#23 The Powers That Be

When the two Gun Bearers entered the warehouse they saw a dim florescent light that they couldn't see from outside of the warehouse. Underneath the light was a thin, twitchy little man with a horse shoe bald spot surrounded by bright blonde hair. Jacquie and LBD both had only ever saw Austin Tellamore's black and white profile picture. Jacquie immediately thought that he looked odd. LBD brushed his left arm up against his gun in its holster, a nervous tick of his own.

The Gun Bearers looked at each other and continued advancing toward Austin. Both of Austin's hands were out on the table with the palms facing up, this was S.O.P. for all Syndicate drop offs and pickups. The Syndicate men stopped two arm lengths away from the table. LBD stared at Austin. Jacquie looked around the warehouse. Though it was dark, the little bit of light had helped his eyes adjust.

"Mr. Tellamore," started Jacquie, "thank you for agreeing to meet with us. My name is Mr. Bloom and this is Mister..." right then Jacquie realized that he had no idea how to introduce his partner with the peculiar name.

"...Mr. Long Barrel Darrel," said LBD.

"Mr. Long Barrel Darrel," Jacquie repeated with a quick glance at LBD.

"G-g-guys," interrupted Austin, "I've got something to show you."

The Gun Bearers both stepped back in unison. LBD's right hand flicked toward his left breast but relaxed. Jacquie's eyes quickly reassessed the room through his thick glasses.

"Mr. Tellamore, for your own safety, keep your fucking hands on the table," announced Jacquie, "what do you have underneath the table? It looks like a briefcase."

"Y-y-yes, can I get it, p-p-please?"

"Hold on," said Jacquie, "Long Barrel..."

Before Jacquie could say "Darrel" LBD had drawn his enormous .44 Magnum, pointed it at Austin's head, and cocked it.

Austin's hands shot up in the sky so fast it looked like he was a football sports fan.

"Easy there, LBD," said Jacquie, "Alright Mr. Tellamore, slowly, remove the case under the table."

Austin did as he was told. He bent down and came back up with a dark red case. He looked back at Jacquie, while trying to ignore the gun in LBD's steady hand. Jacquie nodded. Austin opened the suitcase and turned it around so the boys could see. Jacquie's eyes widened for what was in front of him, a suitcase containing stacks of 1,000 dollars. There were two rows and five columns, and they were two stacks deep.

"All twenty thousand dollars?" Jacquie asked almost in a gasp.

"Yes," said Austin in a calm voice as if he had just expunged himself.

Jacquie could feel LBD's eyes on the back of his head. He turned and saw LBD looking at him from over the aviator sunglasses on his face. Jacquie could tell what LBD was thinking: just a few minutes ago Jacquie explained that their purpose was not to retrieve money from Austin but really to always keep him in the Syndicate's debt forever. The briefcase in front of them just made their assignment impossible.

"15,000 dollars," Jacquie said in a still and steady voice.

"W-w-what?" asked Austin.

"Interest," said Jacquie, "better yet thank of it as insurance. You pay another 15,000 now, because you really don't know what could happen to you tomorrow."

Long Barrel Darrel's hand staggered, he knew that Jacquie was improvising.

"That is absurd!" said a sudden voice in the shadows.

LBD's hand snapped awake moving all around in the dark. Jacquie's gun was out before his foot landed to take a step back.

Out from the shadows came a woman in a white pants suit with short yellow hair, behind her followed a large black man in a navy blue suit. Jacquie glanced at Austin, neither of them knew it but at that exact second they both had the same thought.

"Fuck."