Hidden face

"Excellent, I was reaching my limits." He said in relief before returning inside with an ominous expression on his face.

"Please follow me. We will end our discussion in the station's courtyard. I need to show you something. The guards will take care of your babies in the meantime." He said, eager to finally end this farce.

After convincing the scrawny woman, they left the room silently, wondering what he would show them this late at night and why he didn't mention it earlier.

As they passed the post's office in confusion, unaware of the imminent danger, Max's eyes narrowed as he heard distant noises disturbing the calmness of the night.

***************************

In the courtyard, Gaston used one of the training dummies as a punching bag. His swift and decisive punches resounded noisily against the silence of the night.

Despite his cowardly image, his movements were elegant and calculated. He definitely knew how to fight.

On the side, his two sidekicks watched him with irritated expressions, whispering in displeasure, dangerous lights flashing in their eyes.

Distracted by the intense gazes, he turned to look them in the eyes, asking with a frown. "What's wrong?"

After gazing at each other, confirming something, one of the two approached him, flexing his muscles to warm them up. His bulky arms befitted a gorilla's body more than a human's, and his shaved head gave him an intimidating look.

Moreover, the long scar running from the left side of his forehead down to his clavicle accentuated the feeling of danger he naturally released.

"We know you're the boss, but we both agree that you gave that bitch way too many chances. Yet, you're refusing to act, making us look like pushovers. We really don't like that." He said with a smirk.

"Oh, and what are you going to do about it?" Gaston answered in amusement as he watched the man approach with an eery smile. 

"Nothing much. We just thought it was time to change leader." The thug answered, pouncing and throwing a powerful punch at his face.

His blue eyes glowed as they followed the punch's trajectory. With minimal effort, he deflected it by hitting the thug's elbow, forcing his momentum to continue forward.

The thug swiftly understood he couldn't retrieve his arm before suffering a counterattack. So, he thrust his head, trying to headbutt Gaston.

However, Gaston had already launched his attack. Before his mind could register the movement, a powerful front kick connected and shattered his rib cage, causing his body to fly a few meters back and collide heavily with the ground.

Still smiling, Gaston approached him and bent over his face. Then, without warning, he stomped on it with all his strength.

"That's why I'm the boss, you fucking retard. Who gave you the courage to rebel against me? Didn't you consider where she came back from? If she disappeared and her boss reported it, they would be forced to investigate since she was seen exiting this place! Did you forget why we were called here?" After he vented his anger, the bulky man's head, or what should have been his head, looked like a broken watermelon.

He died in a gruesome way, without any opportunity to fight back.

But Gaston wasn't done yet.

"Are you also displeased by my decisions?" He turned to look at the second thug with a mad gaze, still smiling. He didn't forget that the first one said: we both think.

He then walked to the dummy to pick up the stick he was used to carrying around and made his way to the last of his companions.

"N... no, he was the only one having those thoughts. You are the boss because you are the smartest and strongest among us. I... I... I wouldn't dare doubt you." Alas, would Gaston believe him? 

"I hate traitors the most. Burn in hell, stupid dogs." Clenching his stick like a baseball bat, he swung it with terrifying power.

The execution of this move was flawless, as if it had been practised countless times, which was strange coming from a small village thug.

The wind howled behind the stick as it collided with such force that the man's head flew in the air.

"Why am I surrounded by idiots no matter where I go? Look what you forced me to do... Again." Gaston said after catching the falling head as if speaking to the dead man with the same creepy smile plastered on his face.

At this exact moment, the officer entered the courtyard, followed by the parents, who trembled in fear upon seeing the scary scene.

After all, as regular and honest citizens, it wasn't in their habits to see a man holding a severed head in his bloody hand every day.

The setting was even more terrifying to them, considering that Gaston was still smiling while looking straight into the head's glassy eyes.

"AHHHHHHH." The two women's legs gave in as they screamed, fell to the ground and puked in disgust and dread.

The man, a bit more stoic but as afraid as his wife, moved behind the officer, seeking his protection while signaling her to do the same.

The officer looked at the gruesome spectacle with a frown. Two headless corpses in the courtyard of a guard station. Despite his decades of experience, it was a first for him.

"What have you done, Gaston? Did you finally lose your mind? Did you forget where you are?" He questioned authoritatively, a deep frown etched on his face.

Upon hearing the officer, Gaston finally dropped the head with a shrug as blood dripped from his hand.

Then, he offered the officer a warm smile while gazing at the parents before saying. "What's the difference between three or five corpses?"

The man hiding behind the officer paled, understanding the other three corpses mentioned were most likely theirs.

He then caught a detail in Gaston's sentence that made him shiver.

"Five? Aren't we six?" He asked, his voice cracking under the pressure as the officer moved to the side, clearing the path between Gaston and the three parents.

No words were needed between them. After all, one was the employer, while the other the employee...