The Kingpin's Possession

33: Counter Attack

Kim:P’First and a few other men from his famiglia hid in the shadows behind the warehouse that had once belonged to one of the local gangs in Pattaya, but was now the centre of the Russian trade.

Their Don, Ivan Petrov, now welcomed Kimhan with open arms as he stepped out of his black SUV, surrounded by his most trusted men.

“Sire…are we doing the right thing?” One of Kim’s men whispered to him through the listening devices that connected their team together.

The connection extended to P’First as well; however, his end of the line was currently being blocked by their tech team, who were remotely surveying the area with the help of satellite navigation.

That team was being led by Aawut himself. He had wanted to be in the field, being more compatible with most forms of combat and firearms than being behind the screen, but his current condition didn’t allow him to be anywhere near the field. And even though he hated it. Aawut understood that he would rather suffer minor inconveniences rather than put his family in danger.

Kim’s eyes vaguely went to the area where he knew First was hiding and he nodded. He knew that the men in front of him would be able to understand Thai well, since they had already been here for some time now and they were trading in the Thai market, but he still communicated with them in Thai.

“What are you talking about, Jur?” Kim narrowed his eyes at the man who had just spoken, because every member of his team was valuable, and he preferred to listen to their feedback rather than do as he pleased.

“I mean…what if the Channarong family takes this as an opportunity to just get rid of us?” Jur asked his master. “What if we fall into his trap?”

It wasn’t that Kim hadn't thought about this possibility himself a thousand times, but what other choice did he have?

He was in another province and his influence was much more prominent in Bangkok and its surrounding areas than in Pattaya. But still, they couldn’t allow foreign traders to establish their reign in their lands and that too by killing off local gangs!

“We need to take the chance, Jur.” Kim sighed. “And for now, let’s focus on our surroundings. Keep your senses on high alert! Make no mistake and follow their every move.”

As Kimhan stepped forward, Ivan came to shake his hand, his smile cunning as he looked at his opponent with keen interest.

“A proposal straight from Bangkok? I hadn't been expecting that.” Ivan smirked. “My name is Ivan Petrov, and I’m the Don of this conglomerate.”

“Kimhan Ayutthaya, but you can call me Kim,” Kim gave him his best smile as well, causing Ivan’s smile to falter just a bit. “I heard you have some of the best supplies of Ice.”

“Ah…of course, of course we do.” Ivan laughed, letting P’First into the warehouse. “Let’s continue our discussion inside, shall we? There are…quite a few mosquitoes around here.”

Ivan’s gaze scanned the surrounding, and First and his men used the opportunity to duck behind the huge shipment barrels lying around the entrance.

Kim was familiar with the reaction that Ivan had to his name. After all, he had taken over the gang that had been supporting him, so he must have heard about the Ayutthaya family in the passing, if not very openly spoken in the area.

Kim motioned two of his men to stay outside as the rest followed him inside the warehouse. Ivan had been well prepared for his arrival and he saw a table laid out with all kinds of vodka and whiskey, along with a plethora of white substances that were placed in tiny vials.

Kim had to say…just before Aawut had been shot by the Russian spies, he had managed to get as much intel about their Don as he could, and he hadn't been disappointed by the intel.

According to the intel, he did indeed have some of the best supplies of the exotic blends that were hard to come by in Thailand. But he also liked to keep most of that business to himself and asked for outrageous prices from traders who showed interest in doing business with him.

Now, he sat opposite to the man, watching him unscrew a new bottle and pour a bit of the whiskey into a cup before handing it to one of his men. The man drank the alcohol without hesitation and then stepped back.

Kim nodded, accepting his offer to the drink and as two glasses were poured and Kimhan brought his glass to his lips, he saw no outward reaction from the rest of the gang that would indicate that the drink was spiked. However, he trusted no one.

Placing the glass back on the table, he folded his hands on his lap. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

“Why, of course.” Ivan leaned back in his chair. “After all, that’s what you’re here for.”

The words weren’t direct, but Kim had a hunch that Ivan was trying to mock him in a very subtle way. But he didn’t pay any attention to him.

“Tell, me…what would you feel about striking a deal with me…in Bangkok?” Kim asked without any expression on his face.

Ivan on the other hand, wasn’t so good at hiding his surprise. “Bangkok?”

Kim nodded slowly. “I have a few pubs there and I’m in need of a new dealer. I want to give you permission to sell drugs in my pub…but only if you share 50% of the profit.”

Ivan’s face scrunched up in rebellion immediately, but Kim could tell from the look in his eyes that his head was ticking.

Bastard was probably thinking about all the ways in which he could double cross him in the future, after using this opportunity to dip his fingers into the Bangkok business chain.

“Twenty.” Ivan said, trying his luck.

Kim didn’t answer. Simply kept looking at Ivan with his intense eyes, making him squirm uncomfortably in his chair.

“Thirty.” Ivan tried his luck once again.

“Fifty and not a percent less.” Kim gave his final warning. “I can always take my business elsewhere.”

“Or…” Ivan stood up immediately, his hands going to his belt buckle as he drew his gun and pointed it towards Kim’s head. “I could just kill you now and have the whole profit.”

And just like that, several guns were drawn from all around them. Kim’s men drew their guns as well, but as several other boys came out from behind the shipment boxes in the warehouse, there was no doubt in his mind that Kim was highly outnumbered.

Kim didn’t say a word, just pressed one of the buttons in his expensive grey tux, trusting his gut.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. And Ivan’s smile grew bigger as he thought he had the upper hand in the situation.

But then, the doors to the warehouse burst open and the sound of shots being fired filled the room, just as the smell of gun powder and blood filled the air, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

Kim felt someone’s presence behind him and he didn’t even need to turn to know who it was.

“W-who the hell are you?” Ivan stammered, his gun shaking in his hand as he watched his fallen comrades on the ground, the floor slowly getting drenched as their blood pooled around their lifeless bodies.

“Kanaphan Channarong, but you can call me First.” P’First smirked at the man who couldn’t be more than thirty years of age. He couldn’t believe that people were afraid of this prick. “I believe you have one of my men…and my money.”

“W-what men? What money?” Ivan tried to be brave, but he was all but trembling. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“P’First.” Kim stood up calmly, and Ivan shifted his gun between First and Kim, even though there were at least five guns pointed at his head in that moment. “Why bother with the petty pocket change when you can simply sell the treasure right in front of you?”

First turned towards Kimhan with open interest. “Do tell?”

“Do you see all the vials? Crystal, Ice and even Krokodil?” Kimhan raised his eyebrows. “Not to mention the bottles of Billionaire Vodka and The Eye of the Dragon? Those sell for 4 to 6 million US dollars. Grab them instead.”

“Now I know why we are rivals.” P’First laughed, motioning for his men to raid the area, just as Kim asked to do the same.

“Wait! No! Please…I can give you the fifty percent profit! I can give you seventy! Please!” Ivan begged, on his hands and knees as he lowered his gun.

But the two mafia family leaders didn’t listen to his pleas as they raided the area and took care of the remaining men.

“We’re leaving you here so you can go back to your home, kid.” P’First told Ivan. “But remember, anyone who comes after you won’t be so fortunate.”

With that, they all turned and began to walk away, leaving Ivan cowering on the ground.

Kim had been sure that all the guns in the room had been removed, but just as they neared the exit to the warehouse, the sound of a safety being unlocked felt oddly familiar to him.

Turning around, he found Ivan with a minigun and right then, he saw him pull the trigger, aiming for P’First’s back.

He didn’t know why he did what he did, but before his mind could cope with it…he had already pushed P’First out of the way as the bullet hit him right on the side of his chest.

Pain shot through his entire body as he fell to his knees…his ears ringing with a static sound that he couldn’t describe…

His vision started to get dark around the edges, and even then, he was able to see Ivan drop to the ground as several bullets hit him at once, blood splattering all over the floor…

Kim had a vague feeling that someone had caught him before he could fall to the ground, but he couldn’t be sure, he was already too out of it.

And then…his vision went dark.