The Long Nightmare

by The Sonic Mage

Chapter 5: Backdoor Dealings in the Dark

Author's Note:

So, I know this is a bit of an odd ask , but to any one reading, I encourage that you leave comments. They're my method of keeping tack of what I should keep doing and what I should stop doing.

Anyway enough of my rambling, on with the show!

(Present)

It was dark in the field. Since it was far from any city, light pollution wasn’t a problem. The grass was a bit high but that was a mild complaint.

All-and-all, it was the perfect spot to make shady business propositions. Especially if you’re working for the mob.

The car rolled up to the carved out crop circle in the middle of the field. There was another car already waiting there guarded by four ponies in black pinstriped suits and fedoras.

“Here we are sir.” The driver said, looking back at the passenger.

The passenger, and owner of the car was a young zebra, known formally as “Zulu” by his subordinates. He wasn’t a very high up mobster, but he was on the rise. And the meeting he came to attend, like the meetings that came before it, would secure that he would continue to move up.

That didn’t make it any less stressful, however.

Taking a deep breath to steal his nerves, Zulu stepped out of the car as his driver opened the door for him. He adjusted the buttons on his solid black tailored suit, and walked over to the center of the crop circle.

One of the ponies standing by the other car opened the back door. A large pony wearing a double-breasted trench coat and fedora stepped out and walked towards Zulu. The left side of the coat was jet black with white-ish gray buttons, while the right side was white-ish gray with black buttons. His hat was the same, black on the left, white on the right. His necktie was the opposite of the rest of his outfit however.

He was the one the papers had dubbed, “The Coin Killer”.

The two mob bosses stopped at the center of the circle, not saying a word to each other.

“You seem well,” Zulu said, breaking the silence.

“Do I now?” Coin said in a deep, growling voice. The hat he wore cast a shadow over his face. The only thing that could be seen clearly was the pony’s eyes. The left eye being the most attention grabbing considering its dry, red, irritated state.

“Uh, personally, yes.” Zulu said trying to contain his nervousness.

“That’s nice to hear.”

Silence returned to the field, only swaying grass and crickets could be heard.

“We wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have something I wanted.”

“Of course,” Zulu reaches into his suit and pulled out a manila folder, offering it to ‘Coin’, “It’s just about all the information you asked for.”

Coin took the folder in his gloved hooves flipping through the photographs, and duplicated transaction papers, letters, and other documents. There were pictures of several suspicious, and well-todo ponies, addresses, names, bank statements. It was a hefty compilation of information on the mob’s activities.

Coin looked to the young Zebra. “You said this was ‘just about everything I asked for’,” He quoted, “What’s missing?”

Zulu resisted the urge to gulp, the lack of light prevented anyone from seeing the sweat forming on his brow.

“A few names, specifically those of more confidential personnel,” he admitted, “And some of ZaZa’s more personal letters and transactions.”

Zulu waited for a response, but Coin simply resumed flipping through the folder.

“You must understand, sir, what I can do for you is somewhat limited by status and resources-”

“What?!” Coin whipped around to face his zebra informant. The pupil of his left eye thinned out, looking cat-like. And the red irritation was replaced by a sickly yellow. Inky, black star dust was barley visible wafting off of it.

Coin’s glare burned into Zulu’s flesh.

“I-I’m…even though I’m rising through the ranks, my position in the mafia hierarchy is still towards the bottom Sir! Getting all of what you request alone was already a gamble! If I was only a little bit higher, I could get the rest of the info you wanted. Please don’t kill me!” Zulu practically begged for his life at this point. Yet rather than answer, Coin only turned away and kept flipping through the pages on the folder.

The silence was petrifying and seemed to last for an eternity. Coin just keep building up tension until he finally asked: “How many?”

“E-Excuse me sir?”

“How many ranks do you need to ascend so you can secure what I need?!”

“T-Two more ranks, sir!” He answered, bracing for anything Coin had in store for him.

Coin then reared-up and stood on his back legs. It sounded like cracking bones. But the movement was smooth, almost like his body was designed to do something like that. His front hooves became gloved hands, akin to those of a centaur

Zulu shook, looking up at his superior, who now stood several heads over him. His heart jumped into his throat when he saw the now bipedal stallion pull out a coin from his right pocket and then flip it into the air before catching it on its way down.

Coin held the silver piece of currency in his palm, analyzing the result. He then looked down at the poor zebra.

“You have been a very loyal, minion so far Zulu. You’re very diligent, and you never once made me wait for what I want,” Coin said in a low voice, not looking at him as he stared off into the distance of the night, “I say you’ve more than earned your request. I will grant your wish, and in exchange you will give me EVERY piece of information on the rats that are still lurking around.”

“R–Really? Oh, thank you Sir, tha-”

The sound of a ballista silenced him immediately, as Coin pointed the weapon at his neck.

“This deal better pay off Zulu. Too much power can have a corrosive effect on those with a weak will. So I will leave you with a warning: You even start to consider betraying me, or try to take over the crime world for yourself, and I will split you in half with my bare hands if I have to. Are we clear?” Coin whispered the last part into the poor zebra’s ear, who was sweating bullets at this point.

“C-Crystal.”

“Good.” Coin holstered the ballista, and began walking back to his car. Booker opened the door for him, before he and his three compatriots got in as well. The specially designed engine of the custom vehicle revved to life, and carried the car out of the crop circle and into the distance.

Zulu watched the car drive off as he sat there petrified. He could still feel the ballista at his throat.

“You alright boss?”

Zulu looked back at his driver, then to the car.

It was a “gift” from Coin and his private engineers. A show of kindness that used to exist in abundance in the past, but rarely came out these days. But Zulu couldn’t blame anyone for that. He knew full-well that it was just luck. And he had really been pushing his.

“Y-Yeah.” the zebra said, gulping down any sign of weakness. He stood up on his four hooves and slowly walked over to the car.

“Just…Just take me back to the apartment.”

Zulu and the driver got in the car, and drove away from the crop circle at a casual speed.

And so it was that silence returned to the field, and not a sign that anyone had been there to be found.