24 Houston’s play cards

Seojun Kang had seen the eyes of the boy as he showed him the picture. They were still and almost void of emotion but deeper than that those were the eyes of someone who had seen a lot in this world. For someone as young as him to have those kind of eyes, Seojun couldn't imagine what he had gone through. Regardless of that the boy seemed to be telling the truth about having not seen Kim.

"Onward," Seojun said to the driver as the car he was in sped off. Right now he was out on the streets looking for his niece, Kim. It wasn't like her to do something like this so the only thought that Seojun had was that something must have happened to her. The question was what? Seojun had many opponents who wanted to step over him and take over his district but they had all failed to do so in direct means and Seojun had taken an extra precaution so that no one he didn't trust would find out about Kim and so far it was going his way.

Just then Allen was coming out of his apartment block and was on his way to the store to get some extra painkillers as well as get some medicine that would help with his swollen features. He wore a hood to hide his face as he walked down the street that was full of people by now who were returning home after a long day of work. Most of them had ignored him.

Bumping into two or three people here and there they would yelled at him before letting the issue go. Allen was glad that he wasn't getting into trouble any time soon.

'Damn, what was the reason for attacking that guy again?' Allen thought as an image of Tyler's angry scowl flashed in his mind and he shuddered.

Just then though a four seater black coloured Benz pulled up beside him, the back set window was pulled down and Seojun could be seen looking at him. At a single glance Seojun was able to see the purple bruised face under the hood of the Allen butbue didn't bother him as that was none of his business and he had more pressing matters at hand.

"Have you seen her anywhere?" Seojun asked showing Kim's picture. Truthfully speaking, Seojun was having his doubts about finding out anything from showing the picture around but when he aw Allen's reaction he thought that perhaps he had been wrong about that.

The memory of the girl in the photo being taken into a black van in broad daylight came to his mind as if everything he saw was set on auto play.

"judging by your reaction I can tell you know something so its best of you to just get out with it," Seojun said in a calm voice but there was a hidden malice in his words. Clearly Allen had no choice but to tell him about what he had seen during the afternoon that day and Seojun after he heard of the masked men hauling her into a van he knew straight away that something was up. Someone close to him might have given some other gang information about Kim or it was simply a coincidence that Kim was taken.

'I highly doubt it's the latter though' Seojun thought as he told the driver to take him straight to Paradise Hotel which was his main headquarters and the most convenient place to gather his resources.

"Don't worry little angel I'll free you from what ever devil has you," Seojun promised himself.

*******

Kim sat on the hard bed, squeezing herself into the corner of the room with her knees bent towards her chest. After Houston had told her about Seojun's double life as a gangster, she couldn't believe it or she simply wouldn't but then the more she thought about it the more she felt like it was true. Regardless her uncle had been kind to her ever since he had taken her in unlike a certain uncle who had kidnapped her inorder to use her as a bargaining chip.

It was only 6 hours since she had been taken and it felt like a life time. A tray of simple food had been placed into her cell but she didn't touch it. Not that she wasn't hungry but because she didn't have the appetite.

The only thing that was keeping her going was the thought that if her uncle Seojun cared for her a lot then he would be looking for her deligently.

***********

Houston was emerging from a taxi and he was now in front of the Paradise Hotel after his men had told him that Seojun had just arrived. Houston's lips were twitching up and down consistently as he wanted to hide his smile but it was proving difficult.

The inside of the hotel was as warm and crowded as always with guests from different cities moving about on the ground floor some moving to the restaurant area and others checking in at the reception. Houston looked around more as he imagined the big money that he would make once he took over Seojun's assets, he would turn the place into an underground wonderland where the world's top syndicates could come in, he could delve deeper in the drug, girls and many more businesses.

A gleeful smile came to his face and there was no way he could suppress it. While walking through the fine establishment, two men in Black suits walked up to greet him. They had large bodies and appeared to be made of muscle. These were just a handful of men that Seojun trusted and personally trained which led the old man to wonder if Seojun was using some type of steroid to enhance their muscle development.

'Guess I'll have to find out after I have taken everything from him' he thought as he looked at the two men.

"Would you mind taking me to see the our young boss?" Houston requested but he's tone was less than respectful.

The men looked at each other unsure of what to do since this appeared to be an unscheduled visit and at a time when their leader had another issue to address, they doubted that he would appreciate a visit.

With their minds seemingly in sync, they were about to tell the old man off by telling him the leader was busy but before they could open their mouths, an elevator at the far end of the ground floor open and out came a small framed man in his late thirties, he had pure white hair that flowed to his shoulders, a lean figure and he exuded a confidence like no other. Despite him having an almost timid frame. This man was John and he was Seojun's right hand man and the most trusted as well as skilled member of the Rattlesnake group though on the streets it was well called a mafia because it seemed to be an organization that was fairly large and seemed to control the whole of Mission District or to be more specific Reinfield city which was where Paradise Hotel was as well as Kim's all girls school which wasn't too far away from Crimson academy.

"Let him through," John ordered and even though he was quite a distance away from them he's voice was heard loud and clear as if he were shouting and as if the were robots that moved aside mechanically.

This had even surprised Houston as he had close to no clue who the small man was but he seemed to be very respected and for some weird reason his body got goosebumps running up his arms but nevertheless he disregarded it since he was here to make demands and he would be the aggressor and not the regressor.

Walking past the two guards, Houston stood next to the petite figure of the man next to him but he couldn't help but be on the alert as the elevator reached Seojun's office floor. Getting off the elevator The petite man led the way through an equally larvishing corridor that stopped right before a brown polished wooden door.

Not bothering to even knock on the door John twisted the door knob and went inside, Houston following right behind him.

As soon as he entered he saw Seojun standing in front of his desk with his muscular arms crossed.

"What do you want Houston?" Seojun went straight to the point, not even bothering with formalities. He was clearly agitated and Houston couldn't help but smile at this scene in front of him. Without saying anything Houston took a seat on the leather chair right beside Seojun. Seojun was looking at him from the corner of his eye and ear slightly taken aback but this behavior.

"Do you know the most crucial thing to take care of in the business we delve in?" Houston asked calmly as he knew that he had this entire situation under his control.

Seojun let out an exasperated sigh clearly showing that he was more than annoyed that Houston was wasting his time when he could be out there looking for his niece "What are you trying to say you old fart?"

"Being involved in things that are as dangerous as being a gang leader it is of the utmost importance to eliminate all weaknesses whatsoever," Houston had a sly smile on his face.

'What is this bastard saying? And why is he talking about this now when I have to go look for….' That's when it hit him the only reason why Houston would suddenly visit and talk about guarding our weaknesses would have only been because he knew something about Kim or he was deeply inolved in her disappearance himself.

"Heh. So you finally figured it out huh!" Houston took out his smartphone and placed it on the table with it's screen shinning brightly as it displayed an image. Seojun's eyes widened as he was shocked and confused but soon that confusion turn into anger as he stared at the image of the lonely figure balled up against what he could only assume to be a cold a corner. But it wasn't just any image though, this was an image of Kim Kang his niece who had gone missing or more accurately had been kidnapped and the very culprit was sitting right beside him.

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