Rasheed pov
I was staring at the codes in my computer in annoyance and irritation, why is someone trying to hack into the family's system, the person has been trying for a few days now and obviously failing, but I find it strange that someone is trying to break through the Calloway's family system, it's not like there is really anything to find out here, if the person is looking for business secret then he is in the wrong web.
Unless he's a reporter and just looking for gossip to spread and climb the social ladder in his profession, either way this person has already done enough, now I need to track him, so I set a trap for him and put up a fake website and I just need him to tap into it, so I can track him.
It wasn't long till he fell into a trap and got to work, and seconds later, I had his IP address, I took the information and started the digging and it led me to a place I didn't expect, Jaguar's Den... But why, what is his business with ma's family, but even that in itself is wrong, that dirty pig doesn't have the balls to try and break into the Calloway's family system, unless someone is just using Jaguar's Den as a front to take away suspicion from their side.
Either way I'm going to find that out tonight, first I'm going to that hell hole of his that he has built over the years cleaning up dirt for the upper class, groveling on their feet to get what he wants, he is sly snake who even though is just a junkie who climbed the success ladder by licking shoe soles of wealthy men he comes across, he is still not to be underestimated, he is somehow, though a lowlife you still don't want to mess with him because of his line of connection and networking, Jaguar knows everyone and everything when it comes to underground shady workings, cleaning up after business tycoons running drugs and illegal syndicate to maintain status and reputation.
The truth is no matter how small and minute he looks at the front, it can never be all there is to him, with jaguar there's always more to what he gives you, never places all his cards on the table, when he first began to be noticed in the underworld, he was like a pushover, matter of fact he still appears like a pushover but that is not the case, that sly snake has used that to his advantage and to bring down his enemies and climbed the ladder till he has his own death dungeon which everyone knows.
He made that dungeon and named it after himself and also set the rules guiding you while you're down there and everyone both high and low class obeyed it, it's quite simple because it was just one rule.
THERE ARE NO LAWS HERE, CONSEQUENTLY THERE ARE NO RULES.
In Jaguar's Den, nothing binds you there, anything can happen there and still look like nothing happened, no rules
Everything is fair over there, so you're either the predator or the prey, at the end someone needs to be collateral damage after all.
Jaguar's Den mirrored him perfectly, that was how he lived his life, he had no single loyal vein in his blood, he would grovel at your feet one moment and then the next moment he's the reason why your head is not attached to your fucking neck. But even as bad as he is, he is still not disposed or even disposable, he is very resourceful and that was what the rich freaks needed, he was a problem solver, most times with deadly consequences but nevertheless a problem solver, who will always manage to fluidly get himself out of any difficult situation.
Even with his mischievous nature they're people he will still not dare to mess with unless he has made a deal with a higher up with his ass on the line, well I'll definitely find out tonight.
I stood up from my table and packed my things with two folded swords into my backpack, laptop and everything I will be needing if necessary.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror, my sunken green eyes were pale, with a dotted spot under my eyelid, the iris and silver lining around my pupil seemed to be gold and at the same time dilating like it's changing color every second. I have always been a freak since birth especially among my very normal siblings, you can easily say I'm not part of my family except for the keffiyeh on my head that covered hair, that was the only thing that sometimes identified me with them, and our similar dressing that was common in Iran in accordance with Arab culture.
I was always conscious of these differences, both in my physical appearance and my whole personality in general, without a choice in matter, I always stood out, maybe because of where I came from considering it was more pronounced there, as a child it was as if I had no place even in my hometown down to my family.
But here is so different, the culture difference I encountered here at first was something I could not really deal with at the beginning but learnt to adjust after sometimes, it's like here anybody can fit in,
No matter how freaklish or uncanny you look, there is still a place for you, once or twice you will always meet someone who is either as freakish as you are or even more freakish than you appear.
Or Maybe it was the family that I came to be under as a child that made me like that, I don't know but I owe them everything I can offer, my life is the least of them, and that is why I need to find out at all cost the reason why a server in Jaguar's Den is trying to break into the Calloway's family's system.
I walked outside and climbed my motorcycle, my backpack carefully strapped to my back tightly before I zoomed off speeding through the streets until I came to a convenience store.
I need a gum, it was something that disturbed me if it wasn't in my pocket or in my mouth, especially if I was doing something of this nature. I walked inside and took what I needed, my eyes searching for the person in charge, so I walked to the counter and dropped what I bought for her to ring it up.
" That will be $25 " she said and smiled and that was when my attention was brought to her and I paused. That's Carmen at school, she recognized me too because her eyes lighted up in surprise
" Rasheed... That's you right??"
I just stared at her as her expression continued to change from surprise to excitement and settled at looking flustered, she looks flustered, probably because I didn't say anything and just stared at her, Carmen is someone I have met for a short period of time but I still have this unsettling feeling in my gut whenever I have to face her whether I'm required to speak or not, she doesn't look like a bad person, she is a Christian who often talks about her faith without batting an eyelash.
I took notice of her, not because she is in Kale's circle of friends but I just did. In my eyes she unconventionally stood out, which is very very odd... In New York or even the whole US every one looks the same to me, living their life the way it pleases them, in my eyes they all blended into one and the same.
But for some reason I always pick her out among the blended colour in my brain and notice her ever radiant presence.
" Sorry, I'll ring this up" she said after I haven't still said anything, after she swiped my card she packed what I bought and handed it to me, I took it and turned to leave when I felt her hand wrap around my wrist stopping me in my tracks
" Tomorrow is Sunday, will you come to church??" She asked me, still looking unsure if she should be doing this, but still doing it regardless.
" I'm not a Christian" I reply simply
" I know, I know, Amory told me, I'm just inviting you for Sunday mass, I'll like you to be there" she said and not giving me a chance to answer she darted off to attend to a customer, I looked at the pack of gum in my hand and sighed, now is no time to think about trivial things, I have business to attend to, and with that, I climbed my motorcycle and zoomed off.
*******************************
I walked into the room with dark red light illuminating the room to look like a perfect cult room, music was blaring in the background, even though nobody was really dancing to it, it was almost empty, almost because I know they're people in the inner room, I can hear voices, I looked around the place and move to a corner of the room not willing to show myself anytime soon, I took out my laptop and tapped on it, let's see what I can get here before I leave.
It wasn't long before I started screaming followed by beating sounds. It was already a known fact that Jaguar abuses his wife beyond repair but this doesn't sound like it's Jaguar's wide receiving beating, it's more like it's Jaguar receiving the beating but from who??
I looked beyond the curtain I was standing behind to see the silhouette of a girl mashing beer glasses and bottle onto his head, making sure to that most of the bottle is embedded inside his head, I chuckled lowly as I watched her beat the shit out of him
It's one of two things, she doesn't have anything to lose and is on own her way to death willingly or she is actually a predator, either way she's a badass at what she's doing, I can't help but be reminded of that girl at school that Kale is obsessed with, he probably will not agree with what I said now but I know it all to well,
The way he responds to her, the way his gaze follows and stays with her, even his physical reactions towards her, anyone who knows Kale from the beginning will be scared shitless at his recent behavior.
I turned when I heard her voice again which is so oddly familiar
" Shut up you pig!!" And I looked in time to see her kick him and turn towards exiting the room and that's when I saw her face.
Shit ! That's Amory. What the hell is she looking for in this hellhole and messing with Jaguar...
My computer started beeping and I was alerted immediately, they're here!! the reason why I came here in the first place
I watched group of five men walk into the room, one with a laptop that just took a seat in one of the couch, working on it with great agility, the other four proceeded into the room and that was the moment when Amory was about to leave the room with a briefcase in her hand and at the one at the forefront swinged the baseball bat hitting her squarely on the head and she fell down and lay limp on the floor.
' Shit!!!"
I cursed and moved out immediately, someone will go mad at the sight before me now and I need to redeem it before things escalate.
I was fast enough to block the next swing of the iron bat, my hand wrapping around it before looking at his face. It was not covered but I still don't recognize him. Who does he work for ??
A look of surprised was plastered on his face as I took the iron from him and kicking him shear on the face, the other three came over with urgency, looking to try and recognize me, my face was covered, but there's no guarantee they won't deduce who I am from the that covered my head.
" Who the hell are you!!"
I didn't say anything and rather clenched my fist around the baseball bat that I was holding, if they know or recognize me, it might not end very well, news travel fast and I don't want it reaching Ma or Johnson, even though I won't be able to keep it from kale as Amory is already involved, so I'll just focus on knocking them out.
"I don't know who you are, but you look pretty young and I'll just give you a piece of advice, leave this place why I'm still being nice, though I don't know about the others, nobody interferes with what happens here, save me the stress and leave maybe I'll..."
I cut him off when the bat made contact with his head followed by a string of curses, and they came at me, swinging from all angles, they weren't amateurs but they're not professionals either, they were acting according to their emotions, anger that someone younger was looking down on them and I duly took advantage of it and soon enough all of them were writhing in pain on the floor.
Now I need to get Amory to the hospital before she bleeds out on the floor, I carried her out of the disgusting place but I needed a car and assistance, I have neither of them, I really know no one in this city except for kale and calling him now is not an option either and at that moment the most unconventional person came to me
CARMEN.