An Offer You Cant Refuse

Day 2 - Evening

The stranger turned out to be a young man only a little older than Gill. The youth had muddy blonde hair and was missing the lobe from his right ear. A recent loss by the looks of the scar and his regular tendency to reach up to touch it.

He had not released Haddie, but she did not seem overly concerned. She kept glancing back towards Gill with that unreadable stare of hers as the trio made their way through a network of back alleys and passages.

"Where are you taking us?" Gill asked.

"The Roost." The boy replied, and the silence that followed made it clear that no more information would be forthcoming at this time.

They came at last to what appeared to be a large warehouse and their abductor stopped outside a pair of tall double doors and gave a sharp whistle. There came an answering whistle from inside and the sound of chains being dragged through a mechanism.

"Ere we go." Announced the lad as the doors slowly began to swing inwards. They walked inside.

The inside of the warehouse was a hive of activity. Crates were being checked and loaded, people were hurrying to and fro with a sense of urgency. Gill noticed straight away that they were all young, many of them teenagers like himself and some of them kids like Haddie.

"Alrigh Charlie, these the new fish?." A passing red head called over.

"Watcha Mares. Yeah this is them." He replied, "Where's Big Stig?"

"Ees out back takin a class." replied the girl called Mares.

"Righ wiv me you two." Charlie ordered as he released Haddies arm. She scurried over to Gill side and he put his arm around her protectively.

"Ah ain't you sweet." Charles laughed, "come on."

They made their way to the back of the warehouse and passed through a narrow door into what appeared to be a collection of disused offices. This area was dimly lit and Haddie hung on to Gill tightly as they walked. Gill closed his eyes briefly and tried to picture Vas in this situation. He conjured a clear image of the punk in his mind and held on to it with all his might.

They could hear sounds now from a closed door up ahead, sharp thuds followed by grunts of pain. Gill took a deep breath and pulled back his shoulders as they approached.

"It's going to be ok." He assured Haddie in a voice that shook slightly despite his efforts. Up ahead Charlie half turned with a raised eyebrow and a smile as he pushed the door open.

They entered to see a low hanging metal lampshade swaying above a young man tied to a chair. The prisoner had clearly seen better days with a split lip and the makings of two black eyes.

A man towered over him wearing a thick rubber apron. And black rubber gloves up to his elbows. He was bald and well muscled. As he turned to face them his face split into a wide grin and he opened his arms wide in greeting.

"Ah Charlie, you have found them. Good, good."

"Picked em up outa ole Sams place." Charlie explained.

"Excellent." cried the man who must be Big Stig. He set about removing his rubber gloves as he walked over to where they were standing. He towered over Gill and Haddie and fixed them with his cold black eyes.

*Be Vas..be Vas..*Gill returned the mans stare, "W..what do you want with us?"

"What do I want with you?" the man gave a toothy grin as he slapped his gloves from one hand to the other. He stepped back and gave the gloves to Charlie,

"What do I want with them Charlie?"

"You wan't make em an offa boss."

"And why do I want to do that Charlie?"

"Cause they ave talent boss."

"Precisely Charlie."

"What kind of offer?" Gill asked frowning in confusion.

"Charlie?" Big Stig prompted.

"The kind you cant refuse." sniggered Charlie.

"Bravo Charlie, you can leave us now and please send someone along to collect Andrew here. I have taught him everything I can today."

"Sure Boss." Charlie bobbed his head and left the room.

"Our crew know we are here." Gill lied.

"That's nice Gill, very nice. I suppose they will be breaking down that door any moment to rescue you?"

"Well they... they.."

"Tell you what lad, I'll pretend to believe you and we'll move on shall we." and with that the man sat down on the lap of the man he had been beating causing him to groan in pain.

"Quiet now Andrew we have guests." Big Stig said as he slapped Andrew on the cheek.

"They call me Big Stig," he said after a moment, "Never ask me why, and never use that name outside of the Roost. This.." he gestured to the building around them "...is the Roost, or a Roost to be exact. There are many of them spread all over the Verse. It is a place of business for people with talent, and as head of talent and acquisitions for our little venture I am about to make you an offer..."

The man flipped two object through the air, one to Haddie and on to Gill. Gill caught his and flipped it over in his hand. It was a coin with a snake on one side and what looked like a devils head on the other.

"What's this?" he asked.

"That my lad is the Devils Penny and here is my offer..."

\*\*\*

It was a past midnight when Gill and Haddie returned to the LV and the ship was in darkness. Gill still turned the coin in his hand, he kept glancing down at it and shaking his head. Under his arm he carried several bottles of Blue Valentine for the Captain, part of the bargain he had struck with his new friends.

Haddie was grinning from ear to ear. She had got to keep her ill gotten gains from the bar scam, minus fifteen percent, another part of the bargain. Gill reached over and ruffled her hair and she punched him playfully on the arm. Life was about the get interesting.