The Disciples’ main house was only four blocks over from the Speakeasy. It was a two story home in dire need of a paint job. The paint that still remained was some faded memory of a pale blue with brown shutters missing panels. The front door was painted black and had an impressive 4 shiny, new locks on the outside. A white Escalade sat in the driveway. It’s shiny new paint was quite the contrast to the house. It would have been impossible to tell if anyone was home because each window was covered with a thick, red blanket; however, loud sounds of bass crept through the walls and could be heard across the street where we stood.

“Welcome back, Tank,” said the short man, who had been introduced to me as Grip. He gave Sam’s shoulders one firm squeeze.

I looked over at Sam. He appeared unbalanced as he let out his breath, as though the hand on his shoulder might tip him over.

“Boss will be happy to see you. Ain’t no one as quick as you, Tank.” The two men stepped forward. I stayed behind and grabbed Sam’s hand.

“Sam, you left for a reason,” I pleaded.

He nodded before speaking, “I owe them now. I needed their help to save your life, and now my life belongs to Disciples again.”

Poor thing, I heard Pathos’ voice echo in my head.

There must have been another way, idiot, countered Logos.

I tried to scream, “Shut up!” in my head, but I wasn’t sure if it worked. Either way they were quiet.

The tall man known as Ace, knocked five times on the door, paused and knocked a sixth time. The four locks could be heard clicking open, and then a fifth sliding lock on the other side. A man with so much ink on his face that I thought he had a full beard and head of hair greeted us. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the man was clean shaven. The intricate designs on his head and face traveled down into his white T-shirt. He must have recognized the group on the porch because he stepped aside silently and through the doorway we went.

Inside was different from what I had imagined. It looked like any home, but decorated with cheap stuff found randomly at a Salvation Army. We entered the kitchen first. There was a four person card table with four guys and one woman squeezed around it. A man in an oversized hoodie was patting a small, but strong looking teen on the back. Everyone at the table was smiling with cards in their hands. No one looked at us when we entered. We stood in the doorway until the guy at the back of the table laid his cards down and stood up. He walked around the table. All eyes were on him. He wore a white tee shirt and baggy jeans. He came up to Sam and extended his hand. Sam took it and the man pulled him into an embrace. The table broke its silence. Everyone stood up at once, and calls of, “Welcome back, man,” were passed around.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Hey, Tank this must be the girl you called me for,” said the man in the white shirt who I gleaned was Boss. He looked me up and down, not in a sexual way, but sizing me up. Was I worth the risk he put his men in?

“Cora,” I said, extending my hand.

Boss tossed his head back and laughed before taking my hand, “Boss. You know, you look familiar.”

“Boss, she’s the chica from the Tower video.”

His eyebrows raised. “Ah, yeah. So now it makes sense. You done pissed off the wrong person.”

“Tell me about it,” I said with a smile, rubbing my wrists where the red lines still hadn’t faded from the zip ties.

He gave a slight nod and one of the guys from the card table stood up.

“Snake here will get you set up in a room. When you’re settled you and I will have a meeting.” He turned from me to resume the card game. I wasn’t sure I wanted to have a meeting with this so called “Boss”.

The room was small and dark even with the overhead light switched on. I didn’t have anything to unpack, so I sat on the edge of the mattress that rested on the floor.

Snake cleared his throat, “Uh, restroom is down the hall. Let me know if you need anything.

I nodded and he turned to go, “Wait,” I said. He turned back to me and pushed his wire rimmed glasses up his dark nose. “I need a some normalcy. What is your real name? The one your mother gave you?”

Snake smiled, “Robert.”

It wasn’t too long before there was a knock on the door. I went to answer and Sam stood on the other side. He looked shy again, like he had the first day at The Palace when Pam tried to kick him out.

“Boss wants to talk to you,” he said softly.

I followed him down the short hallway, through the kitchen, and onto the back porch. Boss sat in an unlit corner alone. He waved Sam away. The door shut softly, and Boss gestured for me to sit next to him.

“Let’s start with the most important question, who have you pissed off?” He inhaled from a vape pen.

I smelled the fruity aroma before answering, “The President of the United States.”

Boss started coughing.

Probably shouldn’t have opened with that, Honey. Logos will probably be of more help here.

Ethos would have been best, men like these work more off of credibility than anything else. But Ethos being gone is why we are here at all.

And so I continued, “I need your help, but you need my help, too”

Even in the dark I could see his eyes narrow at that statement.

“You want your neighborhood to last, to improve?” I didn’t wait for an answer. “We need the deception Persim has been spreading out for the nation to hear.”

He nodded at this, “I don’t know what it is about you, chica, but I trust you. You have my men at your disposal.”