Read Online Penumbra (The Midnight Society #2) by Logan Patricks - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Logan Patricks
Ads: Link
chances with them.
Tsung had brought an entourage of eight men, all sitting at adjacent tables, their eyes focused on me. They were anxiously waiting for orders to be given, their hands buried within their coats, clutching weapons no doubt.
I hoped the offer I made to the Triad was one that was too good to pass up—one that would keep me alive.
This was the dark side of the Midnight Society’s business. These were the types of people we had to deal with at times.
Tsung polished off the last of the noodles and let out a gluttonous sigh of satisfaction. Just as I thought he was finished eating, he raised the bowl to his mouth and chugged down the leftover soup in one remaining gulp.
“Best noodles in town,” he said when he was finished, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve. “Are you sure you didn’t want some?”
“I’ll pass,” I said. “Watching you eat made me lose my appetite.”
Tsung snorted. “You always were cocky, Shadow. No respect for your elders.”
“You met me only once,” I stated. “Let’s not pretend you know me.”
The fat man leaned back in the plastic chair and rested his left hand on the table, tapping it with his fingers.
“Why are you here?” he asked.
“To do business.”
“I must admit, I was surprised to hear from you,” Tsung said. “Usually your people get one of your errand boys to come speak to me.”
“I can’t trust them anymore.”
“Of course you can’t,” Tsung said with a grin. “Your offer is very intriguing Shadow, but there is one fundamental flaw to it.”
He paused, looking at me with his cat-like eyes, waiting for a response from me.
I decided to take another sip of my tea instead.
“You’re not curious to know what that flaw is?” Tsung asked.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Well I’ll tell you then,” he said.
“Okay.”
“The Triad does not work for the Midnight Society anymore,” he stated. “Your organization has no power to implement what you proposed.”
I set the cup of tea down, rose from my seat and walked behind Tsung. He eyed me suspiciously.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Cutting through the bullshit,” I replied as I kicked the seat out from under him. He crashed to the ground like the sack of MSG he was. His goons immediately rose from their chairs but made no move to approach me.
That’s what I thought.
“You dare lay your hands on me?” Tsung screamed, scrambling back to his feet.
“I didn’t lay my hands on you,” I corrected him. “I kicked your chair.”
Tsung walked up to me, hellfire in his eyes, and tried to stare me down. It was a difficult task for Tsung, seeing as how I had a good six inches on him.
“You are nothing, Shadow,” he spat. “Your organization is gone, stripped away from you by your own sister. You’ve been castrated. You have no more power.”
“And neither do you,” I said.
Tsung seethed. “You would disrespect the Triads in our own territory?”
“No,” I said. “I disrespect you.”
I turned to the rest of Tsung’s men and grinned. “Who’s in charge?” I asked.
“Have you lost your mind?” Tsung asked. “I’m in charge. I’ve always been in charge.”
I laughed. “The Midnight Society practically invented the art of deception,” I said. “You are just an oily man who sloughs down noodles and puts on a terrible song and dance.” I turned and faced the other Triad members. “You have to remember that first and foremost, I’m a businessman, and a resourceful one at that. The Midnight Society keeps extensive records of all the organizations we have under our umbrella—the Triad being one of them. I investigated your organization, analyzing the data on all your businesses—legal and illegal—as well as your numbers, profit margins, and economic growth. After five years of stagnant growth, I noticed that in 2009, your monthly profit margins began to increase at an exponential rate. Your portfolio also diversified, expanding into
Tsung had brought an entourage of eight men, all sitting at adjacent tables, their eyes focused on me. They were anxiously waiting for orders to be given, their hands buried within their coats, clutching weapons no doubt.
I hoped the offer I made to the Triad was one that was too good to pass up—one that would keep me alive.
This was the dark side of the Midnight Society’s business. These were the types of people we had to deal with at times.
Tsung polished off the last of the noodles and let out a gluttonous sigh of satisfaction. Just as I thought he was finished eating, he raised the bowl to his mouth and chugged down the leftover soup in one remaining gulp.
“Best noodles in town,” he said when he was finished, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve. “Are you sure you didn’t want some?”
“I’ll pass,” I said. “Watching you eat made me lose my appetite.”
Tsung snorted. “You always were cocky, Shadow. No respect for your elders.”
“You met me only once,” I stated. “Let’s not pretend you know me.”
The fat man leaned back in the plastic chair and rested his left hand on the table, tapping it with his fingers.
“Why are you here?” he asked.
“To do business.”
“I must admit, I was surprised to hear from you,” Tsung said. “Usually your people get one of your errand boys to come speak to me.”
“I can’t trust them anymore.”
“Of course you can’t,” Tsung said with a grin. “Your offer is very intriguing Shadow, but there is one fundamental flaw to it.”
He paused, looking at me with his cat-like eyes, waiting for a response from me.
I decided to take another sip of my tea instead.
“You’re not curious to know what that flaw is?” Tsung asked.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Well I’ll tell you then,” he said.
“Okay.”
“The Triad does not work for the Midnight Society anymore,” he stated. “Your organization has no power to implement what you proposed.”
I set the cup of tea down, rose from my seat and walked behind Tsung. He eyed me suspiciously.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Cutting through the bullshit,” I replied as I kicked the seat out from under him. He crashed to the ground like the sack of MSG he was. His goons immediately rose from their chairs but made no move to approach me.
That’s what I thought.
“You dare lay your hands on me?” Tsung screamed, scrambling back to his feet.
“I didn’t lay my hands on you,” I corrected him. “I kicked your chair.”
Tsung walked up to me, hellfire in his eyes, and tried to stare me down. It was a difficult task for Tsung, seeing as how I had a good six inches on him.
“You are nothing, Shadow,” he spat. “Your organization is gone, stripped away from you by your own sister. You’ve been castrated. You have no more power.”
“And neither do you,” I said.
Tsung seethed. “You would disrespect the Triads in our own territory?”
“No,” I said. “I disrespect you.”
I turned to the rest of Tsung’s men and grinned. “Who’s in charge?” I asked.
“Have you lost your mind?” Tsung asked. “I’m in charge. I’ve always been in charge.”
I laughed. “The Midnight Society practically invented the art of deception,” I said. “You are just an oily man who sloughs down noodles and puts on a terrible song and dance.” I turned and faced the other Triad members. “You have to remember that first and foremost, I’m a businessman, and a resourceful one at that. The Midnight Society keeps extensive records of all the organizations we have under our umbrella—the Triad being one of them. I investigated your organization, analyzing the data on all your businesses—legal and illegal—as well as your numbers, profit margins, and economic growth. After five years of stagnant growth, I noticed that in 2009, your monthly profit margins began to increase at an exponential rate. Your portfolio also diversified, expanding into
Similar Books
