As the taxi continued to traverse the street, I began to think more deeply about my next course of action. ‘I signed over all my belongings to Sharp Stepper. Knowing that bastard he probably sold it to some other rich dude and I’m not in any condition to fight it out with them right now. I think for the time being that I will just…’

“Huh! Did I just spot a ghost?” A familiar face just whooshed by me.

“What was that mister?” Inquired the cab Driver.

“Park over here.” As soon as the wheels came to a halt I exited the vehicle and latched onto a nearby pole for support. Looking back, I noticed the vehicle door slamming and the driver speeding away as if he was being chased by a serial killer. I know I was scary but that guy was over-exaggerating.

“Did my eyes deceive me just now?”

The reason I told the cab driver to pull over so suddenly was that I thought I spotted one of my former associates who I thought was murdered. To confirm my suspicions, I doubled back a block to where I had spotted the familiar face through the cab window.

“This place is…” I found myself standing across the street in front of a noodle food stall that had some customers sitting outside on stools as they were eating.

“Hm, isn’t that…” Sure enough, my eyes weren’t deceiving me. The person I saw eating over there was indeed the bastard that I thought was dead.

“Rodent, that ass-licker is still alive and breathing? I thought Sharp Stepper and his men killed him back at the warehouse. If he is alive that could only mean one thing… he was the one who sold me out.”

I treated that traitor like a brother and what did I get in return, a deep stab in the back? I wasn’t about to let that traitorous rat slip away from me, not when I had him in my sight.

Author’s P.O.V

5 men were sitting around the counter at the noodle shop filling their faces with Mr Han’s delicious noodles. Only 2 of the customers weren’t affiliated with the other 3 men. As for the other 2 men they were all a part of Rodent’s gang, they served under him.

The greediest thug of the bunch was rapaciously stuffing his mouth with food as he looked to his boss and spoke, “Hey Rodent what do you say after we finish our meal here we go check out those new strippers at Crystal Nightclub?”

Another thug agreed, “That sounds like fun, Byso, but are you sure you are up for it?”

Byso inquired, “What do you mean, Tyrone?”

“I’m just worried that you might barf on one of the strippers' asses with all that food you’ve eaten, right, Rodent?”

“That is possible, yes, yes.” Rodent answered with a bit of tempo to his voice. “I would love to visit Crystal Nightclub but these days, Madam Plastic is charging way too many Crowns for the entry fee.”

Tyron took a sip of his soup before saying to Rodent, “Wasn’t it always like that though, she just bumped up the price a little.”

“I know but I used to frequent that joint on the regular without paying any damn entrance fee.”

Byso spoke up, “Wasn’t that a few months ago when you were still working for that infamous gangster who used to own half of the joint? What is his name…?”

Tyrone reminded him, “His name is, Smoke Pac, right Rodent?”

“That’s his name alright.” Rodent look slightly miffed when he said this.

“Whatever happened to that guy?” Byso was curious.

Tyrone speculated, “I heard that he was killed off by a rivalling underground crime lord. This could also be just a rumour.”

“I can assure you that it isn’t a rumour.” Said Rodent. He didn’t feel comfortable talking about that topic so he told his henchmen, “Enough about that guy, he’s no longer relevant.”

After he cleaned his bowl, Rodent pushed it down the counter and said to the chef, “Mr Han, I am going to take a short piss around back, I’ll pay you when I get back, ok?”

“If you say so, you better not be attempting to dine and dash.” Mr Han showed Rodent his sharp cooking knife. “This here is what I will use on the non-paying customers.”

Rodent glanced at the knife and smirked. “You don’t have to worry about payment, you know that I’m good for it, Mr Han. Now can I go take a piss or do you want me to unload my bladder all over your prime establishment?”

Mr Han shooed him off with his knife. “Go! Go! And make sure you pee further away from my stall. I don’t want your smelly urine scaring away potential customers.”

“Whatever you say, Mr Han, whatever you say.” Rodent moved away from the stall and started walking to the corner where a dimly lit alleyway was present.

“Time to drain the lizard.” Rodent settled by a dumpster, pulled down his zip and whipped out his flaccid lizard. The organic triggers controlling his bladder began opening the flow but before he could get the chance to stain the side of the dumpster with his urine he was unexpectedly attacked by a troubled foe.

“What the fuck!” Rodent gave off a deafening scream when he was suddenly pushed against the dumpster and had his lizard bruised. His back was kept pinned against the dumpster, so he was staring the assailant directly in the face.

“Who the hell are you, man? What do you want from me? I don’t have much Crowns on me, ok, so just take whatever I have and go.” Rodent genuinely thought that he was in the process of being mugged by a hobo with bloodshot eyes and who smelled like a decaying dog. Soon he heard his attacker responding,

“What’s the matter old friend don’t you recognise me? Is the beard too much?”

“Huh! It can’t be!” Rodent recognized the voice but the appearance wasn’t doing its speaker justice. Rodent found it impossible to believe that the person he was thinking of was still alive, but after staring into those ruthlessly glaring eyes for another 10 seconds, he was becoming a believer.

Rodent’s heart skipped a beat as he asked, “Smoke Pac is that you?”

“In the flesh.”