“Will you at least allow me to try and de-escalate the situation?”
“This is your establishment and I’m your guest,” Jason said. “I’ll defer to you.”
“Thank you.”
Jason sat down again, his back to the door as he watched casually out the window and poured himself another glass of wine. Vermillion pulled out his phone.
“Anika, some people are about to come in. Please direct them upstairs immediately and try not to disturb the customers. Thank you.”
Shortly thereafter, a dozen men came up the stairs. They each had the swollen musculature and vacant stare of a homoerotic action figure. Each wore a tight, white t-shirt and dark green cargo pants. They looked like someone had been cloning thugs and selling them in job lots.
Only one of the men had clear, intelligent eyes. He was just as muscular as the others, but wore a collared shirt and slacks, with leather shoes instead of sneakers. He stood at the front, directing his gaze at Vermillion, who stepped forward to meet him.
“Mr Kissling,” Vermillion greeted coldly.
“Mr Vermillion,” Kissling responded. “We’re sorry to intrude, but we need to take the man sitting behind you.”
Jason didn’t react, continuing to watch the street below with a glass of wine in his hand.
“We have no quarrel with the Cabal and will be happy to compensate you and your organisation for your cooperation in this matter.”
“This man is in my establishment, at my invitation, as my guest,” Vermillion said. “Your words may be polite, sir, but your actions are just the opposite. If you wish to take this man, you have to go through me.”
“You may wish to think through the ramifications of denying us, Mr Vermillion. I know that your group is remaining hands-off in regard to the activities of mine. If you stand in our way now, you are making a choice for your entire faction.”
“Am I meant to allow any trespass the EOA wishes to make because they claim it involves larger political forces? That is a cheap tactic, Mr Kissling.”
“It is no cheap tactic, Mr Vermillion. Your Cabal has sensibly chosen to step aside as we pursue our interests, but this man has not. He is a legitimate obstacle to our intentions.”
“I think, Mr Kissling, that you are labouring under a misconception. I was present when Victor Tollman asked Mr Asano for his assistance in resisting your encroachment. Mr Asano flatly declined.”
“The fact remains that his uncle is a part of the regime we are going to displace. Will he just stand aside when we come for his uncle?”
“Perhaps rather than take actions we all come to regret,” Vermillion suggested, “we can sit down and discuss a compromise.”
Kissling rubbed his chin as he considered it, his henchman army lined up behind him like soldiers in a row.
“It can’t hurt to at least talk,” he said. Vermillion nodded gratefully, leading Kissling to the table, where they sat to join Jason. Jason didn’t react, continuing to look out the window, sipping at his wine.
“Good day, Mr Asano,” Kissling said. “We have no more quarrel with you than with Mr Vermillion or his people. The crux of the matter is whether you will interfere with our interests. If I can’t get assurances from you, then I am going to have to disappoint Mr Vermillion and become more direct.”
Jason turned to face Kissling. Jason’s aura remained undetectable, but his eyes were cold as they looked over Kissling like he was a slab of meat, hanging from hook.
“Mr Vermillion said that you were labouring under a misconception,” Jason said lightly. “In actuality, you are labouring under two.”
“And what is the second one?” Kissling asked.
“That he is protecting me from you. He is, in fact, protecting you from me.”
Vermillion winced.
“I could warn you about what would happen if you and your people took action against me or my uncle,” Jason continued, “but I realise that until someone is foolish enough to try, people aren’t going to take me seriously.”
“Do you really expect to intimidate me?” Kissling asked.
Jason let out a weary sigh, which he had to fake since he no longer needed to breathe.
“I see you’re one of those people who don’t listen so much as wait for their turn to speak,” Jason said. “When I came home, I wasn’t looking to go murdering anyone. I wanted things to be simple. I never want to kill people, but in the end, the result is always killing and killing and killing. I think, at this point, I just have to accept that it’s inevitable. If it’s not you, it’ll be someone else.”
“I think we can try and find a middle ground,” Vermillion interjected. “Mr Kissling, your people are going to move in and take control of the local criminal element. I think we can all agree that this is an inexorable outcome. You, Mr Asano, want your uncle, and presumably his people, to be safe. Would you both consider that an accurate description of our current circumstances?”
“Yes,” Kissling said, and Jason nodded.
“Good,” Vermillion said. “Then here is what I propose. The EOA will buy out Hiro Asano’s interests in the city, for extremely generous compensation. Any of Hiro Asano’s people will be free to leave unmolested or transition into the new administration as they choose. The Cabal will vouchsafe Hiro and his people from reprisals from Victor Tollman and his organisation or the Engineers of Ascension. This will remove any reason for you, Mr Asano, to intervene in Engineer of Ascension affairs, while not putting you into Mr Tollman’s camp. What do we think about that?”
“A chance for my uncle to go completely legitimate and come back to the family,” Jason mused, nodding thoughtfully to himself. “I like it.”
“I would need to have a better definition of Hiro Asano’s people,” Kissling said. “You could interpret that as the entire organisation he works for. Then, moving in at all would constitute breaking the deal and the Cabal is well within their rights to intervene under the guise of protection.”
“It will count Hiro Asano himself and anyone who works for him directly,” Vermillion said. “It will include direct subordinates and low-level staff in his legitimate business interests, that your people, Mr Kissling, would be purchasing from Mr Asano.”
“And your uncle will go quietly?” Kissling asked Jason.
“He already knows that things are changing in ways he doesn’t understand,” Jason said. “I’ll make sure he goes along. That does not mean he’ll turn against his former associates, however. He will not aid you against Tollman’s organisation.”
“We don’t need his help,” Kissling said. “We just need people like you to stay out of our way.”
“Deal,” Jason said, offering his hand over the table. Kissling shook it.
Michael Kissling
Elite Converted (bronze rank)