Love, Hate and Greed

CHAPTER 5: I DON'T HAVE IT

"Let's go," France startled me as I was still gathering my thoughts on what that man told me. "Hey France. Do you know him?" I pointed out, and France grabbed my arm. "We're wasting time. I'll tell you on the way."

"So who was that guy?" I tailed behind him while carefully counting my steps. "He's Rhendall. The group's hitman," he said.

"Hit man?" And he nodded his head. "He's the one responsible for taking out people who seem to be a threat to the gang. Let's say, he's the group's black reaper," he added.

The black reaper? Then, why did he talk to me? Am I his next target? That's why he told me that someone had put a hit on me? I was so locked up in my own thoughts that I didn't notice we were already standing across the steel coated door. It has a sliding peephole and a metal handle.

"First, I'll do the talking. Don't make unnecessary comments," France reminded me before he knocked on the door. After a second, someone answered with numbers, it must be a secret code or something. Afterwards, France answered back with a statement, "1F." And the door screeched open.

"France, come in," a muscular gentleman escorted us inside. He's fists were balled, and veins were popping from his hands and arms. His other eyes seemed to be blinded from a scar on his left eyebrows, down to his eyes. "What brings you here?" He asked with a deep low voice.

"The boss," France answered with a straight face. The room on the other hand is empty. The only furniture sitting inside the room was a single chair and a red painted desk with steel handcuffs placed on top. When we finally reached the other end of the room, there was another door and we stopped in front of it.

"You have 15 minutes," the man who guided us said and opened the door for us. "But before that," he said, and blocked the door with his hands.

"I need to check you for any weapons inside," he stated, looking down on me. "But he's an outsider," France intercepted.

"It's ok France," I replied and that took some of the worries away from his face.

"Step aside 1F," he said, and France did what he told him. Took a step away from me, letting the man check my pockets from any weapons. And found none. Thanks to that guy who took my shiv just before I was called here. Does that mean he saved me? He knew that this would happen? Anyways, I don't need to think about that right now. There's a bigger problem in picture him than that. And that's what's behind the door ahead. When the man cleared me, he opened the door and finally let us walk in.

As we stepped inside, the room filled with an unpleasant odor. Something like a dead body, but weaker and it stays longer in my nostrils.

"So Franc-y boy! You made it," a man with a manbun greeted us. He was sitting on a desk across us, about 5 feet apart, and there was a syringe laying down on the desk. Is that what I think it is?

"This is Nathaniel, just like you asked," France shoved me an inch closer to the table, and the man sitting in front of us leaned his back forward on the table. "That's him?" He pointed to me.

"Ok, you may leave now," he added, and France staggered beside me. "But-"

"Le- ave," he repeated and France pulled his face away from me. Walked outside the room. "Now, let's get to business. Shall we?" He said as the door behind me closed.

"I'm Treble. The gang's leader. And you are, Nathaniel, right?" He leaned back on his chair. "Yes. What do you want from me?" I asked. For some reason as soon as France walked out the room, my lungs filled with chills. And my jaw trembled with fear. Shaking uncontrollably, that made my words sound separated.

"Nothing, really. I just want to ask you about the key," as he uttered those words, my spine spiked, and felt a jolt of electricity running through my whole body. Does he know that I have it?