Hades' premonition was unsurprisingly true. Vito's siblings were royally pissed at being exempt from the trip.

  His older brother, Jekio, was equally hurt and angered. He folded his massive fists - which was his favorite form of communication - as if he planned to use them on Vito. "I can't believe you drove back through the rogue lands alone at night. They call me the hardheaded one, but recently I'm struggling to see the difference between us."

  Vito snorted. "Maybe you should get your eyes checked then. Besides, I wasn't alone, Hades accompanied me."

  "How would old man Hades change the tide of battle if you were to be ambushed?"

  Hades cleared his throat. He had been a regular at family dinner for as long as Vito had breathed oxygen. "Perhaps you've forgotten that you have yet to best me in battle, Jekio."

  "Only because I go easy on old men," Jekio shot back, though no one believed him. Holding back wasn't exactly his style.

  Under normal circumstances, Jekio would've been next in line to become the boss of the Crimson Tides after the passing of their father, but the circumstances were far from normal. It was very possible, in Vito's opinion, that Jekio was the person least fit to be leader in their entire family history. His first problem was his obsessive marriage to any variation of alcohol. Even now, at the sacred dinner table, he had a large bottle of what Vito assumed was vodka next to his glass. Secondly, Jekio was more likely to control a volcano than his emotions. Rather, he was a volcano himself, ready to erupt at any moment into a fiery rage. Lastly, he strongly preferred violence over reason. His idea of intimidation was beating his targets to a bloody pulp, no matter who it was. Sometimes, a leader needed to perform other tactics so that they wouldn't have to sacrifice their forces.

  "He's right," Vito's sister, Bekah, said. Her comment earned her a glare from Vito. The males in their family tended to be tall, as was Vito's 6'2 and Jekio's 6'3, but Bekah was unimpressively short, even for a female, yet she had the ability to be just as imposing as her brothers when she felt the need. "Maybe you're not yet as hardheaded as Kio, but with the direction you've been heading in since father's death, it's only a matter of time."

  Vito gave her a disapproving look. "I did what was most efficient for time. Besides, it wont do for the district to only see the Porsche when I'm being escorted. They need to know I'm not scared of travelling alone because I'm individually capable."

  "A poor excuse."

  Vito grunted and refocused on the chicken leg in his hand. Bekah was also older than Vito and nowhere as irresponsible as Jekio. Crimson Tides was also a modern gang, which meant having a female leader was a possibility, but Bekah had disapproved of the idea of becoming the boss a long time ago. She claimed that one couldn't become the boss without corrupting their soul, but Vito suspected she simply didn't want the large weight of responsibility that came with the post.

  After a few minutes of sacred silence as everyone dug into the dinner in the banquet hall of the manor, made by renowned cooks who certainly knew their way around rice and chicken, Bekah broke the silence.

  "So, the visit to Zliksay was an unnecessary risk which puts us no closer to finding out who the killer is, or who is financing the killer," she said accusingly.

  "He said there are others outside of the district circling my position."

  "Which could've been a tactic to throw you off his trail."

  Vito had deduced as much himself but hearing it thrown in his face made a tendril of annoyance slip through his mask. "Or it could be a real warning."

  "I have to side with Miss Bekah in this instance, Vito. Zliksay is a cunning devil...you three have only seen this docile side of him, but when he was still living in the district he was one of the greatest troublemakers for your father," Hades announced with a rather somber look as if he was remembering a time long ago. Sometimes it was hard to remember Hades was over seventy years old, because he looked like he was only in his twenties, as gargoyles often did.

  Vito dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Still, the chance that he gave valid information should not be ignored. Outlanders have been known to be drawn to the district's culture and opportunity."

  "Quite true," Hades said with a nod.

  Jekio yawned loudly, a volume that could only be reached with forced exaggeration. "Stop all this nonsense talk about probabilities and let's get down to some real action."

  "How will we act when we don't know the killer's identity?" Bekah asked, shooting her older brother a long suffering look. "All we know from the sightings is the killer likely wears a mask made of wood. That could be any assassin, mercenary, hell - city guard, gang leader or enforcer...the list goes on."

  "Actually, there is a trip we can take, Jekio," Vito announced, the wheels turning quickly in his head. "In all of the inn murders, the gang contracted for security was Borak's. I say we can pay him a visit and ask nicely why his crew has had so many chances but have been unable to lay a finger on supposedly one person."

  Jekio clapped his hands together as he adopted a gold-toothed grin. "Great! I was beginning to worry this new position made you as boring as Bekah." He moved his empty plate to the side and eyed Vito eagerly. "When do we leave?"

  Vito groaned inwardly, realizing his mistake. "First thing tomorrow."

  Predictably, Jekio shook his head fervently. "Why waste an entire night? If big ol' Vito needs a nap, I'll go down there and give Borak a stern talking to myself." As if to emphasize his words, he slammed his two fists together in obvious anticipation of what he'd do without anyone there to stop him.

  "No!" Vito and Bekah exclaimed synchronously.

  Jekio grinned victoriously, noisily pushing back his chair and standing. "Better get ready quick then, my patience is low after a meal." He then hurried out of the banquet hall, presumably to put on his suit coat and make other preparations for their night trip.

  Bekah gave Vito a look as if to say 'It's your mess, go and deal with it'.

  "I'll go prepare the car," Hades said before standing and exiting the banquet hall.

  Vito sighed as he rubbed at his temple. He had planned to have an early night's rest because his day of meetings had left him more fatigued than he expected.

  "You look like dad when you do that," Bekah said quietly.

  Vito took a moment to look at her. She was naturally beautiful in a rare, reserved way. In District 35, most females felt the need to put on an excess amount of makeup and wear revealing clothes to attract the right type of males that could protect them, or help their 'business'. Bekah had no such worries.

  Her crystalline blue eyes shone with sadness, a trait she got from their mother, while the boys were stuck with their father's dark brown shade. Her eyes were incredibly expressive, telling stories with each change of emotion.

  Vito shrugged. "I see now why he did; it turns out the meetings are not only boring, but exhausting."

  A smile peeked through Bekah's melancholy. "Father allowed me to sit through some meetings before...I do not envy your position in the least." Her smile widened as Vit chuckled. "But at the same time, it's what you're meant to do, I think."

  "I sure hope so, or else I'm wasting away a lot of my life."

  Jekio was rearing to go by the time Vito arrived at the door. He had changed from his T-shirt into a dress shirt peeking out from a buttoned-up suit coat. Though he was a brawler, and a self-appointed enforcer, their father had drilled the importance of their dressing code into him and it had eventually stuck.

  When they were younger, despite Jekio's three-year seniority, the two were often called twins because of their striking resemblance. Now, things had changed a little. They still showed remnants of their resemblance through traits such as their raven black hair, their mannerisms, and symmetrically handsome facial structure. However, there were now stark differences, such as the scarring on Jekio's cheeks and grown-out sideburns connecting to a full goatee, which made him look older than his twenty-three years of age, as well as his set of golden teeth that he'd come home with after a drunken night trip. Vito shaved any facial hair that popped up and his face was completely void of any scars or marks. Most noticeably, Jekio's muscular build filled up his suit coat while, Vito was much slimmer despite his defined build.

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  Jekio slapped a heavy hand on Vito's back as they walked outside. "This is great. Just us boys carrying out a routine job again, just like the old days."

  Vito nodded earnestly despite his fatigue. "Yeah."

  The moon had reached its peak by the time Hades maneuvered the Porsche through the gates as the clock chimed twelve times. Despite the growing lateness, noise pollution was at an all-time high because, not only did the district never collectively sleep, but the nighttime was considered the most productive time of day. Though the major gangs typically had the city guards on payroll, it was much easier for less stable criminals to operate in the blanket of darkness to escape the vigilant eyes of over eager city guards. For the others, the casinos, clubs and other nightlife escapades were at their best at night.

  As a result, a twenty-minute drive turned into a forty minute-one because of the traffic. Jekio almost leaped out of the car when they reached their bright destination. The building glowed with an unreasonable number of LED light decorations of various colors that made it look confusing and overstimulating, but apparently, those traits drew the dark souls of the district, because this was the most popular casino.

  It was also where Borak spent his nights.

  There was a gathering at the entrance as two beefy guards talked to a crowd that was bordering on unruly. Likely, they were trying to sneak in an underaged person and had been found out. This casino, called the Milky Way, was one of the only ones that enforced an age limit of fifteen and over.

  The crowd of five looked seconds away from getting truly rowdy, but they noticed the guards' sudden change of demeanor and a certain look in their eyes as they looked past them. They smartly paused their tirade and followed the guard's gaze. What they saw made them adopt the docile look of fear and respect. You didn't dare show your envy in the face of the Crimson Tides, especially their leaders. Walking up the steps was the two brothers, their sharp attire doing nothing to hide the danger that seemed to emanate from their very pores.

  They quickly cleared a path, almost identical to how Zliksay's werewolves had earlier, avoiding to meet the eyes of the Bosses of the district. Vito noticed that he had been rght; a boy was among them, tall for his age, but his soft baby features did not lie. Unlike the more experienced adults, he didn't completely avert his eyes, in fact, as the brothers and Hades walked up, he stepped into their path.

  "Hey, can't you guys convince this twat I'm of age to go in?" he asked bravely. Here in District 35, childhood innocence didn't last long - if at all, but there was a sense of crude bravery that was only shed by bad experience.

  Jekio stepped forward and for a moment Vito stiffened. In certain situations his brother was unpredictable even to him. "Why, I don't see why not little fella," Jekio said, patting the boy on his shoulder. "You surely have more balls than the lot of them." He nodded at the guards, "He's with us," then he wrapped a hand around the boy's shoulder and ushered him inside.

  Vito followed with Hades in tow. He smiled inwardly; his brother had always had a soft spot for head strong kids. Vito suspected it was because they reminded him of himself. As expected, the casino was packed at every table. It was a simple two story building, as was the case for most buildings in this low-rise district, but what made it grand was the contagious festive atmosphere. Hasslers cheated the green customers, green customers unawarely enjoyed their games, experienced players enjoyed competitive games; there was something for everyone.

  For a second, everything was normal, the noise was loud enough in the casino to cause hearing loss over time, but eventually eyes drifted to the newcomers and as recognition dawned on the crowd like a plague, the noise decreased until the clink of footsteps could be heard throughout the ground floor.

  Jekio released the boy and sent him off with a pat on his back. The boy walked with his head up in the hushed room, glad that everyone had seen him get an escort in with one of the Crimson Tides. No doubt he would be bragging and exaggerating it for weeks to come.

  A sharply dressed male attendant walked up to the trio with awkward timidness. "How may I help?" he asked Vito in a shaky voice.

  "We'd like an audience with Borak."

  The attendant nodded, his professionally friendly smile shaking. "Then, if you'd be also kind to follow me." He led the trio out of the room of stunned patrons who were more than happy to give them a wide berth and into a more secluded corridor. They stopped in front of a door and the attendant knocked once before pushing it open.

  Borak was the definition of a brute, down to his ogre-like appearance. He seemed to be in the midst of a private game, judging by the five other men huddled around a table with multiple dice and decks of cards strewn on it. There were also a number of hardly dressed, and in one case undressed women standing by the players' shoulders and sitting in the lap of some.

  Initially, Borak looked at the source of the interruption with fury, but that dissipated in a split second when he saw the brothers and Hades. His face morphed into a classic portrait of fear, an emotion that looked out of place on his boorish face.

  "We'd like an audience with Borak," Vito repeated. The other men rushed to obey, gathering their things and hurrying out of the room. The women followed, though some made sure to saunter and cast seductive glances Vito's way. They recognized him as a figure of power from which they could benefit. It disgusted Vito.

  Jekio didn't share his qualms, judging from how he drank in their appreciative glances with appreciation of his own. "Wow, Borak, you've been holding out on us," Jekio said when the door closed. "Those are some fine women you have there. A man's oughta know how to share."

  "Good night, Borak," Vito said, pointedly cutting off Borak as he opened his mouth to respond to Jekio's quip. Vito was tired; he didn't have time for folly. "We need to have a serious talk."

  Jekio shot a frown Vito's way, but he snapped into action, slowly and purposefully walking around the oval table the long way, then noisily dragging a chair closer to Borak before pulling it around the wrong way so he could sit facing Borak. Hades stayed by the door and Vito took just a few steps forward so he could be directly in front of Borak, with just a few feet separating them.

  "We do?" Borak asked in his absurdly deep voice. He was trying his best to not appear intimidated but he anxiously tapped his feet on the floor.

  "That's what he said, isn't it?" Jekio growled.

  "Those murders in the inns; it's been reported that the tourists were found decapitated in their room every time, with no evidence of a struggle," Vito continued.

  "Aye," Borak shifted in his chair, "it's clear whoever the bastard is knows what he's doing. The only sighting, which is not confirmed, is one of my guys seeing a suspicious person walking out of the inn in a mask once."

  "And he didn't think to confront this person?"

  Borak scratched at his days-old stubble nervously. "Suspicious people aren't out of the ordinary in this district - as you know. He said he only thought the guy suspicious after realizing the inn had been hit hours later." He paused, then added hurriedly, "Perhaps I should've given him a beating to teach him better diligence."

  "Perhaps you should've," Vito repeated. "Perhaps we should give you that beating in his place."

  Borak stiffened and his eyes briefly wandered back to a smirking Jekio at his side. The man's ruthless reputation was well known. "I-I don't think that's necessary."

  "You don't?" Vito asked. "Each tourist that has died in an inn has done so in one for which your men provide security. Your men represent you...your teachings, your discipline, your...loyalty."

  "I would never betray you, Sir." It was comical to hear such a deep voice shake with the weight of consternation. "Certainly not for some fool running around in a wooden mask! I'll talk to my guys, give them a right talking to, I will. We'll have that clown in our grasp in no time."

  The man's voice had taken on a sick pleading tone that would've made him the laughing stock of his men if they heard it.

  "So you admit you haven't been giving a hundred percent up to this point."

  "I-"

  Smack.

  It happened quick. So quick, Vito's eyes almost didn't register the movement. Jekio had mastered the art of hand to hand combat to the point there was some discourse on if he was human, because achieving his level of speed and power didn't seem possible. For Vito, he had witnessed the countless hours of eager training, but even still, at times, he could scarce believe it.

  Jekio had lashed out with a lightning quick punch that caused the burly Borak to topple out of his chair and land hard on the ground. "That wasn't a damn question. Wait your turn to speak," Jekio growled, standing up over Borak and daring the typically violent man to challenge him.

  Borak smartly avoided eye contact and stayed on the ground, wiping at his nose with the back of his hand.

  Vito advanced on his downed figure slowly. "Look at me. Sit up."

  Borak obeyed the commands quickly, his eyes showing not a hint of defiance. He winced as Vito took the last step and crouched down so that they were eye-level. Vito took Borak's hand and removed the glove he wore. The glove was not a simple fashion statement, most residents of the district wore gloves so that they wouldn't get substances like soot and grime on their hands from their dirty surroundings.

  Vito gripped the man's index finger and withdrew an object from his own sleeve. He flicked the box cutter open and held it against the man's finger. His finger started to shake slightly but he didn't dare pull away. It was intriguing to see such a violent man fight to sustain both his fight or flight reactions to submit.

  "Now, you're a leader of a gang - if that's what you refer to your bunch of misfits - too, so perhaps you can relate to my duty. When people are slacking on a job, you have to quickly make an example out of someone so that the others will take the job seriously and do it to the best of their ability." He waited until Borak nodded with a whimper. "Now, I consider you a man with potential, but it seems that you need an example made, so that you can live up to my standards." Vito pressed down on the finger slightly with the blade, "Do I need to make an example, Borak?"

  "No." The man barely managed to keep his voice steady.

  Vito allowed a smile to adorn his features. "Good! I was hoping not." He straightened up and stood, once again hiding the small weapon in his sleeve.

  He heard rumors of how Borak treated his men and felt it just that the bully be dealt some of his own medicine.

  He turned back toward the door. "If another murder happens in an inn under your watch, my blade will be pressing against your neck next."