15 CH-15: A Double Identity
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"Huh, you took out Silvio?"
Caliban asked, his disbelief evident as he scrolled through the pictures on the flip phone
"Yeah." I confirmed.
"And Stick too?" He pressed, placing the phone on the table after inspecting the evidence.
"Yes." I nodded once more.
"All in one night?" He scoffed, as if the weight of my accomplishments had yet to sink in.
It seemed that most hit jobs took people a week to complete.
They preferred to track their targets themselves, not fully trusting the information provided in the files, which could be outdated or misleading. It was considered a prudent thing to do. However, I had skipped all of that process and gone straight for the kill.
Which made me look both incredibly foolish and, strangely enough, highly effective.
"Well, this isn't a common occurrence." Caliban chuckled, grabbing a bottle of champagne. "A total rookie taking down a pro in their first job. Talk about beginner's luck."
"If we're done with the chit-chat, I'd appreciate getting paid." I said, rolling my eyes at his attempt at small talk.
Caliban took a step back, returning to the bar and taking a swig from the bottle.
"Venom." He repeated. "That's your name, right?"
"Yes."
"Alright, Venom. What's your preferred method of payment? Cash, check, crypto?" He asked, clumsily placing the bottle on the table.
"Cash would be preferable." I replied.
"Then cash it is!" He cheered, moving toward a cabinet of bottles and pressing a hidden button behind it.
The cabinet buzzed, releasing a small burst of steam and revealed a secret door. It was the same mechanism I had seen at Jack's place.
"Just a moment." Caliban winked and disappeared into the secret room.
I sighed and waited until he returned with a black briefcase. He placed it on the table and unlocked it, turning it towards me.
"Good luck with your future endeavors." He smiled.
I didn't bother to look at him, my eyes fixed on the contents of the case. It was filled with neatly arranged stacks of dollar bills. I picked up a single stack and began counting.
I paused halfway through when I realized that the payment was less than the reward money.
"It's a few thousand dollars short." I commented, closing the case.
"No." He shook his head. "Your initial ten thousand dollar insurance has been returned, and I've taken a 10 percent commission from the reward, which leaves you with an $82,000 payment."
"10 percent?" I raised an eyebrow at the exorbitant commission fee.
"Hey, that's the standard commission for non-members." He argued back, looking somewhat offended.
"Non-members?" I questioned skeptically.
"Yeah." Caliban sighed, proceeding to explain the membership options to me.
The Bar offered four types of membership:
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
"What services come with a platinum membership?" I inquired.
"You name it." Caliban chuckled, going over the benefits. "Ammunition, drugs, celebrity escort service, first notice on high-profile targets, connections with long-standing crime families—anything you can think of, and we'll provide it without question."
"How much does it cost?" I was intrigued.
"Fifty grand per year." He replied.
I exhaled, contemplating whether I should take the offer.
In one hand it sounded absolutely ridiculous considering I was not planning to stay in New York for long but on the other hand it seemed like quick way to earn a make more money than I spent, if I can take high profile targets sooner than I'm sure I can keep myself up for a while when I leave this city.
Before long I had made up my mind.
"I'm in." I declared, a hint of determination in my voice. "Sign me up for Platinum."
Caliban's face lit up with a wide grin.
"Great choice!" He exclaimed as he stood up.
"Follow me." He gestured, leading me away from the bustling tables into the secret room.
Inside, a group of people were hard at work. Some were setting up guns and constructing electrical circuits, while others were busy typing on laptops.
In a corner, a twin girls held hands, their eyes locked above in a trance as a steel ball revolved around them in the air.
The room had an atmosphere of vintage elegance, with pictures of unknown figures adorning the walls and a golden-black layer covering the ceiling.
"Wait here for a moment." Caliban ordered, walking toward a separate booth in the corner.
I took the opportunity to take in the room's grandeur.
After a short while, Caliban returned with a smartphone and a black metal card, the size of a debit card with the name 'Venom' etched in white letters.
"That card is a proof that you are now a platinum member." He explained, pointing at the case in my hand. "It will work in any of The Bar with no Names around the world. I've deducted the payment from your reward."
Suddenly, one of the twins snatched the case from my hands.
"Hey?!" I exclaimed, caught off guard by her action.
"Sorry, they aren't really people persons." Caliban apologized half-heartedly, taking the money out of the case.
I sighed, accepting the situation for what it was.
"What's this phone?" I asked, pointing at the smartphone in my hand.
"It's customary for platinum members." Caliban explained with a proud smirk. "It's untraceable and undetectable, with a ghost mode that erases all traces of your digital footprints."
A mix of iPhone and Blackberry but better. Nice.
I got straight to the point. "I need you to do something for me."
"Oh!" Caliban's smile widened. "My first service for my newest platinum member. What can I do for you?"
"I need a new ID and an international bank account."
"Child's play, Jess." Caliban chuckled, calling over one of the guys working on the laptops.
The man immediately closed his work and stepped closer, ready to assist.
Caliban gave him the instructions while I stood in front of a framed angle.
"Take off your mask and step there." He said pointing a frame angle.
"...Fine." I grumbled, stepping into position as Venom receded, leaving me in my normal form.
The room fell into sudden silence as I felt all eyes locked on me.
"H-How old are you?" Caliban asked, sounding bewildered for the first time.
"I thought the services were 'no questions asked'." I retorted.
"Ha." Caliban stuttered, picking up a glass of bourbon as others averted their eyes from me.
Jess handed me the negatives and photos, and I took a seat next to Caliban as he worked on creating the new IDs.
"What's the name you are going to use?" He asked.
I pondered for a moment before deciding on one.
"Ethan Brown."
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A/N: There will be a bonus chapter if we reach a 100 power stone.
