"Stop there, you filth. Where do you think you are going?", Joe yelled at Rex.
Rex was used to people telling him how dirty he looked, how awful he smelled, but whenever it came from the annoying Koe, it pissed him off more than usual. [Who does Joe think he is?], Rex thought. He looked at Joe through slanted eyes. Rex thought about what he was going to do to this bastard. Rex decided there and then that something had to be done. The insults and embarrassment had become too much.
Rex had had enough of it. It wasn't like there was so much difference between them. [For goodness sake, this tall buffoon is just a rank higher than me], Rex thought.
Yes, Rex knew and agreed he was dirty and hated to bathe, but he couldn't wrap his head around what concerned Joe in the matter, that he would be getting such insults and disrespect from him.
Rex bided his time, calmed his raging nerves, and said; "I need to speak with the boss". Rex had said in a very low voice that he didn't use every time.
Joe let out a burst of laughter. "So you think you sound tough now, don't you?", he mocked.
Rex smiled.
The smile confused Joe. "Close those rotten teeth of yours and go in. He awaits you. Let us hear the useless information you've got", Joe said as he walked in front of Rex toward Ajax's office.
They both entered the office and immediately perceived the thick smell of high-grade tobacco.
Ajax set his legs on his table, crossing them, with a glass of whiskey in his right hand and a large wrap of tobacco on the left. His eyes went to Joe and Rex without a word coming out of his mouth.
They greeted their boss who replied to them with a face as straight as a pencil. The only time they saw any flicker of facial movement was when he gulped the hot liquid.
"Boss", Joe said. "Rex is here with information from his watch"
"Hmm", Ajax replied.
Rex walked forward. "Boss. It is about the witch leaving on the other side of town"
Now, that piqued Ajax's interest.
Ajax dropped his legs from the table. The cigar was still between his lips when he said; "Out with it, Rex"
"Yes, boss. I do not know if what I am about to tell you would make any difference but they were strange and I just thought I should report anything that I hear from the witch's mouth"
"Arghhhhh", Ajax groaned. "Are you sick in the head, Rex? Joe, please tell the person standing beside you that if he's got nothing to say, he should use the exit behind him. What the hell is he wasting my time for?", Ajax said.
Joe leaned towards Rex and said; "Your stupidity knows no bounds". Joe smiled and stood erect again.
Ignoring Joe, Rex said to Ajax; "I am sorry, boss. The woman mentioned something about a place. I think its name was Goaz. I have never heard of a place like that even from our neighboring towns"
Ajax listened keenly. He didn't want to forget that name because he was going to ask Hera about it.
Rex waited for a moment allowing the boss to digest what he had just said, then he continued; "I didn't see anyone walk into the house, but she was talking to someone inside, and I heard her clearly say something about a pendant"
"Yes, I have-", Joe began when he saw Ajax jump to his feet.
"Did you say a pendant?", Ajax asked as he took the cigar out of his mouth and set it on the ashtray that was on the table.
Both Joe and Rex were surprised by their boss's reaction.
[What must be so special about this pendant?], Joe thought. He remembered seeing the pendant in question around the woman's neck.
It was a piece that one couldn't miss. It was pretty outstanding and would catch the eyes of anyone who laid eyes on her.
Ajax moved from behind his table and began to pace the room. Joe and Rex took some steps backward to give Ajax some space to walk around as it appeared that he was deep in thought.
"Describe this pendant, Rex", Ajax said.
"Um... boss. I only heard her talking about it with someone that I couldn't hear their own voice", Rex said.
Apparently, the fact that Rex hadn't seen who the 'witch' was discussing with, and the fact that he couldn't hear the person's voice or replies to her... disturbed the hell out of him. It was such an uncomfortable feeling to Rex.
While he walked to Ajax's office that morning, different scenarios played in his mind. Rex imagined the woman conjuring up some form of demon to send on assignments. Rex pictured her doing sacrifices to devils in that room she occupied. [That must be what or who she was talking to], Rex thought. He shivered.
"How are we going to deal with this woman? I wonder what boss has planned out", he said.
Joe rolled his eyes and thought that Rex was so incompetent. "Boss, I can describe how the pendant looked", he said with his chest pushed forward and his head held high...making him appear taller than usual.
Rex shook his head. [So disgusting], he thought.
"Have you seen it before?", Ajax asked as he stopped in his tracks directly in front of Joe.
"Yes, I have. I have confronted her before... the time I question her about the whore that ran away", Joe said as his mind drifted to Selena again. He had a pang in his heart making it obvious to him that it was still a very sore spot.
"Good. tell me how it looks like", Ajax asked impatiently.
"It is like a purple stone... it had gold markings on it. It had become very clear to me because when she was preparing to attack me, the stone began to shine. Light came out of it... a purple light", Joe said as he remembered the scene so clearly like it was yesterday. He had been startled and had to tread carefully.
The lady looked powerful to Joe and he was happy that he had left there without a curse or something of that nature.
[I have found it!], Ajax thought.
Joe and Rex watched the wide smile that gradually appeared on their boss's face.
It was a rare occurence.