It was too cold and far too windy for a regular weather, but James could not possibly notice any sort of discomfort. Firstly, he was ready for a sudden cold condition of the coming night. James wore a dark-grey longcoat, a pair of leather gloves and a navy blue scarf to match his same color tie and grey suite; and perfectly warm air in his car had made a nice contrast to the weather outside. Secondly, his mind was too busy to worry about anything, except an upcoming appointment. The Italians were waiting for Fisk’s men arrival at the docks and it was up to Wesley to see their deal to have a proper conclusion. Weapon trade was a risky business on its own, and there was too much of a bad blood between them, so things could easily go south at any moment without an outside interference. It was highly inconvenient to have any delay or disturbance…

When it happened for the first time, there were not the European gun-merchants that Fisk’s henchmen had to deal with, merely internal drugs carriers. Both parties were attacked at the same time at the meeting point in the Fisk Industries abandoned facility located in the city outskirts near bay. Only few of Fisk’s men had survived the night to tell the strange story about a lone vigilante, who’s face had burnt out before they could see, who that was. Yet the man did not die as expected and approached them to kill as many of them as possible with a fiery chain. The story of the Devil himself burning people alive at instant was supported by the fact that there were no bodies left to withdraw from the scene, only ash, a horrid scent of a burnt flesh and a black trace of someone’s car, which led nowhere.

Wesley knew that his employer was not to be bothered with such mysterious matters, not until there is any sign of how to solve the new problem. He was not entirely convinced that the vigilante was, in fact, the Devil. They had had one masked idiot running around the city in a red leather costume with horns already, so James was inclined to think that the new so-called Devil had gone too far with the appearance to shock bandits on his way. Though it remained a riddle what was he doing to burn people that fast… So far James was not frightened by any human being, except enraged Wilson Fisk, and he was not a religious person to be afraid of the real Devil, too.

To his aggravated irritation, attacks continued to happen more frequently and later on the new Devil showed up during the trade with the Italians. It was a disaster, which led to multiple casualties and a mutual confusion what to do next. Of course, after a loss of almost a dozen of their men to unknown vigilante, the Italians demanded Fisk’s attendance on the meeting. Of course, it was not going to happen any time soon. At that point Wilson had known as much information as Wesley could provide on the matter and ordered James to represent him in a very difficult discussion.

That is why in addition to his tablet and smart-phone James took a gun with him and ordered several bodyguards to accompany him to the meeting point, which was very unusual for his previous business approach. However, it was quite understandable in the light of his latest bloody failure… Wesley could not afford to put himself at obvious risk in any circumstances after what had happened to his employer partially because of his sudden near-death experience. James was not there when Wilson needed him most, and that was more than enough for Wesley to change his mind about self-defense. He was not going to rely on his smart talk only anymore.

Finally, they had arrived at the docks and Francis pulled the car over right after the leading car with several bodyguards. The third bigger car with more Fisk’s men and with the cargo stopped right behind Wesley’s car. Francis went out to open a door for Wesley and at the same time checked the perimeter for an ambush. Francis had ordered his junior security guards to do the same when Wesley went out and sighed weary.

The building at the docks was one of the few secret locations where they still could arrange such intimidating appointments. Francis looked tense and eager to lead the way inside the building. Wesley noticed that and followed his chief-in-security towards the open gate.

“Whom are you more afraid of?” Wesley asked with a half-smile.

“Does it matter?” said Francis in an alarmed low voice. “I have an order to shoot on sight anything that might hurt you… Italian or... Devilish.”

“I heard you praying before departure,” said Wesley, raising his eyebrows in surprise. He paused to think. “If anything happens, shoot the Devil first. And if it bleeds, you will not whisper any religious nonsense in my presence ever again.”

Wesley did not look back at Francis and quickened his pace to lead the party. Soon they arrived at the empty shed where the Italians had been losing their temper for quite some time. Seeing Wesley instead of Fisk, the leader of Italian gang threw up his hands in despair.

“What is this? We have asked for your boss, not you!” he said with a terribly heavy accent.

Wesley put up a look as if he did not hear a word and stopped in front of the gang under a bleak light form the ceiling, surrounded by his own guards. Few more guards put down one large case with weapons behind them.

“We are not going to have any deal with a squalid lapdog! Not after our last encounter!” said another Italian with an utter disgust. “We are this close to turn down any offer you may have for us. Your lot is haunted by the Devil! Fisk’s arrival could at least give us some reassurance that situation is under control!”

With a faint smile, Wesley lowered his head for a moment of reflection. The Russians called him “a lapdog” once. To his surprise, James felt more sympathy for them now, when both Ranskahov brothers were dead, than at the time when they were still alive and contributing to Fisk’s operations. He missed them just a little bit. At least, Russians were not so easily scared…

James took a deep breath and made a step closer to the Italians. He looked up at them with his piercing light-blue eyes and with a forced smile, which had dropped as soon as he started to speak.

“My employer is indisposed at the moment,” said James, feeling oddly comfortable with his usual lie that he had to tell people about Wilson Fisk. “But I assure you, Mr. Arcari, he is interested in our collaboration. That is why I am here.”

Wesley proudly pointed at the case with weapons.

“With all the goods you would undoubtedly appreciate. I hope you are prepared to pay the appropriate price and that your…“ he paused with a smirk, choosing words to say, “tangible anger is not some sort of a pathetic excuse to derail the deal.”

“How dare you…“ the Italian gang leader stepped closer to Wesley and his guards immediately raised their guns. The Italians did the same thing.

Abruptly the lights went down. The Italians immediately started to talk on their own language in high pitch nervous voices. Wesley frowned and looked around perplexedly. He could not see much, except for few flashlights of his bodyguards in search for a target. Francis grasped James’ elbow and dragged him behind his back. James had reached for his own gun tucked under his belt when something bright appeared behind the Italians. Wesley saw it from the distance and was stunned by the sight of a burning skull. His heart had missed a beat, and everything that happened next was almost like a nightmare suddenly becoming true.

The Devil in a shape of a human was approaching them slowly, waiving his burning chain. Francis did shot it on sight. He shot everything he had like all others in the shed. Still the Devil was moving towards them. The Devil caught one of the Italians in one powerful swing of his chain and burned him like a hay within few seconds. He did it again and again, moving faster with each kill to the Fisk’s henchmen, who had retreated closer to the gates. Someone opened the case with weapons to try the new technology on the Devil, but it did not work even though every single bullet had reached the target. By that time the Italians were all dead.

That was the moment when Francis shoved bewildered James in front of him and pushed him to run to exist. A sound of a gunfire mixed with fearful screams followed them to the outside of the shed. They ran towards the car with a cargo. Francis rushed to the driver’s seat and Wesley sat on the passenger’s sit next to him. The Devil went out of the shed after them. James found himself staring in the black holes of the burning skull and instantly felt unbelievable, almost shattering pain, which he had never thought he was able to endure. In fact, he was not, he could not even scream, but Francis pressed on the gas pedal and drove as fast as he could away from the docks.

The death look was interrupted. Wesley started to breathe hard and desperately as if he was drowning but finally had reached the surface.

“Are you alright, sir?” Wesley heard Francis voice like an echo in his head and looked at him in terror.

“Sir? Do you need a doctor? Just say something!” said Francis, driving roughly through the streets.

“N-no, not a doctor”, James muttered barely audible. He still could not believe what he had seen with his own eyes, but he did saw the Devil and it was not something they could deal on their own. Wesley shut his eyes. He was trying to remember any information that could help with such terrible problem and suddenly he gasped.

“I know where to go,” he said in hoarse voice. “Drive back to my residence. This madness must be dealt quietly”, James ordered, catching Francis confused glance. “No word to Mr. Fisk about this until I am certain, how to proceed next, do you hear me?..”

“Yes, sir… Can I pray now?..” asked Francis.

James sighed and threw his head back without saying a word.

He wanted to pray, too, but he did not know who would listen to him.

The next day Wesley asked Francis to drive him to the place where both of them had never been before. Silent street with only several passers-by was still dark despite the morning light above the buildings.

“Wait here,” James asked Francis, when he had opened the car door for him. “I will walk to that place alone”.

“Sir, please…” Francis said with a begging tone, but James raised his hand to stop his protest.

“That is an order. I will return as soon as I can,” he said firmly.

Francis nodded hesitantly and watched James until he disappeared behind the corner.
It was another mistake he vowed not to commit, James thought to himself, walking up to the door of “Hellstrom & Hellstrom. Occult investigations”, but it was his only chance to save his employer and all their subordinates from annihilation, so he knocked the door and stepped back from the threshold in anticipation.