"I don't like that you can read all my thoughts," I growled, and she gave me a look that said she didn't care what I thought.
"I also don't like that you have become a terror that strikes fear into the hearts of all those he meets. That is not my way or the way of our people. Yet, I have no choice because you are there, and I am here. I have no one to tell you your thoughts, and it is nice to have someone to listen to that isn't a pompous deity," she replied, and I relaxed some.
"Fair enough, but you dropped me into this shit hole of a world, and you picked me because the others are getting torn apart, right? If I am going to get whatever is left of them back, I am going to have to get rid of the competition. Ned is the obvious target, but he is not enough by himself. I need to deal with the other crime families and gangs," I explained, still monitoring Rick and Brad as they made their way back up the building alone.
"I understand that, but you should be nicer to the people that work with you," Numera replied, but I tapped my head.
"That is your fault. You are the one that puts the suspicion in my head, so it is what it is. I don't have room to trust people right now," I said and then remembered something. "I think you did more than just add suspicion to me, didn't you? Something about women? While I agree with what I said to Miles about them, something about it felt forced. Is this your doing as well?"
"Considering the person you are, and what you are capable of, I decided to add some compassion for women, and add hate for the abuse of them. While this was underhanded of me not to tell you, I do not think that it will impact your work. In your past life, you were a gentleman and treated women with a lot of respect, but you signed off on things that allowed innocent women to be abused," Numera said, and I frowned.
"Like hell I did," I growled, but Numera nodded.
"I don't know of this place so I don't know what it is like in comparison, but this is something that you did," Numera said, and suddenly, the scene shifted to Numera and I standing in my old office.
I was sitting at my desk, working on some documents, but it was weird to see my old body. A part of me had trouble even connecting it to who I was now, but then I noticed something. A date.
Slowly, things started to click as a knock came on the door. That was Micheal, and he was coming to tell me about a new business idea. A hotel.
A memory of the list of charges appeared in my head, and I remembered wondering where the charge for sex trafficking had even come from, but at the time, I had just assumed it was one of the false charges because not all of the charges had been real. The DEA had tried to get me with everything they could, but even with half the stuff sticking, I was still sentenced to 187 years in jail with no chance of parole.
"Hmmm. I can see your reasoning, but now I have a question. Was it Michael that ratted me out?" I asked, but she shook her head.
"No, but that is not important. I will tell you once I have secured Wendell. To tell you now would fill your head with unnecessary thoughts, and you need to stay focused. That life is over, and I only showed you this, so you understand your mistakes. Many women were hurt because they did not pay attention to the empire they were building, and they trusted the wrong people. I do not want to see the same thing happen, especially if you choose to continue to gain power in this way," Numera explained, and I nodded as Rick and Brad started up the last set of stairs.
"I understand, and I will be sure to pay more attention. Thank you for the warning," I said, and then cut off the conversation, looking back at Rick and Brad as they came into the room, but then groaned as both men put up their hands, but then they both hit the floor screaming and clutching their heads in pain as my bugs emitted painful screams directly into their ears.
I waited for about a minute and then stopped the noise, but both men had passed out and were bleeding from their left ears. I walked over as my bugs crawled out, and then over their faces and into the other ear. Both of them would be permanently deaf on one side, but they should count themselves lucky. My talk with Numera has softened me, but only slightly.
Grabbing both men by the necks, I picked them up and held them to the wall, and my bugs ran wired all over them to pin them there. I let go, and walked over to a broken chair, picked it up, fixed it as I did, and then set it down in front of the two hanging men. Once I sat down, I snapped my fingers, and the bugs electrocuted both men awake, causing them to gasp in pain.
"I think that I might have been unclear about things, but I am in a bit of a forgiving mood today, so I will pretend like you both were about to try to kill me. You know, since I did say that, I would make an example of anyone that did not cooperate. Now, I can have the bugs torture you a little more, or you can tell me who the other leaders are and what they are capable of," I said, crossing my arms as I looked up at them straight in the eye.
Brad was the first to speak, his voice shaking with fear. "There is Pablo for the Bloods and Butch for the Rats. They are all pretty dangerous, especially Butch. He likes to use explosives."
I nodded but then added something else. "You will also help me get contact information for every single one of the people that work underneath these men. You will do it now before I let you go," I instructed and waited for their reply. Both men nodded, looking relieved that the torture had stopped, and even more so when I told them that they were going to be released soon.