Blood slowly dripped into the drain flowing freely. The bodies stacked up as more people came out. I stepped up to Cassandra who just slit another informant's throat. Eight bodies were stacked there and we moved together. Down the alley into the crowds.
"Mistress more and more informants are being cleansed. The Consolidation is going well. Our numbers from the beginning are now with forty that I trust are not informants. There are thirty strong that I believe are integrating smoothly with the fear over their head. A hundred trainees are being trained and hazed." Cassandra told me as we walked the deserted alleys.
"The other gangs have been keeping an eye on the situation here in the Eastside. The docks gangs are even more troublesome. If it wasn't for the guards from everywhere patrolling the streets and even the alleyways," She paused and looked at me, "Our gang would be in huge trouble. I mean major trouble. They want the territory we are in. If it were not for the guards also we could make a profit by charging a toll for moving through our territory to other gangs. This would bring in a hefty profit but paint a target on us as well." She finished that line of thought while we started heading towards a hideout.
I was taking a break from the Mouse sissy bitch to get a report from Cassandra today. Things in the Eastside were going to well and I knew that the nobility was giving us a respite while thinking they were giving us pressure. A lot of the nobility think guards or peacekeepers being all around doing random raids gave us pressure. With us moving into even better hideouts their random raids did nothing. No better than nothing it pressured other gangs to stay away. If it wasn't for this increased 'Pressure' they would have been on our streets trying to take our territory. The guards now were doing the work for us.
I knew something like this was going to happen but it still brought a smile to my face when I am right. I was hoping for the docks also to under our control. I still needed a day or two for my bones to finish healing though. We reached a nondescript house in the middle of the slums. We opened the unlocked door with a well off looking family living there. We ignored them as we walked past them and into the back. We opened a trap door and entered into a large underground area. Wood beams littered the area making sure this hideout was secure. I looked at it critically thinking Iron would be better.
"This wood needs to be changed to a stronger material than wood. Steel would be best but I realize we do not have the liquid funds at the moment." Cassandra nodded,
"Yes If a fight breaks out then they would be a prime target to destroy the space. I realize that we need a blacksmith in our control too. This was part of the plan when we took over the docks as well Mistress." Cassandra reminded me and I grimaced deeper.
Calling off the plan early really was hampering us. We walked past a couple of thugs training in the Hideout and into a separate meeting room we had prepared. An enchanter from the Necromancer guild was working on some enchantments for us to make it more soundproof. We told him we needed to talk and for him to take five. He left with a gold coin for some food while we sat down.
"Cassandra, you are correct..." I started after sitting and started to think. "You are doing a fantastic job with the informants being cleared out. I think you are also building a solid base for us. We need to start gathering more information about rivals again. This brings me also to question something else." Cassandra was watching me and only raised an eyebrow.
"Do we need to wait for the guards to stop patrolling these parts?" I asked simply and she frowned. "Think about it. We can attack while the guards defend for us. We already know they have no idea where our main hideouts are. We are currently spending gold to make fakes for them to raid to. This allows us to weed out even more informants. We can kill two birds with a single stone." I told her and her eyes lit up.
"You are saying we tell everyone we are going to take more territory," She started with a smile on her face, "Hell we can even do that with some sacrifices. We will make newbies with some of the older new members attack other gangs we have the information they can take. If that attack group is intercepted we know where the informants are. This will also test loyalty. Meanwhile, the three of us attack the docks forcefully!" Cassandra looked excited as she thought about it.
Inside the room as a general map of the city. We needed to start putting up the territories of each gang with information soon on it. We looked at it and started to think as well. Cassandra was looking happy although I wasn't sure why she felt the need to fake emotions with me.
We spent hours talking and working with each other to start putting targets on rivals nearby. With the other side stopping others from taking over it meant a lot of weak gangs existed. We started putting targets on them with the people whom we suspected grouped in with newbies. We made it so that each team would have enough power to take the territory though. This was going to be the final check. The only people who knew about all the attacks would be us. The others would be in the dark about the other attacking groups. The silence on this was crucial.
While all this was going on Carl, Cassandra and I would move in on the docks. We would take the Key power players only though. These six gangs held the most power and used the other gangs as pawns. Once these six were out we would own the docks of the city with the freight that moved through.
This was going to be a risky venture but the payout would be enormous if we pulled it off. If under the noses of the nobilities guards another massacre ensued... The fallout would be amazing. Citizens will be angry and lose trust in the people protecting their property. The big show was to calm nerves. The economy of the city might even slow down. Everyone scared would hide in their homes. Nobility would be the only ones free of this with their guards. This would increase resentment towards them.
This all though would be temporary but it would also create the Chaos our gang needed. The North, south, and west wouldn't be able to interfere with us. We would take more and more territory before taking complete control. The chaos is what we needed. This plan would be what allowed us to become the juggernaut of the east. With the docks under control, we would also control the jobs. The poor needed these jobs and would give us much more invisible power.
This plan was going to take more planning though but it had to be soon. The night was going to be settling in soon.
"Mistress, I still need to finish things around and still a couple more informants for me to dispose of. I will be sleeping in a hideout. Carl is taking care of the trainees he shouldn't be back. If we do this in overtime we can probably have the execution date be..." She was thinking quickly, "Three more days and I should have the gang ready."
I stared at her with a smile, "Good, Faster the better but be careful." Cassandra smiled back with a darker smile.
"You know I will be," She told me and I nodded. She had been running the show and the guards had not found a thing she didn't want to be found. I was starting to trust her with these things. This would have been difficult even for me back in my previous world. I shook my head knowing the comparison wouldn't be fair to either of us.
The nobility still hadn't brought the wizards in as well. I was somewhat knowledgeable about their abilities but... They were still a mystery all their capabilities. The expense though would be enormous. We needed to keep the costs down. If the nobility thought that we were worth the expense that wouldn't be good, to say the least.
I stood up with a smile ready to leave. I turned and said one last thing before exiting. "Cassandra, you are doing a great job and making me happy. Finish this next part properly and I will give you a reward within reason. Don't disappoint me..." I trailed off and left her in the room. I left the hideout while in thought.
It was dark by the time I got home with guards roaming the streets in number.