CHAPTER TWO: MEET THE FÜHRER
Rolf was rigid in the passenger seat of the sedan. After spending several days working up the nerve, he finally called Adolph shortly after he and the new cleaner passed under the noose and entered Roanapur. He was brief, purposefully leaving out key details, such as that Eastern Europe had only given him one cleaner, and that the cleaner in question was young girl. Rolf only told Adolph that he received the help needed. No more, no less.
He wiped the sweat off his brow. It was a tense situation, but it would be better for him to tell Adolph the exact details in person rather than over the phone. It would give him a chance to convince his brother to hold back on the "greeting".
Shortly after Rolf hung up, the cough that he had tried to suppress came out. He held a handkerchief over the lower half of his face, pinching his nose through the fabric. The chauffeur had rolled the window down for both their sakes, but it had little effect. Rolf tightly turned his head and watery eyes focused on the girl in the back seat.
That girl, that horrible little girl. Rolf had been tormented by her scent for days. It was a rotten stench of blood and burnt corpses, she reeked of decay. Her appearance was nothing to be desired either. She was covered in black, save for scuffed brown boots that rose to her knees. The pitch black hair drew attention to the pale face, small black strands shading hollow eyes. What a ghastly little thing. If he hadn't seen her walk out of the factory building, he'd have thought she was spat out of Hell. Disgusting.
Rolf's attention was directed downward as he saw dull shine below the scarred neck. It was a cross. Of all things, she was wearing a cross. He didn't question its meaning, but was sickened by the irony of its presence on the girl. He turned away.
Sawyer paid little attention to the man, but found herself mildly entertained at whatever discomfort she caused him. She knew she bothered him, if not for her appearance, then certainly the smell. Having stayed in the basement level in the Hostel by the bodies for two years, she was well aware the scent of death clung to her clothes, her hair, her flesh.
The stench didn't bother her in the slightest, but judging from the stiffness of the man in the passenger seat, it caused him great unease. It was painfully obvious, yet he was trying so hard to hide it. Sawyer was tempted to see if the man would maintain his facade if she licked her finger and stuck it in his ear, but she held back... for now.
Absentmindedly playing with her cross, she looked out the window. Only days ago, she was working in a small area that looked like a quaint village with the charm of a ghost town. It was the textbook image of the stereotypical setting that was implanted in the heads of tourists whenever they heard the words "Eastern Europe". It was such a droll place.
This place, Roanapur, was different. The clubs, casinos and bars along the strips drew attention. The presence of hotels and office buildings with Western influence fused with Eastern settings and themes. It was a city in a tropical setting, a sun in the center of a clear blue sky, a sharp contrast from the dreary gray skies she was familiar with. It reminded her of a picture she had seen long ago, before she started cleaning...
She also saw similarities with the dark alleyways leading into unknown spaces or dead ends, poorly maintained apartments and other facilities. The looks of the residents oozed greed and depravity. The noose she saw hanging over the bridge was something she kept in mind. There was a demonic aura in the city, she could feel it.
Sighing, she lightly kicked her feet back and forth. Sawyer was bored. She looked at Rolf. The man's eyes were closed. He was trying to relax. A wicked smile played across Sawyer's features and she licked her finger.
Rolf yelped and the vehicle finally stopped in front of its intended destination.
"Y-you... little... maggot!" Rolf muttered, not looking at his offender.
Sawyer stuck her tongue out. Rolf stepped out and slammed the door, doing his best to maintain a leveled appearance as he jammed and twisted a handkerchief in his ear, trying to get the saliva out. He glared at the girl as she got out of the car and retrieved her luggage from the trunk. Seeing that the girl had all of her items, the chauffeur drove off.
"Come this way," Rolf instructed gruffly.
The building she followed Rolf into didn't appear to be anything special. It looked like an abandoned hotel, a structure not unlike the old factory. This was where the guests were dragged and disposed of. Sawyer assumed the hostel, the "legitimate" business front, was located elsewhere in the city. She was certain of it.
She wondered why Rolf took her here first instead of the hostel building. When Ecki first introduced her to the business, he offered her temporary lodging at the hostel before he gave her a tour through the factory. Perhaps the process was reversed in Roanapur?
"Watch your step," Rolf said half-heartedly, unlocking the door and swinging it open. Sawyer immediately noticed there was a six inch dip to the floor from the bottom of the frame after stepping inside. Walking by Rolf's side past a lobby and down a hall, she took in his stance as well as the interior of her new work place. Cheap, yellowish wallpaper was peeling around the edges. The carpeted floor was a faded burgundy with small tears and cigarette burns.
"I'm sure you're already familiar with how the levels are organized. This is the floor where the customers finalize their contract and where they get dressed for their activities. The torture chambers are above, cleaning quarters below. The walls throughout the building are soundproof, but there is little we can do about the vents..."
Rolf self-conscientiously ran his hand over his short goatee, placing his handkerchief into the chest pocket of his suit as he heard muffled cries from the floors above. Sawyer was mildly amused. An uptight man who appeared to be so prim and proper didn't blend with this environment at all.
They reached the end of the hallway and Rolf pressed the button for the elevator. The doors parted and they stepped in. Rolf pressed for the basement levels. They stood side by side, not looking at each other, the both of them sharing a bland expression as they heard Muzak over the speakers.
With a ding, the elevator stopped and the doors parted once again. Rolf stepped out and Sawyer followed. She noticed that it wasn't very different from the primary disposal floor back in Europe. Green, everything was tinted green. Stains from water and mystery fluids stuck to the walls. The color of the floor was a combination of deep red and rusty brown. The sounds of saws whirring and the scent of blood and burning flesh filled the air.
Rolf coughed and covered the lower half of his face with his hand as they walked through the hall. He never did like coming to this floor.
A cleaner popped out of one of the rooms and passed by them, pushing a cart loaded with dismembered limbs. Sawyer blinked. She paid no attention to the loaded cart, but clearly saw the cleaner's expression before his face was out of her view. The man's eyes were wide, almost bulging out of his head. His body was stiff and his breathing was labored. There was something wrong with him.
Sawyer shrugged.
Rolf shook his head and averted his eyes.
"This way." Rolf and Sawyer turned around a corner. After a lengthy walk, Rolf stopped and took out a key, unlocking a door and flipping a switch inside.
"This will be where you will stay." He gave her a small key and gestured for her to go in. "...Until you have found another residence, should you choose to live elsewhere in your spare time." This caught Sawyer's attention. There were private rooms built into this floor? The only reason she was able to reside in the basement level back at the factory was because she requested occupying one of the empty storage rooms, and Ecki accepted.
"The Hostel in Roanapur prefers to keep their cleaners in close quarters," Rolf said, picking his words carefully. It wasn't so much the Hostel chain itself but the owner that wanted the cleaners nearby.
Sawyer poked her head into the room. It was bigger than her room back at the factory, though not by much. In comparison to the concrete décor she had back in Europe, the walls were covered with gaudy wallpaper and the floors had thin layer of stained carpeting. There was a substandard bed against the wall, a nightstand with a lamp missing its shade beside it, and a small television in the corner, probably black and white. She stepped in and saw the entrance to the bathroom.
"I shall give you time to get settled," Rolf said, "But I do not recommend becoming completely relaxed. I am certain you will be working soon."
Sawyer nodded and opened the closet by the bed, placing her luggage inside. She unzipped her duffel bag and took out her surgeon's scrubs. Rolf recognized this as a uniform.
"No, don't put that on just yet," Rolf said hurriedly. Sawyer turned her head towards him. Her eyes narrowed. Rolf remembered what that junkie told him. She truly was eager to get to work. He held much contempt for the girl, but her supposed work ethic was a valued trait. However, he knew he couldn't let her work just yet.
"Your boss, Adolph, he will meet you and give you a proper tour, but I need to discuss something with him beforehand. Stay here until someone comes to get you." Without another word, Rolf closed the door.
Sawyer tilted her head. She thought Rolf was her boss. Not dwelling on the matter, she closed her eyes and shrugged. She took a book out of her duffel bag and plopped down on the bed. She wasn't pleased with the delay, but assuming that Rolf's words were true, she was going to get to work soon anyway. No big deal.
- 0 - 0 - 0 -
A heavily tattooed man took a swig from the rum bottle. He carelessly threw it in an alleyway and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Damn heat.
"I saw some cleaners today."
"Huh?" A shorter man with similar markings was walking beside him, twisting his finger in his ear. "Wasn't listenin'. What about cleaners?"
"Jackass," his friend muttered, "Said I saw some around town. Looks like a couple more left the Hostel."
"Adolph's place?"
"Yeah."
"What makes you so sure they were his?"
"Oh, hell, I'm sure," the taller of the two confirmed. "The cleaners that come from that place are nutcases. Most of 'em stand up and walk all stiff, got this look on their face like they just saw a ghost. The ones that are really screwed up are like this." The man began to twitch like he was having an epileptic seizure. He stopped and laughed. His friend nodded.
"Yeah, sounds like the führer's runaways. Zoned out worse than a junkie. Never get much cleaning done when they leave the Hostel, I hear. Too damn out of it to even dump a body in the bay. They die off fast."
"Heard a lot of 'em are gettin' out of there lately. Gotta wonder what the hell Adolph is doin' to 'em all to make 'em leave." The shorter male instantaneously shuddered at hearing the final sentence.
"The hell's that about?" the other man asked, regarding the short-lived shudder of his friend.
"Don't try to wonder what that bastard does behind closed doors. Years ago, I only talked to Adolph one time. One time. When we were done talking, I knew enough about him."
"And that is?"
"The man's fucked up as hell in the skull. I don't want to know anything beyond that."
- 0 - 0 - 0 -
"Adolph?" Rolf cracked the door open, "Are you in here?"
"Come in, Rolf." There was an audible gulp as Rolf ran his hand over his hair and entered the dimmed room. He kept his head down and avoided looking at the decorations in Adolph's office. He didn't need, or want, to look at plastinated bodies and human remains pickled in jars, nor was he interested in catching a glimpse of the medieval torture devices on display. The hellish paintings and self-made anatomical charts provided no comfort either. Rolf didn't glimpse once at the books, knowing the contents were related to the theme of the room's decor. A part of him regretted directly taking the elevator to the top floor, wishing he had extended his time and walked to the hostel and back to this false hotel before coming to Adolph's office.
He soon found himself standing in front of the large mahogany desk with a chair turned away from him. Rolf sighed wearily as he saw a picture of Josef Mengele on top of it.
"Adolph?" Rolf inquired. The chair turned and revealed a man who was Rolf's mirror image, almost. Adolph's features were slightly sharper than his own, black hair askew rather than well groomed. It could have been attributed to the poor lighting in the room, but it appeared that Adolph's eyes were missing the glint of light that was reflected in Rolf's.
"Grüß dich, Rolf!" Adolph greeted his twin with a toothy smile, sorting through a thin pile of papers.
"Gleichfalls," Rolf said uneasily, adjusting his tie.
"It's been stressful without you here. The assistant manager and I have had our hands full dealing with all the contracts and finances, but it's nothing we couldn't handle." Adolph dropped the papers on the desk and leaned back in his chair, running his fingers over his goatee with a smirk. "You're usually very detailed when you speak with me about the employees. Yet when you called me over the phone, you sounded rushed. I don't even think you were on for more than thirty seconds before you hung up on me. Any reason why?"
"I assure you, Eastern Europe gave us the help we need, but..." Rolf swallowed. "...They only gave us one cleaner." He braced himself. To Rolf's surprise, his brother did not lash out at him. With a hum, Adolph moved forward and placed his elbows on the table, chin resting on top of his interlaced fingers.
"Only one?" Adolph asked. The tone was one of interest, not the rage that Rolf had been expecting. Wary of Adolph's reaction, Rolf went into detail.
"Correct. I was skeptical at first, but they were adamant that she was the best they had to offer."
"She?"
"Yes. A young girl, very young. I was told she was extremely diligent, possibly to the point of obsession. It was reported there were occasions when she had to be forced to stop working." Rolf took a deep breath as his brother closed his eyes in thought. The tapping of Adolph's fingers on the desk was the only sound that broke through the long, drawn out silence. Adolph's eyes opened slowly.
"Truly, Rolf, there's no need for you to be so tense," Adolph said reassuringly with a wave of his hand. His eyes didn't match the voice. "This girl sounds to be quite the model employee, but I don't see her standing here in my office. Why didn't you bring her in with you?"
"I took her to the cleaning quarters down below. She's in her room."
"That doesn't answer my question, Rolf. Why didn't you bring her in with you?" Adolph smiled, and Rolf choked on a whimper before gathering his resolve. He needed to tell him this.
"I didn't bring her in because I didn't want you to frighten her," Rolf said steadily.
"Frighten her?" Adolph scoffed, "How could I possibly scare a young girl who willingly cleans up bodies all day? Surely, you don't think I'm so terrible?"
"Knock it off," Rolf demanded. Adolph gave him an inquiring look, and this served to infuriate Rolf. That bastard. The girl may have been a horrible little waif, but Rolf was uncertain if she would be able to tolerate Adolph's behavior.
"Europe only gave us one cleaner, Adolph, one!" Rolf extended his thumb for emphasis. "At this rate, we cannot afford to lose anymore, and I know damn well we will not get any more either! All of the other chains in Asia have cut us off! I'm doubtful Europe will even lend to us if they were to hear we lost this cleaner, their best. Our own cleaning staff is dwindling down to nothing and we're up to our necks in dead bodies! The Hostel, the streets, the gangs! I swear, Adolph, don't you dare try to scare her like you did the others with your games!"
"Games?" Adolph placed a finger on his cheek and looked up at the ceiling. "I don't ever recall playing solitaire with the cleaning staff."
"Halts Maul! Du weißt wovon ich rede!" Rolf swore, "Even those who have stayed are completely broken! The cleaners can't stand it, Adolph! You need to control yourself!"
"I do control myself," Adolph said evenly. He rose from his seat and walked to the nearest bookcase, taking out a thick volume on medical practices in the Middle Ages and flipping through its pages. "It's the cleaners who need control. I try to give them valuable lessons, experience, but they fail to grasp my instructions. They don't seem interested in my guidance. It's depressing."
"GUIDANCE?" Rolf snarled, "JUST LAST WEEK, YOU FORCED ONE OF THEM TO PERFORM TREPANATION ON A LIVE PROSTITUTE WITH A DRILL AND SAW!"
"As opposed to trephining with a hammer?" Adolph quipped as he closed the book. "If you know of any alternate methods of its execution, please enlighten me." He put the book back in its place and turned his back to Rolf. Fists clenched at his sides, Rolf approached his twin.
"We brought the Hostel to Roanapur over a decade ago, and your behavior for these last years is inexcusable. You have worked in this business long enough to know your 'instructions' are completely unnecessary. The cleaners only need to perform the basics; cut, chop, burn. Dismemberment and disposal is all they need to do, not your fucking science experiments!"
Adolph turned around and grabbed Rolf by the throat. He threw him to the floor and pinned him, digging his knees into his chest. With a malicious smile, Adolph leaned down until Rolf could feel his breath on his face.
"I think one who cannot perform 'the basics' should know his place," Adolph whispered. Rolf lay still in panic. He made a mistake.
"Don't think too highly of yourself, Rudolf. Never talk to me as though you have complete control of this business. Remember that I'm perfectly capable of managing the paperwork and the bodies. I only keep you here to make the workload of the former easier." Rolf's breathing was erratic as Adolph drew circles on his cheek with his finger.
"Now, now, Rudolf, don't be scared. I would not kill my own twin. It would be like looking into a mirror and watching myself die. But, if you talk like that to me again..." He leaned down further so his mouth was right next to Rolf's ear. Adolph trailed his fingers across his brother's trembling lips. "Ich wäre entzückt darüber, dir die Zunge herauszuschneiden und dir den Mund zuzunähen. Das wäre interessant. Ich habe mich immer gefragt wie ich wohl aussehen würde, würde ich eine Nadel nehmen und mir Klavierdraht durch die Lippen ziehen... Würdest du das mögen, Rudolf?"
Rolf's eyes grew to the size of saucers and he shook his head vehemently. Adolph sat up, but he still kept his knees pressed firmly against Rolf's chest. He moved his hand away from Rolf's mouth and brought it up to his own.
He bit the flesh off the tip of his thumb.
Rolf whimpered, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as Adolph tauntingly showed him the blood. When a sob finally escaped from Rolf's throat, Adolph smirked and licked the large red droplet that had formed.
"Du bist an so vielen Morden beteiligt und hast noch immer Angst vor Blut. Armselig," Adolph muttered. He stood up and took in the sight of Rolf shivering on the floor. Adolph chuckled and shook his head, nudging him with his foot.
"Now to the matter at hand," Adolph started, "This mystery girl, she's in one of the lodging rooms, isn't she?"
Shakily getting to his feet, Rolf struggled to compose himself. The blood, the blood...
"Don't worry, brother dearest, since you caught me in a good mood, I'll go along with your little request. I will behave for today." He gripped Rolf's tie and pulled him along. "You will go down to the cleaning quarters with me and you will show me the room you placed her in. I want to meet this girl for myself."
- 0 - 0 - 0 -
With a huff, Sawyer sprawled out on the bed. She had tried to pass some time by counting the tiles on the ceiling, but that failed to hold her attention. She had tried to occupy herself by playing with the mouse she found under her bed, but the creature managed to wriggle out of her hands and run into a small hole in the wall behind the nightstand. It was probably going to breed and produce more mice. Just perfect.
She had stopped reading her book long ago. It was now draped over her face, only leaving her eyes visible. She sighed deeply and took the book off of her face, hopping out of bed and heading for her uniform in the closet. She couldn't stand the monotony any longer.
Sawyer stopped and looked over at the door when she heard someone knocking. Finally, she thought. She walked over and opened the door. She cautiously parted it with an eerie creak, revealing... Rolf?
The normally strict and proper man had changed appearance somewhat. He still wore a suit, but the black hair wasn't as slick, the face was sharper and more heavily creased, and his eyes were darker than she remembered. This man looked more threatening, more vile. Was this her boss "Adolph"? Sawyer briefly wondered if Rolf had a split personality. A bleak version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, that would certainly be amusing.
There was a smidgen of disappointment as a shaken Rolf walked into her view behind Adolph. So, it was an evil twin rather than a personality disorder.
"This is her, I presume?" Adolph asked, looking down at Sawyer analytically. Rolf confirmed with a sad hum. The man was acting stranger than usual, like he was at a funeral. Sawyer almost wondered what was wrong with him.
Almost.
"I see," Adolph intoned. He gave Rolf permission to leave with a wave of his hand and the anxious twin sulked away. Adolph stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Not wasting any time, he proceeded to circle Sawyer like a hawk.
He regarded Sawyer with a subtle fascination. Rolf was not exaggerating when he told him she was young. The girl was still in her teens, and her ghost-like appearance gained a level of recognition as well. Her skin was severely pale. He immediately wondered if that was due to an abundance of make-up or if it natural.
Adolph stopped and stood directly in front of Sawyer. He leaned in, drastically invading her personal space, but she didn't back away. She just stared at him nonchalantly. What a repulsive man.
Adolph resisted smiling as he observed the girl's eyes. He sensed an ill, malevolent aura. There was something sinister, something twisted behind those hollow, chilling blue eyes. In all his years working in the Hostel, he had never seen such an expression on his employees. He thought he was gazing at a rarity. What sort of hell had this girl been through to achieve a look like that at such a young age?
He focused on the large scar on her neck and bit back another smile. Adolph's eyes drifted, noticing a cross pendant dangling from a silver chain. Interesting, what was this atrocious thing doing wearing one of these? He lifted his hand and cradled the cross in his palm, caressing it with his thumb.
"The cross," Adolph said inquiringly, maintaining eye contact with the ghost-like girl, "It is something that is seldom seen in this city. It is a symbol commonly associated with love, atonement, salvation... Do you know, little one, what was its original use?"
Sawyer refrained from sticking out her tongue and blowing a raspberry at him. She wasn't sure what this man was trying to accomplish with the topic of conversation, and she frankly didn't care, but she knew the answer to the question.
Disinterestedly, Sawyer reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out her electrolarynx. She pressed it to her throat and a small buzz was heard.
"Torture device," she droned.
Adolph's eyes lit up with a smirk. That response was enough for him. He let go of her cross and dragged a finger along her jaw. She didn't flinch, still looking at him coldly.
"Tell me, little one, what is your name?" Adolph asked.
"Sawyer." Adolph raised his eyebrows. Sawyer, what an odd name for a girl. It matched perfectly. With a broad smile, he held the tip of her chin between his fingertips and laughed.
"Sawyer," he repeated heartily, "I think the two of us will get along splendidly."
A/N: Too much OC interaction, not enough Sawyer. Boooo! Don't worry, I'll make up for it in the next chapter.
Grüß dich - Hello/Greetings
Gleichfalls - Likewise
Halts Maul! Du weißt wovon ich rede! - Shut up! You know what I speak of!
Ich wäre entzückt darüber, dir die Zunge herauszuschneiden und dir den Mund zuzunähen. Das wäre interessant. Ich habe mich immer gefragt wie ich wohl aussehen würde, würde ich eine Nadel nehmen und mir Klavierdraht durch die Lippen ziehen... Würdest du das mögen, Rudolf? - I would be delighted to cut out your tongue and sew your mouth shut. That would be interesting. I have always wondered what I would look like if I took a needle and strung piano wire through my lips... Would you like that, Rudolf?
Du bist an so vielen Morden beteiligt und hast noch immer Angst vor Blut. Armselig. - Involved in the business of murder and you're still afraid of blood. Pathetic.
Just so you all know, my knowledge of the German language is very limited. I only know greetings, some pet names, and expletives. Everything from "Halts Maul!" and onwards was translated by my friend Lon, who lives in Germany. She's awesome. :)
Why use the name Adolph? In Chapter 59, Volume 8, Revy looks at Sawyer and says, "Oi, Goth Girl! I didn't know you were Adolph's cleaner."
"Adolph's cleaner." That was a random comment to me, so I suspect either something funky was going on with the translation or Revy was making a reference to something else entirely.
Whatever. I have it, I might as well use it.
Cheers.
