It had been several nights since Hyde had approached Wright with his proposition. It was a simple plan in theory. Assault some of Nicholas’ men and put them out of work for a while, a task the former Pinkerton was no stranger to. Now he walked towards the meeting place Hyde had set up, their assembly point before moving on to the pub.
It was there where they would lay their trap, Hyde had asked to set up a bar brawl and Wright had been the one to suggest that a card game gone wrong be the instigating action of the fight. Russ and Hyde were already waiting for him, Hyde bickering over Russ’ tardiness. Wright paused a moment before moving up the stairs and listened before announcing his presence.
The three conspirators went over the plan once again just to make sure everyone understood what they had to do before the three caught the south bound tram to Ruby’s. They sat in grim silence the whole way to the southern terminus of the tram line, but became slightly more jovial as they entered the crowded pub.
Wright was glad he had reserved a table for their card game several nights ago, he hadn’t been able to secure an empty pub, but now that he thought about it he realized that the more crowded the better. The wolf led the group through the crowds to the lone, unoccupied table and sat down, his back to the wall and eyes to the door so he could watch for his mark.
He pulled a pack of cards from his coat and began to deal, explaining the rules as he went, as it was quite obvious neither Hyde nor Russ had played this variant of Poker before. Once the deck had been shuffled and the cards dealt the game began. The players traded idle conversation over the course of a few hands while wright also maintained a watch on the door.
It wasn’t long before the first mark walked in, and Wright silently cursed their luck. as the nine foot tall giant of a man stepped into the Pub and strode over to the bar. The wolf recognized the tell tale signs of a man who grew up in the small northern town of Wuldram Shores. His mind immediately began thinking up a list of insults of varying nastiness to use.
It was a few more hands before another mark entered the bar and sat next to the giant, the pair were complete opposites, the other man was a hair taller than Hyde and just as thin. Wright nodded to Hyde and the other moved something out of his sleeve. Wright also moved some cards from his sleeve in preparation.
The last round went by slowly, Wright only half noticed as his attention was split between the cards and the marks at the bar, but when it was time to reveal their hand wright threw down his after Hyde, and accused the man of cheating.
“YOU BLOODY LITTLE CHEAT!” Wright shouted as he threw the cards aside and angrily accused Hyde of slipping a card into the deck while he was shuffling.
“I saw that card in your sleeve!” Russ added as he tossed his whiskey at Hyde who was half way through warning him about throwing more drinks at him when Wright threw the table over and charged Hyde. The wolf grabbed the smaller man by the lapels and tossed him towards the bar. The crowd parted as Hyde flew through the air with more grace than he had ever shown on two legs before he smacked right into the smaller man.
Hyde grabbed a bottle from in front of the smaller man and tossed it towards Wright and Russ, both dodging the throw. Wright grabbed a bottle from a nearby table and tossed it as he rose to his feet. Hyde ducked and the bottle narrowly missed the smaller man who turned around, angry.
“I said you watch where you’re throwing things or I’ll break a bottle against your head myself.” He shouted as he picked up a bottle and brandished it menacingly.
Wright walked up to the man and poked him in the chest, stepping out of the way as Hyde threw a stool at him. For this act the man brought the bottle down towards the wolf’s head. Wright reacted fast, grabbing the man’s wrist. Russ joined the fray, kicking the man in the knee as Hyde jumped at both, the three combined attacks sent the first mark tumbling to the floor in pain and possibly broken.
Now the other turned to face them, the Giant. He picked up a barrel from the ground and swung it like a club. “You can back off now.” The Large man said as the attackers jumped back. Wright however, stood defiant.
“Afraid of fightin us, too chicken?” He said with a smirk. That did it. The wolf watched several veins on the giant’s head and neck throb. At this moment he tossed the heavy wooden barrel towards wright who drew pack his fist and smashed the barrel to pieces with one solid punch. the debris went flying, smacking several patrons.
Hyde, for his part scampered off behind the bar as the Behemoth of a man made to punch wright. The wolf grabbed the man’s fist like it was nothing and grinned. He was about to snap the giant’s arm like a twig when he felt the other large fist connect with his gut. Wright was unprepared for that and felt a rib break upon contact.
In the commotion he thought he heard the voice of a woman but ignored her as he punched the giant in the ribs with the force he usually holds back. He thought he felt the man’s ribs break, but Shoresmen aren’t known for letting broken bones stop them, so the giant’s attacks continued with the same vicious force as before.
Russ attempted to aid Wright by attacking the giant about the head, the adventurer even stabbed the man in the leg with his cane sword. Ultimately Russ’ attacks were futile as the giant grabbed the smaller man and threw him at the wolf. Wright dodged and kicked the giant in the knee, sending him down for a moment before he stood. The wolf was about to really let loose when the sound of a gunshot stopped him.
Everyone in the bar fell silent and turned to look to the door where the shot had come from. Standing there, looking stern and very angry was Captain Heinrichs, her pistol aimed into the air and a bullet hole in the ceiling. “Back to your corners!” She ordered, the bar patrons complied wordlessly, separating into groups, but most avoiding the combatants.
Book used the lull in violence to check on the collapsed figure near the bar. She determined that he wasn’t too badly injured, but still needed to go to the hospital. She turned to wright for this task. “He’s going to need treatment. Make yourself useful and carry him to the hospital.”
To wright’s surprise The large man was the first to disagree with Book’s order. “No. I will carry him. He and those other two broke his leg in the first place.”
“If you broke it, all the more reason to pay your penance.” Book said, turning to look at Wright.
“no way that’s happening. let Goliath over there carry the wee one.” Wright replied with a defiant smirk.
“Fine. Just someone get him there.” Book said obviously annoyed. The giant picked up his friend without a word and glared at them all before turning to leave. when he was gone Book turned back to Wright. “And you can all pay your penance by helping to pay for all this damage.”
Wright grabbed his checkbook from his coat pocket and scribbled out the damage estimate in it’s entirety. he then slammed it down on the bar. “There, penance paid.”
Several minutes passed silently. Wright and Book just stood and stared at each other angrily before the silence was broken and in the awkwardness of it all most of the other patrons left the bar hurriedly while the captain was distracted.
Book looked from Wright to Russell, not knowing that Hyde was behind the bar. “I don’t suppose you’d care to tell me what this was about?”
Wright was about to speak when the giant reentered the bar to inform the captain that his friend had been safely deposited at the hospital. He fell silent immediately not wanting to spill the beans about beryl to the giant.
“May I have your name, sir?” Book asked the giant.
“Gus Quillman.” The man replied.
Wright smirked and mutterd just loud enough for Gus to hear. “i thought it was Wuldram Asshole.”
That did it, Gus instantly forgot all civility and charged at the Wolf, knocking over the captain as he tried to grapple his target to the ground. Wright punched the giant in the gut, using his favorite trick of partially transforming his arm to get an added boost of strength. That wasn’t enough to stop Gus from tackling Wright to the ground and savagely punching him in the head repeatedly.
Book rose to her feet and fired another warning shot at the combatants, trying to force them to stop. Wright slashed at Gus’ arms with his claws, just as a strike from Gus popped the bullet hole in his left shoulder. Wright was vaguely aware of Russ stabbing Gus in the leg, but by that point the wolf was already leaping up and attacking the giant’s face.
“STAND DOWN!” Book roared at the top of her voice. Gus and wright separated, both bearing bloodied faces. She turned to Gus first “You – will go to the hospital for treatment.” She ordered before turning to Wright and Russ. “You two – will NOT follow him.I want you away from each other. Now.”
Wright stood up straight and watched Gus leave the bar. Wright then pulled a cigar from his coat pocket and turned to Book and lit it, smiling at her as if he’d done no wrong and the circumstances were completely ordinary. “How are you doing?”
Book still looked mad, and Wright’s attitude didn’t help matters at all “Been better.” She said as she turned to leave, muttering the word “Men” angrily under her breath as she left the bar.
Wright siged immediately as the captain departed and looked around the room “Well, that could have gone better.” He mused out loud.
“You’re sure it was them?” Nicholas asked the two who followed Silverman to Ruby’s that evening, after he heard the tragedy that happened after. Now both men were in the hospital, one in critical condition.
Tricia and Willow nodded together as they described the men. Hyde was easily recognized from his previous visits and behavior, and Wright could hide behind different accents, but they had seen him in Hyde’s presence too often. Russell was the one whose disguise had almost confounded them, but together they’d recognized his hair style and cut. “They were fighting each other, but when they drew blades they only pointed them at the boys!”
“Yes,” Nicholas replied as he tapped his fingers slowly against his desk, eyes closed as he considered the men’s audacity. He had chosen Gus to keep an eye on Hyde for a few days and show him why it would be foolish to cross him. The man’s presence alone should have done that. Openly attacking him so brazenly instead? He turned to Trixie who was standing behind the others with her arms crossed under her ample bosom. “If they’re making public actions together then we need to up our own game. For now, the girls stay indoors and we need to increase security further.”
Trixie nodded, but was not pleased with the development and Diamond would be even angrier as her birthday was at the end of the month. None of the other girls would like it, but until they knew how dangerous these men were it was for the best. The woman identified the obvious thing the men had in common, “All three of them were some of Beryl’s regulars. They’ve rarely looked twice at the other girls.”
“I know,” Nicholas said as he picked up a knife and tested the edge quietly. It split his thumb quite swiftly and he smiled while sucking it clean. There had been another assailant that night who possessed connections to Beryl. A woman by the name of Domino attacked Gus in the hospital in front of Captain Hienrichs herself. A woman that he had interviewed recently when the feline had mentioned her name. He checked his thumb for any further traces of blood and looked back to Trixie, “It’s time we up our own game. Send Beryl to my office. We need to have a short talk.”