19 - Story

"A long time ago, the Prime Minister at the head of the state was me. They accused me of stealing a national treasure: The Dragon's Breath."

I frowned.

"That's a gem." She sipped her coffee that must have been cold now, "Imagine an opal with, on its insides, cold colored clouds. Look kinda like a nebula."

"Woah. Nature will always astonish me."

"Yes," she said, "But the Dragon's Breath wasn't made by nature. Humans did. And the French president Charles de Gaulle especially liked this gem. We kept it as a holy relic.."

I pointed my finger at her, "Didn't you steal it?"

"No way. I couldn't sell it on the black market: It has no price. It's for contemplation, not for filthy touch."

I hesitated, "I don't know if I can believe you, you just lied to Henriette about working in art."

"That's the truth. That's what the upper part of the building is for."

And nobody saw anything for 3 long years? "And what'll happen if one of the Parisian people noticed our helicopter's crash?"

"Then we'll conveniently bring a guilty party to the police."

"And what if they're condemned for life?"

"Then that'll be sad for them."

A true Mob answer. Creating distress, and enjoying the sadness she created.

That disgusts me to the point my Paris-Brest looked like skin. When I pressed my spoon on it, blood cream poured out of it.

I shook my head, hoping to make this nightmarish vision disappear, "And well, where did your dragon gem disappeared to?"

"It didn't. Zheng Tai was the one who stole it." She pointed to my abandoned pastry, and I gave it to her, "He wanted to control the country, so he created this occasion." She bit in the skin, and licked the blood on her lips, "I'm gonna take my throne back, and bleed him to death." She looked at me, "You're sure you don't want it? It's delicious."

Night settled at Pigalle, and its inhabitants changed. Workers walked back home whereas party animals walked down the street.

I just remembered something, and my eyes widened, "The mission!"

We were supposed to kill Zheng Tai today.

She drank her coffee down to the last drop, and showed the room, "It's happening here."

We were the only customers. Without caring about us, the waiters lowered the metal grate separating us from the front door.

My lips shivered, "But...They're locking us?"

The hand of a Black person grabbed the grate and pushed it open.

It was the Puma, leading twenty tuxedos guys, including Jieung-yong!

They came in and left the grate to fall.

Boss crossed her legs, "Excellent. Always there when I need you."

The Puma smiled at her, and at that moment, lights went out.

I protected my head, expecting everything, "I can't see anything !"

"Ah? I wasn't aware of that." The Puma joked.

Neon lights, placed on every table and behind alcohol bottles on the counter, lighted the room.

Someone opened a door far to my right.

A long-legged man came out from it. As soon as he stepped inside the café, he overwhelmed me with his almonds perfume. I didn't know whether I wanted to puke or if I enjoyed it. To his sides, two pairs of naked legs joined him. I could recognize this man in the dark. He was the North Korea's Leader Counsellor, and the French Prime minister: Zheng Tai.

He came inside while gripping his...friends' hips? His agents came by twenty and I concluded that as we were classical in our black and white clothes, they preferred eccentricity. Describing them as colorful wouldn't do them justice. They literally looked like clowns.

Their chief chatted with the women, moving his pink lips and showing off his eyelids drawn with eyeliner. In his team, you had to focus hard to find one agent wearing a black costume and almost everyone wore clown masks.

Boss stood and came closer to him, "You can't stop having this type of entrance, can't you?"

"Ah," Zheng Tai put a gloved hand on his white hair, "Long time no see, Nadine" He clapped his hands, and his whole Candy pink and chick yellow army put their knives out, and made their guns click.

Nadine snapped her fingers, and her whole people, but not me, did the same.

"I've got freshmen," Nadine said.

"From the third promotion? You know, your unchanging determination is madness, not perseverance."

One of the girls near him giggles like a pig, "Oh Tai, you are so wise!"

Zheng Tai grabbed her behind, which made her shut up, "Keep calm, Woman," He put his hand on his glossy mouth, "Your silence will elevate you from the other member of your sex."

I thought I saw Boss's arms shake in contained rage.

Yeah, I wanted to puke too.

But she collected herself in her initial coldness and showed Jieung-yong and me, "Here are what will bring you down tonight."

Zheng Tai watched us as if we were chesspiece.

When his eyes looked over me, his glossy lips opened, "That's…"

The one wanting my mother's head on a plate was before me. And he was the one I had to kill.

"Of course it was you, Nadine. Why didn't I thought so earlier? But unfortunately, it'll finish them off like every other promotion."

Nadine approached the poisoned snake, "You're talking about Song-ho?" She lifted her bangs and revealed a bandage on her forehead, "I tried to kill him myself." She scratched it so well the wound opened and blood ran down her forehead, "See what happened to me."

Sweaty pearls dripped on his face, "I guess you want..."

"My pawn to beat yours to death. Then, I'll kill you myself. Understood?"

"Understood." He wiped off the proofs of his anxiety, "Bring me the Queen."

From the sea of agents emerged a man two head higher than me. Neons changed from red to yellow, then to green. Its rays of artificial lights kissed his white clown mask, except a one-sided smile spreading to his ears. In his arms, he petted a rifle like a loyal dog."

"I...I can't." I said.

Nadine touched her gun in her pocket, "Yes you can. You know what will happen if you don't fight.