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They both stared speechless at the man sprawled in front of them.
Zodyl was lying in the grime, Mishra pooling around him like a dark ocean. Even if every muscle of his body was paralyzed, somehow, his eyes were still able to move freely, and for sure, there was a pure, murderous rage behind them. There were still crumbles of bread around his mouth.
‘You think he’s out for good?’ Zanka asked.
‘Yeah, girl,’ Jabber said. ‘I’ve put, like, four times the maximum dose of sedatives inside.’
‘Are you insane? We’re kidnapping him, not trying to put him in the ground!’
‘I had to make sure he was out, ok? This man eats all kinds of shits, I don’t kno’ what he can take or not.’
Zanka wanted to face-palm herself. Oh, he’s going to torture us to death, she thought. But the offer was too damn good. How could they refuse two questions each, for such a ‘small’ price? Those answers could change their lives forever. And more than that, Kuro promised them that the information he would provide to Zodyl was of such importance that the Raider would forgive their insolence.
She stared at Zodyl’s white fingers, clenched painfully hard around the half-eaten sandwich, and hoped the information broker was right, or else, she had to write her will.
‘Where is the car?’
‘What car?’
‘Are you out of your fucking mind?’ Zanka snarled. ‘You dragged me into this, and you didn’t even prepare a car?’
‘I thought we could just carry him or something,’ the other girl responded, twirling a lock around her finger.
‘TO THE BORDER WITH NO MAN’S LAND?!’
She scratched her head, hissing softly. ‘Yeah, I kinda forgot where we had to meet Kuro…’
‘Shut up,’ Zanka cut her off, pinching the bridge of her nose. ‘Just shut up.’
‘You are sexy when you are angry,’ Jabber whispered, biting down on a long, hot-pink nail.
Zanka shot her a sharp glance, but chose to ignore the comment.
‘It’s too late to back up now, so we have to make this work, ok? Car. We need to find a car.’
‘The main road is pretty close. I guess we could find something there.’
‘Yeah, that sounds good. But we need to move him closer. The alleys are too narrow here to drive.’
Zanka nodded and crouched to grab him by the ankles, while Jabber went for the upper body.
‘Wait.’
‘What?’
‘Can you… You know…’ she said, waving her hand towards Zodyl. ‘Just get the fucking sandwich out of his hand, goddamnit.’
For the next minute, Jabber scratched, pushed, pulled, and cursed, but to no avail. Those fingers were stiff as rigor mortis.
‘Nope,’ she shook her head softly. ‘The crow sandwich is coming with us.’
Fuck me in the ass.
‘Alright, screw that. Let’s just get going already.’
The blonde took a firm hold of his legs and lifted Zodyl up, while Jabber took him by the… the… she felt the blood boiling inside her veins.
‘DON’T FUCKING GRAB HIM BY THE HEAD, YOU FOOL! LOOK AT YOURSELF, YOU’RE POKING HIM IN THE EYE WITH YOUR NAILS!’
‘HOW ABOUT YOU STOP ORDERING ME AROUND, HUH? IT’S NOT LIKE YOU ARE DOING ME A FAVOR, YOU AGREED TO THIS SHIT TOO,’ Jabber yelled back, furiously planting her hands on her hips.
Zodyl’s head hit the ground with a loud thud.
‘Oh.’
‘Oh, no.’
Jabber kneeled, softly raking Zodyl’s mullet back. ‘Shhhh… It’s alright… Shh… Oh, I’m sorry, boss. I’m sorry. It will be over soon, okay? Okay.’ She planted a soft kiss on his forehead before hooking her hands under his arms. His eye twitched.
Zanka swallowed hard and lifted him once again. Damn, he was heavy. Doing more dragging than carrying, the quiet night swallowed them through the dark, twisted paths.
‘Want to rest for a bit?’ Jabber huffed.
‘Sure, love, pull some dirt over and let me rest in a grave.’
The two girls swayed his limp body around until they found a decent spot, one turn away from downtown's main street. Perched against the wall, secluded by two large dumpsters, Zodyl seemed fine for the moment. Just for precaution, Zanka rummaged through the trash until she found an empty bottle and stuck it in his empty hand. Good. Happy cirrhosis, I guess? Zanka really disliked the situation, but there weren't many options available.
She grabbed Jabber by the waist and guided her towards the crowded area. The night was alive and buzzing, loud music leaking from half-open bar doors. Young people were stumbling against each other, cheeks flushed, drinks in their hands, laughing their hearts out. Frowning, she scanned the surroundings. It looked like their luck was already running thin. No car was to be seen around. No motorcycle. Fuck it, not even a bicycle.
‘What if we can find some homeless guy and steal his cart?’ Jabber groaned.
‘What if I kill all three of us tonight?’
‘Come on, girl, stop being so grumpy. Best-case scenario, we pull this off. Worst-case scenario, Zodyl beats us to a bloody pulp. I say it’s a win-win.’
‘For whom?’ Zanka barked. This is not good. Not good at all.
‘Mh. I can try and flirt with someone, you know. Maybe they will lend us a car.’
‘Oh hell no.’
‘Why,’ Jabber snickered. ‘Are you jealous?’
‘Yes?’
‘Ah, you naughty girl, don’t get me horny like that out in the street.’
‘Am I a joke to you?’
‘No, you are my wife.’
Zanka sighed, heading back for the dark alley. It was pointless to waste time around. It was already past midnight, and they had to be at the border at sunrise. Gravel crunched softly under their boots. Perhaps the idea with the cart wasn’t that bad after all. They could at least use it to drag him to the Headquarters, and maybe she could steal a car while everybody was still aslee-
Zodyl was gone.
Zanka’s hands shot up to her hair, clenching painfully, eyes widening in horror.
Zodyl. Was. Gone.
‘YOU SAID YOU KNOCKED HIM OUT FOR GOOD!
‘I SURE AS HELL DID! THAT WAS ENOUGH TO PUT EVEN A TRASH BEAST TO SLEEP!’
They scrambled frantically around the alleys, into the dumpsters, under them, everywhere. No trace of him. But at the same time, there were no traces of his footsteps either. Someone took him, then. Rushing back into the swarm of people, they started asking left and right if anyone had seen anything.
Salvation came in the form of a street food vendor, who pointed towards a shady bar. Jabber had to hold her back from falling to her knees while thanking him. They went into what looked like a strip club, mentally preparing for any potential fight.
Inside, the air was thick, heavy with the smell of cheap perfume and smoke. The music was so loud and horrible that it felt like straight-up noise pollution, but the men around them didn’t seem too bothered, focused instead on the half-naked dancers or their drinks.
The girl at the front desk looked really bored, chewing on her gum like there was no tomorrow. They argued with her for almost half an hour, explaining their situation over and over until she finally agreed to help them. The receptionist stood up and motioned them toward a narrow, dimly lit hallway, right to the boss’s territory.
‘Boss Cesrob! Some chicks are here for you!’ she shouted before turning on her heel and leaving.
The room was way more spacious than she expected, lit by amber lights and the glow of bottles lined along the walls. Multiple tables were scattered around, each occupied by people minding their own business, be it a glass of alcohol or a line of cocaine. At the far end was placed the boss’s table, clearly bigger and far more expensive.
He lounged back on the leather couch, relaxed, jacket open, a lazy smile on his face as two girls danced and ran their hands across his body. He was fat and bald, but at least it looked like he enjoyed that kind of depraved lifestyle, which gave them a small advantage. Jabber elbowed her hard, jerking her chin toward the left corner.
Zodyl was sagging against the wall, one hand clenched around the deconstructed sandwich, the other around the empty bottle. His wide eyes were pinning them down, bloodshot with rage.
I hope Kuro plans to serve him the Sphere on a platter. Otherwise, no one is going to save us.
The boss finally took notice of them, and to their surprise, his grin widened. He gave them a small sign to approach while casting the dancers away. Zanka took a deep breath. They had to do it right, without violence. She wouldn’t risk Zodyl’s safety. It was bad enough as it was. The two girls sat slowly across him, as the bodyguards loomed over them.
‘Are you lost, my sweet little butterflies?’ he drawled, licking his lips.
‘Ew,’ Jabber muttered under her breath. Zanka pinched her, making sure to leave a bruise.
‘Hello, sir,’ she said, taking the lead of the conversation. ‘There have been some misunderstandings, and this whole night was just so messy, and we even ended up like this, and I can’t even…’ Zanka took a dramatic pause, making sure to pout and moan out every word.
‘Easy there, bunny. Why don’t you tell daddy Cesrob what upsets you?’
Ew.
‘Well,’ she whined, ‘we started from the bottom, and now we ended a little bit below the bottom somehow.'
‘How so?’
‘That guy over there,’ Zanka whispered, pointing a slender finger towards Zodyl. She didn’t dare to look at him, fearing he’d set her on fire with his mind. ‘He is our… pet’.
‘Oh? Pet, you say?’ He leaned forward, curiosity peaking.
Zanka nodded slowly. ‘Mhm. And, you see… sometimes he likes to be a naughty pet… and of course, we have to punish him… but today he’s been especially naughty… running away from home and all of that…’
Cesrob cocked an eyebrow, giving the limp man a short glance. ‘You drugged him?’
‘No!’ Jabber screeched. ‘That’s not how it is. He smokes crack sometimes. For his own enjoyment.’
The fat man laughed loudly, dragging a huge hand across his face.
‘Can we have him back, please, sir?’ Zanka moaned softly, giving him puppy eyes.
‘Hm… My guys usually bring me wealthy looking drunkards here so I can run them dry of money when they wake up. So, if you want him, you will have to pay.’
‘Sure. We both have some money on us.’
‘I don’t want money.’
Ew.
‘Sir,’ Jabber chimed in. ‘We are not whores. I mean, mentally I’m a slut. But not physically.’
He barked a laugh again. ‘Of course. I wouldn’t dare to blackmail you. I’m a pervert of honor, you know? I’m going to win the privilege.’
‘Win?’
‘We are going to play cards! So choose which one of you will be my opponent!’ He gave them a dirty smile, signaling for a waitress to bring him a deck.
Jabber and Zanka side-eyed each other, slightly panicked.
‘You play,’ she whispered.
‘Nuh-uh,’ Jabber angrily whispered back. ‘I don’t do well in situations.’
‘I’ll beat the shit out of you.’
‘You swear?’
Fine.
‘Alright,’ Zanka said. ‘I’ll do it.’
‘Mm… wonderful,’ the boss mumbled as he shuffled the cards between them. ‘Two out of three. ’
She nodded and picked up her cards.
Zanka was about to cry. Those shits were horrendous. Still, they played the first round calmly, with confidence, both extremely focused. When the last card hit the table, Cesrob leaned back with a satisfied smirk. She did her best to hide the anxiety coiling in her stomach.
‘As the reward for my first win…’
‘Reward?’ they both yelped in unison.
‘... I want your shoes. Both pairs.’
They froze, shocked and confused.
‘Are you for real?’
The fat man shrugged. ‘Guilty pleasure.’
Zanka shook her head and leaned to untie her shoes, signaling to Jabber to do the same. It was weird, but at least it was not that bad. They both stared in bewilderment at each other’s feet.
‘Is that a fucking hole in your sock?!’ Jabber hissed.
‘Are you not fucking wearing socks inside your shoes!?’ Zanka hissed back.
She tried to calm her nerves as the bodyguards took the boots away. It was not the time. She had to focus.
The second round started better. Good. Very good. Slow, mind and eyes sharp, Zanka steadily laid her cards out one by one. It was obvious long before the end that she would win. Placing the last card, she gave him a sly and smug smile. He mirrored her gesture as he shuffled them again.
‘Unlucky me… Your reward, my ladies?’
Perfect.
‘We need a ca-’
‘I want those,’ Jabber cut her short, pointing to something small, perched on the edge of the table.
Cesrob’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, yet still gave her the object she requested. It was a pair of sunglasses. Fucking sunglasses. That’s what their reward got wasted on. The metal bridge uniting the lenses spelled SEX in huge, silver letters. Jabber put them on proudly, a dumb smile on her face. Zanka was about to smash her head against the table. That was what her life became: getting hit on by men and abused by women.
The third round started. She couldn’t lose this, not unless she wanted to start a huge fight. Think Zanka, think. A brilliant idea struck her.
‘It’s getting a little hot in here, don't you think?’ she whined, as she completely unzipped her jacket, revealing soft breasts and a thin, lacey bralette.
Jabber and Cesrob were both ogling at her chest, mouth slightly open. She subtly kicked her friend under the table, using the distraction to hand her at least three cards. Thankfully, Jabber caught on and took them, sliding them probably up her ass. No one saw their scheme. Good.
To no surprise, Zanka won both the round and the game.
‘What a shame,’ he drawled, amused. ‘I was really enjoying myself.’
‘It was fun while it lasted,’ Zanka added sweetly. Deep inside, she just wanted to get out of that room as fast as possible.
‘Promise to visit me another time? You two are too pretty, and I will cry myself to sleep if I won’t get to see you again.’
‘Sure, sure. We promise! But now we have to go. We have a pet to punish,’ she winked.
Cesrob winked back and shouted for the bodyguard standing outside, instructing him to haul Zodyl up and escort them outside. After a few more giddy goodbyes, they finally left the room. Zanka felt like the weight of the whole world had been lifted off her shoulders.. She gave Jabber a sharp glance, wanting nothing more but to slap those SEX glasses off her face, but she’d probably like it anyway.
The cold air felt like a blessing.
‘Where do I put him?’ the guy asked, Zodyl hanging like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder.
‘In the car,’ Jabber said flatly.
What?
‘Boss didn’t say anything about a car.’
‘Of course we need a car, idiot. How do you expect us to carry him?’
‘I have to go and ask abou-’
‘How dare you?!’ Jabber shouted, drawing the attention of several strangers. ‘Do you even know who we are?! Do you even know how much Cesrob loves us?!’
‘No, ma’am, I’m sorr-’
‘If Cesrob said we can have the car until tomorrow, are you going to question him?! Or us, huh?
‘No ma’am,’ he answered, voice strained.
‘Good. Then move already, I don’t have the whole night.’
The poor guy tightened his grip around Zodyl and led them to a side passage, where multiple auto vehicles were parked. Zanka was so happy she was about to kiss those bare toes of hers.
‘Sit on my face later?’ Jabber whispered.
‘Hell yeah,’ Zanka whispered back.
Rummaging in his pocket, he pulled out the key and unlocked an old SUV. Perfect. That’s just perfect. He carefully strapped Zodyl in the back seat, who was still faithfully and involuntarily clutching the sandwich and the bottle. One would think there is a limit to how much wrath a paralyzed person’s face could show. Zodyl would have proved them wrong.
‘Which one is driving?’ he asked, holding up the key.
‘None of your goddamn business,’ Zanka hissed, as she yanked the key. ‘You just can’t stop being an insolent little shit, don’t you?’
‘I didn’t mean t-’
‘You know what? I’m tired of seeing your stupid face. Let’s go inside. Now. I’m going to ask Cesrob to fire you.’
‘No, ma’am, please! I barely managed to get this job! Here, hold this, but please, don’t go to him’ he said, as he handed her a few coins with shaky hands.
Zanka looked at them for a few moments, silent.
‘... That’s so… very little…’
The guy sighed helplessly and emptied his pockets into her palm.
That’s better.
‘Good. Now go. I don’t want to see your face anymore.’
He gave them a respectful nod and rushed back to the bar.
Jabber was about to explode soon, by the way she was holding back her laughter. Zanka wanted to laugh too, but the nightmare wasn’t over yet. She tossed her the small key.
‘Let’s go.’
‘What? Why am I driving?’
‘Because I played the game, and now my head hurts. What, don’t you know how to drive?’
Jabber scoffed. ‘Fuck off. Of course I know how to drive. I’ve been driving since you were travelling from your dad’s left nut to the other. Get in.’
It soon turned out that Jabber was Enjin’s only competition in terms of driving skills. Zanka was hoping she would be sleeping the whole time until they reached the border. Not anymore. She was clutching the door handle as her life depended on it. And it probably did.
The three hour-drive was a nightmare. Hitting every hole in sight, swerving for no apparent reason, increasing and decreasing the speed at random times, Zanka had to force herself not to throw up. She hoped Jabber at least would take the SEX glasses off while driving at night, and damn, she was wrong. Good thing Zodyl was buckled up tight, or he would have gone flying through the windshield a long time ago.
By the time the morning light filled the sky, they had reached their destination. The area had been deserted once the air grew too polluted to be inhaled safely for long. It was divided into three parts: District 1, District 2 and District 4. Kuro was already waiting for them with a serene smile on his face in District 4. He swayed that fuckass glove, signaling them to stop. Sadly, stopping was not an issue in Jabber’s agenda, considering she almost ran him over. The information broker had to throw himself to the ground, saving his life by mere inches.
The car finally came to a halt, tires screeching loudly.
Zanka threw herself out of the car, heaving. She thought they wouldn’t be making it out alive. Kuro approached them slowly, dusting himself off. His face was a mixture of shock and horror as he took in what was going on in front of him: Zodyl, their bare feet, Zanka’s nauseated face, Zodyl’s hands, the SEX glasses, the dented car, Zodyl’s murderous eyes.
‘Well. The job’s done. That’s what matters. My congratulations, girls.’
‘All roads lead to Kuro,’ Jabber said, as she got out of the car, too.
‘All roads lead to my breaking point,’ Zanka whined.
‘You better make this shit worth it, man. We are on thin ice here.’
‘I can assure you, Jabber Wonger, that my information is of the utmost importance.’
‘Swear on your ovaries?’
Kuro seemed confused. ‘I swear?’
‘Nuts. When will you answer our questions?’
‘As soon as the essential things are dealt with.’
Jabber muttered a quiet ‘yes’ under her breath, fists clenching at her side. ‘I’ll finally know who the three bitches were that jumped me last week.’
‘Three!?’ Zanka asked, confused. ‘I paid for four?!’
She let the information sink in. When it finally clicked, Jabber looked like she was about to murder Zanka with her bare hands.
‘Ladies, please,’ Kuro said, pinching the bridge of his nose. ‘Don’t. There is so much more import-’
‘I. Am. Going. To. Kill. Every. Single. One. Of. You.’
Blood ran cold in their veins. Turning their heads slowly, Zodyl was standing behind them, hunched forward, knees shaking under his weight. He looked like a demon escaped from hell itself. Feral. Mishra was already morphing into a pair of sharp, black wings.
‘Oh, shit,’ they all muttered in unison.