There's nothing really intimidating about a single long, black car pulling up to your home, or the place you had just been considering calling your home, but a convoy of a dozen limousines simultaneously crunching to a halt, side by side in perfect formation on a dry dirt road does instill a sense that something meaningful, at least to someone, is going on. Normally, Tommy's reaction to such an arrival would be something along the lines of grabbing a gun, jumping into a fast car or calling his gang together giving the directive to engage the enemy. Vinny, though not directly involved in the JumpJuice trade, would nevertheless jump to his feet to protect Tommy. Instead, they both sat there, continuing to enjoy their beers while sporting matching looks of astonishment, curiosity and boyish appreciation of the truly remarkable parking job that had just been executed by the visitors. As the dust settled and blew off toward the northern fields, all twelve driver-side doors swung open and a driver, one for each car, each wearing a chauffeurs cap, stepped out. Precisely two seconds later, all twelve passenger-side doors swung open and a man with a rifle, one for each car, each wearing sunglasses, stepped out and steadied his rifle on the top of the door frame. This made both Blue and Vinny laugh. The whole thing was just a little too perfect and each of them were just a little too relaxed to acknowledge any sort of a threat. Five seconds later the rear, back, passenger-side door opened on the far right vehicle in the line which was, in the view of Tommy and Vinny, the car on the far left. A man got out of the car wearing sunglasses and holding a briefcase. He took one step to the right of the door, placing his left, empty hand on the corner of the open door. He stood motionless, looking directly toward the tent.
Suddenly, Mojahdii was standing directly next to the man with the briefcase, also looking in the direction of the tent. "Hello." he said quietly, making the startled visitor drop the briefcase as he jumped a good foot and a half in the air. Mojahdii remained standing directly next to him, smiling.
When the man had landed, he stood silently for a moment. He was so completely taken off-guard by the sudden appearance of Mojahdii that he lost all sense of who he was or why he was standing where he was. He was completely dumbfounded. He had been in more fights, combat operations, brawls and contests of fighting skill than he could count and prided himself on his ability to face anyone. Even more than that, he prided himself on his ability to sense his opponents presence long before he would need to engage him. He had just been stripped of that by what looked to be an eighty year old man in a sheet.
"Welcome to the Shadowlands," Mojahdii said, knowing full well that he had just mortified the visitor, he continued,"how may an old man be of service?" Mojahdii had a way of knowing just what to say in every occasion and one of his specialties was using that wisdom to influence, if even by the most subtle of ways. He knew that this man would remember his humility at a moment he had displayed true mastery and hoped that it may serve the man well in the future. He continued,"My name is Mojahdii, May I ask yours."
The visitor had clearly not been asked his name in a very long time. In fact, as he reached for the briefcase to pick it back up, the man struggled to remember the last time someone had expressed any sort of personal interest in him at all. He drew a blank and said with the delivery of a teenage boy on his first day of high school, "Jason, Jason Marberry."
"Well, it is nice to meet you Jason," said Mojahdii, "may I ask what brings you all the way out here today?" Mojahdii had already noticed the variety of armaments tactically distributed throughout the vehicle.
"Sir, a shipment, belonging to our employer, has been stolen and we have reason to believe that the group who stole it have driven here in an effort to hide out. We mean you no harm and are only here to recover the stolen property."
"Mr. Marberry," Mojahdii answered kindly, "I can assure you that your shipment is not here. However, it is a long trip from the city and assuming by your vehicles that you did, in fact, travel from the city, I would not be a very good host were I not to offer you and your friends a meal. Please join us and feel free to have a look around while you're here. Should you find your shipment, you are free to leave with it after you eat." He laughed a little, softly, as if to himself,"If you find what is yours you can have what is yours..." he trailed off like a senile old man might, laughing and shaking his head back and forth.
The visitor was truly surprised by the invitation and was actually feeling quite hungry, so he leaned into the vehicle for support in making the decision. Inside, a bulkier man tried to act as though he had not been listening, keeping his eyes straight ahead. "Tevlin," the visitor said to the bulky passenger,"he's asking us to stay and eat, whaddya' think?" Tevlin shrugged. "Are you hungry?" he asked Tevlin. At this, Tevlin turned his head and looked from side to side as if to see if anyone was looking at him. He pressed his lips together into the slightest little frown and nodded. Jason stood back up and as he did caught sight of the rest of the row of cars. the whole team was now standing outside of their vehicles, peering over open doors and hoods to see what was going on. Jason turned to Mojahdii and held up his finger as if to ask for a minute. He leaned back into the vehicle and grabbed a headset. Putting it on he said,"no shipment, code yellow, Mess!"
Along the whole line the men exchanged large guns for small ones as they closed up the cars.
Mojahdii smiled at Jason and stepped out in front of the whole group, his arms open wide, then turned and walked down the path in the direction of the commons. Jason followed and the men fell in behind each one looking as stunned as the next that they were about to eat rather than fight.
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