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Tower of Hell: Caged and Confused, Book 1, Chapter 131
🕑 Added 2023-01-24 05:03:08 +0000 UTCAttention! Today's chapter marks the second last chapter of book one, and the story will conclude next week with chapter 132, the epilogue. I just want to say thank you to everyone who has stuck through the story so far, and I appreciate all the comments, love, and support you give me each week. I look forward to writing and publishing book two, and I hope you enjoy it just as much. I plan for it to be longer, with bigger chapters, and much higher-quality writing. Have a great day!
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Dark Fly auction house was experiencing organic growth in sales and inventory quality. Their contacts spread like a spider's web throughout all of Sun City, gathering victims from fake jobs like modeling gigs, porn, hospitality, and even construction which were all professions with rampant human trafficking, which Dark Fly benefited from greatly. Then there were the classic social rule breakers: those who got black-out drunk and ended up in a cage, those who did drugs from an untrustworthy dealer, and those who simply were in the wrong place at the wrong time. There were hundreds of ways in Hell to become captured, human trafficked, and enslaved, and Boss James from Dark Fly auction house knew all of them.
With the uptick in inventory numbers, there was also a noticeable increase in product quality. Active men and attractive women were worth the most, and a good worker or hot housemaid fetched the most significant amount of Sin Stones at auction. Lately, James' contacts had been bringing in much better humans: less lazy and more pretty.
Jonas had fetched one of the highest prices in the auction's history, and James quickly realized that he needed more slaves of a much higher quality. The night Jonas and Old Louie arrived at the auction was a special event because of the massive selection of slaves, and potential buyers were coming in from all over Sun City. It could be one of the best auctions that James' had overseen in decades.
Speaking of Boss James, he was pacing the warehouse room in his black leather high-heeled boots while barking orders. He yelled at crying slaves and tried to micromanage his idiot employees, like the head of security, Rick Harris, and his team of bumbling yes-men. None of them were Sinners, but that wasn't surprising because it was hard for big-shot CEOs to hire True Sinners, let alone a small-time black market auction house. However, James was never worried about manpower because he had Sin Scars beneath his black gloves, and the forces watching him from the shadows ensured his protection and that of his business.
James Downy ran Dark Fly longer than he could remember, and there was never an incident of escaped slaves or issues with another organization trying to break in and steal. It would be foolish to try and screw with most black market auction houses because even though they lacked on-base security, each business usually had a much larger Sinner organization behind them. With Dark Fly Auction House, Boss James ran the show, but he paid dues and respects to the liaison representing a much more powerful organization. However, history was about to be changed.
"This is team Zeta. Team Beta, can you hear me? Over," one of the warehouse security's walkie-talkies went off, and the voice behind team Zeta sounded stressed.
"Roger. Beta here. What's the issue? Over."
"Beta, I've got two suspicious people at the door claiming they have an invitation. One is a young man with Sin Scars, and the other is the old healer. Were we expecting him? Over," the security guard representing team Beta looked over and saw James frantically running around while yelling orders. "Let me check with the boss. Over," he stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Boss James. Were you expecting the old healer? Louie or whatever his name is?" James scrunched his eyebrows, and his expression looked like he'd just smelled shit.
"Why do you ask?"
"Team Zeta just radioed in and said the old man and some kid with Sin Scars are waiting at the backdoor and claim you invited them here. What should I do?" Boss James tilted his head in confusion. He knew Old Louie was a Sinner, but why was there someone with him?
"Jesus Christ! We've only got an hour before everyone shows up. Ask them to find out what the old man wants. Also, who's the extra?" Although James had done business with Old Louie plenty of times, he had always called him to the auction, and the old man never once showed up uninvited, and it was even sketchier that he was with a young Sinner. James was a careful person by nature, especially when it came to unknown Sinners.
"Zeta, this is Beta. Boss wants to know the old man's purpose because he never invited him, and the young man's identity. Over," a few moments passed while James and the security guard waited for a reply.
"This is Zeta. The old man claims he's here to introduce his new disciple, also a healer. Over," James' eyebrows stretched up to the sky, and he tilted his head in surprise. It wasn't every day a Sinner took on a student. It was rare for loners like Old Louie to take on disciples, and it occurred much more frequently with large organizations like family clans and businesses. Could it be a trap? James found it unlikely.
"Fine. Let Old Louie and his disciple in, but tell them they've only got five minutes because this auction will start soon. Shut up!" Boss James kicked the nearest metal cage belonging to a sobbing woman. She jumped in shock, and her cries went silent as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks, and she fought to be quiet. "I can't hear anything with this bitch balling in my ear."
"Zeta, this is Beta. Boss says to let them in, but they only have five minutes. Over."
"This should be good," James fixed his hair and straightened his bow tie. Then he beckoned over to a wild-looking, muscular man whose black suit stretched to limits because of his swollen muscles. "Rick! Get over here," Rick, the head of security, glared at his boss and slowly marched over. Standing in front of James, Rick towered over him, but James was unafraid and looked at his massive figure like he was something disgusting and unsightly.
"We've got guests. Greet them with me."
"I know. I have a radio," Rick shook his head, scratched his beard, and pointed at the walkie-talkie attached to his front pocket. "The old geezer and some kid. Whoopty doo."
"Shut up. I don't like strange Sinners showing up uninvited. A fucking Outcast like you wouldn't understand," James' venomous tongue made Rick frown.
"Don't call me that. I've fucking told you not to call me that," Rick's expression went dark, and his knuckles began to crack.
"My apologies," James smirked and beckoned for him to follow. "Let's go," begrudgingly, Rick followed him to the back bay door, which opened electronically. The door opened and revealed Hell's evening sky, which was starting to turn to night, and two people. Old Louie had his arms crossed and was smiling toothily. Next to him was Jonas, but neither James nor Rick recognized him. How could they? The difference between the skinny teen they'd sold to Phillip Glatorius and the imposing young man before them was like Heaven and Hell.
"Good to see you," Old Louie swaggered in and stuck out a dirty hand, which James glared at and ignored.
"Make it quick, old man. Why are you here?" He thoroughly examined Jonas from head to foot and thought he might be one of the most handsome Sinners he'd ever seen. He had long golden hair that twisted and fell to his shoulders, two piercing blue eyes that could momentarily freeze a person, a strong jaw, and a handsome, youthful face that might've belonged to the lead singer of a boy band. On top of that, James could see that Old Louie's disciple was shredded and had two bright red cross-shaped Sin Scars on the back of his hands.
"Always so rude," Old Louie blew a raspberry and pointed a thumb at Jonas. "My new disciple. He's a greenhorn with Sin but still talented enough to heal someone seconds from death. He's only nineteen and almost ready to take the Sin Assessment."
"Unbelievable," Boss James forgot to be rude as he gawked at Jonas. He quickly regained his composure when Rick coughed to get his attention. "My apologies. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is James Downy, and I'm the auctioneer here at Dark Fly. As your master probably told you, sometimes I receive a product in less than fair condition. In those cases, I usually call your master to come and make them new again. Perhaps, I can make time for you to show me what you're capable of doing. I could always use a healer that doesn't stink so badly."
"My pleasure," Jonas' tone was flat and contained no traces of politeness. "If you have a spare minute, I don't mind showing you an example of what I can do."
"Unfortunately," James ignored the rude tone but kept his smile because it wasn't unusual for young Sinners to be arrogant. 'I don't have anyone who requires healing. However, next time I do, I'll call your master, and you can come and show me your skills."
"What do you mean?" Jonas tilted his head like a confused puppy. "Doesn't he need healing?" He pointed at Rick, who was completely fine.
"Uhm, I don't understand—" just as James was getting impatient, Jonas moved from his spot so quickly that no one in the room had registered it. There was a crunching noise, Jonas' fist hit Rick across the face, and the attack sent the head of security flying backward until his skull cracked off the ground, and he slid across the room before finally coming to a halt. There was complete silence as each person in the room froze in time from shock and disbelief.
"See," Jonas pointed at Rick, who was on the ground and gingerly touching his bloody face and broken nose. His face looked like Jonas had beaten it with a sledgehammer, and Rick could barely breathe as he tried to blink away the pain from one of the strongest attacks he'd ever faced. "That looks like a man who requires healing."
"Old Louie," James' voice was shaking from anger. "You better have a good explanation for this."
"Boss!" A few security guards came too, and they ran over to help Rick off the ground.
"Good explanation?" Old Louie looked at James like he was the dumbest man in Hell. "My disciple is here to heal your man? What the hell explanation do you need?"
"Mother fucker!" Rick's nasally voice boomed across the room, and he pushed away his men who were trying to help him up. "I'll fucking kill you. You're so fucking dead," he steadied himself and began violently marching across the room. There was so much hatred in his expression that Jonas knew for sure Rick was out to murder.
"I'm dead?" Jonas smiled. "No. No. Didn't I tell you I'd come back to kill you?" He ran his fingers through his bangs and pulled them back to reveal his whole face. "I'm a bit sad you don't remember me," neither James nor Rick had any clue who he was. However, behind them stood Rasta, the bespectacled secretary that worked for James. Jonas pulled his bangs back, and she gasped as she realized who he was.
"You're Jonas Ariel," she pointed, and her mouth was agape. "How?" The name instantly brought back memories to both James and Rick. Neither could believe that one of the highest-grossing slaves in their auctions history had returned as a Sinner.
"Funny Guy?" Blood dripped into Rick's open mouth, and he tried to recall the cocky, skinny youth he'd once beaten into submission and pissed all over.
"Not so funny anymore. Right?" Jonas raised an eyebrow. "You've got something on your face," but before Rick could retort, Jonas punched him, and the force was enough to instantly shatter cheekbones while once again sending the head of security across the room like a rag doll. Rick crashed heavily into the side of a slave's cage and screamed in pain as soon as he caught his breath. Old Louie sniggered, Rastia was open-mouthed, and James had a vein throbbing on his handsome face.
"Jonas Ariel. I see you discovered how to Sin. Good for you," James didn't sound very happy at all. His worst nightmare had come true: one of his products had turned into a strong Sinner and returned for revenge. It was the exact reason he'd never tell any of his slaves what Sinners were. "Welcome to the club," very delicately, he removed his black gloves and revealed pale hands with painted nails, and on the back of them were two diamond-shaped Sin Scars that glowed quite proficiently. It was difficult to tell how strong a Sinner was from the appearance of their Sin Scars, but Jonas could tell that James would be a mid-level fighter in one of the gangs of Little Wrath City.
"Cute," said Jonas. "Do you remember one of the last things I said to you? I told you I'd be coming back to kill him," he pointed at Rick. "And you said you'd give me his job?"
"I do," James narrowed his eyes, and his Sin Scars began to glow. "Have you come to take me up on that offer?"
"I'm still going to kill him. But I don't need the job," Jonas looked over and saw that Rick had stopped screaming and was angrily stomping toward him. However, James held up a hand just as Rick looked like he was going to pounce and attack.
"You can't beat him, Idiot," James shook his head.
"Fuck off!" Rick screamed, and there was rage and disbelief in his voice. "I refuse to believe he's a Sinner. I refuse to believe he could beat me in just two years!"
"Jesus Christ," James rolled his eyes. "Rick. You fucked up, and now I've got to clean up your mess. Stop barking and shut the fuck up while I do business."
"Don't tell me what to do!" Rick's face was covered in blood and looked terrifying because Jonas had knocked two of his teeth out.
"Are we going to have a problem, Rick?" James gave him a crazy side-eye. "Do I need to call your brother?" Like a vacuum had just sucked the anger out of Rick, he froze on the spot and stared stupidly at James, and his pupils dilated from fear.
"My brother? Why would you do that?" Although it seemed like James was threatening Rick, it was clear to Jonas that he was also threatening both him and Old Louie too.
"You're not listening to me, and you're about to cause problems for our auction. It's only because of your brother that a useless Outcast like you is working here."
"You wouldn't call him," Rick shook his head. "He scares you too much."
"I'm your boss, and he's mine. You listen to me, or you can listen to him. It's up to you," James didn't sound like he wanted to call Rick's brother, but the threat had made the head of security smarten up.
"Don't call him," Rick ground his teeth and stared daggers at Jonas. "How the fuck did you get Sin Scars?"
"I had to be a bad boy," Jonas crossed his arms and stared into Rick's eyes. "I had to do something very sinful. So, I fucked your mom until my scars showed up," it was such a juvenile response that James could only roll his eyes, but some of the younger slaves who were eavesdropping from their cages went open-mouthed as they quietly chuckled and began routing for Jonas.
"Funny guy," Rick cracked his neck, and there was a twitch in his reddened eye. "I beat you when you were weak, and it looks like you got your revenge. Nice going."
"Exactly," James interrupted before Jonas could say anything. "Rick did treat you very poorly, and you got him back. How about this? I'll give you front-row seats to the auction, and you can pick one of our slaves, and I'll buy it for you. We've got a few fine females for sale tonight or a few strong males if that's your preference," James forced a smile on his face and pointed toward a few cages that held young women who cried and backed into the shadows.
"Very generous," Jonas clicked his tongue and stared at James. "Unfortunately, I don't give a fuck about your auction, nor do I want a slave."
"Then what do you want? Money?" James had a bad feeling, and fear was beginning to creep in as he realized the night wasn't going to go easy for him.
"Money?" Jonas sighed. "No, no. You don't understand, do you? I'm here to kill."
"You cocky fuck," Rick snarled. "You think you're a big shot 'cause you woke up your Sin Scars? Crusader or not, you're just a fucking pebble in an ocean of rocks. You might be stronger than me and this fuck," he nodded at James. "However, you don't want to screw with this auction. You can't afford to screw with this auction."
"It's like my employee said," said James. "You might've come here for revenge, but I don't think that's in the cards for you. My boss, his brother," he nodded at Rick. "He wouldn't be pleased if you killed either of us or disrupted this auction. Trust me, Jonas. His brother isn't a person you want coming after you.
"Big brothers are crazy, right?" Jonas nodded in agreement. "I've got a big brother too. That asshole went and got himself locked up on the sixth floor. If he ever found out someone killed me, he'd probably lose his shit."
"Listen, Jonas," Old Louie interrupted them. "This is your first lesson in the world of Sinners. When a Sinner or a Hellite realizes they can't beat you, they'll likely resort to threatening you with their uncles, brothers, grandfathers, butlers, and dogs. They'll name-drop and hope that it strikes enough fear into you to the point you'll think twice about killing them. It's up to you whether you want to let them live and hope they forgive and forget, or you can kill them and deal with the aftermath. It's a choice you'll have to make throughout your journey."
"I see," Jonas nodded. "It's an intelligent way of surviving. It's always good to fall back on someone stronger and scarier. Unlike me, I don't have anyone I can fall back on. My brother is in another dimension, and you aren't going to help."
"You got that right," Old Louie cackled. "Clean up your mess, 'cause I ain't doing it. However, I'll say this much. I don't want a disciple who's a big pussy. Though, you know that already."
"I do," said Jonas. He noticed Rick subtly tapping his thigh with two fingers. Moments later, the security guards began to shuffle, and Jonas knew they were getting in a better position.
"You're making a big mistake," James licked his dry lips. "My boss doesn't play around. He's a True Sinner, and he'll kill both of you for fun. You'll have killed his little brother and fucked with his business. I'm warning you, Jonas. You'll have nowhere to hide and nowhere to run. He'll find you, and he'll make you beg for reincarnation," his words made Rick subconsciously nod, and there was fear in his eyes.
"Name?" Asked Jonas. "I doubt I've heard of him."
"The Black Butcher," said James. He intentionally said it with a lowered tone. "My boss isn't just some Sun City Sinner. He manages half the slave auctions from here to Liberty City," Jonas scrunched his eyebrows and looked over at Old Louie, who shrugged and picked wax out of his ear. Judging by Old Louie's response, the name wasn't worth mentioning.
"Sounds like a scary guy."
"Terrifying," James shook his head. "I know you want revenge for beating and selling you as a slave, but trust me. It isn't worth it to make an enemy of the Butcher. Take me up on my offer. I'll give you a few thousand Sin Stones, and we can go our separate ways. No harm, no foul."
"This Butcher," Jonas looked over at Rick. "He's a True Sinner?"
"He and I came together from the Inlands," Rick growled while gingerly holding his nose.
"Oh," Jonas put two-and-two together. "You're an Outcast, right?" His words made Rick's face flush with anger and embarrassment. "There's only one reason a person without Sin Scars would come from the Inlands. So, your family gave you the boot and cast you away. Very sad."
"Don't call me an Outcast," Rick shook his head. "I fucking hate that word. Don't say it."
"A Hellite born without the ability to Sin and forsaken to the Outlands is called an Outcast. It's just a word. Why are you getting so offended?" Jonas could barely contain his smile at seeing Rick fume. "Outcast."
"Stand down, Rick," James could see that Rick was seconds from exploding. "You and your men will stand down and return to preparing the auction," he noticed that a lot of the security guards had slowly eased forward, creating a small circle around Jonas and Old Louie. Some of them had swords, some had crossbows with bolts notched, and some had electrical prods in hand. It was more weapons than Jonas had ever seen, and the guards slowly pointed them in his direction. Even Rick took two brass knuckles out from his pockets, which were solid gold and had blood-stained spikes. A bloodthirsty aura permeated the room and caused the hairs on Jonas' neck to stand. He knew the feeling of someone ready to kill and that bloodlust was coming from multiple directions.
"Negotiations are over," said Rick. "He's here to kill both of us, and you're stupid if you think he's going to take anything you offer. The time for talking is over."
"Fuck," James bit his lip but didn't argue because he could tell that Rick was right about Jonas not wanting to negotiate, and he could feel a brawl was seconds away from happening. Slowly, he put his hand into the chest of his pink jacket, and from within, he pulled a shiny knife.
Jonas knew that he was seconds away from being attacked. His hand grabbed the hilt of his dagger, his Sin Scars began to glow, and with one fluid motion, he drew the weapon and sliced his palm.
"Now!" Rick charged, Old Louie jumped out of the way, and James aimed his knife at Jonas' face.
'Flow with Pride,' Jonas ducked, turned on the spot, and opened his palm. Like a hose was inside his hand, crimson blood burst from the wound, and he aimed it at the guards with crossbows. The blood blasted into their faces and mouths and drenched them. 'Now, burn,' just as Jonas kicked off the ground and rolled away from half-a-dozen attacks, there was a terrifying scream as those guards coated in blood began to feel their faces and insides burn like Jonas had sprayed them with acid. His True Sin was much more potent than before, and the attack had incapacitated them and turned the guards into nothing more than people rolling on the ground while shrieking and clutching their faces.
"Surround him!" Rick bellowed, and he clicked his walkie-talkie. "Code Red! All units report to the hangar. Code Red!"
Jonas smiled and knew that he had his work cut out for him. Instead of staying in the open, he began weaving between cages to put some space between him, James, Rick, and the two dozen guards on duty. The security forces contained no Sinners, but trying to survive against trained, twenty-or-so murderous people with weapons wasn't easy, even for Jonas, who planned on downing a few guards before the other dozen showed up. Very quickly, he knocked two unconscious with well-timed punches to the chin and slid under a wheeled cage and out of sight.
"Stupid disciple!" Old Louie's voice came from somewhere in the room. "You've got a dagger in your hand. Kill those guards. KILL!" Jonas had no idea where his master was but knew he wouldn't be offering any help.
"Fuck," Jonas mumbled. He knew that killing was the only way he'd make it out of there alive, and it seemed that Old Louie had calculated it. They were human traffickers and most likely responsible for countless deaths, enslavement, and rape. Jonas reminded himself that they didn't deserve pity, and they had what was coming to them. They were also trying to kill him, and they'd continue their terrible ways if they succeeded. They might've only been yes-men for Rick and James, but they said yes to terrible atrocities against innocent people. Jonas exhaled, channeled his Pride, steadied his heart, and swung his dagger. 'I'm sorry, Drake. I can't be a good boy anymore.' It was almost too easy when he wasn't hesitating and trying to spare their lives. His weapon slashed across their throats so quickly that they hadn't time to realize Jonas had even attacked. Blood spurted outward, and they grasped the wounds in horror and hit their knees while their throats were gurgling blood.
"Good disciple!" Old Louie's voice echoed from the rafters. "Kill them all! They deserve it!"
"They deserve it," Jonas repeated to himself. His thoughts had become quiet, and he was letting his instincts as a Sinner do all the work. He weaved between the guards while easily dodging their attacks like they had done them in slow motion, all while his dagger slashed at throats and stabbed through chest cavities. One by one, Jonas piled up bodies around the cages and eventually stopped counting how many men were dead. Truthfully, he didn't want to think about it. Every single person he killed made his emotions go even more numb, causing him to sink deeper into a depression, and their screams tugged at the empathetic parts of himself, which churned his stomach in protest of his gruesome actions.
"Oh my god," James turned the corner around a wall of caged slaves and forgot to breathe because the sight was so terrible that he wasn't sure it was even real. At least ten dead bodies spread across the walkway, and so much blood leaked from them that the puddles had conjoined and formed one small pond. "Rick!" James shrieked. "Call your men off. Stop chasing him!" The auctioneer frantically ran past the bodies, and his eyes nearly left their sockets when he saw the rest of the reinforcements had their numbers cut in half because Jonas had already killed most of the ones who'd entered.
"Surround me!" Rick shouted. His eyes were manic, and he looked like someone running from death. Less than ten guards were left, and they gratefully stopped chasing Jonas and quickly regrouped with their leader. "Form a circle!" Rick and the remaining guards took a basic formation that gave them full sight of the room. However, Jonas was gone from view. Rick ground his teeth, picked up a crossbow from one of the crying guards lying on the floor, notched it, and began aiming it around to search for Jonas.
Suddenly, Jonas dropped from twenty feet off the rafters. Like a cat, he landed within the encirclement, lunged, swung his dagger, and three guards dropped before the arrow in Rick's crossbow shot out and caught Jonas in the heart.
Rick smiled because he knew the attack was lethal, but Jonas barely flinched, and the young Crusader continued his assault on the group. Within a few seconds, the last of the guards hit the floor, and Jonas was left facing an ashen-faced Rick and James, frozen in fear and unable to move. "Impossible," Rick shook his head in disbelief as Jonas pulled out the arrow embedded in his heart and tossed it aside. "Who the fuck are you!"
"Karma," Jonas shrugged. "You were bound to die at some point. The Universe decided it'd be me who does it," Rick tossed his crossbow aside and swung at his opponent. The spikes on his brass knuckles just missed Jonas, who tilted his head around the attack. Jonas sheathed his dagger and began using his Sin-fueled punches to wildly beat his enemy. Rick couldn't dodge, block, or do anything that would help him win the fight. Jonas was too quick, too powerful, and within moments the head of security was on his knees, semi-conscious and barely breathing. Blood dripped from every orifice, and he knew he was seconds away from death.
"Stop!" James shrieked. "You can't kill him! You can't kill me! The Butcher will fucking hunt you, skin you, rape you, and do it again!"
"Old Louie," Jonas' voice was deep and husky. "What do you think?"
"Kill, bitch!" there was a cackle, and Old Louie appeared from the shadows. He kicked James from behind, and the pink-suited auctioneer cried as he flew forward and landed next to Rick.
"You heard the doctor," Jonas shook his head. "No sparing anyone today."
"Then do it," Rick's voice was barely louder than a whisper. "I won't beg," on his knees, he slowly looked around at all his dead men. Guilt flooded his heart, and although he wasn't a caring person, he did have a soft spot for the men under his command. They had been loyal in life and death.
"Good," said Jonas, and his blood-stained hands gripped Rick's head and chin. With a terrible cracking noise, Jonas snapped Rick's neck.
"No!" James shrieked. "Jonas, please spare me!" He didn't bother fighting because even though he was a Sinner, he didn't have a single prayer of beating the crazed, murderous youth in front of him.
"Please, don't beg," Jonas' voice was emotionless, but his face looked depressed. "I can't let you live."
"No! No! No!" James turned on the spot and tried running away. He crashed into Rastia and pushed her aside, and he tried to run for the exit door. Jonas unsheathed his weapon, put the blade between his two fingers, and with all his might, he tossed it across the room. It sped like a bullet, so loud the slaves in the room could hear it, and it penetrated the back of James' skull so cleanly and with so much force that it pierced right through to the other side and finished its journey by stabbing into the wall. The auctioneer's body slumped to the floor. James Downy's days of human trafficking and selling slaves were over.
"Great throw!" Old Louie's smile was broad, and his eyes were full of happiness as he examined his disciple with great appreciation. "I didn't think you had it in you," bloody corpses littered the room, and the caged slaves hadn't made a peep since the slaughter began because they were too afraid to be next. "Including the auctioneer, the oaf, and security," the old monk counted the dead. "Twenty-five."
"Shut up," Jonas was trying to regulate his emotions, and Old Louie's sarcastic humor was making him ill. "I don't need to know."
"Are you going to cry?" Old Louie patted Jonas on the shoulder. "Throw up, maybe? Perhaps, you should say a prayer and ask for forgiveness."
"I'm fine," Jonas didn't look fine at all. His face was pale, his hands were shaking, and his breathing was erratic because he kept holding his breath.
"Well. Time to finish the job," Old Louie pointed to Rastia. She was on the ground and propped up against a cage wheel. She was hyperventilating while tears streamed down her face and onto her blood-spattered pantsuit.
"Please," she tried to say but was having trouble speaking. "Please don't."
"Why should I let you live?" Jonas approached her, and every pair of eyeballs focused on her fate. "You're just as guilty as your boss."
"I'll change," she choked.
"Maybe. You took a paycheck to traffic, torture, and sell human beings. How does someone like that change?" Jonas asked and hoped for a good answer.
"I don't know," it was her final attempt at life, and she was speechless and unable to reason.
"I'll give you a chance to live. How about that?" Jonas raised an eyebrow, and Rastia slowly nodded her head. "You're going to release every single slave in this building. If none of them take revenge, you live. However, if they decide to kill you, that's your fault."
"But—"
"But nothing," Jonas cut her off. "Everyone in cages better listen up. For one reason or another, your ignorance of Hell is why you ended up caged and confused. People like this woman exist all over the Overworld, and they prey on ignorance and ruthlessly take advantage of anyone who doesn't know the rules of Hell. It happened to me, happened to you, and it will continue to happen all over."
"Very true," Old Louie clapped, and a few slaves nodded in agreement.
"I was like you once. This auction captured me, beat me, and sold me like cattle. I told them I'd come back for revenge, and look what happened," Jonas gestured to the corpses around the room. "Karma comes for all of us, and this is the result when you commit atrocities against humanity. Someone will eventually come and kill you. Don't fucking traffic humans, don't fucking enslave people. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Jonas screamed, and his Sin-infused voice reverberated across the room, rattled their metal bars, and pierced their eardrums. "Good," he felt much better after yelling and expressing himself. "This piece of shit, Rastia, is going to free you. I won't stop you from having revenge against her. Go." Jonas kicked her foot, and she yelped while fumbling with a key from her jacket pocket. Rastia unlocked the first cage, and the occupant gingerly stepped out.
"Sir, I'm free to go?" It was an emancipated young man with straw-colored hair and freckles on his nose.
"Go ahead. I hope you learned your lesson. Don't fall for petty traps."
"Thank you," the young man bowed his head and sprinted out of the warehouse bay door and into the night. Rastia sighed a breath of relief and opened the next cage. This time a middle-aged woman stepped out, thanked Jonas, and quickly ran away. By the time Rastia had released half the slaves, not one had tried to hurt her, but they all thanked Jonas and beelined straight for the exit. It seemed that freedom was too important to them. If it had been two years ago, Jonas would've also forsaken revenge.
"Very heroic," Old Louie smiled while watching the last few slaves released from their cages and take off into the night. "You took two dozen lives today, but you saved more than that. I guess that makes you even with karma, right?"
"I don't think that's how that works," part of Jonas felt like he had to go on the run because the government or the police would be after him, while the other part knew he was free to murder as much as possible without consequences. Repercussions would come in the form of a True Sinner named Black Butcher, who would be incredibly upset with Jonas for killing his younger brother and ruining his auction operation. "Do I need to worry about this Butcher guy?"
"Oh, him?" Old Louie dug earwax out and wiped it on his shirt. "I've heard a bit about him. He took the Sin Assessment but failed, so technically, he isn't a True Sinner. However, he's one of the most feared men in the Outlands, and you're completely fucked for screwing with him."
"You're such an asshole. Why wouldn't you tell me that before I snapped Rick's neck?" Jonas didn't have the emotional energy to deal with Old Louie's tricks. "You did that on purpose."
"Yeah, I did. I want you to experience first-hand what it's like to have an angry True Sinner coming after you for killing their family members. It's bound to happen more than once. When you fuck with Hellites in Sin City, you can bet your left nut that their entire organization or clan will want your head," Jonas sighed and watched Rastia open the last cage. A large man stepped outside, looked hesitant at Jonas, and then glared at the bespectacled woman with eyes full of hate. Rastia stared at him rather nervously and tried to take a step backward, but the man's hand shot forward and tightly grabbed her throat.
"Fucking bitch," he lifted her into the air and squeezed as hard as he could. She grabbed his arm and tried to struggle while her dangling feet spasmed and kicked as she tried to breathe. "You don't care if I kill her?" The man's voice was very polite when speaking to Jonas.
"Do whatever you want," Jonas watched her struggle but didn't have much pity for her. It was similar to her lack of empathy two years ago when she watched Jonas sold as a slave.
"That's unfortunate," Old Louie clicked his tongue. "He was the last slave left. One more, and she would've been home free. Too bad."
"Maybe someone will show her pity in her next life," Jonas shook his head as he watched her continue to struggle until her head began to droop, and the gagging noises stopped. After a few more seconds of tense choking, Rastia stopped moving, and her killer dropped her corpse, kicked it, and walked away.
"Thanks, kid," said the man. "I owe you one."
"Don't mention it. I better not hear that you're causing trouble. I'll do you the same way you did her."
"I know you will. I'll keep my nose clean," the man nodded and disappeared behind the corner.
"Well," Old Louie shrugged. "Everything here is on camera," he pointed to the many security cameras mounted over the walls and ceilings. "Black Butcher will be able to see your face and hear our conversation too. He'll know I'm taking you, Jonas Ariel, to Liberty City."
"Jesus Christ! Do you ever stop causing problems for me?" Jonas couldn't believe Old Louie would leave a direct trail for the Butcher to follow. "You want this man to find me, don't you?"
"Of course. The next time the Butcher calls James, he'll get a voicemail about him being dead. Then, he'll make his way here, check the video footage and see everything that happened. So, the sooner we leave, the better."
"Whatever," Jonas looked at Rastia one last time and then turned to leave. "I assume we're taking my car?"
"Obviously. I don't have a car. Did you want your little dagger back?" Old Louie pointed at the knife embedded in the wall across the room. Jonas shook his head.
"That knife was sentimental but impractical. I need to learn how to use a bigger weapon. Maybe a sword or something."
"No problem. Master will teach you the way of the sword," Old Louie cackled, but Jonas ignored his boasting.
They stepped through the slaughter, left out the bay doors, and made their way across the street and to Jonas' Cerberus Shadow, still parked between two empty rigs.
Jonas sat in the driver seat, connected his phone to the dash, and waited for Old Louie to get in.
"Where are we headed?" Jonas opened his GPS application.
"Far," said Old Louie. "Grandview Hotel, Liberty City. It's about a week's drive from here."
"Fuck," Jonas rolled his eyes. "Do you think I've got money to stay at a hotel for three months?"
"I saw the text; that Glatorius sent you a few thousand. Don't be cheap. Grandview will be a nice place to stay while we continue your training, find you a golden ticket, and deal with the Black Butcher situation."
"Which you've assured he's coming after me," Jonas typed in the address and pulled out of the parking lot and onto the quiet main road.
"It's all part of your training. I swear. Hell, maybe that asshole can help us get a golden ticket. It isn't unlikely for someone to fail the test and try again a few years later. Be grateful I avoided blabbing about where we'd be staying in Liberty City. I want him to work for your life," Old Louie chuckled, reclined his seat, took off his moldy knock-off Air Jordans to reveal old gross socks, and rested his smelly feet on the dashboard. "The next phase of your training went very well. The first part was getting revenge on the people who did you dirty. The second part was finally getting over your no-killing policy and massacring a bunch of assholes who wanted to kill you first. Now I've got to get you ready for the Sin Assessment. I'm not going to lie, three months isn't a lot of time, and you're objectively better off taking the test next year. However, I think the time crunch will help with your training, and although you'll be a bit behind the others, I think you'll at least be able to survive the test even if you fail."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Jonas turned off the road he was on and merged onto an empty expressway. It was a week's journey from Sun City to Liberty City, and he knew it would be a long drive sharing a car with someone as stinky and annoying as his master.
"Anytime, kid. Say, you want to stop for a burger?" Old Louie pointed at an advert for Burger Monster.
"Fuck you, old bastard," he was getting as far away from Sun City as fast as he could and continued driving until they finally passed a sign that told them they'd left city limits. With the fresh night sky hovering above the horizon, Jonas Ariel was on his next journey to find and board the Sineville of the Seas.
Thank you to my Gold Patron, PandaLady12
