Jareth made his way back to the old hotel that served as the headquarters for the Blood Skulls. It looked different in the light, less intimidating and more inviting than a gang headquarters should look. As he neared the doors the man and woman who had looked at him disdainfully yesterday snapped to attention and gave their best version of a salute to him. He shook his head and went through the door, laughing on the inside that this menacing gang didn’t have a single salute.
He climbed the stairs to where he remembered his vision going out last night and saw her still in her throne, wearing the same dress that made him actively avert his eyes from her form, and the fiery red hair that hung at her shoulders.
“Red, ma’am…” He started fishing for words. He had not planned what he was going to say or what he was going to do. He was mostly just focused on getting there alive. “I don’t know what happened last night and if I hurt anyone I apologize. If you have to kill someone kill me and spare my family.” His eyes were glued to the floor in disappointment as the last sentence left his lips. His father would be ashamed that he wasn’t going to fight this woman to save his family. Then the strangest thing happened.
Red cackled. She threw her head back in laughter and lifted herself from her throne.
“What you did last night was slaughter my lieutenant like he was a lost lamb.” She said her voice sing-songy in the way that let the crazy slip from the edges of her mouth. “You killed him without a second thought and so you took his place.” She smiled, too wide for it to be comforting to Jareth. “But that was last night and now I have a mission for you!”
Jareth was on edge. He did not remember killing the man, but the blood on his clothes and the floor and walls here proved that he did open someone. He recoiled from Red out of instinct at what eh had done and she grabbed his arms and brought him closer to her than he ever wanted to be.
“Don’t be shy. I need to tell you what I expect of you!” Her breath smelled sweet and minty and her teeth were sparkling white. She brushed her teeth regularly, a luxury that not many people had these days. “I need you to go to a new gangs headquarters and kill their leader. They are encroaching into our territory and I will not have it. I’d do it on my own but you will have such an easier time with it than I will.”
Jareth looked into her eyes trying to see if she was joking. Enter a gang’s HQ and leave after killing their leader. This was a suicide mission and this was how she was going to get him back for killing her lieutenant.
“Ma’am, I don’t think that I can go in alone and leave alive.” Jareth said still in her grasp.
“Nonsense with as easily as you dispatched my last lieutenant you’ll have no problems dealing with these hooligans.” Her smile came back, but her grip tightened in one arm as she dropped the other. “Besides you wouldn’t want to disappoint me would you?” She asked her tone turning to more of a seductive one flashing him begging eyes and toying with the front of her dress.
Jareth blushed when he looked to her hand out of instinct and averted his eyes when he saw more of her than he wanted. Red cackled again and gave him a light peck on the cheek and let go of him.
“If you don’t come back I’ll assume you failed and got killed. Your family will be left alone and to their devices, you have my word. But, if you don’t come back with the head of the leader,” Her face became darker and the song left her voice, “I’ll kill your family in front of you and leave you on death’s doorstep forever away from your precious loved ones.”
Jareth understood the threat and could make no words as his throat went dry when her face darkened. He nodded in agreement and turned to leave. He heard Red’s laughing until he was a ways away from the old hotel. He hurried his pace and changed his direction.
If he was going to do this he was going to need help and he was going to need more than just his knife, He would need to go see Raymond the Mechanic. For support and equipment.
Grayson C. Beane 