"50K, not bad at all," I muttered, carefully pulling the poster from the nail. I smile to myself while folding the poster and tucking in my side pocket. I make my way into town, carefully sliding my hood over my face and looking over my shoulder every few seconds. I get to a fruit stall and quickly yet carefully drop an apple into my right pocket. I navigate the streets, avoiding a crowd of people and a staler who looks at me funny. I reach the alleyway, the atmosphere here is different, then town. This is where the rejects, outsiders and thieves live,but I'm not like these people, I have a 50k bounty on my head. People here would go crazy for it.
Before I make it to the bar,I see a kid,maybe around six or seven,he has brown dirty hair, ripped clothes and is covered head to toe in coal dust. A child-labourer,here in the alley, parents aren't afraid to send their children to the mine. I heard from someone at the bar that, they spend the day,mining for gems, diamonds, and anything worth keeping,they let the children out by five and the grownups come back by sunrise, in the mine it's every man for himself,if you find anything that looks valuable you show it to the observers and they show it to the governor of that mine, then they pay you for how much it's worth. I toss the apple to the kid,he catches it with his right hand,"it's fresh,also stay out of trouble" i say making my way to the bar.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
I knock, a voice answers, "state your business" the muffled voice says,"it's me" i replied,putting my hands in my pocket,the bolt clicks and a black haired guy stands in the way,the strands of white hair visible,his bloodshot eyes,piercing into my brown ones.
"Thought you be gone longer" he says, taking a sip of his half finished bottle of beer.
His breath stinks of alcohol,cigar smoke and mint, "You know,I always get back before sunset,Joe,just not on Fridays,"I say as I make my way down the stone staircase. "It's Friday" he calls down to me, "it's Tuesday, and you're drunk,so give it a rest" i yell to him, as i reach the floor landing.
The bar is lively,like any day, I pass by people;drinking, smoking,laughing,laying with girls, even gambling. I reach the bar counter, and sit on a stool, the bartender eyes me, "the usual" he says wiping the inside of a Bar glass. I give him a nod, and a few minutes later he places a glass in front of me. "The boss here" I say , taking a sip of the colourfully Cocktail, "yeah in his room" he says watching a woman, take a seat beside me. I never saw her before,a new recruit? ,no boss would have told me. the woman takes her hand and turns my face towards hers, till we see eye to eye. "What do you want, I ain't a prostitute" I said in an annoyed tone.
"Are you shade?" she says, her hot breath pressing on my face. I take her hand off my face and turn back to my drink,"who's asking" I say finishing off my drink.
"Your partner"
