4. Danger

Yomo was getting impatient in the cab. He had a vague idea of why his friend called him like that, asking him to come out of the blue. His voice was a bad signal about the situation. He was expecting the worst.

-Sir, can you go faster, please ?” he pressured the driver who gave him a complex look.

-I can’t go over the speed limit, young man” he answered with a tight smile.

Yomo sat back on his seat and sighed, his fingers nervously tapping on the cover of his phone. He hoped Nils was safe at least…

Finally, the taxi pulled up alongside the pavement. Yomo gave the driver a few bills and told him to keep the change. He opened the door and ran out under the reproachful gaze of the driver, who grumbled that young people these days don't know how to behave.

Yomo ran. In one of his hands, he had his phone switched on with the geolocation his friend had sent him. He was less than ten minutes away on foot. He turned the corner, panting. He rushed forward, weaving in and out of passers-by who were giving him surprised looks. Not paying attention, as he was focused on the route on his phone, he forced his lungs to continue at the same speed.

Turning down the busy street one last time, he found himself in a maze of small streets that led him to a secluded spot. There he found his friend, sitting against the outside wall at the back of a restaurant, between the bins and the service door. Nimbed by the orange light coming from the poorly hung neon over the door, he was crouched down and smoking a cigarette. His hair disheveled and his cheeks stained with blood, he seemed too calm. His hand holding the lit cigarette was shaking slightly. Yomo lunged at him when he saw him and forced him up with one hand.

-Yomo ! » said Nils.

Half surprised, half relieved, he turned his gaze away when he saw his friend’s angry face looking at him carefully. He had bruises all over his face and his neck. Blood was even going out from a cut on his cheek. Yomo’s lips were pale as he was pressing them together in anger.

-It’s not that serious… It looks bad but it doesn’t hurt that much…” Nils said, trying to ease his friend’s anger but he stopped as he saw it was only adding fuel to the fire.

-What did we say about pain the last time we discussed it? To never minimize it, whatever the situation !” Said Yomo with a very controlled voice. “If you feel pain, then it’s painful. You don’t have to keep it in, you just need to let it all out !”

Nils felt his strength suddenly leave him, and he rested his forehead on Yomo's shoulder, exhausted. Trembling like a leaf, he let out the tears of rage that he had been holding back until then, as best he could, to keep from collapsing. Yomo let him do so in silence, patting him on the shoulder to comfort him. The darkness of the street enveloped the two friends in a blanket of coolness, hiding them from the rest of the world, too glittering for them, away from the misery that inhabited these narrow streets.

Nils finally calmed down and wiped his eyes angrily. Now that the pain had passed, only anger and hatred remained in his eyes.

-She did this to you, didn't she? That crazy bitch?" Yomo asked in a voice that betrayed his own tension.

Nils said nothing. His hands were clenched into tight fists on Yomo's jacket. He seemed to be remembering something particularly unpleasant. He finally let go of his friend and ran his hand through his hair, turning to the side. His fag, which he had dropped in surprise when Yomo had grabbed him, was still smoking on the floor, damp with the juice from the nearby bins.

-She found out that I was the one who ratted out her 'activity' to the cops," the student began. "Since the raid last year, she hasn't made any business at all. Morilles..." Nils' voice faltered as he began his sentence. "She took him hostage... Morilles is with her, I don't even know how he is! That crazy woman could hurt him..."

Yomo took his arm and forced him to look into his eyes.

"Nils, you have to go to the police! Look at the state you're in."

"I'm in this state because I went to the police! The more I go to them, the more they will target me!" the young man with brown hair retorted.

Yomo pursed his lips in anger.

"It's their job to protect you! You gave them information about a smuggling operation they were able to break up, they can't leave you like this! You're risking your life over this!"

"She has more connections than you think! This viper is much more powerful than we thought, Yomo! She is a member of the Gyriad!"

As he did so, he showed him the huge reddish spot on his neck that took up his entire left shoulder.

"The guys who beat me up, they're not just big mobsters! They're his henchmen, guys from the Gyriad!"

Yomo looked at the mark, silent. He held back his rage as best he could, but it was difficult. Seeing his friend in such a state drove him crazy.

"How do you know they're Gyriad?"

"I saw their tattoos," Nils answered. "And the crazy lady told me she was in touch with Mojo..."

Yomo sighed and started walking up and down. "Why do things always have to be so complicated!" he swore inwardly, massaging the back of his neck. Ever since Nils had met Inja, less than a year earlier, a downward spiral had been set in motion. This woman was a real poison. While they had sensed quickly that something was wrong with this woman, at no time did he and his friends suspect that she would be an important member of the largest mafia in the region and a renowned pimp in the nightlife.

He sighed as he returned to his friend and looked at him with a sorry look. He was in a pitiful state.

"What does she want in exchange for your cat? "

Nils hesitated, then answered.

"3,000 euros a month..."

"3000 .... ?! That crazy woman!"

Yomo couldn't help but scream at the absurdity of the request. He sighed and took his friend by the arm.

"Who knew my cat would cost me so much?" laughed Nils sarcastically. "It sounds ridiculous, and yet... just knowing him with this crazy woman makes me sick."

His lips twitched as he thought of his pet's distress at being alone in an unfamiliar place with people he'd never seen and who he could tell were not caring for him in the least.

Yomo stopped his wandering and stood in front of Nils.

"Let's get you fixed up first," he said, pulling his friend towards the main street.

"Yomo... I can't go to the hospital..." Nils tried to break free of his friend's grip.

"I know, don't worry," he replied. "I've got the stuff at home."

Nils finally resigned himself and followed his friend, his head down. He was indebted to him. Yomo always understood the difficulty or delicacy of a situation. His great sense of observation and his sensitivity gave him a remarkable acuity. Nothing could be hidden from him, and he knew how to behave according to each situation. That's why Nils always told him when he was in trouble. He knew that he would not be judged and that he would have unconditional support, as long as he had nothing to reproach himself for. For Yomo did not mince words, and for him, friendship also meant telling his friends when they were wrong.

"Yomo..." he began in a hesitant voice. "Don't tell Jin, please.

The latter looked at him and said nothing.

"We'll talk about it when we get to my place."

Finally arriving on the main street of the neighborhood, he hailed a taxi and they headed for Yomo's aunt's flat. Once there, Yomo sat Nils down on the couch and took out his medicine bag. He took cotton wool, soaked it in disinfectant, and rubbed it on the few wounds he had. Nils let himself be silently treated. He took off his top and Yomo rubbed ointment on his bruises. The marks were impressive. It was a miracle that the young man had not broken any ribs. Yomo gritted his teeth as he nursed his friend. There was no point in adding to the damage, it would only make it worse.

He finally put the cotton and the tube of cream on the bed and Nils put his shirt back on. The pain had subsided. It was much more bearable. Grateful, he thanked his friend who sat on the bed next to him and seemed to be thinking hard.

"Nils, you have to explain to Jin what happened," he said. "You can't tell him, and I don't want to have to hide it from him either."

Nils looked down and wrung his hands. He knew Yomo was right, but he didn't want to confront him. He was afraid of his friend's reaction. He was a coward, but he didn't know how to face his cowardice. Jin was nothing like Yomo in these matters. He was explosive and did not hold back his emotions at all. And above all, he took matters into his own hands. Nils wanted to handle the situation calmly. He didn't want his friends to be put in danger because of him. And Jin wouldn't give a damn about that.

He sighed and finally nodded. He knew he didn't have a good argument for not keeping Jin in the loop.

"And I think we should contact the police," Yomo continued. "I know you don't want to get involved with them and the risk of going to the police is that she'll overreact to it, but at this point, it's not going to get any better anyway. In fact, it will only get worse."

Yomo cut short his friend's protests, giving him no time to retort.

"There's no guarantee that she'll give you Morilles back if you pay her every month, let alone give him back alive or in one piece. If I were her, I would never give him back to you to make sure you pay me regularly. I know it's hard, Nils, but I think you're going to have to get used to the idea that you'll never see your cat again.... "

"No! She might torture him, or even..."

Yomo took his head in his hands and forced him to look straight into his eyes.

-Nils, it's too late! No one knows what this crazy woman is capable of, and if she knows you care about your pet, she doesn't give a damn about your furball! And that's just the beginning, she'll only escalate from there! What are you going to do when she goes after your loved ones? The people you care about?"

Nils stared stubbornly at the air before him. He was tortured inside. He knew his friend was right. He knew that telling the police was the right thing to do, especially since they already knew him. They knew about his relationship with Inja and they also knew that he was their informant on her case. They would take him seriously if he came to report the situation.

He sighed and nodded weakly, now free of his friend's grip. Yomo got up and picked up the things lying on the bed.

"I'm taking a quick shower, I have to leave for college. Take a shower too afterward, I'll lend you some stuff. Stay here overnight and we'll see how we can work things out with Jin tomorrow.

He left the room, leaving Nils drained of energy now that all the pressure was off. Even though the day was just beginning, he was already feeling exhausted. Gathering up what little energy he still had left, he got up and headed for the bathroom where he found a change of clothes and a clean towel. He grabbed his phone as he went and sent a quick message to Jin:

"Jin, we need to talk tomorrow, something has happened and Nils is at my place. He'll tell you everything himself tomorrow. I'll see you at school anyway. And can you send me Ra's number, please? He's given me his consent."

Quickly undressing, he stepped into the shower and enjoyed the gentle warmth of the water running over his skin. Some of his fatigue left with the water that escaped through the shower trap. He didn't have time to enjoy it as he had to rush off to college. He dried himself quickly and put on his clothes. He checked his messages before going back to his room. Jin had replied to him.

"Don't worry about tomorrow. I'll send you Rau's contact."

Yomo sighed. Jin probably suspected what this was all about. He was far from stupid. Saving the contact his friend had sent him, Yomo hurriedly sent him a message, then retrieved the first aid kit that had been left on his bed. Nils lay down and zoned out with his eyes open. Yomo slapped his leg and told him to get up and shower. He grunted an inaudible reply without moving.

"I've contacted Jin, he knows we need to talk," he warned him.

Nils didn't answer and just stood there admiring the ceiling of the room.

Yomo went to put the kit back in the living room cupboard, where it belonged. He crouched for a moment looking at it, thinking about the events of the evening. He had hoped that everything would end with the police raid a few months earlier, but part of him knew even then that there was a risk that things would get worse after that. Inja... This woman was the worst kind. Of all the people he knew, she was the cruelest and most manipulative he had ever met. This woman was dangerous. And Nils was the perfect prey for her. Sensitive and caring, protecting himself behind a stone wall that he dreamed of shattering one day, he had quickly fallen into her trap.

He sighed and stood up. His aunt was not here today and she would probably be back late at night. He would tell her about it the next time he saw her. For now, he had to make sure Nils was okay, and that they discussed the situation with Jin without the two idiots getting into a fight. For some strange reason, Jin and Nils became particularly emotional when it came to important matters like the safety of one of them. As if they were unable to handle their emotions. As if they were overwhelmed by feelings that were too strong for them to handle properly without hurting each other. A mystery that Yomo had yet to solve.

He went to the bedroom and saw Nils already asleep. He took his things and put them in his bag. Heading for the front door, he mentally prepared himself for a long afternoon of endless classes. He left, closing the door carefully behind him.