Children of the Pyramid: Chapter 7: Gigolo

Bai Jian in the morning was both quiet and busy. Brisk air, carried in from the coast, chilled the air. An orange light peered through the buildings, casting this shadows on the ground. Shujaa exhaled hard as he made his way onto the street. His mind wandered as he walked with the crowds, paying no mind to where he was going. After a while, he decided to go to his favorite place in the city, see if he could catch the last of the sunrise. He turned towards the docks and headed to his special spot.

Shujaa stopped briefly in a park, which had been put there originally for children when Bai Jian was still a functioning city. Now it was just a place for people to drink and fuck in the evening; the occasional condom scattered on the dead grass. As Shujaa walked through the park, he thought about how nice this place would have been in its heyday. Children running around, happy parents looking on. It must have been nice. Now it was corrupted, just like everything else in the city. He shook the pleasant thoughts from his head, bummed a smoke from a man sitting on a stone bench and continued towards his spot.

Just as he was about to turn onto the final alley leading towards the docks, a black SVU with tinted windows pulled up next to him. The car rolled to a stopped and a well-endowed young woman stepped out from the car. She was dressed in black pant suit and had a small red and yellow bracelet made of silk around her wrist. She was half Asian, with tan skin and black hair. Her hair was short, cut just like Chyrs’, with the ends dyed auburn.

“Shujaa,” she began, “The bosses want to see you. We are to escort you to Avalon Gardens.”

Shujaa gave her a blank stare. “How did you find me?”

“We’ve been staking out the bar and saw you leave. The bosses have been awaiting your return.”

Shujaa groaned and looked at the alley leading to his intended destination. “Tell them I’m busy. I’ll go see them when I am free.”

The woman shook her head. “The bosses gathered at Avalon Gardens specifically to see you. You can’t refuse their request. You need to come with us. Now.”

Shujaa continued his blank expression. “Fine. Let’s get this over with. Lead the way, Gao Gao.”

The woman’s eye twitched slightly. “That’s not my name, Shujaa. Would you like me to start calling you by yours?”

“Not if you want to continue having a tongue. Fine; take me where you will, Gao Xiao Yue.” Shujaa said, enunciating each syllable of her name. He and Gao Xiao stepped into the car and it took off. Gao Xiao Yue, Shujaa and a man sitting next to Gao Xiao rode in silence, staring at each other. Shujaa decided he would break the tension.

“I see you’re still as stern as ever. Hard time finding guys in this place who are as uptight as you,” Shujaa chuckled.

Gao Xiao’s eye twitched again. “That’s because I’m not your whore of a partner. Unlike her, I have standards.”

Shujaa winced. “Ouch, Chrys would be hurt.”

“From what I’ve heard, that would turn her on. She’s been doing some really high class stuff. I never knew your partner liked banging guys in an ally.”

Shujaa lost his relaxed demeanor and started at Gao Xiao, elbows resting on his knees. “She did what?”

Gao Xiao smiled. “Yup. I was at Cascade delivering something for the bosses. When I left, she was in a dark alley by the bar, bent over for some older guy.” Gao Xiao Yue laughed. “What do you think Shujaa? That must be….”

Gao Xiao stopped mid-sentence as Shujaa drew his M1911 from his rear holster and slammed it right against her forehead. A man in a suit that had been sitting next to Gao Xiao Yue drew his weapon from his shoulder holster and aimed it at Shujaa.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying? That sounded like you were going to suggest my partner had returned to her old ways. I must have heard you wrong.” Shujaa growled through gritted teeth. He turned to the man pointing the gun at him. “Put that toy away boy, you’ll only hurt yourself.”

“Ma’am?” The bodyguard asked Gao Xiao, waiting for her order.

“Christs sake, Ke! Put it away before he kills you.”

The man slowly put his gun away. Gao Xiao turned her gaze back to Shujaa. “That was uncalled for. I’m sorry.”

Shujaa smiled and holstered his gun. “Fine. But let me make this clear, no one and I mean no one, accuses my partner of being a prostitute while I’m around.”

The car came to a stop just as Shujaa finished talking. Shujaa popped the door open and stepped out in front of Avalon Gardens.

Avalon Gardens was one of the largest buildings in Bai Jian. It rose up from the middle of the city, jutting out from the small buildings all around it. The base of the building was hollow, with the courtyard extending up twenty floors. Living up to its name, Avalon’s courtyard was home to an extensive garden. Furthermore, vines hung from the banisters on many of the floors. The air in Avalon was hot and humid, reminiscent of a tropical atmosphere.

Shujaa and his escort made their way through the garden to an impressive elevator, with glass windows looks at the Garden’s bellow. They took the elevator up quite a few floors. When the elevator stopped, they walked to a second elevator. Gao Xiao typed in a few security codes and the door opened up. Gao Xiao Yue and Shujaa stepped into the elevator. They road it all the way to the very top of Avalon Gardens. The cart dinged, the doors open and Shujaa and Gao Xiao stepped in the suite.

A massive table with a hole in the middle sat in the middle of the room with four large chairs equidistant from each other. Smaller chairs were placed next to the larger ones. In each large seat sat a Boss of Bai Jian, members of the Tetrad Council.

One of the bosses’ guards stood up. “Shujaa, you have been called before this council, please step into the ring.” Shujaa nodded and climbed into the middle of the table.

A middle aged man in an army uniform rubbed his chin. “You have returned to this city Shujaa. That raises some questions this council wants answered. Are you still loyal to Boss Nia?”

Commander Bradshaw. The left side of his face was completely burned, with an eyepatch covering the hole in his eye socket. Bradshaw was the leader of the 69th Regiment, a remnant of the American military who had stayed after the troops withdrew. The 69th had become an elite crime organization, with its members working like the military unit they once were. Known for their efficiency, they ran all the gun running in the city.

“Of course of I am. Boss Nia is my boss. I’m sure you’ve no doubt heard of the attack on the Golden Ram. Boss Nia is asserting her control again. I will spearhead that effort. This zone will be neutral once more.”

“Will you resume your duties as a Red Pole?”

Shujaa raised an eyebrow. “What’s this all about?”

An Asian man in a red and black suit banged the sheath of the sword he was carrying on the ground. “Your partner Shujaa. Her actions. They have caused some serious issues. Ripples in the pond.”

Xie Gong. One of the three Dragon heads, leaders of the Triads. The Chinese gangs were the oldest in Bai Jian and had the largest territory, split between three bosses. The Chinese ran extortion rackets in their territory, and were heavily involved in all business activity there.

“Can you clarify that for me? What exactly has she done?” Shujaa cocked his head.

Bradshaw placed his head in his hands. “Your partner’s sexual activity has become a serious issue.”

“It’s just one woman. Surely one woman can’t cause all these problems?” Shujaa demanded.

“You would be surprised, Shujaa,” Bradshaw said, looking up and Shujaa. He took out a cigar from his coat pocket and had one of his subordinates light it for him. He puffed out a large about of smoke before directing his gaze back at Shujaa. “It’s not exactly what she has been doing. It’s who. Most other women in this city either have pimps controlling them or they are intimate with one or two people at a time. None of them are trying to get gangsters to fight over them. Your partner made a sport of seeing how many brawls she could start. Seems like whoever won got the prize.”

“When they fight, they die. Council has to clean up. Very expensive.” Xie Gong complained in his broken English.

“These are some serious allegations you are throwing around here. There better be some good evidence to demonstrate this trend.” Shujaa said through gritted teeth.

A woman in a pinstripe pantsuit let out a laugh. “What is this Shujaa? Law and Order? We need no evidence. What we say goes. Your partner is a Blyadischa.” Dominika. Leader of the Russian Mafiya. Russians are smugglers and human traffickers. Almost every girl in the red light districts was brought in by the Russian.

“You are damned brave, Pakhan, talking about my partner like that without Batista here. Hell, if he was here, I think he might agree with me.” Shujaa growled.

“I control Batista, Shujaa. He will do what I tell him.” Abuelo. Leader of the Mexican Cartels. The cartels control most of the drug trade in Bai Jian. “Chrys has violated the rules of Bai Jian. Her designation must be changed.”

“Fuck you, old shit.” Shujaa spat. “Chrys is an enforcer. I had her designation changed way back. I’m not about to stand by and watch you switch it back.”

Bradshaw blew out cigar smoke. “Back then, Shujaa, you promised to keep control of her, to vouch for her, to take responsibility.”

“I was in prison! SynTech had me locked up! Or did all of you forget that?” Shujaa yelled. “I am back now. I will resume my duties.”

“Damage was done anyway. Heads must roll,” Dominika sighed. “We can’t just let this go unnoticed.”

“God dammit, change my status then. I’ll be a gigolo as well as an enforcer. Just leave Chrys the hell out of this.”

Xie Gong raised his eyebrows. “You would do that Shujaa? You know what that means, yes?”

Shujaa nodded. “I do. I ask that this council changes my status in exchange for Chrys remaining an enforcer.”

Bradshaw crushed his cigar into an ashtray. “Damnit, Shujaa. You are a soldier, a fighter. You and I both know that you have a warrior’s heart. Is this what you want?”

“Commander, I’d be a shitty warrior if I didn’t make sacrifices for my comrades, right?” Shujaa declared.

Bradshaw laughed. “Alright. You got me there. Council, let’s put it to a vote. Shujaa becomes a gigolo and an enforcer is exchange for the preservation of Chrys’ designation. All in favor?

“Da.” Dominika.

“Yes.” Xie Gong.

“No.” Abuelo.

“Well it looks like the deciding vote goes to me doesn’t it? Motion passed. Tell Chrys she owes you a big one.” Bradshaw tapped his hand twice on the table. “You’re dismissed Shujaa. Stay safe. I’ll be in touch. I got some stuff I want you to look at.”

Shujaa nodded. “Yes sir. Bosses, I appreciate your time.” Shujaa climbed back over the table and headed towards the elevator. Gao Xiao Yue joined him as he took the elevator down to the lobby of Avalon Gardens.

“Shujaa. Are you sure about this?” Gao Xiao Yue asked him as the descended.

“If it keeps Chrys from having to go back, yes. I spent a lot of time trying to get her designation changed. Besides, a gigolo is not that bad. It’s just occasional work, the women are usually very attractive and wealthy. It’s much better than the brothel or the streets, which is where she would end up if I let them change her status.” Shujaa shrugged.

Gao Xiao stared at the celling. “Still, Shujaa. You will still be an escort. That might hurt your pride.”

Shujaa stared at her. “Only if I let it. But I can sleep easy knowing that it is me, not Chrys, who has to deal with this.”

Gao Xiao looked at him. “You care a lot for Chrys don’t you? Do you love her?”

Shujaa’s face dropped and he grabbed Gao Xiao and slammed her up against the side of the elevator. “No. It has nothing to do with romance. If you saw her when I pulled her out, you would understand. I have to prevent that from ever happening again. No matter what.”

Gao Xiao pushed back against him. “Then why the hell didn’t you jump through hoops like that when we were dating, huh? Don’t remember you putting it all on the line for me. Quite the opposite really.”

Shujaa let her go. “That was a different me. I am sorry about that.”

“Whatever. Not really anything we can do about it now.” Gao Xiao mumbled, looking down.

Shujaa rubbed the back of his head. “Yea. Let’s just get me back to the bar, ok?”

Gao Xiao nodded slowly. “I’ll have to boys drop you off then.”

“Actually, I think I will walk. I need some time to think.” Shujaa said, looking up.

“Your choice. I think you can find your way out?” Gao Xiao stated coldly.

“Yea.” The elevator came to a stop and Shujaa stepped out. “See you around.” Gao Xiao nodded and the doors closed around her. Fuck that was awkward.