The Young Spy (Book One)

Chapter 2: The Arms Dealer & His Son

Tick, tick, tick...

Edmund took another glance at his watch, observing the second hand making another click as seconds pass. His shoe tapped to the same rhythm as his watch. While leaning against the hood's side of the SUV he rode to get here, he waited patiently for over ten minutes along with his trusted subordinates.

Armed with Glock 21s, Edmund's henchmen were well prepared if anything apprehensive met the eye, especially with the expected arrival of Edmund's clients, buyers of his proud property. Although the buyers seemed legitimate, Edmund's goons took heavy caution in proceeding with the operation.

It's been almost forty years since Edmund got involved with the criminal underworld, a notable achievement is that he has risen into one of the most powerful people in the state that held a hefty amount of firearms in his arsenal. That is Edmund's business that he is so proud of, being a reliable source of firearms for anyone willing to buy them from him.

In the afternoon blanketed with gray skies above, Edmund started to wonder if his buyers were ever going to show up, as ten minutes had already passed the time. But he decided to wait a little longer, much like he hates to wait.

Soon enough, Edmund and the two of his henchmen heard the sound of a revving engine coming from the tunnel leading out from the parking lot. As Edmund took his eyes off his watch, he observed a beige-coloured, four-door sedan enter the roof of the parking lot. Upon seeing the seller right in front of them, the car stopped before Edmund.

Whoever was in the driver's seat exited the car first, followed by three other people coming out of the sedan through the three other doors. The driver walked up to Edmund while straightening his black, overcoat leather jacket. The man wanted to present himself as a professional facing the one and only Edmund Hendrix himself. After fixing his neat blonde hair, the man finally stood in front of Edmund, while the three of his friends hung back.

"Took you long enough." Greeted Edmund, his hands digging into the pockets of his suit pants.

"You know traffic in L.A., they can be such an abomination." The man replied. Edmund rolled his eyes in response.

"You have it?" The man asked a vague question with a meaning that Edmund knew, along with the answer.

Before the man could refine, Edmund walked past the SUV behind him and went to the trunk of the car. The buyer followed him.

"Present and accounted for." Edmund unlocked the trunk. The trunk's door swung up while opening, revealing a stockpile of dark-green duffel bags in the back of the car. The buyer already assumed the bags were loaded with the weaponry he ordered from Hendrix, smirking at the thought. "I assume this concludes our deal," Edmund said.

"Don't be so certain, Mr. Hendrix. This won't be the last of our encounters. You're quite the man of fame here in the state of California. I've heard a lot of things about you." The man had the intention to remain in contact with Edmund, knowing he is one of the most reliable firearm providers in the state.

"I do hope it's only the good things."

"And it was. Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Hendrix." The buyer smirked politely. "Sadly, it'll take you only this far."

"Pardon?"

Edmund dropped his smile at the vague statement. What could he mean by that? He questioned in his head. The buyer's tone in that sentence, Edmund felt like it was threatening. The sense of hostility was picked up immediately by him. Before he realizes it, he felt an unbearable sensation of something stabbing him in his chest, along with the sound of a loud gunshot almost ringing his ears.