Lukos, Gang Leader

A veteran street fighter who is recognized as one of the unofficial leaders in the post-race riots, Lukos has remained friends with Gaius after Gaius went straight, so to speak, getting out of street fighting and building a respectable life. Lukos is a loyal friend in the street-smart sense of flexible allegiances.

 

While an unrepentant rabble rouser, Lukos is also loyal to his emperor and the established system of patronage involving mutual respect between the racing team factions and the emperor. Thus, he can attack the emperor’s troops in the streets at night and sing the emperor’s praises as a member of the Green faction choir in official ceremonies. In this excerpt from Chapter 8, The Accord of St. Euphemia, Gaius visits Lukos to get his help once again…

 

Snowflakes fell instead of rain as I made my way to Lukos’ rat hole in the loft of a wretched warehouse where human vermin slept all over the lower floor. I pushed open Lukos’ door. Two dank rooms, one slit of a window, six bodies asleep on straw mats, and Lukos on a cot, snoring thunder from a drunken night.

 

“Lukos,” I whispered while shaking him. “Time to get up. Your mother has your favorite breakfast ready.”

 

He snorted, I grabbed his chin and squeezed tight. His eyes opened.

 

“Gaius?”

 

“Sshh. Come with me outside.”

 

On the catwalk overlooking the sleeping bodies around the warehouse below, I flipped him a half gold solidus that he caught.

 

“What’s – what are you doing here?” he asked, looking at the halved coin and rubbing his disordered blonde head. “You are welcome here with this, but what do I do for it?”

 

“Wake up three of those slugs asleep here, arm yourselves and come with me.”

 

He gave me a challenging look.

 

“I have an urgent need for a menace like you. And this gold is just a token. You and I stand to make more of these – more than we did three years ago.”

 

He rubbed hard at his crotch – God knows what pests might thrive there – and was finally awake enough to ask, “Blues?”

 

“No, kidnappers. I need your help, Lukos, this moment.”

 

I knew he would like the idea of being needed. He asked, “And your Hun, why not get his help?”

 

“He’s too civilized, not as vicious as you boys. I need your fire.”

 

“Yours is dying, eh?”

 

“I’ll be dead by noon if you don’t come help me now.” I pulled back my cloak to show the sword. “Morning may break with my blood on this fresh snow.”

 

“You said three of my boys, I’m bringing all six,” he said. “Where and when?”

 

“In an hour, no later. At the fountain next to the Church of St. Euphemia.”

 

He nodded. “We’ll be there.”