Chapter 9): Jasper
{I own nothing but my own Ideas, all other rights go to the creator of the books which was possible for the show: Caroline Kepnes.}
{Spoiler Alert if you haven't watched Season 2! Watch it before hand or don't, I am going to keep making this either way.}
{Skill Rankings: SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, D, F}
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(A/N: Before we jump into today's chapter, I want to throw thanks for some new Arsonist out there which I should have done sooner so Welcome: Vincent, Someone, AmberPatriarch, WraithTheWolf, TonyHangs, Jayden, Cisco and Roland! I hope you love committing this Arson with me and continue to do so for a long time!)
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Joe was bored, he had been people watching for the past hour while moving books around and he hated it, he honestly thought about quitting this job more than once. If he didn't need to be near Love so much then he would be out there looking for the people to play in his next game, which was why he was looking for a specific type.
The type didn't need to be anything to wild or out there, they just needed to be something that wasn't linked to him as John Kramer was someone who went after those who did him wrong. He was looking for people who did bad things and were high profile, he wanted to skyrocket himself high up there.
He tapped his fingers on the counter as he thought about what he wanted to do in order to grab the right people, since there wasn't a timeline though he would wait it out.
"Earth to Spock. Come in, Spock." Forty's voice echoed out as he tapped a tune on the counter, "Where'd you go, old sport?"
Joe sighed while looking at him, "Did you need something Forty?" He asked with a raised brow.
"You had that look like when Keanu sees the black cat. "Oh. Glitch in the Matrix"." Forty laughed as he walked closer to him.
Joe chuckled some, "No nothing like that, just have a lot on my mind recently."
Forty looked him over for a moment before he nodded, "You know what? I woke up with this brilliant idea." Forty said as he motioned for Joe to follow him towards the display of books, which he did reluctantly.
"And what would that be?" Joe asked already knowing but decided to follow the script here, until the end of this season Forty was one of his favorite characters.
"Movies, on a constant loop. Right here in the bookstore." Forty spoke as if it was the greatest idea every, while inside his head he was rolling his idea at the thought of that.
Movies made from books was a fun idea because it gave the reader something to visualize the next time they read the books, but at the same time it also took away a lot of information that was in the books. Joe could take them or leave them depending on which books were made into movies, there were a lot that he was okay with while there was a lot he didn't really care for.
"Movies that are also...wait for it...based off books." Forty said as if Joe didn't already catch on to what he was talking.
Joe shook his head as he went on to name movies, which out of the three only one was a book, who didn't know that Pulp Fiction and Star Wars was not, it was kind of embarrassing, so Joe didn't point it out to him.
"We are gonna sell so many books, it is going to blow your fսcking mind." Forty looked at him as if he was a natural born genius and couldn't wait for the praise.
"Can't wait." Joe said while on the inside he was shaking his head since he knew even that wouldn't help with their book sales at all.
"So just come clean this up, set up the screen, and when it all looks so cute you wanna fսck it, holla at your boy. Namaste." Forty replied with a giant smile before he walked away while talking to some more people as he did so.
Joe looked over to Calvin who was within ear shot the entire time, "Is he always going to be like this?"
"Oh! Did you think this was a real bookstore? Bless your heart that is so cute." Calvin replied with a faint smile.
"Yeah whatever, I wasn't expecting much the moment you hired me. It was clear you did it out of desperation more than anything." Joe said before Calvin could walk to far away from him making him look back and nod his head reluctantly.
For the next two hours Joe cleaned up the display's while shaking his head, Forty making all the changes that he did would cost more money than anything when it came to doing all this. The more changes he made while things were trying to grow the less money he would make, even if he was shit at it, well Forty should stick to screenwriting rather than managing a store.
Though with his past addiction when it came to drugs Joe was sure that it was Love who talked him into working her, just so that she could keep an eye on him, they were a great sibling pair after all. Looking back towards the kitchen he caught her eye as she was standing there staring at him, he saw a small blush dust her cheeks as she smiled and waved.
He smiled back nodding as he had a stack of books in his hands so he couldn't wave back properly.
After sorting the books Joe went outside so that he could dump the trash and stretched as he did so, bending to move books all day was not good on his back at all, it hurt like hell. "Hey, Bettelheim?" A voice called out to him as he was about to go back in.
Joe paused and turned back to see the man who had played the mobster thug who was owed money by Will, it was never explained why it was so much, but beggars can't be chooser in situations like these, "Umm, can I help you?" Joe asked while looking him over and with his John Kramer knowledge plus pass knowledge just knew the smile he was wearing was fake.
Jasper took a look at his nametag and a frown appeared on his face, "Oh sorry, I am looking for a Will Bettelheim, he works here apparently. At least that is what his neighbors told me when I went by there today."
"Umm, you wouldn't happen to be Jasper, would you?" Joe asked even if he already knew the answer.
"Yes?" Jasper said looking at him suspiciously as the hand in his right pocket moved.
"Great. Will isn't in today, but he did leave a package here with me for you. So, I am going to go grab that, can you wait here a moment?" Joe asked with a smile.
Jasper watched him a moment before he nodded, "Sure thing, just make sure you don't open it. This is between me and him."
"No problem." Joe answered with an easy smile before he walked back into the employee locker room and opened his locker. He knew that Jasper would be coming around so he went ahead and got the fifty thousand out beforehand, but it wasn't like he would be carrying that around in his pocket with him.
Grabbing the envelope with the money he walked back outside to see Jasper waiting, some people threw him glances but otherwise left him alone as they went on about their business. "Well, here you go." Joe said while passing him the envelope.
Jasper took it and opened it before he smiled slightly, "I'm sorry, are you trying to play me?"
Joe frowned, "Come again?"
Jasper laughed and someone walked past them, so he took Joe by the shoulder while walking to the side, "Well you see, this is only fifty thousand, where is the rest?"
Joe's mind went blank, wasn't it only supposed to be fifty thousand? What the hell did he mean by 'where is the rest' that doesn't make any sense, "I don't know what you are talking about, this is the only thing Will gave me."
Jasper chuckled and since he still had a firm grip on Joe shoulder there was no way for Joe to move, the next moment he was taken next to the barrel on the side and his eyes went wide. Joe tried to pull away, but their strength was to different, he started to panic as he saw a flash of silver before his hand was held down.
The next moment blinding pain went through his hand as the tip of his pinky finger on his left hand was sliced off, his instinct was to scream but he held it in not wanting to draw more attention to them. His mind was also trying to figure out what the hell was happening at the moment, he was in so much pain though that he could only huff as he waited for Jasper to explain.
"Look Joe, is it?" Jasper said sarcastically while putting the tip of his pinky into a small zip lock bag, "I don't know if Will is messing with you or if you really have no clue what is happening so let me explain. Will got me for two hundred thousand, so either you are keeping one hundred and fifty thousand from me or you really don't know.
Either way since you decided to be a part of this, I am going to take something from you but don't worry. Now, over at St. Henry's they have a fantastic microsurgeon, Dr. Daniel. As long as you're there in the next 10, 12 hours, good chance it'll reattach. Provided you have this. So... give me a call when you have the rest of the money. Probably sooner better than later, I'd think.
Good to meet you, Joe." Jasper said as he walked away after telling him how to stop the bleeding.
With pain coursing through his hand Joe went back inside, he had only thirty minutes left in his shift but told Calvin he was heading out early and didn't bother to listen if he agreed or not as he took off out the room. Grabbing his bag, he wrapped his hand before he took off, he was going to get some answers from Will, because he wanted to know how the hell he was going to be down and out another hundred and fifty thousand.
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[Name: Joe Goldberg (Joe Angel)
Age: 26
Skills: Hacker (SSS), Whistling (D)
Minds: John Kramer (A)]