Chapter 28: Truly Dangerous

The black bar discriminated against men and required a $15 admission fee. Martin paid the fee and entered the bar, heading straight to the counter for a beer. He quickly scanned the room.

The bar's size was somewhat smaller than "The Beast House," and most of the patrons were men. Several women were dancing seductively on the stage and in cages to hip-hop music.

"Hey, handsome."

A woman suddenly approached Martin and said to the bartender, "Get him a Long Island Iced Tea. It's on me."

After ordering the drink, the woman scrutinized Martin, finding him familiar. Then she recalled, "It's you? What brings you here?"

Martin recognized the woman; she had ordered a cocktail at "The Beast House" earlier that night. He casually replied, "Just came to see what other bars have to offer and pick up some pointers."

The woman grabbed Martin's arm and waved to her friends, "Ladies, look who it is."

Five women in their 30s and 40s immediately surrounded him. They had been eyeing the handsome bartender from "The Beast House" for a long time.

One of them stated directly, "Handsome, come with us."

Martin knew better. "I still have work to do. I need to go back soon; if I'm gone too long, my boss will fire me."

Martin wisely backed down, realizing it could be genuinely dangerous.

They weren't fixated on Martin; seeing his firm refusal, they quickly moved on to flirt with others.

Martin breathed a sigh of relief and looked towards the dance floor, recognizing not just six old familiar faces but many women engaging in the same activity--flirting or trying to flirt.

Once a pair was formed, they left the bar quickly.

Martin finished his beer, left the black bar, and crossed the street back to the entrance of "The Beast House," calling Ivan over, "I remember the club ordered some pins to give out to customers?"

Ivan replied, "They've arrived; they're in the warehouse."

Martin knew the few examples he saw weren't enough; he needed more data, "Give them to the entering customers tomorrow and have them wear them on their collars. They can get a free beer with these. I'll inform the boss."

Blondey was very curious, "Boss Martin, what are you planning?"

Martin had an idea that needed validation.

This wasn't like the previous complex operation directed at the media and two opposing factions, testing low-level people like himself with a $10,000 prize--it wasn't responsible for himself or others.

Martin went into the club to find Vincent and mentioned the pins. They were already meant to be given to customers, so starting tomorrow was no problem.

"Figured something out yet?" Vincent asked.

Martin made it more complex: "I have a vague idea. I need to observe more to grasp it fully."

Last time, Martin gave Vincent confidence, so Vincent said, "You can use the club's staff and resources."

Vincent trusted the club, which he fully controlled, more than other channels. At least he could ensure his share wouldn't have issues.

Martin went downstairs; it was already quite late, and customers were leaving.

Bruce was also free and asked, "Figured out a plan yet?"

"It's tough." Martin shook his head slightly, "Are you busy during the day?"

Bruce replied, "Morning is for civil debt collection; I'm free in the afternoon."

Martin nodded, "Find out Atlanta men's favorite tabloid and try to connect with one of their reporters."

Bruce perked up at the mention of media and reporters, "Going for extra cash again?"

Martin sneered, "Old Bruce, you're a gentleman; why is it always about money with you?" He made it clear upfront, "You shouldn't be able to make extra cash."

Bruce's enthusiasm waned, "I'll let you know if there's news."

After work at the club, as usual, Martin got into his Ford car and left after some time.

...

In the second-floor office, Vincent asked, "What did Martin do?"

The blonde, who first called Martin 'boss,' sniffed and replied, "Talked to Ivan about the folks across the street, told Ivan to be careful about racial discrimination and not cause trouble for the club."

Vincent nodded slightly. Martin, the rascal, was better than his dad.

The blonde continued, "Then Martin went to the black bar and discussed the pins with Ivan after returning."

Vincent thought for a while with no clue, "You can leave. Report to me if anything comes up."

The blonde replied, "Yes, boss."

...

Just past noon, Martin gathered his tools to get to work. Remembering the Hollywood crew, he pulled out his phone and called Jerome.

Jerome had some connections in Hollywood. Martin asked him to find out who was the female production manager friend of Kelly Grey, mentioned by Andrew.

And any related information.

Inside, Elena was sound asleep and suddenly found herself falling into a deep pit.

In the pit, a person with a rotting face greeted warmly, "Hello, my dear niece."

Elena woke up with a start, sat up, and Martin's creaky wooden bed made all sorts of noises, seeming like it would fall apart any moment.

Elena looked through the window at the backyard, feeling a sinister breeze. She quickly found Martin's shirt, put it on, and stepped into the living room.

She came to the door and leaned against the frame, seeing Martin holding a handsaw, working on some wood in the yard. "Idiot, what are you doing?"

Martin wiped off his sweat, "The bed is falling apart; it needs reinforcing."

Elena found the wood familiar, "Where did you get this?"

Martin continued working, "The cemetery's fence was too dense, which made grave robbing harder. I did a good deed and took some."

The Carter family was used to such things, so Elena paid no mind, but Martin's clumsy work irritated her, "You're worse than useless at this. Lily and Hall are better. Should I ask Lily to help? She'll be home earlier this afternoon."

The mention of Lily made Martin think of her sharp tongue and shake his head, "Guess what that dumb Lily would say if she came over?" He mimicked Lily's tone, "Wow, Martin, how did the bed board get a hole? How did the leg break?"

Elena kicked off one shoe, "Shut up and get back to work!"

Martin tossed aside the saw, dusted off his hands, grabbed Elena, and headed inside, "Alright, no more talking, back to work!"

By the afternoon, they had finished and drove out.

Elena had to go to the Methodist Church to help and grab free food.

Martin asked, "Any issues over there?"

Elena understood, "The rivals are mortal enemies. One side protests, the other immediately follows. No one thinks a poor loser like me can do anything."

She wore her purity ring, immediately losing the earlier vibe, "Drop me off from a distance. Don't let those idiots see you."

Before Martin dropped off Elena, he got a call from Bruce, saying there was some lead.

"Come by at 4:30," Bruce reminded, "The front entrance is blocked by city maintenance vehicles, so there's no parking. I'll leave the back door open for you; come straight in when you arrive."

"No problem." After dropping off Elena, it was early, so Martin decided to head straight to Baca Community.

Bruce's back door was open, and Martin entered the house.

Approaching the living room, he heard some sounds from the bedroom and called, "Old Bruce!"

While speaking, he peeked in, then quickly backed off, "Sorry, Monica, old Bruce. I didn't see anything!"

*****

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