Chapter 15: So Much For Easy Street

Baddwulf's Office Building, Main Street and Park, The Attison District, Temple City (3040).....

Still reeling from their ordeal at the metal works, both Baddwulf and Neil Brautigan seemed to be a bit worse for wear when they finally made it back to Baddwulf's office building in the Attison District. Jake had been on the monitors for quite some time tracking and sifting through the newly gathered information via his proto insects. Baddwulf thought him a few bricks short of a load but said nothing as he often got results, even if he'd been nuttier than a fruitcake when it came to technology. Baddwulf made his way inside the office, his expression conveyed his annoyance all too well. He wasn't in the least in the mood to chat much less be debriefed about the events as he had a hard time quelling his animal nature following the fight in the metal works.

The raging brute of a man moved toward his desk and pulled out a bottle of cheap dark brown liquor and downed a bit of it before twisting back on the cap and putting it back into his desk drawer before falling into his chair and taking a few breaths. Jake could hear him growl for a moment before his glowing eyes shifted and he began to relax as the drink took effect. The more or less intact Mr. Brautigan had entered as well and sat on the sofa in the far corner of the room.

"Welcome back to Baddwulf and Co," said Jake making conversation with the shaken man before him. "Don't mind Baddwulf, he's prone to having a few drinks now and again to take the edge off his worries."

"Does his eyes always glow....you know red now and again too?" asked the visibly terrified man.

Jake smirked.

"Parlor tricks," he said smoothly. "They come a dime a dozen these days and Baddwulf has his fair share of them."

Neil nodded in agreement as if he wanted so badly to follow where Jake was leading him in terms of his line of thinking concerning the likes of Baddwulf.

"Cut the shit you weak bladdered Morts," growled Baddwulf from behind his desk. "Where's the part where I get paid?"

Jake sighed as he noted his partner's lack of manners and proceeded to inquire as to that very matter.

"Well, you heard the man," said Jake rather lackluster in his tone. "He wants to know where his black pennies are."

Neil seemed quite distressed as he realized the real reason his wife and former business partner were so dead set on him overlooking the rather useless project of seeing to the revisions of the metal works.

"They want my money," he said as if the shock had barely worn off. "The first thing they'll do is try and liquidate my assets so they could get the black pennies for themselves we have to stop them!"

"How is this my problem again?" asked Baddwulf in a gruff tone as he had already been in something of a bad mood since venturing to the metal works.

Jake sighed.

"If you can't prove Neil isn't dead before they lie to the shareholders keeping his money under wraps...he can't access his funds and as a result we don't get paid, no black pennies means no booze and no trips to The Dope Diamond, no trips to The Dope Diamond means Baddwulf's bad day gets worse." explained the younger lad in terms his counterpart understood all too well.

Baddwulf rolled his eyes as he put out his freshly lit cigarette and reached his feet.

"So much for easy street," he muttered as he headed toward the door.

Jake was relieved that he was still willing to help Neil, even if it was just for the black pennies and the strip club.

Neil had been grateful and vowed to show them just how much once everything was said and done. He got to his feet and followed the hulking brute known as Baddwulf toward the front door of the office, he had not been exceptionally comfortable being in the presence of such a moody Graffite, but he knew all too well that he'd been better off in the company of a shapeshifting werewolf than that of his former oldest and dearest friend or his wife at the present moment.

Jake turned his attention to the monitors once the two men had gone out the door and nearly disappeared around the corner. He knew from experience that they were going to need all the help they could get when it came to convincing the board of directors that Neil had been alive and kicking before they transferred the funds to the no-good thieves before the day was done. He couldn't imagine being in the poor saps position, but he knew all too well what it was like when the world was against you making an honest living or living in general.

Baddwulf had still been in a very foul mood as he and Neil Brautigan ventured toward the cross street leading to Highland. He had not been much for the fancy lawyer and suit business, but he knew someone who would be and all he needed was the okay from his old man.

Neil had done his best to keep his nerves in check, being that he was a native of Highland and wanted little to nothing to do with Atison district but he feared what would happen to him once he left Baddwulf's company. He had still been of the mind that it was better to have a shapeshifting werewolf on his side than a million guns pointed at his head when he reached the comforts of home.

"You don't drive Mr. Baddwulf?" asked Neil observing the long walk and the lack of vehicle transportation on the part of his rescuer.

"Yeah I drive," replied Baddwulf in a gruff tone. "I just don't want no bullet holes in my ride."

Neil sighed realizing the comment was more or less about his attempted assassination.

"Fair enough," he replied evenly. "So how did you become a...well as you are?"

"I fell into a vat of chemicals after some rich boy in a bat-suit knocked me in," replied Baddwulf in annoyance.

Neil narrowed his eyes at Baddwulf unsure of where he heard that story before, but relatively sure that it had been among the digital vids from the old era.

"Okay, radio silence," said Neil taking the hint as they continued their journey into the outskirts of Highland.

Baddwulf had been glad for the silence, he had been quite annoyed as it was and it was getting harder and harder not to take him to the dame and bastard himself for a better cut of the payment.

He turned his attention to the route he always took when heading to his father's restaurant and he knew automatically that Rudy Shelark would be there, he'd been his old man's lawyer for years and this rather sticky situation was just his style of course he'd charge an arm and a leg for the fees, but it wasn't exactly Baddwulf's problem after that.

Neil seemed to be at ease when they crossed toward Highland but once more became anxious when he realized they were headed toward the notorious neighborhood, gangster Don Leonetti's restaurant.