Haakon: Intro

** Haakon is a character I came up with a while ago for a Role Playing website.  And while my interest in that particular pastime waned when I realized just how much one careless person could ruin everyone else's fun, the Character himself was so interesting to me, I've been thinking about writing a story around him ever since.  I have no clue where I'm going with this, but I just thought I would flesh out this little bit of an intro I've been kicking around in my head for a while.  Let's see what we get.**  


  The gust of cool, fresh air and the replacement of thumping bass and primal whooping with night sounds was rejuvenating to Joe as he dragged a drunken frat boy by his neck.  If not for his bellowed protests and his friends insisting that he 'never touched her', it would have been almost peaceful in the parking lot outside "The Lacquer Shack."  Joe had bounced at this particular strip club for several years, but he always thought that was the stupidest name.  Still, the steady pay and better than average office scenery made the name unimportant.  On top of that, there was something to be said about getting to toss drunks out into the street.  A definite perk, in Joe's mind.
  Even as a smile crossed his lips at the thought and he let his grip on this particular drunk loosen, the fool lashed out at him.  Joe's mirth faded as he grabbed the back of the doomed man's neck in one hand and his belt in the other and hurled him like a sack of grain.  The unfortunate man floated along for a moment, still screaming curses at Joe, right up to the point when he crashed face first into the pavement.  His momentum carried him along after he hit and when he turned over to look blearily back at the bouncer, a severe case of road rash graced his face and blood gushed from a split lip.  His four friends protested, cursing at Joe for treating their friend that way.  Joe straitened and clenched his fists, cracking his knuckles.
  "Fuck Off."  No anger, just a command to be followed.  The frat boy's compatriots hoisted their fallen brother and retreated into the darkness.  In the midst of all this excitement, Joe nearly failed to notice another figure approaching.   He took a deep breath and stretched his shoulders a bit to release some built up tension.  Then he realized that the figure was actually slender woman in a dark outfit, a hooded jacket hiding her face.  She moved with purpose.
  "Hey Doll, what can we do for you this evening?"  He scratched his chin and considered what might have brought her to this second rate strip joint.  "Looking for a little Entertainment?  Or maybe a job?  At the bar of course."  He winked at her, just as she walked into full view under the lights outside the club.  She lowered the hood on her jacket to reveal short red hair, big green eyes, and an expression of amusement.
  "Perhaps." She said as she reached for something in one of the jacket's pockets and produced a photo. "Have you seen this man recently?"  Joe reached out to take it from her, and that was when he noticed a string of Rosary Beads around her wrist, mostly concealed by her jacket.  He was immediately acutely aware that he had put his foot in it spectacularly.
  "Oh, hey, Sister is it?  Hey I'm really sorry about that, I didn't realize-"  Joe was prepared to continue apologizing for at least ten more minutes, but a soft chuckle from the woman stopped him.
  She Smiled "And how would you have known?  Don't worry about me.  Worry about the photo." she said, tilting her head toward the proffered picture, and clearly highly amused by the situation.  Joe could feel his face redden, and he couldn't help but chuff a laugh and shake his head as he took the picture from her.  It was a bit blurry besides the face, and it looked like it had been taken even as the man was turning away from the camera that took it.
  But he recognized the man in the photo immediately.
  "Oh yeah, he's a regular here.  Don't know his name, but he comes in every so often, bout twice a month or so."  He licked his lips, which had just gone mysteriously dry.  "Seems to be a loaner, sits in the same spot towards the back every time he's here.  One of the girls told me he's a really good tipper, must be loaded."  He rubbed his stubble with his fingers and wondered why a feeling of dread had crept over him all of a sudden.  "Oh, Never seen him without a cigar in his mouth."
  Joe looked up from the photo and saw that all the mirth had drained away from her face along with the color.  "He's been here?"  Her voice was wispy, almost sing-song and her expression grim.  Her nostrils flared and her jaw clenched slightly.  Joe's unease only deepened.
  "Hey, is this guy in trouble, or dangerous or something?  He's never caused problems in here."  The woman shook her head and her grim look faded back to something approaching mirth.
  "No I don't think he's dangerous.  Not to your employees or customers anyway.  When was the last time you saw him?"  she asked.
  Joe considered the question for a moment before he replied.  "Uh, probably about a week ago.  He should be coming by again any day now, supposing he keeps to his schedule."  He noticed that her eyes widened and a smile curled the edges of her lips.
  "I really need to find this guy.  Are you willing to help me get in contact with him?"  the woman asked.
  "Well, sure, I suppose.  I can call you when he comes in?"
  "No!  I.. I can't run the risk of missing him, I need to meet with him as soon as possible."
  "Okay, well.. I suppose I could see about getting you a job at the bar after all."
  "I don't think that will work, I need to get him alone, one on one."
  The pit in Joe's stomach deepened even more.  "Well, what did you have in mind?"
  She smiled, a kind of whimsical smile, mischievous to say the least. 
 
** I'll keep posting chunks as I write them.  I know, no Title Character yet (or was there?) but he'll arrive soon enough.  Let me know what you think. **