ForeLesser 5.8.12

Damien leaned back in the chair, rubbing his sore eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Christ! What a week. He supposed it was a miracle he was still alive. He choked out a strangled laugh. Right. If you called this living. Heaving a sigh he opened his eyes and looked around. Well, it is what it is. He’d lived this long by keeping his focus on the future.

Just when he’d thought he’d stayed under the Omega’s radar, guess who comes calling? Right after getting his summons, he was catapulted back to his childhood with all the swirling emotions of dread, fear, intimidation, worthlessness, desolation and sick to his stomach rolled up in one.

He knew the Omega was one sick bastard, and each ‘meeting’ renewed that opinion, but this last week was something he thought he wouldn’t survive. If the Omega’s plan was to point out who was in charge, well, he’d accomplished that lesson.

Damien’s mind wouldn’t allow him to even think about the sick shit that he’d been forced to endure. He had to sink deep inside himself, pulling in all the self preservation he could muster and wait it out. He closed himself up tight in the little box that had remained inside from his days as his father’s punching bag. It allowed him to survive whatever went on outside of him to his physical body. He thought about all he still had to accomplish in the ‘real world’. The plans he had for destroying the Brotherhood. It got him through whatever hellish torture the Omega unleashed on his body.

His only saving grace had been that the Omega had actually approved of his initiative – within reason. He knew Damien had the ‘tenacity’ to get the job as ForeLesser done. After taking his payment out on Damien’s body, he packed him off, with fifty more new recruits to keep the Brothers on their toes while he allowed the ForeLesser to find a new ‘A’ team and further his investigation into the inner workings of the Brothers. All with the requisite warning of overreaching his authority.

Damien had his new recruits gather in the new warehouse he had found. They waited below for him. Let them wait. He was in charge and wanted them to remember that.

His new second in command kept them corralled and contained. He had run them through some training while Damien rested and healed for a few days.

Logan, Mr. L, was a former mercenary, as Kellan had been. His kind chaffed at authority, but with the proper ‘incentive’, Damien knew how to keep them in control. Their background made them perfect to keep the Lessers in check. It also gave Damien time to take care of the drug business and his Brotherhood project.

Sighing, Damien got out of the chair and headed for the door. He walked over to the railing and looked down on the recruits below. Logan was running them through choke holds, elbow jabs, punches and kicks.

Logan looked up and let out a shrill whistle. “Recruits, get in formation”.

The recruits did a fair job of getting into five lines of ten. Not exactly military precision, but he wasn’t expecting that much. With Logan’s prodding and threats, they were settled shortly. Logan stood on a raised platform facing the crowd, with a more seasoned Lesser beside him.

Damien paced along the mezzanine gathering his thoughts. He finally stopped and faced his troops.

“I…am the ForeLesser.” He paused and looked down at the group assembled. Raw recruits. He knew that most, if not all, were merely fodder for the Brothers. Those expendable bodies that were used to keep the Brothers busy, while he and his elite team furthered their knowledge and intel of the Brotherhood. “I am sure Mr. L has informed you who I am. You will continue training for another few days, and then you will be going out in teams of five and join the other Lessers in the field.”

Damien placed his hands on the rail and leaned over. “Should any of you think this is a game, let me assure you otherwise.” He nodded to Logan.

Logan grabbed the hunting knife at his side and slammed it to the hilt into the Lesser’s chest. The resulting flash and pop took the recruits by surprise.

Damien stood up and waited for it to sink in. The recruits began to murmur until Logan yelled for quiet.

“Follow Mr. L’s teachings and that won’t happen to you” Damien told then, knowing the odds were not in their favor. But he also knew he had no choice. He could only hope that Logan taught them well enough. Taking out a Brother here and there would certainly help.

“Mr. L… continue” he told him and watched as Logan put them through more training. Damien watched for a while and then went back to his office.

He wearily sat in the chair. He tenderly touched the bruises on his jaw where the Omega had gripped him before sending him back. His deepest bruises still ached all over his body.

He wished he could just walk away and leave this mess with the Brotherhood behind. He gave a derisive laugh. Like the Brothers, or the Omega for that matter, would allow that. No, he chose this path and there was no walking away. The only recourse now…finish what he started and get what he could out of it. He leaned back, closing his eyes and listening to the sounds of his latest recruits training below while mentally planning his meeting with Richard Reynolds. #BBDB