The Last Red

Chapter 18: Nicky

Nicky is a decent-looking man in his late thirties. You can tell he doesn't take proper care of himself, but there's an attractive quality to him.

Probably his poise.

He has a very strong presence. It appears as everything gravitates towards him. Even the two men seated at each of his sides seem to be there only to serve him.

My breath becomes shallow and I slowly tuck hands into my pockets to stop them from fidgeting, as I stand there and anticipate their next move.

"Take a seat if you wish," Nicky says in a polite manner, but it still sounds like a command.

I'm too nervous to sit, though. "I'm fine like this," I manage to utter.

He looks at me in silence, observing me with a squinted eye, then nods once, slowly.

He seems to be uninterested in me, yet very interested at the same time.

As if I was just a pawn in his mind game, but needed to do the last move before checkmate.

It's fascinating how many vibes he's sending only by being.

"I trust you've met Nancy," he says as if doing a small introduction.

I simply nod. Obviously, he made sure I'd come here. But why?

"Good," he continues, unbothered by my silence. "Do you know why I sent for you?" he asks as if he read my mind.

I shake my head. 

The conversation makes me uneasy. In Nicky's presence, you can't help but feel like a supporting role. It's obvious he's a natural-born Alpha.

"I want your friend to kill Patrick. And I'm gonna help him do it."

I freeze at once. He speaks about this as if he were ordering soup.

Okay, let's quickly resume this. 

He's offering help. I'm still alive. That's definitely a better outcome than I could've hoped for when entering a sketchy cell with three unknown men.

"Why?" my mouth asks without my brain consenting on it.

A corner of his dark mouth curls ever so slightly. 

"When a wolf spares a lamb's life, does it ask the wolf why?" 

"No," the old man at his left clicks his tongue and I note it's been split at the tip, resembling that of a snake, "it runs as fast as it can".

He doesn't really seem trustworthy. 

Besides, if Nicky thought of us as lambs, he wouldn't have gone to so much trouble to speak to me. He wouldn't decide to ally with lambs in a world full of beasts.

"Lambs can't talk," I say with my newfound rock-bottom confidence. There really is some sort of beauty being all the way down there. Shame and fear are erased without a trace. And all that's left is survival mode.

Nicky smirks a little. "I'm not so sure."

"I need to know I can trust you," I state. "I've been burnt." 

I don't know why I expected him to laugh, but he doesn't - I guess he knows girls my age could've gone through a lot of messed-up things.

"You can't trust anyone in here, girl. That's the only truth there is."

"But if you don't accept my kind offer, both you and your boyfriend won't live to see another day," he says matter-of-factly. 

He's not my boyfriend... But I don't want to sound childish. 

"What exactly is your offer?" I'm getting fed up with this conversation. Doesn't anyone know how to speak bluntly anymore?

* * *

I return to my cell only to find the bald woman inside.

"What're you doing here?"

She lays down on what used to be Koben's bed and plays with a knife between her teeth. I guess she's been stocking them.

"What's your deal, white girl?"

"I'm not following," I cross my arms.

She purses her lips, now propping herself against her elbow. "Don't think we didn't see you running off to Nicky's cell."

"Who's we?"

"All of us, baby. We ain't got nothin' to do all day but observe the connections bein' made," she shakes her head, smirking. "And you made a very naughty choice today."

I swallow hard. 

"What d'you mean?"

She gets up and walks towards me slowly, still playing with a knife in her hand. "I mean," she puts a knife against my jaw, then rolls it over towards my chin, "you were already on Patrick's hit list, but now..." she puts a knife over my lips, "even if your boy wins... the ruling clan will never let you two live."

We stare at each other's eyes, neither of us blinking. I then push her away. "Who the hell's the ruling clan?"

She laughs ruggedly. "You really don't know s**t, do you?" she takes me by the lower-arm and leans against my cell bars. "See those five lads upstairs, constantly watchin' down over the fence?"

I follow her stare and notice five big guys with white fabric tied over their heads, resembling turbans made of sheets.

"They're the guard," she continues. "Patrick's guard."

So, Patrick has a clan. And he rules it. 

"I thought this was supposed to be the land of the free."

She chuckles. "It was."

I see she has no plan to tell me the story, so I incite her. "What happened?"

She finds my eyes, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Freedom's a cruel thing, my green-eyed dove," she runs her knife over my shaved head, "at the end of the day... without rules, we're nothing but animals."

She walks towards my cell door, but I grab her wrist before she can leave. "Why does Patrick hate Nicky?" I sound panicked - it's because I feel everyone's been evasive with me and now I need to get to the bottom of this!

"I never said he hated 'im," she says amused.

"Stop playing games," I say with no humor attached. "You said his clan will kill us for going to Nicky."

She smirks, pulling her arm free, then putting her knife between us. "Yes. But not out of hatred," she licks her lips before whispering, "out of fear."

And then she's gone.

If Patrick and his clan fear Nicky, it seems smart to ally with him, doesn't it?

Should I warn Koben about the feud between the two? I already let him in on Nicky's plan... But he doesn't know the possible consequences of it. 

Suddenly, there's that loud throbbing sound again - metal rods being clacked against cell bars. 

I run out to the hallway immediately. 

There's Patrick standing in the middle of the ground floor, surrounded by his men. 

"Men!" he yells and all heads shoot towards him. "The time - has come, my friends," he speaks excitingly, grabbing everyone attention as he makes his announcement. "to see your leader fight! To see him defend his rightful place. To see him kill his opponent. Who's come to threaten the peace of NPS!"

Yeah, right. "What a load of bull!" I yell, hoping others will join.

But no one does.

People start cheering and whistling, too excited - for my taste - to see someone get killed.

"I want you to know!" he continues, "That I will defend this block to the blood! And only by blood can it be taken away!"

More aggressive cheering.

I run to take a first-row place in the already forming circle in the middle of which the fight will take place, I assume.

Maybe like this I can be of help.

I look around to find Nicky.

He's keeping his distance, yet being pretty close to the circle opening.

Nobody's squeezing in around him. They're giving him his space.

What's your story, old man? You better not be playing with us. Because this lamb will kill the wolf who does.

I clench the knife in my fist as Koben enters the circle.

He's wearing a tight fit jet black tracksuit with protruding ribbed patterns across his lower-arms, pecks, and outer thighs.

If this isn't an attire worthy of a 1st ranked KTL athlete, I don't know what is.

"And nooow," Patrick's guard announces. "Place your bets inmates!" he then looks at the two inside the ring made by block members. "Men... We're starting in... Three! Two! One! Fiiiight!"