Meanwhile…

Darius Bower's office within the Bower-Rizzo Bank in downtown St Louis was filled with all sorts of Civil War memorabilia. In all his time as a banker, Bower couldn't have been any happier than to have his personal collection of Civil War weapons, and coins on the counters of his office. After all, his grandfather had served in the Union army during the War Between the States. And besides all the wartime memorabilia he had possessed, Bower may have been a banker during daylight hours, but once nightfall arrived, the underground floor of the Bower-Rizzo banking headquarters was an all-out speakeasy.

And the thing was that this particular banker knew exactly why. After all, one of his good friends was murdered by rival thugs in broad daylight within the last year. And ever since, Darius Bower was practically forced to pair up with the Marigold Club, as per request from Asa Sweet. Or he would 'pay the price' for not doing so. However, unbeknownst to the banker, fate would have a different ending to his life story—and at a deadly cost.

As the Siamese cat stood up from his chair, he walked over to the window that faced the Mississippi riverfront. He loved the view of it from the third floor of the bank, and especially during the early afternoon hours of the day. Bower then turned his gaze away from the window, and towards a picture of himself, his now deceased friend, and a young brown tabby cat. He wished those days would have not have been brought to an abrupt end.

As he was deep in thought, he heard a knock on the door of his office. Walking to the entrance, Bower opened it once he made contact with the doorknob. And he found himself face to face with his secretary, a all white colored short-haired cat donning blue eyes.

"Ah yes, Gloria. You came to perhaps tell me something important?" He asked her.

Gloria took a breath.

"Um, yes Mister Bower. You have two special guests here. And one of them just so happens to a Wes Clyde."

At that point, the older Siamese just rolled his eyes as he contemplated his secretary's words.

Just what the hell does Asa want with me now?

"And the other guest?" Bower asked Gloria.

"Somebody that none of us has ever acquainted with before. Perhaps a new hired hand under Asa Sweet, for all I know sir."

Bower took a deep breath, not knowing that the next move he made would unfortunately be his last.

"Alright then, bring them in."

Less than five minutes later, Gloria had escorted the two Marigold thugs into Darius' office. Having been dismissed by her employer, she quickly obeyed his orders. Once left alone, Darius Bower found himself face to face with a weasel faced looking cat, and a gray colored tomcat dressed in complete black. And the thing that had Darius a little concerned was that the fact that the second cat had a scar running down the left side of his face. He had already known who the first person was. Sitting in his chair, Darius poured each of his guests a shot glass of Bevo.

"Well now, Wes. What brought you into my office this fine day?"

The black colored weasel faced cat took a chair from the other side of Bower's desk.

"Let's get down to business bluntly, Darius. Just the fact that Mister Sweet had been informed of a mole possibly leaking information out to all the other rival clubs here regionally. Maybe you might know a little of this festering matter, hmm Darius?"

Darius sure the hell didn't like the face Wes Clyde gave him when he asked the wealthy banker the question. And the gray colored tomcat didn't help with the fact that he never once spoke a single word. Having noticed it, Wes smirked a little.

"I don't think you've met. This here is Rex Bane. Our new hired protégé."

Bower instantly grew uncomfortable when he heard that name come up.

"What's a bounty hunter like Bane doing, working with Marigold?" He asked Wes.

Wes looked right past Bower, and out the window.

"Asa needed more hands ever since our possible mole started double dealing financial aid to a certain rival speakeasy club, if you knew what I mean Mister Bower."

Darius only smirked. "Don't know what exactly you mean, Wes."

Wes instantaneously dropped his smirk, and instead, glared at the banker.

"Cut the crap out Bower, you know what I mean. And it's already bad enough that we have a certain quarry owner giving financially to this hellhole of a speakeasy."

"You mean Sedgewick Sable?" Darius asked.

Wes looked over at his partner, then back at Bower.

"Who else do you think." Wes said bluntly, the angry look never leaving his face.

Suddenly, Bane slammed a manilla envelope down on the desk, right before Darius Bower.

"Rumor has it that the speakeasy you've been double dealing financial aid to is none other than that ridiculous Lackadaisy Club. You know… the one that your friend, Atlas, brought to life."

At this point, Darius was in deep water. And there was no turning back, unfortunately.

"And… you're the mole, aren't you?" Bane asked through gritted teeth.

The Siamese cocked his head, and simply scoffed, not afraid of what might happen to him next.

"I was wondering how long it would take Asa to figure out." Darius said.

"So it was you all along?" Wes questioned, a glare written on his face.

Darius Bower instead returned the glare back at Wes Clyde.

"After all the hell I went through within the last year, Wes? And don't forget, we all know who frickin called the shots for Atlas May to be knocked off the high end of the pole."

At that precise moment, Wes Clyde bolted out of his seat, and threw a fist into the face of Darius Bower, knocking the older Siamese out of his chair.

"You son of a buck! Won't Asa be pleased to know that the mole has been detected after six very long hollowing months of investigation!"

Immediately, Bane rushed over to Bower.

"Stand the hell up!" He yelled, snatching up the old cat.

Darius took a breath as he heard the click of a gun being cocked back. And in the next moment, Bane had a pistol pointing straight at the face of Darius.

"Any last words, traitor?" The black colored cat asked.

Darius scoffed before giving his answer to both Clyde, and Bane.

"Yeah, sure… go to hell with Marigold!" Darius shouted.

Wes then nodded his head towards Bane. "You know what to do Rex."

And, that was the last time Darius Bower spoke. Because, in that moment, a loud noise sounding like thunder went off. And the now dead body of Darius Bower fell to the floor of his office…

Sorry if this chapter is a little too short. I just needed to write a chapter where I could introduce Wes Clyde, and properly introduce to you, my OC, Rex Bane. And to say at the least, what an intense chapter.

Well, I should be back to work on the next chapter. So till then,

Be safe, and God bless,

JalcoFox.