Without Armor

Chapter 1

Ketterdam, where it is almost never light. The streets filled with brothels, casinos, and scams. To be in the Barrel you must be able to hold your own. One does not simply just decide to move to the Barrel, that you must understand. Now this story picks up at the Crow Club, one of Ketterdam's racing casinos. A big room filled with many people losing money left and right. No whisper could ever be heard here.

"Place your bets." Was heard at one of the many tables.

"Hey you take Zemeni coins yes?" A bearded man asked as he threw down a coin onto the card table. The dealer nodded his head and was about to deal out the cards when a voice stopped him.

"Let me see that." A dashingly good looking man asked from the opposite side of the table.

"What why? My money is good." The bearded man rolled his eyes at the younger boy's antics.

"It is said that Zemeni money can be easily replicated. Only the real ones can take a bullet." He said before throwing the coin in the air and shooting it almost so fast that you couldn't even see him draw his gun. As the coin hit the table, the bullet blowing a hole in the coin. "Not so good now huh?" The young man smirked.

"Alright get him out of here." One of the guards said and with that the bearded man was taken out by two other guards. The young man smiled and went to take the winning money until a cane smacked down onto the table stopping him.

"No loud noises at the table Jesper....might scare the pigeons." Kaz spoke softly yet harshly. Kaz Brekker, the bastard of the Barrel. He had gained many names since his time in Ketterdam. Dirty hands, demon, nightmare, everyone knew not to mess with him, well almost everyone. No one knew his true backstory, only myths and legends that were spread throughout the Barrel. No one knew just what was true. The biggest one was about why he always wore gloves. Was it because his hands had been horribly mangled during a heist? Were they seared and cut up to the point of them being unrecognizable as hands? No one knew, and no one dared to ask.

"Right...wouldn't want that boss..." Jesper said as he collected himself.

"Shouldn't you be guarding the door?" Kaz proceeded to ask.

"Of course boss, in my defense I didn't leave it unattended." Jesper cleared his throat as he threw on his hat.

"Oh really? And who is it that would be watching the door?" Kaz nodded in the direction of the door that showed no one watching.

"Damn it Vernera." Jesper cursed under his breath.

"Vernera does not do your dirty work for you, remember that Jesper." Kaz threatened before limping off farther into the Crow Club.

"Just wait until I find you Harther." Jesper rolled his eyes before walking to the door.

Kaz had walked up the steps of the Crow Club and unlocked the door to his room. Closing the door behind him, he quickly walked over to his sink and took off his gloves to wash his hands. As he did so, he could feel a presence in his room that was not there a second ago.

"Hello Inej, burning the midnight oil?" Kaz asked as he dried off his hands and put his gloves back on.

"I followed Pekka Rollins for about an hour, no sign of what he is planning. I don't know why you are so paranoid about this." Inej spoke softly.

"Pekka Rollins is always up to something Inej, and it will affect me one way or another." Kaz's words were sharp and jagged like a knife.

"I just think you could find better things to put your mind to. I was talking to one of my former friends in the Menagerie, she is a sharpshooter, I thought that maybe you could do with her what you did for me." Inej explained.