An Ally?

Today, Thursday 01st.

Three days has past since Roméo received his orders for his first mission. During these last days, Roméo tried hard to de-stress himself from all the pressure he's been enduring since he arrived in Boston a few weeks ago. On the other hand, Michael's been laying low. He and Roméo barely met these last days and Roméo began to worry about him.

Roméo suddenly receives a call from Carter in the afternoon. On the phone, he tells him to meet him in a villa in South Boston as fast as he can. Surprised by his sudden call and his will to meet up with him quickly, Roméo rushes out of his house barely properly dressed and takes the bus to the address Carter sent him by text.

When he arrived in front of another luxurious villa, he was speechless. Carter was standing in front of the door, waiting for Roméo to come. When he saw him, he walked to him really fast and grabbed his wrist.

- Hey-- what the hell? W-what's going on??

- Come quick, this is serious.

- Huh??

Carter dragged Roméo inside the villa, to the big and very chic living room and there he sees a man sat on one of these titanic and expensive chairs in the middle of the room. Carter releases Roméo's hand and walks to the couch next to the man to sit on it. The man raises his head and snickers.

- SO?! What do you think of my house, brother?

- Théo? What the hell? Wait wait wait-- that's your house? You must be kidding me..

- Right? Cette maison est mon bijou! I must say, it always amaze my guests whenever they come in and see how much I spent to have the best villa in the city.

(Translation: This house is my gem!)

"What? But am I not here to repay the debt I owe him? How come he's so rich? Tsk, it doesn't matter. What does he wants from me?" is what he thought.

- And so? Why am I here?

- Well well well I heard about your first mission comin' up! I'm here to help you get into your character, that's it!

- Huh? What do you mean-.. and anyway, how do you know about it? I thought me and the others were the only ones aware of this mission.

- And that's the case, you are the only ones aware of this mission however, Stella's working for us and she received that text. Since you're my dear brother-in-law I won't track your phone as we do for Stella because I trust you and I know you're not stupid to act reckless. HOWEVER! During your mission, you will have to do something for me. It appears that many people I hate and wanna see fall in the depths are invited to your little party in Beacon Hill. I want to know their dirty secrets.

- Hold on-- Do you know what kind of job I'm going to do?

- Huh? David didn't tell you..? How weird. In the text he sent to Stella, it said she was going to be an undercover waitress in the party. I thought he sent you the same text unless..!! OOOH how HOT, I understand now..~~

Carter clenches his teeth but stays silent and serious.

- W-what?

- Unless he has another type of "work" for you~..

- Another type..?

- Yea, David is known to own countless prostitutes, female and male. I bet that's what he has in mind for you~ turning you into a male whore.

Roméo gasps and starts panicking. Théo stands up and walks slowly to Roméo with a devilish smile drawn on his face. He puts his hand on Roméo's right cheek and snickers.

- Yeah-- A guy as cute and hot like you has no better future than to become a slut, I believe you can earn much money with that ass of yours. Ever had sex with men? Boy I heard it's an amazing pleasure but unfortunately I'm not ready to switch teams, women are prettier than men in my opinion though.. you do look like a woman.

Roméo snaps his hand and frowns with a pissed off expression.

- Ehh, no need to be THAT upset man. That's fine, I believe you'll do a great job as a prostitute and I won't say anything to your sis-- Ah yeah and by the way. She's worried about you, she keeps on fucking annoying me with you, give her a damn call today so that she'll get off my back. She has curves in all the right places but GOSH she's annoying as fuck when it comes to you.

"Argh, that man thinks he's all mighty, he's openly criticizing my sister and acting like a dick with me, my god, if only he wasn't that powerful I swear I would've beat him into a pulp years ago." is what he thought.

Théo sighs loudly and slumps on the couch next to Carter while opening widely his arms to wrap his left arm around Carter's neck.

- But you're lucky to have me and my best friend CARTER to help you out. I'll try to lighten your work next Sunday but if I can't, I expect you to send me pics of you dressed in a very sexual maid outfit huh!

Théo starts to snickers out loud and Carter's discomfort did not go unnoticed by Roméo, with only one eye contact with him, he understood right away that the complicity between the two is not reciprocal at all. Carter looks rather frenzied to see Théo being so serene in this situation. He brushes away with his hand Théo's intrusive arm and walks up to Roméo.

- Please Théo, be serious for once. This is an important mission they were given and I don't want them to screw it like last time with the others.

He sighs and turns his head to Roméo.

- Originally, Théo called you to lend you some elegant clothes for your waiter job but since you don't know what kind of job you'll do, I'll drive you home for tod--

- ACTUALLY even if Roméo isn't a waiter, I still have things to give to him. Come here boy.

Roméo glances at Carter for some seconds and walks hesitantly to Théo. He hands him four piece of paper with an awful smile. On each paper, there is a picture of a good-looking person, a long description and a goal written in red.

- Who are they..? The people I need to find?

- Yup, exactly. These are also the same people David asked Stella to deal with. What a small world, I also have business to do with two of them and they both seem to avoid me-- hmph, don't know why. On each of these papers you'll find what I need from these two and what David wants too, you should not have to do anything else than collecting information from them. You're lucky 'cause these four are reputed to hang in brothel. I know from a reliable source that they all tend to like the pillow-talk, be a good prostitute and you'll get what you need.

Carter sighs and looks at Roméo.

- At each party, their schedule is the same: they spend a lot of time wandering and talking during the party and some hours later they all like to end up in a hotel room with a prostitute they paid. So it's whether you catch them during the party or after. If it's after.. uhm.. well.. do your best. I can't really help you on that.

- So that's what I became.. a whore? Here I thought it was going to be a dangerous task.

Théo chuckles.

- Seriously? Did you think you were in a movie or something? In real life, cute boys become prostitutes, cute girl die at the hand of their father, pretty women end up in a dump three weeks pregnant and handsome men are propelled to the top of the podium. That's how it works my dear brother, I feel sorry for you that you expected a better life, boohoo.

Roméo clenches his teeth and his fist but Carter puts his hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

- Well then, are we done now? You're not the only one to have business with Roméo, he gotta meet the Black Devils and get prepared for his mission.

- Yeah yeah whatever, go and take him Carter, I'm already tired to see his fucking hobo face in my luxurious villa. Take out the trash will ya?

When Roméo stepped up to come at him, Carter grabbed forcefully his body to make him step back and head to the door. The anger and frustration Roméo feels towards Théo is endless, he hates him so much he could risk to be sentenced to life imprisonment only to kill him with his own hands.

As soon as they walked away from the villa, Roméo released a loud and filled with anger sigh.

- Damn, that guy is an asshole. How the hell can you be working with him?!

- Huh, it's not like I had a choice. That bastard's got his hands on my gang, the Black Devils, he already killed about ten of my men 'cause I once refused a work he gave me. Even if I wanted to, I can't leave his sight.

- And why does he needs you? Isn't he all powerful and all?

- Well yeah he is but we have the contacts, weapons, knowledge and popularity that he does not possess. That's why he needs our gang to do what he's not able to do.

- That's messed-up..

"So Carter is under his orders.. and he really looks like he hates him. Maybe that guy is.. no.. he couldn't be.. is it possible that Carter might become my ally in all that? He has reasons to hate Théo and want him dead, if only I could convince Carter to join me.." is what he thought.

- Yeah it is. But enough talking about that, come with me, I'll show you my district.

Roméo nods his head and follows Carter to one of his cars. He decided to show the district owned by the Black Devils through a long and enjoyable car ride. During the ride, Roméo is rather silent and pensive, he's too nervous about his upcoming work to be fully concentrated on Carter's presentation of his district.

It is nighttime and Carter chose to end their car ride at a food truck in Roxbury. He paid for two set menus and went to sit in front of Roméo on a makeshift chair and table. He hands him his set menu and starts eating his own.

- So-- whaddya think of the American life? Is it what you expected?

- In other circumstances, I would have enjoyed my trip to the fullest but just knowing I'm here to do such things made this trip tasteless.

- Yea, I can understand. By the way, I had a question to ask ya. How come you're fluent in English? Ever traveled in an English-speaking countries before?

- Nah, I never left my country until now. I learnt English by myself with video games and social medias but I can speak other languages too.

- Maaan I can barely speak my own language and you can already speak more than three, that country's messed up when it comes to foreign cultures and education..

"He seems to be open for conversation, maybe I can ask some private questions? There is something I'd like to know precisely.." is what he thought.

- Now's my turn to ask a question. I saw your wanted posters everywhere in town, what happened?

- Ah that. A stupid story, really. A little girl who was about 7 years old dumped and humiliated the kid of Marlo, a friend of mine. He has chronic anger and has a screw loose, one day he pulled out a gun and shot dead that girl. He hid the body somewhere. The police discovered that it's my cousin who sold that gun to Marlo and they locked me up in their cells to spill out the truth. When I got interrogated by these two, I said I'd take the blame for my cousin but not long after, Danny Fidga's men freed all the criminals in the cells and I got the chance to tell my cousin about the case.

- God.. t-that's..

- Yeah. It's horrible.

- Knowing that your cousin sold a gun that killed a little girl, are you still going to protect him?

- ...

-... My bad, I said something I shouldn't have.

"Family is family here, I bet he'd even lie and accuse someone else to protect him. Can I really judge him? That said, Carter doesn't look like a killer to me, he's rather friendly and cool with me, I can't imagine him do.. such things." is what he thought.

- Can I ask you a question? How long have you been knowing Michael, Roméo?

- E-eh? How do you know I-- w-wait! Don't tell Théo I'm in contact with a policeman, please! It would be the end of my life!

- Chill out, I've got no reasons to sell you off, moreover to a man I despise from the bottom of my heart. But answer my question.

- Uhhhm I don't know.. more than two weeks?

Carter gasps loudly, he looks speechless.

- Did you threaten him to let you crash at his place?

- Huh? What do you mean..

- Gosh, you don't know who Michael Blake truly is. That man's a true devil. How is it possible for him to allow you in his kingdom?

- Kingdom?

- You see, that guy is known to be extra violent but very smart. He dismantled a huge network of traffickers like two years ago, that man's a genius in the police department, really. He's unfriendly, distant and rude. How come you managed to let him stay at his place?

"Woah, did he really accomplished such a thing? I knew he was tough but.. that's beyond what I expected. Michael is really impressive.." is what he thought.

- Is he using you in any way? Like asking for sex services or info? It's really weird from him to welcome a total stranger like ya, moreover a foreigner.

- What? No no! Nothing like that, in fact, he never asked me anything. I just happen to be a broke young man without any home to go and (after begging him) he allowed me to stay at his place for the time being. However, he recently found out about David and everything.

- Yeah, I know. Must be hard to have him on your back everyday huh.

- W-well not really, I-I mean..

Roméo looks away and remains evasive in his explanations. Carter almost chokes on the piece of hamburger he was trying to swallow when he understood Roméo's reaction.

- NOOOO. You must be kidding me! You guys are going out??

- WHAT! NO nothing like that!

- Eeeeeh so that's how it is~~.. I must say, my instinct never fool me. When I saw how you were staring at each other during the tournament, I knew something was up between you two and I was right~~..

- T-that's..

Roméo's cheeks turn red, he places his hands on his face to hide his embarrassment in front of Carter. He's laughing out loud seeing Roméo all embarrassed and shy. Their evening ended on Carter teasing Roméo on his complex relationship with the cold and inflammatory policeman and after that, he sent him home with a mischievous smile on his face.

When Roméo enters Michael's home, everything is silent. He thought Michael is already asleep. He barely take off his jacket and collapses between the fridge and the kitchen sink, phone in his right hand, he is tired of everything. He composes Éricka's number, his big sister, but he falls on the answering machine. He chose to record a vocal note to her.

- H-hey Éricka, uhm.. sorry I haven't been texting you lately. Some much are happening here w-with.. my law school. I don't even have time to sleep properly, haha, it's dumb right? But as you can see, my English improved a lot! Here, I met many people. T-there's Stella, she's from my constitutional law class, I also met a great guy named Carter in my criminal law class and I saw Théo today he.. misses you. I also met someone, a distant but very attractive person. I still don't know how to deal with my own feelings.. W-well, I don't know what time it is in France but I hope you're having a good day and I wish you could call me back soon... Tu me manques beaucoup.

(Translation: I miss you very much.)

Roméo hung up and started crying right after sending his vocal note. He is lost, alone and broken. Nobody heard him.

Next Chapter: Infiltration.