On the run.
Guns are made for final decisions, not second guesses. You pull the trigger, there are no regrets. There's always something on the other end, receiving the bullet. You can either look firmly ahead as you take another man's life, or bite the dust. Only the trigger has the answer. Levi Ackerman learned this while he was on the run after murdering his best friend and wife for having an affair behind his back. Traveling through towns, meeting countless people who always had a story to tell over a glass of whiskey and a smoke, and that one shitty brat he met in some shitty town who just couldn't leave him the hell alone.
Chapter 1
Guns are made for final decisions, not second guesses. You pull the trigger, there are no regrets. There's always something on the other end, receiving the bullet. You can either look firmly ahead as you take another man's life, or bite the dust. Only the trigger has the answer.
The smoke from a cigarette drifted along with the wind on a cold summer's night in some town Levi didn't bother to get the name of. He could faintly hearing glasses clinking together, old music from the twenties playing from a jukebox in a near bar, men and women laughing, and prostitutes persuading drunk men for a night of fun. The raven simply went back to the lit cigarette in his hand, taking another drag, gazing up as the pitch black sky.
Levi Ackerman used to be one of the most highly admirable men in all of France. His honesty, hard work, gentlemanly manners, degree in the medical profession, and a perfect wife to top it all off. Yes, he had everything a man could only ever wish for. His friend, Erwin, whom he had met back in college, was nothing but supportive and offered his voice of reason when Levi was conflicted with something. They call Levi mad, killed his wife and friend because of his anger and grief. He was just a possessive killer in disguise.
The raven had murdered his wife, Petra, and friend, Erwin, with his bare hands, or how they like to exaggerate, it was really a gun he used. Either way, it caused an enormous scandal. No one thought that such a man, one who had accomplished so much, had a fabulous reputation with every person he knew, not one of them, knew he was capable of this.
Erwin's wife, Hanji, another close friend of Levi's, said she couldn't blame him. Said the reason why she couldn't is because the man did what he felt was right. Levi was not a man to do things spontaneously, he just wasn't. The brunette said Petra and Erwin fully knew what they were doing, even when they were pleading Levi they didn't know what happened before they were shot dead. When she was asked if she would have killed them, she simply responded with:
"We can't think about the what if's. We can only accept what's been done."
Reporters left her alone after that. They clearly got the gist of it and knew she had nothing more to say. Levi on the other hand, was a running criminal, guilty of murder, and the charges only piled up the more he ran.
Levi made money by treating people on the way. He accepted anything really, clothing, food, cigarettes, a lighter, knife, and more ammo. He only carried a light bag over his shoulder. The raven had to sell his phone to make money, it was worth it, he got three thousand for it, tch, he could still bullshit like no tomorrow.
Hearing the crunch and cracks from the rocks and dirt under his boots with every step he took was a sound he's memorized by now. Constantly moving from place to place to seek peace, while it was only really a temporary thing. Levi thinks about turning himself in sometimes, thinking he would much rather be a jail cell than moving from one shitty town to another. But he always had a famous saying for this:
"I don't know if that's the right decision, or if my voice of reason is completely gone. I'd like to believe with every word I say, and every step I take, there's a town or something there for me to rest. I'm not sure if my choices will ever hold hope for me. A running criminal like myself, has almost no hope for taking two lives, and struggling to keep mine going on. People along the road told me running is pointless, they'll find you and kill you they say. Well, so long as I can look ahead with my eyes, fight, sleep and see each day, I'll be damned if I give into those words."
Tossing the butt of the cigarette to the ground, stomping it out with his heel, Levi glanced to the right, seeing the sign. "Trost, huh? Maybe I can rest there for a couple of days." The raven continued about his walk, it should at least take him three hours to get to Trost.
Levi checked into a near by hotel the moment he got into Trost. He set his things down and threw himself on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. The raven was only here for one reason; Nifa.
Nifa was a prostitute who knew many things, some that would get people in jail and others killed. This woman was someone who could easily ruin a person with a snap of her fingers.
The raven remembered how he met her. Nifa was some girl who lived in a slum, the same one that Levi himself lived in for years. The red head was selling herself to make money and pay off a debt that she had owed for years now. Nifa was a brilliant woman, she was a prostitute yes, but she would knock out her customers take whatever kind of money they had on them, and leave. There was something he wasn't quite sure of, how the hell did she constantly get all this information. He was going to find out how she did it, and he also needed some information himself.
Walking into a strip club brought back some memories for the raven. Drinking with his military friends, his now deceased father, and Erwin. Levi glanced around, looking for the red head. He saw a couple of familiar faces, and got hit on by women he knew only wanted to knock him out and steal everything he had. You know what they say, never trust a prostitute.
"My, my, I never thought I'd see you walk into a strip club again, Lance."
Levi turned around as he heard the familiar sultry voice. "Nifa."
The red head grinned, "So, you remember my name too? Well, goodness, aren't I lucky." She placed her slender hands on his shoulders delicately. "And what can I do for you, captain?"
"I need to have a word with you."
Nifa laughed softly, "Of course, Lance. Anything for you." She grabbed his hand and led him to her private room.
The woman let go of his hand the moment they walked into her room. She grabbed an over sized shirt and covered herself. "Now, Captain, what does a handsome man like you need information for?"
"I know you know everything about Nile. What's his most recent status as of late?"
Nifa tapped chin with his index finger, "And what do I get if I tell you?"
"What would you like?" He cautiously asked her.
"A night with you."
"And why the hell do you want that?"
"I've wanted a night with you for a long time, captain. You want the information, that's the price. Do we have a deal?"
"...I also need more information about myself. What are the most recent news about wanting me behind bars?"
"That will cost you more."
"What's the price for that one?"
"I want you to fuck me in three different positions."
Levi reluctantly agreed, "Fine."
The woman smiled, "Have a seat then. There's quite a lot." She sat down on her bed.
He sat down next to the red head.
"Now, about Nile, there's a lot about him. Apparently more of his so called drug stores have been busted. Erwin's former squad found it, found about half a million dollars in illegal products. He's trying to pin the blame on you for influencing him on joining that industry."
"Why the fuck would he try to blame me?"
"Because of your days in the military. He still hates you because you were the one who sold him out on all the things he did in the military. He wants to add to the list of your charges. He thinks this will make him appear more innocent to the public."
"Did it?"
"Not even in the slightest. The public doesn't believe him. They all know he was the only one behind everything in this entire progress, and they know that he would do anything to pin it on someone else."
"And what about my charges?"
"They keep piling up with each day you don't turn yourself in. You're looking about about thirty years in prison, Lance. Unless you can prove something about Erwin. Something I only know."
"And what would that something be?"
"Hmm, I would tell you, but you still need to add to the deal."
"What the hell do you want this time?"
She turned to her side, leaning over to him, "For the entire time that you're here in Trost, I want you in my bed every night."
"That's a tall order you're asking for, Nifa."
"Unless you want that information, that's what it'll cost."
"I have one more request of you then."
"That is?"
"I want to know where you get all your information."
"Oh, hmm, then I'll need something more."
"Name it."
The red head straddled his lap, arms around the raven's neck. "I want you whenever I want and however I want."
"Fine."
Nifa smiled, "Good. And where I get the information is so simple, no one ever knew or suspected a thing."
"Where?"
"Rico."
Levi's eyes widened, "Rico?"
"But of course. She's considered a complete genius. Not a single person would expect her to be selling information to anyone who wants it. You know everyone trusts her too much."
"Where is she now?"
"She's in Maria."
"Why that shitty town?"
"Why not? It's completely secluded and nobody ever goes there. If she needs a safe place, that would be it."
"Hmm, I suppose I can understand her thinking."
Nifa smiled, twirling a strand of hair with her index finger. "I thought you would have gone there immediately."
"I would have. But I also had this thing where I needed to sell a lot of my shit to get to where I am right now."
"And why would you sell them in previous towns? You could have gotten a lot more money if you sold it here. Electronics and jewelry are a fortune here."
"You know I always had three to four spare phones. And I only sold one to buy some things I needed. If I sell one here, I would get ten grand easily, possibly cheat that poor bastard out of more money. We'll see how things go."
"See? Now you're thinking."
"But why do you tell me all this and not let me find out on my own?"
Nifa grinned. "The reason I tell you what you can gain money wise is because I like you, Lance."
"How much money do you earn daily?"
"Let's see, if I 'pleasure'," She added the air quotes, "Some idiot bastard for an hour, three grand easily."
The raven's eyes widened slightly at the large sum of money. "How do you get so much?"
Nifa grinned. "I'm the favorite at the strip club."
"How much do you pay for your apartment?"
"Fifteen dollars a month."
"Why so little?"
"The landlord is in his late twenties, if I suck his dick for five minutes he's completely satisfied. He cums so quickly it feels more like ten seconds." She sighed, "Inexperienced virgins."
"Hey, at least you pay so little on rent."
"Lance, the guy doesn't even know how to put on a condom."
"That bad?"
"Honey, my fingers get me off faster than him."
"Is that why you want me to fuck you my entire stay here?"
Nifa nodded, leaning over, pressing her chest against the raven's firm one. "Exactly. I need a real man." She purred.
"You know, I've never been one to fuck a prostitute before, ever really. Not even in the military."
"Not even in those lonely months?"
"Not once."
"Oh," A small smirk on her face. "You had your dead wife here waiting for you before."
"Nifa." He spoke in a dangerous tone.
"Hey, hey, calm down there, captain." She sat on his lap. "I never once talked about your dead wife. Not once."
"Somehow I doubt that."
The woman sighed, "Look, Lance. I only heard you murdered your wife and friend after you found out about the affair. But." She glanced up at him, "I'd like to hear everything from your point of view."
Levi raised a brow. "Why?"
"The news is so over rated, love."
"Fine. But whatever I tell you never leaves this room."
"Honey, a lot of things in this room never leave. This is all safe here." She laughed softly at his nervous look, "But you're fine, love. You're too handsome to hoard for just myself. But, go ahead and start for me." The woman rubbed his chest soothingly.
Levi sighed, he'd never admit that the rubbing of his chest was indeed soothing. "I met Petra in a bar, she worked there part time to make ends meet since she was attending college. I'd barely finished boot camp and had three months to rest before we were to be sent out. Anyway, I was with Erwin at the bar with a couple buddies of ours. All of us thought we were the shit because we finished boot camp and were going to start out in the military. I aimed to be a captain and Erwin a commander. The two of us were having this conversation over some shots, not the smartest thing in the world."
The raven took the wine that the woman poured for him. He wrapped an arm around her waist, the other holds his wine glass. "We were planning to get absolutely hammered. I had a high alcohol tolerance, so I could have about twenty shots without feeling anything. So, I went to the head bar and ordered us some whiskey and scotch. Petra brought me the drinks, and instead on letting me go about my way, she stopped and asked me my name. I told her and she smiled, I didn't think I'd seen a more beautiful smile. I didn't end up getting drunk, I left Erwin with our buddies while I went to talk to her."
He took a drink of his wine, smiling. "I found out her name, she wanted to be an elementary teacher after she graduated college. She asked me what I did for a living. Petra teased me for a while about how she snagged a future captain in the military. She and I exchanged our numbers and split after that. Three weeks went by before I heard from her again, told me she had been working on a project for one of her education classes. She and I spent hours on the phone getting to know each other. Then three months came and went by fast, and I told her I had to leave for the military. I told her I would have to go to Germany, and if she was interested in a long distance relationship. I completely understood if she couldn't be. Petra told me she really liked me and wasn't willing to let me go. So, I invested in a computer to video chat with her when I could. I wrote her letters, whenever the internet connection was gone. She sent me pictures of the dates we'd been on, and what she wanted to do when I got off from leave."
Levi sighed softly, "I fell in love with her through our conversations, whether they were face to face, through a computer screen or paper, regardless I came to love her. When I was finished with my career in the military, I went into the medical profession and became a doctor, she helped me through the entire thing. After four years of dating, I asked her to marry me. She said yes, and we were married within a year. Petra and I always dreamed of having children. I remember those nights where we would lay in bed and talk about names for our children. She and I were celebrating our three year anniversary and I brought something special for her, I walked into our home and I heard something coming from our room. I thought that she was doing something and I went into our room, and saw Petra and Erwin having sex, in our bed, the one she and I spent so loving nights together. I grabbed the gun on the bedside table I always kept, they were begging me to listen and put down the gun. I was running on pure anger, betrayal and adrenaline, I shot them both. I gathered the things that I could, and left. I didn't bother with anything else."
The man looked down, his eyes showed nothing. "I'd been traveling around for over half a year now. I don't know where else to go. Everything I've done up until now was because I had someone assist me. I'm not sure whether these bastards will ever catch me. I know I won't be satisfied running my entire life. What if I settle down, and I get arrested? What if I have kids with that person, and then I'm suddenly in the slammer? What the fuck then?"
"Lance." Nida told him sternly. "No one knows their damn fate. No one knows where they end up in their life, I sure as hell didn't think I'd end up as a prostitute, but shit, we have to deal with what ever the fuck comes our way. You'll know the moment you're faced with something difficult. It just hasn't happened yet."
Those words would come to be a massive impact on his life. He just didn't know it yet.
End of chapter 1