Bring The Heat

32. Guy At The Top (GOJS ARC 3)

Mint led Robin down a long network of back alleys. They were dusty and dark, but the boiling, humid air persisted despite the shade. For about another hour, Mint and Robin slipped between buildings, keeping silent so as not to alert any gangs whose territory they were passing through. They just kept sliding through the evening shadows, until they reached a large courtyard-like area.

"This is Everyone's Yard. It's not any gang's territory - it acts as a sort of social space for everyone on Jewel Street to talk, mostly without gettin shot." Mint explained, as she and Robin watched from am alleyway, "But still, it's best to stay here and search the crowd from afar. Who am I keepin an eye out for?"

"Tall, tan, black hair and stubble. Oh, and he's only got his left arm, the other one could have anything metal in it's place though."

Mint looked at Robin in surprise, and was about to speak up, but quickly made a realization and decided against it. She could see him from here; Ben, or as Robin knew him, AR.

But the way Robin talked about him... 'someone I need to find'. 'Someone'... if they were on good terms, she would've said friend. And maybe that was why she wasn't killing anyone; to have a clean and cut trip in and out with a small touch of murder in the middle. Hey, maybe she was being paranoid, but... all those years, all those years where she tried to be the good head on Ben's shoulders when he didn't have one. For every moment he spent in a dark place, she swore that she would give him 5 more moments of care. She'd been looking out for him since he was just a kid who wandered in from nowhere.

And so, Mint said nothing as she watched Ben slip into the shadows of another alleyway, but she and Robin were soon distracted anyway by what he was running from.

Everyone's Yard went silent as heavy footfall rang out across the whole opening. Under her breath, Mint muttered 'Twig...'.

"I'm sorry? Twig?"

"Mhm. Leader of the biggest gang in Jewel Street..."

Robin turned to look at Twig. He had thick, short white hair quite like Nicki's, and was wearing a brown leather jacket and red steampunk goggles. Strapped to his back was a large crossbow.

"Who are those guys with him?"

"They're his seconds in command. I'm not sure what either of them do, but..."

Following just next to Twig were two cronies; an oldish looking man wearing a large black windbreaker and fedora, and a looming, mysterious figure wearing a full suit of knight's armor, wielding a longsword. Robin had no idea how the hell these people managed the heat, especially considering this was only Winter!

"Hallo, assholes!" Twig yelled, his words echoing around the silent yard. Something about him created an ominous presence, despite his eccentric demeanor and crew. Maybe it was the gang of roughly 30 men following behind them.

"I have some... terrible news. It appears an old pal of ours, ol' Benny Martinez, has returned! Now, I'm sure many of you are glad to hear this. But here's the 'terrible news' part... he's a two faced bastard. He's got a whooole big life outside of Jewel Street... and I'd put my money on the feds."

The whole courtyard was shocked, but nobody dared make a sound.

Robin quickly realized that 'Ben' was AR, and wondered why Mint hadn't mentioned that she knew him.

"How do I know this? Well;" Twig continued, "I heard through the grapevine that he, the day of his disappearance, was seen getting into a car with a very smartly dressed man, and now he's... back? He's just back? I say he's cut a deal with some federal agents or something to get some intel on US!"

Shit. SHIT. Robin had been in that car... he was talking about the car BM had driven her out in to get Wren's arm treatment as soon as possible! Her whole reason for coming here was that nobody would recognize her... fuck.

"Now look, I know he's probably hiding out here somewhere, so, Ben... if anything I just said was wrong, feel free to come out and dispute these claims."

Twig looked around smugly and dramatically, before crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"I really didn't think so. Well, there ya have it, guys."

"Wait..." a hesitant yet brave voice rang out.

Everyone turned to look. Twig seemed almost offended that someone else had spoken up. The voice had come from a man who had been talking to Ben just minutes ago, standing by the wall.

"Look, I've known Ben for months, and I just think we sh-"

The man was cut off by a crossbow bolt flying into his head, and pinning it to the wall.

Robin stared in horror at the body, head attached to the wall, which was painted red with his cascading blood. He hadn't even finished his sentence...

"I dunno, guys. I think he actually made a really good point!" Twig joked, breaking out into maniacal laughter. The old man standing behind him chuckled and grinned.

Mint and everyone else in Everyone's Yard just dipped their heads in sympathy. They may get into gang fights, and kill each other often, but... Jewel Street was still a society full of people of similar paths, and nobody was meant to die in Everyone's Yard. Getting on Twig's bad side had always been an idiotic way to meet an early grave, but still the gangs of Jewel Street dipped their heads to pay silent respects.

"So, what am we gonna do about it then?" Twig continued, slinging his crossbow back over his shoulder. He really had no regard for other's lives... "I want Jewel Street on lockdown. Edge people, I want at LEAST three of you in every single alley or road the goes outside gang territory. Because there no longer is any 'gang territory'. This is all Jewel Street, until we find that bastard."

Robin was amazed to see multiple gangs nod subserviently. There really was a hierarchy in Jewel Street, and Twig was obviously sitting at the top.

"If anyone hears gunshots, everyone rush on location. It doesn't matter if he takes you way out of territory, kill him anyway. You hear that, Ben? You really gonna risk the lives of innocents by leading us into non-gang areas? Didn't think so."

Twig couldn't hold in more adrenaline fueled laughter from the excitement of the hunt.

"Now go, now... he's probably getting the hell out of here as we speak. Fuck me, I would."

Quickly, every gang in Everyone's Yard ran to their vehicles and territory bases as Twig cackled into the growing night. Robin and Mint waited for everyone to clear out before moving.

"What do we do now? They might... they might recognize me! I... we have to find Ben and get the fuck out of here!"

Mint shook her head disappointedly.

"No. In about 5 minutes there'll be no way in or out of Jewel Street without a bullet in your head... and we can't make it to the edge that fast. I'm sorry... we're gonna have to find somewhere to hole up until this all passes over."

Robin cursed under her breath and fought down the fear building up inside of her. This endeavor was much more dangerous than she had ever thought... but she had no time for this. She had to find Ben. Maybe the three of them could fight their way out...

-(BEN)-

Ben grit his teeth and clenched his eyes. He had been watching from the window of one of the buildings that loomed above Everyone's Yard, and had seen everything.

Fuck... that was his fucking friend! And it brought his plans back here to a grinding halt. He was trying to unify Jewel Street, and his starting point had just got impaled into the fucking wall! He hated Twig with a burning rage... he couldn't say that taking this mission wasn't a little personal. And now... all he wanted to do was kill that bastard!

But no... as the sun began to come down on the horizon, and Ben was basked in the orange glow of the sunset, he took in a deep breath. 'Gotta keep an eye on Twig... gotta keep a cool head... can't get yourself killed...' he told himself.

Slowly, he got up and stepped away from the glow of the window and into the shadows of the room.