[Episode] Burning Bridges

Ebony weaved her way through the near empty streets of Baterilla as she made her way towards her destination. Although the meeting she was about to have was of grave importance, she was not looking forward to it in the slightest. However, there was no way she could postpone it any longer considering that she, too, had started the process of branching away from the family. Not that it would impact the proposal Curtis had pending in any way.

Ebony quickened her pace until she came upon the location they had both chosen for their meeting. She had slightly started to regret not bringing Adonis along but she figured that it was for the best. More-so as she didn’t want Curtis to be alarmed of her eventual plot against him. Having him trust her, at least temporary, would work in her benefit. Not that he had other choice considering what he had asked her to do.

Having come to the door, Ebony would knock once before immediately letting herself inside. She had no time for needless formalities nor the small talk that came with it. However, the first thing she would note was the extra person in the room. Ebony scowled as she made her way towards the seat across from Curtis. She’d keep her eyes on the man for just a bit longer before turning her gaze back to Curtis. He hadn’t mentioned a second person.

“Who’s he?” She said as irritation began to lace her words. “You said it would be just us two.” Curtis, on the other hand, grinned widely as he threw his arms open in an animated manner. “No need to worry, your pretty little self.” He’d belt out a laugh. “He’s… security.” Ebony raised an eyebrow incredulously. Refusing to dwell any more on the matter, however, she allowed the topic to dissipate. “Now, let’s get started, shall we?”

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Despite having initially declined the opportunity to seek more information about the little fly on the wall, Ebony was still not happy about the underboss glossing over such small details. She knew she hadn’t seen the white haired man before which meant that Curtis had plans for them both. Unfortunately, it also meant that things would spiral out of control if the newcomer decided to blab about what was supposed to be discussed that day.

Ebony, therefore, reasoned that it would be mutually beneficial to rid themselves of him once the meeting had ended. She had never agreed to the second person, after all, so Curtis could not blame her for wanting to permanently silence the man. In doing so, she could make certain that word never reached her father’s ears. Satisfied with her potential course of action, Ebony relaxed. She just had to wait until the deal would officially be set before taking action.

Ebony turned her attention towards the underboss as she awaited his next words. She figured that a response hadn’t been necessary to his first comment which left the room silent for a grief moment. Curtis, however, would be swift in filling it. “Have you thought about what we discussed, Wolf?” Ebony’s expression remained stoic. “I’m certain you’re here to give me good news, no?” Seeing as she gave him no reaction, Curtis let out a bellowing laughter.

“Much too cautious, are we?” He’d cough in an almost choking manner before immediately taking a swig of his cigar. Having recomposed himself, he gestured nonchalantly towards the man. “No need to mind him. Giancarlo is one of mine.” Ebony said nothing as she shifted her gaze from one man to the next. However, this time, it was with a disinterested look. She had already chosen his fate so it meant nothing to her whether or not that thing had a name or who he was. She just knew he would die before the day was done.

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Seeing as Ebony was in no mood to play his games, Curtis decided to take a different approach. He knew Ebony wasn’t like her father which meant that it also made things a lot more unpredictable. Not that he minded seeing as how he had raised her. After all, he knew better than anyone that, regardless of where they stood, the plan would be beneficial to them both. So long as she was willing to cooperate.

“It’s quite simple, Ebony.” Curtis continued, unbothered by her lack of response. “You get rid of that old man and, when all is said and done, you step back from the family and you walk away free.” Curtis would lean in forward. “You don’t belong here, anyway, and your father is much too stupid to continue leading this clan.”

Ebony took the man by surprise by simply leaning back on her chair, cross her arms, and shrug disinterestedly. “We already established that.” Ebony remarked. She owed him one so it was only natural that she repay him. Not that she cared much about what happened to her father or the family. “However, we still haven’t discussed what my end of the bargain is.”

Curtis grinned a secretive smile. “Of course, Eb.” He’d pull out a folder he had kept hidden near him. “We can’t let you leave empty hand-.” A loud ring would sound throughout the room. Both she and Curtis would look at her wristwatch in surprise. Ebony growled irritably as Curtis blinked in confusion. He’d remain silent as Ebony attempted to ignore the sound.  

After a brief moment, Curtis would nod as he cleared his throat. “As I was saying…” He raised his voice as the ringing continued.  “We can’t-” PURU PURU PURU. At this point, Ebony was seething. She lifted the cover before immediately closing it. Whoever was calling could wait. However, once she found out who they were, they’d be lucky if they saw morning come.

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Despite having hung up the phone, Curtis decided to wait a few seconds more. Ebony, too, remained silent as they stared at the wristwatch. After a moment, they came to the silent agreement that the caller, if they decided to attempt the call once more, had decided to try again at a much later time. It worked for them both as they had just started their negotiations.

Curtis took a puff of his cigar before taking control of the conversation once more.  He slid the folder over to her and gestured for her to open it. She obliged only to see several drawings of two individuals filed neatly inside. Ebony frowned as she turned her gaze over to him. She did not recognize the faces but she knew they held importance if Curtis was bringing them up so early in the game.

Curtis shrugged animatedly. “Your Pa is looking to get rid of you,” He said almost as if he were ordering something off of a menu. It meant nothing to him but he knew the information would be of use to her. He saw her interest which assured him that he had reeled her in. Even if temporarily. “I can provide you the re-” PURU PURU PURU.

At this point, all composure was lost between the two as anger flared. The conversation was going nowhere so long as the caller was satiated. “ANSWER THE FUCKING CALL, EBONY!!” Curtis barked out as he slammed his fist into the table. Ebony did not argue as she left the building seething in rage. If the negotiations failed now, she would make sure to murder the person on the other line.

Ebony lifted the cover of her wrist watch as she did her best to calm her anger. She’d plaster a forced smile upon her lips in an attempt to soothe herself. Unfortunately, it did not work as intended. “Hello?” Unfortunately, she couldn’t stop the irritation from slipping into her tone. More-so when she realized that Adonis had been the one interfering with the meeting. “Is something the matter?”

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The call ended quite abruptly so much so that Ebony had no time to react to his last comment. Not that it mattered much considering that he seemed to have been incredibly drunk. She knew he would most likely not remember a single thing when he sobered up. However, she had now added torture to her list of things to do when she met up with Adonis once more.

Taking a few moments to recollect herself, Ebony carefully closed the cover of the wrist watch and sighed. So long as she didn't receive another call, she figured that things would proceed smoothly. However, she needed to gauge the underboss' reaction when she returned first. After all, leaving as she did could prove to be disastrous for her if it had placed a damper on the overall mood.

Adopting a rather stoic expression, she made her way back inside the building. She'd glide back to her seat, taking quick note of Curtis' unimpressed expression. He remained silent but the look he gave her said everything she needed to know. "A misdial," Ebony replied with a shrug. She wouldn't mention the name but she did provide context. "Nothing important. Just a drunk call"

Curtis stared at her for quite some time before nodding ever so slowly. He seemed to be accessing her which was something Ebony could not blame him for. However, she swore that if Adonis' call had ruined things, well, that would be the last thing he ever did. "You were saying?" Ebony interjected coolly. "The caller won't be bothering us again." Or, at the very least, she hoped so.

Curtis frowned but he finally nodded as if to agree. He wasn't upset but he did wonder if she was even ready to help him complete the task at hand. The call just now was not something that helped quell his doubts. However, he had no other choice but to trust his instinct. Time was running out and he had no other choice but to proceed with what was already started.

"As we were discussing," Curtis said while tapping his cigar on the ashtray. "My men discovered a correspondence between your father and those two men." He waited to see Ebony's reactuon before continuing. "As a sign of good faith and once you've completed your part of the bargain, I will provide you with the resources you need to find them."

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