The whole room erupts with mocking laughing at Rongz words. Beer mugs clang together, mixed with the smell of freshly cooked meals sitting at the tables. The attention shifts elsewhere with the patrons going back to their own conversations. Rongz finishes up another beer and stands up. Axel pushes Ryo’s hand off his mouth. “Look this isn’t funny, you know that they just made an announcement about killing those pirates for almost attacking the city.” This time the whole bar quiets down. Some of the patrons turn their eyes away from Rongz, while others crouch up their hands ready to draw their weapons out.

Rongz’s grin disappears.

“What are you hiding?” Oblivious to the impending danger, the crowd grows on edge ready for their weapons to draw blood.

“How about we move this conversation elsewhere?” Vince calmly suggests, his eyes scanning the room.

“Sure, I can accommodate that.”  He looks at the man next to him. They excuse themselves, opening a side door next to the bar area. Rongz exits his seat, looking at them from over his shoulder. “This way.”

“So, you wanted to know about what happened?” They enter one of the backrooms down the hall from the main bar. He makes himself comfortable on the couch, kicking his feet up onto the table. The man joining them sits at a chair near the room’s entrance. He hasn’t taken his eyes off them the entire time.  The younger man stands behind the couch, his hands behind his back. “Oh, and this is my second in command, Philarce. He happened to be there during the raid, if you are interested.”

“You know about the raid? Axel asks. “You are actively hiding them!? I can’t believe this.” He places his palm against his forehead.

Ryo smacks Axel in the back of the head.

“Ow!”

“Ignore him. Continue.” Ryo looks back at Rongz.

Rongz grunts. “For your information, the raid had nothing to do with pirates. It was the resistance force put together to find back against Adam Rifenrdale’s polices he’s enacted over the last few months.” He waves his hand to Philarce. On cue, he takes a book from one of the shelves throwing it onto the same. Vince flips open to one of the middle pagers, scanning over the contest quickly.

“Wait…is this true?” His eyes glued to the words on the pages.

“Every word of it. Just before he disappeared one of the former workers gave this to us. All that money and it’s completely disappeared.” Rongz explains to him. “Just the other day that secretary of his announced another raise in the taxes of goods. It hasn’t started yet, but according to that it will happen.”

“Wait, you are telling me the prices will go up higher than what we say at the port?” Axel remembers the prices, and the despite between the merchant and buyer.  

“I don’t know the details, but Philarce was the only one who escaped that night when the raid happened.” He motions for Philarce to step forward. “Most of the resistance was there to finalize their protest and submit signatures for Adam to see. At least that is what I told them.”

“Wait so your…” Ryo says.

“Yes, I’m the leader of the resistance and I was on my way there but when I arrived all I found was weapons scattered around, the room completely torn apart and a few deceased members from the resistance. ”

Philarce sits down in a chair, he intertwines his hands, placing his chin on them. “It was a mess. We had just started the meeting when a bunch of soldiers came bursting into the room. There was shouting and chaotic. I do remember they were saying we are under arrest for disguising ourselves as pirates. What was weird is when a few members tried to reason with them, they cut them down without warning.”

Axel can’t hide his disbelief. Ryo falls into his own thoughts, but Vince listens very closely to all details of Philarce’s story. “I managed to slip out while the others were led away. Just outside I overheard a few soldiers talk about finding a weapons stash and documents suggesting that the resistance were pirates. I couldn’t believe my ears. That was when I ran into Rongz.”

“As you can see, this whole thing about pirates is completely made up. And now that announcement about executing the people they captured.” Rongz slams his fist onto the table, cracking it down the middle. “Those are hard working citizens, how dare Adam think he could do that to them!” His anger flares in his eyes.

“No, he wouldn’t do that.” Vince is the next one to speak. He flips through the pages of the book. “The Adam Rifenrdale I know has overseen this city for a decade. It thrived under his fair and equal policies. This is nothing like him.”

“So you know him well?” Ryo asks him.

“He is one of my contacts, and a friend, of course I know him.” Vince leans back, his hand ruffling through his hair. “Even I was surprised by what that man said in the square. More importantly, when did he even get a new secretary? What happened to Donah?”

A light tap on the door gets their attention. The three men from earlier enter with a stack of papers in their hands. One of them places an open folder onto the table and litters the rest with sheets of numbers and names. “These was everything we could find hidden at the meet up location.” The shortest man says.

Rongz opens the folder and throws a few pictures onto the table. All the pictures display a few groups of people entering and leaving the mayor’s mansion. They have their faces covered and carry swords at their sides. In other pictures, the same groups interact with soldiers exchanging papers in isolated locations. Vince studies them but what catches his eye isn’t the people but the shadow in the first picture just inside the open front mansion door. He brings it up to his face.

“It’s that new secretary.” Vince passes the photo around.

“Looks like  he has something to do with everything. When did he start working?” Ryo places it back on the table.

“There is only limited information. And with this folder maybe someone in that room knew something was going on.” Philarce flips through the pages in the folder.

Ryo looks up at the ceiling. His mind wanders through multiple solutions of what they could be missing. The detention facility they witness from the central square pops into his mind. “What about the detention facility? You didn’t say they were all dead. What about the ones captured?”

Rongz nods. “That’s a possibility. We did receive word that one of our youngest members is still being held inside the abandon mansion with others. They might have more information that we don’t.”

“How are we supposed to talk to him?” Axel asks. “I’m sure we can’t just walk right in there.”

Vince flips through a few pages, looking up at Axel and Ryo. His eyes scan them from head to toe. A small smile creeps onto his face. “I think I may have an idea.”

Axel stares back at him. “No whatever it is no. That smile of yours sends shivers down my spine.” He jumps from his seat.

Ryo on the other hand, rubs under his chin. “Yes, I think that might work.”

“Your agreeing?!”

Rongz leans back in his seat. “You know this might actually be fun.” He chuckles about the display in front of him. Philarce besides him rolls his eyes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Axel and Ryo stand outside a rustic two floor building, all the windows are closed with shutters and most of the siding is chipped or missing. Two soldiers guard the front metal doors with their swords at their sides. They shift their hiding position to the outer brick wall. Axel peeks over the vines catching a glimpse of movement towards the far side of the building. He motions Ryo beside him.

“I see something,” He points.

Ryo follows the line of sight; a large cart sits just outside the side door. On the side, large chunks of wood are broken off from rough treatment. A few soldiers pile in large boxes and other items into the wagon’s bed. The hooded driver takes off after getting a thumbs up from one of the soldiers. It rocks violently on the path leading into the woods. Ryo pulls Axel back down and straightens up his necktie. Both wear black suits with a matching red striped tie. A pair of glasses cover Axel’s eyes, and Ryo’s hair is smooth backwards to give him a professional appearance.

“Don’t forget why we are here.” He tells him.

“Is this even going go work?” He shifts uncomfortably trying to loosen up the cufflinks around his wrists.

“It better. Or else we are going to be in trouble.”

They both approach the soldiers in front, trying to pass of the appearance of confidence and purpose in their steps. Ryo stands in front of Axel, masking any mess ups that he could do. The soldiers hold out their hands.

“Halt, state your business.” The hostility in his words reflects high defense towards any strangers.

Ryo holds out a paper marked with Vince’s stamp in the corner. “We are representatives of Vince Patel, the trader. He couldn’t make it today and said there was a delivery for the warden here.”

The second soldier leans forward, rips the paper out of Ryo’s hand and scans it. “Looks official. I didn’t know there was such a delivery today.”

Behind Axel, his discomfort grows from the apprehension, but Ryo remains calm. He shrugs his shoulder. “Suit yourself. I’ve heard that the warden isn’t happy when he gets his orders on time. I’m sure you can come up with an excuse for us.”

The soldiers exchange looks and give the paper back to Ryo. They both resigned themselves to his words, moving to the side. “You may go. However, you only have fifteen minutes. Anymore and…” The soldier brings his thumb across his neck.

“Duly noted.” Ryo bows to them, opening the front door. Axel sticks to his heels, completely blown away by Ryo’s change in attitude and acting. They take a step inside the door…

“Hey! Just one moment! Not another step!” A shout comes from behind them. Axel freezes in place, a frozen chill shoots down his spine. “Oh, no.”