Several members of the MPD-Haverton Alliance gathered at the 9th precinct. It was a miracle nobody was harmed at Port Pembroke, in spite of the crimson attack that occured there.
"Earl Wayne Johnson was never there." Valefar explained to Chance. The Representative was busy inspecting the conditions of the officers there, and Ford, one of the HAST members, was sent there. "Bright must have told him to back off from the meeting. He also must have seen us when you and I spoke with Galley. That fucker can manage how thin his mist form is."
Chance was sitting on a chair within the offices of the MPD. There were numerous messy tables as well as shelves that contained hundreds of case files. Each of the files were placed in thin light brown folders, although the said folders have managed to be thicker than they were originally intended too.
They were like fat pigs at this point. It was just a matter of time til somebody had to take the files out, and replaced them with new ones.
"Valefar told me the whole thing." Higgins walked to Chance. The man was accompanied by Rosenthal who was standing next to him. "What the hell were you thinking, Chance?"
"Three Hellfire Arm encounters." Rosenthal spoke. "And doing so without having a Hellfire Arm himself." He said that phrase in a calm tone. He was too old for screaming and shit at this day and age. The Hellfire Arm crisis already took his anger away, and the vultures of reporters.
"Chance, the last thing I need is somebody else getting killed." Higgins spoke. "If you want out of this-"
"No. I'm still in." Chance said. "I've got to pay a favor to Valefar."
"Indeed." Valefar spoke as he approached Higgins and Rosenthal, facing them. "The Haverton right here needs to do some drip work of his own, considering I saved his reckless ass."
"You're bluffing." Rosenthal spoke. "You're asking a member of the law, a member of the Haverton agency to commit murder?"
"Commissioner." Chance sighed. He didn't like Valefar from the day he saw him again in Rosenthal's office, but at this point, he was a helpful resource, and a key member of solving this Hellfire Arm crisis.
"Chance, Wesley Riskell disappeared from his cell." Rosenthal exclaimed. "That's already another, excuse my language, fucked up thing that's happened."
"Commissioner!" Fermor bursted through the door and into the offices, surprising everyone who was receiving calls and filing reports. "There's been a riot at Ryder's Island. McSweeney and other officers are doing crowd control. Some prisoners are trying to escape!"
"One of the surviving guards at the Island called. He found the dead body of a prisoner. It's most likely Wesley Riskell judging by his cleancut hair and face."
Valefar noticed Rosenthal's eye twitching. The Representative gave a small smile. "If it helps commissioner, I can ensure that Chance will kill the drip work target discreetly. No backup or cover front to the police or the Havertons if he gets caught in the act."
Higgins raised his eyebrow, as did Chance. Rosenthal eventually spoke again. "Allow it, and get it over with. I trust you agree with the Representative's plan, Higgins?"
"Think you can handle it, Chance?" Higgins asked. "If you get caught, there's nothing we can do."
"Rest assured gentlemen." Valefar thought. "What I have in mind for payment is beyond money." he gave a giant grin as Chance took a deep breath.
He had killed before in the war, but that was because the situation demanded it. When he was doing his investigations in the city prior to the Hellfire Arm crisis, almost no gunfight broke out. This was going to be a different kind of killing.
***
When Chance walked through the hallways following Valefar, he saw a familiar face.
"Detective." Amato Fallaci spoke in a surprised tone. "You're fine."
"Mr. Fallaci. I'm assuming you brought the Hellfire Arm, Dead Air, here."
"Yes sir. I've heard stories about these Arms, how dangerous they were. One of the people here had to ask me a lot of questions about what happened, including you encountering that man in crimson." Amato explained, before he saw Valefar.
"Have we met before, sir?" Valefar asked, folding his arms and giving a smile.
"I'm assuming you're that businessman in Central. George Vale." Amato raised an eyebrow. "But as soon as I heard talk of a man floating in the sky, and even summoning a driverless car, I'm not sure if that's the case." He paused. "You're the Devil, aren't you?"
Valefar laughed. "No. I'm just A DEVIL. But I want this Hellfire Arm crisis as much as the next person. Bad for me and humanity. That's why I'm helping Chance and his law buddies, but the detective has a favor to do, from me and Joey Satriano."
"Wait, Satriano? He's here?" Amato demanded. "Where is he?"
"Hold up. What's your beef?" asked Chance.
"Let's talk about it on the way, this should be entertaining." Valefar led the two men to the west end of the building. Amato was walking at the same pace as Chance.
"You were gonna say something about Joey Satriano?"
"That man is a dog to Little Italy." Amato spoke. "A dog that should be put down! Businesses he tried to racketeer, even threatened people and even myself if violence if we didn't cooperate. When I heard that he was arrested I didn't believe it for a second, cause he had some police officers on his payroll in the past!"
"Really?" Chance asked.
"Yes detective. Once I caught my son interacting with one of his men. It was an accident, he said, but those men should have known better than to try and drag him into their criminal business!"
The Representative and the two men stopped at the sight of Joey Satriano, the Italian with nearly combed hair and brooding skin.
"Bastard!" Amato and Satriano both shouted as soon as the two Italians pointed at each other, before getting in each other's faces. The two Italians shouted about Satriano's position in Little Italy.
"You call yourself a man of honor." Amato spoke. "By getting involved in crime. Drugs, girls, weapons, even killing! You're a disgrace to all Italians dare I say!"
"And you don't have any balls. You think people can achieve the American Dream here by expecting somebody to hold your hand? NO. Some people are unlucky, I was one of them, and I couldn't trust this city to help me get through life!"
The two Italians then felt their necks being grasped, they were choked, as Valefar approached them, positioning his chains as if he were choking them.
"Valefar…"
"One moment Chance." Valefar spoke in an annoyed tone. His arms were fully extended, almost like a flag pole. He slowly walked to the two men, still in his chokehold.
He's not even touching us, Satriano thought.
"As much as I'd love to hear about how you two hate each other, as well as screaming and shouting like two women who hate each other, Chance and I have business to attend to, so I'd appreciate if you Joey, tell Chance what you told me, and Mr. Fallaci, it's best you get back to your family or whoever's at home with you, the less you get involved in this Hellfire Arm crisis the better."
"I may be a devil, but I'm making it easier for you." Valefar emphasized before he relaxed his hands, and the two Italians let out a huge breath. Amato plunged backwards but maintained his posture. He held onto his neck, taking his own breath as he looked at Valefar.
"Once these Hellfire Arms are gone, you'll go too right?"
"Yes." Valefar recalled.
"I'll see if I can round up people in Little Italy to go searching for Hellfire Arms. I'll be sure to phone the MPD immediately."
"Yes, you do that." Valefar said as Amato made his way out of the building. The Representative faced Satriano. "So, you mind telling Chance over here what you want?"
"The hell you mean?"
"I save this man from being killed by a certain man in crimson." Valefar joked. "And I told him that he'll do you a favor."
"Man in crimson? Bright..?" Satriano spoke. "Shit."
"You know Drip Work, do ya Joey? DO YA?" Valefar's eyes were about to bulge.
"Val." Chance extended his hand. "Let me do the talking?"
"Sure detective, do your thing. I'll be waiting outside for the job."
Joey Satriano sang like a bird when it came to Drip Work Inc.. He didn't deal with them directly, he had guys who dealt with them.
"I never met Bright himself, nor do I know who's calling the shots there." Satriano said. "But one guy stuck out, saw him in Little Italy a few years back. He had a weird mustache, almost like a fucking walrus."
"I'm looking for him, Hunch Harvey. He was Lloyd Howitzer's friend, and Riskell's employee. You know Riskell's gone by the way?"
"Shit, no, what happened?"
A pause. "The less you know, the better." Chance spoke. "Now, think you can tell me about Hunch?"
"Hang up detective." Satriano spoke. "I have a good feeling about what Valefar said about him saving your ass from Bright. If you want me to cooperate in finding Hunch Harvey-"
"Do you a solid. I know."
Chance sighed. He wanted to get through this favor.