Wolf’s Bane

He was also called “The Ogre” by the majority of the city’s populace…

At least, that was the name given to him by those who were aware of the private army he led and operated. Of course, he was also aware that this dreaded nickname of his was due to the constant mispronunciation of his highly feared organization’s name and not because he chose it.

Well, he didn’t mind…

As long as they remained a threat to their enemies and their dreadful reputation remained strong in their territories, then he would keep such a tag. After all, it was the people who had given him that frightening label, and if it worked to him and his men’s advantage, then so be it.

Besides, he would rather have his real name remain a secret.

And speaking of secrets, though it was an “open secret” that his mafia-like band of around 100 or so men was actually owned by the governor himself, there was still no solid evidence or proof that these allegations were true. Due to this, he was considered the leader of this group of untouchables, because they were really yet to be proven truly guilty of any illegal actions.

It was quite simple, really…

If one of their members was caught doing a crime, they were either disavowed by The Argerlich and its members who were called the Argers. And to the death, these men would never speak of their fellow Argers – which many have mistakenly called ogres – since they knew that they would suffer repercussions and these would be on their friends and family. However, if they were worthy of being saved, The Ogre would pull several strings to get them out of their predicament, release them from jail, and be reabsorbed by their organization.

But then again, there was The Assassin who he considered like a brother.

His co-leader’s recent death at the hands of his own group mates was their more recent statement and warning to anyone who would go against The Argerlich. It truly helped their reputation that the man they had targeted was actually one of the organization’s superiors.

And now the continuous concern of their highest “sponsor” and biggest “investor” at the loss of his favored Assassin was slowly becoming a problem for The Ogre. To deal with this situation, he had called in favors from his third-party contacts and secret partners to ensure that everything proceeded according to plan.

As a matter of fact, he’s now talking to one of his latest acquired connections over his mobile, while he was patiently waiting in a five-star hotel lounge for another similar contact…

Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t sure if what he was hearing over his phone was good or bad news.

“Yep, your hunch is right. The Detective just passed by here and was asking for The Right Hand’s case file. Said there might be evidence there that can connect the Argers to his death.”

The Ogre’s lips twisted as he pulled on his black suit to keep it looking neat and creaseless. “There really is no need for that. We’ve already paid the police to look the other way since this is an ‘internal problem’ and won’t need to be investigated any further. As a matter of fact, our dear little snitch is the first one to have received his ‘gift’ from the governor himself. It’s got to be a personal mission.”

“Hehe, seems like. And he’s got the money for it, too,” the boyish voice replied from the other end of the call. “He gave quite a huge ‘gift of gratitude’ for his request. Better watch out, Ogre. Looks like your little boy is turning traitor.”

“Well, that can be easily solved by you, I’m sure. After all, what would be the best counter to him but another little boy, too?”

“Haha! Speaking of which, I think I will be giving you more info on your snitch pretty soon. I’ll tell you more when I’m not in the precinct. It’s already risky calling you like this even if I’m alone here in the evidence room but I really like our face-to-face talks.”

“Anytime, boy. Just remember to text me a few days in advance so I can cancel appointments for you,” the Argerlich leader reminded me as he drank fragrant and robust Barako coffee from a gold-trimmed porcelain cup.

“Awww, you’re making me feel sooo important, Ogre. Bad move, hehe! Kidding… see you soon!”

“Yes, see you, and thanks. Expect a bonus from me later.”

“Damn, you guys are spoiling me,” the caller said while clicking his tongue. “But I ain’t saying no, haha! Later, there’s someone about to enter the room.”

The phone call abruptly ended. The call’s recipient put away his hi-tech phone inside his suit’s inner chest pocket, just as another broad-shouldered man in an expensive dark blue suit took his seat at the opposite end of the classy circular cafe table.

“Was that who I think it is?” asked the dirty blond newcomer as he rubbed his thinly bearded face with his hand.

“No, brother, it’s not. He doesn’t call me; I call him but only after we’ve exchanged text messages. Don’t worry, he’s safe. And I’m glad you didn’t arrive too late for our meeting.”

“Yeah, good thing I used the company helicopter. I think I’m replacing my limo with that in the near future, especially if the traffic doesn’t improve in this city. I can’t imagine how we will manage to travel here from our place regularly when we set up our branch here,” the new arrival said, while a waiter instantly served him the compulsory coffee in a China cup that’s automatically offered to anyone who sat at the massive hotel lounge.

“Well, it’s a comfort to know that we aren’t the biggest problem in the metropolis. Traffic is still number one in the latest survey while The Argerlich is not even mentioned in the top twenty.” The Ogre chuckled as he continued to drink from his coffee cup.

“Maybe it’s rigged by your precious sponsor,” the blond businessman answered while stirring his java with the stainless-steel spoon that the Ogre had requested the hotel to replace their normal silverware with even before he was seated.

“Hmmm… that never occurred to me. But at the rate that man is getting involved with his territories, I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“I agree. I’m just glad he approved our business license to operate here. Seems like he had already forgiven my father for turning down his request years ago when he was still living up in the mountains.”

“Forgiven, yes. Forgotten, most likely not. Knowing how he operates; he probably knows that you’re the head of the company now and not your father. Expect to be approached any time soon about a request. Do take his ‘suggestions’ with a grain of salt.”

“I’ll negotiate if it’s too extreme. After all, it’s required that we set up shop here in your area for our plans to work,” the dirty blond contact said as he finally drank his coffee.

“Yes, and in the end, that’s what’s truly important at this point, or we might lose the people we consider important in our lives. And I’m not willing to risk that. I’ve stopped him before without being found out. Twice with two people I treasure. I’m not risking any more beyond them.”

The newcomer paused a bit, a lump in his throat swiftly forming at the words “two people” and it took him a while to finally respond…

“I just want to tell you, bro, how grateful we are that you helped HIM. We are in debt to you for that.”

“He’s still not safe, though. However, it would help a lot if the WE you’re mentioning included your father.”

The blue-eyed one with the matching blue suit stayed silent. It wasn’t the answer the dark-haired man with the matching black suit wanted to receive.

“He still has issues with his youngest son, I see?” The Ogre said in a low voice.

“As far as my father is concerned, his second son is dead. When I said ‘we’, it would mean me and my wife. And I believe my brother is still contacting her, but she’s not confirming nor denying this.”

“Well, considering what happened back then when he left you all, I can’t blame her, but no worries. You can easily get your updates about him from me. And that’s another thing we need to talk about in detail. Because if we play this right, him being there will be a double-edged sword that we can use against his former boss.”

“Alright, let me hear your proposals. I’m all ears…” the business owner and eldest brother replied with a determined look and firm nod. “Especially since there are more precious lives that we need to protect now.”

The dark brown eyes of the Arger leader clouded for a moment as he suddenly remembered his mate, laughing joyously as she was playing with two lovely children in a backyard garden in a faraway place. His jaw tightened and his teeth clenched at the thought of them in any kind of danger.

“Yes, we need to be very sure of our plans, brother… for their sake.” ​