I was starting to hate London just as much as my associates. When we went to pick everyone up at the airport, it was foggy and you could barely see anything in within a stone throw. However, once we arrived, picked up the China Doll, Toshimasa and Aoki and left again, it was much clearer. It was still gray though and that in itself was depressing. Aoki stepped outside and looked up at the sky as he said,

"What the hell happened to the sky?"

"It's been that way." I said.

Toshimasa looked around, a black suit as held his cane in one hand and said,

"I like London."

Xiao Tien shook his head as he said,

"That's Totchi for you."

Toshimasa blushed slightly, a hint of pink rising to his face, his slightly long black hair doing nothing to hide it. We went back to Claridge's within the hour and Jia saw the owners of the game as he greeted them both, as well as Aoki. Aoki himself looked none too happy to be here. But he couldn't really object since he had a job to do anyway. After a quick run down on what had happened with The Gun, which left Xiao Tien somewhat surprised, Jia let the three new arrivals rest up. Aoki went right to his room and after the door clicked closed behind him, we did not see him for the rest of the day. Xiao Tien went to sleep also, but not after talking to Jia for a while. Gabriel was still in his room and Jo, was of course still sleeping. I stayed in the lobby of the hotel, reading the London Press as I read about the discovery of an old man's body shot to death in a back warehouse room of a known bookie joint. The paper also discussed about how the old man's dogs were shot as well. Creases of feet prints were found but the shoes didn't linger long enough to make a complete mark, hence they had nothing. I yawned softly to myself before folding the paper and going to the dining area for a cup of that famous English tea. I did nothing for the most part as I waited for night to fall. I found out during that time that I really did not like London at all. As I slept in my room, the TV on since it had bored me to death, I felt my phone shaking beneath my hand. I woke up, picking up the phone as I looked at it and saw it was Jo. He asked me to come outside and meet in Jia's suite since everyone was preparing to go out and find Taylor. I rolled out of bed, tying my hair up and getting my tie back on as I buttoned my coat and went to meet everyone in Jia's room. Our oyabun was pulling on his coat when Jo let me in. Jia was saying,

"I know where Taylor's father is. If we find the old man, we find Taylor."

"Any reason we're dealing with just Taylor and not his father as well?" Asked Xiao Tien.

"Mostly because Taylor is young. He's more adaptable rather then his father. I couldn't run my idea, or even the fact that I was involved in The Gun's shooting without that old man having a fit."

Jia patted his pockets down as he retrieved his cigarettes. Aoki lit it for him as Jia gave him a nod of thanks before he continued.

"Anyway, we should all go. Now is not the time for me to be sitting in a posh hotel room sleeping. China Doll, Toshimasa, I called you two here because one of you knows this gambling business better, the other knows how to balance books. So I want you two to go through any of The Gun's pay rolls, his books, accounts, anything with money. He must have kept some record of his funding. In case you don't find anything, just ransack his place. There should be plenty. Aoki accompany them with Jo. Gabriel, you, me, Akio and Mikkie we'll go find Taylor. We'll meet up again at..."

He paused as he pulled up the sleeve of his coat and glanced at his fitting Rolex watch as he said,

"At...one or so. Two the latest. Go on."

The owners of the game, Jo and Aoki soon left and then the rest of us followed. Jia by now had picked up the English accent, understanding it for the most part but still stayed lost in the slang. He hated that the most, especially when he knew someone could very well be insulting him. If his temper was worse, there could have been a pile of dead Englishmen all around London. We hailed a cab were the four of us got in and went to Taylor's father's bookie joint.

When we got there, we found a small line of men and a few women waiting to place some bets on local sports. The woman placing and taking bets recognized Jia and let us in as we went to find the old man. He was sitting in the back room, crunching numbers, punching them into a calculator as he counted the stacks of notes and coins. Once he felt our presence, he looked up as he said,

"The Gun treated ya badly eh?"

"Not really. I didn't like his style."

"He died you know."

"I heard."

"You wouldn't have anything to do with that would ya?"

"Why would I? I was in my hotel all evening."

The old man looked at Jia suspiciously, but said nothing as he went back to his numbers. Jia then said,

"Is your son around?"

"Working."

"Ah. You expect him back soon?"

"Why the interest in my boy?"

"He's a smart kid. He impressed me the other day."

The old man paused to think for a moment as he then said,

"The whole city is in an uproar with The Gun being dead. Even his dogs were killed."

Jia nodded as if he had never heard. The old man continued.

"And business has expanded. Since The Gun took most of the profit, people still have'to place bets. They come to me now. It's amazing."

"Business is booming huh?"

"Yes. I can't say I had great love for the old bastard, but he didn't need to be shot like his dogs either."

Jia looked over at me and then at Gabriel as he said,

"So what are you doing now?" He asked once he returned his attention to the old man.

"Balancin the books."

"I won't bother you much more. If you can, tell your son to call me at Claridge's whenever he comes back."

"Of course. It was nice seein you again."

"Like wise."

We then left and went back out onto the streets.

We didn't find Taylor until later that evening. He had left a near by pub when Gabriel caught sight of him. Jo approached the somewhat taller bookie and brought him back to Jia. There, Jia looked up at him as he sat on a bench. Taylor pocketed his money he received, peering over his shoulder at the pub called The Talbot and walked over to Jia. Taylor put his hands in the coat of his black leather coat as he said,

"What can I do for you?"

Jia got to his feet as he said,

"You done working?"

"I have to return this to my dad but..."

"It can wait. What's a good bar around here? You drink?"

"Sometimes. I don' really have the head for it."

"It's all right. So what's a good place?"

"Dover Street Restaurant and Bar is pretty good I hear."

"Never been?"

"Can't afford it."

"Then there we'll go."

The restaurant was one of the only establishments that offered live entertainment. It had a party like atmosphere in which Jia liked and Taylor was astonished at. We sat down at the bar, Jo ordering a drink after Jia. Gabriel paused to think before he ordered Gin and Tonic. I opted for seltzer water as Jia had vodka straight. As we sat at the bar, Taylor said,

"What's all this then?"

"I needed to talk to you."

"About?"

"The Gun."

Taylor cupped the glass he had full of whiskey sour as he said,

"What about him?"

"Look, I'll tell you what I know, but you breathe a word to your old man and it's done. Get me?"

Taylor nodded, blonde spikes staying in place as Jia said,

"I got rid of him."

"Why?"

"Fair game kid. Right now as we speak, my people are emptying out anything having to do with him."

"But...his workers..."

"I'm not concerned about them."

Taylor seemed so surprised as he took another sip of his drink and said,

"So...what's gonna happen?"

"My associates, they know how to run this game. Hell, one of them made a career out of it."

Taylor then sighed and said,

"What would you want with me?"

"I know your father is not a young man. You want to expand eventually don't you? Grow from this, from just being a loan shark am I right?"

Taylor looked down at his glass and took another swallow as he said,

"I don't wanna disappoint my dad. He's been doin this since he was my age."

"Look, you're smart I know you got the brains and ambition to go further then this. You got the means, your old man is holding you back."

The young blonde glanced up at Jia as our oyabun continued, taking his shot of vodka and continued.

"I'm going to start my empire here, but run it under the English since, obviously I won't be as trust here. I want someone to organize everything for me and run it when I'm not here. I don't plan on frequenting this...horrible city, so I want someone to be in charge and phone me on results and tell me how everything is going."

"You want me to be in charge?"

"You're my first contact aside from your father. Your father seems more old fashioned and I have a feeling my idea would not strike his fancy."

"You're right to assume that."

"So, yes. If you know other connections, by all means, get organized, work from the grounds your father gave you. Start setting this up."

"I'm shaky with numbers. I'm just a muscle, got no room for brains."

"My associates will help you start books. With the fact that The Gun is no longer hoarding everything, there is more business. You start double dealing."

"You mean, steal from my own father."

"No, just give him what's owed. Keep your part."

Taylor nodded as Jia then said,

"You do that, my accounts will set you up and before you know it, people won't even know who The Gun was."

"And you? What do you get out of all this?"

"Another city in my pocket. Plus a percentage of whatever you start making."

"How much of a percentage?"

"That all depends on how much you start pulling in. And you will pull in a large sum of notes."

Taylor sighed as he said,

"Is it natural to feel somewhat scared?"

Jia nodded a she said,

"You take that into consideration. But remember, you breathe a word elsewhere and it's done. In every sense of the word."

Taylor nodded as Jia finished up his drink and paid the tab as we then left.

For the next few days, while most of us stayed in Claridge's sleeping, being bored and waiting, the owners of the game were organizing everything. Some had taken interest in having the empire of The Gun dissolved. They weren't sure who was going to be running it and they didn't know of Jia's presence. Jia had made sure to keep his own face out of the light on this one, him being of Asian decent in a city populated by Angelo Saxon's it made him stand out just a bit more. Also he had a dark aura and the people guarding him made him seem all the darker. As Jia was beginning to think that Taylor would never go back on his father, the little bookie showed up at Claridge's and rang Jia's room. Jia invited him up as he said,

"What can I do for you?"

"I have over sixty-three million pounds. On my own. From what've stashed over the years. I have ten thousand from what I scrapped off from the booking money I collected from my dad."

"Impressive."

"What can I do to start this?"

Jia welcomed him into his room as Jo and I sat on one of the velvet sofas near the door. Jia asked Taylor to take a seat as he went to the mini bar retrieved a bottle of Jack Daniel's. With two small shot glasses, Jia set them down as he said,

"What you now have to do is find some contacts. People you trust. And don't get devotion confused with greed. People will be quick to stick a knife in your throat or put a gun to your head if they feel they can get a greater amount from your death then your life."

Taylor nodded as he took the shot of liquor and said,

"I know. That I have learned."

"As long as you know that. You know contacts?"

"Yeah...I got a few."

"Good man. Get them up and going. My associates will be here for a while to help you out. Accounting wise. I'll leave one guard with them and if they're harmed in any way, shape or form, I'll come back like a horrible dream."

Taylor nodded as he said,

"And once I'm set up?"

"Once you're set up, I will be all but ready to claming this land for myself. You'll be working for me. So anytime you have a problem you can't handle, you let me know and I will gladly take care of it."

"What if you're not in Tokyo?"

"Call New York. Simple as that. It's rare I'm not in either country."

Taylor sighed as he said,

"I can't believe I'm doing this."

"Believe it. You get one chance. You fuck up in anyway, I revoke all deals and I leave you collecting money for you father again."

Taylor nodded as Jia then finished his shot and said,

"So...get to work."

Taylor nodded as he got up, but not before shaking Jia's hand and thanking him for the chance. He then left as Jo looked at Jia and said,

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make people turn on family like that?"

"I give them the chance to strive for something better." Jia said with a smile.

He got up from the chair after he poured another shot of Jack Daniel's and took the shot as he then said,

"Okay...we can finally leave this damn city. I just need to talk to Toshimasa and the China Doll. Also, find someone to stay with them."

Jo then said,

"Ah, Jia for once, can I NOT be the baby sitter?"

"Yeah Jo, I know. You've been stuck on baby-sitting duty for a while. I'll have Aoki stay. He hasn't been here as long."

We nodded as we then left Jia's suite.

Once Jia and the owners of the game conferenced and decided that they would stay to help Taylor set up and Aoki would stay to protect them for whatever may happen, we packed it up and finally headed back to Tokyo. Taylor still had a long way to go before he was a respectable part of Jia's business. But Jia had faith in his associates as well as in Taylor, knowing that one time bookie could make him an empire that would sit on the grave of The Gun. Jia knew it, it's why he confidently packed his bags, wore his newly tailor made suit and coat and turned and left London in Taylor's capable hands. The rest of us were just anxious to get back home. Also we now had that small waiting period to wait for Taylor's call. Meanwhile, we were back on downtime. I returned home and turned off all phone, closed and locked all doors, not wanting to hear from anyone and slept. Work would pick up tomorrow.