Daniel woke the next morning in a state of mild disbelief. He looked out the window at the morning and the city of Roanapur, his new home, for lack of better words.
"It stinks. Even from high up here. The smell of crime, blood and gunpowder." He surmised before twitching at the sound of gunshots filling the air. "I swear, as soon as I get the money I'm leaving this city."
Closing the window hurriedly, he picked up his new phone from the charging dock. Flipping it open, he saw that Miss Balalaika had given him directions to Hotel Moscow along with a following message.
'If you tell anyone about this information, I will personally put a bullet in your forehead. Neither of us wants that. See you there. -Balalaika' It read.
"How can that woman be so kind one moment and terrifying the next?" Daniel wondered, feeling a shiver go down his spine. After having a shower and getting dressed, Daniel slid on his rollerblades and slung on his messenger bag before opening the door to from his cheap hotel room and rolling to the elevator.
*v*v*v*
*v*v*v*
Daniel stood out the front of the building the directions had led him to. The Bougainvillea Trade Company building. It was a tall grey concrete building with barred windows and not much else to identify it.
"Is this really the right place?" Daniel wondered aloud, looking to his phone and back at the building. "Well, only one way to find out."
Daniel walked into the building, looking around to see if anyone was there. There didn't look like there was at first, but then he noticed a grate slide back on a metal door on the other side of the room.
"What is your name?" called a voice from behind the grate.
"Daniel Harkness. I was called here by Miss Balalaika."
The grate on the door slid closed and a lock clicked before the door swung inwards, the iron hinges creaking loudly.
"Follow me." Said the guard as he led Daniel through the building. Eventually they reached a shooting range, where Balalaika was waiting.
"Very nice to see you again Daniel." She said, extinguishing her cigar. "I take it that you've found some reasonable accommodation?"
"A small hotel near the main street." Daniel said. "It's far from luxurious, but it will serve."
"Now, shall we get to what I called you here for?"
"Of course." Daniel replied.
Daniel was led to the firing range, where there was a target set up as well as a pistol and a full magazine.
"I don't really know much about guns." Daniel admitted. "Though it looks a lot like the gun you put to my forehead."
"Sharp eyes and a good memory." Balalaika observed, picking up the pistol. "Allow me to educate you further. This is the Makarov Pistol, invented in Russia and quickly became the standard side arm for the Soviet Union's military. It uses the nine by eighteen millimetre Makarov cartridge, the largest bullet it can fire without damaging either the pistol or the user."
She then handed the gun to Daniel who took it tentatively.
"So do you just want me to shoot the target?"
"Not just that. I want you to get a feel for it. It is more than likely that you will need to use it to save your life, as well as the lives of others if you so choose. You should clean it every day to get to know its inner workings and to know how to put it back together properly until you can put it together while blindfolded. That pistol will become your guardian, your negotiator and your best friend all rolled into one." She said. "But for now, just take a few shots at the target."
Daniel moved the sight over the target. His finger squeezed on the trigger and he instinctively shied away and closed his eyes.
"Don't close your eyes Daniel." Balalaika snapped. "You can't shoot what you can't see."
"But I don't want to shoot anyone." Daniel said.
"Ideals like that will be wasted in Roanapur. You should learn that as quickly as possible." Balalaika said coldly. "Strike quickly and without remorse. That is the only way you will survive here."
Daniel breathed before looking at the target and narrowing his eyes. Quickly pulling the pistol up and stiffening his arms, he pulled the trigger three times. Three holes tore themselves in the paper target. He examined the target and found that the three holes were scattered around almost randomly, but he had hit the target only once within the boundaries.
"Hmm, I think you may need a little more practice." Balalaika said. "Any spare moment you have, I want you to come back to the firing range and practice."
"There was a bit more recoil than I expected." Daniel said, setting the pistol down and rubbing his hands. "But I guess I've only seen guns in movies. I don't have the first clue how to handle or care for guns."
"Then as well as practicing, I'll have one of my off-duty soldiers teach you the finer points of firearms." Balalaika said. "You will need to know your way around a gun if you want to survive here."
"Thank you again Miss Balalaika." Daniel said.
"You're perfectly welcome. Right, now that that's out of the way, I have another job for you." Balalaika said before handing Daniel a holster which he put onto his belt on his lower back and sliding the gun into it.
"So what do I need to do?"
"I need this package delivered to a Mister Chang. He's the boss of the Sun Yee On Triad in this area. You probably won't get an audience with him, but if you deliver it to one of his cronies then I'm positive it'll get to him." She said, holding up a brown paper envelope. "This job will pay around one thousand dollars depending on how quickly you complete it."
"So it's timed?" Daniel asked.
"If you get the envelope to the destination in twenty minutes, you'll be paid in full. Every second you're late, five dollars will be deducted from your pay. Also like the job before, my men will be having a bit of fun with paintball guns."
"So every time I get hit that's fifty dollars off my pay, right?"
"Correct. Now get going. And please, don't shoot at my men with your new gun." Balalaika said. "Otherwise it won't be paintballs they'll be shooting at you."
*v*v*v*
*v*v*v*
Daniel had taken cover behind a stack of crates, waiting for the paintballs to stop splattering against his cover.
"They're going to try something, I'm sure of it." Cursed Daniel. Peeking out of cover, he narrowly avoided a paintball speeding through the air. "These guys are friggin' good shots!"
"Thanks!" called one of the soldiers from on the rooftops.
Daniel looked around and tried to think of a way out. Time was ticking, he had been shot twice and he was sure there wasn't much time left. Daniel crouched down and looked around. Three exits, presumably all of them covered. All the doors around were either covered or locked, except for one which was wide open, but it could have been a trap. Preparing to scramble to one of the alleys, he saw swarms of soldiers running through all the alleys!
"Crap on a cracker!" shouted Daniel as he ran towards the open door. Slamming the door behind him and locking it, he started to run through the building before vaulting out an open window. Putting the wheels back on as he was running, the dropzone came into sight. Two Asian men in black suits and sunglasses were standing outside a black car with tinted windows.
"Finally!" Daniel breathed, sliding to a stop in front of the car.
"Hey kid, are you that messenger Fryface told us to expect?" one of the suits asked.
"That's me. I have a message for the Triad." Daniel said, taking the large envelope out of his bag and handing it to the suit who opened it and inspected the contents.
"Yep, this is it." He said before knocking on the window of the car. After it rolled down, he handed it to a Chinese man in sunglasses inside.
"Hey, thanks for this kid." said the man. "A message from one of the gods of Roanapur. I guess that makes you a little messenger of the gods, huh? Though it looks like you've upgraded from winged sandals."
"I guess so Mister Chang." Daniel said.
"Good guess kid." Chang said, lowering his sunglasses slightly. "How'd you know?"
"Well, you're in the back seat of a very expensive looking car and you're dressed slightly differently to your guards." Daniel surmised. "Oh, and I'm pretty sure your numberplate says CHANG 1."
"Huh. You're sharper than you look, kid." Chang said, raising his sunglasses again. "I'll be sure to keep in touch if I need your services. You're surprisingly speedy. We've only been here for two minutes."
Chang reached into his coat pocket and tossed Daniel a wad of money before the other two men piled into the car and they drove off. "For your good work. Consider it a tip."
Daniel counted the money and found that Mister Chang had just casually tossed him five hundred thousand dollars!
"This can't just be a tip. Nobody throws around that much money without wanting something in return." Daniel muttered.
As he stared at the money, Balalaika's van pulled up behind him and the door slid open.
"Ah, excellent work Daniel. You delivered the package on time and only got shot twice. Though I see Mister Chang gave you a bit of a bonus. Anyway, here's your pay. I would suggest that you buy something from the Rip-Off Church. They can get you anything and everything." Balalaika said, handing over nine hundred dollars. "Maybe they can get you something that'll help you with your little business."
"Rip-Off Church? I hope the name is just that." Daniel said.
*v*v*v*
*v*v*v*
Daniel walked up the hill to the church on the hill, far away from Roanapur.
"Hard to believe that even the church has been corrupted here." He said. "All the more reason to leave."
Upon reaching the church, Daniel knocked on the large wooden door, where it was answered by a blond nun with big sunglasses and a foul expression.
"Fuck off kid, we're closed." She grumbled before slamming the door, leaving Daniel very confused and surprised.
Daniel tried knocking again, and it was opened by the same woman.
"Did I fucking stutter? Scram kid." She said.
"I'm here to buy something." Daniel said.
"Well we're not open!"
"When are you open?"
"Never. Now fuck off!"
"Sister Eda, what is it the child wants?" came a new voice. Eda opened the door wider to reveal an old nun with an eyepatch. "We shouldn't turn away customers because you've had a bad night of drinking."
'What kind of a church is this?' thought Daniel before speaking. "I would like to buy some bulletproof armour and smoke grenades."
"Really? That is an unusual order." The old nun said. "Why don't you come inside and have some tea, where we can discuss your order further."
"I'd like that." Daniel said, stepping into the church. The old nun led him to a room where they sat by a coffee table.
"Tell me, do you believe in the Lord, child?" asked the nun as she poured a cup of tea.
"I'm an Atheist myself, but if I turn out to be wrong, may the Lord forgive me." Daniel shrugged.
"An interesting answer." The nun said. "My name is Sister Yolanda. What is yours?"
"Daniel Harkness. Though I've been thinking of using the alias Hermes for my job."
"And what is your job?" Eda asked. "Kids in this city usually work as pickpockets and prostitutes if they're unlucky. You sound like you're planning to start a one man riot police squad. You're not gonna try and be some kind of superhero are you?"
"I work as a courier around Roanapur. Transporting packages within the city. Since my job doesn't call for it, I'm trying some non-lethal methods to get myself out of trouble. That's what the smoke grenades are for."
"Ah, an admirable goal, Thou Shalt not Kill. Regrettably in Roanapur, that law is broken almost daily." Sister Yolanda said. "And I suppose the Kevlar is to keep other people from breaking that law against you?"
"Yes. How much do you think my order will cost?"
"The full set of combat armour will cost you around five thousand. The smoke grenades I can sell you for fifty dollars each."
"How many do you have in stock?"
"None at the moment, but your order will arrive within the week. Don't worry about shipping cost, that's included in your payment." Eda said.
"Well I'll place an order for ten of the smoke grenades, but I unfortunately don't have the money for the bulletproof armour."
"Oh really? What happened to all that money I gave you?" asked a voice as the door swung open, revealing a grinning Mister Chang. "Don't tell me you spent it all already."
"Not at all. I had a suspicion that you would come back to collect. Not a single penny is missing." Daniel said, taking out the wad of money.
"Ah, you really are sharp." Mister Chang said, clapping his hands together as he approached Daniel. "I applaud you kid, you might actually make it in Roanapur. Now, I have come to collect, but I think I'll only take four hundred thousand off you."
Daniel counted out the money and handed it back to Mister Chang, who put it into his coat pocket. "It was good to meet you again Mister Chang."
"Likewise kid, likewise." He said, waving as he turned. "Oh yeah, I have a job for you if you're interested. And I can tell you right now, it'll pay a little more than what ol' Fryface pays."
"Hold on, this little shit works for Hotel Moscow?!" shouted Eda.
"On occasion." Daniel shrugged, taking a sip from his tea. "Perhaps we can discuss the job after I've made my purchase, Mister Chang."
"Of course, of course! Happy shopping kid. I'll see you outside when you're done." Mister Chang said as he left.
Daniel looked down at the money in his hands and turned to Sister Yolanda.
"Could I buy those smoke grenades in bulk?"
*v*v*v*
*v*v*v*
The next day, Daniel got a message saying that his order had arrived. Mister Chang had given him a job for that day as well. Picking up and delivering his cut from the various bars and strip clubs that littered Roanapur and delivering the take to his office. After arriving at the church, Daniel saw that his armour was laid out on the altar.
"It was tricky finding bulletproof armour to fit your size, but this will fit well enough." Sister Yolanda said. "Your bulk order of smoke grenades has also arrived and is sitting in the pews."
"Thank you Sister." Daniel said, putting on the Kevlar armour and bulletproof goggles. "This fits perfectly. Hopefully it'll prove worth the money."
"I guarantee it." Sister Yolanda smiled. "Do you want that crate delivered to your apartment?"
"I think I'll take a few now. You never know when you'll run into trouble on the job." Daniel said, opening the wooden crate and taking out a bandolier and putting it on before inserting five grenades into it. "I'll be off now. Thanks again!"
Daniel walked through the doors of the Rip-Off Church and while he was getting his wheels out of his messenger bag, he saw two people approaching. One he recognised as the woman from the Lagoon Company, the other was a Japanese man in a collared shirt and tie.
"Hey, I recognise that kid." The woman said. "What the hell is he wearing?"
"It looks like bullet proof armour." The man said.
A nasty grin appeared on Revy's face. "Well, I'll be the judge of that."
Revy's hands went to her cutlasses and she pulled them out of their holsters before firing several shots at Daniel. As soon as he heard the bullets tearing through the air, Daniel rolled out of the way and back into the church.
"Come on! Let me shoot ya, you damn brat!" growled Revy.
"Revy!" roared Eda. "Quit shooting at the Church you fucking lunatic!"
"Fuck off Eda!"
Daniel's hand went to the bandolier and he tore a smoke grenade off before pulling the pin and tossing it at the two from behind the large church door.
"Rock, get down!" Revy shouted, practically leaping onto the Japanese man as the grenade started to spew white clouds of smoke.
"Hold on, it's not a real grenade?" Rock coughed, trying to keep the white smoke out of his eyes.
"Fucking god damned brat! Come 'ere you!" Revy roared, leaping up and firing off her pistols blindly. "I'll fucking teach you to play games with me!"
Outside the cloud, Daniel had finished putting the wheels on his rollerblades and was speeding down the dirt track to Roanapur. Picking a hot chunk of lead out of his Kevlar vest, he tossed it aside and breathed a sigh of relief.
"A good investment indeed. Still kinda hurts though."
*v*v*v*
*v*v*v*
Daniel came to a stop outside one of Roanapur's many strip clubs, Club Heart. Looking at the gaudy exterior, Daniel felt a bit of himself die inside. Steeling himself, he took the wheels off his rollerblades and stepped inside, slightly curious as to why nobody tried to stop him from entering.
The inside was just as he expected. Bright purple and pink colours were splashed across the furniture that surrounded a raised platform where a stripper was dancing seductively as coloured lights flashed hypnotically. Daniel scanned around the room and spotted a door with a sign that read 'Management'. Daniel approached the door and a very large man stood up from the chair and eyed him dangerously.
"Get lost kid. The boss is in a meeting, and he don't need little shits like you disturbin' him." He growled.
Daniel gulped but then steeled himself. "My name is Hermes. Maybe your boss didn't tell you this, but he's expecting me."
"The boss isn't expecting any fucks in bulletproof armour." The big man sneered. "Now get outta my face before I punch yours in."
"I'm sure Mister Chang would disagree." Daniel said, noticing the man's eyes widen. "You might want to tell your boss to cancel his meeting. Mister Chang wants his money, and I'm here to collect it."
The man looked at Daniel before going inside the manager's office. After the sound of shouting, a gunshot and a woman screaming a man with numerous rings on his skinny fingers stepped out, combing back his slimy black hair.
"Well now, you're Chang's little errand boy, aren't ya?" he asked before leaning down and leering in Daniel's face. "Well if that ain't the biggest load of horseshit I've ever heard! Now listen to me you little punk. You may have fooled my ex-bodyguard, but I ain't no skink. You go around pretendin' you're a big-shot and you're gonna get your ass wasted. Now run on back to your gutter ya little piss stain."
Just as the man finished, his mobile began to ring.
"Yeah, who is this?" he asked irritably.
"Hey, Viktor! I understand you're having a little trouble with a transaction. Unfortunately my customer service team is off the clock right now, but I can bring you up to speed." Chang's voice crackled through the phone speaker.
"H-hey Mister Chang! I-I-I was ju-" Viktor stuttered nervously.
"Save it Vik. Now here's what's going to happen. You hand over the money to Hermes, he takes it back to me, and you keep your god damned mouth shut from now on. Otherwise I'm gonna stop supplying you with the girls you need to keep your seedy little business afloat. Comprende?"
"I… Y-yes Mister Chang."
"Glad we could reach an agreement. I sure hope you give my little errand boy a little bit of recompense for the way you treated him earlier. I don't know about you, but he looks kinda pissed." Chang said. "Oh by the way, could you put him on? I need to give him some advice."
Victor tossed the phone to Daniel before disappearing into his office and remerging with an armful of cash. "Here kid, the take for this month. There's five hundred extra for you, so just take it and go!"
Daniel put the money into his messenger bag and the five hundred into his pocket and slid the phone up underneath his combat helmet. "This is Hermes."
"Hey kid. Nice handle by the way, got a good ring to it. That's one joint down, only nine more to go before you can finish up." Chang said. "Now look kid, Viktor is the biggest pussy in Roanapur, and it seemed like I was the one who had to crack him for you. But I don't have the time or patience to play customer service all night, so let me give you a piece of advice. Any more of those guys give you shit, just make use of that handy little Russian peacemaker behind your back. That ought to get them to shut up and pay up."
"Yes Mister Chang. I'll keep that in mind." Daniel said hesitantly, exiting the building and putting the wheels back on his rollerblades. "I'll get back to you when I've collected all the money."
"I look forward to it." Chang said before the phone went dead.
*v*v*v*
*v*v*v*
The night went on without many hassles. Daniel rolled around Roanapur collecting the take from various bars and clubs. Eventually he reached his final destination. A dingy little place called The Broken Barstool.
"Looks like this is my last stop." Daniel said, taking off his rollerblade wheels. "And none too soon. It's almost midnight. Good thing I'm used to being up so late."
Daniel stepped inside the Barstool and looked around. People were huddled around tables, drinking and muttering to one another. A lot of the bar goers turned and stared at Daniel, who was striding up to the bar.
"I'm here to collect on behalf of Mister Chang." He said to the bartender. The reaction was not one that Daniel was expecting.
Every single person in the bar pulled out a gun and the barkeep pulled out a shotgun, pointing it at the back of Daniel's head when he turned around. A door creaked open and out walked a Mexican man in sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt, various gold rings on his large fingers and a gold watch on his wrist.
"Okay little amigo, we do this nice and slowly. Hand over the bag and no one gets hurt." He said with a heavy Mexican accent, holding out his hand. "And don't even think about using that leddle Russian peashooter or those grenades of yours, you hear me you leddle fuckwit? Otherwise I'll have the barman here repaint the wall with your brain."
Daniel cursed as he slowly raised his hands above his head. What could he do in this situation? It was proved that the armour could withstand pistol shots, but he wasn't too sure about the three assault rifles, twenty submachine guns and four shotguns pointed at him, one of which being at point blank range.
A loud shattering noise filled the air as a window was broken and most of the gang turned to look and Daniel saw his chance. Batting away the barrel of the shotgun as the bartender fired it, he kicked him in the face while vaulting over the bar and crouching down behind it. The bartender hit the shelves behind him, shattering several bottles of liquor and knocking him unconscious as booze and broken glass flowed down from the shelves. Shots started to ring out, bullets tearing through the wooden bar and shattering the bottles underneath.
"Get him! Shoot the bastard!" shouted the Mexican boss.
Daniel swore as he pulled out his pistol and a smoke grenade. Pulling the pin and tossing the grenade over the counter, he scrambled to the end of the bar just as white clouds of smoke started to fill the room. Crawling across the floor, Daniel made his way to the exit, but a foot came down on his outstretched hand. Daniel yelped in pain and surprise before the foot kicked him in the jaw, sending him backwards.
"I found him!" shouted another voice before gunfire filled the air, none of it aimed at Daniel who had been sent sprawling to the floor. He heard a body fall to the floor and the men shouting at each other before the smoke started to clear.
Daniel scrambled to behind a broken table when the gang started shooting again. He was about to peek out of cover when the table was blown away by a shotgun blast. Daniel launched himself back behind the bar and looked at his gun. His hands were shaking, and he was terrified beyond belief.
'Don't close your eyes Daniel. You can't shoot what you can't see.' Balalaika's words echoed in Daniel's head. 'Strike quickly and without remorse. That is the only way you will survive here.'
Daniel thumbed back the hammer on his gun and peeked over the counter, ducking back down before the bullets could hit him.
"It was bound to happen eventually." Daniel said nervously. He didn't want to kill anyone, but he had no choice! "No, I can do this without killing anyone! I can do this!"
Putting away his gun, Daniel pulled out another smoke grenade and his rollerblade wheels. After putting on the wheels, he picked up a miraculously unbroken bottle and pulled the pin on the grenade before tossing it over the counter. Pushing off the ground, Daniel kept low and rolled to the end of the bar before swinging himself around the end and speeding up, making a beeline for the door and knocking out a man who stood in front of him with the glass bottle.
Daniel bashed the door open and dived outside, narrowly avoiding a hail of bullets. Daniel skated through the streets away from the building and he pulled out his phone before quickly dialing Mister Chang.
"Chang here. What's up Hermes?"
"Sorry Mister Chang, but there was a trap at the Broken Barstool! I got jumped by a gang of Mexicans!" Daniel said breathlessly. "I wasn't able to get the money from the Broken Barstool, but I've got the cut from everywhere else!"
"Ah, so it was one of the cartels… Don't worry about the Barstool kid. I had a suspicion something like this might happen. A few days ago my old collector got shot and all that money disappeared. So I hired you to do his job and lo and behold, these stupid thugs tried it again. Lucky for you I sent a bunch of my guys to tail you and make sure nothing happened. I'll be sure to pay you a little extra for your trouble."
"You used me as bait?! I could have been killed back there!"
"There was a definite possibility, but you seem to forget that you're covered from head to toe in bulletproof armour." Chang said casually. "Anyway, you've helped me eliminate someone whose balls were getting too big and you deserve to be rewarded. So bring that cut back here and we'll talk some more. Ciao!"
*v*v*v*
*v*v*v*
Daniel looked nervously around the elevator as it sped up one of the tallest buildings in Roanapur. Upon arriving, his armour, smoke grenades and pistol were confiscated, though he was assured they'd be returned upon his departure. The elevator stopped and the door slid open and a woman in a Chinese dress and her hair in two tight buns stood in front of him.
"This way please, Mister Chang is waiting for you." She said.
The woman led Daniel through the richly carpeted corridor to a polished wooden door and opened it for him. Daniel stepped into the office and immediately saw the city of Roanapur through a huge glass window, lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Beautiful out there isn't it? Gleaming like a gem." Chang said, reclining on a plush leather armchair by a glass coffee table.
"It's certainly a better view from up here." Daniel said. "Down there all you can see is blood and smoke."
"Well, I'd be lying if I said this city didn't bother me sometimes." Chang said. "Why don't you have a seat. We can discuss business."
"Of course." Daniel said, sitting on an armchair adjacent to Chang's before taking off his messenger bag and putting it on the glass table and opening it. "Here it is. Package delivered safe and sound. It's the most money I've ever seen in one place before."
"Great kid, just great." Chang said, breathing out a cloud of smoke. "This calls for a celebration!"
As Chang said this, the woman in the Chinese dress came back in holding a bottle of scotch and two shot glasses on a silver tray. The woman put the tray on the glass table and poured scotch into both glasses before Chang took one.
"Here's to you kid, for a job well done." Chang said, raising his glass before taking a sip.
"Thanks Mister Chang." Daniel said, picking up the scotch but not taking a drink.
"Something wrong kid? You don't drink?"
"Never had one before. I'm only seventeen after all." Daniel said, setting down the drink.
"Well there isn't any age limit in Roanapur, but if you want to keep that thinker of yours in top shape then fair enough." He said. "Now, let's discuss your payment."
Chang reached into his pocket and counted out eleven thousand dollars before handing it to Daniel.
"If you don't mind me asking Mister Chang, there's something that's been bugging me." Daniel said after depositing the money in his pocket.
"Shoot."
"You seem to be one of the head honchos around here. The big shots. But I only arrived here half dead just over a week ago and now I'm making more money than I ever thought I would earn in my lifetime." Daniel said. "By all rights, I should be picking pockets and sleeping in gutters. Instead I'm doing business with some of the most influential people in the city."
Chang thought for a while before snapping his fingers.
"Well kid, I think I know exactly the reason you got where you are today. Why you didn't get killed along with your parents in that pirate raid. Why that Hotel Moscow goon shot you up with enough painkiller to get to a doctor instead of doing the sensible thing and putting a merciful bullet in your head. Why ol' Fryface thought you were important enough to warrant an interrogation herself." Chang said, a grin appearing on his face. "Luck. Blind stupid luck. That's all there is to it."
Daniel was speechless. The only reason he was still alive was because he was lucky. Nothing to do with skill, intelligence or quick wittedness. Just luck.
"At least I'm still alive." Daniel sighed.
"Well, it's getting pretty late and you look like you need some shut eye, so let's end this with a bang." Mister Chang said, standing up from his armchair.
The door opened and in stepped two men in suits and sunglasses carrying a bruised, bloody and badly beaten looking man in a Hawaiian shirt, his hands cuffed behind his back. Daniel recognised him as the Mexican mob boss from the Broken Barstool!
"This is the guy who organised the whole setup to try and steal my earnings. He's been a real pain in my ass, and you're the guy who's gonna get rid of him for me." Chang said, reaching into his coat and handing a pistol to Daniel.
Daniel stared at the gun in his hand, mulling over the situation. He was given the chance to kill the man who had threatened to blow his brains out and take Mister Chang's money. Daniel stood up and pointed the pistol at the man, who screamed and whimpered.
"P-please! Please don't kill me!" the man cried.
Daniel's mind flashed back to the doctor's office. Balalaika's gun to his head. The fear he felt with the barrel pressed to his forehead and the pain in his arms and legs, unable to move. The heavy feeling of cold sweat and helplessness. Unable to defend himself. Staring down death with no hope of surviving.
"I… I'm sorry Mister Chang. I can't do it. I can't kill a man." Daniel said, lowering the gun with his shivering hand. "Not while I still know what it feels like to be in his situation."
"Th-thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you…" sobbed the man.
"Huh. You really don't belong in this city, do you Daniel?" Chang said, a new cigarette between his teeth. It was the first time Chang hadn't called him 'kid'.
Daniel handed the pistol back to Chang, who put it back into his coat before producing a different pistol and shooting the man in the forehead, the crack of the gun echoing around the room. The man fell to the rich carpet with a muted thud, blood spilling across the soft cream carpet. Daniel stared in horror at what had happened while Chang put his gun away and sat back down.
"You… killed him." Daniel gulped. "He was begging for his life."
"What else would I have done?" Chang said nonchalantly, taking a sip from his glass of scotch.
"I… I don't know." Daniel said quietly before something occurred to him. "This was another test, wasn't it?"
"Whatever do you mean?" Chang asked facetiously.
"The gun was empty, wasn't it? You wanted to see what I would do."
Daniel couldn't see, but he knew Chang grinned even wider. "Sharp as always kid. I didn't know if I could really trust you. If there's something I hate more than an enemy, it's a wild card. Better the devil you know than the one you don't after all. So after you finished the job I devised this little test. Trouble is you're still a mystery to me even though you did exactly as I predicted you would. I'd be very careful if I were you."
"So what would have you done to me if I tried to shoot you?" Daniel asked.
"Word to the wise kid. Don't ask questions you already know the answers to." Chang said, blowing out a cloud of smoke. "I'll contact you later if I find a job for you. See you later, Hermes."
