Dubious Arrangement: Day 20

Word Total: 120,000

Year to Date: 1,050,079

Summary of Events:
Greyson went back to Shady Acres Chicken Farm after a brief hospitalization during which his wounds recovered and went to do a property survey before getting knocked out in the barn Odie's SUV had been stored in. When he woke up he found he was at some sort of secure gangster hideout and after breakfast he entered into negotiations with BM and his superior that Greyson managed to gain control of and win, although at a bit of a cost that he wasn't fully sure he liked.

Excerpt of the Day:
"BM took a hold of her hair with his left hand, twisted it around several times, and raised it up to reveal the back of her neck, inked with a triangular design.
"Whenever we find someone with this marking we know they are an ally, if not an associate — dependent upon the exact design the determination is made," BM said. "Anyone who bears this mark is on our payroll."
"This alternative wasn't presented before," Greyson said. "Why not?"
"Allies don't typically possess such an extensive knowledge of the inner workings of our group," BM said. "Only the associates do. And thus you would better qualify as an associate, however you seem determined not to become an associate, so it appears that you will be subjected to becoming an ally, that we might have assurance that you will not divulge your extensive knowledge to the police."
"I would only submit to such a thing if I can be assured of my life," Greyson said.
"And your life would be assured so long as you retain the marking on the back of your neck," BM said. "As soon as you remove it, we have full right to kill you. It is the only way you will get out of this alive and without having to join our gang."
"Only full joining!" the man hissed.
"No," Greyson said. "This option is the only one I will accept. I am guaranteed my life, and my freedom to do whatever I choose; so long as I do not divulge what I know to the cops. Which I will not do so long as my life is not threatened. The cash is a bonus for me, and that small design I will submit to so long as it mess that my life will not be threatened. You will either have to accept this, or I'll go tell the cops."
"We have his cooperation," BM said. "And so I think that we will have to take what we can get, otherwise he will keep running off on us and we'll never be able to catch him; we're getting as much as we will get out of him."
"If we cannot get the full then we kill him!" the man snapped.
"We've tried, and failed, in that endeavour," BM said. "He is cunning."
"You were a bunch of wusses!" the man snapped.
"No, I don't think they were," BM said. "I didn't order my men, and yet they responded, why your men didn't shoot him, I don't know, but I will leave that for you to discuss with them. I do know for a fact, however, that he escaped from four thousand rounds of ammunition in high-powered machine guns and escaped not only with his life, but unscathed, at the first opportunity he found."
"Not to mention I think it should be noted that I am holding you in a headlock right now," Greyson said. "And I think I could easily kill you if I simply give the command to my forefinger muscles. You have cooperation with me, or nothing.""

The post preparing for the final novel of the year will be on October 31.