Chapter 5
Elijah moved inside the bar. It was in good condition, which was rare for the location of the 9th District. Elijah was impressed and also confused as he asked, "What are we doing here again?" Kai only smiled and motioned for Elijah to follow, looking confident.
Soon they moved to the back of the bar where there was a storage room and a set of stairs beside the door. Kai went upstairs and Elijah followed, even though he didn't know what was going on. Kai had only told him he "wasted his money here," and whatever plans were connected to this, Elijah didn't know.
The final flight of stairs groaned under their weight, a hollow protest that echoed in the narrow stairwell. They emerged onto the top floor, a cramped landing that offered only three identical, weathered doors, all closed. Without hesitation, Kai pushed the one directly in front of him, the unoiled hinges whining a low warning.
The room that greeted them was a stark, spacious box, smelling of dust and something earthier, more illicit. A single, grimy window allowed a shaft of pallid light to cut through the gloom, illuminating dust motes dancing in the stagnant air. In the very center of the bare wooden floor stood a heavy, scarred table, its surface a map of stains and old scratches.
A man stood beside it, the source of the skunky, herbal scent that permeated the space. He held a loosely-rolled joint between his fingers, a lazy curl of smoke rising to stain the ceiling. His gaze, heavy-lidded and unconcerned, drifted over Kai and Elijah as they entered, as if their arrival was a minor interruption in a long, uneventful day.
He was built on a formidable scale, with broad shoulders and a thick chest, but his frame was swallowed by a baggy, faded jacket and cargo pants that hid his true bulk. His most striking features were his hair and eyes—a shock of unruly emerald green hair that looked dyed against his pale skin, and piercing, moss-green eyes that held a chilling lack of warmth. He was undeniably handsome, in a rough, damaged way, but the illusion was shattered by a vicious, silvery scar. It began just below his ear, a raised and jagged line that carved a path down his neck before clawing across his jaw and stopping high on his cheekbone.
The effect was intimidating. Though he stood at the same height as Kai and Elijah, who were in their early twenties with a youthfulness still clinging to them, this man seemed to belong to a different, harder generation. The weariness in his eyes and the set of his jaw placed him firmly in his late twenties or even early thirties. He had made himself at home, perched casually on the edge of the table amidst a disorganized scatter of papers, the picture of a dangerous, indolent king on his makeshift throne.
"Who's the friend?" Mike asked, his narrowed eyes fixed on Elijah, the new face.
"A friend of mine, and the person who has business with you," Kai answered, stepping aside slightly to reveal Elijah.
Elijah, confused, didn't show it on his face. He stepped forward and asked, even without knowing who the man was, "You are?"
Elijah's red eyes stared deep into those emotionless green eyes. Mike smiled. "He's fresh, but I love the look in his eyes," Mike said, exhaling smoke. "My name is Mike. As you know, I am here to sell you this place—the title deeds, and even the legal documents showing this building will be yours."
Elijah looked at Kai, who understood immediately. Elijah was afraid to get closer because he felt this man could strike him down at any moment. Kai inwardly praised Elijah. He had known him since childhood; no matter the situation, as long as people were watching, Elijah acted like nothing bothered him. He always acted like everything was under control.
It was just that Frank had figured this out—he knew Elijah was an easy target. That was why Frank bullied him. But the real reason was that Elijah never looked up to him like everyone else did. Frank ignored it at first, but eventually it annoyed him more and more.
There was neither fear nor respect in Elijah's eyes, and that made Frank furious. He wanted Elijah to lower his head, but he never did, no matter what. Soon it became a daily habit for Frank, something he used to relieve stress. If not for that, Elijah could've fought back through anything.
Just like right now—acting like some guy who told Kai to buy this place, which he wasn't. Elijah didn't even know Kai bought this place. He stayed quiet and acted like he did. He planned to shout at Kai later. Kai took the papers and handed them to Elijah, who skimmed through everything quickly before smiling. Kai watched him curiously.
"Upon the lapse of a continuous six-month operational period subsequent to the initial transfer of possessory rights over the aforementioned premises, the incumbent proprietors shall, without exception and regardless of any secondary contractual arrangements, be obligated to remit to him a compensatory financial allotment equivalent to ten percent of all gross profits accrued from any and all commercial, residential, or otherwise revenue-generating activities conducted within, upon, or in association with the building, such remittance to be executed in perpetuity unless formally nullified through a mutually ratified amendment," Elijah read out loud. He looked at Mike, waiting for him to explain.
After minutes of staring at each other, Kai considered joining the conversation. He didn't understand most of the sentence but could tell it had something to do with 10% gross profits. Mike sighed and chuckled.
"You're clever, which isn't a bad thing, but I dislike it. It's simple—because I reduced Kai's payment, we agreed he would pay me 10%, which should cover what's left."
"Then why should we keep paying you 10% in this deal?" Elijah asked, making Mike pause mid-smoke.
"Yeah, I don't like you," Mike said, sighing again. He pulled another paper from his clothes and threw it at Kai, who passed it to Elijah. Elijah read it again and again. Unlike before, when he only needed seconds, this time he took a full minute, checking for anything suspicious but found nothing.
"Are you happy now?" Mike asked, putting out his cigarette on the table and lighting another one.
"Yeah, I am. You even wrote the amount clearly, which is good. We'll take the deal," Elijah said with a confident smile. Mike snorted and walked toward Elijah as he headed for the door.
"This gang-business world isn't for the weak," Mike said with a wide, almost crazy smile as he stopped beside Elijah. "You might be smart enough to notice things, but if contracts don't work, we can just take things by force. Do you have the power to stop that?"
The air grew heavy.
Kai stepped forward, his eyes darkening like he was ready to kill Mike. Bloodlust filled the room—Kai toward Mike, Mike toward Elijah. Elijah's body wanted to shake, but he couldn't move. He couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. His mind raced for a solution, but found none.
[Being afraid is okay—we all are. But letting fear decide your actions is what's holding you back, Elijah. Don't let that happen. Look him in the eyes now,] Alter Elijah shouted in his mind.
Elijah took a deep breath, turned toward Mike, and said:
"I will stand my ground, and I will win."
It was a perfect mix of Elijah and his alter self.