[TIER 10] IATL: Chapter 1 (part 1)

Warning for prostitution, forced prostitution of minor (barely legal, almost 18), rape, violence, drug abuse and killings.

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Almost there, Lucas thinks as he throws the pen he'd been using back into its holder. It falls exactly into place. Closing his books, he smiles as he leans back into his armchair, fingers linking together in front of his mouth. The profits have almost doubled this month. He can contribute that to his recent partnership with Curtis Ramsay.

Lucas had managed to convince Ramsay to be part of the crew two months ago. The man is a prominent resident of Lawrence, Kansas. He is a respectable principal of Lawrence High and is known for his philanthropy. His primary generosity is aimed at Kansas's new business ventures, dabbling in funds and investment. He also has stakes in some of the long established companies here. He has all the makings to be a politician. Lucas is surprised he hasn't run for mayor yet.

Like all greasy politicians, Ramsay is as dirty as they get. Lucas isn't sure where his financial wealth came from because he doubts a principal’s salary makes that much dough. Not like he cares. All that matters to him is that Ramsay can be bribed. A man as influential as him is someone Lucas needs to ensure a smooth sailing operation. And he'll never know when he could use a favor from someone of that stature.

In dealing with the law, he's got Zael LaBelle, Lawrence's own Chief of Police in his pocket. He had been back for half a year now and it had taken him three months to organize the whole setup. He had to get rid of the competition. Lawrence is segregated into a few gangs. But the gang's activities can be split into two categories. Drugs and prostitution. Lucas wasn't interested in drug dealing so he left the drugs related gang alone. He also excludes the human trafficking ring. Not his style. That leaves him with only a few gangs. The leaders of these gangs are typically strip joints or underground club owners and getting rid of them was easy. Especially with his kind of experience.

Once he had merged the gangs in the area and formed his territory, every prostitute walking the streets were his. He even recruited the independent workers. Every night they pay the required amount to their pimps who then bank the amount into an offshore account he'd set up specifically for this. Still, his operation works smoother with the law on his side. His next step was to look for an in with the local law enforcement. With his luck, he had found Zael. During his rounds at the clubs, he had seen Zael entering enough dubious establishments to know that he was dirty. He's the person Lucas needs.

Things went easier when he caught Zael with a twink one night while visiting one of his joints. After questioning the prostitute, he had learned that Zael has a weakness for barely-legal boys. That knowledge came to fruition a week later when Gabriel was brought over by social service to his doorsteps. Getting Zael on board is effortless then. Gabriel fits Zael's type to a T.

In return for their alliance, both Ramsay and Zael get a share of the profits he made. Things had been going according to plan until one day, Zael brought Alastair into the picture. Alastair Creely is the warden of Lawrence Prison. Zael wanted to bring him into the business as their enforcer. There had been some trouble with gangbangers who think it's okay to beat up their prostitutes and the pimps were getting agitated with the number of fights they have lately. They needed more muscles so to speak. And Alastair could provide that. Lucas didn't see any problem with that and so Alastair had been added to the group. Instead of sharing the profits, he will be getting a fixed amount transfer into his account at the end of every month.

However, during their first meeting with Ramsay, Alastair came up with the idea of upping their 'diversity'. He's referring of course to the rest of his charges. Ramsay, who had taken a liking to Anna, was in full support of the idea. He further states that the amount they would rake in by doing so will be obscene. It was three against one. There was nothing for him to do except to agree but he had drawn the line at Amelia and Sam. He had already whored out Gabriel, what difference does it make to whore out the rest? And they were right. They made a huge profit that week. He turned a blind eye and deaf ears at the measures Alastair had taken to force the children into the scene.

Alastair is sadistic. He had methods to make even the most reluctant and defiant of characters to submit. In this case, it was Chase. When he turned up three weeks ago was the worst week he'd been through ever since coming back. Chase was abrasive, challenging and hostile. He fights them every step of the way. Lucas was forced to bring in Alastair. Without consulting first with Lucas, he had brought his friends along and the whole thing had gotten way out of hand. When Alastair emerged from the basement with a smug face and announced that his work was done, Lucas had felt a sting of fear. What he found down in the basement was the half-conscious bloody body of Chase Reed. The boy was destroyed.

Of course, it would be impossible to send Chase to the hospital without raising any suspicion. That's when Ramsay's personal doctor, Anthony Price came into the picture. With a stoic face, he tended to Chase's injuries. Since then, he became their personal doctor. He's in charge of their well being. When clients got too rough, he fixed them up. He also gave them weekly STD check up and for the females, provided birth control pills. For his trouble and silence, Anthony receives the same payment structure as Alastair.

He will be there at the club tonight. Tonight will be the first time his associates combine their playtime. Normally, Zael would take Gabriel, and Ramsay would take Anna. But now that Chase's 'fixed', Ramsay had suggested the idea of a club scene. He had been itching to get his hands on Chase ever since he ran into the teenager during one of their meetings at the home. He's nervous that Alastair will be there as well. Nevertheless, Lucas is sure that with Gabriel's experience and docility, the night will pass by with no hurdles. He hopes Chase won't pose too much trouble. He doesn't want to give Alastair excuses to hurt any one of them.

His eyes flicker to the bottom of the computer screen where the numbers are rapidly increasing. He smiles as he takes in today's earnings. Not bad. If things go the way they are now, soon he'll be able to leave this town. Soon he'll be able to return. Soon he'll be able to exact his revenge. His face takes on an almost inhuman expression. Soon.