WARNING: THIS CHAPTER AND OTHERS MAY CONTAIN VULGAR LANGUAGE, GRAPHIC IMAGERY, AND VIOLENCE. THIS IS FIRST AND ONLY WARNING I WILL EVER GIVE YOU.
The entrance to the black market is hidden in a dark and sketchy alleyway. As far as I know, it's never been detected by the police. That's probably because the only way you would know about it is if you knew someone that did. From the shady CEOs of Seattle to common street thugs, it's one of the best-kept secrets in this city.
The owners hire respected street gangs as guards to make sure everyone follows the rules down here. Simple rules really, no stealing, or any kind of fighting unless you want to deal with the heavily armed guards. Well, I can guarantee to at least not break one of those rules. As for the shops, they sell everything here from sex slaves to cold drinks.
I almost forgot to grab my favorite disguise before heading over here. A plague doctor mask, not only does it have that cool steampunk look, but it's one of the few Halloween masks that can fit us. The long leathery crow beak is long enough to fit over our snouts, the shaded glass eye hole lenses to cover our eyes and to top everything off a steampunk hat and a pair of black gloves. Most people here wear disguises anyway, so I should fit right in.
The door is made out of rusted metal, that blends in perfectly with the unkept alley. It can be hard to miss it at times, mostly because it's hidden somewhat directly behind an old dumpster.
First, three knocks on the door, and then the secret password. "The blood moons rises at midnight." I say.
I hear a few clicks coming from the other side as the guard unlocks the door with its many latches. The door opens and I walk through as the guard gives me a cold look. You would think with the money he is making just to open doors that we would look a little happier.
Once inside I travel down two flights of stairs and reach what I think is the basement of the building above. There are several other entrances to get down here some that lead through the sewer. They probably don't want everyone down here to crowd that single alleyway trying to get in.
The main market is the size of a small mansion. If you look hard enough you can tell that this used to be a large old underground subway, with concrete filling the spaces where the tracks used to be.
This place is crowded and noisy with a few hundred people all here at once. Smoke fills the air like a thick fog as they don't care if you smoke or not down here, so I light one up as well. Shop owners set up stands in straight lines next to the other. like other markets you have to pay a fee to set up your own shop, the prices here must be insane.
I walk over to a stand that is more like a small restaurant and sit down and read my job list more thoroughly this time.
A waitress walks over to me. "Anything to drink, sir?" she says.
"Just a beer." I reply. "Any kind." Not that I'll be able to drink it with my mask on, but I can't just sit here without ordering anything.
A minute later she brings me a beer as I'm starting to look over the mission report. Chenoa, age unknown, fur black, eyes yellow. That's not going to helpful down here since she is in her human form.
'Target is a security risk and needs to be eliminated.' It reads. That's easier said than done. With guards patrolling the place I can't get caught. If they find out what I am, then I would be the one with the security risk. I'll just have to kill her quickly before anyone else realizes what happened. That shouldn't be a problem with my speed. However, it says her rank is SS. Even if I don't get to actually fight her, figuring out how to kill her in this crowded place will be fun. The first task on hand is to actually find her.
There is a shop down here that you can pay to get personal information. I wouldn't technically call them criminals. They are the people criminals pay when they need information about a place they want to rob, as an example. A popular and profitable non-criminal profession.
I leave the restaurant and my full beer behind to find the right person for the job. They won't have a market stand since they don't have any physical items to sell. Even small-time drug dealers down here carry inventory on their person.
As I walk past some of the many shops here I imagine someone's first time coming here would be like a kid going to their first carnival. I mean it kind of sounds like one except there is less laughter and more business conversations.
I start to look more closely at some of the shops they have down here. The one on my right is a large stand selling sex, and or work slaves. All of them are chained up and half-naked to show them off, especially the females.
The next one down is selling poached animal hides, and pelts. On the other side.....Wait a minute. My heart drops into my chest as I look at the poaching shop again. Is that a werewolf pelt that's on display? What the.....What's going on here?
A million things race through my mind at once. Is that stand run by werewolf hunters, or do they not know what they are selling? Of course, they would know, you don't sell something unless you know what it is especially criminal businessmen. But how do they know about us? Who are they? Who would they sell that to down here? How could they convince someone that it actually is a werewolf pelt?
More importantly, how dare they do that to us. Maybe should skin those fuckers alive, put their hide on display and see how they like it. Some humiliation would be in order as well, skull fucking them in front of this crowed should do the trick.
There is an uncontrollable low growl coming from deep in my throat. I clench my teeth and my fists. My claws digging deep into my palms so that they actually start bleeding. This is unforgivable, they need to be punished. I WILL MAKE THEM KNOW WHAT TRUE PAIN FEELS LIKE!!!!
It's been years since I was this pissed off. This is the kind of bullshit that makes me hate humans so much. Killing is one thing, but this is on another level of fuckery.
No, deep breaths I need to calm down before I do something stupid like Hakan would in situations this. I promise myself that I will deal with them later. Or I could always deal with them now. No....no, I...I have to stay calm. I need to figure out how this pelt got here and why they are selling it.
I take a few long deep breaths and relax my muscles. A cigarette might help too. I light one up and realize that I need to buy more of them, especially if I keep stress smoking.
Maybe I can buy the information on how they got their hands on that pelt. "But what fun would that be?" I say in a low voice so no one hears me. I have a much better idea.