If you missed the first part of this series, you can check it out by clicking here >Vain City (Pt.1)
On the evening of the Commissioner's arrival, two tough-looking men in pinstripe suits stood guard outside a secluded warehouse inside of which a groaning noise rang out at intervals, interrupting the evening silence. Inside the warehouse, Bodey Deen, one of the infamous crime lords of Vain City, was busy having yet another session of his dreaded interrogations.
Bodey halted his henchman who was about to inflict on an already blood-soaked man what seemed like the 50th punch. He drew closer to the man and took a deep draw before separating his lips from the Churchill cigar he stuck between them, then he blew the smoke on him.
"Now, are you ready to talk or do still you want Lomba to carry on? Trust me, he can do that all night."
"I.. I.. am.. telling the truth," the man managed to cough the words out of his bleeding mouth.
"So you're telling me Zacky sent you to hijack my truck but didn't tell you where to take it to?" Bodey asked for the umpteenth time, still finding it hard to believe.
He took off his toquilla straw hat and faced his henchman, Lomba, "how much of the stuff was in that truck again?"
"Fifteen. Fifteen pounds."
"Fifteen! Fuck!" He put on the toquilla again, "If it's a war Zacky wants, he shall get one."
The two crime lords, Bodey and Zacky, had no love lost between them. Until now, their rivalry had led to several violent confrontations leaving one or two gang members injured but the attack carried out against Bodey's gang the night before had left one of his men dead. He was a good and trusted soldier, Bodey had said of him. That was not all he lost in the attack, his truck conveying fifteen pounds of heroin which his men were smuggling out of the city was also hijacked. His men had caught a member of the rival gang who attacked them but after several minutes of torture, he still maintained that he knew nothing about the location of the truck.
A police car pulled up outside the warehouse. The two guards maintained their unflinching pose. They recognised the vehicle. It was the superintendent's official car. The driver donning a police uniform jumped out of the car and walked towards the men.
"Gentlemen," he nodded at them, "Mr Bodey, please."
"Inside," one of the men said.
It was just formality. Corporal Yusuf knew quite well that the crime boss would be inside the warehouse torturing someone as usual. That was what Bodey used the warehouse for, after all.
"Good evening, Mr Bodey!" Yusuf greeted as he entered into the warehouse.
Bodey didn't turn back to look at the officer, "This particular evening is far from good, officer. What do you have for me?"
Yusuf didn't say anything. Bodey turned back to look at him and immediately understood the reason for the policeman's sudden silence.
"Oh, don't worry, Yusuf. This one isn't leaving here alive," he assured him, referring to the bleeding man.
"Supol Bashir sent me to tell you about the arrival of the new commissioner," Yusuf said.
"Yes, what about him?"
"He's indeed a tough man just as the rumours said. Supol thinks he will be hard to buy off."
"Well, every man's got a price. He must have one too. Tell Bashir that I'll have a word with him myself."
"Ok then."
The policeman lingered. Again, Bodey understood him. He was waiting to get the his and the superintendent's commission from the heroin delivery.
"No kola today, Yusuf." Kola was the euphemistic word for bribe in Vain City.
"The truck didn't make it. This one right here," Bodey said, pointing at the bleeding man, "and some other Zacky's men ambushed my men and hijacked the truck."
"That's terrible. I shall inform the superintendent. Good night, Mr Bodey," the officer said and began to walk out, knowing fully well that he wouldn't get anymore response from the crime lord.
To be continued.
You're good at this genre and I am sure you have a great finish in store :)