Everything's Not Lost
Chapter.9 – Suspicion
Roy was walking with a fairly quicker pace than normal. Finn noticed, but was wary of trying to make conversation. Roy seemed concentrated, and deep in thought. Often Finn sighed or grunted, attempting to get Roy's attention, but to no prevail. This routine of walking without talking continued for 3 days, by which Roy was very far into his journey. By his reckoning, another 3 weeks of travelling would get him there, providing he did not run into any more problems. Near the end of their third day of travelling in silence, they found themselves in front of a very solitary house. Smoke was rising from the chimney, and there were lights on indoors.
'Hey! Good finding Roy,' Finn exclaimed, 'Let's check it out!'
Finn rushed forward, only to be stopped by Roy's arm. Finn looked at Roy, who didn't seem too happy. Then he uttered the first words he'd spoken in 3 days.
'Don't, it's a bad idea,'
Finn shrugged. He didn't see anything bad about it. He moved Roy's arm out of the way, and stepping forward…
'I think it's a brilliant idea…' Finn said, 'and if you don't like it, tough,'
Roy watched as Finn walked towards the house, whistling a tune at the same time. Roy sighed, walking after him. They found themselves at the door of a very derelict looking pub. Roy sighed as Finn strolled right in with delight. The room was dreary looking. A staircase at the back led up to a balcony overlooking the Pub, and also contained doors to different rooms. The bar was underneath the balcony, spanning the length of the wall. There was a fireplace opposite the bar, burning brightly and warm. The flames reminded Mustang of the past, when he was the Flame Alchemist. He hadn't been able to find any way of doing alchemy since he started his journey. Near the fireplace, sitting down at a table were 3 women, wearing quite revealing clothes. Mustang grunted with disapproval as he walked over to the bar, sitting down next to Finn, who was busy haggling with the bartender.
'1 hour… Just 1… For the normal rate is fair…' Finn said.
'Look here,' the barman said, a medium-height middle-aged man, 'out here, the rate is 500, you don't like it, you head off elsewhere, you hear me!'
Finn frowned, reaching into his pocket and taking out some crumpled notes again. He handed them to the barman, who grinned with greed. Finn clapped his hands, rubbing them together, and grinning with lust. He winked at Roy, who didn't return the remark. The barman whistled to the women, who looked up and walked over to Roy and Finn whilst the barman served 2 drinks. Roy took his glass as one of the women wrapped an arm around him.
'Lookin' for a good time hunny?' she said seductively. Roy didn't answer, and drank more of his drink. He glanced over at Finn who sleazily stood up, walking with the two other women away from the bar, and up the stairs into one of the rooms. Roy listened as one of the girls screamed with laughter as the door slammed. Roy returned to his drink, taking another gulp, all the time the woman trying to seduce him.
'Come on…' she moaned, 'Let's go…' Roy stayed seated as the woman circled him, touching his shoulders and tugging at her dress. Roy took one glance, and returned to his drink again, all the time the sound of screaming and laughter coming from Finn's room. Roy looked up, looking for the barman. He seemed to vanish when Finn left, and Roy's paranoid streak ran wild. He gently moved the woman out of the way, as he skulked around, looking for the barman. He spotted him in one of the rooms near the bar, and watched as he made a phone-call.
'Yes…. Yes, that's right, two of them… What? … No, couldn't find that out… Oh I am sure, definitely… One of them has the look of a deserter upon him… The other looks like he's on a mission… Huh? …. Oh… middle-aged I'd say… black hair, dark eyes… round face… Seems to be growing a bit of facial hair… The other, he's nobody, short and fat… Huh? … Oh yeah, no problem… They're both pre-occupied with the women…. Just send someone down as soon as possible, right? …. Yeah… Yeah… Also, about the reward…?'
Roy watched as the barman looked at the phone disapprovingly. His heart was racing with fear. This man had obviously ratted them out. He had to tell Finn as soon as possible! He turned around, looking up at the room Finn was in. He was a sleazebag and an idiot, but he couldn't let him get taken in by the military. Most of all, he couldn't let himself be taken back in by the military. He turned around again, looking back to where the barman was, shocked slightly to find him not there. He turned around again, spotting the barman for a brief second before he was knocked unconscious by him. He didn't even remember falling.