With a critical eye he studied me for a moment, “You know Marcus I’m beginning to question whether this relationship will have any kind of longevity. It troubles me deeply when you have trouble grasping the simplest of concepts.” Dempsey silenced me yet again with nothing more than a glare and a slight wave of his hand. I had been so focused upon Dempsey that I hadn’t noticed that the goon untying me had finished and dropped two manila envelopes on the table in front of me. “Look, right now it doesn’t matter. Over time you will have to work out these issues on your own.”
Dempsey pointed at the two envelopes in front of me, “For now though, these two envelops will be your life. In the top one you will find all of your new and updated paperwork including an ID. You’ll need that ID in order to access your bank account, which has your winnings less my twenty percent of course. Now the other envelop has everything you’ll need to complete your first assignment.”
“So I have a new name now?”
“Yes, though you’ll have to explore that top envelope to find out who you will be.”
I gingerly lifted the first envelope; I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, and extracted my wallet as well as the promised bank account information. That would keep for the time being. My primary concern was finding out what my new name was going to be. I opened my wallet and looked down at the revised driver’s license. Right next to my face I saw the name Dempsey had chosen for me, and it caused my stomach to plummet six feet through the floor.
He just smiled his favorite, wicked smile. “I trust you are fine with using your real name, Francis Harrison Bailey?” I could hear the satisfaction in his words and I shuddered.
Sitting there I stared down at my real name and finally understood just how far Dempsey’s reach and power stretched. How was I going to be able to escape a man who could discover the name I hadn’t used in over a decade? That name along with so much of my past I had thought successfully buried. But now those memories were flooding back, drowning me with their potency. And like that, I realized that the only way to ever escape Dempsey would be a body bag.
“I’ll take your silence to mean that you’re fine with the name.” He waited a moment for me to respond, but he eventually went on. “Well, we’ll just have to work on your manners, not to mention your patience. I do not appreciate rudeness, no matter what the reason.” One second I was staring down at the ID and the next I was lifted up by the neck. One of the goons must have been signaled by Dempsey.
Catching sight of my eyes Dempsey stared down at me with another hard glare and through clenched teeth spoke with controlled anger. “Employees of mine who lack in those areas quickly find themselves unemployed. And I’m sure you’ll understand what I’m implying when I tell you I do not have to worry about unemployment benefits. Do I make myself abundantly clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
With a simple hand motion from Dempsey my assailant, gently lowered me back down to my chair. Through another one of his smiles Dempsey asked. “See? That wasn’t so hard was it? Now, as I said before, I’m in a terrible rush so Dante will show you the way out and answer whatever questions you might still have.”
Immediately the same goon, presumably Dante, grabbed my neck again and forcibly lifted me to my feet. This prompted Dempsey to slam his hands down on the table. Everyone froze and fixed their attention upon the still seated man as he moved his glare away from me and upon Dante as he growled. “Dante, how dare you assault one of your co-workers, and after I had just laid down the importance of manners to our newest employee too. I don’t care what might have gone on in here before I arrived. He is now one of my employees just like you, and you should know better.”
The pressure had come off of my neck the instant Dempsey started speaking, I was fortunately able to keep my feet, though barely. When I turned around I saw Dante’s massive form and realized that I had been trying to royally irritate a living mountain. That had certainly been one of my dumber moves; right up there with attending this tournament in the first place. And when he spoke, I was certain that he was number one, “I’m sorry boss.”
“I’m not the one to whom you need apologize.”
I expected the room to shake as the massive mountain of a man turned around to look at me and voiced his apology. “I’m sorry for lifting you up by your neck Francis.”
Despite the apology, I couldn’t help but feel like I had just been threatened. How could a man who had been cowed mere moments ago manage to lace a threat inside of an apology? Though now that I saw the man I had zero desire to press him any further so I quickly replied, “Don’t worry about it Dante. Like the boss said we’re all family here.”
With another one of his child-like smiles Dempsey spread his arms out wide saying, “See, I knew we all could get along. Now Dante, you will lead our newest employee out of here.”
As I picked up the two envelopes, Dante put his hands under my arms and assisted me to my feet. When I turned around I saw a few things that I burned into my mind. There were two other people in the room, the other goon, an older woman, and of course there was the equipment I was told about. Now there were plenty of reasons to be nervous, one of them was helping me from the room right now, but it was the woman that was the real source of my unease. But, it was another puzzle for another time, right now I needed to get out of here.