".........I don't like human trafficking works."

"From what I heard it's not a person you're delivering, just a package."

"From who ?"

"They didn't tell me."

"Send to who?"

"Don't know either." Vera, what the hell are you doing? I look at her wordlessly.

"Look, all the person said was to have you go to the jiu lou in piao jie. They'll fill you in on the detail of who you're delivering the package to." I finish half of my drink.

"There's lots of jiu lou in piao jie, which one is it?"

"The biggest one."

Fuck. Vera, you're smarter than this. What were you thinking?

jiu lou is a facility that can only be found in Chinatown, it's like an old-fashioned Chinese restaurant that serves people in groups or more specifically gangsters in groups. Such establishments are all over piao jie. But the biggest one of them all is owned by the ruler of Chinatown for the past four years, the Qin family.

"Vera......you know damn well, what will happen if you get tangled up with them. And now you expect me to walk into the dirtiest pit in hell and be a delivery boy for the qins?"

"It's not like the first time you do jobs for them." Vera shrugs and snatches her cig back from my index and middle finger.

"Yeah. I did some small-time gigs. But those weren't the same caliber as this. If I walk into that building it practically means I'm affiliated with the Chinese. "

"You afraid that will ruin your relationship with the Russkies?"

"My relationship with them build solely on the fact that I'm neutral and on good terms with the brigadiers. And what you proposed could potentially destroy both."

"I still don't understand why you're so fixated on staying in that powder keg, what you save up over the years...hell even the jobs you've done with me and vix are enough to buy an apartment in the city center."

It's true, I have enough in my bank account to get myself a suite there. Maybe even a cottage close to monclea.

"I like nochnaya." I finish my drink.

"Lee, you and me both know you hate it there." Vera rolls her eyes and leans back close to the pool table while saying that.

"Lev! One B&B and take it easy on the d.o.m!" I..... think I saw lev give me a thumb up next to the counter and a bunch of other patrons.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Hate it or not, it is a bad time to lean towards or piss off any factions when war is on the corner." I turned back and face Vera. Her cig burned out. Her face seems a little more serious now. She knows I'm not even considering taking the job.

"Lee, they're paying you 30k for this.And all you got to do is walk in there, get the package, and deliver it. You don't even have to kill anyone, if I'm in your position I wouldn't even be considering if I should take it."

Something's up. She never pushed me to take any work before. And she knows I've turned off more lucrative jobs than this.

"Vera. We've known each other for what? Five years now? You should know I can see there's something else going on here. I don't want to go back to testing each other's agenda like before. So, tell me why you are trying so hard to have me work for the Qins?"

She stares at me furiously. If looks can kill, she would be a weapon of mass destruction. But I know her. If she wants to kill someone, she wouldn't give them this look. No. She's just angry that I'm tearing off her disguise. So I stare back.

".......fine. I'll tell you." A glass of liquid, in the color between golden and copper with an ice cube floating on it is sitting on the carpet of the pool table that I'm sitting on. Looks like lev did hear my order.

"Couple of weeks ago when they first told me to tell you the job, I laughed, said you'll never do that. Five days ago they contact me again and told me if I don't convince you to take the job they'll expose the fact that I let you live and didn't finish the job five years ago."

They're blackmailing her using me.

A cleaner that spares their target on purpose will be considered a disgrace to their work. The reason why cleaners are so expansive and feared is because unlike mercenaries, they always finish the job. They don't quit until either the targets or themselves are all extinguished.

One man spared, during a job five years ago is enough to destroy her reputation and anyone's interest in hiring her. Casualties happen, but no one like loose ends. And no one wants a killer with their soul still attached to their body.

"...... They knew all along, Huh?" Vera nods.

"Having you as my friend is one of the best and worst decisions I've ever made." She gives me a bitter smile.

I feel like I'm back at that bus stop, the second before she decided to count me out of her contract. I still don't know why she made that choice. Or what she saw in me.

"I'll take the job."

"....... Guess I'm in your debt now." She says with a voice lighter than feather. She doesn't want me to do it either. Especially not after I know the truth.

"You don't owe me anything. I was the one in your debt. I've been in your debt for five years. This is just me, paying you back."

Vera is at a loss of words. Well. Ain't that a sight to be seen.

"Who's my contact in jiu lou ?"

"They said someone will come to you when you enter the place."

"Did they tell you how urgent is the matter ?"

"......They want you to go there as soon as I finished debriefing you." I nod slowly.

Can't fucking wait, can you?

"Guess I'll be going now." Noticing Vera's whiskey glass is empty. I drag my B&B across the pool table and stop in front of her.

"I'll give viv a call when I have time, tell her I'm alive and well." I stand up and survey the room one last time. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Nothing at all.

I walk past Vera and head toward the exit.A strong hand suddenly grips my shoulder. I immediately grab the person's thumb, before I twist it off, I turned around and see Vera standing next to me. I let go of her.

"Thank you."

Warden opens the gate for me like always. I thank him. He returns with a hum. I step outside and the smell of mold and the basement fills my nostrils. Just before he closed the door.

"Guess the drink didn't help." I heard him mumble.

Two floors up and 10 steps east. I'm back on Main Street again.

And everything is still too goddamn shining.