"You get health insurance, bonuses, and a lot of leave time for vacation. You are well supported here, my brother."
Trapped in darkness, Devin had no choice but to listen to Mr. H's sales pitch. His knife confiscated, he anxiously dug his nails into his hands, his mind wandering back to a few minutes ago…
Pfft! Thud!
Evan's body dropped with a sickening thud, his blood splattering on Devin's face. The metallic tang filled his nostrils, mingling with the cold sweat beading on his forehead. The muffled gunshot rang in his ear, leaving him momentarily dazed. By instinct, Devin gripped his knife and strained his body to close the distance with Mr. H.
When he looked up, he saw the man tuck away his gun and ask. "What's holding you? You need medicine, right?" Before walking out the door.
Perplexed, Devin's vision blurred as he looked back at the corpse before him. Evan's blood pooled under his feet, guilt marring his face. "I, I said I'd kill him, but, this is…" His mind raced, Evan's death eating at his conscience. His breath echoed in his ears as he came to grips with what he'd done.
But that didn't matter now.
Devin looked up at the door Mr. H had passed through, the light from the sun shining through the glass panes. The key to Darcey's cure lay beyond it. "I need to save Darcey," he whispered, steeling himself.
Stepping through the pool of blood, he left Evan's corpse behind, and walked through the door…
With the pharmacy behind him, Devin stepped through the doorframe as the sun's rays rained upon him. He raised his hand, effectively blocking off the rays, when he heard Mr. H utter, "You have made a good decision, my brother."
The facilitator then turned to the well-suited man beside him and said, "Clean up for centre #555." The suited man nodded, walking past Devin and entering the pharmacy.
Devin's eyes adjusted to the light when Mr. H addressed him. "Here's our ride." He gestured at the sleek silver limousine idling by the curb.
The man's smile sent a shiver down Devin's spine as he opened the door for him to enter. Devin hesitated for a moment, feeling the heat of the sun on his back, then sighed in dejection and got into the vehicle. Mr. H followed him, slamming the door shut. The musty scent of leather filled the limo. Mr. H produced a brown bag from his pocket and said, "My brother, I need you to put this on…"
Now with the brown bag over his head, Devin endured Mr. H's babbling. "You see, my brother, I see myself in you. The drive, the focus, the sacrifices you make for what you need. I know a thing or two about sacrifices myself, my brother. This is a place for people like us. So join me, my brother."
'How cultish of you,' Devin thought, his frustration mounting. The bag was stifling, making it hard to breathe, and he could feel the fabric rubbing against his skin. 'How long have we been driving?' He wondered, losing track of time in the darkness.
Sighing, he asked Mr. H, "How long till we get to this place?"
Mr. H chuckled. "Soon, my brother. Now let me tell you a story of how I became the facilitator." Devin sighed…
After what felt like an eternity of listening to Mr. H's story, Devin finally felt the limo gradually slow down before the rumbling engine came to a stop. This came as a relief to him, as Mr. H's tale of patricide, inheritance schemes, corporate chases, and corruption still hadn't reached a conclusion.
"Ah, it seems that we have arrived," Mr. H sighed. "Let us continue this another day, my brother. For now, the shadows will take care of you."
With that, Devin heard the car door flip open, and felt two pairs of hands grab him, dragging him out. The rough grip on his arms and the sudden exposure to cooler air sent a shiver down his spine.
Devin felt the sun on his neck as the shadows led him forward. Step by step, he welcomed the sweet reprieve of cool shade, almost tripping over what felt like a threshold.
'Are we inside the building?' Devin wondered, nearly slipping on the polished floors beneath him. 'Cunts,' he cursed, infuriated at being dragged around like a sack of potatoes. He imagined crushing one of their knees and poking out an eye to make an escape.
'Wait, violence is one thing, but what's wrong with me lately?' He wondered, reflecting on all the actions he'd committed. 'Mom, dad, Evans, how many people have to die?'
Devin had a moment of clarity. Blinded by rage and despair, this was the one time he could hear his own voice. It sounded broken, tattered, and numb to it all.
Devin let the shadows drag him forward, their steps drowned out by the murmurs of the people around him. He walked for what felt like an hour, his feet growing tired with every step. His legs felt like lead as they walked straight for a seemingly endless distance.
As Devin's knees were about to give out, the shadows stopped. He heard the clicking and clacking of some kind of mechanism. The area rumbled for a moment before the shadows began to descend.
Devin almost tripped on the steps below as the shadows caught him. Silently, he allowed himself to be dragged down the steps, Darcey's image flickering through his mind. Thankfully, the flight of steps wasn't as long as the steps it took to get there. Eventually, they made it to the bottom, much to Devin's discomfort.
Walking along what felt like a corridor, Devin couldn't shake off this eerie feeling. This place felt wrong, in a way that Devin couldn't understand. It wasn't until he walked further along the path that he realized what was wrong.
'This place is too quiet,' Devin thought. With his eyes covered, he had to rely more than usual on his sense of hearing. But here, he couldn't hear anything. Not his own breath, not even the shadows' steps. If it weren't for them holding him, Devin would have been convinced that he was all alone.
Finally, they stopped, and one of them lifted the bag from his head. Devin's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the light in the room.
Seated behind a desk was a man in all black. Enjoying succulent ground lamb, the man's face appeared obscured by the shadows playing across it. He looked up and said, "Lovely, it seems that you've made it just in time."
End of Chapter 10