Shaggy lifted the new metal door of the bar into place and held it as Ren got the hinges in place. He wasn’t really sure why they needed a new door when the old one was working just fine, But Slink and Ren had insisted. Matter of fact, he wasn’t sure where the old door had even gone. Once he and Vlad had returned, they had found Ren and Slink standing in front of the bar’s doorway, looking at a hole where the door should’ve been.

“So can you explain how a door just up and disappears?” Shaggy asked.

Ren shrugged as Slink answered from inside the bar. “Hey man, people are crazy. They’ll steal anything. The heavy duty door like the one that was here is a Hell of a prize.”

“If you say so.”

Shaggy shook his head as an unknown voice spoke up from inside. “Do you want us to go out and find it, boss?”

Tinsel and Blobby stuck their heads out of the open doorway to look at Shaggy. Shaggy thought about it, but before he could answer, Vlad spoke up.

“I need you two working on this Rakgu problem. Same with you, Em. I think you and Slink are going to be crucial to our plans going forward.”

“Okay, can you explain THAT to me? You two go off with a bunch of muscular lizards and come back with plans to exterminate the Rakgu crime family. How does that happen?” Ren asked as he finished the hinges.

Shaggy let the door go and tested how it swung on its new hinges. The heavy metal door glided easily as he followed Ren inside and shut it. The bar was still empty, with its only occupants being members of their gang and Mr. Blue behind the counter. Although, right now, Blue and Petra were in the office behind the bar trying to sort out their security problems. The rest of Slink’s Lackeys were helping around the bar, cleaning. They had even been the ones to find the new door.

“Well,” Vlad began from his spot at a table. “First, you have to piss off a high tier member of a crime family. Then when you meet him again, you have to threaten him and his people. Finally, a spooky old man comes up to you with some work he is looking to have done. But you can’t do that work until you handle your crime family problem.”

“And somehow all that means we have to eliminate one of the biggest crews down here?” Slink asked, dubious.

Shaggy joined Vlad and Slink at their table, along with Ren. Although the large Perinadon had to stand, as none of the chairs looked like they could hold him. Blobby, Tinsel and Ephemara were also seated around the table, listening intently.

“We don’t have to eliminate them, just light a match, throw it in, and see if anyone explodes.” Shaggy said with a grin.

“With less of the metaphors, please?” Ren asked.

Vlad sighed as he set down a Data-tablet he had been using to write on. “We find out if there are any relationships within the Rakgu family we can exploit to create problems for them. So that Tillani and any other members of the family are so concerned with dealing with it, they don’t look twice at us.”

“Yeah, but like what?”

“Come on, Slink, you're going to school. You have to realize how tenuous relationships can get between peers.”

“What are you saying, Shags? That if we find out some guy is cheating on his girl, that’s gonna disrupt an entire crime family.” Slink countered.

Ren shook his head. “No, but if one of their top guys is sleeping with a peers wife. That could cause some damage. But only if they are of the same rank within the family. If it’s a guy low on the totem pole, then it will not do anything. We need to figure out what the structure of the Rakgu crime family looks like.”

“Yep. But all we know right now is that someone named Donnie Raks runs things. Also that they run protection schemes for the stalls and stores in their area, which they then turn into legitimate businesses topside. But we have nothing on personnel.”

Vlad turned to Slink and Ephemara. “That’s where you two come in. The pair of you are going to be our information gatherers on this one. Slink if any of your Lackeys can help, then use them. We need info fast.”

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

“Yeah. Not only will this line up some work topside for that old man, Obadiah. But it will also get Tillani off our backs if everything goes right.” Shaggy said.

“Just be careful.” Ren added, looking at both Slink and Ephemara. “We can’t afford any slip-ups and risk an all-out war. We aren’t big enough.”

Slink blew out a breath and sat back in his chair, which creaked dangerously. “So what are you guys going to be doing while me and her are out risking our asses?”

“Speak for yourself, kid. I can make myself invisible and intangible.” Ephemara grinned, sticking her tongue out at Slink.

“Which is why you’ll be going for the big fish while the kid is in charge of the grunts. Just use your snakes to get what you can. As for the rest of us, we are on Bar Duty. Guarding and promotion.” Vlad explained.

“Yeah, we can’t have this money pit just sitting here with no one coming to visit. Also, I was thinking about heading back out toward Main Street and inviting some stalls and shops out this way.”

Everyone stared hard at Shaggy. Ren was even shaking his head. “No. It’s a good idea, but you are probably enemy number one with the Raks right now. You're stuck in our territory until we get a better idea of what forces they are moving against us.”

Shaggy’s shoulders slumped, and Vlad laughed. “Hahahaha. Don’t worry about it. There are still a bunch of gangs further east that we need to wipe out. Just don’t go south.”

“Have we checked what’s north? I mean, I know if we go too far, we’ll hit the cavern wall of Under-Town. Same with the east, but how much real estate are we talking about? Not to mention, we don’t know how many people actually live out here.”

“It’s not that much.” Came a voice from the bar. Turning, they all saw Mr. Blue and Petra coming out from the back office. Petra was holding a Data-tablet and looking it over.

“There are a few people who live out this way. Refugees mostly. That want to get away from all the gang fights or are hiding from something topside. Some are even just nocturnal and work topside when the sun goes down.” Blue explained.

Petra passed her own Data-tablet to Slink. He looked at it for a few minutes and started a whispered conversation with her.

Vlad waved Mr. Blue closer and asked. “So if we fix up this place, get some good beer in, maybe some music. How likely is it that people will come out?”

Blue looked skeptical as he glanced at all their faces. “I really can’t say. Right now, you lot are no different from any other gang that’s come strolling through here. For all anyone knows, you’ll be gone in a few days or even weeks.”

“And common sense says to avoid us.” Ren nodded, understanding.

“Well, that’s shit for business.” Shaggy muttered.

Slink passed the Data-tablet over to Vlad, who scanned it. “Okay, so all we can do is build this place up and show people we mean to stay.”

Shaggy put up his hands. “Yeah, I’m not so good at community outreach.”

“Well, in truth, we really don’t have to do much.” Said Tinsel, who had been quiet through most of the conversation. “We just have to work on our stuff and not squeeze the locals too hard. I mean, we don’t want their lives, just their business.”

Shaggy thought he saw Mr. Blue smile, but it was gone just as soon as he looked over at the Alien man. Vlad waved the Data-tablet at Mr. Blue.

“Is this accurate?”

“As far as I know.”

“Okay then.” Vlad pointed at Tinsel and Ren. “You two can handle protection for the next shipment of booze. It’s coming through a tunnel in the Northern wall. All you have to be on the look-out for is some small gangs, but the Brute Clan has been clearing out what they can.”

"What happens if we run into the Brute Clan.” Ren asked.

“We have an alliance with them, so they shouldn’t bother us. But if they approach, all you have to say is ‘We give respect to the honored elders of the Brute Clan,’ and they should leave you alone.”

“Really?” Shaggy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Vlad sighed. “Gor’kinak insisted.”

“Are the two of us going to be enough?” Tinsel asked.

“Probably not. So take a few of the new guys and be careful.”

Ren and Tinsel moved away from the table and started gathering a few of Slink’s Lackeys. Shaggy sighed and glanced around the broken down bar. It was going to take a lot of work to get everything fixed up and looking good. But none of them were even remotely qualified to do that kind of work. He was about to mention that he could go find someone to help with the bar when Vlad continued giving instructions.

“Blobby,” Vlad said, pointing out their amorphous friend. “Can you go to Main Street and maybe find us some help for the bar? I mean construction type work. Go topside if you have to. But again, be careful.”

Blobby waved a blue jelly-like tentacle and rolled out of the bar. Shaggy tossed his hands up petulantly and leaned back in his chair. It broke under his weight and collapsed. But he caught himself and stood. Coughing away his embarrassment, he asked.

“Ahem. Then what am I supposed to do?”

Vlad grinned as he sat the Data-tablet on the table. “Well, I am on guard duty, so you need to go out and meet the locals. Both the small-time hoods and the civilians. You can start in the area. Also, if you see any empty buildings, knock them down for the scrap metal.”

“Uhh,” Blue started. “I would advise you to check the building first. Like I said, a few people work topside. So the house may have someone living there. Just see if there are signs of the building being lived in.”

Shaggy laughed long and loud. “Really, Vladdy? You want me on community outreach and recruitment?”

Vlad seemed to think about it. But Shaggy continued. “Your the less acerbic of the two of us, my friend, and you know it. I have a bad habit of running my mouth, always have, and me being in a game doesn’t help that. Why don’t you do the community outreach and I’ll stay here with Blue and the guys and we can get this place cleaned up?”

Vlad nodded along before he got a large, fang-filled grin on his face. “Okay, Wolfy. You stay here and play guard dog. I’ll go out and meet the locals.”

“Really? Guard dog? You proud of that one?”

“Yeah, not my best work. But it made me smile.”

Shaggy shook his head and pointed at the door. “Get out of here, Lugosi.”

Vlad stood and then flitted to the doorway, which burst open as the vampire went through it. Shaggy sighed and asked Petra.

“Can you make sure he didn’t damage the door? Then we can get to work on repairing some of the damage around here.”

The scaly woman nodded as she moved toward the door. Mr. Blue moved back around the bar as Shaggy looked around. There were still busted tables and chairs littered across the floor of the bar. Some of the metal walls were askew, and the roof was full of holes. Shaggy sighed as he rubbed his hands together.

“Well, let’s see if we can build this into a proper bar.”