing up daises." He stepped back and raised Cerberus towards the White Giants head. Greasy freaked and tried to run but was caught by one of Vincent's men.
Without moving his gaze, Vincent spoke to the man holding Greasy. "Rauz, get the keys." The red headed bouncer dug through Greasy's pockets. "Unlock the cages and get those people out of there."
Rauz dragged Greasy over to the cages and unlocked them. The rest of Valentine's crew helped the people out of the cages, having to support many of the malnourished men and women.
Vincent growled out between clenched teeth, "Get in the cage." The Giant made no move to do so. Vincent's eyes glowed and his face broke into a snarl. "Now!" He pressed the gun into the huge man's forehead. The White Giants skin paled. He huffed and then crawled into the too tight, too small cage.
"Lock him up." Rauz did so.
"What are you going to do, little man? Leave me here?"
As an unspoken rule, Vincent had the honor of the big kill unless he didn't want it. This time he did. He wanted it for all those people abducted from their homes and sold to sadistic men, for those who would never be free, and for those who had died.
He pulled the trigger.
The bullet was deliberately aimed too high. It would not be a quick death.
Vincent turned away and faced the little man in Rauz's arms. Greasy was shaking bad. Sweat poured down his face in rivulets, gathering around his chin and on his upper lip. With Cerberus holstered, Vincent pulled the man forward by his collar.
Greasy began pleading for his life, "Listen man, I-I'm just the middleman. You know, don't shoot the middleman? Please, I got a wife, a mean one, but still...how do you think she'd feel if I turned up dead? I swear..."
"Silence!" Vincent's eyes bore into Greasy's as if they were trying to burn his soul. "Where are the others from this group?"
"I don't know nuthin'!"
Vincent backhanded the little man with his gauntlet. There was a loud crack as several of his teeth broke as well as his cheek. "I don't want your excuses. Tell me or meet the same fate as your associates."
Greasy swallowed. Tears flowed freely down his face (already swelling) and the pungent smell of urine reached Vincent's nose.
"Alright, alright! I'm supposed to take them to the old warehouses tomorrow at ten. They're in the Shinra labs right now."
"Who were you going to deliver them to?"
"A man who goes by the name Snap Dragon. That's all I know, I swear."
Vincent threw Greasy back into Rauz's arms. "Take him to jail." Rauz dragged the man away. "Everyone else, lets get these people to a hospital." Vincent picked up the case of money and left. The room was quiet again and the White Giant finally expired.