Twelve hours before the golden hourglass to completely filled its lower glass, Jose was searching for his brother in different place he was familiar, yet he still did not find any clue.
Meanwhile in the old warehouse, the hideout, a number of people could be seen entering the gate. One of them seems so familiar, a boy with dull eyes, black dishevel hair and brownish complexion was currently entering the premises but what makes him stand out among the rest was he was using a walking stick to support his crippled legs. Indeed it was Jose’s younger brother, Mark.
As if the world was playing with them, Jose had no idea that his brother already returned to the hideout. On the other hand, Mark was also worried of his big brother whereabouts. But unlike his big bro, he was currently not physically suitable to find Jose all by himself, so he only hoped Jose was waiting for him here in the warehouse.
Meanwhile, Big boss Wang-un have received the news of the returned of his underlings. He ordered his men to organize them to put in a secured room for inspection and he will go checked them personally.
Normally, he will ordered his men to checked this returnee, however things were different, chaos were everywhere thus for him it was fortune. He will not let his men take advantage of the profit, he knows some will try to hide their quotas.
While checking, Boss Wang-un suddenly caught sight of Mark, he ordered his men to bring the crippled boy at the secured room for inspection.
After inspection, Boss Wang-un was very pleased even though Mark was crippled he was currently have the highest quota. He thought “this crippled boy was very profitable, he did not even tried to hide any quota... Hmmm. Maybe he already learned from his past mistake.
Suddenly, Mark said” Big Boss, did you ever saw my big brother?”
Boss Wang-un suddenly remembered Mark was the younger brother of Jose. He though “That idiot who tried to bribe me with an old phone, let Jose pay me for finding his younger brother, I was the one who found his younger brother right? Haha!” While he called someone to find Jose in the vicinity.
After a while, one of his subordinate walked inside the room and silently whispered him that Jose could not be found anywhere and it seems that he went out to find his younger brother.
Boss Wang-un was so enraged, someone in his domain went out without any permission. That was like a direct slap to his face. He almost want to kill this young man in front of him, however he remembered that this situation can still become an advantage for him.
He ordered two men to guard the room and not let Mark go out of the room. After that, he instructed his loyal thugs to call everyone attention and informed them he will announced few things.
In an open-space people were crowded, waiting for the announcement from Boss Wang-un. All of them were not glad to come here since it’s in middle of the night, they were trying to have a good night sleep you know. And they all experienced that every time Boss will announced something, it would be burden to their side. Who would be glad to listen to their own death sentence?
Boss Wang-un was currently standing in front of the crowd, using a wooden table as a platform to stand taller among the rest. Surveying the crowd, he estimated that he have at least 300 subordinates whether they were loyal thugs or captive children.
“ehheem. Everyone good day, I know some of you were not in the mood to listen, but due to current events happening outside and… inside, we need to clarify few things. First, no one is allowed to go out without my permission!” Boss Wang-un said as he looked fiercely to the crowds, he want to established authority, he was really piss when he heard that someone escaped his control.
Soon the crowds started to gossip and tried to guessed who made the boss this annoyed.
“Quiet! Second we will stop our daily quotas” Boss said… The people were dumbfounded, they felt someone made the greatest joke, did the boss said “stop the daily quota”? … Rejoiced the people felt, some were crying while others hugging each other. But shortly they were dragged again to hell, as the Boss continued” Yes, we will stop our daily quotas, because everyone will be mandatory to join my raid squad…
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Raid squad…
F*ck, raid squad my ass. It was just free labor! The crowd were in uproar, indeed the boss’ raid squad were people who will be directly under him when they plunder or do illegal acts, however unlike previously, all their spoils of war will be directly given to the boss.
“It will only be temporary, due to the circumstance outside, we need to be more united! haha.” Boss Wang-un evilly laughed, and he continue.” third rules would be special…, all of you know Jose, right? … That despicable boy went out without my permission, and due to that incident, I was forced to take some adjustment like the raid squad, so blame him not me.”
“Jose! Sh*t… what the” the crowd was enraged, to know someone have the guts to disobey Big boss they should consider Jose as their hero, however in this situation, the one suffering the aftermath were them, they counted Jose as their hell-bringer.
“So I request everyone that when his younger brother, Mark asked about his big brother whereabouts, deny it or much better tell him that his Big brother left him.” Boss Wang-un know some will not obey his order so he added “Anyone who don’t follow my order especially my third rule, I’ll personally skinned him alive in front of everyone!”
The people who heard his threat know that he was not joking, they felt a deep enmity towards his word so they buried in their mind all the rules especially the third rule. A simple lie can’t hurt them they assumed.
Afterward people were dispersed, and Mark was already permitted to leave the interrogation room. He was silently walking in the vicinity, searching for his brother. Soon he saw a familiar person and he tried to get the person’s attention. That person saw Mark, but his reaction was unexpected, the person run away with his fastest speed he can exert, it seemed that person saw his debt collector that when he got caught, he will be stripped naked for not paying his debt in time.
Clueless of what happened, Mark continue his search but anytime he saw someone, he felt odd. People were trying to get away from his sight, like a disease. Then without any other choice he went to Boss direct subordinates.
“Sir, what’s happening here?” he politely asked a thug near him, playing chess with another man at that moment.
The thug was annoyed, he was about to be checkmate by the opponent, if he lose the game then he need to pay the wager and now someone disturbed his focus he wants to punch this boy. But seeing that it was Mark, he became excited. “This was a great chance to create easy cash” he thought.
“Oh! What do you need?” the thug calmly said to Mark.
Mark was confused, he was preparing to receive a blunt response, since he was used to being bullied by this kind of man.
“Well, did you see my big brother, Jose? Mark asked.
“That… for that information I think you need to compensate my effort for giving you this shocking news” the thug directly asked for a payment.
Mark was somewhat confused, what shocking news he was talking about? Did something happen to my big brother... And how much did this idiot wants me to pay for that news? And how reliable that news would it be…
In the end he don’t have other choice, Mark gave the thug 100.00 PHP and a pack of cigarette which the thug happily accepted but the information that was given to him made him feel that he was deceived.
You were been abandoned by your big brother, Jose escaped.
“Who would believe that, my big brother dumped me?” Mark thought, trying to fix his mindset “In the past he have the chance to leave this place but he didn’t, he cared for me, my only family…
He went to other thugs, bribed by easy cash, he asked about his brother situation but all of them said the same thing that he was left out by his brother. He’s trust to his brother started to sway but he still tried to hold on, at last he found someone with credible background.
“Carla!” Mark shouted when he saw a familiar girl. The girl was surprisingly calmed as if she’s already prepared to be asked when she saw Mark walking towards her.
This girl, Carla was one of his few acquaintances here in the warehouse since the first day, he remembered that this girl really cared to his and his brother circumstance, so he was someone expected to tell him the truth since she doesn’t have any reason to lie.
“Carla, its urgent do you know what happen to my big brother?” he asked, nervously. Lingering the fear that the following words will break his last barrier of trust to his brother.
Carla replied “uhmm, Mark… I do not know how to say this… but y..your brother left with his belongings…, maybe..he..”
“STOP! I don’t want to hear your lies!” Mark can no longer endure his frustration, he don’t know what to believe, but all the people even Carla, who he consider as a person he can slightly trust said the same thing.
“JOSE! Am I that useless to you, Am I burden that you really want to dumped, because I’m a crippled boy?!” Mark suddenly smash his walking stick in the wall. *Thggg*. He can’t balance his body so leaned in the wall as he start crying…
“Hehe...HAHAHA! I’m useless, I’m powerless, Family? That’s bullshit, I…?” Mark was loss, anger swelled, It was really a destructive psychological attack for a crippled boy be left out by the only person he consider a family.
“I’m sorry, Mark” Carla mumbled to herself as he silently walked away from him.