16 - Lodging

That voice coming right from hell, that voice full of deceiving kindness…It could only be the Boss.

Her gun's canon made my body shiver instantaneously.

The mirror reflected the blood falling from the center of her forehead. She lowered her watery and bloody eyes towards my body, "Where is that trembling coming from? Where went your sudden courage? That's funny from the one who just threw me out in the river."

"I thought I had…" killed you, I wanted to say.

Her eyes met mine on the glass.

I lowered my head, but her presence didn't disappear because of that. She smelled the Seine and blood, that wasn't someone you could just ignore.

"You were in front of me. You couldn't escape unless you are…" Immortal. That's what I wanted to say, but I censored myself again. But to say it out loud would be admitting that fighting her was futile. Because she would endlessly confront me until one of them dies.

She pressed the cold barrel on my nape, "Got a pleasant exercise for you. Spend time thinking about how you will avoid this bullet."

I held my wrist tight in anxiety, "No. Please, don't! Forgive me for earlier. Please? I need to achieve my dream?"

"Stop moving." She pressed her weapon even more against me.

I froze in shock.

"Your dream is safe with me. I'll house you, I'll feed you, and I'll give you a job. Taking care of the well-being of my employees is my top priority, so since you want it that much, you can dance here. But get dressed in a tutu outside the Firm. I don't want you to get harassed in my business."

She was ready to change her own rules...for me? Won't she ever leave me alone?

I took a breath and raised my head. The gun's barrel lifted as my neck did. Looked like she followed my movement exactly.

I held my wrist tighter and tighter, surprised I still haven't broken it, and stared at the Boss through the dirty glass, "I can't. I can't accept this slavery..."

"Should I understand you want a second round?"

No! Of course not. But I bit my tongue and nodded instead.

She unlocked her gun security with another click.

"Song?" Someone knocked on the door and turned the knob, "How did you lock the door? There weren't any locks from 9 years!"

I didn't lock anything. Then that was...

For one second, the Boss loosened her pressure, and I could turn my head around. But after those sixty little milliseconds, she pushed again her magnum 44 on my neck artery.

The trash and dusty furniture mountain laying in my new change room were against the door. It reached the ceiling.

They knocked on the door again, "Song. Song? It's been 20 minutes you're peeing, and I still don't know if you finally want to be my flatmate." They pushed the door, but the mystery person only could make a thin opening, letting us see the hallway carpet and the red hair of the dancer. Henriette!

"Already prepared an alternative? I see." She shot me daggers with her eyes, "That's why you're hesitating?"

I swallowed.

She loosened her grip on my neck again and, this time, aimed at the door Henriette opened more and more, "I just have to cut my rival."

"Please, Song-darling!" She pushed the door, creating a dust rain falling from the top of the mountain, "Don't be shy, you'll see, it's good to live with a friend." She pushed the door again and again. The door would open anytime.

The Boss aimed at the top of the door, "These bullets don't go through steel, but a wood door won't intimidate them."

"No, stop!"

"I won't let you escape, my brunette," Henriette said.

Her fingers held the trigger tighter, "Only you can stop it."

"Song!" The door opened.

"I accept!" I said.

The trash pile fell, and a dusty cloud covered the room for some seconds, making us all blind for a moment. When it disappeared, I knew three facts: Henriette was okay and alive, the Boss disappeared again, and I sold my soul to the devil.

*

I had to say to Henriette I just agreed with my French mailing friend I'll live with her. Her face fell when I told her that, but she didn't seem to suspect anything and said that she'd be happy to see me again next Friday. I had to put my tuxedo and my hat back before sitting on the back seat of the Big Black car that followed me earlier.

The Boss brought me again to the torture palace. But this time, I gave my consent. She parked in a space near the building before the floor began to lower like an elevator. It stops at the badly lighted hallway tunnel.

I got out of the car. I was back in the Firm as if I didn't escape earlier. I refused Revolution, but I accepted being this woman's toy for…dancing? That was the kind of man I became? I wanted to puke.

The Boss waited in front of the door as I got closer, "You won't open?"

She glanced at me then directed her glare to the touch panel next to the door, "New ones first."

I had to force myself to stop thinking about an insult. I put my finger on the screen. It was hot. The screen vibrated, and my fingerprint became green. Then the door split in half.

I walked in the Hologram Hallway with heavy footsteps. As soon as I put on foot on the ground, the agents hanging around the hallway stopped. They ran toward me. Another attack?

They ran past me and formed a crowd around the Boss. They took her hands, wiped off the bloodstains on her face, and they brought her a wheelchair,

"Did the Tai clan did this to you?" They said.

They didn't even let her answer, "Don't move, we're taking care of you now." One of them pushed the Boss in the wheelchair.

What the hell? Why would they be caring for her like this? She was a monster!

"What have you done to them?" When I spoke, the Boss made the chair stop with a single snap of her finger, "What did you drug them with? Because I'm not taking it."

Her head shook as she chuckled, "They love me. It'll happen to you too, don't worry." Then she rolled to a door from which a doctor-looking woman came out.

Who, or what exactly was my Boss? What did I get myself into?

Someone touched my shoulder. I stopped my breath and turned around, "Who?"

"Relax, I'm not here to electrocute you." Jieung-yong lightly bowed, "You're back, Yoh family's coward."

He was right. He was right because I sold my dignity for five thousand euros, a full-time job, and an unlimited pass to the Opérette. I clenched my fist, "Yes, I'm back."