Secrets and Lies Part VII
02 Jul 2017Jellicoe
Carl 'Elbows' Hoiles was not the most cerebral of men, indeed not only his own mother would describe him as clever and Carl knew full well that people laughed at him behind his back for his inability to grasp even the most basic of ideas. They did make sure that they only laughed behind his back though because while profoundly stupid 'Elbows' Hoiles was big, very big, and very well coordinated. He had been extremely young when he had first realised that his size made people uneasy, and that that unease could easily be turned into fear, and that when people were afraid of you the possibilities were limitless. He terrorised three schools before dropping out at thirteen to ferry drugs about Trentham for a street dealer, then becoming an enforcer for a local loan shark when he reached physical maturity. From there his 'career' had taken off as his size, strength and willingness to visit extreme violence on anyone who stood in his way combined with a very high pain threshold should anyone try to see him attract the attention of those rather higher up the criminal food chain than a back street loan shark and Raymond Quinn had hired him to provide muscle at his network of clubs, drug dens and brothels. Elbows liked working for Mr Quinn, the money was good, there were all the girls he wanted and when the police came looking for him alibis were provided, evidence manufactured and some of the best briefs in Alioth arrived at the station to help. Raymond Quinn for his part valued Elbows greatly, he liked his enforcers to be strong, stupid and obedient and so Elbows had ended up as one of his bodyguards and right hand men should anyone require any 'special' attention. So high had he risen in Quinn's employ that even Elbows feeble brain thought it strange that he and Lenny Slade, Mr Quinn's other most trusted thug were doing nothing more than make sure an obese man who looked well over a hundred did not leave their employers pub. Elbows watched the man whilst leaning on the door frame, he didn't understand his boss's orders but if Mr Quinn said so then that was all he needed to know. The old, fat man was talking to an attractive, short haired woman with an eye watering cleavage accentuated by a low cut top she appeared to have been poured into, was that it? A working girl trespassing on Mr Quinn's territory? No. If that was all it was he'd have been told to make the girl look a lot less attractive, find out who she worked for and send her back to him, the old man might get a few slaps but they wouldn't pay him any real attention. Elbows might not have been very bright but he did have a level of cunning, he also knew his world and the more he watched the old man the more about him seemed wrong. The way he moved was not right for a man of his apparent age, the way he sat also, much too straight backed for his age and girth and his face on closer inspection was wrong, his cheeks, nose and jowls were a slightly different shade to the rest of his face. Disguise he thought, facial augmentation packs most likely, synthetic tissue used primarily by actors who needed to look more like their character but also well known to criminals for disguise, possibly with body packs as well which could make even the slenderest man look obese. Presently the old man and his companion rose and moved towards the door, Elbows stepped across to block it off.
"No you don't granddad, sit back down."
"Get out of my way and you won't get hurt." The old man replied quite calmly. Elbows grinned, he was going to enjoy this, he threw a punch which the old man tried to slip, clearly expecting to be a lot lighter on his feet than his bulk allowed and was too slow, Elbows blow connected with force and sent the man sprawling. Elbows grinned again and stepped forwards to follow up barely noticing a blur of motion as the old mans hand reached into his jacket, the glint of light on metal as he pulled it clear or the high pitched buzzing sound that followed, but he most certainly noticed the blow to his chest like a charging elephant that hurled him back against the door. He felt his legs buckle and he slid down to the floor as he realised with the first real fear he had felt in a long, long time what had happened, a fear confirmed when he looked down to see his jacked and shirt already covered in blood. He looked, his vision already fading, to see the old man with a pistol levelled at Lenny. The old man was saying something but it sounded impossibly far away to make out. The last thing that Elbows Hoiles ever saw was the old man and his companion stepping over him as they left the pub.