The sun had set long ago when Mateo finally got him to the mayor. “What do you think you are doing Humphrey?” Samuel asked, looking over the city from his terrace.
“That is Mayor Allison to you, Mr Princeton.” The mayor retorted.
“Oh, so we are on the same level now?”
“We were never on the same level. You were always beneath me Princeton.” This guy did not know who he was playing with. “You don’t say.”
“I do say.”
“I will go back to my question, Humphrey.” Samuel continued, putting stress on the name. “What the fuck do you think you are doing?”
“Watch your tone with me Princeton. Whether I answer you or not is my decision. And I decided not to.” This pale sniveling bitch.
“So how was your call with Governor Angeni?” Samuel asked. A glass of juice in his other hand. “Did it go well? From your confident tone it seemed it was.”
“How did you know about that call?” Allison asked. Samuel could hear the shock in his voice.
“I have eyes and ears everywhere Humphrey, you should know that. Or have you forgotten?”
“You do not scare me Mr Princeton.” Allison stated. Samuel could hear Allison’s heart rate increase and he almost chuckled. “Funny, because it sounds like I do scare you.” He said and took a sip of his mango juice. “And since you are so keen on proper titles, how about we drop the human ones and go with the more natural titles.”
“Mr Princeton, your scare tactics will not–” Samuel cut him off.
“That is Alpha Princeton to you, you miserable excuse of a politician.” He used the alpha tone. The other side went quiet. He could almost smell Allison’s rage. He continued unphased. “It is clear the problem in the city truly is as bad as I thought it was, isn’t it?”
No answer came from the other end. He did not need a vocal one. The silence was more than enough. “Since it is. I will be giving you a hand to take care of it.”
He could sense Allison’s surprise and greed coming from the other end. “By taking everything away from you.”
Samuel heard the sound of glass shatter. “You cannot do that! Don’t make me laugh Princeton!”
It sounded like laughing was the last thing he wanted to do.
“It seems that all that power has gone to your head. Don’t worry, I’ll generously help you off your high horse. Kiss that position goodbye. As well as every other position you have.”
“Brave words for a mutt that broke federal law. Several at that.” Allison said.
Samuel stopped. Could he be talking about the video? How did it make it to Allison? “I don’t know what you are talking about Humphrey.”
Allison laughed and the stench of his greed grew overbearing. “How much did you pay that personal assistant of yours to keep quiet. It must have been quite a lot. Or did you threaten her.”
Samuel was not admitting anything and he was not going to Allison know he had got him. “I don’t have time for your pathetic jokes Humphrey. Just know that your time is up.”
“We both know what I’m talking about. I have the video. I have to know, were the papers right? Is she your go to toy? Or was it a one time thing. Because you sure know how to pick ‘em. I would do anything to suck on those tits and live in between those thighs.”
Samuel clamped his jaw tight, his fangs lengthening in his mouth. He was going to kill this bastard.
“Why aren’t you saying anything Mr Princeton?” Allison taunted.
“Just wondering how much more pathetic you are going to get. Really? A video of me and my personal assistant. Me breaking federal laws. It seems your creativity resides with age.”
“Don’t pretend like you don’t know what I am talking about. I have the video with me and I think I will watch it again after I drop this call.”
“You have it with you? Right now?” Samuel asked, relaxing his jaw.
“Yes. And if you want me to keep my lips sealed, you are going to hand me the deeds to the city with twenty billion and your personal assistant on the side.”
This stupid greedy motherfucking shithead. “You really are stupid, aren’t you Humphrey.”
He heard the Allison’s car stop and smiled.
“Hey Arjun, you stupid nitwit. Why have we stopped?” Allison asked his driver.
“Anyway, I told you that that is Mayor Allison. The tables have turned I make the deals, I give the commands, you are nothing more than a dog on a leash to me now, do you understand? Now handover all I want or everything you have will crumble.”
They would be see who would be crumbling. “I’m not giving you squat Humphrey. And I don’t think anyone will give a rat’s ass to what you say…or in this case, what you don’t say.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Allison asked confused.
“Goodbye, Mayor Allison.” Samuel concluded and dropped the call.
*******
The fucking mutt wanted to see what he could do. Very well then. He would. All he needed was to get a small rumor going and wait for it to blow out of proportion. Then the fool would understand the extent of his control.
For fuck sake why were they not moving. He needed to get back home to hide the flash drive. It was his golden ticket to everything he coveted. Flavio might have had terrible and fatal luck but he would succeed where he had failed.
He would be the victor and he would have it all. Not the Weaslons, not the Delezes, not Princeton. It would be him. Him and only him. Then the grand plan would finally be put in motion.
But first he needed to get to his house. Why was the damn car not moving?! “Arjun? Arjun?! Can you fucking hear me?! Why the fuck aren’t we moving?!” he yelled. “If we have a damn flat tire, then get out and fix it?! Arjun!”
The window dividing the driver’s seat and the passenger seat lowered.
“Have you not been hearing me this whole time boy? Have you suddenly gone deaf? Get this car moving–”
Instead of his driver’s face, a gun pointed at him through the window.
“I’m sorry Mayor Allison. Arjun is not here.” The intruder said.
Fear gripped his body. “W–w–what is this?”
The man’s voice was like chalk scrapping against a board. “Why this is your usual robbery esteemed Mayor.”
“What do you want?” Allison asked.
“Let’s see. Your watch, those lovely rings, all the money in your wallet, everything in the safe under the seat, that fancy looking laptop and your briefcase. Oh and before I forget, your phone too.”
This one was stupid, if he played his cards right, he could get out of this alive and with the flash drive. “And how do you hope to get away with all that when you are all alone?”
The passenger doors opened and two masked people got into the car. “Who said he was alone?”
“Hurry it up good Mayor before we decide to fill you with holes as target practice.”
Sweat trickled down his forehead, his back and his pits. He could not give these hooligans the flash drive. It was his golden ticket! Maybe negotiation would work.
“You all seem keen on money. You can have it all. I’ll open the safe, handover my wallet and even give you my debit card pin. Just let me leave live and keep the flash drive. Unless, you are also keen on my nudes.”
The one on his left was the one to speak. “I think we are pretty keen on everything he just said, so get on with it old man before we rip it all from your cold dead fingers.”
Allison stayed where he was. Not willing to give up his prize for anything. The leader pointing the gun motioned to the two by his sides. “Take the bag, the laptop, the flash drive and his phone.”
Allison let them take everything but struggled for the flash drive. He could not let it go. Not now when everything he craved for was so close.
The thug on his right broke his fingers and they snapped with a sickening crunch and he screamed in pain. While he was reeling from the pain of his fingers, white hot pain exploded in his stomach. He looked down at his midsection and saw the bloom of red crimson against his not so white shirt.
They had shot him. He slumped against the seat. He could not die now, what of all his plans. The grand plan. Besting Flavio and Princeton. He could not do any of that if he was dead.
“Don’t worry Mayor Allison,” said the leader in the front. He had retracted his gun. “you won’t be dying. Not here at least.” He started the car’s engine and drove off.