Chapter 025
Rose Bird
Ethan went to one of Mr. Gallagher's maintenance sheds where he knew there to be a mower.
The landlord had several of these scattered around the district near his properties. An old-fashioned rotary push-blade mower leaned against the wall inside.
He grabbed the mower and made his way to a property his false memories told him had a modest lawn.
Ethan set up the mower and started pushing it across the grass. The blades spun quickly, slicing through the overgrown grass as he moved in a steady, rhythmic pattern. Focused on the job while simultaneously watching his mini-map for other players, he got it done as quickly and efficiently as possible.
He'd actually used one of the old spinning push-mowers before in the real world. It required multiple passes and a weed eater follow-up in order to get the lawn looking good. The game didn't make it that complicated however.
Before he knew it, the first lawn was finished. He wheeled the mower over to the second property, a stucco-styled apartment building with a small patch of grass out front.
He repeated the process, pushing the mower back and forth across the lawn. The grass was a little thicker here, but he handled it with no problems.
As he finished up the second lawn, he looked at his watch. It had only taken him an hour to mow both properties. He didn't receive the mission update notification until after he'd returned the mower to the maintenance shed, which made a bit of sense.
Mission Progress: Regular Mr. Handyman
While maintenance work can be endless, you have managed to complete three tasks for Mr. Gallagher. Report back to your boss regarding the three handyman jobs. He can most often be found at Rose Bird, a club frequented by members of The Greenies.
Current Progress: 75%
+400 XP
You have 6,286 XP total
You need 1,214 more XP to reach level 5
"Well, that was easy enough," he said to no one in particular.
Standing outside the maintenance shed, he wasn't all that far from Ms. Harmon's place.
If he wanted, he could go and have a chat with her about what she'd mentioned previously. Getting out from under the thumb of The Green Fists was one of his long term plans, and the idea of finding a mentor of the supposed old ways of running a gangster outfit was tempting.
On the flip side of that thought, he figured it was still a bit too early. If there was one thing he needed to keep in mind, it was to stay on task with the primary storylines.
Killing the Grimsborough Vampirs and getting a good chunk of their experience had helped him, and doing a bunch of side stuff was incredibly interesting. But it was turning in the missions he'd already basically completed that seemed like a better strategy.
The most efficient path, he calculated, was to first visit Rose Bird and hope that Thomas Gallagher was at the nightclub. It was still a bit early in the day, but in video game logic it might work.
From there, it was only a twenty or thirty minute walk to Samuel Donovan's agency. As always, he kept his eyes on the mini-map and his surroundings, watching for any potential threats.
One thing he'd started noticing was the lack of other players. Sure, Grimsborough Heights was a large district, and New Horizon City even larger, but the number of players he saw running around had dwindled significantly.
Only a few conclusions could be drawn from what he knew so far. Either a significant number of players had already been killed, they were hiding away and being extra careful, or they had turned into creatures of the underground.
Thinking of the other players reminded him to check his social screen. It had already proven to be quite useful in his planning.
Opening it as he walked, he ignored the NPC list. It was already far too long for him to worry about right then.
Jason McArthur
Level 5, Little McArtie, D-class Soldier, Injured, The Green Fists, Last seen at Emma's Kitchen.
Mia Haoyu
Level 5, Muckraker, D-class Writer, Gulf Horizon Newspaper, Healthy, Last seen at your apartment unit in Hollow Court Apartments.
Rooster Normand
Level 6, Bad Henchie, D-class Goon, Injured, The Borrells, Last seen outside The Pink Velda.
Stalvek Dyomin
Level 6, Shadowman, D-class Goon, Healthy, The Cortez Family, Last seen in an alleyway between Whitaker and Broadmore.
Viri Valente
Level 5, Black Mistress, D-class Goon, Healthy, The Borrells, Last seen near Jameson and Broadmore.
If there was one thing Ethan noticed across all the players he knew, it was their levels. He was still falling behind, even after trying to shift his focus back towards his own storyline.
Even Jason and Mia had somehow managed to level up faster than he had just in the last half day.
What the hell are they doing to get that much experience?
He would have to ask. Personal titles appeared to be customizable.
Must be a level five thing.
Jason's status was labeled as Injured, so that had him a bit concerned, but there was nothing he could do about it. Hopefully the player would be okay.
Jason had even managed to move up in rank with The Green Fists. He would have to ask Samuel or Jason about that whenever he met up with one of them.
His number of enemies was growing larger, due in large part to his affiliation with The Green Fists. Without a doubt there was no way he could survive against Viri and Rooster if the both of them teamed up against him.
Stalvek also had it out for him, and he hoped like hell he didn't run into the guy again anytime soon.
As he walked, one player crossed a street ahead of him, but never came close enough to identify. Ethan made it to Rose Bird without any problems, and used his mini-map to outside to see if Mr. Gallagher was there.
To his surprise, Thomas Gallagher and Samuel Donovan were both inside the club. He could finish both missions at the same time, and most likely get another level up in the process.
He didn't have any trouble getting in, as the bouncer recognized his Associate standing with the gang. They checked him for pistols and rifles, and the bouncer eyed him suspiciously when he noticed Sadie's Fangs.
"You even think about equipping those bad girls, you die."
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Ethan gulped. "Understood."
Ethan stepped into the dimly lit nightclub, taking a moment to adjust his eyesight to the hazy atmosphere. The air was thick with smoke and the scent of illicit alcohol.
He scanned the room, taking in the sights and sounds of a speakeasy casino. It was busy, but the place was far from packed. He figured it was still early in the afternoon and it would get crowded in the evening.
Scantily clad women moved gracefully through the crowd, balancing trays of drinks with practiced ease. Men in sharp suits and fedoras huddled around tables, their faces intense as they placed bets and rolled dice.
Each of the slot machines was a beautiful relic of the 1920s, with intricate designs etched into the metal and colorful glass panels that sparkled under the dim lights. The gamblers pulled the handles with practiced ease, their eyes glued to the spinning reels as they waited for the symbols to align.
One man let out a triumphant shout as three cherries lined up on his machine. Coins clattered into the metal tray, and he scooped them up with a wide grin.
The clatter of poker chips and the low hum of conversation filled the air, punctuated by the occasional raucous laugh or shout of triumph.
At the far end of the room, Ethan spotted a group of men huddled together in deep conversation. He saw Thomas Gallagher and Samuel Donovan there, along with some other men.
Ethan's gaze landed on a man he hadn't seen before, but recognized from the introductory video. It was Rickles. False memories told Ethan that this guy was irrational and brutal.
In the teaser video, he'd gunned down another gangster in a church using a tommy-gun. Ethan felt a chill run down his spine as he watched the man laugh and slap one of the other gangsters on the back.
Feeling slightly nervous but ready to earn more experience, he walked towards the high-ranking members. Ethan didn't make it half way across the club before a handful of unknown figures stepped in front of him, blocking the path.
He read their names, but only one really stood out to him. Brad "The Bat" Johnson. Level unknown, The Bat, B-class Made, Healthy, The Green Fists.
All their levels were unknown, and Ethan had learned that either meant they were too high for him to know or they could hide it.
The Bat spoke first, "Casino's over there, pal."
Ethan nodded towards his boss and the detective. "Here to see those gentlemen, actually."
All the men shook their heads but Brad "The Bat" answered for him. "No, you're not."
He furrowed his brows, but didn't answer right away. It was clearly evident this little group of henchmen protected the big boys in the gang. Could they not see his missions or were they being extra cautious?
"You own this place, right?" Ethan asked The Bat.
"That's right. Good job, Associate. One of these days you might be able to move up to D-class. Until then, you're just a potential recruit, so get out there and learn a bit more about the real world, okay?"
He smirked, trying hard not to let the man's condescension get to him. It was highly likely that this guy could snap at any moment and one-shot him in a heartbeat, not that the man would. Ethan honestly had no idea what personality Owney "The Owl" Johnson's son had.
"They asked me here. I have missions to turn in. Go and ask if you don't believe me."
The Bat glared at him for a few awkward seconds, making some type of choice. Then the man turned to one of the others and motioned with his head. The henchman rolled his eyes but followed orders, and walked towards the big shots.
Ethan kept his eyes on The Bat for half a minute. The man was about to say something, but the messenger came back quickly before he could.
"Mr. Donovan says the kid's good for it."
Brad "The Bat" Johnson gave him a sneer, but stepped out of the way. Ethan walked by with a smile. It was odd being in the know about the guy's father. Brad was protecting the men that killed Owney. He of course didn't seem to be any wiser.
Approaching the table with the three high ranking Greenies, he felt a mix of anxiety and excitement. He'd never spoken to Rickles before, and the man's death stare made him uneasy.
Thomas Gallagher seemed indifferent, but Samuel Donovan appeared happier than normal. Standing in front of the three men felt intense, like he was wasting their time.
Ethan cleared his throat. "I have some information about Billy Sadler. It's part of Mr. Donovan's mission so I won't discuss it unless everyone here is good to talk about it."
The three men glared at one another, almost disbelieving. Then Mr. Gallagher laughed loudly, followed by Mr. Donovan. Even the stone-faced Rickles gave the kid a half-smile.
Mr. Donovan leaned back in his chair, eyes never leaving him. "Go on, kid. Spit it out."
Knowing he shouldn't take the laugh personal, he breathed a deep breath and started. "Packley said that Sadler's in county, being protected by a judge."
Rickles grunted, "Son of a bitch copper. Can't trust any of 'em."
"Hasn't let us down yet," Gallagher said.
Mr. Donovan nodded. "He tell you what cell or what judge?"
Ethan shook his head. "No, but he said the judge was on The Cortez Family payroll."
Mr. Gallagher shook his head. "That's Hadwin."
"He's a piece of work, too," Rickles grunted again. "Should'a killed him years ago."
Mr. Donovan nodded. "Anything else?"
There was plenty of other information that Packley had said to him, so he relayed pretty much everything. Some of it seemed to bore the men, but not entirely.
He kept his telling to a short and sweet summary, and didn't linger trying to get in too deep. They all nodded when he finished telling them about Lantern's Pharmacy and The Borrells.
"Good work, kid. We already knew most of that but it's nice to get confirmation. Means we can make better choices."
"Yeah, good work," Mr. Gallagher said. "You gettin' your drink under control like we discussed?"
Ethan decided to give him a nod and a simple answer. "Yes, sir."
"What about the jobs? They all done? The mowing, the steps, the window, everything?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good."
Rickles grunted up at him. "I don't trust you."
Gallagher jabbed the sour man with his elbow. "You don't trust no one, you psychopath."
Rickles sneered. "Got good reason to. I can smell the apothecary on him plain as day."
Mr. Donovan and Mr. Gallagher sniffed the air, trying to pick up the same scents as Rickles.
"Killed two Grimsborough Vampirs last night," Ethan said quickly. "One of them clawed me up good and gave me Undead Fever. I needed a potion."
Rickles grunted again.
"Two, huh?" Mr. Gallagher seemed impressed. "You had help?"
"No, sir."
The three men shared another glance.
Rickles shook his head. "That witch Lillian claims to hate vampires, but there's more to her than you know. Stay away from that shop, Ethan Jones, if you know what's good for you."
He gulped, not fully understanding.
"It's… a good idea to follow that advice," Mr. Donovan said, with Gallagher nodding in agreement.
"Where do I buy potions, then? Is there another place?"
"Yeah, kid," the detective said, "just like we told your pal Jason, you need to shop at places friendly to The Greenies. There's half a dozen places in the district that sell elixirs and potions. You can shop at any of 'em except Sunflower, got it?"
"Yes, sir," he said, still not understanding but knowing how to respond. He could always find out the why part later.
Mr. Gallagher shook his head again. "So two Vampirs, huh? Didn't know you had it in you."
"I don't believe his story," Rickles said, "for the record. There's no way, even if they were fresh turned. Too powerful for a level four."
"I… I was level three when I killed them."
Mr. Donovan smirked at him, then nodded at the other two. "Kid's one of those surprise clutch fighters. Always pulls through."
"Eh, whatever," Rickles grunted. "He either cheated or they was already almost dead."
Ethan wasn't offended by the man's opinion. He knew the only reason he'd won was because of the soul-bound weapons he'd accidently been able to purchase.
Instead, he felt oddly entertained by the trio of mobsters, but he tried to keep a straight face and stay serious. Proving himself capable to the men seemed important.
Trying to look at their profiles proved pointless. He only saw Unknown listed in every single spot except for their affiliation, which was of course The Green Fists.
Curious.
"Your buddy, Jason McArthur," Mr. Donovan said. "He was able to get a cell number for Billy Sadler from a mole in The Cortez Family. We're making up our plans to pull a hit, so I might end up asking for your assistance again. Be ready in the near future, got it? The two of you kids are doing good work. Keep it up."
Rickles grumbled something under his breath, but Ethan wasn't about to ask the man what he said.
The conversation seemed to stall for a second, and he took the opportunity to ask the one question he felt was most important right then. Moving up from Associate to D-class might help convince other players from killing him.
"How do ranks work?"
The three men eyed him oddly for a minute.
Finally, Mr. Donovan answered. "You usually get a first rank at level five, or after you've been in for a while, or unless you do something incredible. Why? You want one?"
"I do," Ethan smiled.
"Great," the detective said, "I guess you've earned it, and it don't mean much anyway. All in agreement, when Ethan Jones reaches level five he's a D-class Soldier, say aye!"
"Aye," Mr. Gallagher answered quickly.
The two men looked at Rickles, who hesitated. "Yeah, whatever… Aye!"
Ethan felt a bit of excitement at the prospect, since he had a good feeling he was about to level up as soon as he stepped away from the conversation. The ending to their little discussion actually arrived much faster than he'd anticipated.
Mr. Gallagher ended it rather abruptly, with a reminder that he hadn't advanced yet. "Anything else, Associate Ethan Jones?"
"No, sir," he said, once again knowing when to play by their rules. "Thank you gentlemen for your time."
The three men nodded to him. Ethan turned and walked away, expecting notifications to arrive. They did not disappoint him.
Mission Progress: Regular Mr. Handyman
You reported back to Thomas Gallagher and he seemed pleased. Your boss gave you a rare word of encouragement, and suggested that you keep up the solid pace or even continue improving. Mr. Gallagher will have a fresh list of chores for you to do in the coming days. Just hold back and sit tight while The Green Fists take care of some gang business for a while.
Current Progress: 100%
+$15
+500 XP
You have 6,786 XP total
You need 714 more XP to reach level 5
Mission Progress: Copper Topper
You gave all the relevant information regarding Billy Sadler's situation to Samuel Donovan. The old detective didn't look too happy with your words, but stated he already knew half of it. The whole thing is a big mess, honestly, and there's not too many ways they can think of to get access to Billy Sadler. You did what you could, kid.
Current Progress: 100%
+$40
+800 XP
You have 7,586 XP total
!! You have leveled up !!
Congratulations! You are now level 5
You need 2,414 more XP to reach level 6
As he was leaving the table he overheard Mr. Gallagher giving Samuel Donovan a hard time.
"Why do you give out so much cash?"
The detective smirked. "Because I'm not a cheap little ass like you. Plus, the kid's been doing good so far. His buddy Jason, too. If they get their act together then we got a new hit team in the making. Lord knows we're gonna need more soldiers for the army once everything starts going down."
"I don't know," the landlord said, "just a few days ago he was a drunk. Keep him on a leash, that's what I say."
Not wanting to linger and get in trouble for trying to overhear what he wasn't intended to, Ethan made for the exit. He ignored the notification for his new level five talent selection and instead thought curiously about the seventy four dollars he suddenly had.
Either he wasn't spending enough or Samuel Donovan was paying out more than normal. Also, he was curious why they hated Lillian Lancaster so much.