It was a thing of dismay for Gallagher to find out that Dakota was now sleeping with his client. He never saw it coming. She was his girl who he had saved from the Orphanage where she encountered untold Abuse and torture from fellow orphans and staffs alike. Her difference in color made her look like the coloring book of a skilled kindergarten students. This strange features had caused people to view her as a freak. They simply didn’t know that she had a pigmentation disorder that affected her melanin distribution, giving her different colors in different body parts. When most of her skin was white like most normal Europeans, it was the coal_ like blackness of her lips that was the first point In standing her out. Secondly she had hairs on her head that were as red as blood itself. It was so In all parts of her body so it meant her eye lids and eye lashes were all crimson red. Her left cornea bore a deep blue contrast while her right cornea which was like those of normal human beings, had a red highlight which was a scar from an attack that almost blinded her in the orphanage. She was tall and studded with a fleshy body that gave her the silhouette of coke bottle. She was feminine in all aspect, except for her voice which was unarguably as deep as that of a man. It was love at first sight with Gallagher who was just nineteen when he first met her. She wasn’t more than nine years old and she lay immobile in the bushes where she had been left for dead after a gang of street thugs had gave her a fatal beating before taking turns to rape her. They only left her when she was immobile and bleeding profusely. The Orphanage authority didn’t want to take responsibility for her treatment so they pretended not to notice she was missing even when rumors of what had happened to her had gotten to them.
Gallagher who had been a body Guard to one of the prominent figure, found her and took her to the hospital. He paid her bills and when she was out and had no where to go, he gave her a roof to squat in and got her a job as waitress in one of the bars. It was the beginning of their love story. All things went well until eventually a third party came into play and their perfect love story was flawed.
” Humans are damn ingrates. It’s why I now leave them to suffer like they deserve.” Aired Gallagher and hummed angrily in rage as he drove on his bike while Durban drove along with him.
” Master. What bothers your mind so much. Tell me and I shall kill it like I always do.” Durban assured, with a scowl of essence on his face.
” No need! Not all enemies are meant to be killed. No not at all.” Said Gallagher as he kept on cruising his bike.
” You only show such mercy to Dakota. No human has gotten it so good from you. The ingrate still left after all you did for her. Bitch!” Fumed Durban and spat into the air, racing past it before it could even reach the floor.
” Don’t call her bitch yet. Wait till you see what I have in stock for her. I just need to hear what Dubois has to say about her interference in my land. I gave her life and I gave her a place in Texas. Why would she humiliate me like this. Why?” He enquired and breathed heavily like a grizzly.
” Cause she’s a bitch of a human that’s why. Why don’t you get a cage and put her in it once and for all. I swear I get H I V sick when I set my eyes on that ingrate. Kill her boss . Kill her.” Barked Durban as while fired his acceleration to keep up with the mind blowing speed of his boss. The road wasn’t empty but they drove with so much speed that it made commuters flee from the road for the fear of getting taken to their early graves.
” I may have to is she takes my mercy for stupidity then I may have to. Child of Uriel is the prime beast of the Streets. Maximus can’t save her from my wrath when I finally loose it.” Gallagher said and rushed over a speed bump that sent his bike air borne till it was flying over the heads of two police. Durban didn’t want to push his luck. All he did was keep on moving at crazy speed on the floor.
” Boss. Maximus. The son of the billionaire son of Cincinnati Is powerful. I have heard scary things about him and they say his strength is from the gods. We will kill him for you if we have to. We have killed stronger men in the past.” Said Durban as he zoomed past a speeding Bugatti as if it wasn’t even mobile.
” I’m afraid to disappoint you but Maximus is not human. More than me, he is a wolf but not a wise one. It’s the reason he was outsmarted by his twin brother who now has all his money hidden in his bank. Imagine the bastard sending me to the woods to catch his brother and refusing to pay me a dime in advance. Well I quit! I quit and I quit. I will rather focus my energy on all the Taxes I can lay my hands on.” He said with his bike towering at full speed against the high way. Not even the birds of the skies were now moving faster than himself and Durban.
” Chasing that looser was the major reason why Dakota thought she could steal from you. She thought you were going to be fooled into chasing that dude while she took all the money for herself. I have no doubt that Dubois knows something about this.” Said Durban.
” We shall soon find out. Hell yeah we shall.” He said and fired down the lane that led to the governors guest house.
” Gallagher. Damn it man why have you chosen to act so petty. I give you a retirement package and all you want to do is chase peanuts from this peasants.” Said Governor Dubois after Gallagher had sat down. With them was Durban and Maximus. Who sat on the exact position that was made for the governor.
” Retirement plan huh. I leave my base for an hour or two and before I know it, bats are flapping their wings on my soil and reaping off my harvest. No, I will make do of what I have for now and chase your retirement plan afterwards.” Said Gallagher as he sat, leg crossed gazing deeply at Maximus with much hate and resentment.
” Bats. What damn bats are you talking about man?” Dubois asked as looking lost in the discuss.
” Don’t act like you didn’t give Dakota consent to take taxes on my territory. Don’t.” He said In a deep whisper and tried to bang his fist on the table before choosing to suck it in due to the caliber of persons present
” Yes I did. Man I told you there has been some resizing of these things. Let’s be fair to ourselves, you have gained more than any of my ally on this administration and I still bring you the juiciest packages yet. Dakota was critical in the victory of my last election and it’s only fair she gets her own share of the taxes. You have bear creek all to yourself. Let her take the flanks. The revenue there is hardly enough to satiate the needs of such a high classed lady…”
” Exactly my point!” Gallagher, this time around banging his fist on the table not minding who got angry and who did not.
” Now she is having the flanks, next she will be having the border lands and soon she will take over Bear creek. No one but I and my crew made you the Governor of Texas. That being said. I want her out of my land.” Said Gallagher and Narrowed his gaze at Maximus who had said nothing all through the discuss.
” I’m afraid change is constant and some changes would have to be made to suit other people. Get your eyes off these damn taxes and get us Maximin. Five hundred million dollars is yours for doing that. If you choose to cry on peanuts like some bitch. Then keep on crying, we will get a better assailant for the job.” Countered Dubois and made a scowl to show his anger. It was the first time both Durban and Gallagher had seen him furious and it came as a thing of surprise to them. The hall was silent for a short stint of moment and finally someone spoke.
” I have been on the track of Maximin. He isn’t one that has been easy to catch and since I have nothing to gain from a lengthy chase. You are free to give the contract to someone else. You are treating me like shit because I helped you conquer Texas. The days are too young to write off a fellow like me. The heart of man would always want some bigger than the past and only then would the tides of time turn you back to your true allies. Durban. Let’s go.” Said Gallagher and sprang up in majesty while Maximus gazed at him with a mild smile while suiting his moustache. His black suit gave him the trappings of a Mafia boss.
” Hey man. Don’t be like that. You and I, we go way back. Just see how we made our way from the stinking slums and now we run this town. Would you really say I have been a bad friend to you? Do you know the burden I carry as the damn governor while you live out your dream life as a street lord. Well then fine. Welcome to my world. Try becoming a politician and then trying getting a loyal thug to help you win. Try try try and I swear to you it’s all you will ever do. Try.” Fumed Dubois who was clearly Infuriated by the antiques of his childhood friend.
” We will be friends again when Dakota leaves my territory.” Said Gallagher and turned to take his leave Maximus snapped his finger in majesty and Dubois hurriedly rushed to his side. Some things were whispered into the ears of Dubois who quickly nodded, stood up and called out;
” Gallagher wait!” He said, causing Gallagher who was already at the door to halt his steps but didn’t turn.
” What.” He asked in deep baritone of vexation.
” We have a new offer for you. We would give you a hundred thousand dollars cash as motivation to get us Maximin. We believe that since you set eyes on him, then you can get him for us.” Said Dubious as he stood in his ash suit, gazing at Gallagher. He could clearly see Durban smiling at the offer but not Gallagher.
” And Dakota. Would she leave my flanks?” He asked with so much majesty and valor.
” Damn it man. She does that for fun. I doubt if she makes a good thousand from those flanks. Even you can’t make a hundred thousand the whole year from bear creek taxes.” Said Dubois in a vexed tone before bending town to whisper to Maximus again.
” I know that. Would she be out or not.” Gallagher asked with his back still turned at Dubois
” Dakota would keep the outer flanks. You can leave if you won’t take the deal.” Said Dubois and clutched his hands in a fist as he watched Gallagher leaving the room. Durban couldn’t believe the guts of his boss. He gazed back at Dubois in apologetic manner and followed his boss.
” I like a guy who knows what he wants. This Gallagher guy of yours, He is just like me. The only thing he doesn’t know is that I Maximus Denarius is the true Governor of Texas. I choose who take what taxes and who doesn’t.” Said Maximus as his smile ceased, trading it with a vicious scowl.
” Maximus. Gallagher Is a loyal friend and ally. His rift with Dakota is personal. I plead leniency on his case.” Said Dubois and bowed his head in submission.
” If Dakota wants the Taxes of bear Creek then she would have the Taxes of Bear Creek.” Declared Maximus in silvered tone of Majesty.
” And that would be detrimental to our target at hand. Maximin is running out wild. He knows you want his life and only him perhaps is your equal in strength. At a point like this, Dakota would only warm your bed. Gallagher can give you victory. All things would fall into place in time. All things including Gallagher shall fall, but as it stands we need him more than we need Dakota.” Said Duboi in submissive plea. Maximus was mum for a while and finally spoke with ease.
” I know all that. This is chess and I won’t loose my Queen for a knight. There is more to Dakota that meets the eye. Far more than you can ever see. If you think I keep her for the size of her arse then you are wrong. The both of them are critical for my victory. If I must choose, then I go for Dakota. Let Gallagher be. I will win without him.” Said Maximus and smiled mildly in reflection.
” And what can she do. Tell me what she can do better than Gallagher at this critical point of war.”
” Win. She can win it for me and I may not have to go to war.” He said and began to chuckle softly leaving Dubois at sea.