I BUILT THE UNDERWORLD WHILE YOU CALLED ME USELESS

Chapter 7

"You’re all shaking. Stop it," Lucian’s voice sliced through the humid air of the cramped basement beneath 'The Rusty Bolt.'

The dozen shopkeepers and residents huddled there looked at him like he was a ticking bomb. Old Man Miller, who ran the corner pharmacy, stepped forward, his hands trembling. "They burned the tenement, Lucian. The 'Cleaners'… they’ll come back. They’ll kill us all just to get to you."

"They won't be back for a long time," Lucian said, tossing a handful of crumpled papers onto the center table.

"What’s this?" Miller asked, squinting.

"The deed to your pharmacy. The title to Mrs. Gable’s diner. The payday loan contracts for every family on this block."

A collective gasp rippled through the room. Mrs. Gable reached out, her fingers hovering over the paper. "How? The bank sold these to a collection firm months ago."

"I am the collection firm," Lucian said. "I bought the debt web of this entire district three hours ago for pennies on the dollar. Arthur Vale was liquidating assets to cover his stock losses. He didn't check the buyer's name. He just wanted the cash."

"So… you're our landlord now?" a young man sneered from the back. "What's the difference?"

"The difference," Lucian said, looking the man in the eye, "is that I am forgiving every cent. Your debts are zeroed. In exchange, I don't want your money. I want your eyes. I want your ears. This district belongs to the ghosts now. If a black sedan enters these streets, I want to know the license plate before the driver kills the engine."

"You’re serious?" Miller whispered. "Everything… gone?"

"Everything. You’re free. Go home and tell your families."

As the crowd began to disperse in a daze of relief, one man lingered. Silas, a local runner known for playing both sides, edged toward the staircase. His hand was buried deep in his pocket.

"Silas," Lucian called out.

Silas froze. "Yeah, Lucian? I’m just… gonna go spread the word."

"Who did you call five minutes ago?"

Silas’s face went pale. "What? Nobody. My phone’s dead, man."

"Funny. Because at 12:05 AM, a signal bounced off the scrap-metal relay I installed on the roof." Lucian pulled a small, jagged piece of circuitry from his pocket—a bug crudely soldered from server parts. "You called the Vale emergency tip-line. You told them I was in the basement of the Bolt. You even negotiated the bounty up to seventy-five thousand dollars. Want to hear the recording?"

Silas lunged for the stairs, but Boxer’s massive frame suddenly blocked the exit.

"I… I had to, Lucian!" Silas shrieked, falling to his knees as Boxer grabbed him by the collar. "My kid is sick! They offered so much money!"

"Your kid is sick because the Vales dumped toxins in the water supply for ten years," Lucian said, walking slowly toward him. "And you decided to sell the man who just cleared your medical debt."

"Kill me then!" Silas sobbed. "Just get it over with!"

"I don't waste assets, Silas." Lucian leaned down, his voice a cold, terrifying whisper. "I’m giving you a choice. Option one: I turn you over to Boxer, and we see how long you last in the mud."

"And option two?" Silas choked out.

"You stay on that phone. You call the Vales back. You tell them I escaped toward the North Docks. You become my double-agent inside their security feed."

"They’ll kill me if they find out!"

"Then don't let them find out," Lucian said, tossing the bug onto the floor. "Because if you don't work for me, I’ll send a digital packet to Arthur Vale right now. I’ll make sure he believes you are the one who stole the 'Ghost' protocol and leaked the Gala video. I’ll make you the most wanted man in the city."

Silas stared at the bug, then at Lucian’s emotionless face. "You’re a devil."

"No," Lucian said, turning away. "I’m just the guy who collects. Pick up the phone, Silas. You have a job to do."