{> Behemoth <}

Chapter Two
Making Contact
(part 2)


    Damian led the way to a crumbling office building that advertised “The Smartest Lawyers in Town”. He made his way through the small, dingy room to the tiny reception desk where a familiar face asked what she could help them with.
Damian leaned on the desk corner and smiled, “Hey Callihan, I need to talk with Dan.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, no handouts here.”
Damian twitched back than sighed and grumbled, “Fine, put me through my paces.” Then continued louder. “Not even a life saving pickle?”
She replied, “How did you hear we had those?”
“A guy at a hotel told me. They had bad food.”
She tilted her head, “Rat problem?”
Damian ran a hand through his hair, bored. “Among other things. The bellhop was energetic.”
Sweety Callihan thought for a moment while looking into Damian’s eyes then spoke once more, “Can’t be too careful these days. The keepers get more and more clever. We lost a fellow in the TacDiv just last night. When you looking to talk with Mr. King?”
Elliea placed a hand on the desk, “As soon as possible. Is he in?”
Callihan smiled professionally, “He’s on beat.”
Damian quirked a sardonic eyebrow, “Law practice has changed a lot.”
Sweety gave him an dry look, “He doesn’t work here he’s a cop. And just a suggestion, find him on the streets don’t go to the station.”
The two agents thanked Callihan and hit the streets again. They cruised in the car for two hours until Elliea finally caught sight of King walking down 4th on Frith wearing a tac vest over his uniform.
All the law wore army grade gear to give them a fighting chance. Damian cruised to a stop next to the man and spoke out the open window. “King.”
Danny relaxed when he saw his long time friends and drew close to the car door. “It’s been a while.”
Damian shrugged, “We needed to talk.”
King chuckled, “Oh so it’s business, otherwise you wouldn’t have come around? Thanks.”
Damian smiled, “Yeah man. Actually, I got that feeling again.”
King sobered and leaned on the window sill, “I’m listening”

Cont...

Chapter Two (ABV)
Troubleshooting
(part 4)

    As night fell they trekked into the darkest parts of the city. Damian carefully tailed a group of punk kids that were talking excitedly about “the events that night”.
Elliea tightened her ponytail in her bill cap and wrapped her hipster overcoat tighter and hoped nobody would make trouble. It was just so much more work when they had to beat their way into a gang.
They followed the seedy characters into yet another of the many grungy, dark alleyways, only this one had more people and they were slowly filtering into the doorway at the back of a nondescript building.
Entering, the agents found an almost pitch black corridor that felt like it inclined down.
They edged their way forward around a few twists and turns and just when Elliea was starting to get nervous about being in the dark so long they saw red light ahead.
They reached the light and entered a large room packed densely with lowlifes. The light was emitting from some bonfires scattered to give a dim hue to the whole place yet leaving the corners in deep shadow.
The ground was concrete and the walls were brick the roof was missing in places and the crowd seemed to be buzzing in excitement.
Suddenly a roar went up and the crowd surged to the middle of the room, packing tighter. They cheered and shouted cruel things for a minute then another roar went up and everyone backed off a little.
Damian had to talk loudly right into Elliea’s ear to be heard, “We need to get to the front, that’s where we’ll find our man.”
Elliea nodded and yelled back, “What is this place anyway?”
Damian yelled back as they fought to the front, “Underground fight ring. Illegal of course.”
They finally reached the front and saw a cleared space of about 20 by 20 feet with two men in it. Another man was walking away and a fourth was being drug away by the shoulders.


Cont...

Chapter Two (ABV)
Troubleshooting
(part 6)


     The man blocked a fifth hook and rammed his head into Landon driving the latter back so Snake gained a few moments of respite and a little space.
Landon faked a right hook and then brought his left fist up in an uppercut, clipping Snake’s jaw. Snake immediately retaliated, bringing his clasped fists down on Landon’s head and then hooking them behind his neck.
He managed to get in a few knees before Landon struck the snake man’s armpit then broke the hold by slamming his wrist outwards against his opponent’s.
The fight seemed to be just warming up as the crowd got more and more intense. Money was changing hands fast and people were closing the circle some.
Landon aimed a roundhouse kick at his opponent’s injured side forcing Snake to jump back. Landon took that opportunity to close in and grab Snake’s arm from behind. Snake flailed at Landon’s head but could do nothing to stop Landon. In wild desperation and strength, aided by adrenaline and pain, Snake brought his combat boot down as hard as possible on Landon’s leg just above the knee.
Landon threw an arm around Snake’s throat but Snake brought that boot down several more times hurriedly and Landon released his victim, giving a little ground.
Snake rushed Landon with a hook that Landon blocked but followed up with a boot to the gut and shoved Landon back and off balance.
Landon fell hard on his bruised leg and groaned, fast as lightning Snake was sitting on him and attacking. Landon blocked as many hits as possible but lots were slipping through, in a desperate move he kneed Snake in the spine then rolled the man off.
He leapt to his feet putting his guard up again. Snake tried to rise as well but only got halfway as Landon laid him out twice more until he stayed down, nice and quiet.
The crowd roared as Landon gazed at his fallen foe dispassionately and wiped his soaked hair out of his face. The victor stalked over to the crowd and collected a wad of cash from one of the ringleaders. He then turned to Damian and Elliea and jerked his head towards the exit.

Cont...