Velvet Roses Ch. 09

"Thanks for your help," he said, and gesturing to Jake's hand, which was resting on a pistol that was hidden behind the counter, he added,"You can take your hand off that gun now."

Then without another word, he was on his way, cold air enveloping him as he exited the rear door and stepped out into the night.

* * * *

Strobe lights illuminated the dimly lit nightclub, and as the pounding electronic beats of Depeche Mode's 'New Dress' blared from the speakers, Dane made his way across the dance floor. A hub for those with a fondness for gothic and industrial dance music, The Asylum was packed with bodies adorned in fetish casual wear and goth clothing.

It proved nearly impossible for Dane to wedge his way between the throng of sweaty people, but after bumping shoulders and squeezing past countless clientele, he finally made his way to the other side of the dance club. As he reached the bar, he took a seat on one of the stools, then impatiently waited for the bartender to approach him.

With the club so densely populated, nearly five minutes passed before the bartender did, and as he arrived to take Dane's order, he asked, "What can I get you?"

"I'm looking for a guy named Gage. Is he here?"

A shake of the head was followed by gruffly spoken words. "Can't help you."

The bartender walked away, heading off towards the opposite end of the counter. Now certain without a doubt that Gage was indeed present, Dane turned around on the stool, then slowly took in his surroundings.

The club was dimly lit, making it difficult for him to see the faces of the clubgoers, but as the strobe lights illuminated the various people on the dancefloor, it gave him a brief window of opportunity to check out their features. With his eyes so intently pinned on the nightclub patrons, Dane didn't even take notice of the person who sat on the stool next to him. That was, until they spoke.

"You're new here, aren't you?"

Averting his gaze from the dance floor, Dane allowed his eyes to rest on a brunette female with a Bettie Page hairstyle and a bull ring piercing. "What gave it away?"

His sarcasm brought a smile to her ruby lips. "I can always spot the curiosity seekers a mile away." She gave brief pause before saying, "I'm Victoria. And you are?"

"Nameless."

She quirked an eyebrow. "The mysterious type. I like that."

Uncertain of how to respond, he remained quiet, allowing his eyes to drift back to the dancing clubgoers.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" Victoria asked.

"I'm here to observe."

"Only to observe?" The flirtatious tone in her voice was accompanied by a seductive look.

"I'm looking for someone. He's a regular here."

"He?" She asked in a voice laced with disappointment. A few moments of silence passed as she gazed curiously at him, then in a hopeful voice she asked, "Do you swing both ways, or are you only interested in men?"

"That's not what I meant," he firmly stated.

"Oh." She visibly brightened. "So this guy you're looking for. What's his name?"

"Gage. You know him?"

"Yeah, I do. He hangs out here all the time."

"Is he here tonight?" Dane asked.

"I haven't seen him around yet, but if he is here, he'd mostly likely be on the second floor."

Glancing upwards, Dane noticed that there was indeed a second level, and after spotting a flight of industrial looking steel stairs a few feet away from the bar, he rose to his feet, then gave Victoria a little nod.

"I think I'll check out the second floor, and see if I can find Gage. Thanks for your help."

"Sure, no problem. Later, sexy." She winked, then swiveled around on her stool and signaled the bartender for another drink.

Dane turned and made his way to the stairs, and upon reaching the second level, he surveyed the area around him. While the first floor consisted of a dance floor and a bar, the second level was a lounge area.

The walls were painted royal blue, and black sconces hung on the wall, casting dim light throughout the room. High back leather sofas were placed against the walls, and a dozen small circular tables surrounded by plum colored velvet chairs were strategically placed in the middle of the lounge area.

As he walked further into the room, he eyed the various patrons, and they eyed him right back. Some of them sat on the sofas groping each other and making out, while others hung out by the bar, which was tufted and made of black leather.

Others were clustered in groups, sipping their drinks and flirting, yet nearly every person that Dane passed emitted a strange sort of energy, seeming to size him up as he made his way through the room.

He continued on, and as he spotted a hallway lined with half a dozen glass-enclosed cubicles, he headed directly for them. As he walked past the enclosures, he saw they were occupied by couples who were partaking in a number of intimate acts, and feeling as if he were some sort of a pervert, Dane only allowed his eyes to rest briefly on each erotically engaged twosome.

Being surrounded by so many enamored couples only made him ache more for Jeneda, and he was certainly in no mood to watch complete strangers fondle and caress one another, but he was on a mission to find Gage, and wouldn't leave the club until he did.

No sooner had that thought gone through his mind, did he zero in on a rat-faced man inside one of the glass-enclosed cubicles, and as Dane recalled the description that the pawn shop owner had given him, he undoubtedly knew that this rodent-faced person was Gage.

Seated on a black leather loveseat next to a woman with a shaved head and multiple face piercings, Gage had a hypodermic needle in his hand, and after tapping up a vein in the woman's thin arm, he sunk the needle into it.

So engrossed in shooting her up, Gage didn't even notice that Dane was observing him, and as his pierced companion fell into a drug-induced stupor, Gage began to kiss her, while simultaneously feeling her up.

Thoroughly disgusted, Dane pulled open the door to the glass cubicle and entered, then with a sneer on his lips, he spoke.

"Real classy, Gage. You do this with every girl you meet?"

Gage startled at the sound of Dane's voice, dropping the needle from his hand in the process, and with a sneer on his lips he asked, "Who are you? And how the fuck do you know my name?"

Offering no response, Dane retrieved Marla's bracelet from his pocket, then held it up for Gage to see. "Look familiar?"

"Yeah, I gave it to a waitress at The Clover Room. You her boyfriend or something?"

"Nope."

"Then who are you?"

Choosing to ignore the question, Dane fixed the other man with a hard look. "I'm looking for a guy named Slade. You know where I can find him?"

"Nope."

With a few hasty steps, Dane closed the distance between them. Then grabbing the collar of Gage's shirt, he twisted it in his hand, causing the fabric to bunch up against his neck. Gage's face turned red as a result, and as Dane gazed into his beady eyes, he saw that they had widened in surprise.

"I want the truth. Now tell me where he is."

Gage averted his eyes, seeming to contemplate whether or not he should divulge the information. Then with swift, adept movement, he withdrew a knife from a slot on his belt buckle.

Gage jabbed the wickedly sharp blade towards Dane's stomach, but before it could sink in, Dane caught his wrist, halting it from moving any further.

Possessing a fair amount of arm strength, Gage fought back, baring his teeth as he struggled to overpower Dane and thrust the knife into his gut. Dane, however, wasn't to be defeated, and mustering every bit of his forearm strength, he pushed harder against Gage, causing his opponent's hand to slam against the armrest of the loveseat.

Dane swiftly disarmed Gage, then using the knife that his opponent had tried to wield against him, Dane nailed his hand to the arm of the couch.

Gage howled, squirming in agony as his face turned bright red, eyes bugging as he looked at his own pierced hand.

"Once more chance to tell the truth," Dane said. "Where's Slade?"

"Fuck off!" He spat.

Still holding the handle of the knife, Dane sunk the blade into the hilt, immobilizing Gage's hand even further. Gage yelped in response, jaw clenching, hard eyes burning with intense hate. Dane matched his opponent's wrathful expression, then in a voice that was deeper than usual, he spoke through clenched teeth.

"Tell me where to find him."

"Or what, you're gonna kill me?" A wheezing laugh escaped his lips. "You don't have the guts."

"Why would I waste my time killing you?" Dane asked as he stared coldly into Gage's eyes. "Slade's the one I want."

"Well you know what they say," a voice suddenly said from behind Dane. "You knock long and loud enough, somebody's bound to answer."

He didn't even have time to turn around before he was struck in the back of the head with the butt of a gun, and as a faint grunt fell from his lips, he slumped to the ground unconscious.

* * * *

The stench of garbage, cohabitating with an odor which could only be described as rotten eggs and wet dog, brought Dane back to consciousness, and as his lids slowly opened, his eyes came to rest on a blur of unidentifiable shapes and colors.

He blinked a few times to clear his hazy vision, and as he came to the realization that he was laying facedown in a puddle of scummy water, he lifted himself up from the ground and shifted to a kneeling position.

After wiping the slime from his cheek, he elicited a small groan, then slowly and unsteadily he got to his feet. His head throbbed with every beat of his pulse, and as he gingerly rubbed the side of his head, he found that a small lump had risen.

Taking in his surroundings, he saw that he was standing in a dingy alley, surrounded by graffitied dumpsters, empty liquor bottles, and soiled, discarded furniture. Wind shuffled litter into corners, and as a cold chill blew past him, Dane found himself wondering why he'd been dumped in a random alleyway. But as the pounding beats of industrial music emitted from the building behind him, Dane realized that he was located in the alleyway behind The Asylum.

This thought had barely gone through his head when he noticed the vague outline of a person standing just a few feet away from him, and no sooner had Dane discovered that he wasn't alone, did a tall man step out of the shadows.

The man's spiky, platinum blonde hair was a stark contrast to his dark clothing, which included black pants, and a leather coat, and as he walked closer to Dane, the heels of his shoes crunched against the alley debris beneath his feet.

Rather than come to a stop right in front of Dane, the man in black chose to circle him, as if he were the shark and Dane was his prey.

Not allowing his gaze to stray for even a second, Dane locked his eyes into the stranger's blue orbs. After circling Dane a few times, the blonde haired man finally came to a stop in front of him. Face to face, the two men engaged in a heated eyelock, and as Dane glowered hatefully at him, he knew without a doubt that the man standing before him was none other than Slade.

"So, we finally meet." The corners of the blonde's lips quirked slightly, but his eyes remained dead and cold, void of any emotion. "Word on the street is, you've been eager to meet me."

"I thought it was only fair, considering you've invaded my life."

A devious smile crossed his lips, followed by a light chuckle. "Interesting choice of words."

From somewhere further down the alley came the sound of a bottle breaking, but neither Dane nor Slade broke eye contact. If anything, the tense energy between them only seemed to elevate, and although they still had yet to draw a weapon, their body language suggested that they were on the verge of a violent altercation.

"People who are indebted to me over don't usually seek me out," Slade said. "So I'm guessing you must either be incredibly stupid or just crazy." He stared long and hard into Dane's eyes before adding, "You don't seem stupid, so you must fall into the latter category."

"The reason I sought you out isn't because I'm crazy. It's because I have nothing to fear."

A look of amusement crossed Slade's face. "Brave, but foolish. A dangerous combination indeed." His vacant eyes seemed to study Dane, as if sizing him up. "An associate of mine told me that you wounded one of my men. Blew his kneecaps right off."

Dane said nothing, only continued to stare at Slade.

"I hear he was also stabbed with a dirty needle. So along with being paralyzed, he's now got an infectious disease."

"An occupational hazard." Dane's voice was flat and devoid of emotion. "It comes with the territory."

A smirk curled Slade's lips and he gave a little shrug. "Brody's only one of many, so It's no huge loss. But I'm curious...you had the chance to kill him, and yet you chose to let him live. Why?"

"Killing him would have served no purpose, except to put him out of his misery. Why would I have done that?"

"You're right. Death would have been far too kind." He gave brief pause before asking, How *did* you find Brody, by the way?"

"How do you think I found him?"

A long moment of silence passed while Slade seemed to thoughtfully contemplate Dane's question, then finally he spoke. "Love makes you do stupid things, doesn't it?"

"Love had nothing to do with it. I was acting on my own accord."

"Surely that note I left you had something to do with you going after Brody. You know I've been watching your girlfriend, and you don't like that."

Dane's face remained deadpan, his eyes burning with hate as he wordlessly stared at the blonde man's face.

"You must have very strong feelings for her," Slade said.

All too aware that he was being baited, Dane remained silent, trying his best to keep a stone-faced expression.

"She's quite a lovely woman. It'd be a real shame if something happened to her."

Dane's pulse quickened at the mention of harm coming to Jeneda, and a murderous glint came into his eyes. "Leave her out of this. She's not a part of it, and never was."

"Oh, she's definitely a part of it." He stared Dane down for a few moments, then in a menacing voice he said, "I don't like it when people violate my turf."

"That's funny, because I don't like it when people violate mine, either."

"You come into my club and attack one of men, then think you can just walk right out without being noticed?" A faint scoff passed his lips. "Only a fool would do that."

"Just tell me what you want so we can settle this. I don't have the drugs, but I can get you cash. Give me a price, and I'll pay it."

"I'm not after money."

Dane's brows furrowed. "Then what are you after?"

"I've got a job for you. It's fairly simple, but requires a certain type of person to pull it off. Someone who possesses a specific type of knowledge."

"Not interested."

"I didn't ask if you were interested. Nor did I mention that it was mandatory."

A long silence filled the space between them, during which the far-off wailing of a siren could be heard. Knowing full well that he didn't have a choice in the matter, Dane clenched his jaw in frustration, sighing deeply through his nostrils as he waited for Slade to continue speaking.

"There's a company called Invotech based here in San Francisco. They design and manufacture computer chips, and have an inventory worth billions of dollars. I already have a team of my men working out the details of a robbery. Your job will be to bypass the security system and get us in undetected."

"What makes you think I'll be able to pull that off?" Dane asked.

"From what I've heard, you're quite skilled at that sort of thing."

Curious as to just who had supplied Slade with this information, Dane contemplated asking, but there was another question in particular that he was currently seeking an answer to.

"And that's all I'll be required to do? Just slip your guys past the alarm system and that's it, the debt's paid off?" The expression on Dane's face conveyed disbelief. "There's gotta be more to it. Something you're not telling me."

"Invotech has a sophisticated alarm system, as well as buzzers and television cameras at every entrance. Not to mention a command room with at least two guards. Getting my men inside without detection will be anything but simple."

Having robbed numerous warehouses during the span of time he'd spent as a professional criminal, Dane was all too aware of just how laborious neutralizing a security system could be, especially when the alarm system in question was part of a microchip firm with a net worth in the billions.

This led him to realize that it wasn't just a small time robbery he was getting involved in, but something more serious, with higher stakes. And the higher the risk that was taken, then more grave the consequences would be.

As this thought passed through his mind, Dane knew chances were slim to none that he would come out of the situation unscathed, and was even more certain that if he didn't end up dead, he would most likely be put in jail.

Losing his life was one thing, but the thought of being arrested caused a wave of anxiety to sweep through him, and knowing that he didn't have much of a choice in the matter only furthered his feelings of uneasiness.

Yet as terrible as he felt about being forced back into the criminal life, he knew it was a necessity, and that any hesitation or refusal on his part would result in Slade going after Jeneda. Therefore, the only option he had was to go through with the heist, and to deal with the ensuing consequences, no matter how horrible they might be.

"Fine, I'll do it. But if this is going to be done right, I'll need a bit of time. At least a few weeks, so I can analyze the security system and decide the best way to neutralize it."

Slade's icy blue eyes stared into Dane's nearly black ones for a long moment, then in a voice which conveyed how serious he was, he spoke. "I'll give you three weeks. You try to back out or evade me, and I'll recover your debt through any means necessary."

"I said I would do it, didn't I? Three weeks, and I'll be ready."

Slade nodded, and with a hint of a smile on his lips, he said, "You do a good job, and I may just consider hiring you. I'm always expanding my team of men."

"I'd never work for you." A sneer curled Dane's lips as he spoke. "You're scum. You prey on the innocent, threatening the lives of those who are connected with people who are indebted to you."

"You're right, I'm a horrible person." Slade's voice was thick with sarcasm. "But at least I've made peace with who I am. You're fighting against your true nature."

As Dane stared into Slade's eyes, he noticed that they had grown darker, and suddenly found himself wondering if there wasn't some truth to the words that the blonde man had spoken. His doubt, however, remained concealed, and with a feverish scowl, he spoke.

"I'm nothing like you."

"We're closer than you realize. You're just too damn blind to see it."

"You destroy lives...kill people for money."

"You stuck a man with a filthy needle. Then you shot him in the knees and paralyzed him."

"I did that out of necessity, not enjoyment. It was a matter of life and death."

"Of course." Slade's lips curled slowly into a wicked smile and a faint gleam came into his dead eyes. "But did you not feel a sense of satisfaction from doing it? Surely you must have." He peered long, hard and deep into Dane's tormented eyes, as if willing him to tell the truth.

"I did what I had to do. It's done, and I'm not sorry about it."

"And why should you be? He had it coming, right?"

The two men maintained a deadlocked stare, Slade's icy blue eyes staring into Dane's nearly black ones. Then finally Dane broke his gaze, and without another word, he turned away from Slade and began to walk out of the alley. He only made it a few feet before Slade's voice caused him to halt his steps, and with his back still facing the other man, Dane listened.