Topic: The Red Iris

With Love

Date: 2011-05-11 15:46 EST
Prologue: Inheritance

"Women are like flowers. We're all different shapes, sizes, and colors. There isn't one that isn't beautiful." - Julie Russi.

Rhy'Din, WestEnd. Unknown Location.

"I don't think you quite understand the gravity of the situation here," she indicated a finger to the small odd, glove-like metal contraption atop of her desk. "Listen....I know you stole the drugs during the confusion, when Tulip burnt down the warehouse." Iris took a second of her time to cross one leg over the other, "I know you have it stashed some where in the city. All you need to do' Is tell me where it is."

The long haired muscular framed man; named Jack, looked quite the spectacle. Being held up by two of the Boys dressed in their newly chosen colours of bright red suits, hats, shoes and ties, Jack looked pretty banged up. He was covered in bruises across every inch of his swollen face. He may had been a handsome man, once. Even some blood leaked from his nose, considering it was all kinds of broken and flatted against his face in quite the awkward angle.

"If you're trying to be her?" Jack coughed through his delirium of dull aches and pains, "You're failing?" Laughing at the irony of it all, he quickly shook his head, "Miss B" She would had killed me already?"

"No, Jack. I'm not her. For that you should be grateful. I understand she was like a sister to all of you, and that you loved her very much and would had done anything for her" But I know, I can never gain such love and trust from amongst those who are still loyal to the business, overnight. That kind of trust takes time, but, Jack, you betrayed us entirely, by stealing what is rightfully our property." She lifted a hand up under the brim of her fedora to press her fingertips against closed eyelids, "The Boys - your own blood brothers are the ones that want to treat you this way. If it were up to me, I would let you go. But you wrecked their respect, and their trust."

Smiling seemed to hurt, but somehow Jack had managed to lift his head to crack one off for the red suited woman seated behind the desk. "That is why, you will never be able to fill her shoes."

"Shut up you," one of the guards that held him up grunted, "Show some respect to the Boss. She gave up her life to fix the mistakes Tulip made. That goes for you too, you ungrateful little sh*t."

"Pah! You're all like dogs!" Jack laughed, "All of you! Dogs! Slaves! I took the f*cking drugs fair and square and you know it! The Boys were disbanded the moment she burnt the warehouse to the ground. Technically, those drugs belonged to no one." He nodded at Iris, " This, so-called new Miss B" She just wants to turn you all into law mongering rats that hide in the shadows, weeping like little girls at every sight of a Watchman around the next corner!"

"Oi, leave ya potty mouth out of this mate, you traitorous scum! I've gotta mind to break ya f*ck"n neck right "ere!" The other guard barked, ready to deliver a punch into the side of Jack's ribcage. Both guards were quite possibly on their last nerve. It was assuredly unforgivable in their eyes to talk to Iris like that, and to dishonour the name of their former Boss.

But, they knew Jack spoke some level of truth. Iris was going about things through official channels - using the law to their advantage, rather than the connections to the criminal underworld Tulip had spent so many years accumulating. It was a change they were having difficulty adapting to, but they all knew, there would be a time where Iris would have no other alternative, than to use those criminal connections, for the sake of the business.

A subtle merciful raise of Iris's hand prevented that fist from ever connecting to Jack's ribs. With a loud sigh she glanced to Hunter that stood off in the shadows just over her shoulder, and gave a single nod to have his participation into this increasingly heated situation.

Hunter sighed, knowing his words were going to fall upon deaf ears...."Jack, we need those drugs. Without it, we cannot fully connect ourselves to the new business we are looking to start here. I know, you do not believe in the new Miss B, and in what she is trying to do for the Boys, but you must understand" We cannot commit the same mistakes that-"

Jack scoffed: "That's so full of sh*t' You're gonna be the law's puppy dogs! Wagging your tails, rolling over" That imposter of a Miss B is gonna go legit and sell us all out! She's a fuck'in ex-pig for Christ sakes!"

The two guards dragged Jack closer to the desk and pinned him against it, while Hunter moved forward and forced Jack's right hand into that strange looking glove that has thus far, not been used.

"Being an Ex-Cop, I know how both systems work. Unlike Tulip, I know how to play the system, and I know the criminal world better than she, all from a differing perspective. Her mistakes were always so simple - she was emotionally attached to her Boys and, when she finally threw her final tantrum' She sought to bring each and every one of them down with her. That is what led her to her ruin" Her own selfishness. Her unstable, emotional state " her fixation with the Detective that eventually ended her life....In the end, she fell from grace, and ruined the business." Iris leant forward from her chair then, her voice borderline threatening, "I am my Sister's better half, but I am not that good of a person. I've shot criminals down without mercy during my time as a cop. I believed scum deserved to be put down..."

Jack struggled against the two Boys baring their weight against him. They had jammed the bottom of his jaw onto the desk so that he could watch what was to come. He stared with wide, confused eyes to the intricate mechanisms that stuck out from the tip of each glove's finger, and dared not to imagine what sinister purpose they were intended for.

"I'm never gonna tell you so give it up!" Jack yelled, hissing and breathing heavily to the fight or flight instincts that embraced his heart, "If you want the money we can make a deal! Once I sell all the drugs I can give you a cut - a big cut!"

Iris stood up from her chair, and removed a flame-damaged yo-yo from her pocket, and place it just beside the torture device. "Every time you do not answer my question with a suitable answer, I am going to break one of your fingers." Next, she drew out from her blazer pocket a small remote control where five buttons lay, labelled 1-5.

She slowly sat her rear onto the surface just beside Jack's face that was being pressed into the desk's varnished grain. "Are the drugs in the city?"

"Damn it, b*tch, just f*cking listen to me! I'm willing to split-"

Iris pressed button 3 without so much as a blink. Jack's middle finger encased in that glove of metal and fabric suddenly bent a 160 degree angle backwards, snapping his finger out of place with a sudden succession of stomach churning pops and cracks.

Jack's screams were music to Iris's ears, and as the pain rushed through his body, a renewed sense of strength regrew to fight off his assailants. Managing to partially lift the two heavy men somewhat off of the floor, he again succumbed to his exhausting injuries, and was easily pushed back down face first against the desk with a resounding thud.

Iris shook her head to him, her hat angled just enough for neither of her eyes to barely be seen. "Just answer the question, Jack..."

Heavily Jack panted, whimpering into submission, "Yes - yes! Fine! Fine! Jus'-Just stop, o-okay?"

"Now we're gettin" sum where," one of the henchmen that held him spoke, exasperated that it had to get to this point before Jack actually spoke a single useful word about the subject, "Where be the drugs, mate" Spit it out, ya snake!"

"Th-they?" Jack's tear stained eyes went to his dislocated finger that was bent back against his forehand, "Christ," he felt sick just looking at it, "I" I sold them."

Hunter stepped in before another button could be pressed, his hands pressing calmly atop of the desk while it groaned under his weight. "Listen boy, I know the pain is making it hard to think straight. But we need something more specific than that." Pulling out a somewhat bent cigarette out from his trouser pocket, he placed it between Jack's trembling lips, and lit it, "Just give us what we want and we'll let you go."

Struggling to gather some sense of what he was going to say, Jack soothed his heavy panting with long and calming breaths of smoke. "To some West Enders....I didn't make that much money off of it - I swear I didn't," he turned his eyes to the rim of the hat that concealed the eyes of the new Miss B. "I'll give you the money. All of it' I'm sorry, I didn't....I din't mean to."

"It is not money we're after, Jack. It's the drugs." Placing the remote down, Iris shifted half of her rear off of the desk, her shoe tapping against the side, "Who are these people you sold them too?"

Jack muttered, "Just some kids, trying to play gangs?"

Iris snatched up the yo-yo and stood up in a flurry of vehemence, "You what"!" She turned her concealed gaze to Hunter.

Hunter returned the glances with a grim expression, and nodded.

This could be become a problem. A royal spanner in the works.

"If the Watch discover that the drugs sold to this gang of kids came from you, it would not be hard for some certain type of people to notice and to figure out that you used to work for my sister! Tracking it straight back to us." Rounding the table and out of sight, Iris placed a hand onto her face, hanging her head with the weighty decision she now must make.

If she let this man go. How easy will it be for him to squeal again? She knew what she had to do, and she knew the Boys wanted it, too.

Approaching besides her, Hunter placed a large calloused hand onto her shoulder, muttering into her ear so that the others could not listen. "Iris, you don't have to do it. Leave it to me and the Boys to sort out."

Her head shook, "I appreciate it, Hunter," her voice was hallow, "but, I promised you all I would make it all better?" She pulled away from him, and approached Jack as he was being released from the torture device. "Jack, I am sorry it has come to this, but you have potentially endangered the rest of your blood brothers with your stupid act. And not only that. You've endangered our efforts to rebuild unopposed."

Somehow, Jack knew what was coming. It was something in her voice. For a moment there, she sounded exactly like Tulip. "N-no, you're not a killer " you're not a killer " you're a cop! You can't do this!"

As Jack was lifted from the desk by the two Boys, Iris pulled the tight wire cord of the yo-yo up and over Jack's head, and pulled back hard, pressing a foot against his back to gain leverage .

Iris watched; emotionless, as he suffocated. She wondered at that time, what was Tulip thinking when she used to do this to so many innocent people. Iris was not enjoying the death of another human being, but, some part of her was delighted that another scum-bag was now dead and off of the streets. Perhaps....This was her way of cleaning up, after all, the law was a fickle system...

Criminals always got away.

"You, sold drugs to kids" That's more than enough reason for me to kill you, Jack."

With Love

Date: 2011-05-12 12:10 EST
"Every man I meet wants to protect me. I can't figure out what from." - Mae West

Rhy'din, WestEnd. Miss B's Temporary Hideout.

Jack's body was easy enough to dispose of without rousing too much suspicion.

The Boys took it upon themselves under the instructions of their new Miss B to make Jack appear like he had been mugged and murdered in one of Rhy"Din's many crime ridden West End alleyways, then promptly stuffed into a trash can.

They looted his wallet to keep up with the illusion, and slit his throat across the constrictive markings that was caused by the yo-yo's garrote. A proper autopsy would had revealed the true method of death, but fortune would have it, that Rhy'Din was after all, a strange place. All kinds of animals had feasted upon the corpse long before someone had opened that abandoned trashcan a week later.

Not much could had been done with the information Jack had managed to squeal during his very straight forward interrogation. These "kids" trying to play mobsters, were more than likely the type to hang around on street corners, thinking themselves to be some kind of heavy influence in their small area of the neighbourhood.

The potential to sell those drugs to a differing illegitimate member of the criminal underworld - Iris's original intention, was now all an impossible act. Iris knew that too much attention this early on would bring too many shortcomings to a business that was already struggling to get up from its knees, so a manhunt to take back what little drugs were left from these kids was simply completely out of the question.

The fledgling mob-boss did not want to admit it, but even after they raided Jack's home and took every valuable asset he had to offer, financially, they were screwed....Compared to when Tulip first arrived in Rhy"Din and purchased her casino-front to conceal her drugs and guns-trafficking, as well as her money laundering operation. Tulip had a significant financial asset to play with however she wanted, and even after she established herself as a small time mob influence in the Dockland area, she raked in quite the suitable profit during the process...

It was only now that Iris realised how much business acumen her sister truly had. She could only speculate the exact number Tulip had managed to bring in throughout her entire lifetime as Miss B, but she assumed the number to be within the thousands" Hundreds of thousands...

"But' Most of that gross profit burnt down along with the casino - including a high number of destroyed merchandise that led to us having to refund a lot of sh*t back to the respective organisations who already pre-purchased their wares from Tulip days before the fire....Not even the insurance money from the destroyed casino can bail us out now" It barely managed to pay off most of that debt..."

This was beginning to look hopeless.

Iris threw the very thick file onto her desk, and leant back into her leather chair, pressing her hands firmly against face. "There's not even enough to purchase a market stall let alone to bring the gang back into business and fit them out with decent gear....This bloody hopeless....Bloody, hopeless..."

As it was in this case, there were in fact quite a few readily available options for her to acknowledge. While lending money from a differing organisation was indeed a very easy way out, there were always....Less legitimated directions she could undertake. The last thing she wanted was owing another organisation a significant amount of money. If anything, she would had much preferred to get a hold of money somehow, without having to bow down to some other Crime Boss, or worse yet....A banker.

Both would charge interest rates that could touch the skyline...

It would take years for the gang to make their profit.

Iris was running short of options, now. She was dismissing every idea the moment she saw a negative impact.

Tulip's "protection' money had ceased its flow from the small-time businesses at the Marketplace the moment of her death, and while Iris did not agree with how that system of acquiring an income worked, it appeared to be their most viable option at this time. Perhaps intimidating one or two small businesses can become worthwhile ventures, after all, even if the income was but a trickle into their accounts over the coming months,anything would help at this point.

Hell, Iris was desperate enough to entertain the prospect of delving their claws into the sordid business of prostitution. And that line of business was always a messy thing to handle. Too many variables, too much micro-management....Too much women.

Tulip had the right idea. Her casino was the perfect establishment to launder money and hide shipments within plain sight. It's location at the Docks, could not had been better thought of either. Shipments arrived in the dead of the night, under the cover of darkness....No one knew what was going on in there...

Well, maybe except that Detective.

But returning to the Dockland area would only rise suspicion amongst those who would remember the Boys, and their Boss, Miss B. Iris had to think of something else " another kind of business within the city, that is not linked with Tulip's old ventures...

Aside from their financial and locale issues, their influence down at the docks seemed to had wavered quite significantly over the past few years. Once again instilling their dominance there " without having to attain any kind of presence - could aid their efforts in reconstructing a reliable means of transportation of merchandise.

But, from what Iris understood, things were harder these days to corrupt, especially with the increased backing the Watch were obtaining from the City's Government. Iris had seen some of them carrying guns, as opposed to the spears and bows they used to walk around with not too long ago.

?" If things are to succeed, I need to think like a criminal. I need to be ruthless....I need to think like Tulip..." She pulled out the damaged yo-yo from the drawer just next to her desk, and started to play with it.

She had never been good at playing with such a childish toy, but she was getting the hang of it. She even managed to get the yo-yo to loop around into the air once before allowing it to bounce up and down in slow, rhythmic movement just beside her chair.

"I need to act....I can't just sit here thinking about all of this forever?" A determined look came to her face, but was quickly wiped clean when a knock on the door roused her from her turmoil. Grasping the yo-yo as it spun back up the metal wire and into her hand, Iris sighed her words, almost completely unwilling to speak. "Come in...?

With Love

Date: 2012-08-18 11:37 EST
"I am too intelligent, too demanding, and too resourceful for anyone to be able to take charge of me entirely. No one knows me or loves me completely. I have only myself." - Simone de Beauvoir

It is hard to fill in the shoes of someone who was respected and idolized by all. Tulip, single handedly took the gang from a fledgling mockery of a mob comprising of thugs, selfish individuals and back stabbing thieves, into a true organization of loyal and obedient soldiers, creating a financial chain of profit from almost every avenue of crime to keep their bellies full and their desires sated. They lived the high life, far away from the gutter from whence The Boys were originally founded.

Hunter, had been there since the beginning. He was a young lad back in those days, when they ran from the law and other rival gangs on the streets of Bristol, scraping and biting their way through each and every day so that they could remain upon their own two feet, and not in some hospital bed broken to pieces by baseball bats or knuckledusters, or rotting six foot under in some unknown location in the countryside.

He had watched the evolution of The Boys, and, if anything, he was proud to be a part of it. Hunter had always done what was asked of him " and without question, by the first Miss B, Tulip. She regarded him as her equal, and his authority was as absolute as her own. She always used to stress to Hunter each and every day just how much his input and guidance meant to her, looking up to him as the big brother figure of the gang. When in truth, Hunter saw Tulip as the little sister he would do anything for, and that sentiment was felt throughout the entirety of the organisation.

The name Miss B was not just a title given to an individual that ruled over them; no, it was an endearing position. It meant, that their leader was not just some authority figure to feared and respected. What it truly represented " to be Miss B, was that regardless of creed or race, everyone under her wing, was a family.

The same went for Iris. Hunter and what little remaining members left of The Boys, would greet Iris; the new Miss B as their little sister just like Tulip before her, whom they will love and cherish, and die for if need be.

It was because of that trail of thought, that it led Hunter's footsteps to Iris's office in the dead of the night. He could see the cracks of light from a lampshade trickling through the cracks around the door, and he knew without a doubt that Iris was probably, very close to breaking point.

She had been so absorbed with her planning; so engrossed in her scheme to return The Boys organisation to its former glory " to follow in Tulip's footsteps then take that one step further....All the stress and weight of expectation was taking its toll, and she had been suffering many sleepless nights as of late.

It was about time he stepped in and performed his duty, as the Underboss, and as a big brother.

When he knocked upon the closed office door, he heard her lifeless reply, and sighed against the varnished grain. Iris needed to take a break, or at the very least not think about the gang's issues over the next few days. She needed time to rest, toclear her head. Maybe then, the solution to their problems will come to her.

As he entered the office, he drew his old eyes over the floor of the small four-by-four office, and frowned at the array of pictures of various buildings located all over the city, empty whiskey bottles, books and papers, and empty packets of cigarettes strewn all over the place. Her desk oddly enough was clear of rubbish, save for a thick folder containing his report on the total assets, and a detailed profile of each and every member of the gang currently active.

Closing the door behind him, the old man in the red suit drove his calloused hands into his pin-stripped red trouser pockets, and smiled, "Me and the boys think you're working too hard, Iris....It is late, and you need some rest.?

With Love

Date: 2012-08-20 19:29 EST
"The inability to open up to hope is what blocks trust, and blocked trust is the reason for blighted dreams." - Elizabeth Gilbert

A soft and weary chuckle had spilt from Iris's ruby red lips, fingertips moving to work against closed eyelids, trying to work out the exhaustion lingering there. "Thanks for the concern, Hunter, but I'm fine, really. I can't sleep with this much on my mind anyway, so I thought I'd do something constructive, other than laying in a bed and stare at a ceiling for hours on end."

"I know, I know....Tulip was the same....But it doesn't mean me and the boys have to like it," Hunter had made the short trek to stand before Iris's desk, moving to pick up the file discarded there. He flipped through some of the pages, his eyebrows coming together as he re-read his own words, "I hope my report helped in any case. It was all I could muster considering most of the paperwork went up in flames with the casino."

Iris dropped her arms to rest on the edge of the desk, pressing her full weight upon it. Her body leaned forward from the chair, her eyelids slipping half open so she could at the very least watch Hunter's expression. She could see the concern his eyes, as well as a measure of admiration. The way he smiled at her " it was warm, and comforting. With a sigh, Iris merely shook her head.

Hunter dropped the file onto the desk, and crossed his arms over his chest, turning to approach the small whisky cabinet tucked away in the corner of the office's space, fixing himself and Iris a good measure of Jack Daniels, "Have you come to any decisions yet, Boss?"

"I've entertained most avenues, Hunter, but I'm afraid every little possibility I think of seems to bring about more negative outcomes, than positive. The main problem is a consistent cash flow. For that, we need a good set-up. But that would mean a significant starting fund is required to get it off the ground, and running properly. So unless we can grow money on trees this is not going to happen over night. The whole process is going to be rather slow, and complicated at that."

Settling the large helping of whiskey on the desk for Iris, Hunter slid it closer to her. "Slow and easy sometimes is the best way, Boss. We had money back then, so we used to be quite reckless in the speed and handling of our operations. But Tulip had the money to make almost anything happen....But now" Well....We've fallen on hard times, so we can't afford to be too hasty. But I know whatever you think of, regardless of what it may be, we will support you, and seek to make your wishes come true." He noticed his words had affected Iris. All of a sudden, her exhaustion was replaced with a steely determination.

She took the glass of whiskey, and drained it in one long gulp. Turning the empty glass tumbler about in her fingertips, Iris stared through it and at the warpped image of Hunter and her office beyond it. The whiskey burned in her stomach and warmed her chest, and now she yearned for another glass.

He could not read minds, but Hunter knew Iris well enough. Sisters often took upon the same vices, as well as their virtues from their parents. He took the glass from her and moved back towards the whiskey cabinet.

"The first order of business I would like to discuss with you, is the restructuring of the gang's hierarchy. I know Tulip preferred to run things by herself, but from what you told me and what I've learned, Tulip used to take on too much of the workload. I don't want to run myself in to the ground like she did, so that's why I made you my Underboss, Hunter. You've served this gang for a long time, and there is no one else I can trust with this position. Although I will still be running the organisation, I need you to see to it that all of our future operations on a day to day basis, are running smoothly. Of course, you answer to me, and everyone else, they answer to you."

He still he could not believe he was granted the position to begin with. But, if this was the only way to see that the gang advances forward into a brighter future, then so be it. Hunter returned to the desk with another glass of whiskey for Iris, offering it to her as he smiled. His words had become laced with a certain kind of pride, "You don't know how much it means to me, knowing you trust me this much, Iris."

"You deserve the Underboss position, Hunter. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. For now, we will run the gang between us, but in the future I will need you to appoint at least one of the boys to act as your capo. Of course, you can have as many capos as you want, but for now, keep an open mind and keep an eye on potential candidates. Of course, you don't need my approval to entitle them as a capo as I trust your judgement in these matters."

Iris had reached out to procure the refilled glass of whiskey, and with it, she settled back into her chair, ?I've also come to a decision regarding our financial problems."

With Love

Date: 2012-12-13 11:54 EST
Chapter 1: Operation Seahorse

"Nobody gives you your power. You just take it." "Roseanne Barr

Rhy'Din, Dockside. Dock 3B.

If you fished in the English Channel, you would know what is was when you saw it in the horizon.

It was once known as the most stunning specimen to ever crawl across the sea! A real veteran that fought the ocean " and won, against all of the odds....Of course to some all those rumors " all those stories about it being the first true hero-ship of the South Eastern Fishery's fleet, was all just a load of crap, really....

The fishermen's wives did not like the thing due to its quite sketchy, rusty demeanor " but, they could not complain; not really. No matter how much they grumbled and complained to their husbands to leave that blasted ship alone and serve on a different one, they could not deny that this fine (albeit old) vessel brought their men home alive and well every night " and that, was something to be thankful for...

Considering most other fishermen from other fishing companies condemned it as a floating sea-coffin long out of its prime, where only the mad and suicidal would ever dare step upon it, for work. Or the desperate.

In truth, there had been some moments when the seas had ravaged this old workhorse of a vessel to the point of capsizing " but somehow, despite the dangers and perils of the deep blue ocean, it somehow always came back in one piece with a full complement of crew. Be it because of the experienced skills of the captain or the tenacity of the crew to keep it afloat regardless of the amount of water it liked to take on during any heavy storm, it somehow, managed to make its way back to port, every time.

Some say God, Himself, is on the ship's side " or even the sea! But everyone who had the honor serving aboard such a fine fishing vessel all knew it was just pure luck they crawls back into port every night. They were all very lucky to be alive.

But that was back in the good old days. Ever since the engine gave out on its final voyage; a catastrophic explosion that left one man injured and fortunately no one killed, this little ship - once towed home that fateful night, had sat in port somehow still afloat; despite years of neglect, ever since.

All it needed was someone to come along, put some tender love and care into it; a lick of paint here and there and a brand new engine to boot, and it would all be up and running again in no time at all...

Hunter stood there, with his arms crossed over his chest, a large calloused hand rubbing firmly over his strong jawline covered in bristly grey and black stubble, as he took his skeptical gaze from over the thirty-foot floating rust bucket bobbing up and down before him, back down to the smaller figure of Iris, who stood just to his side.

He couldn't ascertain the woman's expression, for the black umbrella shielding her from the heavy rain was hiding her head entirely. But he could see that yo-yo bobbing up and down just next to her slender ankle, so his eyes instinctively took to that, instead.

Why on earth would she purchase an old fishing trawler; complete with a brand new and improved engine" Why pay for the maintenance costs on top, just to get it sea-worthy' What on earth were they going to do with a ship that could barely get above 10 knots" These, and numerous other questions swam through Hunter's head, as he stared at the hypnotizing, constant descent and ascent of that yo-yo, spinning up and down along that thin line of deadly garrote.

"Perfect." Iris affirmed, sounding pleased with her purchase after surveying it silently for several minutes. " Hunter?"

"Yes, Miss B?"

"Please see to it that the ship is gutted entirely....Get rid of any nonessentials. And one more thing" Could you arrange for one of the rooms to act as a storage space for food and water" Enough of a space to provide for two weeks worth of travel. Dried and tinned foods, fruits....A barrel of beer or two for the Boys?"

Iris shuffled on the spot. Ruby red high heels clicking against the unsteady cobbled path as she twisted her hips towards Hunter, inclining her umbrella away from her face so she could better look at him from under the brim of her rouge colored fedora, "I've procured a few basic workers to repaint the hull - if this bloody rain goes away; and they should be arriving within the hour. Including a mechanic to give the new engine a good once over. I'm fairly confident though, that there should be nothing wrong with the engine. It is brand new....But it is better to be safe, than sorry. The last thing we need is our investment breaking down the moment it departs, or out in the ocean."

Hunter smiled down at Iris, and nodded his head. He had quelled the questions he wanted answered when his cold old eyes met with her vibrant and warm gaze. He just could not bring himself to question her. He could never doubt a single decision that came from his boss....Even if it meant trusting this rather peculiar decision in purchasing this old thing, which was clearly on its last legs.

"I'll personally oversee this myself, so do not worry, Miss B. I'll make sure that the engine has a good check-up, and that every thing is in order for its relaunch..." Hunter turned his head to regard the trawler, his eyes roaming from from stern to bow.

He could no longer contain his curiousness any longer. The question just rolled naturally from his tongue. "How much did it cost altogether?"

Red lipstick lips curled into a smile, parting a little to reveal a set of perfectly formed, pearly white teeth, and a tongue that stuck out between it as she pondered back to the costing sheets she received a week ago. "...Just little over one quarter of our assets."

"No wonder it looks like crap..." Hunter muttered, unsurprised now at the state of the boat. "What are we going to do with it?"

She could not help but take in the visage of trawler once again. Iris did not merely see it as just one giant floating death trap that has had a string of misfortunes attached to its history. What she saw" Was potential profit. "We're going to pull off a simple scam. And this, is what we're going to use, to do it."

That caught the big man by surprise. It even surprised him enough to lift both of his brows up high, and look at Iris with skepticism. "I don't think I follow, Miss B..."

"I won't explain right now, Hunter. Not in the open like this. I'll explain everything later tonight; just come to my office with just five volunteers once work on the trawler is complete, and make sure they are well armed with what little weapons we have got left, and dressed in black attire, and ready to endure two weeks of nothing but endless sea." A demure expression overcame Iris as she turned to depart, leaving the docks and her investment in the capable hands of her Underboss who watched his boss depart in silence, entirely bemused.