The Charismatic Charlie Wade

Jagoan’s face transformed, becoming a picture of fierce determination. His eyes burned with a deadly fire that sent shivers down the black man’s spine.

In that moment, all doubt vanished. The man understood Jagoan’s ultimatum crystal clear. Defying it meant signing his own death warrant. But the idea of swallowing bullets gave him the creeps. It wasn’t just about gulping them down, getting them out afterward was a whole different ball game.

He briefly wondered if dropping the name of the Burning Angels might rattle Jagoan once more. Like some Taoist priests, maybe they could play mind games, a battle of wills. If Jagoan felt satisfied, maybe they could skip the fight and have a drink together. It wasn’t unusual, whether in China or the States. The key was knowing when to call it quits.

Yet, when he tried to voice these thoughts, he stumbled. Jagoan’s punches still smarted, and begging wouldn’t do any good. If he kept asking for peace, he’d only get more beatings.

Just when he teetered on the brink of indecision, a loyal friend by his side took the leap.

With all the courage he could muster, the companion spoke up. “Sir, maybe this is all a big misunderstanding. We, the Burning Angels, pride ourselves on being rational. Show us a bit of respect, and we can set up a meeting with our boss. Maybe we can work something out and avoid all this escalating.”

The man watched his buddy say what he couldn’t bring himself to utter. Hope sparked inside him, and he nodded vigorously. “Yes, sir, you see, you’re a skilled fighter, brave. If we team up, the Burning Angels will be unstoppable. Don’t you think?”

Jagoan eyed the man, a smile tugging at his lips. “You’ve got wit and know how to make friends out of enemies.”

The man nodded eagerly. “Yes, sir, he’s always been sharp…”

such a smart ally vouching for you, I’d be a fool

like Jagoan might actually let him off

had been brutal, at least he wouldn’t have to gulp down bullets. Once he got out of this tight spot, he swore he’d report it all to his boss. Trying to turn enemies into buddies was just

began to believe Jagoan would show him mercy, hope curdled into dread as Jagoan changed the game. “You asked God for forgiveness once,

glowed with hope, babbling, “Yes! Yes! Sir, I, Will Johnson, beg your

his lips. “Swallowing

the casing with his fingers, then the head with his thumb and forefinger. A

messed around with bullets before, but the bond between casing and warhead was usually rock solid. It took

them stunned, a growing sense of fear settling in. If he could take a bullet apart that easily, what was stopping him from smashing skulls with a single

plan. Why did he dismantle the bullet, and what

to the man, holding up the separated bullet with a grin. “You asked for forgiveness, right? Here it is.

at Jagoan in disbelief. These words, coming from the

“Don’t forget to thank your

went pale, and he avoided his friend’s eyes. Anger boiled within

Jagoan would resort to such a cruel trick, he would have gladly swallowed the