by Andre Pisco
"And are you going to share it?" Neil intervened abruptly.
"He... He!" Max said, pointing to the other boy, who was now scratching his nose, "He knows where Lucian is and will help us," he added cheerfully, smiling unashamedly.
"Him? He's the reason we're here!" James said, reacting impulsively, already clenching his fist.
"He got paid for it but... but... if we pay him more, he will be on our side," Max replied, stumbling over his words.
"So that's it. You sell your loyalty to the highest bidder." Neil said, "Worse than a coward. We cannot trust him."
The boy remained still, ignoring the group's discussion. They argued louder and louder, even to the point where Lucy had to intervene and ask everyone to take a deep breath before they spoke.
"Have you decided?" The boy spoke for the first time. His lips peeled slightly, and he licked them before continuing, "I know where your friend is, yes. I know how to get him out of there, too. Obviously, this will require a few more coins.” He added.
Despite his sleek appearance, he had a thick voice. A leader's voice that commands his army into battle, motivating them enough not to wonder why they do it.
"We're not even thinking of trusting him, right?" Neil said, glancing at him, mistrusting each time he moved his hands.
"I don’t want to, but we don’t seem to have any other choice. He knows where Lucian is," Alec replied, annoyed by his presence.
"I agree. It's not the best decision, but it's the only one we have. The sun won’t wait for us," Lucy added.
James was silent. He rubbed his chin with his right hand, and looked the boy in his emerald eyes, waiting for him to say something. His mouth moved delicately, but the sound seemed to be lost before it reached the top of the throat. Max sat on the floor, stretching and acting like the world was not ready for what was coming. He had an absolute certainty that everything would go well, and even he, who tended to tremble with fear, was sure of their success. His cheeks were rosy, and he couldn’t open his eyes completely. He burped like a man in his 40s who drank too many beers, though that noise coming from such a small body was a little strange.
"So... we're really going to do this," Neil said, snorting, but knowing the friends were right. It was the only chance they had.
"Hmmm," the boy said, making a strange noise with his mouth to draw attention to them, "You can pay half now, half later. Don’t blame me if you get hurt, or worse," he said with an air of disdain.
"Max, did you discuss prices with him?" James said, addressing his cousin.
"35% of everything we have now, 35% after helping us. The rest is ours," he replied almost perfectly. The effect of the alcohol was dissipating in his blood and he was returning to his normal self.
"At least you didn’t put our whole money on the line," Neil replied, his mouth serving as a venomous snake.
"Well, then, where is our friend and how are we going to get him out of there?" Alec asked.
His question burst through the parallel conversations, silencing them all in a few seconds. Everything they had done after the torture culminated at that moment, the decision to risk their lives to save their colleague, their friend, and one of the reasons they were there. They did it out of courage, fear, need to prove something or to show that no one would not be left behind. They convinced themselves that the more reasons they had for doing so, the more chances they would have. Ignorant that the world was not subjugated to reasons or requests in the middle of the night, but to brute force and that if they genuinely wanted to save him, they would need a lot of it.
"Follow me," the boy said, turning around, "As long as we're dealing with this subject you can call me Ghost."
"This subject? It's our friend!" Neil screamed, his teeth clacking against each other, like a storm causing the roof to shake, "Ghost? Seriously?"
Ghost ignored him. He began to walk without even glancing back to confirm that they were following him. James helped Max get up and walked in the same direction as him.
"We have no other choice, Neil," Lucy said, discouraged, and she, too, set off.
Neil followed, kicking the little pebbles he saw on the floor and making them jump several times. The moon was at its peak and the starry night shone above them. Small gleaming dots that decorated the sky. It was not the first time they had seen it like this, but never with so many stars or with so much grace and beauty. It was as if someone had painted the sky with a thin brush and let the paint drip. They walked, heads turned up, and hands trembling. They were struggling to focus on something other than the situation they had been in and what was left to be solved.
"Wait," Missy told Alec, who had stayed behind to pick up the bottles.
"Yes?" He asked, dropping one of the bottles on the floor.
She picked it up and put it in his bag. Alec stretched his arm and pulled her until she stood up, their eyes crossing.
"Take it. I'm not going to need it. However, be careful with him." She said, putting her long hair in a ponytail, "Everybody here knows who he is, what happened to him ... What he did. He's no good,” she said, her voice shaking as she touched the subject.
"What do you mean, what did he do?" Alec asked, intrigued as he placed the bag on his shoulder.
"His parents died. Quartered. Some say it was him. Some say it was the guards since his father was involved in some anti-government groups. The blows resembled cuts with a thin thread, just like his powers, but he always swore he was not even at home." She said, grabbing her clothes close to her chest, before continuing, "Nobody believed him. He ended up living alone at home, eating leftovers someone offered him or stealing. He became a deathly instrument in the hands of the governor. No one talks to him and I've seen him kill someone without even hesitating. All because the person didn’t pay him a few gold coins that he owed him for a service."
"You mean, he won’t hesitate to change sides if they offer him more money?" Alec asked, knowing the answer, but wanting to be sure.
"He won’t even blink. Never leave him alone or turn your attention away from him." She said without shame, also noticing the sky, "It's a beautiful night. I hope you succeed."
"Are you sure you want to go back there?" Alec asked her before she left.
"I was born for this. To help others. I wasn’t born to run away. I can’t let fear control my decisions. I am the owner of my actions, and at this moment, the hospital calls me. Who knows if saving you will have more impact on the world than all the work I have ever done? I believe in that. There has to be some reason for me to have been thrown into this mess." She said and started walking in a different direction from the rest.
"Thank you!" Alec shouted.
She smiled but didn’t turn around. She knew what to expect. A long interrogation, and if they managed to save such a distinguished friend, she would probably be tortured. She had made peace with herself. She accepted her fate even though it was probably the last day she would see the daylight.
Chapter XVII
Alec confirmed one last time that he had picked up all the bottles that were not empty and then ran to his friends. Neil asked him if everything was alright, and Alec said yes, not wanting to warn them of another danger. It was in his hands to take heed of Ghost and all his steps.
Suddenly, the front row stopped. Ghost motioned them to lean against the nearest wall and hide. James was about to question him when blue lights appeared in the next street. Three armed drones with a camera on top that rotated 180 degrees hovered in the moonlight. They made no noise and dimmed the light as they turned to the opposite side of the group. They sighed with relief and Max thanked Ghost.
"Are you thanking him for that? If we die, he gets nothing. He’s not doing this out of sympathy." Neil said to him, keeping his tone harsh.
"I could tell them that I caught you. Or take your money after you're dead. Or- " The young man was saying when Max interrupted him.
"Enough. He's on our side. I trust him," Max said, looking into Ghost's eyes, who was
about to respond to him but finally shut up.
Max was surprised when Ghost walked away from him and turned his back. It was sudden and unreasonable. He had just deposited his trust in him and he trampled on his decision without regard to Max being against all his friends.
"I hope you're right," James replied.
"That building. The one that has the white, oval roof with two blinking antennas in the middle" Ghost said, "Your friend is there."
"Are you talking about the building that has 10 guards at the door and two drones walking around?" Alec asked, already thinking about how they would be able to enter.
"Yeah, but that's not our entrance. 35% now, and the rest after you have your friend," he replied, stretching out his palm.
Alec still hesitated for a moment, but finally pulled out the coins from one of the backpack pockets and handed it to him. Ghost counted out twice and instructed them to follow him.
They plunged back into the puzzle that was the city. They walked through narrow alleys and wide streets, through lanes that seemed to have no end except through a hole in the wall covered only by cards and ended up having to descend a ladder to enter the sewer. James sneezed as soon as they entered. Lucy and Neil covered their noses, while the others struggled to breathe as little as possible.
"What a horrible smell. Where the hell are we?" James said, wiping his nose on his sleeve.
"Central sewer of the city. It has an entrance to all the great buildings. Don’t make too much noise and we'll be there in no time." Ghost answered, taking the lead.
"How did you find out about this?" Max asked, curious as usual.
"It doesn’t matter." Ghost replied, turning his face from him, treating him as if he had not just carried Max around the city a few minutes ago.
Ghost stepped forward and Alec hurried to follow him. He wanted to ask him something but feared that if he made the wrong question Ghost would stop helping them. However, a small voice in the back of his head told him to take a chance. It was not like there was much to do there. Ghost knew every detour like the palm of his hand and before they reached the end of a corridor, he had already told them what would be next.
"You know the way..." Alec began calmly, "because you came here often when you were a kid, didn’t you?"
"Hmph, the doctor told you, I presume. It makes no difference. Either you think I did it or you think I didn’t do it, either way, you're afraid of me."
"It’s not fear. I’m concerned that you will stab us in the back" Alec said, looking at his friends who were a few feet behind him.
"Why would I stab you when I could just kill you all now?" Ghost asked, turning to Alec with a confused look.
"Ah... It's an expression. It means that you can betray us at any moment."
"Hmm, I understand. Worry about saving your friend. We're getting closer." Ghost replied and stopped, "If you have precautions to take, now is the best time," he said to everyone. The thick voice echoed down the hall, spreading through the sewer.
Alec opened the bag and waited for those who had not yet recovered their energy and HP to do so now. It was imperative to maximize their chances and save at least one bottle of each for Lucian. A metal door, half-open, rusted and with metal depleted in the corners was the only obstacle between them and the place where their friend was.
"Avoid making noise and follow me. There are several rooms and there are guards inside each one. He could be anywhere. We have to take it easy." Ghost said before pushing the door, which seemed about to fall, and whose noise was like a tree falling to the ground.
"Good, let's get caught before we even start," Neil said.
"I'm ready. I don’t care who comes first. I'll take revenge for what they did to me. They'll see!!" James said, with dilated pupils, looking at his closed fist, prepared for any adversity.
"You can get away with some guards, but against the elite, you won’t stand a chance." Ghost answered him as he entered the building.
"Elite?" Alec asked, following in his footsteps.
"10 soldiers. Anyone with attack power and defense above 300. Top items, weapons of excellence and masters in their art. Even I know I shouldn’t mess with them," Ghost replied. It was the first time he showed that he also dreaded someone. At last, there was fear in him, even though he was buried in the confines of his pale skin.
"We can do it,” Max added.
No one answered. One by one they passed the door, entering a large room, where they could fit 4 to 5 teams without a problem. The black walls combined with the gray ceiling and the objects against the corner; buckets with dirty water and some automatic brooms with their hair still wet. The floor shone, reflecting the lights around the room, almost as if they had entered a temple of worship to one of the gods.
"Ah... guys... you better come here..." Max said, his voice breaking, his hands shaking as he looked into a well in the left corner of the room, "Really. Come here, please."
Alec, Lucy, and James approached him. Max motioned to investigate the well. A light fell on the open circle, clearly showing Max's reason for being so frightened and nervous.
"So, what is it?" Neil asked after a few seconds of silence.
"It's... ah... It's... it's... skeletons!" Lucy said, stepping back, step by step, her hair shivering.
The well was home to a heap of skeletons. Some had their whole body while others only the head, some in perfect conditions others with holes. In some, it was possible to realize that the aperture had been made by a bullet that pierced the brain mass, while others the hole was too small for that.
"What the hell would make a hole as small as this?" James asked, holding one of the heads in his hand, his fingers inside his eyes.
"Leave it there." Neil commented, "It's disrespectful."
"They're already dead. I don’t think it's going to matter." James replied, scanning the skull, juggling it.
"Enough. We're wasting time." Ghost said, climbing small marble steps leading to the next door, "If you really want to know, the holes were made by Elena, an elite ninja. She can stretch parts of the body and reach you yards away without you even noticing before it’s too late.”
James swallowed and threw the skull into the air. It landed on top of another, breaking the brittle jaw, bone falling through open spaces of bodies destroyed, broken, and even burned.
"Shit," he said when he realized the mistake he had made, as the sound spread through the room, the bone smashed against the walls and the like, eventually falling to the ground.
No one moved. Even their breathing tried to slow, limbs paralyzed, hoping no one had heard. They looked at one another, eyes filled with worry, beads of sweat crawling between their eyebrows, and clothes sticking to their bodies. Ghost put his finger to his mouth, signaling them to keep quiet. He walked up the stairs in silence. His feet touched the ground but they didn’t make a sound. One couldn't the experience of going unnoticed, a shadow in the crowd that no one cares about until it is too late. He reached the door and opened it, slowly and carefully. He peered down the small breach confirming that there was no one in the hallway. He nodded, indicating that they could follow him.
Eyes on their feet and slow steps. They exchanged no words and no looks. They focused only on themselves, afraid to stumble or step on some small object that they had not previously noticed. They went up the stairs, one by one until they reached the top. A marble square where four people fit, leaving Neil and James on the stairs below.
"Follow me and don’t question me," Ghost murmured.
A long corridor stood before him. Pictures of different times were on the brown walls, the floor covered with a scarlet rug, and the white ceiling supported dozens of various lamps that occupied their space in the air. An appalling silence prevailed in the grandeur of the building whose space made them appear even smaller. Its size was derisory when compared to the altitude at which the ceiling was. Ghost guided them from the right until they reached across. On the right side, the scarlet carpet stretched for a fur
ther ten meters, completing the walls filled with coats of arms of families of great importance, while the left side was just a corridor of stone, narrow and with different metal doors in sight. It had an end and noticing the corners still to be cleaned it was easy to understand that it was an extra space added to the house, that was not part of the original plan.
"This way," Ghost murmured, once again looking around, confirming that no one was following them. “He has to be in one of these rooms."
"Isn’t it weird that there are no guards here?" Max questioned, getting his colleagues' brows back in answer.
"Um... I also want to know." Alec added, fortifying Max's question.
"The guards aren’t here. It would look bad when there are visitors. Behind the doors are corridors with more doors. Each door serves for a different kind of torture." Ghost explained to them, "What will happen now is simple. I'll go in alone, handle the guards, and then I'll call you. Hide behind this wall."
"And how do we know you're not going to ask them for help?" Neil asked.
"You don’t know. You have to trust me and you seem to have forgotten that if I wanted to catch you I could do it myself." He replied, irritating Neil again. From the way the corner of his lips moved at the end of the sentences, he seemed to take pleasure in doing so.
He didn’t give Neil a chance to respond and went to the door. He knocked three times with the bone between his fingers and waited for someone to open the door for him. The group remained hidden in the intersection, with Max in the front, listening to the exchange of phrases between Ghost and the guard.
"What are you doing here? No one called you." A guard asked.
"Get lost," Ghost said. The voice was calm and chilling at the same time. The idea of a calamity in the middle of a green meadow came to Max's head.
"Who do you think you're talking to, boy?" The guard replied.
Ghost lifted his hand, and before he even had it by the shoulder, the guard turned away. He apologized and invited Ghost inside. His voice trembled. Fear replaced his courage from one moment to the next. The terrifying effect that Ghost had on the others was remarkable. Max swallowed and a sob rushed down the windpipe.