Kashme Kartel FBI #2

The Aura Test

Kash Kartel adjusted his tie, took a deep breath, and pushed open the double doors to Donold Grump’s private quarters. The sight that greeted him stopped him dead in his tracks.

The room was chaos—not in design but in sheer audacity. The walls, splattered with rainbow streaks, were a riot of color that clashed and blended all at once. Broad swaths of red dripped into orange, collided with yellow, and swirled into blues and purples. The paint strokes were wild yet deliberate, as if each one had a story behind it. It wasn’t just a room; it was an experience.

“Mr. Grump,” Kash said, stepping inside slowly, his eyes darting around. “This is... something else. Wow.”

Grump was seated in an enormous crystal throne that looked both regal and absurd, splattered with paint like the rest of the room. His sleeves were rolled up, his hands dotted with dried streaks of color. He looked more like an eccentric artist than the President-Elect of the United States.

“You like it?” Grump asked, his voice a low rumble of satisfaction. He gestured broadly at the room. “Sparky and I did it ourselves. Five gallons of paint. No brushes. Just vision.”

Kash blinked, stepping further into the room. “No brushes? What, did you just… throw it?”

Grump smirked. “Exactly. Well, I threw it. Sparky directed me. He’s got a better eye for color than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Kash frowned slightly, his smile faltering. “Sparky?”

Grump pointed to a shadowy corner of the room, his expression softening. “My dragon. My guide. My muse.”

Kash followed Grump’s gesture but saw nothing except the faintest curl of smoke drifting lazily upward. The air smelled faintly of burning wood and something else he couldn’t quite place.

“Uh-huh,” Kash said carefully. “And he’s… here right now?”

Grump leaned back in his throne, steepling his fingers. “Oh, he’s here. Watching you. Evaluating.”

Kash’s gaze flickered nervously back to the corner. His instinct was to laugh it off, but something about Grump’s tone made him hesitate. He decided to play along. “Well, I hope Sparky likes what he sees. I’d hate to disappoint a dragon.”

Grump’s smirk widened. “He says your aura is... interesting. Bold. Ambitious. But there’s a streak of self-preservation that he’s not sure about.”

Kash forced a laugh, tugging at his tie. “Self-preservation isn’t a flaw, Mr. Grump. It’s a survival skill. You don’t get far in this business without it.”

Grump’s eyes narrowed slightly, his tone turning cold. “Loyalty, Kash. That’s what matters most. And Sparky can tell if you’re faking it.”

Kash’s palms grew clammy, but he kept his voice steady. “You’ve got my loyalty, 100%. You know that.”

Grump studied him for a long moment, then nodded. “Good. Because I’ve got work for you. Names. The same ones I gave Blondi. Hollins, Kurkowski, Tomney. I want everything on them. Every secret, every weakness, every skeleton in their closets. Leave nothing untouched.”

Kash raised an eyebrow. “Blondi’s on the same assignment?”

Grump’s smirk returned. “Double coverage. I like to know who’s truly loyal. Consider this... a test.”

Kash nodded slowly, leaning forward. “Competition, huh? Alright. You won’t have to worry about me. I’ll get you what you need, and I’ll do it faster than she can blink.”

Grump’s gaze flicked back to the corner where Sparky supposedly lingered. “Sparky’s watching. He’ll know if you’re holding back. And he doesn’t forgive betrayal.”

Kash glanced at the corner again, his pulse quickening. The faint smoke seemed to shift, almost forming a shape before dissipating. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something—or someone—was truly there, watching him.

“Understood,” he said firmly, standing. “I won’t disappoint.”

Grump rose from his throne, towering over Kash despite his shorter stature. He clapped a paint-streaked hand on Kash’s shoulder, leaving a faint smear of green. “See that you don’t. Sparky’s got a temper.”

As Kash exited the room, he felt the weight of Grump’s gaze on his back. The rainbow-colored walls seemed to ripple in his peripheral vision, and the faint scent of smoke lingered in the air. He clenched his fists, steadying himself as he stepped into the hallway.

Kash didn’t breathe until he was halfway down the hall, the door to Grump’s quarters firmly shut behind him. The rainbow-colored walls had been surreal, the air heavy with something he couldn’t name. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, only to see a faint smear of green paint left there—a parting gift, or a mark of ownership?

He checked his watch, though time felt like a loose concept in Grump’s orbit. 11:45 AM. The meeting had been short, but every second of it had dragged like a weight strapped to his back.

What the hell was that?

Kash let out a shaky breath and ran a hand through his slicked-back hair, replaying the conversation in his head. Grump’s obsession with loyalty wasn’t new—the man ruled his world like a medieval king—but Sparky? That was a new twist. A dragon? An invisible one? Kash shook his head, half-chuckling to himself.

“Genius move, really,” he muttered under his breath. “Keep everyone on edge with an invisible monster. Classic power play.”

But something about the way Grump spoke, the smoke curling from the corner… Kash shivered involuntarily. He wasn’t a superstitious man, but Grump’s particular brand of madness had a way of getting under your skin, planting seeds of doubt where none existed before.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Kash pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

Blondi.

He frowned and answered. “Pam. How’d it go in there?”

“You tell me,” Pam Blondi’s smooth, controlled voice replied. “He give you Sparky’s loyalty lecture too?”

Kash stopped in his tracks. “Sparky, huh? So it’s not just me.”

“You sound relieved.” Pam’s voice was clipped. “I wouldn’t be. If Grump’s doubling up assignments, it’s not for fun. He doesn’t trust either of us.”

Kash exhaled through his nose. “Let him double-check all he wants. I’ll bury Hollins, Kurkowski, and Tomney so deep, their grandkids will feel it.”

Pam’s laugh was dry. “Careful, Kash. Sparky might be listening.”

There was a brief pause, then Pam added, “Listen, I’ve got a meeting with Wiley this afternoon. Lunch in her office. Then meetings all afternoon with clients. Why don’t you come to my office for breakfast tomorrow, about 8 AM. We’ll talk strategy.”

Kash raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Sounds good. I’ll see you there.”

The line went dead. Kash stared at his phone for a moment before slipping it back into his pocket. A chill still lingered up his spine, but the promise of lunch with Pam Blondi and a strategy session made him feel a bit steadier.

“Alright, Sparky,” he muttered under his breath. “Let’s see how this game plays out.”