Ashes to Ashes (Jerod's Fourth Tale Part 7)

We walked along a little used path that went behind the homes on my street. “Not bad,” said Kane. “I’ll have to remember this.”

“Twinbrook has a lot of small paths away from the roads. It’s useful to explore, wander around the back ways. But don’t wear good shoes.”

“Why not?”

“There are a lot of small boggy patches around, and some of the paths just go through them. I was walking along fast one afternoon and went into a bog. One foot got wet, and the next step, I tripped over a tree root. Face first into the muck.”

“Dude, seriously?”

“Yep, and getting wet wasn’t the worst of it. The water stank. I swear it took three days and god knows how many showers before I knew I didn’t smell like swamp.” I laughed and Kane joined in. It wasn’t funny at all at the time but it’s hilarious now.

“Anything you care to tell about the locals in The Company?”

“I’m not really up to date with the crew. Marta Tomasi leads the thieves. Ted Ginger organises the other operations. They both run the important stuff in other towns, so the cops don’t see much crime here. Just enough petty crimes that it’s not entirely quiet but nothing big. You’ll be part of Ginger’s crew. Don’t screw him over, he is a bastard. Follow orders and you’ll get a fair share. He’s a demon on the computer, if it’s anywhere online, he can get it.”

“That’s it?”

“Ted’s more than a bit paranoid about someone trying to take over his position. His limp is from the last try. Don’t give him any reason to think you might be ambitious or hanging out with someone ambitious.”

“Sounds fair.” We arrived at Red Rendezvous and stopped in the small entryway. “You wait here. If I’m not back in a minute, it’s safe for you to come in.”

I shrugged. Kane was doing his job and I couldn’t fault him for that. Though even amateurs should know better than taking someone out at one of the neighbourhood bars. There would be witnesses. I waited, doing my best to look like I was waiting to meet up with someone. I let a couple of minutes go by before I wandered in. I walked to the bar, straight past Kane who was sitting at a dimly lit table facing the door. The drink in front of him looked like a soft drink.

“Hey, Trey, I need a drink.” The bartender started pouring me my favourite brew then brought me the mug.

“Tania was by, I tried to get her to played a few numbers. She didn’t though. We need to set up a gig, been too long since her guitar brightened up the joint.”

I nodded. “I’m supposed to fly to China next week, but maybe the week after? I think we might be able to set up something then.” Assuming that all goes well. He handed me my drink and I nodded my thanks.

I drank the first quickly then called for a second. Trey brought me another and this one I sipped slowly.

I started with the positives. At least I had a bit more knowledge and some professional backup. But I still didn’t know enough about the enemy motives or their ultimate goal. They knew some things about me, but how much?

Fucking damn it. I can’t make a proper plan with so little to go on. I finished the brew and called for another.

“One more and I’m going to have to take your keys,” warned Trey.

“Don’t worry, there’s someone here who can drive me home if I’ve had too much,” I replied. “He won’t mind.”

As I sipped at the mug, I realised part of my problem was that I hadn’t a clue where I could find them or how I could contact them. I’ve never had that as a problem before. How to contact them was going to stay a mystery until they told me. But where to find them was something I could work on. There were several vacant properties around and a number of parks big enough to camp in.

Oh my fucking god, I hadn’t thought of that before. That they might be camping, suppose they were using the same park as Tania and the kids? I reminded myself that I’d called them earlier and all was fine. They weren’t after my family, they wanted me. I just had to be sure they could find me. Better though would be if I found them.

I pulled out my cell. “Hey Ted? Could you print me a list of all the vacant homes in town?” “Yeah, but if you wanted to stay in a town for a few days, would there be a better place?” “Well, yeah. That’s actually what I think Kane and I will be doing tomorrow. Checking to see if anyone is camping in either a park or a vacant house.” “So far, he’s fine. I don’t think he’s planning on murdering me in my sleep but if I don’t pick up the list tomorrow…” “Seriously, he still seems very sincere.” “Hey, I learnt to trust you, didn’t I? Eventually.” I hung up after a promise to have the list of vacant homes by early tomorrow.

The only other possibility that I could see was that they were staying with someone in town. That seemed remote but why not ask a bit? “Hey Trey?”

“I warned you, another drink and I need your keys.”

“Nah, I’m good. Just wondered what the gossip around town was. You heard anything good?”

So for the next ten minutes, I heard an earful about who is definitely cheating, who is suspected of cheating, who has been promoted recently and other local gossip. I made the appropriate noises as Trey told me the various things.

“Anyone new in town?”

“Actually, there’s a dude sitting over there, he’s pretty new. I hear he married one of the Greenwood girls,” Trey nodded toward Kane and I glanced that direction.

“Big dude, wouldn’t want to make him angry, would you?” I commented as I turned back.

“You got that right. Mind you, making people angry is bad for business so I try not to.” Someone further down the bar called for a refill and Trey went to serve them. I dropped a decent handful of coins on the counter and slowly ambled outside holding my car keys loosely in one hand.

“Which car,” said Kane softly as he snagged the keys while walking past.

“Blue one, just across the street.”

“Wait till I’ve started it, then get in.” He moved quickly while I ambled on. The only reason he’d want to start the car without me would be…fucking hell, that’s insane. The only reason I can think of is car bomb and he’s just taking that risk.

Or maybe he’s being devious? Back in the day, I would have assumed any ‘threat’ Ted found was one he had created. Well, my gut still tells me that Kane is playing it straight. He’d started the car, so I popped into the passenger seat.

“Dude, what you just did. Would you classify that as brave, thorough or just plain dumb?”

“If those are the only allowed options, then thorough. I’m supposed to be keeping you breathing. So I will do what I have to.” He glanced over at me as we drove up the street. “Any conclusions from the thinking?”

“Tomorrow, we are going to hunt around very cautiously and see if we can find their base of operations. There are some vacant houses and several parks that have facilities for camping.”

“I like the word cautiously,” he pulled the car up outside the house. He got out and went inside. He was back in a minute. “As far as I can tell, it is safe but…”

I found out the ‘but’ the moment I entered. My house stank, something partly decomposed and partly burnt. It didn’t take long to find the source. There was a still smouldering pile of rotting fruit and veg just outside of the back door. I found the shovel Tania used for the garden and buried the pile at the corner of the yard. Kane stayed inside, opening all the window to let fresh air in.

“See what I mean? Minor harassment. Annoying as all shit but not actually painful in any way.”

“I hate fucking amateurs,” he growled. “Give me a pro any day.”

“So, if we search for the culprits tomorrow, we need sleep tonight. Do you want to sleep now or later?”

He looked me over. “You sleep now. I don’t like the odds of you waking me up for my turn. And you going without sleep for a day is not going to help anyone.”

He was probably right about that. My mind kept going in circles and I might not wake him under the general theory that at least one of us was sleeping. “I’ll try but it’s probably not going to work.”

“You mean to tell me that you don’t have some sort of sleeping pill, knockout drop or anything else around here? You shock me, boss.”

I had to smile. “You know, there’s a good chance I could find something like that. Just never anticipated using it on myself.” I took a couple of pills and hit the hay. What does it say about my life that I’m going to sleep when I know damned well the only other person around was involved in an attempt to kill me?

Life on Mars (Jerod's Fourth Tale - Part 6)

It didn’t take long to buy the replacement cameras. I found what I needed, paid and walked toward Kane. He nodded as I past, then started walking behind and off to one side. When we were close to the car, Kane moved faster so he could open the door. He casually glanced in but since Ted had never left the car, it wasn’t much of a look. He held the door for me again, then climbed in beside Ted.

“Aren’t you so posh now that you have hired help?” Ted asked laughing slightly.

“None of that backtalk, just drive home, Jeeves,” I replied with my best posh accent. Ted flipped me the bird and set off for home. I leaned back against the seat. There was so little point in worrying about the future just now.

A few minutes later and Ted was pulling up outside my house.

“Locked it?” asked Kane.

“Yep, I always do,” I replied.

“Keys then. Let me check before you go in.”

“Kane, these are obviously amateurs. What do you expect to find?”

He gave me a strange look. “I don’t know. They are fucking amateurs. Professionals, we’d have some idea of what they might do. The two I saw, who the fucking hell knows what they might do?”

He grabbed the keys and disappeared into the house. A minute later, he motioned for me to come in.

“Where’s the family?” he asked as I came in.

I shook my head. “Not your business. I’ve moved them out for the time being. They are hiding. They should be safe.”

Kane nodded. “Fair enough. It will be hard enough for me to keep you safe. Add in more people and the job would be impossible.” He suddenly looked at the ground. “I appreciate you giving me this shot. I know it can’t be easy for you, given Egypt. I really do want to stay in this town and staying here means coming to terms with The Company.”

“Assuming I survive, I’ll make sure that The Company does right by you. If I don’t, well, that’s no longer my problem.” I pointed at him. “If you fail, you will have to deal with my widow, children and their godfather who happens to be Ginger. I suspect they will be very peeved.”

“Seriously dude, I will do what I can. If I’m the only bodyguard, there will be times when I’m asleep and you have no protection.”

“I should be able to protect myself when I’m awake. But Ginger is right, I will need sleep. I will need to eat. And there’s no telling how long they plan to just do small stuff.”

“Small stuff? What have they done so far?” Kane pulled a small pad of paper and a pencil out of a pocket. He started scribbling quickly on the pad. I told him about the note, the paint, and the broken easel. He stopped scribbling on one page and flipped to another.

“Fucking amateurs, I hate them,” he growled. “Why send you a fucking note to let you know someone hates your guts? What’s the fucking point about that easel?”

“The heads up was useful from my point of view. I don’t know why they want me to stew over their threats but at least I knew something was coming. But why bother with all this harassment? Painting the house might get the attention of the neighbours, I will grant you. I don’t think anyone noticed besides my poor wife and next door who happen to be Company too.”

Kane stopped scribbling and flipped back to the previous page in the notebook. He then tossed it at me. “They are really rough but those are the two that asked me about Pesce.”

The first picture was a male, youngish but not too young. The second was a younger looking female. “Not bad work. You have some talent in drawing.” I flipped back and forth between the pages, memorising the two faces.

“No fucking talent, just a lot of fucking practice. My mother was an artist and demanded we do a certain amount of it every damned day. By the time I left home for good, I’d done one fucking hell of a lot of drawing.” He shrugged, “It does come in useful from time to time.”

“I appreciate this,” I said tapping on the notebook. “Now I have a clue who to look for.”

“That should actually be completely unnecessary. I have seen them after all,” he replied. “So, could you tell me how the fucking hell you got out of that pyramid? Sophie had me drag this big arse statue to block the door. I don’t see how you managed to move it.”

“I didn’t go out that way. It was the Great Pyramid, damn thing is riddled with hidden doors, secret passages and traps. Oh my fucking god, does it have traps.” I shuddered at the memory. “The room you left me in had concealed door which I eventually found. It took me two damn days to find a fucking way out. I nearly died of thirst and from springing a couple of traps. So that plan had very nearly worked. I’ve been a lot more cautious when I travel since that.”

“You definitely do not want to end up in prison in Egypt. That was the most disgusting fucking place I’ve ever been.”

“I don’t plan on prison ever. I’m not officially a member of The Company. Around here, I’m a legit business man, specialising in importing foreign goods. When I’m overseas, my contacts may not be quite as legitimate. So I’m a bit more flexible about how to get things done. But I am always careful.”

“How can you not be Company? Like, isn’t that Ginger dude the local head?”

“Yes, and he took over that position when I quit. My business has ties to Company, but they’d be hard to trace. Ginger makes certain of that.”

“Why the fucking hell would you quit?”

“Believe it or not, to avoid shit like this. I thought once I quit The Company, I wouldn’t have to spend my life watching my back. Then Pesce makes it necessary for me to go to Egypt to straighten things out. I get back and get an offer that I couldn’t turn down.” I sighed. “Now my family is in hiding and I’m waiting to find out who exactly is responsible for this.”

I looked at my watch and found it was time to ring Tania. Damn, I forgot to remind her to leave the phone on vibrate. I punched the button to speed dial her and walked into our bedroom shutting the door behind me.

“Hey Sweetheart. Everything going okay?” I listen to Tania explain how hard it was to settle the kids once the tent was set up. “I wish I could help. Hell, I wish that all of you were home. I’m sure that the kids will adjust soon.” She sighed then asked me about how I was coping. “No, don’t worry about me. I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself. Ted is lending me a guy as a body guard so all should be well.” “I miss you so much. You ring me tomorrow morning 10 past 7. All right?” She agreed. “Love and kisses to you and the kids. Be careful.” Then we hung up.

I came out of the bedroom to find that Kane was on the phone. From the sounds of it, he was talking to Jade. I went back into the bedroom, leaving the door slightly open. I waited until all was quiet before I came back out.

“Kane, time to head to the Red Rendezvous. I need a drink.” He shot me a look. “Hey, I think best with a drink. Or walking around which would be even riskier than the pub.”

He nodded. “Right, fine. How the hell do we fucking get there?”

“My car should be parked outside the joint. We’ll have to walk there, unless you want to do the cab thing?”

He sighed loudly, “You are fucking determined not to make this easy for me, aren’t you?”

“Look, honestly, I’ll try not to make it that hard. But I need to think. My first plan didn’t include the possibility of having someone else around. And you would really hate that one.”

“Why?”

“The plan was approximately, ‘Neh, neh, you can’t catch me.’ Really deliberately try and draw the opposition into action. Making damn sure that they went after me and didn’t go looking for my family.”

“A quiet drink at the pub does sound better,” said Kane. “But can’t you get a drink here?”

“Without my family, it’s too quiet. I need some buzz to distract me. Just one other person won’t do.”

He shrugged and started to head for the front door. I shook my head, “Let’s not make it that easy for them. I know a back way.”

Slow Burn (Jerod's Fourth Tale - Part 5)

There was a car horn. I looked out the window to see Ted in his car, he waved to me and motioned that I should get in. I cautiously opened the door, walked past the wreckage of my easel and climbed into the car.

“Got a call from someone wanting to join the company. I was thinking that you might need some distraction.” He grinned at me. “And I’ve found Kane.” His eyes flickered to what was left of my easel and painting but he didn’t mention the obvious.

“You’re right about needing a distraction. Fucking oath, a few days of this and they won’t have to do anything more. I’ll be stark raving mad.” I settled into the seat. “So, you found Kane already? You are a freaking wizard, how did you find him that fast?”

“I have my ways.”

We sat in silence until Ted pulled into a long driveway. “This is the place that Jade chick lives. She was the one who gave us the clue where to look for you.”

“Jade just married. It’s her new husband that we are here to see. Jade isn’t home but he should be.” Ted told me as we climbed out of the car.

Ted walked up to the door and rang the bell. I was a few paces behind when the door opened. I realised who the fucking hell it was about the time he noticed me.

“You?” we both said at the same time. It was Travis “Dread” Kane standing right there. Fucking shit, how long as he been living in town?

Kane looked at me then at Ted and sighed. “Look, could you do this some place other than Jade’s house. She doesn’t need to find the body when she gets home.”

“Body?” Ted asked.

His gaze went from Ted back to me. “I assume you are here to kill me.”

“I am here to assess you as a potential employee of The Company. Jerod is here to ask you a few questions. You’d have to have some really bad answers to end up dead.” He paused until Kane nodded. “Now, why are you here looking for a job?”

“Well,” he said. “I failed my last assignment. I ended up in prison and my partner disappeared. The Family bribed a few prison guards to get me out, then paid my tickets back. I was given no new work at all, they ignore me for weeks. Then finally they contacted me to tell me to leave Family territory within the next two weeks. Well, I vaguely remembered that Sophie was targeting supplies that were meant to ship here. That meant it was a Company town.”

“So you moved here?” asked Ted.

“Yeah, and then I met Jade. We dated a couple of times, then I asked her to marry me. So now I have a lovely wife and no income. That’s how I came to find you, this is the only job I really know. I’m usually damn good at it too.”

Ted nodded and took a step back. He’d probably already looked into Kane’s records enough to know how good he was at the job. I stepped forward.

“Before you say anything, dude, that stuff with the pyramid? That wasn’t my idea and it was strictly business,” Kane told me. I nodded. That would have been Pesce’s idea and Kane just did the heavy lifting.

“Right, and the extra strong drink served by a 15 year old who happens to look 19 was also just business,” I replied. “Though you stepped into that trap on your own.”

“You set that up?” I nodded. “Yeah, I wasn’t nearly cautious enough. I thought we were home free,” he grimaced. We stared at each other for a minute. He broke first. “You had a question?”

“Has anyone asked you about Sophie Pesce recently? Someone who isn’t in the business?”

He frowned in thought. “Yeah, two people did. Guy and girl came by my old place while I was packing up. Asked a bunch of questions about that trip and when I last saw Sophie.”

“Did my name come up? Did you ask their names?”

“Yeah I told them your name, but I didn’t tell them you were alive. Fucking hell, I didn’t even think you might be alive. I thought you’d bought it in the pyramid. Don’t know their names, they didn’t say.”

So, Kane knows two people who were asking about Pesce. No names and he didn’t tell them I survived but a trip to Egypt with enough cash and they’d find out. They asked the right people in that tiny town, I was seen on the day she died taking someone back to camp. So who gave a damn about that bitch?

“Is that it for your questions?” I nodded. “So Shrimp, if you were still boss of this outfit, would you give him a job?” Ted looked at me. “You have better instincts about people.”

I looked at Kane and thought about that Egypt trip. How he behaved even when being provoked by Pesce. “No booze, no women when you are working, right?” I asked him.

He nodded. “I learnt that one. Definitely no booze when on the job, that’s for when I’m off work. As for other women? Don’t need that now.”

I had been watching his face, his body language and he was coming across as sincere. “Yeah, Ginger, I’d hire him. Good muscle can be hard to come by.”

“Right, so your first assignment in The Company is to be his body guard,” Ted told Kane pointing at me.

“Ginger, you have got to fucking be kidding!” I shouted. I wasn’t ready to trust him that far.

“Shrimp, you are going to need someone to watch your back. Most of my crew are on a heist a few towns over. Marta would but she’s sure that Crooks knocked her up and she’s not well. I have a ton of things I have to do, including watching Marta’s little girl. And you just said you would hire him.”

Ted had a point. If there were two of them, they just could wait me out. Eventually I was going to drop my guard, I couldn’t stay alert 24/7. I looked at Kane who was very calmly watching me. “You’ll back me up, whatever I ask for?”

“You want a clever plan, don’t look at me. You want someone to make it happen, tell me what to do,” he said. “I know I’m the muscle, that’s what I’m good at.”

I sighed. Not an ideal backup but if that’s all Ginger has to offer, then I really had no choice. “All right. He’s right, I need someone to watch my back. Don’t fail me.”

“If he fails, I’ll tie him up and leave him as a present for your bitch. We’ll send the bigger pieces back to Jade for burial,” said Ted with a wicked smile.

That was an interesting idea. I wonder what Tania would do if faced with that? Certainly not carve Kane into pieces, I don’t think she’d ever walk that far on the dark side. “You better leave a message for Jade. Until this is over, you’ll have to stick with me.”

Kane nodded and sat down with a bit of paper. He scribbled a few words, crossed them out, wrote down more words, then scrunched up the paper. He grabbed a new piece of paper and tried again. That one suffered the fate of the first and finally on his third piece of paper, he must have found something to write that he liked. “I said I’ll call later tonight. That is okay, right?”

“Sure, that will be fine.” Not like someone was after them, he could call as much as he liked. I really hate that I have to keep away from my family.

“Where to now?” asked Ted. “Company headquarters, your place, somewhere else?”

“Electronics store then my place. I have to replace my cameras, they’ve been destroyed. I’d really like to catch this pair on camera, see who I’m dealing with.”

“I know what they look like,” Kane pointed out.

True enough, he’s seen them. “Let me know if you spot them, Kane. So if we are going to be working together, what do you prefer to be called?”

“Sophie loved calling me shit-for-brains, though sometimes it was idiot, moron or imbecile. Even ‘oy, you’ would be a nice change. So whatever, boss.”

“Right, for the moment, Kane it is. Let’s get moving.”

Ted led the way to the car. I was about to get in when Kane made a stay hand gesture. I stopped. He opened the back door, double checked the inside of the car then held it open for me. When we arrived at the shop, he got out first, looked around then opened my door. He led the way to the shop, then blocked me from coming in until he’d had a chance to look.

Conclusions, he was taking it seriously and he knew what he was doing. Both of those things were reassuring.

I Want My Baby Back (Jerod's Fourth Tale - Part 1)

It all started one evening when I was getting the post. There were, of course, several bills. Bills are always the bane of my existence. But there was a plain envelope bearing the single word “Shrimp” on it. No stamp, no return address, not even our full address. Which meant someone must have dropped it directly in our box.

My name is Jerod but almost everyone calls me Shrimp. So I wasn’t too concerned, just a note from a friend. That was why I casually just flipped it over and opened it.

The contents though, they weren’t routine. Not at all.

We know what you did.

And you will pay for your sins, Jerod Shrimpton.

Now if you haven’t heard about me, I’m definitely not one of the good guys in town. I used to be a member of The Company; a bunch of thieves, cutthroats and villains. I gave that up years ago, hoping for a quiet life. It was quiet for awhile, but recently I’ve been pulled back in as a special representative and that’s made life…interesting.

God, I should have been more careful about that envelope. Too fucking late now. Though, truth be told, I wouldn’t be able to do anything clever anyway. I don’t have the facilities to do fingerprinting or anything. Plain white envelope, plain white paper doesn’t give me much to work with.

“Shrimp, what’s taking you so long getting the mail?” called my lovely wife Tania. Tania is the yang to my yin, the good to my evil. I’m being literal about that last, she is and always has been good. Well, up to our last trip overseas. She insisted on being involved in my business and so she had her first walk on the dark side.

“Sorry, Sweetheart, I just had a bit of a surprise. I think we are going to have to have a talk.” I paused for a moment. “Actually, do you mind if I ask Marta and Ted over? I think I might need them.” I didn’t have to look at Tania, I knew one eyebrow would be very arched at that comment.

As I pulled out my phone, Tania looked as though she was going to ask what was up. Then she sort of shrugged, there wouldn’t be much of a wait, they live next door.

“Marta, could you come over for 10 maybe 20 minutes? And please drag Ted’s sorry ass with you.” Now Marta and Ted are two active members of The Company. Marta is by far the best thief around, she can make nearly anything disappear. Ted’s more of the local evil genius, though his skills are more computer based. They don’t extend to people very well. He is a devious bastard though, just the kind of guy I might need.

I watched as they made their way over. It was good to see that Ted had graduated from using crutches to just a walking stick. His leg had been smashed during a failed takeover of his position by two of his people. It’s left him with a limp and quite a lot of paranoia about when the next takeover might happen.

When my children spotted Ted, they ran for their godfather. As usual, he gave each of them a brief cuddle, and then gave a toy to each child. This earned him quick hugs, “Tank kews” and then Lana and Toby went off to play with their new toys.

“So, Shrimp. Why did you call?” asked Marta with her soft drawl.

I passed the note to Tania first with a motion that she should pass to the others. They each read it quickly and handed it on.

“And you called us because?” asked Ted.

“I’m not sure which of my actions this might be referring to. I was hoping a little brainstorming might help.”

Tania looked at me. “There’s more than just what happened last trip?”

I sighed. I’d tried for so long to keep Tania from realising exactly what I did for The Company when we met and what I’ve done since. My lovely wife was about to get an earful. “Yes, Tania, there is more. Should I start with the oldest sins or the most recent?”

“I’d say start with the oldest. We can probably rule them out.”

“We better sit down, this will take a little while,” I said. We all sat in the living area. I held up my left hand with all fingers extended. “So, first was Dennis Racket. He had plans of making me his toy boy. I rather objected to that.” Ted smirked at me. He’d heard a very different version second hand. “So on a trip to Egypt, I stole his money, the batteries to his cell and his papers. And had him transported away from town, with some provisions. It took him over a month to get home again. As far as I know, he got over it.” I folded over my pinky.

“Then I quit The Company, they didn’t seem to have an objection to that.” I folded down the ring finger.

Ted replied, “I’m positive that’s not it. I’m sure I would have been first to hear about that.” Given he took my place as the head of the local branch, he should know.

“Now my next trip to Egypt was far more dangerous. On my first night at camp, I was given a drugged drink. When I woke up, I was trapped in a pyramid.”

Ted looked thoughtful. “Was that Kane and Pesce?”

“As it turns out, yes. It took me two long days to find a passage out of that pyramid. I thought I was going to die there. Once you sent the dossiers, I managed to have Kane arrested for the local equivalent of indecent dealing with a minor.” I folded down my middle finger.

Then I took a deep breath. I had to remind myself, the people sitting here were the people I trusted most. Trusted with my life and all my secrets. “Pesce, I drugged her food, put her on a raft and pushed it out to some crocodiles. There was a lot of blood and no sign that she woke before they attacked, so I’m sure she’s dead.” I folded down my index finger. Tania gasped and turned pale.

“Crocodiles? Seriously?” asked Marta.

“Dude, that is an epic way to murder someone,” said Ted with admiration in his voice. “There is still a major reward from The Company on Pesce. Why not claim it?”

I shook my head. “I can think of no better way to get a very high price on my head from The Family. No thanks.”

“Why did you let Kane live? That’s a weak spot,” said Ted.

I shrugged. “He just didn’t seem that dangerous. He was just the muscle of the operation. Finally our last trip to France, we ended up needing to set up a fake blackmail drop so we could set up the real blackmailer. That worked fine. The blackmailer ended up in jail and discredited so our supplier no longer had to pay his demands. Hard to believe that anyone would be threatening me over that.” I folded my thumb making a fist. Five things I could think of that might make me a target.

“Pesce. It’s going to be Pesce,” said Marta decisively.

“I agree. It’s going to be about that. But I don’t think The Family is involved.”

“Why do you think The Family isn’t involved, Ted?” I asked.

“They’d just send a team of assassins. They wouldn’t give warning.” He paused. “Besides, if you die on assignment, you weren’t good enough. Pesce failed to kill Shrimp and then she died.”

I was watching Tania. She was staring down at her hands, refusing to look at any of us. My poor wife was getting far too much of an education, far too fast. Marta looked at Tania, then raised an eyebrow at me. I shook my head, I wanted to talk to her after they’d gone.

Ted, oblivious to the situation continued. “Now, Shrimp, about your upcoming trip to China.” Ah shit, I forgot I had tickets to go to China next week. “The company is hoping that you can establish a new contact, one that will send shipments of drugs.” Tania gasped and started to shudder.

“No drugs, Ted. No,” I said firmly.

He blinked as he realised the problem. “I meant super cheap generic brand versions. Not the other kind. Not the hard stuff.”

“Marta, Ted, I appreciate you coming over. Could you think about who might be threatening me? What precautions we should be taking.” I stood and they did as well.
Marta leaned over to kiss a cheek and whispered to me, “Take care of Tania.”

“I will try.”

---
The lovely Marta Tomesi is originally from Chrysame.

spare pics

Dark Night of the Soul (Jerod's Third Tale - Finale)

When I got home, Tania demanded to be filled in. I told her what Marta told me and we split to separate rooms to call friends. I was avoiding anyone I knew had an association with the Company. I called several people and asked about life, the universe and if anything odd happened out their way.  I listened patiently to everything but there wasn’t anything that sounded particularly dangerous or out of the ordinary.

“Shrimp? Any luck?”

“Not really Sweetheart. I didn’t hear anything that sounded promising. You?”

“I heard some great gossip. But nothing that sounds like it will help us find Ted.”

It wasn’t long before Marta waltzed over. Watching her move is sheerly hypnotic, it’s no wonder she’s one of the best pickpocket around. A man can lose track of everything until she’s well out of view.

“Did you have any luck?”

“Well,” said Marta in her soothing southern drawl. “There sure was one interesting thing. Jade Greenwood has a place way on the other side of town, not far from the stadium. She thinks there’s something at Guppy Gills Pond. She’s seen a few flashes of light at night and can hear a car or two a day.” I opened my mouth to ask a question and stopped when Marta held up her hand. “Shrimp, I asked and she says that a car a month is normal. She’s heard a car two or three times a day in the last few days.”

Standing Stones (Jerod's Third Tale - Part 8)

It took me a few moments to spot Tania sitting quietly on a bench nearby. I casually ambled over in her direction, gawking at the buildings as a good tourist should. Tania was reading a book and ignoring the chaos. When I was close, she shrugged, closed the book and started walking down the street. We were well away from the action before we started to talk.

“Remind me next time. We have to have an agreed place to meet after.” I grinned at Tania. “You handled yourself like you’ve been doing this for years.”

“It’s over? Really over?”

“Lambert is so discredited in this town that even if he isn’t convicted, he’ll never trouble a soul again. That Yves Bernard can testify he was falsely accused and that will give an out to all of them. It’s done.”

All Souls Night (Jerod's Third Tale - Part 7)

The next morning, I busied myself making breakfast while I thought about what else we needed to cover before the drop. There were the local cops to inform. Maybe get a few of the shopkeepers there. Was there anything else I could do to maximise the impact of this?

“Shrimp? Ted didn’t email last night.”

Deep in my own thoughts, I wasn’t really paying attention to Tania. “That’s nice, honey.”

“Jerod!” The tone of her voice made my brain go to instant replay of the last thing Tania said. “You weren’t listening, were you?”

The Highwayman (Jerod's Third Tale - Part 6)

I watched Tania struggle with her thoughts. I wanted to tell her that everything would be fine. That she didn't have to blacken her soul for my sake. That I will love her always, no matter what her decision today is.

Yet I said nothing. Because I know she needs to work out what to do on her own. It’s a serious thing, she’s not born for this kind of life. I was and hatching an evil plot to achieve something gives me a rush. Coming up with the base plan, checking the details, putting the finishing touches on it. It’s exhilarating. And the sweet feeling of success when it’s all over and done with is a high of its own.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and a quiet life at home too. But scheming has always been a special thrill.

Still, that’s what I get out of it. I can’t make any promises to Tania that she’ll feel the same. She may not, the core of her soul is still as white as an infant’s soul. I’ve laid as much truth as she needs on the line. The rest is up to my lovely wife.

The Mummer's Dance (Jerod's Third Tale - Part 5)

Well away from the Beaumont household, we started to discuss what Jean Luc had told us. “So, Shrimp, where would we get information about this Lambert guy?”

“Well, I may ask a shopkeeper or two a few questions. You should head for base and send email to Ted. See what his computer wizardry can conjure up for us.”

“Mister, do you think I’m letting you wander town on your own?”

“Tania, this is my game and my rules.” I gave her a serious look. “Base camp is two minutes walking distance from the shops. It’s as safe for both of us as any place can be. And I have a way of getting information out of people. Someone may talk to one person but they may not with two.”

“Jerod!”

Dante's Prayer (Jerod's Third Tale - Part 4)

I rang the supplier and arranged a meeting for the next afternoon. He sounded slightly surprised when I said I was bringing someone to the meeting, but not put off by the idea.

Being free from obligations for the rest of the day, Tania and I spent it just wandering around.We drove past several vineyards and villas. We walked through the centre of town.

Exploring even a small town is more tiring than you might expect. Tania and I headed to the hostel around the time that dusk fell.

"Shrimp, where's the new laptop?"

I pulled it out of my bag and handed it to Tania. "What do you want it for?"

She quickly set it up on the tabletop. "I'm going to send an email to Ted. Let him know we're here and the meeting is tomorrow."

Lullaby (Jerod's Third Tale - Part 3)

The day Ted arrived while I was eating lunch. “Right, here are the tickets. Business class all the way.” Ted waved around a small envelope.

“And here is a laptop for you to use.” He laid a small computer down on the desk, placed the envelope with the tickets next to the laptop and sat down to demonstrate it.

“Ted, we could buy a computer.”

“Not like this baby," Ted explained with a grin. "I started with the best laptop on the market. I have everything set up, best security systems I could get. I’ve preconfigured email and the SimBrowser to automatically use secure encrypted connections.”

She moved through the fair (Jerod's Third Tale - Part 2)

It was a short drive to the building Ted told me about, but we are talking about Twinbrook where everything is a short drive. I found the place easily enough, just a modest little building with two sets of doors, just a few steps away from the stadium. Just being this close to the stadium brought back pleasant memories of my first and only heist job for the Company.

It was pretty obvious which was going to be the office door and which would be the store area.

I wandered in the office door and found an earnest looking young guy sitting at a small desk. There was a second much larger desk in the room. He looked up when he noticed me.

“May I help you?”

“I presume you are Howie Kernan?”

Full Circle (Jerod's Third Tale - Part 1)

 

It was a typical evening in the house. I was busy doing the daddy thing. Checking on Toby, making sure the baby was sound asleep, dry and with a nicely full tummy. Lana, our little toddler was busy with her toys, but she wasn't going to stay that way for long. It was nearly 6 pm and time for Lana's favourite visitor to stop in.

Sure enough, there were three soft taps on the door followed by a louder one. Lana ran to the door, shrieking her delight. Her godfather, Ted Ginger, was stopping by for his evening visit.

Woman with Soul (Jerod's Second Tale - Finale)

(Optional background music)

After giving the crocodiles a good afternoon snack, I did a few fun things.

Drinks, making them and drinking them.

Exploring the deserts, but I avoided tombs. I'm not ready for tomb raiding again.

Meeting some more of the locals.

Naked Flame (Jerod's Second Tale - Part 6)

(Optional background music)


I decided it was time to go back to the markets. It should be safer, without Kane, Pesce won't find it so easy to remove me from the scene. If she identifies me at all that is.

"So tell me about the local specialties. I'm interested in trying some new food."

"We have shawarma and falafel. They are quite popular with the tourists from base camp. Shawarma is our version of a meat sandwich. Falafel are ground chickpeas, cooked and served with local ingredients."

"Well, I think I might like to try some falafel. It sounds good."

Journey Of The Sorcerer (Jerod's First Tale - Part 1)

I'm Jerod, but you can call me Shrimp. An uncle of mine gave me that name when I really was quite small and it's stuck. I've just moved to Twinbrook, it strikes me as a good place to be the big fish in a small town. I ditched the family and all family ties. I don't want to hear from them and I'm sure they do not want to hear from me. You've heard that every family has a black sheep? Well, that would be me. I have plans - rule the world type plans. Well, probably just the town but that should be enough to keep me in the lifestyle I want to be accustomed to.

I've also been thinking, it can't be easy to make those plans work or we'd have an evil emperor already. I need to develop a cover persona, someone that no one suspects of evil. Kind of like those idiot do-gooders and their tendency to have some alternate that is just a normal guy/girl.

So step one of my cover is the new roommate. Meet Tania Kennedy. She's cute, which is a bonus for me, and she is good. Like contribute money to the "Save the llama" foundation good. That makes me more than a bit sick actually. But who will suspect me of doing bad if I'm living with Miss Goody Goody here? As long as she doesn't suspect, it will be the perfect cover.

Miss Goody Goody wants to be a musician. That suits me fine, another part of my cover is being part of a band. Explains late nights, some destructive behaviour, hanging out in the local dives. First I will have to learn to play an instrument, but how hard could it be?

I had to get some contractors in. We just had a lot, no house. Now we have a house but no money. Bummer. I have my side of the house, she has her side. We have to share the kitchen but that seems quite reasonable. Plenty of room for more stuff. When we can afford it.

It's not an evil lair, no excessive amounts of black, spiders, skeletons or anything else. I'd like an evil lair, but that's just going to have to wait till I have control of this town. When everyone does know who I am and what I am but they dare not touch me.

Even an evil emperor has to eat. Since we can't afford to go out, well, cooking is a useful skill.

Yeah, I do like Lord Sponge. If I had the cash, I'd have the complete collection already. Bite me if you don't like it. Be warned, I bite back, hard.

I even made enough for Tania. Can't have Miss Goody thinking I'm selfish or anything. Not yet, it's way too early to show my colours.

"Shrimpy?"

"Shrimp, not Shrimpy."

"Ok, Shrimp. What job did you get?"

"I'm one of the go-fer guys at the local warehouse."

"Go-fer?"

"Go-fer coffee, go-fer lunch, go-fer whatever the bosses need."

"I got a great job at the theatre."

"What, usher?"

"Well, not quite usher but something similar."

Damn, had to pay some bills. Even more money gone. This is going to be bad.

Why the hell didn't I grab more of the family excess stuff before I left? Mum and Dad had more stuff then they knew what to do with anyway.

Oh, right, I wanted to prove to that I don't need anyone's help to get by. That was idiotic and way too proud. Too late now though.

For now, let's put on the show. Lucky for me, the Red Rendezvous has added a place for open mic night upstairs. All the instruments we need for a band. I've decided to try drumming. Laying down the beat just feels right.

After some drum practice, I spent the rest of the evening partying. I had a great time on the dance floor.

And of course I spent what little I could on some drinks. Good thing the drums and dance floor are free because that's about all I can afford.

She came home with the good news that she's been promoted. I'm pleased for both of us.

"It's so exciting. I'll be a roadie for one of the biggest Sim bands ever."

"Tania, speaking of bands, how would you like to form one with me?"

"You? You play?"

"Drums. Not the best by a long shot but hey, you have to start somewhere."

"I think that's a great idea that we form band. We'll be famous in no time."

Looking at Tania, I had just one thought.

All part of my cover story. Plus, she is damned cute.

Sometimes I like to take cover very literally too.

Well, that's one notch for the belt. The first of many, I'm sure.

"Hey, Tania. How about we hit the gym today?"

"Gym?"

"Sure, it will be great. Need to stay in shape for our future fans." And my future career but why ruin the moment?

Working out is good.

Falling over while working out? Not so good. Bruised shins and very bruised pride but I'll live.

Update on our Lives from Thomas

Warning - nude Sim alert. Open with caution. If you are new to this blog - these characters were introduced as orphans in the first story.

Sam likes sculpting sans garments. He claims it's more inspiring that way.

Well, it is inspiring sight from this angle. I'm not sure how it inspires Sam but neither AJ nor I will complain.

I finally picked a career of interior design. It will let me get around, visit people and their homes. And make this town a prettier place one house at a time.

So I'm alternating between practicing drawing and researching design. I need a lot of skill to make the clients really happy.

AJ spends a lot of time out fishing. She's selling most of the fish but a few make the dinner table - or would if we could afford a dinner table.

One of my first jobs and the client is Kelly. She wanted a nursery added to the house...hmm...she doesn't look like she needs one but who knows?

AJ seemed remarkably pleased by her latest painting. It's different, I'll grant you that.

Sam decided to try his first ice sculpture. Actually, the first thing he did was try licking the ice and had his tongue stuck for a couple of minutes. Fortunately, it did eventually unstick.

Our relationships are all still strong. Hard to believe that our family of three is working out so well.

Soon to be a family of 4. We've refinished the downstairs, added a crib and a few other necessities for a baby/toddler.

We do swap beds and sleeping partners sometimes. No reason to make one of us always sleep alone.

Sam's first ice sculpture is a real beauty.

Sam had a chat to me about his want to adopt a child. He's happy as anything about the baby that AJ is carrying but he wants to help another get out of the orphanage.

I was worried. We really live on a thin margin. It's getting better as we learn more. Still cash is not plentiful.

Sam persuaded me that it's the right thing to do. Sigh, he is still my hero. Just as much as he was the day we met. If anyone can make it work, it will be Sam.

AJ and I better enjoy the view while we can. I expect that nudie sculpting will be a thing of the past when there are children here.

Sam finished his latest work and then rang the orphanage.

And so Seth Grant joins our little family. His paperwork says he's Sam's son since Sam made the call. AJ and I will be there too, he's joining our whole family.

The kid made a beeline to Sam to thank him.  Of course, we all remember the orphanage too well. Getting out early was the happiest day of my life.

There's a new bed downstairs not far from the crib for Seth. And we still have a little money for emergencies. As long as they are small emergencies. I still worry about the money.

He's learning painting with us first. AJ hopes to take him fishing soon after the baby is born.

Sam seems to be inspired by the idea of a baby.

Andrew Anderson, my son with AJ, the second boy in our home.