After negotiating a myriad of streets and alleys, the tracker leads Daniel and Alec into a darkened warehouse. The susurrus echo of faraway voices guides them through scattered containers and machinery; the air is thick with old oil, sweet and black, even to the nose.
Unobserved in the darkness surrounding a workshop harboured in an island of light; they watch Mark attempting to broker a deal with a pair of Bigmarkers who are presumably the mechanics responsible for the vehicles and bits of vehicles that lurk in and litter the warehouse shadows. Theo and Kyle hang back where they have brought the tractor to the edge of the workshop.
Alec takes covering position, remaining in the dark behind and to Daniel’s right; left-side-on so that his field of fire covers that quadrant. This leaves the left-hand-side to Daniel; efficient; all the old routines still there without having to think.
Daniel steps forward to enter the negotiations.
“Sorry to interrupt guys, but these boys don’t have the authority to make this deal” his voice carries the authority to override.
The blood drains from Mark’s face, his mouth mimes a black ‘owe’; the Bigmarkers are calm; they take stock; the one on the right, none too brightly presuming Daniel to be alone, dives at him, a blade in his hand that hadn’t been there a moment before; the shotgun is in Alec’s shoulder without snagging as he unsheathes it from beneath the wet surface of his slicks, audibly cocking it in the same movement; trigger pulled, the ensuing shockwave of sound and light hammers the warehouse interior; the armada of metal flying through the air faster than sound has already downed the attacker.
The remaining Bigmarker, wisely, doesn’t move a muscle.
“Don’t take this the wrong way brother,” says Daniel loudly into the communally deafened air, “Let’s the rest of us walk away from this in one piece”
He flips a crypto-wallet onto the table; 2 pairs of eyes follow its arc; both Daniel and Alec keep theirs on the mechanic.
“Compensation for your loss” says Daniel
The Bigmarker’s eyes shuttle between Daniel and the wallet, then back again
“How much?”
“More than enough”
Obtaining the slightest of nods from the Bigmarker, Daniel turns slowly in Mark’s direction, taking in Theo and Kyle on the tractor behind him, “C’mon boys, fire her up and let’s get outta here”
Mark starts to protest; Daniel punches him in the face; blood blossoms from Mark’s nose and upper lip; Alec backs away from the Bigmarker forcing himself not to react to what Daniel has just done to his son; the tractor fires up loud and they withdraw from the transaction, fading into the darkness.
The Bigmarker lifts the crypto-wallet from the table then turns toward the bloodied form of his erstwhile companion.
“Fucken Farmies”