Russian Roulette

The car was heading towards the downtown area. There was moderate traffic on the road because of the peak hours but the chauffeur behind the wheel was a smooth driver. He easily glided through the road, speeding towards their destination.

The man sitting in the backseat had an intimidating aura. His dark eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses and his jet black hair was neatly brushed back. The man was in his late twenties and despite his arrogant expression, he was very handsome. His tanned skin was smooth and sharp. He was wearing a black suit but had bulging muscles underneath it, making him look like a celebrity.

But beneath his handsome looks was an eerie coldness and a shrewd mind which was tangled with only one thought at that moment.

His phone rang up. Connecting it to the bluetooth in his ear, he spoke in a clear and deep voice.

"What's the news?" he asked.

"Boss, we've caught him!" a shrill voice said from the other end. "We're waiting for you!"

"Very well," the man said. "I'll be there."

The driver stepped on the accelerator and hurried towards a dilapidated building situated near the hospital downtown. The neighborhood they had entered was among the most impoverished areas in the city where gangsters prowled around, looking for people to loot.

Some of the gang members glanced at the expensive car which drove by.

"That guy looks loaded!" one guy exclaimed and was about to follow the car but one of his friends stopped him.

"I wouldn't go after that guy if I were you," his friend cautioned.

"Why not?"

"The guy in the car is no ordinary man," the other gang member revealed. "That's Lucas Hao."

The rest of the members froze in shock. Lucas Hao? In their neighborhood?

"Someone is gonna die today," one of them muttered.

The black Maybach parked in front of the shabby building situated within that neighborhood. Its walls were decaying and the place looked as if it would collapse any day. The man named Lucas Hao slowly got out of the car and gracefully walked towards the building. His eyes were like a black hole, devoid of all emotions. The handsome face was distorted in a cold fury which made the place around him icier even in the warm weather.

He slowly moved one helm of his coat to reveal a gun. Taking it out, he unloaded all the bullets except for one and rolled it before locking the bullet into the gun.

The building had only one floor and no inhabitants in it. Lucas climbed the staircase to reach a single room which was closed. He opened the door to find himself in a large space where several men in black suits were waiting for him. They were guarding another man who was tied to a chair.

His mouth was gagged with a cloth and he was shocked upon the sight of Lucas. The man's limbs were tied with rope and his balding head was sweating a lot. He tried to say something but the gag was stopping him from talking.

"Boss…"

A bespectacled man in his thirties walked up to Lucas and bowed. He was Lucas' Consigliere, Tommy Ahn.

"We found him at a motel twenty miles away from the city," Tommy stated. "He tried to shoot at us but was overpowered."

He paused before adding, "He injured Harry though. We've sent him to the hospital."

Lucas' eyes narrowed in anger. His prisoner was shaking his head, muffling something but Lucas did not care.

"He sold information to the Yang family about our gold trade," Tommy went on. "I have the CCTV footage of their meeting and our informers caught hold of a secret conversation between them as well."

"I saw and heard everything," Lucas said in a deadpan tone. He grabbed a chair which lay nearby and pulled it up in front of his prisoner before sitting on it. The man was scared to death, getting paler by the second. Lucas looked directly into the man's eyes, holding him captive in a twisted game.

"What should I do with you, Marco?" Lucas asked absentmindedly. He scratched his head with the gun, pretending to think.

Marco was now crying, scared for his life.

"Let's play a game," Lucas finally decided. "Russian Roulette. There's only one bullet in this gun. Both of us will get alternate chances. Whoever is hit first in the head, will die and lose the game. Winner goes scot free."

Marco was silently begging for mercy but it no longer mattered.

"I'll go first," Lucas said as he pointed the gun to his head. The men around him were surprised that their boss would take such a great risk. They were alert, ready to help their boss if needed but only Tommy remained calm and stoic.

Marco watched in anticipation as Lucas pulled the trigger.

CLICK!

Nothing happened. "Tough luck for you," Lucas remarked in a soft tone. "Now...it's your turn."

He pointed the gun at Marco who was terrified. There was a faint scent of urine in the air. Lucas looked down to see that Marco had peed himself.

"You're afraid of death and yet, dared to betray me," Lucas murmured. Without a word, he pulled the trigger.

CLICK!

Nothing. Marco was scared out of his wits but it was a blank. Lucas then pointed at himself again and pulled the trigger.

CLICK!

This continued until the final shot which was aimed at Marco. The latter was now weeping, trying to beg for mercy through the gag which was stuffed into his mouth.

"What was that, Marco?" Lucas feigned ignorance. "You want me to shoot you? Okay."

He pointed the gun at Marco whose eyes widened in horror and he shook his head.

"Mphf!" He tried to talk but the gag stopped his words. Lucas ignored his requests and took aim. The other men were holding their breath, daring not to anger their boss more than he already was. One misstep and they would join Marco on the other end of the gun.

Lucas was still pointing the gun at Marco who was shivering in fear. Marco had closed his eyes, waiting for the bullet to hit him.

BANG!

Smoke emitted from the gun, the stench of gunpowder mixing with the urine filled the room. Tommy was still staring at his boss with a stern gaze while the other men tried not to show their discomfort.

Marco was on the floor, having jumped to the side so quickly that the chair fell with him. The man was still fearful but when he opened his eyes, the gun was no longer pointed at him.

Instead, Lucas was pointing it at the ceiling. The bullet was stuck in the concrete wall above them.

"Death is easy," Lucas whispered. "Too easy. People who betray me don't get to die so easily. You love life a lot. But from now on, you'll beg for death."

He turned to Tommy and ordered, "Take him to our prison on the island. Make sure he is tortured until he begs for death. But keep him alive. I want to see him plead for mercy."

"Understood," Tommy said and motioned at one of the guards to take the traitor away. The guards dragged Marco away. Marco's muffled cries echoed in the large room but Lucas did not care. He did not even spare a glance at him.

"What else is in store?" Lucas quietly asked. He took out a handkerchief and was wiping his gun clean.

"Alexander Wang is acting up again," Tommy reported to him. "We have warned him several times not to carry out his drug business on our territory but he won't listen. Last night, we caught another one of his men trying to sell drugs on our turf."

Lucas was quiet for a while, still wiping the gunpowder off his gun.

"Any idea on his next move?" he quietly asked.

"He'll be at Club Colaba in a week," Tommy informed him. "We suspect he'll be selling drugs to a foreign cartel on that day."

"Well, book a table for us at Club Colaba then," Lucas said, putting his gun back into his pocket, straightening his suit. Tommy nodded and followed his boss to the car.

Lucas was about to get in when his eyes fell on a maple leaf stuck on the hood. Tommy also paused, curiously watching his boss picking up the maple leaf. There was a cold and distant look in his eyes as if he was remembering something unpleasant.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" Tommy asked. "Should I remove the leaf for you?"

He was about to take the leaf but Lucas shook his head but kept on staring at the rusty leaf.

A familiar voice was echoing in his ears while the image of a girl holding a maple leaf popped up in his mind. The memory he had long buried was replaying in front of him like a movie...

The image of a young girl appeared before him. She was eleven years old with long silky hair and deep green eyes which were reminiscent of the enchanted forests in fairy tales.

"If you catch a falling leaf before it touches the ground, your wish will come true," the girl said. The girl was looking at him with a sad smile on her doll-like face as she handed him a dry maple leaf.

Sixteen year old Lucas returned her gaze with his deadpan eyes. He took the leaf and stared at it for a while.

"If that's true," he mumbled. "Can I wish for death?"

….

"Sir?"

Tommy was worried about his boss but Lucas merely ignored him. Crushing the maple leaf in his palm, he threw it away. If wishes were fulfilled that easily, then he should not have been alive at all.

"Let's go," he ordered and got into the car. Tommy obeyed and followed his boss into the car. Soon, the car sped off, leaving behind the crumpled pieces of the leaf on the ground.