August tilted his head at my clear observation, the new information seeping in.
“Ludus Maximus?”
I affirmed with a nod. “Ludus Maximus. I know you were sent here before they started distributing, but—”
“Tell me what you need from me, baby.”
“We need to get to Maximus, but he’s locked himself deep in the Caverns. Which, as you know, are impenetrable. We can’t get close, or even manage to get a glimpse of him. We need to know his role.”
“He’s truly in the drug game?” August’s brow furrowed, sceptical of the information I was providing.
“He’s not just in it, he’s taken over the entirety of the Sovereign syndicate and its jurisdiction.”
PSYCHO
I shook my head, still hesitant to believe he had changed his mind since I’d been locked away. Maximus was one of the most stubborn people I’d ever met.
Raising from the bed, I lit a cigarette. “When I was inducted, Maximus was already plagued by paranoia. He understood there were higher powers at play when it came to the downfall of your house, and was always adamant not to trample on the bones of the Sovereign. Maximus was never interested in that side of business. He’s a bastard, but more astutely, he’s a survivor.”
“You’ve been away for a while, August. Power and money easily change a good man, let alone a bad one. Hell, people will give just about anything for a hit of Amp.”
“Amp?” Where have I heard that before?
Micah shuffled forward, sitting on the edge of the bed. “An amplifier drug that came on the market four months ago. It enhances one’s Variant. Highly potent, but difficult to acquire. Ludus Maximus is the sole provider, along with other drugs.”
I paced, a trail of smoke floating to the roof. I’m missing something vital. Then every tendril of convoluted web stitched together and clicked into place.
“Ludus Maximus isn't sourcing the drugs. They’re only distributing them.”
“All evidence says otherwise. How do you know there’s a third party involved?”
“Because that’s why I was sent to Oakview. That’s why I was locked away in this fucking shithole.” I wanted to tear myself apart for my own foolishness. More than that, I wanted to rip the core foundations out from the whole underground until all that remained was the tortured corpse of Maximus, dead at my feet.
Fatigue dragged down my muscles and exhaustion pulled at my lids. My sole undivided focus concentrated on staying upright.
It had taken me five days to fulfill the Boss’s order. With hardly any sustenance and even less sleep, I had found and slaughtered the entire Crisis MC. Dishevelled, bloodstained and an all-round goddamned mess, my feet reluctantly tugged me through the Caverns towards Boss, instead of slipping into a well-deserved coma.
His private quarters were deserted. The place was usually bustling with either soldiers, servants or whores (which, in some cases, could be considered one and the same).
I didn’t have time to contemplate the strangeness of it all (nor did I care, for that matter). He’d demanded a report immediately after the job was complete, and he’d be happy with the outcome. Wanting to get the debrief over with, I aimed for his office.
I raised a fist to knock on the closed door when elevated voices filtered through the thick wood. Boss loathed insubordination, and interrupting his meeting would not be taken lightly. I had no choice but to wait.
Leaning against the opposite wall, my head dropped back. I was utilising all my willpower not to lower to the ground and curl up like a kitten, right there in the middle of the bloody hallway.
Raised, aggressive voices jolted me awake, unsure if it’d been five seconds or five minutes, microsleeps catching me unaware, luring me into brief bouts of unconsciousness.
“She’s not happy with your results,” said a masculine voice I’d never heard, as it carried through the closed door.
“What do you want me to do? Her requests are unreasonable,” Boss said, his gruff, aged tone recognisable.
“Your excuses grow weak, Maximus. Maybe you're too old. ‘Bout time you found a successor.”
The distinct sound of a violent struggle followed, loud thumps and crashes siphoning amongst one another.
Whoever the hell was fighting Boss must have had a death wish.
My attention spiked, debating whether I should go in and help or remain outside and mind my own damn business.
A forceful thud hit the floor. “Don’t ever associate me with the word weakagain,” Boss said.
The other guy laughed and I cringed. Whoever the fool was, he was going to get his tongue ripped out.
“Watch yourself, or your precious Ludus will be next. You know we have the means and resources to make that a legitimate threat,” the stranger snickered. “We will deliver Amp in two months. Be ready—or else.”
My hand flexed at the deliberate warning. Did this imbecile know the Ludus at all?
Soft clicks alerted me to a petite woman approaching down the corridor. She halted beside me, her expensive perfume overpowering and irritating my nostrils. Her attire screamed luxury: designer heeled boots paired with a skintight dress, her lime green hair and pierced nose clashing with her extravagant getup.
She tsked. “You shouldn’t be here.” Her eyes twinkled with danger.
“Says who?” Was it me, or was my speech slurred?
She shrugged in return and pushed the door wide open without preamble. “We have a lurker,” she announced to the now-silent room. All sets of eyes bounced to me as she grabbed my shirt collar and hurled me onto the office floor.
