Bab 36: (XXXVI) The Dingo
"Nice to finally meet you, Jackson! I've heard so much about you!" The bespeckled man adjusted his glasses with a wicked grin.
Smooth and clean-shaven, he had short dark hair with brown skin covered by a black suit and tie. His sharp eyes looked Jackson up and down, "So tell me, Jackson, why were you snooping around one of our back doors?"
"As I told the doorman... I'm looking for friends." Jackson said, trying his best not to look defeated or intimidated.
"Oh?" The man grinned again, leaning back as he tapped on the table, "What if there are no friends to be found here?"
"That won't happen." Jackson tried his best to sound confident.
"So sure of yourself!" The man chuckled, leaning back in his chair, "How long did it take you to find us?"
Jackson thought about the question for a moment but only came up with, "Trade secret... Now, you gonna remove these ropes?"
"Sure thing..." The man snapped his fingers as a man came up from behind him to untie the rope binding him to the chair, "Now then, what will it cost me to have your full cooperation, Jackson?"
"No strings attached, I promise. I just need safe passage to the sixth floor in three days. Until then, you have me..." Jackson replied with a smirk.
The man laughed and slapped the table, "A deal then! You'll get free passage to the sixth floor! You can call me The Dingo." He stood up, grabbed his jacket off a hanger beside the door, and walked out with Jackson in tow, "We'll discuss everything there once I make some calls. For now, stay close; I'm not too fond of having you running loose around this place..."
The Dingo led Jackson through the maze-like pathways of the apartment building. Every door they passed had several large padlocks attached, and each hallway had an iron bar blocking it at the end. At the same time, he had several enforcers following closely behind, all armed with weapons.
On the top floor, the door slid open as The Dingo entered. His office was clean, with white carpet, expensive-looking furniture, and art decorating the walls. An expensive-looking desk sat in the center of the room with several screens on the wall displaying information about various people in different sectors.
"Jackson, please take a seat." The Dingo motioned towards an armchair that had been positioned in front of his desk, "You've made some very powerful people very angry... Tetrakyts is looking for you; what'd you do?"
"Nothing! I don't think I've ever met anyone from Tetrakyts!" Jackson said as he sat down on the armchair, crossing his legs as he looked up at the man.
"Well, they certainly know you and are looking for you. Since we're friends now, I was hoping you'd do me a favor and go to their recruitment office in the castle district..." The Dingo said with a grin, sitting across from him as he lit his cigar, snapping his fingers, "So, just get your things and head there as soon as possible."
Several enforcers came up behind Jackson, lifted him out of his chair, and led him out of the office and through numerous long hallways that led further into the complex, guiding Jackson through the dingy maze of interconnected apartments before exiting a building close to the central plaza in the Castle District. Standing on the stoop of the building, the enforcers shut and locked it behind him as he admired the stone architecture around him.
It was a bright sunny day, with blue skies above him. The streets were lined by cobblestone pathways that were filled with people. There were small shops scattered throughout the district. Jackson continued walking, trying to figure out where to find Flaming Dawn's recruitment office.
When he passed through another alleyway, he felt someone grab his shoulder, pushing him into a darkened passageway. A hooded man wearing a cloak pushed him against the brick wall, pinning him against it as he held a knife to his neck. He wore a black mask and was covered from his neck down in leather armor.
"You're Jackson, right?" He asked in a hushed voice, "If you say anything, I'll cut out your tongue! Now answer me... Why are you working for The Jackal?"
Jackson nodded, looking into the hooded man's eyes under the black mask. "I am... Who are you?"
"My name is Kain..." He looked around, pressing the blade deeper into Jackson's throat, "We've been watching you for some time; now, why are you working for The Jackal?"
"Who is 'we?' Why do you want to know?" Jackson tried to ask, but Kain pressed the blade harder against his neck, causing blood to trickle, "Okay! I need his help!"
"With what?" Kain asked as he glared at Jackson, "He's using you."
Jackson nodded, "I can't tell you more than that, but I know he is, but there's nothing else I can do."
Kain let out a sinister chuckle, removing the knife from Jackson's skin and taking a step back, "What if there was another option?"
Jackson shook his head, rubbing his neck and staring at the smear of blood on his fingertips, "I wish that was true... My only options are to cooperate with The Syndicate or wage war against it."
"What if you had another option?" Kain asked, leaning closer to Jackson's face as he reached inside his cloak, pulling out two rolled-up pieces of paper and handing them to him. Jackson accepted the papers and stared down at them before handing one back to him, "Flaming Dawn's recruitment office is to the left of the central plaza; refuse their offer."
"What? How do you know about that?" Jackson asked as Kain leaped between the buildings, landing on top of a rooftop, and made a friendly gesture.
"We know everything you've done since you arrived in Ilasa Port, Jackson!" Kain shouted and disappeared from view, leaving Jackson alone in the alleyway, staring at the two pieces of paper in his hand.
Jackson unrolled the pieces of paper, and his eyes went wide as he read their contents, "I guess there is a third option..." He smirked, crumpling them and placing them into his pocket as he exited the alley and continued into the plaza.
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