Pandora's Succession Read Online Free PDF Page B

remaining devils were. There was still minimal activity at the marketplace, just as when he had left it. Then he saw them, each of them taking things off the tables of the stalls and looking at them. They kept what they wanted and threw to the ground what they didn’t, just as Musa had described.
    Speaking of Musa—he unexpectedly heard loud bawling...It was Musa. He was running after one of the men who had taken his soccer ball and was holding it high above his head, making Musa jump for it.
    “Please, he’s only a child. It’s the only toy he has. Aren’t the clothes you took from me enough?” pleaded a woman that ran up to the bully and grabbed onto his other arm.
    “You dare touch me, filthy peasant woman.” With a single blow to her head, he sent her to the ground. Musa rushed to her, as the man spat on her.
    “Is that your mother, you silly little boy? Tell her you’ll get your ball back once you’ve earned it,” said the man, as he tossed the ball in the air repeatedly, laughing.
    That was none of Fox’s concern. These villagers went through these problems on a daily basis. Fox had what he came for—there was no time for pit stops.
    Less than a dozen paces later, Musa’s crying still went on. A few more seconds went by and Fox closed his eyes hard, hoping somehow it would block Musa out. It didn’t.
    Christ, this wasn’t some kid that was crying over a video game he didn’t get for his birthday. Some asshole just slapped his mother right in front of him. The same guy would probably kill Musa’s mother in front of him, too. He sighed as he turned to look at them. Fuck. How did I become so selfish?
    “Leave my mother alone.” This was all Fox heard from Musa as he looked back and saw him on the ground beside his mother. The devil took out his assault rifle and waved it in the air. Musa screamed and quickly jumped on his mother as though to shield her.
    The sight of the gun even startled Fox. You got to be shitting me. He headed towards them and clenched a fist that grew tighter as he got closer to the devil from behind.
    Fox put down the briefcase. “Hey!”
    The devil hardly had time to turn and look in Fox’s direction before the rifle was pulled out of his hand. By the time he had fully turned, Fox’s left fist was already in full flight. The blunt of the impact got both the upper level of teeth and the lower bridge of his nose and lifted him into the air briefly before he hit the ground. Heads turned and people rushed from way inside the marketplace to catch what was going on.
    Fox looked down at him as he shook out the stinging of his hand. He pulled the magazine out, pocketed it, and looked at the gun. It was a QBZ-95 Chinese Assault Rifle. He then looked at Musa who looked back at him with a tear-stained face.
    His mother sat up and pulled her son into her tightly. Musa glanced at the unconscious devil and then back at Fox. “You came back. You did come to save us.” Fox felt a rush of heat to his face as Musa’s face lit up with a smile.
    Fox breathed heavily and looked to the growing crowd. The two other devils would be showing up soon. And he knew they were coming, when people in the crowd dispersed, as two men in fatigues emerged.
    Fox turned to Musa and his mother and motioned them to the side. “Move away, quickly.” Musa backed up as he helped his mother slide backwards in a seated position as Fox stepped away.
    The bullies glanced down at their fallen colleague and then at Fox. He could’ve easily disposed of them with his HK, but doing so in front of the children would have been inappropriate. That’s a line he would never cross.
    He tossed the empty rifle aside, picked up the briefcase and held it out in front of him while he faced them. “You know what’s in here, don’t you? You know you can’t risk damaging the contents of this briefcase?”
    There was a pause from the two men as they appeared to think about what he just told them. They both looked at each other