Empire DJ: Yumi, #1

By Kaye Wagner

Who is the Empire DJ? 

His voice moving nations into chaos, stirring the maddening few to great power and delusion as order crumbles in the wake of his hypnotic sound. 

The question eludes Yumi, a young drifter and party girl living it up in a city amidst the throes of a revolution. Distracted by the flashing lights of underground dancehalls, the charming smiles of the beautiful men around her, and the high stakes poker games she enjoys playing, Yumi ignores the chaos surrounding her until it comes crashing down into her life, affecting those close to her. Making a quick escape with friends, she’s confronted with the ambiguous and mysterious threat tearing apart cities.

With his ominous voice and message ruling the fate of many, Yumi confronts a new reality as she is faced with the truth that revolutionaries are made by the moment,  always born into the dark ‘Empires’ they rebel against—sometimes a circumstance of destiny, other times of calculated design. 

Who is the Empire DJ? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pendown Publishing
• Release date: Oct 12, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519952998

Book preview

Empire DJ

By

Kaye Wagner

Text copyright © September 2014, Kaye Wagner

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All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission from the author.

Contents

Chapter 1: Game of Life

Chapter 2: Say My Name

Chapter 3: Empire’s Gift

Chapter 4: They Who Belong to the City

Chapter 5: Saga City (Recognize Me)

Chapter 6: Dressed In All of You

Chapter 7: Ugly Needs

Chapter 8: Soiree in the Sky

Chapter 9: Peaceful Assault

Chapter 10: A Repose in Blue

Chapter 11: Prelude to Chaos

Chapter 12: The Dream

Author notes:

Chapter 1: Game of Life

I fold.

The young girl said with a cocky smile on her face as she fixed her straight edge snapback hat with the words ‘Yum Yum’ etched on its front. I got nothing. the dimly lit room shook at her words, letting dust trickle on down from the ceiling and onto the four cards she placed on the surface of the soft green cover of a table filled with silver coins and brewed drinks.

Hah! a fat man sitting across from her laughed at her while puffing on his cigar. Crazy girl, your run ends here. He said placing his four cards on the table as the other two men beside him grimaced at the paltry hand the fat man had. Read them and weep, the famous ‘Genius Card Hound’, taken down by a pair of twos, a jack of hearts, and an eight of diamonds.

The name is Yumi, the young girl smiled at his weak hand of cards. And I think it’s rather cute you won a trashy game with a garbage hand like that, Cortez.

No matter, Cortez smiled as he gathered coins from the center of the table onto his side. A garbage hand still brings in the winnings. Either way, I’m happy.

Happy, you are. Yumi smiled as she glanced across the dark and dank gambling room filled with multiple tables of players playing their hand at a game of chance, many of them falling short of an earned win and always finding a deserved loss. Looking across the room, Yumi saw a pool game reaching its end as a thin man in a black sweater cleared the table on a young girl with wild dirty blonde hair. Looking at the young girl, Yumi locked eyes with her, the both of them sharing a look of familiarity before they nodded in unison to some unspoken agreement between the two of them. As soon as they finished their nod of recognition, the blonde haired girl took it upon herself to talk to the winning pool player she gambled against, convincing him to play one more game, this time for all the coins they had.

Yumi, noticing the blonde haired girl’s push for another match, turned her attention back to the laughing Cortez as he ate from a plate of cookies to his side.

Really, Cortez said taking a bite out of a cookie. This game has been going on for fourteen hours now... he said to the effeminate dealer wearing a green visor as he shuffled an old deck of cards. I want to go, but what can I do when people just keep giving me their money, can’t so no to money, can’t you, Jemmy?

Whatever you say, Cortez. Jemmy, the dealer, said breaking the seal of another pack of cards before looking over to Yumi. Will we be playing another game, young Miss?

Yumi raised an eyebrow at the question from the dealer before smiling in amusement. Of course. She said to the surprise of Cortez.

Oh... Cortez smiled. You sure you have enough to play another game? I mean, it must have cost you a grip to get into this private gambling den, and to play a few devastating rounds after the fact, I wouldn’t have thought of you as one with deep pockets to withstand all that.

Well, I am, and the pockets are deep. Yumi said reaching around her waist, pulling out a large pouch of silver coins she threw on the table to the surprise and delight of Cortez.

Heh... Cortez chuckled. Looks like the guards were right to let you in on the games in here... You’re truly a high roller.

Not really, Yumi smiled. Just a good gambler who knows when the next big win is coming, and believe me when I tell you this, this next game, you will lose it all.

All? Cortez raised an eyebrow in interest before laughing aloud. Hahahha... You are really a cocky girl. Fine then, if you’re so confident in this next game, bet it all.

I will... Yumi pushed the bag of coins onto the center of the table. One game, winner takes all.

Cortez looked on in complete surprise. Y-You’re serious? he said as a replacement dealer approached the table, about to relieve Jemmy of his duties, but just as the replacement arrived, Cortez shooed him away before looking at the other players at their table. Okay. But you’d have to convince these other two to lay it all on the line. I like big stakes, and believe me when I say this—you put down a lot, but not enough to pull me in. Bring in these other players with you, and you got a game.

Sure... Yumi said glancing at the two players to the side of Cortez, looking specifically at the one with shaggy grey hair and a trench coat on. How about it, Gainds? Are you in? she looked over to her left towards another player at the table, a younger man wearing shades, that is. Kimmel, are you in? she asked.

Kimmel shook his head. You’re out of your mind, kid. And out of your league if you think you can win one big hand against Cortez.

Are you in? Yumi asked again with a sly smile on her face.

Kimmel snorted back, swayed by the confident expression on her face. Of course I am.

Cortez looked on with interest as Yumi looked back at Gainds.

How about it Gainds, Yumi spoke to the nervous looking man with shaggy hair. One win decides it all, you want in?

Hell no! Gainds shook his head. I’ve been losing all game, what makes you think I want to make fat man Cortez any richer than he already is?

Because you can’t stop... Yumi said bluntly. You’re an addict, a degenerate scum of the lowest order who pawns off his mother’s jewelry for another hit at the high of just nearly winning and enjoys the crash of losing it all. You hear that, Gainds? Yumi said with a wild intensity about her that captivated Gainds. Losing it all—it almost sounds like having it all, right? You like the sound of that, right? And guess what? This game dances between those two opposites. Don’t you feel that pressure of the moment—don’t you want to get close to that high of winning it all? I’m offering it to you now, Gainds. So take it.

Yumi said to the stunned silence of Gainds as he nervously shuffled in his seat in thought of Yumi’s strange and persuasive words before he took out his own pouch of coins and placed them on the table.

Fine, Gainds said begrudgingly. Let’s bet it all.

Cortez smiled in amusement. Hoho... he laughed. Quite the persuasive gal we have here, Jemmy. He glanced at the dealer who nodded in hidden understanding as he shuffled the cards. All in then. Cortez said pulling out a large pouch of silver coins and throwing it onto the center of the table on top of Yumi’s pouch. There you go, little girl. Think you can stomach a game of death like this?

Of course I can, especially since you’re the one dying.

Haha... Cortez laughed before the expression on his face turned solemn as he looked to Gainds and Kimmel. Lay it all out if you have it. This is a game for real men, after all. If you aren’t man enough to equal the bet of a little girl then you best hop off your seat and find a pair while the real men play their life and death games.

Yumi smiled at his small speech, seeing it evoke Kimmel and Gainds to throw their extra pouches of silver onto the middle of the playing table. With their shares on the table, Yumi glanced over to the blonde haired girl playing pool. Yumi could see her racking up the balls, centering them onto the middle of the pool table before she started to chalk up the tip of her stick while chatting up the overconfident challenger as he offered her first strike in the game. Smiling at her progress, Yumi glanced back at Cortez.

Shuffle them up. Yumi said with a confident smile.

Cortez glared at Yumi before glancing at the dealer Jemmy. Shuffle us a new deck, Jemmy.

New deck. Jemmy said putting away the cards in hand as he pulled out a new deck of cards wrapped in plastic that he tore off before quickly shuffling the cards in one hand as he threw away the plastic wrap into a nearby bin. Alright... the dealer shuffled. A new game of poker, all hands on the table and please mind your eyes, they will be cut out for cheating by the house bouncers. He said glancing over to the four corners of the room where large muscular men guarded the doors and roamed around the room along with some suited figures, all of them keeping watch of the games being played throughout the room.

Just get on with it. The nervous Gainds said tapping his fingers on the table.

Alright then... Jemmy said passing out the cards to every player at the table. This is a game of death, you only can change two cards each round then you fold or play your hand. No anting up these rounds.

Yumi smiled at those words as she looked on carefully as Jemmy dealt out the cards to the four players at the table. Finally reaching the card count of four for each player, the dealer pulled away, letting everyone anxiously stare at the four face down cards in front of them. Each one of those cards could lead to a fate filled with riches or despair for each player—there was no in between in this match of death. Kimmel, quickly glancing at his cards, kept the stoic look on his face. As he did, the nervous Gainds glared at his own hand, an unsure look wearing on his face as he looked at his cards. Cortez, on the other hand, wore a warm smile on his face as he looked towards Yumi, waiting for her to look at her hand.

Yumi, staring back at the warm smile of Cortez, carefully looked at her hand, seeing she had a four of diamonds, a ten of clubs, a seven of spades, and a two of hearts—basically, a perfect junk hand that would sink any skilled gambler. How convenient... Yumi raised an eyebrow as she looked back at the smiling Cortez. Let me guess, you got a full house in your hand?

What? Cortez smiled. Is it that obvious that I’m gifted with the luck of the gods? Well, if it wasn’t apparent after those big wins, then I don’t know when you petty gamblers will ever learn the difference between the gifted and the talentless, because obviously, he glanced at the nervous Gainds. The talentless shake in fear of their fate whiles the strong, he looked at Kimmel. Take their failure on the chin and move on.

And what about you? Yumi asked to the cocky smile of Cortez. Since you’re not like us lot and are part of the gifted.

How perceptive of you, little girl. I’m not like you. I lose sometimes, but I don’t make a career out of it. I win, and when I win, I win big. Just like in moments like this.

And what am I? Yumi said tapping her fingers on her cards as she waved off the dealers offer to exchange a card. Gainds and Kimmel, on the other hand, swapped cards and rearranged their hands while Cortez did the same as Yumi, the both of them confident in their given hands even though what they held was in stark contrast to each other in the results they would bring.

You do know... Cortez rubbed the bottom of his chin. You’re a young and stupid girl. You weaseled yourself into a terrible future, the sort of future that can only be found within the walls of the gambling houses.

And what’s that?

A future of failure... You’ll learn it well here, and in your bouts of withdrawal from the sweet taste of loss, you’ll come to me with a confident grin and a pocket full of coins that you gamble away to me before you drown your sorrows in wine while selling flesh to earn for your next big loss to people like me.

Ohh... Yumi mockingly shivered in her seat. You’re scaring me with your war stories. Maybe I’ll fold my cards now and devote my life to God. Yumi said sticking out her tongue to the displeasure of Cortez as he smacked a hand onto his cards.

Disrespect, I loathe it... Cortez grimaced. I make it an effort of mine to wipe the cocky grin off of newbie players such as yourself. I actually delight in the crack on their faces when they realize they’ve lost everything. Be a kind little girl and show me yours. He said picking up his cards as he glanced at the stoic Kimmel and the nervous Gainds. All of you, be so kind and show that cracked expression along with your cards. I want to see all of your losing faces. I want to see you squirm.

Gainds quivered at his words, slamming a fist against the table. Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! he said rubbing the side of his head as a cracked expression wore on his face. Damn you Cortez!

Cortez smiled in delight at the desperate call of his name and the frustration he saw from Gainds. That’s one down. He said turning his attention towards the stoic Kimmel who glared back at Cortez before bowing his head a little while he dropped his cards onto the table in recognition of him folding his cards. Cortez delighted in the stoic Kimmel’s resignation before he looked towards the wandering eyes of Yumi as she glanced over at the girl playing pool, hitting shot after shot into the pockets to the astonishment of her challenger. Yumi then looked back at the ravenous eyes of Cortez as he waited for her pained resignation and withdrawal from the game. However, Yumi had something different in mind as she flashed a cocky grin to the displeasure of Cortez.

What are you smiling about? Cortez said glaring at Yumi.

Just soaking in the moment. Yumi rocked her head from left to right as she began tapping her fingers on her cards.

Oh, Cortez looked on with interest. Don’t tell me you’re the type that enjoys losing? How lacking of charm are you... he said in disgust before Yumi shook her head in disagreement.

No charm needed when you’re on the winning side.

Oh, don’t be a sore sport about your loss now. Cortez snickered. It’s crude and disrespectful to your opponent. And come on, if you’re not planning to cower and snivel away like your companions, then please bow out respectfully. Passive aggressive behavior is so not entertaining.

But aggressive behavior on the other hand is, right? Yumi said with a cocky smile that furthered annoyed Cortez.

Stop smiling and flip over your cards. Cortez grumbled.

Ok, Ok... But you’re not going to like what you see...

Whatever, your loss. Cortez looked at her sideways as he began to pull in the pouches filled with coins.

What I mean, Yumi pushed back her chair with a swift kick to the ground as she raised her leg over the gambling table and slammed her heel atop the pouches of coined prize money in the middle of the table. Is that you’re not winning this game, she continued with the repulsed look of Cortez staring her down. In fact, the only loser here is the one who doesn’t know they’ve loss yet.

Enough of this! Cortez said pulling at the pouch under the foot of Yumi. Take your loss and get out of this gambling hall. Do it yourself or I’ll have the bouncers do it for you. He said looking over to Jemmy, giving him a head nod as he subsequently waved over the bouncers who approached Yumi from all angles, surrounding her as she leaned in her chair with a confident swagger about her while staring down the annoyed Cortez.

Excuse me... a large muscular bouncer wearing a tight black muscle shirt said staring down Yumi. But please remove your leg from the table and allow this game’s winner to gather their winnings.

Then you shouldn’t be asking me to remove my leg. Yumi said with her eyes steadily focused in on Cortez. Because this rather robust man here is stealing my winnings away.

What... the bouncers looked at the cards still facing down on the table then towards the dealer Jemmy, who wore a confused expression on his face before an angry Cortez glared at Yumi then looked towards the bouncers.

Well, what are you waiting for?! Cortez shouted at the bouncers. Get her out of here!

The bouncers flinched at his commands but still hesitated in removing the cocky Yumi as she snickered at Cortez’s demand.

C’mon, Cortez, Yumi chuckled under her breath as she looked over the cover of her straight edge hat. You know the house rules. She continued. You know you can’t grab any winnings from a game before revealing your cards. She glanced at the bouncers then at the dealer Jemmy. The bouncers know that, even your ‘pal’ Jemmy knows this. So maybe you should try playing by the rules before the bouncers you called grab you and throw you out.

Cortez gritted his teeth at her words, knowing them to be true, but frustrated anyways as the cocky little girl who began humming a tune while bopping her head to an unheard beat was toying with him.

Whatever... Cortez said releasing his grip on the pouches of coins on the table, leaning back in his seat as he glared at the tuneful girl sitting in front of him with a boot on the table she slowly removed as she glared back at him.

Show me your hand. Yumi asked as she sat there with her cards lying flat on the table.

Stupid girl... Cortez grumbled as he picked up his cards and flipped them over. There. A straight flush. Are you happy now? he said leaning back towards the money pile on the table only to have Yumi raise a hand towards the reluctant bouncers.

Hey, stop him. She said to a bouncer who hesitated before brushing off the hand of an angry Cortez.

What the hell are you doing?! I won.

Sorry, sir... the bouncer said firmly. But you can’t take any winnings until all players show their hand. And she... he looked at Yumi as she bopped her head to a beat in her mind while the room shook again to some unknown force.

Yumi smiled at the bouncer’s recognition. And I haven’t shown mines yet.

Then goddamn show your cards already! Cortez shouted as he snapped, calling attention to himself as the players from other tables glanced in discomfort at the outburst from Cortez.

Alright, alright. Yumi smiled as she lifted her hands and placed them on the