8 Passing by

A gentle wind came passing by, the sound of chirps of the birds resounds. Gary stiffened, also thinking. Listening to his plan makes him feel guilty about the principle they hold as patrolmen of the Canary.

“I don’t know dude. I think we might end up getting into trouble. Right, Ina?”

Ina stops motioning, “I agree, we don’t have a plan nor able to know what kind of people are in there.”

“This is not the first time we did a cover-up mission. This will be a cinch.” He confidently replied. Ina silences a moment, thinking.

“Perhaps going and pretending to be one of them would give us a clue about what’s happening in this city.” Ina finally agreed.

Gary yelled, “Um, Hello? Dude, if we’ll get busted, dozens of hunters and mercenaries will come to kill us!”

“Not if you shut your mouth.” Ina annoyingly replied to him.

“Relying on police wouldn’t do anything good to us, we must move on our own.” Ina and Gary glanced back at each other, giving a nod as they agreed to his reason.

“Alright, we’ll tag along.”

Entering the gloomy alleyway, they further unveil the revelries of the outlaw deviants creeping, dwelling in perilous residence.

“Police are also under suspicion, we couldn’t care less attached our personal opinions and beliefs to some degree, genuinely as a member of Canary.”

“That reference, I understood.” Gary agreed.

“Glad you haven’t yet forgotten your oath.” Ina mockingly said.

“Oh, shut up!” Gary dismisses her.

Ahead of them, a luminous neon hue emitted by the fluorescent tube accelerating the excitement as the people inside dancing on the floor. Flashing lights dancing, illuminating through to the higher windowpane—giving an impression about what’s happening inside the bar.

“Is this the place?” Gary said.

“I think. The tracer stops blinking when they come inside.” Lance once looked again at his radar.

A few distances behind the bar, a large one, bustling crowds entering it. He looked with uncertainty at first, doubting that this is the place. He could have sworn that there’s something wrong with it, the openness.

Gary observed his comrades as they passed a street filled with prostitutes. The look in Ina's eyes is disgusted by the woman lining themselves up with no regard for their dignity but at the same time, she’s sad, because the government could’ve done something for them and as an asset of it, she feels that’s also on her.

Gary tapped her shoulder; she had noticed and showed a wry smile then looked straightly as though pretending that she had not seen anything of that.

“Relax, we have to go inside if we want to know.” Lance tiredly replied.

“Oh man, something tells me that this isn’t going to end well,” Gary murmured.

The trio walks with a certain guise appealing to be one of them. They stand in front of the bar, gazing up to the fluorescent tube forming in letters, Cassa Hal.

A metallic door clutched firm and the small grid carved on it. The entry creates a dull thumping noise as Lance aimlessly knocks it, while the other two stand beside him.

The door peephole opened, also allowing them to have a glimpse at the revelries inside. As Gary came closer, the fierce eyes of man took over quickly, peeking and grunting. Gary shrieked.

Ina gave him a down look. He pretends tough as though nothing had happened.

“What do you want?” The deep voice flared behind it as the loud bang of music came to their senses.

“I heard this is the place for outlaws.” Lance pretentiously replied.

He altered his eyes at the three of them, doubting to trust them,

“Hm. You don’t look like one.” He grunts.

“Well, let’s just say that we came from far away. We want to make a name here and provide some services to the Hoarder, nonetheless.

He is still nonchalantly looking at him, intensifying the suspicious sense. Lance had noticed it and continued to make playful words.

“You do not want to lose an asset, do you? I heard that Hoarder looks for a valuable ally, am I right?”

Giving up to his words, the thug gives them the last advice.

“Fine, just don’t give us a headache.”

“Of course.”

The metallic door creates a squealing sound as the bodyguard pulls the lever and lifted the locker. They had entered the bar. The place is a lot more intense and provoking as the DJ’s music keeps grooving the audience. Three disco balls hanged tight, emitting different color lights dancing across the hall, it is sense-numbing.

The noise is disruptive, deafening and the voice could hardly be heard as they proceeded in sideways, avoiding the bustle dancing crowds.

“Hey! Where is this guy called Hoarder?!” said Gary through gritted teeth.

“Huh!? Can’t hear you!” Lance replied in an inaudible voice.

Ina's hand gripped tight to Lance's shoulders, afraid to be withdrawn.

The banging music suddenly lowered, and the light encore the man slowly walking into the semicircular podium above them, the closed red curtain opened by the two guards, revealing the man of the show himself.

He’s dressed in a drastic red leather cape, just like a king, trimmed beard and shaggy hair adored his hat with the red tight jeans and a white boot.

As soon as the audience had noticed his presence, they sat down at their respective benches, the mixed lights were switched by single white light, encoring the Hoarder.

“Looks like we won’t wasting’ our time finding him,” Gary murmured.

The microphone creates a static sound that in a moment deafening them.

“Is this thing on? Oh…” Once he confirmed that it is working properly, he forthrightly announces.

“It is a lively night, indeed. The foods, the drinks, the freedom…!” He shouted. The audience applauded and cheered for him. “Ladies and gentlemen, let us proceed to our main event, introducing the newest collections at sale…!” He yelled.

“What the hell?” Ina grumbled, disturbed as what Hoarder had revealed. Slaves lined up at the stage, chained link lighted by white.

“Now I know that these months, the police are quite hectic about the recent incidents and because of that of course, nonetheless, our operation had yet delayed, lots of delays, so fuck’ them, but alas, with the help of my crew and my colleagues perhaps, we were able to deliver you guys our lovely products that the rarity is at best!”

The Hoarder introduces some of the slaves, but only one that catches Lance's attention. Wearing only dirty rag clothes, pointy ears and the silver eyes came along the attractive auburn hair had laid off his eyes to the woman chained in link to the other slaves. Her eyes strained as she’s encored by the light.

“I know that you lot would be famished as for the surprise that I will spill into you because their race is far beyond this region that we had known. Nonetheless, this precious being was found by my endearing hunters and presented to you the magnificent being of nature, apart of the race, we had known as the ‘Elf’!”

The audience and even the trio gasped at what they had seen. Right in front of them, a mystical being was being held on for sale, like a material that they claimed to possess astonished them.

“Now, I know that y’all want to have a grip on its magnificent existence, but now is not the right time as for there are others that might not have yet ready their leverages. This meeting will be held on Friday night! So please be ready on that day because things might go wild if you know what I mean. He-he-he.”

His thin smile slowly widened as he bent down lowering his hat to his chest, showing courtesy to the audience as the light encoring slowly vanished with the clapping.

“Lance, this is—” Ina frantically said as her mind is still remembering the image of the elf, but Lance intercepted.

“I know what you’re thinking, but we have our top priority. We’ll take care of this matter later.” Lance coldly said as if he has no intention to let that intervene with their main objective. Gary on the other hand is thinking of something different. Ina interjected Gary by her waving her hand, Gary nodded and followed Lance.

A pathway at the far edge on the right side, they could see the thugs guarding the red door. They do not need to know what's in there as they already guest what's inside it as they slipped through the countless boogying crowds.

"Halt, this place is for VIP only." The thug blocked the way.

"We came here for the Hoarder." Lance quickly replied.

"You have insurance?"

The three of them puzzled over what he said.

"Pardon?"

"Insurance... invitations, money, name on the list." The thug elaborated.

"Let's just say that we don't have any kind of those but we have something to offer to him."

"Hm." The thug grunted and walked away with a suspicious glance. The trio had noticed it and Gary gulped in anxiousness, wiping the sweating forehead using his hand.

Ina is concerned about it and couldn't help it, whispering to Lance "What are we going to do if things go south?"

"I have no such plan," Lance said and stiffened, gulping to what he had realized.

"What?" Ina's shocked and widened her eyes.

"Relax, we'll just bust our way out of here." He confidently replied.

"Oh, man," Gary mumbled, palms were put on his face.

He picked up the sudden change of the atmosphere; Lance gave a glance at this left then to his back. Thugs holding guns came close to them. He cursed "Damn." And Lance muttered

"Prepare for the worst."

The two picked the pace and showed a sullen expression as they were encircled by them. "The boss wants to see you."

"Lead the way," Lance said.

The trio silently proceeded with the lead of the grunt in the narrow-wide space of the white platform with the white hue giving sight to their way.

Turning the southerly path, they calmly observed each room they happened by, which is guarded by their guards, or if not, a grunt will freely assist them. A person came crushing to Ina as a person hurriedly came out into the room.

"Oh, do forgive me, mesh." He hissed. Ina had covered her mouth as his breath stinks of alcohol, the man holds her left hand. "Hey, did I meet you before?"

"Uh no, probably you mistook me as someone else, sir," Gary interjected, creating a gap between Ina and him.

"Surely I met you somewhere before, and it wouldn't be easy for me to forget such a beauty like you."

Gary snapped and turned to wave his hand aiming to catch Ina. "Seriously, you should go back to where you came from."

The thug interjected and firmly clutch his hand forewarning. "Please go back inside sir."

"Okay-okay, no need to be so brass." Once again, he throws a flirty glance at Ina. "Call me if you're bored." He chuckles as he gets back to the room he whence.

"What a creep." Gary said in disgust, "You alright Ina?"

Gary turned in her direction. "Yeah, 'never bothered by that." They continued to walk, there were three guards joined them and one was ahead of them, guiding to the room.

They stopped reaching the room that is at the end of the corridor. The path has no window nor a stair, only a thick wall limiting their options to escape.

"He's waiting inside the room." The thug who was leading them left them in front of the door, leaving the two grunts guarding outside. Lance tilted the doorknob, hearing the creaking sound the Hoarder called them, reaching the audible voice,

"If it isn't our guests."