Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
“One instructor noted that Kage was able to disassemble complicated toys that were far above his age level and put them back together in record time, over and over again. He demonstrated a strong memory and a flair for problem-solving, utilizing exceptional methods and shrewd perception. He was even in the newspaper for winning spelling bees as a sixth grader, blowing high schoolers out the water.” Grandpa sighed, but remained otherwise quiet. “Kage, however, also began to show intellectual aggression, whatever the fuck that is, and peer manipulation. Anti-social behavior. One instructor noted that he had the markers of an up and coming psychopath, possibly sparked by a childhood traumatic event.
“He appeared to become obsessed, they write, with discussions of death and how people were killed, and joked that every week the king of his family murders a man, and he gets to watch, hence, Kage has a vivid but disturbing imagination. He even memorized the most notable killers in US History, reciting their names in alphabetical order as some sort of party trick. In his teen years, he was admitted into Sunnyside Behavioral Psychiatric Hospital due to an attempted murder on a family member.” Sivero paused, snatching the paper from his eyes. “…And now, I know who that family member was… Kage Wilde was placed on various medications, some of which seemed to exacerbate his symptoms. Kage went on a warpath it seems after his mother managed to have him discharged from the hospital after years of on and off stints in this facility, and several others. However, he returned to the Sunnyside hospital, filing claims of mental, physical, medical and emotional abuse, and won a small settlement. Soon thereafter, the hospital was forced to close due to lack of funding, and endless lawsuits from other former patients. Why did he try to off his own fucking grandfather at such a young age, Cyrus?”
“…Sivero, your guess is as good as mine.” He shrugged. Two of his men stepped in front, placing the table back on its feet.
“Bullshit. Cyrus, you have set a ball in motion that you can’t stop. That’s what’s happened here. This man has somethin’ on you, and you want him close so you can watch him, but also exploit him. The only reason you didn’t kill him is because you want to use him! He’s a killing machine. I don’t typically tell you how to run your business, and you don’t tell me how to run mine, but here’s a little advice: You don’t ask for a favor that you know can’t be refused, without supplying all of the facts. We would have planned this differently if I had known, or told you to take this request and shove it up your ass. I’ve been around you and your family for years. I’ve never laid eyes on this man. Now I know why. I took your word, and as a man, our word is our bond. You’ve broken that.”
“Sivero, what would knowing about Kage’s intellectual prowess, depressing childhood, and a damn spellin’ bee he had in grade school have told you? Helped you prepare?” Grandpa took a long inhale from his cigar and tapped the ashes in the ashtray.
“It’s not the little details that were needed. It’s the big picture… knowin’ that this man is not only your grandson, but also a natural hunter, slick, and does not think like us. He does not play by the rules like us. He doesn’t reason like us, and he is a fuckin’ basket case, and according to this report, he got that way for a myriad reasons. Now you wanna sit there, like a bowl of spoiled vanilla pudding, look me in my eye and act like it’s no big deal. He’s out of his fucking mind, and beyond being negotiated with. There is no talkin’ to this man! There is no strong-arming. No dirty persuasion. His first language is violence, and he doesn’t stop speakin’ it until everyone is dead! What is the first rule of war? Know thy enemy!”
“Kage can be influenced. He can in fact be spoken to, but you just have to know how to—”
“My guys were to rough him up, get him to sign that contract of yours. Period! You said beat him up, make him hurt. They didn’t even have a chance! It’s like he was already waiting for them. My nephew paid the ultimate price for a feud he should’ve never been in. He’s been tryna off you since he was still in fuckin’ diapers, and you sent my brother’s boy on a death walk! You may as well have called the coroner in advance. He ain’t got shit to lose, Cyrus! He runs his own fucking life, and he can disappear like that!” He snapped his fingers. “EVERY FUCKIN’ BODY, INCLUDIN’ YOU, THAT HAS ATTEMPTED TO INFLUENCE THIS MAN, BRIBE THIS MAN, TAKE OUT THIS MAN, RUIN THIS MAN, HAS ENDED UP EITHER A DAMN VEGETABLE OR DECEASED! My family has slayed many giants, Cyrus, but information is power! You purposefully kept that information from us because you knew I’d refuse the job!”