Octavia clutched her arm, gritting her teeth in pain. She was used to the throbs of pain she normally experienced, but this particular wave had caught her off guard. She dug into her glove box, grabbing a small bottle of pills. She popped out two and swallowed them dry, then stepped out of her car. She took a deep breath, then set off into the hardware store. She unlocked the door, then crossed through the dusty, empty room to the speakeasy entrance. She knocked the passcode, waiting for someone to open the door.
“One moment.” Maud’s dull voice echoed through from the other side of the door. Octavia sighed, feeling the painkillers take effect. They didn’t so much remove the pain as it did numb it; Octavia could still feel it throbbing and burning in the background, but it was much easier for her to manage. It made the wait for the door much more bearable.
Octavia was about to light a cigarette when she heard dull thuds, pained grunts and groans. She pressed her ear against the door, trying to get a better listen at what was going on. She heard metallic thunks and grunts of exertion, and then, silence. She backed away from the door, cautiously curious at what was happening.
The door slid open, and two men stepped out, dragging something behind them. In one hand, they each held a lead pipe. In the other, the leg of Minuette, her bloody, bruised, broken body dragging behind them. They nodded silently to Octavia before hoisting Minuette’s body and carrying her out. Octavia sighed, then stepped into the room.
Unlike the day before, the room was entirely empty, save for Maud and Octavia. Maud sat where she did last time, wearing black leather gloves that were all but dripping in dark red blood. Minuette’s blood was splattered across her face, a light mist of red all across.
“Morning,” said Octavia, cautiously taking a step around the trail of blood left by Minuette’s beating. “Are you busy?”
“Not anymore.” Maud leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs over one another. She pulled her bloody gloves off and set them onto the bar. “I take it you did as I asked?”
“Of course. You’ve got a bit of…” Octavia pulled a handkerchief from her breast pocket and offered it to Maud. “You might want to take care of that.” Maud accepted the handkerchief and wiped her face clean.
“Good. We need to talk,” said Maud.
“Talk as in talk or talk as in what you did to Minuette?”
“If it were a talk like that, I would have kept my gloves on.”
“Fair enough.” Octavia slowly strolled through the room, paying close attention to the splatters of blood on the floor. “May I ask why you didn’t just shoot her?”
“I wanted answers,” said Maud. “I have had some concerns, concerns which have been confirmed by my chat with Minuette. And I will be honest. I asked her a question and was not pleased by her answer. So I punished her for it.”
“God forbid I can’t answer a question,” murmured Octavia.
“You have yet to disappoint me. I see no reason why that would change. Sit down.” Octavia did as she was told, taking a seat next to Maud. “Now we are alone. Good. You can never be sure who is listening these days.”
“You’ve had me nervous since last night. It’s not often you get weary of what might be heard,” said Octavia. “You seemed… dare I say it, afraid. That can’t be right.”
“Not afraid. Concerned. It's about Limestone.”
“Yeesh. Now I'm afraid.”
“She has been having trouble with the police lately, and she has been asking for me to divert some of my assets to her,” explained Maud. “I refused, obviously. Limestone then took it upon herself to make offers directly to my men.”
“Hearts and Minuette,” said Octavia.
“Correct. Limestone is trying to steal my men. I can only think of one reason for her to do that.” Maud tapped the bar restlessly, a small grimace spreading across her face. This was already more emotion than Octavia normally saw. “She is going to try to take me out. She wants to take everything I built. I will not let that happen.”
“What's your plan?” asked Octavia. “Or am I not allowed to know?”
“She wants my men. I will give her my men. But I am going to ensure that they are my men. You will go to Limestone. You work for her, but report to me. I want a list of all of the people Limestone has enticed with her offer. Then, when it is all said and done… Clip them. All of them.”
“Maud… You're talking about what could be dozens of people.”
“Then stock up on bullets.”
Octavia bit her lip uncertainly. This wasn't good, by any definition of the word. She couldn't imagine any less than a dozen of traitors by the time her stakeout was finished. If Limestone had gotten to Lemon Hearts and Minuette, then who knows who else had gone against Maud? Heartstrings, Punch, Star, Flitter and Cloudchaser, they were all suspects, and those were only the people Octavia could think of at the moment. The Pie Crime Family was a massive organization, woven deep into Manehattan itself. There was no way to tell for certain how many people were involved with Limestone’s plan, and Octavia was expected to kill them all.
“Maud… I know I'm good, but I'm not that good,” explained Octavia. “You're asking me to go undercover on your sister? Limestone would have me shot just as soon as look at me.”
“I agree that my sister is unstable, but she manages to swallow that in order to further her own agenda,” said Maud. “That is how she secured her spot in the family at all. If you can make certain that she believes you are working in her best interests, she will not harm you.”
“Alright, assuming I don't get shot on sight, what then?” Octavia stood up and started to pace. “Say I do manage to get into Limestone’s good-books, and say I do manage to catalog every single traitor, what then? You expect me to take them on by myself? It could be half the family, for all I know. I'll be dead before I cross five names off the list.”
Octavia stopped, clutching her arm gingerly. This was one of her concerns. If she were in a firefight and was gripped by a wave of pain like this, it could very well cost her her life. Even if she were perfectly healthy and uninjured, this was a tall order.
“Maud, I know I've got blood on my hands. I know I've killed a lot of people for you. Some who deserved it, some who didn't,” said Octavia. “But I'm not a killer. I'm no hired gun. And I'll do what I must for the family, but mass murder because they picked Limestone over you? It's… Well, it's above my pay-grade, for one. It's unthinkable. Unholy. I can only pray for forgiveness so many times before the words lose meaning.”
Maud uncrossed her legs, then stood up. She crossed the room, placing her hands gently on Octavia’s face. Though the gesture was nothing but gentle, it commanded a certain power that could be replicated by few. As Octavia felt Maud’s cold, almost lifeless skin against her own face, she understood what Maud was conveying. She was reminding Octavia who she was. These hands just killed a woman, she seemed to say. Octavia knew that they'd have no qualms with killing another.
“Go speak to Limestone. Now,” said Maud softly. “Do not come see me during business hours. We meet under the light of day from here on out. Understood?”
“M-maud… You can't be serious,” said Octavia. “These so-called traitors… They're still a part of the family. Your family.”
“If they joined with Limestone, they are not a part of my family. They are either with me or against me. Where do you stand, Octavia?”
“I never meant to imply that…”
“Family is very important to me,” Maud continued. She grabbed Octavia gently by the collar, adjusting her coat. “And I like you, Octavia. Ever since you were a child, running messages for me, I knew you were something special. You were born for this.”
“And I'm grateful that you gave me a chance. Honest, I am,” said Octavia. “I do everything I do to thank you for what you've done for me. But this is insane. Killing these men… What will that solve?”
“There's a saying in this business.” Maud returned to her seat, pulling her gloves back on. “‘Never go against the family’. Never go against me. Letting these men go is the same as joining with Limestone. So, I ask you again, Octavia: Whose side are you on?”
Octavia took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Her options were limited to just the one at this point. If she wanted to live to see the sunrise, she would need to start thinking about how she'd earn Limestone’s trust.
“Alright, Boss,” sighed Octavia. “Where do I find her?”
Octavia pulled to a stop just outside of a building that Maud had directed her to; Octavia thought the grey, industrial factory perfectly encapsulated what this city was. It cared not for the individual, only for the sheer haul and quantity. She grabbed her cello case from the backseat, then briskly walked into the factory.
Rows of whirring machinery hummed through the massive building. Tired, lifeless workers put together their products, not paying Octavia any attention. She preferred it that way. It made it much easier for her to cross the room, ascend the rickety steel staircase to the foreman’s office and knock firmly three times.
“If this ain't important, I'm gonna break your fucking legs!”
Octavia was very taken aback but tried to regain her composure quickly. Though she had never met the eldest of the Pie sisters personally, she had heard that Limestone could smell fear.
“Ma’am?” said Octavia. “I'm Octavia Melody. Your sister sent me?”
There was a bit of silence, where Limestone presumably ruminated on what Octavia had said.
“Well? Open the goddamn door!”
Octavia winced at the sharp language but knew very well that Limestone was not the person to correct on decent language. She simply grit her teeth and pushed open the door, stepping into Limestone’s office.
As soon as she was through the threshold of the door, she felt two big, strong hands grab each arm. They dragged her forward, despite her kicking and thrashing. Octavia glanced wildly around, recognizing the men as the ones who had beaten Minuette. It seemed that Octavia already had two on her list.
“Let me go, damn it!” snapped Octavia, futilely fighting to free herself from their grasp.
“Have a seat.” Octavia looked up, noticing Limestone for the first time. Her short, silver hair was a spiky, untidy mess, which, when combined with the wild, rabid look in her dark green eyes, made her seem a mere moment away from a full mental breakdown.
The men who grabbed Octavia unceremoniously dumped her into a seat, leaving her within arm's reach of perhaps the most dangerous, terrifying person Octavia had ever met.
“Melody, right?” asked Limestone. “You know who I am. And if you've worked with my bitch sister, then you know that I'm not to be fucked with. So don't fuck with me.”
“Of course,” said Octavia. “I—”
“I didn't say you could speak yet. There's something I wanna make clear.” Limestone stood up, slamming her hands firmly against the desk. “You don't just work for me, Melody. You belong to me. I ask you to do something, you do it. I ask you to run, you get to stepping. I say jump, start hopping and I'll tell you when you get high enough. If I like your coat, you give me the clothes off your back. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.” said Octavia, her hand twitching for her cello.
“Get up, Melody,” said Limestone. Octavia did as she was told. “Stand over to the right.” Again, Octavia obliged. Limestone pointed to one of the men that had grabbed Octavia, then to the chair that Octavia had just been in.
The man was grabbed by his partner, then forced into the chair. He held his friend in place, wrapping an arm across his throat.
“What the fuck?!” he shouted, kicking and fighting, to no avail.
“You got a gun on you?” asked Limestone. Octavia nodded. “Shoot him.”
Octavia stared at the man in the chair, then drew her Broomhandle with a sigh. She was going to have to kill the guy, anyway. She figured now was as good a time as any. She pressed the barrel against the man’s head.
“Lower,” ordered Limestone. Octavia lowered her gun uncertainly, pressing the barrel to his neck. “Lower!” Octavia aimed her gun at his foot, her stomach turning at the hungry, sadistic grin on Limestone’s face. “Higher.” Octavia winced, finally understanding what Limestone wanted.
She raised her gun higher, aiming at the man’s crotch. She glanced to Limestone, who rabidly, manically nodded. She looked back to her victim, who was begging and pleading her to reconsider.
“Sorry, mate,” murmured Octavia. She squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the trigger. She almost couldn't hear the gunshot over his screams and swears. Limestone laughed, then leaped over the desk. She punched him as hard as she could, knocking both the chair and the man in it over.
“Fuck you!” shouted Limestone, stomping on the man. “I told you, motherfucker! Keep your dick! Out! Of! The! Merchandise!” Limestone kicked him firmly one last time, huffing and laughing hysterically. “You! Get him out of my office!”
Octavia watched in horror as the man dragged his partner out of the room. Limestone laughed, then sat back in her chair, wiping the blood on her fist onto her pants.
“So, Melody, you got any questions about how things work around here?” asked Limestone.
“N-no, ma'am,” said Octavia. “None at all.”
“Good. Now, let's get to work. You got a cig?” Octavia nodded, pulling a cigarette from the carton in her pocket and offering it to Limestone. “Light it.” Octavia did as she was told, then sat back in her chair. “Alright, good, good. Let’s get to work. What are you here for?”
“I… I beg your pardon?”
“Why the fuck are you here?!” shouted Limestone.
“Er… Whatever you need, ma’am,” said Octavia. She tried not to let on how truly uneasy she felt around Limestone. She held her hand over her gun, ready to draw if something went poorly. Limestone stared at Octavia, blowing smoke in her face.
“Good answer. Now, let me tell you what I need.” Limestone stuck out her tongue and stubbed her cigarette out in her mouth. “So, my half of the family, the half that my bitch sister let me have, it’s built on the back of hookers and drug dealers. Now, I’ve got my drug dealers, but my hookers are scattered.”
“May I ask what happened?”
“That stupid, dirty, no good, sleazy son of a bitch couldn’t keep his hands to himself!” snapped Limestone, slamming her hands on the desk. “I told him to leave them alone, but he didn’t fucking listen! So he kept bugging my girls and I told him to fuck off and he wouldn’t leave ‘em alone! They got spooked off, and now they’re all over the goddamn place!”
“So you want me to find them?” asked Octavia. She wasn’t really certain why Limestone needed her for that. Hunting down prostitutes was a bit beneath her skillset.
“I want you to find one of them. She’s sorta the ringleader. You bring her in, and the rest will follow,” said Limestone. “So go find her. A broad by the name of Vinyl Scratch.”
Octavia’s eyes went a bit wider, which Limestone picked up on immediately. Despite Limestone’s unstable behavior, Octavia could tell with certainty that the eldest Pie was more astute and observant than she originally thought.
“You know her,” said Limestone. “Why? How do you know one of my girls?”
“I don’t know her personally. Just… You know. In passing.”
“Good. So you know where to find her. I want her back by morning. Get to work. Now!”
Octavia stood up, grabbing her cello case and turning for the door. She wanted to get out of the office as quickly as possible. The less time she spent in the presence of Limestone Pie, the better. But, as she neared the door, a question burned in the back of her mind.
“Ma’am?” said Octavia. “What do you suggest I do if she doesn’t want to come with me?”
“You bring me her head in a fucking bag,” said Limestone. “But don’t let it come to that. Get her here, or you’re next in the chair.”
Octavia nodded cautiously to her new boss, then set out in search, once again, for Vinyl Scratch.