Chapter 13: The Club

While researching the address he received in the mysterious message, Sam found out that the place was actually a nightclub. He knew he had to visit it, but there was nothing he could possibly do about his young age, but at least he had the means to dress properly, so when he finally arrived at the correct spot, he was wearing a nice pair of linen pants with a dark blue shirt to match.

He used some perfumes to make sure he was smelling nice and even added quite a bit of hair gel to change his usual terrible hairstyle. There were a few minutes before opening, so the line in front of the establishment was quite short, but more and more citizens were gathering.

The facade of the building was made out of black marble, with golden frames hosting large windows that allowed one to take a peek inside.

The first thing one could spot was a vestibule where one could leave their coat, before venturing further, through a massive, two-winged door leading to the main hall. Since it was open, Sam could see what was beyond.

On the right was a massive bar with two young adults taking care of the drinks. The left side had a few tables, with booths arranged by the wall. Everything was black with golden accents. At the end of the hall, he noticed a metal staircase that led upstairs, to V.I.P. rooms, but there was also a door leading to some kind of backroom. Perhaps an entrance for the staff.

The front door was guarded by two big fellows in black suits, with thick golden chains on their short, but massive, necks. Both of them were shaved bald and looked mean.

As the right time came, the music started to spill from the inside of the club. A rather calm house, with a nice beat, mixed with a little bit of electric guitar.

A few waitresses crossed the hall to give a last check if the tables were clean. Upon finishing the inspection two went to the entrance. One went behind the counter to take care of the clothes left by the guests, and the other unlocked the door, giving a nod to the bouncers.

They opened and began letting people in. The line started to move. Sam had to wait with a racing heart for his turn, afraid he could be sent away. He was not truly scared of getting ruffled by the bouncers, scolded, or anything like that, rather anxious that an opportunity to find what the hell was going on could pass right by his nose.

Surprisingly, when the time came, the bouncers just let him in. He was so shocked, that he almost argued about this, as their behaviors went against everything he was taught by his guardian in the orphanage, Mister Kirk. The closest person Sam had to a family. A man whom he didn't want to disappoint.

'I need to call him. He must have been worried after I disappeared,' he noted in his mind walking through the vestibule.

The nice smell, slightly mixed with a little bit of alcohol, and the music, made him feel strange. A few girls with a handful of boys already hit the dancefloor, moving and twisting their bodies to the rhythm. It brought a smile to his face, as it was the first time he witnessed something like this with his own two eyes. Before, he only saw nightclubs through the screen of his computer.

He allowed himself to be distracted only for a short moment. Remembering why he came to this place, he approached the bar, sitting on a high, black stool.

„How can I he-," the bartender didn't finish noticing the boyish face.

He was a handsome, slim fellow with woolish brown hair. He had a short beard, a big smile, and a pair of green eyes. He was dressed according to the club code – black suit pants, white shirt with a black vest on top. All the buttons and details were golden, matching the overall color scheme of the place.

„I was messaged by somebody. They gave me the address of this place," Sam spoke before the man focussed too much on the fact that he was underaged, visiting a place for adults.

The bartender's brow furrowed. „Can I see?"

'He knows something,' Sam noted, pulling the phone from his pocket. He quickly displayed the message on the screen, then presented it to the man, but made sure to firmly grip the device, as the thought of the phone getting confiscated by the stranger crossed his mind. „Here."

The man's eyes quickly ran through the letters. As he finished the short read, his whole demeanor changed. He relaxed, the big smile returning to his face.

„Wait here for a moment," he winked before diving under the bar. He popped back up with a glass in hand. It had a few ice cubes on the bottom. He placed it in front of Sam, before adding orange juice, then left to take care of the other clients.

Sam observed him carefully, ignoring the drink. The guy clearly knew something, but now was behaving as if he was about to ignore the teenager. He went on about the work for several minutes, talking to the customers and serving them drinks. He did his job perfectly, smiling, and making others laugh. It was a true spectacle, that suddenly got interrupted.

A man sat on the stool next to Sam. He was a handsome fellow with blonde hair shaved short on the sides, while left a bit longer on top. His fringe was shaped in a nice 'M'. His athletic build, with broad shoulders, combined with his height made him look imposing, especially in the white shirt he was wearing. The muscles were visibly outlined underneath the fabric. The rolled-up sleeves exposed his thick forearms and a silver bracelet on one of his wrists. His grey eyes seemed to be focused on the rows of bottles on the shelves behind the bar, and yet he spoke as if addressing Sam directly.

„Show me your phone."

The short line confused the teenager, as his focus lay solely on the bartender, but the words were alarming to the point his attention shifted to the newcomer.

„The message, show me the message," the blonde elaborated, as his gaze shifted to Sam.

Samuel produced the phone from his pocket after a short moment of hesitation. He displayed the anonymous message and then showed it to the stranger.

„I see… My name is Adrian, and if you want to find out what this is about," he pointed at the device, „then follow me." After speaking those words, he slid off the stool, before casually walking away with his hands in his pockets, maneuvering among the people who were approaching the bar to order drinks.

For Sam, despite the craziness of the situation, and suspicions crawling at the back of his mind, this was an opportunity he couldn't just ignore. Those people knew something, and he had to find out what was going on.

He followed, having to push his way through, as other guests weren't so keen on avoiding him because of his rather fragile frame. At least in comparison to Adrian's.

The man led him to the staircase, but instead of climbing up the stairs, he went around it, to the elevator hidden behind it. It made him look up and realize something that escaped him before. There were two more stores above, beyond the one he noticed previously.

Adrian pressed the button. The door to the elevator opened. Inside stood a man in a suit. He was, to put it simply, perfect. Like a doll created by human hands. Tall, with a perfect build, perfect face, and perfect smile.

They didn't speak, but Adrian did something else. He took one of his hands out of the pocket, and raised it, making the bracelet medallion dangle in the air. One glance at this round object with a bird inlaid on one of the sides, made the elevator gentleman press several buttons on the panel.

Sam watched it from the outside but was pulled in by Adrian the moment he turned around, noticing the teenager was not in the elevator.

„Come here," he murmured.

At first, Sam got worried that this situation could turn in an unexpected way, but nothing happened after. The two other men just stood there, letting the elevator take them… downstairs.