The Boss

The lock, it wont open. I've tried everything, 5 small locks picking pieces of metal. Each one of them failed. I'm stuck in these chains. Where am I? I wonder how long I've been asleep. This is a dream right, so not real. Right? I am about to try another piece of metal, hoping this will pick the lock when someone walks up to my cell. 

“It wont work,” And when I looked up, I saw his eyes. Deep blue, it felt like they were tearing into my soul. Seeing right through me. Those eyes that would haunt me for weeks.

~~3 Weeks later~~

I peek through the curtains. There's a limo parked outside with two bodyguards. I heard a knock at the door and my head turned sharply. Who could these people be, I ask myself? I live in a small hut in the UK with my sister. Our parents died a few years ago and we don't have any other relatives, we've been on our own since. So it makes no sense for some random people to show up at our doorstep.

“Trace? Who are they? The people outside I mean,” My sister, Evie, asked.

“Who knows?” I say back. It might be one of those godforsaken rich people who always flash their money in our faces. Telling us we can be like them if we work hard. What they're really doing is just making people suffer by increasing taxes and killing those who don't pay.

I scoff and shake my head. The person knocks again, and again. Growing louder with each knock. Evie started to whimper and I turned to her and grabbed her shoulders. She looks me in the eyes and I nod. She's only 10 years old so I can understand why she's crying, but sometimes it can get so annoying.

“You need to hide,” I say, making sure to keep my voice low, “Don’t let them see you, if I’m not back in the next 10 minutes, run.” She nodded and I wiped the growing tears out of her eyes. 

We’ve done this a couple of times and with every run, it gets worse. Always closer and closer to one of us getting caught or killed. We would always find each other but I'm always covered in blood. Sometimes it isn't even my own. It's not easy getting away from people who want you dead, or people who just don't like you.

The two of us are wanted for not paying taxes, stealing, and - occasionally - putting people in the hospital. Most of these offences are because of me, but it's not really my fault. The society of nowadays is horrible. Gangs rule the streets everywhere. I wish we never had to live this kind of life, always on the run. But without parents, you have to do what you have to do. I slowly make my way to the door and not the bodyguard is pounding louder than a thunder crack.

“I’M COMING,” I yell to the door. I crack it open a bit when I can’t see Evie anymore. I hope she’ll be alright. In the crack, I can now clearly see the two guys who were trying to bang more doors to shreds. They are both wearing suits and ties and have weapons - guns and knives - on their sides. They look at me expectantly and I finally make my way outside and close the door behind me. I cross my arms and furrow my eyebrows together. Waiting for them to tell me what they want. We all lock eyes for what seems to be forever.

“Do you need something?” I ask impatiently when they don't say anything. 

The two of them look at each other and seem to have a secret conversation and one of them steps forward. He is a little bit skinnier than the other guy and he’s wearing a baseball cap covered in blue and white stripes. 

The colors of the Gang Vipers. I wonder what they’re doing here. The Vipers are known for staying under the radar and don't usually show up. Unless they want to take taxes, which I don't have enough money to pay for right now so they're out of luck.

“You need to come with us, ma’am.” They say and try to grab my arms but I jerk back.

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where we’re going and what you want,” I exclaim. 

They sigh like they knew this was coming. One of them - I'll just call him Skinny - starts to say something but the other elbows him hard in the ribs and tells him to put a sock in it. The other -  Mullet, I guess - nods and looks at me and for a second I feel kind of bad for Skinny. No, I say to myself, they attacked me first and I have a right to know what’s going on. The guards still look annoyed with me and when they realize that I'm not going to move they sigh again. Do they realize that their breaths don't smell as good? I should probably let them know later.

“The boss has requested to meet with you,” Mullet said.

He emphasized the word, boss-like, I'm supposed to know what he means. Why would the boss of Vipers want to see someone like me? And, better question, how did they find us. I glance behind me and relax a little when I don't see Evie. Hopefully, she will run. When they see my confused expression Mullet mutters something like ‘daft’ under his breath. I glare at him and he glares back.

“Look miss, for some reason our boss requested a meeting with you. So you need to come with us. Or else” Skinny steps in.

“Or else what?” I demand and instantly regret it. They look at each other briefly and whip out some kind of cloth. Before I could react they grabbed my arms behind my back and brought the cloth over my mouth and I started to get dizzy. Mullet one gives me a, we tried to warn you, look and shrug. I should have kept my big mouth shut. The world starts to spin faster and I have time to think one last thought. 

Be safe, Evie. And then the world turns black.

XXX

I woke up in some abandoned shed. My head is still spinning a bit but I shake it off. It takes me a minute to remember what happened and when I do I clench my teeth. The next time I see those two, they’re dead. I try to scramble up to my feet but something pulls me back to the floor. I look behind me and see that I am chained to a wall. Am I inside a cell, I wonder. I look around, trying to find something to get me out of here.

I see a little piece of metal on the floor and get an idea. I slide on the floor and use my feet to try and get it. The chains creak as I move and I know I have to hurry before someone catches me. Just a little bit further, I think to myself. My foot is so close to racing it. Curse these short legs, I grumble mentally. I take a deep breath and stretch as far as I can and I hear footsteps. Come on, come on. I jerk my foot as far as I can.

“Got it,” I say with a smirk when my foot makes contact with it.

Sliding it closer towards me, I check to hear any footsteps. None, I better hurry up. I scan the chains and find the lock and bring the piece of metal in my hands. Biting down on it, the metal bends a little bit allowing me to try to pick the lock. I've been practicing lock picking since I was 8 so this should be a piece of cake. Spoke too soon. No matter where I move the metal, it won't open the lock. This might be a little harder than I thought. 

I start to panic when the metal still doesn't open the lock. I have to get out of here, I tell myself, I need to get to Evie. Who knows how long I've been locked in here. I hope she hasn't been caught, or worse. I find another piece of metal on the floor and just as I am about to try picking the lock again, a voice startles me.

“It won't work,” It says from outside my cell. 

I flinch in surprise and look at the speaker. Deep blue eyes stared back at me and I froze. Those same eyes, so familiar but I can place my finger on why. Where do I remember them from? His white hair fell neatly in front of his face and judging by his fancy clothing I knew who he was right away. The boss. The head of Viper is standing right infront of me and I stare with realization. 

I’m surprised at how young he is, not much older than me. But… I've seen him before, I realize. In my dream, the same dream that I've been having for weeks - almost a month - now. Or could this just be a coincidence, I ask myself but when I look at him again I know this is the same guy. I blink a couple of times trying to get out of my shock. Pull yourself together, Trace, I tell myself.

“Those chains are made out of the strongest steel in the world. And that lock you are trying to pick won't open unless you have the key,” He told me, dangling the key in front of me. The deja vu hits hard and I feel like I'm going to puke. It was like in my dream. Like his eyes were piercing right through me. Get it together, I scold myself and do my best to look calm. I know better than to say anything right now.

“Oh, so you’re not going to say anything. Knife caught your tongue?” He smirks at me and I keep my mouth closed. It's not easy, I want to punch that look right off his face. But I don't have time for that right now, I need to get out of here.

I pull on the chains. They seem to be pretty strong, the strongest steel in the world, huh? Everything has its weaknesses. I pull harder, maybe if I can loosen the hold it has on the wall. Then it will be easy to just-

“Pull the chains out the wall and walk out of here?” He finishes for me and I freeze. How did he know what I was thinking? Did I accidentally say it out loud? I look at him hesitantly and he smirks again.

“It is not as easy as it seems, you know. Like I said earlier, those chains are made of the strongest material in the world. There is no way, out of sheer force, you will be able to break out of those chains. And to build on to that-” I cut him off before I can stop myself. 

“I get it, okay? There's no way out of here. What do you want with me in the first place?” I ask, feeling anger rising inside of me. I should be with my sister, not talking with some guy who happens to be the leader of one of the biggest gang members in the world. Thinking about that kind of makes the situation worse but that's life for you.

The Boss didn't answer me at first, he just stared at me for a couple of minutes and I started to squirm. His stare is intense. He nods to one of the guards that are next to him. I didn't notice them before but when I look at them closely I remember their faces. Skinny and Mullet. I growl at them and the boss chuckles.

“I see you have already met my guards,” He observes, ``I keep my glare focused on the guards. When I get out of here they are going to pay. “Anyways, you want to know the reason I called you here right? - And just so you know, those chains are only there because I’m pretty sure you will escape the second you get the chance. - I just want to talk to you about something and I need a tiny favor from you.”

“Ok… and what if I refuse?” I ask.

He doesn't say anything and snaps his fingers. Two other guards come into the cell room carrying a body. They take the hood off of the body and I clench my fist. They've got Evie.

“If you refuse, then things will get a little... messy.” He replies, his expression is deadly serious. I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out. Fear courses through my veins. I've already lost everything and everyone I cared about. I can't lose Evie.

Mullet comes up to the cell carrying something in his hand. He blows the substances inside the cell. Purple mists start to fill my lungs and I cough uncontrollably. My eyes feel like they are on fire and I can barely see anything. I strain and take one last look at Evie. She doesn't seem hurt but I can't be sure. I’ll get us out of here, Evie, I promise.

Then something happened that I never would have expected. Her tiny voice fills my head.

I know. She somehow replies. 

I freeze and wonder if I am just hearing things when the world turns from a shady purple to completely dark.