Shootout (1)

Thomas was driving the car to a building downtown where his boss had summoned him. He stopped a few meters away from the five storey residence, hiding the car in an alley. As per his boss' instructions, he wore a loose t-shirt and dark pants.

The neighborhood he had stepped into was a low level red light district. Buildings of various sizes were clustered together with barely enough space in between. There were long telephone poles with wire dangerously dangling and the roads smelled like piss and sewage. Since it was daytime, the neighborhood was quieter except for a few people on the roads who were trying to haggle with the sex workers or their managers. Some of the women were standing on balconies, occasionally trying to entice a passerby.

"Hey hottie, wanna enjoy a ride?" Thomas heard one of the women call out for him but he ignored them and headed straight for the spot where his boss was waiting. Walking through the narrow alleys, he reached a rundown cafe where he spotted a man on one of the benches, drinking coffee from a glass. He wore a maroon hoodie and casual jeans, blending in seamlessly with the locals.

But the disguise did little to hide the dangerous aura surrounding him. It was not unusual for Lucas to disguise himself when on a secret mission. Thomas quietly sat next to his boss.

The 'cafe' was more of a street side tea stall where only one man with one eye was preparing the tea and coffee. There were no disposable cups but it seemed that he was simply wiping the glasses with an old cloth. Thomas winced a little at the place, wondering how many health laws were violated but Lucas did not care. He was used to such places.

And his mind was elsewhere.

"Lola is in that building," Lucas said, gazing at the building in question. Thomas did not glance at it but simply nodded.

"She's Alex's girlfriend," Lucas went on. "She might know where he is."

"What's our next step?" Thomas asked.

"We'll go in there as her client and get the information," Lucas said, putting the glass away. "Let's go."

He quietly led the way to the building, passing by some children who were playing on the streets. Some of the women were eyeing them while a couple of burly men grumbled at the two young bloods who were very good looking. But they did not arouse any suspicions thanks to their messy hair and slightly darkened skin.

They entered the building and went towards a desk which looked like a reception. A seemingly bored woman in her forties looked up.

"What do ya want?" she asked.

Lucas took out a large wad of notes and placed it in front of her.

"4 grand," he said. "For one hour with Lola."

The receptionist let out a whistle. "I 'ear she's good in the sack," she smirked. "Bu' she's old for ya. Ya wan' any young one? Yer payin' four grand for an ol' 'ag."

"Lola," Lucas repeated. "None better than her."

He flashed a suggestive grin but Thomas knew it was fake. His boss would only smile for covert operations. Otherwise the guy was always grumpy and quiet.

"Threesome," Lucas went on. "So double the cash."

The receptionist took the money and said, "Third floor. Room 7."

Lucas nodded and motioned for Thomas to follow him. The latter was a little worried about what Lucas was going to do. They had a strictly no harming women or children policy but that did not mean that they did not use other methods to get information from them.

They stepped on the third floor and searched for room number 7. Finally, they spotted it in a corner. Lucas knocked on the door.

"How much and for how long?" a sultry voice came from inside the room.

"Four thousand for one hour," Lucas stated. "Threesome."

There was a long silence before the voice said, "Use protection."

"Okay."

There was a shuffling of feet and the door slid open. A slim woman in her late thirties let them enter. She wore a red robe and her long hair was let loose. She had high cheekbones and oozed an exotic vibe.

"You two into older women, huh?" She smirked as she observed them. The handsome one looked like he was in his late twenties and quite athletic. She was getting wet at the thought of what lay beneath those cheap clothes. The other one paled compared to the younger guy but he had a charming face and also fit. Lola was sure that both of them were going to give her a good time.

"So, do you want some foreplay or should we just get right down to it?" she asked. "Pills? Drugs?"

Lucas stepped forward and raised his finger to trail her cheek. Lola shivered in need, wanting to rip off his clothes with her bare hands.

"Cuffs," he said. "We like our girl to be cuffed."

"Kinky," she smirked. She took off her robe to reveal that she wore nothing underneath.

Thomas immediately let out a sharp breath, trying not to have any lewd thoughts but his boss was unaffected. How the hell did this guy manage to keep himself composed after seeing a sultry beauty like that?

"Lie on the bed," Lucas ordered. The woman smiled seductively and lay on the bed. Lucas yanked her hands up and cuffed her to the headboard.

"My my, someone is eager!" Lola giggled.

Lucas stepped back, his smile slowly vanishing. His facade was gone, replaced by a stony gaze. He pulled out a chair and sat on it with his legs crossed.

"Thomas, stand guard outside and warn me if someone arrives," he ordered his subordinate. "Three knocks."

"Yes sir," Thomas said at once and dashed out, glad to be away from the wily vixen.

Lola was surprised that the man was not attempting to do anything to her but simply cuffed her to the bed.

"Aren't you gonna start?" she frowned.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Lucas demanded. "Alex. Where is he?"

Lola's eyes widened in shock. "A-Alex?" she squeaked. "I don-"

"He tried to kill me and someone I know," Lucas said in a steely tone. He was devoid of all emotions, feeling nothing as he stared at the naked lady. "Where is he?"

"I-I don't know!" Lola yelled. "I swear, I haven't seen him!"

"Suit yourself," Lucas sighed and took out his phone. He showed her a live video of a boy in his late teens with dark hair just like Lola's. The boy was returning from school and heading towards a dingy house. Her eyes were wide open in horror.

"That's my brother!" she exclaimed. "What are you-"

"My men are tailing him," Lucas revealed. "If you don't tell me where he is, I'll tell my men to kill him. They're on speaker phone right now. Your brother's life is in your hands."

Lola was shocked to see that a black car was speeding towards her brother, only meters away from him.

"Five seconds and he'll be dead," Lucas threatened. "Where is Alex?"

"I don't know!" Lola claimed. "I-

"Five…" Lucas counted. The car was now getting closer to her brother who was oblivious because his ears were covered by headphones.

"Four…"

"I haven't seen him for weeks!"

"Three…"

"Please, no!"

"Two…"

"I-"

"One-"

"HE'S COMING HERE IN AN HOUR!" Lola revealed. "Please spare my brother-"

The car sped past her brother, not harming him. Lola sighed in relief that her brother was unscathed.

"Now that you've betrayed your boyfriend," Lucas calmly said. "You'll do as I say."