Chapter 4: The Sins Of The Father
The Ramsap Inn was a small, dingy motel where only the desperate or endangered frequented. Most of the people who stayed here were on the run from the wrong people. It wasn't exactly the most glamorous place, after all. It was, ironically, where Four-Leaf had stayed after he arrived in the city and brokered an alliance with Balalaika. The reasoning for that had more to with the state of affairs within the city regarding the Dead Men than the Mob's welfare at the time. The car came to a stop in the alleyway just outside it. Rock switched off the engine and turned to Revy.
"Are you two really doing this?" he asked, the exasperation written on his face. Wolf leaned forward from the back with an expression that suggested Rock had just said something ridiculous.
"Oh, come on," he said. "You want to know why this asshole is here too, don't you? You have to admit, this sounds pretty weird."
"Relax, Rock," Revy told him scornfully. "Guy's a fucking priest, right? What's he gonna do, throw a bible at us?" Four-Leaf hadn't exactly prompted them to go after the newcomer, but once they learned where he had been staying, they couldn't exactly pass up the opportunity either. The idea was far too tempting, if not to save the Mob and possibly the ruling factions the trouble later, to give them something to do. It didn't surprise Rock anymore the things they found exhilarating. Then again, they probably would have preferred a shootout as opposed to what was sure to be a very one-sided interrogation. A simple priest didn't exactly spell doom for anyone. Then again, if this man really was nothing more or less than he appeared, what was he doing in Roanapur?
"What the-" Wolf's startled voice came from behind. Rock's thoughts were immediately interrupted by the back door being flung open and none other than Eda forcing her way into the car, shoving Wolf over to the other side. She shut the door after her.
"Well, fancy meeting you guys here!"
"Ah, shit!" Revy screeched. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
"It's like Vatican Fucking City here tonight," Wolf joked.
"Same as you three, I imagine," she told them. "You are here to see the priest, right? Otherwise, this is one hell of a coincidence."
"'Course we're here for the priest," Revy snapped. "What else would we be doing here?"
"What, you all got a lot on your consciences or something?" Eda teased. The others could almost hear Revy rolling her eyes. "I'd be happy to take your confessions, if you want." None of them responded to that, despite Eda's apparent jolly demeanour.
"How did you know about him?" Rock asked, breaking the silence. "It sounds like he hasn't been in the city that long."
"Well, he wasn't exactly conspicuous, if you know what I mean," Eda explained. "For one thing, he turned up in uniform. For another, he went around asking about places he could hole up. I'd be surprised if even Chang doesn't know about him by now." That piqued the attention of the other two gunslingers.
"We better get moving, then," Revy piped up, grabbing her Cutlasses and throwing open the door. The guns were more of a habitual precaution, considering they did not expect to actually meet resistance inside. True, if the priest had managed to draw unwanted attention, there may well be cartel members or agents of the Triad inside searching for the newcomer. In that case, this would be a lot more complicated. "You ready, Wolfy?" The assassin readied his Desert Eagle and exited the car.
"What the hell are you two up to?" Eda demanded as they made their way towards the building. They refused to answer as they snuck inside the Ramsap Inn. Either that or they simply couldn't hear her. "They're not going in there to kill the guy, right?" Rock laughed.
"Don't worry, Eda," he reassured her. "They just want to talk to him. Apparently, he's been following Four-Leaf's people around the city."
"Oh, so the mobster had you guys go after him, huh?"
"Not exactly. He mentioned where he was staying. After that, Revy decided she wanted to talk to him herself. And she dragged Wolf into it, too." Despite that, he knew well the assassin was far from unwilling, here. He was as curious as any of them concerning the priest's purpose in the city. "What else do you know about him?" Eda leaned forward, then, and rested her arms on the empty seat in front of her.
"Well, I've been doing some digging. From what I've turned up, he claims to be from Colombia. He hasn't mentioned why he's here, but he did ask around about the Mob. I guess that makes sense, seeing as how it was Four-Leaf who put you on his trail." That still didn't make a whole lot of sense, though. So far, it sounded as though this stranger had come from South America specifically to find Four-Leaf, or members of his Mob, at the very least. That was extremely strange on the face of it. Not only that, but the man was neither a criminal nor an agent of the law. That caused Rock to resume his previous train of thought, then. Perhaps this man's moral status wasn't so cut and dry.
There had been many a killer to cross the border of the city in its time, several of them having been monsters in disguise. If there was anything Rock had learned from past experience, it was that judging by appearances was a big mistake. This man dressed like a priest, but was it so out of the blue to assume that wasn't the extent of it? His uniform may have been a literal disguise, or at the very least, its purpose might have been to conceal the wearer's true nature. It was entirely possible this man was a gun for hire, a hitman. The only question was, if so, who was his target? Four-Leaf? Or just one of his associates?
"You're thinking awful hard there, Romeo," Eda's increasingly annoying voice came again, forcing Rock to attention.
"Doesn't it strike you as odd that this priest asks around the city about a specific group? A Mob who, only recently, found their place here? And Four-Leaf was relatively unknown until he came here. This city gave him an opportunity to make a name for himself. You can't tell me you believe it's really as simple as it seems." Eda's smile faded, then, and she grew serious.
"Of course I don't," she snapped. "You think I'm that stupid? Guy's obviously got something to hide. Just gotta figure out what." Rock grunted and scratched his chin.
"Think about it. He spent his first moments in the city asking around about the Mob. Doesn't that sound familiar?" Eda raised an eyebrow at that.
"Ah. Your maid friend, huh?"
"Exactly. The second she came here, she inquired about where she could find Abrego and his cartel."
"And then she proceeded to blow the place to shit," Eda finished. "Interesting. You think he's taking on the Irish Mob, then?" Rock did not answer immediately. Truthfully, he did not know. It was only a hunch after all. But he'd be lying if he said it didn't add up.
"I hope not," he answered sombrely. "That's the last thing we need right now." Just moments after he finished speaking, Rock spotted silhouettes in the adjacent alleyway. There must have been eight or nine people, all of which hurried inside the Ramsap Inn.
"I think that's your answer," Eda told him. Rock did not seem convinced.
"No," he began, defiant. "No, those weren't Four-Leaf's men. Come to think of it, I didn't recognise them at all."
"So, what," Eda sighed, clearly losing patience, "you think he was followed from home?"
Few of the rooms in the Ramsap Inn were currently in use. That narrowed down the search quite a bit. Revy and Wolf found themselves on the top floor as they neared the end of the trail. If they didn't find him, he had fled, either anticipating the arrival of potential enemies or else to see to some other business. That idea alone gave a sense of urgency to the situation. Wolf kicked open the door in front of him before dodging to the side and planting his back against the wall as quick as a flash, the same formulaic method he had been using since they began the search. When there was no gunfire sent his way, he entered the room, quickly looked around, and exited again. He looked down the length of the corridor to spot Revy emerging from the room two doors down. They had been working their way towards each other. Now, only one room remained to be searched.
"Nothing?" Wolf whispered, though that was probably unnecessary. If this priest hadn't heard doors being kicked in, he wouldn't hear voices. They could have approached this with more subtlety, but they were impatient. Besides, that was what Rock was for. If he spotted the priest leaving through one of the windows, he was to honk the horn three times. So far, there had been no noise.
"Jack shit," Revy answered, cocking her head towards the last door. The two of them strolled over until they faced the room head on. This had to be where the man was hiding out.
"You want to do the honours or-" Before he could finish his question, Revy planted her boot into the wood and sent the door flying open. This was followed by her Cutlasses being pointed forward and Revy herself entering.
"Alright, asshole, you got nowhere to run. Put 'em up!" As she finished speaking, a confused expression spread across her face. The man was kneeling down, a single lit candle in front of him. It looked like he was praying. He had made no attempt to defend himself, nor did he appear to be even remotely surprised by this unwanted interruption. "Did you hear me?!"
"I'm sure your friends outside heard you," he retorted. "There was no point in running, I heard you all speaking below." The window of his room was open. He must have known they had no intention of killing him, prompting him to let down his guard. As he spoke, Revy holstered her Cutlasses and grabbed the back of the man's collar, dragging him to his feet and throwing him against the wall. After that, she grabbed him by the neck and held him on his knees. Wolf pointed his gun at the man's head.
"You wanna start talking, chuckles?!" Revy growled.
"Word has it you were looking for the Mob," Wolf began. He reckoned a more amicable approach might actually provide answers as opposed to Revy's aggression which would more than likely be of no help. "You want to tell us why?" The priest looked at the two killers before him, his eyes eventually resting on Wolf. He smiled, then.
"The Irish Mob? No, I have no issue with them," he explained. "I thought they might lead me to someone else. I thought they would lead me to the person I really wanted to meet."
"Well, spit it out, already," Revy commanded.
"I've been looking for you, Wolf," he explained. Revy relaxed her grip on his throat when she heard that.
"Who are you?" Wolf asked him. "And why do you have it out for me?" The man chuckled.
"My name is Pius," he told them. "I am a simple servant of the Lord. I have no quarrel with you."
"Oh, great," Revy groaned. "He's a religious lunatic. That's just what we needed."
"My purpose here is far less sinister than you might imagine," he continued, deciding to ignore Revy. That was probably for the best. "I bring news from Venezuela." Revy frowned, turning to look at Wolf. They both knew what that meant.
"From Garcia?" the assassin asked, never taking his weapon from Pius's head. They still did not trust the priest, at least not entirely.
"Precisely. He is need of your help. A situation has arisen that he would like your help with. His family are in danger."
"What else is new?" Wolf jested, attempting to appear more blasé than he was. In truth, the idea that the Lovelaces were in danger always concerned him.
"Why the fuck did that brat send you to get Wolf?" Revy questioned him. Pius, however, didn't get time to respond. The sound of footsteps reached their ears. Wolf backed up against the wall, motioning to the others to do the same. The intruders had managed to make it to the doorway too quick for that, however, weapons in hand. Revy's Cutlasses were in her hands instantly. It took both her and Wolf by surprise that she didn't get to use them. The men at the door were dead before they hit the ground. Pius had produced a Skorpion vz 61 from inside his jacket and mowed the men down. More than just a priest, indeed. Revy, eyes wide, turned to face the priest. She looked bewildered more than anything.
"We can't stay here," Pius told them. "More will be along soon. We need to move."
