"Once this is signed, the East yard falls under your development sector.
Construction begins in two weeks assuming no delays."
No one spoke further. The men were all sat still, jaws tight with anticipation and greed for the millions they would be making from the deal. Their polished shoes and tailored suits did not hide their hunger on their faces.
There was a click of the pen that sounded from the middle of the large mahogany desk, a man sitted in the middle of it.
His dark hair was slicked back neatly, his cuffs were perfectly lined to his suit jacket. A silver watch fitted on his left wrist. Minutes started to feel like hours in the office room.
His eyes never leaves the papers as he signs the contract. The other men seemed pleased by the gesture, a grin creeping up on their stoic faces as the ink ran over the paper.
"Begin clearing the area," he said, voice smooth, cold.
"Quietly. I don't want noise."
"There are still residents—families—"
"Handle it," he cut in, flat. Unbothered.
Another man at the table glanced toward the signed contract, then toward the figure in the suit—something uneasy flickering in his eyes. But stays silent.
The meeting was dismissed and the doors shut behind the last men.
The papers laid there on the table with bold ink which bled into the top sheet.
"East Yard Reclamation Project – Marlow Sector 4 Division."
And under it ran a signed name,
—" Nathaniel Augustin."
Each letter curved across the page delicately, each stroke graceful as it always looked on the hundreds of papers he had signed before. Taking each life with a sadistic pleasure. He was just like that. Cold and detached, and ruthless for the hell of it.
09:20am.
"Is it morning yet?.. "How much time has passed since.. since what-?..What happened again..I don't remember.."
The room was dimly lit by the slit of the curtains which drew the sunlight in. There was nothing on the walls, just a single light bulb in the middle of the ceiling and the big windows which felt out of place for some reason.
Alice kept his eyes closed. He didn't knew where he was, he didn't want to remember anything yet. The bed felt strangely cold but he felt himself unwilling to let go of his sleep. He wanted to keep dreaming for a while longer. Just a little more...
He felt a hand wave over his face, his face twitched. He opens his eyes reluctantly, his gaze reaching up to the sight of a figure standing by the side of the bed over him. All he could make out of this person was a glinting metal piece on their lips. A piercing. Two piercings. He had blonde hair.
And then his ears starting to ring, making him squeeze his eyes shut, the pain started to hit him.The burning sensation of his ribs and his broken nose.The moment passes soon, but the pain remains as he slowly sits up on the bed.
"You took one hell of a beating yesterday, huh." The guy spoke as he grabs a bottle of water from the table and tosses it to Alice.
Alice didn't catch it, he let the bottle hit his face and let it falls on his laps. Blood trickles down his nose. He winces but stays still, too tired to move.
"Marcie brought you to my place last night."
He says with a chuckle, his voice sounded boyish and young. He grabs a tissue from the table and dabbed it against Alice's bleeding nose. "You got knocked out good, man..The fact Marcie bothered to bring you to me is fucking mad. He dont usually give anything shit about anyone. Oh- It stopped bleeding."
Alice lets out a huff as the guy pulls back. He started to remember the events from yesterday. Something he didn't want to. But at least he won. At the cost of his face, now all painted blue and black and a broken rib on his right side.
"Why did he bring me to you?" He asked, his voice was hoarse. Dry.
The guy popped the bottle cap and gives the water to him as he spoke again,"Cause he dont want you dead? Not that it matters why he did it."
Alice takes the bottle and drinks up the water.
"He said he'll let you off. And the other guy too. Marcie must have a soft spot for you, man..He's never done this for anyone else."
Alice remains quiet, still thinking.
"Anywayyy, I'm Felix- I don't usually bring men here but feel free to make yourself at home." He adds with a smirk on his face, the piercings were hard to ignore. Alice's gaze remained stuck to it. "Thanks for letting me stay." He replies. Felix nods and sits down by the side of the bed next to him.
"Are you from here?"
No reply.
Felix sighs softly, his lips still curved in a small smile as he continues anyway, "I'll miss this place when I move out."
"Why are you moving out?". Alice asks out of self loathe for being so cold to him when all he wants was a conversation.
"I guess you haven't heard, the city's decided East yard ain't worth shit anymore so they signed off a reclamation project. Offered compensation but that shit ain't worth getting your ass kicked out of your own life."
Alice let the words sink in his head. He didn't respond, stayed silent. Reclamation. Compensation. It didn't sit right with him..hell with anyone who were getting kicked out of their own places.
"Marcie wasn't too happy with this either, he pulled out the second he heard about it- went straight to the boss's door."
Alice speaks again after a long while of sitting quietly, he was full of questions and doubt after hearing about the project from him. He had more questions to ask about him but decides against it. Getting to know people who would dissappear from your life the next moment wasn't worth it.
"Well ain't that just generous of them to give you the cab fare after evicting you out your crib."
"Say less, man." Felix grabs a lighter from his back pocket, flicking it as he reaches into his pockets and take out a cig. "So, what's your name? Marcie didn't tell me nothing 'bout you."
"Alice."
"Alice huh." He offers one cigarette to him, smoke blowing out of his mouth as he talks.
Alice slaps his hand back lightly, refusing the smoke."I don't smoke."
Felix shrugs and puts it back.
"You can stay here as long as you like, not like there's much time left anyway..."
Alice nods, his hands unconsciously rubbing his bruised side, feeling the pain sting with every movement he made.
"How do you know Marcie? You seem close from the way you talk about him."
Felix chuckles with small clouds of smoke running out his lips, "I just run his errands for him when he's out of town, I'm nothing special."
"What kind?"
"You know what kind."
Silence falls in the room again before Felix gets up from the bed, onto his feet as he takes a puff off the cigarette before letting the smoke out again.
"You should know better than to ask too many questions when it's about Marcie."
Alice stares up at him, he knew better than to ask anything more despite his own curious self. Knowing too much just got you in trouble.
"You can expect my ass to be here for a couple days more. I don't have a place to go back to."
"You're welcome to stay as long as you help me pack my stuff out by next week."
"Fuck off."
"Get out-"
"I'll do it."