The wait for Vernon to turn up was restless. Several tis, Euri heard police sirens in the distant streets and jumped to his feet. But Aemon and his colleague seed unconcerned.
"He's not going to call the police, man. What's his case? His late father has trespassed his ho? If he explains the whole thing, the police are going to treat it as a prank. And they don't have ti to investigate pranks, not in Peacock District, at least."
Aemon's explanation wasn't without rits, but it wasn't enough to leave Euri as relaxed as they were. But after twenty minutes of nervous waiting, the sound of a car swerving into the driveway dispelled so tension. Mr. Vernon had indeed co himself.
When the car's door opened and a massive man in a tight-fitting suit waddled out, Euri couldn't help taking a subtle glance at Aemon.
No wonder he had been so willing to let Euri tag along on this job! The two of them were probably not confident about their chances if a physical altercation broke out. They needed numbers to make up for the lacking intimidation factor.
Mr. Vernon was a bear of a man, with arms as thick as Euri's legs, and a gut that definitely blocked his view of his toes.
Muscles and fat coagulated to give him the aura of a gluttonous beast. As he rained down thunder on the front door, the hearts of those inside skipped a beat.
"Euri, go open the door."
Aemon's voice wasn't so cocky anymore, but Euri obliged anyway. He doubted there would be imdiate danger in this exchange. But he didn't doubt that if danger did erupt, his chances of getting away unhard were higher than the other two.
Barely had he unlatched the door when Vernon slamd it open and strode in, holding a retractable baton in his grip that none of them had anticipated. But Vernon's furious entry lost its montum when his eyes fell on Aemon's face.
"...Oh, it's you guys." Stopping in his tracks, he surveyed the three-mber team with narrowed eyes and flashed a greasy smile.
"Boss Chen called last week for this month's installnt. It was just not possible at that ti for to pay. So he kindly gave an extension. Why didn't he tell that the extension was only for five days? I could've stacked together so cash that way!"
Wiping off the sweat from his forehead, he threw the baton away and crashed on the nearby sofa like a dead log.
"Oh? So quick to throw your only weapon away?" Jason picked the rolling baton up from the floor and examined it curiously.
"30,000 volts, 3 milliamps... This ain't a cheap prop!"
Vernon waved a hand nonchalantly. "What would I need it for? You're not going to harm soone who owes you 764,000 credits, are you? What benefit would that bring you?"
Seeing Aemon's eyes gleaming dangerously at that explanation, Mr. Vernon just laughed.
"What? Your boss needs to be alive and well if he wants the installnts to be paid in ti. Don't get any funny ideas, you sadistic freak."
Euri shook his head in dismay. This middle-aged boor was a true gambler. The instinct was etched in his bones. He was even gambling with the loan sharks!
Aemon didn't seem to mind the crude insult. Instead, he left his chair and walked over to the back of Vernon's sofa, and leaned down to speak gently in his ears.
"Since I don't need to remind you about your installnts, pay up, fatty."
Complinting the threat in his tone, Jason ca to stand in front of the couch, clutching the baton to his chest with both hands as if it were so sacred object. Both of his thumbs rested on the zapper activation button.
Caught between the two predators, the prey, Mr. Vernon, should have been a lot more nervous than what his appearance suggested. His poker face betrayed no hint of fear, nor even a shred of caution.
"I've told you earlier. Your boss, Mr. Chen, should have warned that you guys would co within five days. I don't have that kind of cash lying around; not in my ho, nor in my bank accounts."
"Sucks to be you, then. Because we're not returning empty-handed." Aemon's tone gradually turned icy. Even Euri, who had known this guy since childhood, felt a chill forming in his stomach.
"Fifty thousand per installnt, seventy on extension—that was your deal, Mr. Vernon. Arrange. The. Damn. CASH!"
Fast as a lightning bolt, a slap landed on Mr. Vernon's temple. The man had no way to block an attack from the direction Aemon was standing in. He could only turn his reddening neck stiffly, tears of pain forming in his eyes.
"Hey! You can't hit a man—"
Slap!
"I won't—"
Slap!
"Fine! Keep slapping ! Knock out! I don't care! But I really can't give you that much money right now!"
To Euri, the visuals were a surreal trip, seeing the heavyset man accept the pain and humiliation as he stopped dodging Aemon's slaps. His nerve-ends felt like wicks burning under icy fire. There was sweat on his back, the back of his hands, hovering over his temples and constantly telling him how unfit he was for this line of business.
Aemon's assault on the client ca to a stop. Sighing, he clicked his fingers at Euri.
"There's a Skygold wristwatch frad in this fatty's bedroom. Go get it. Should cover the basic of the installnt."
Skygold brand?! Euri almost choked on his own spit. This man had a Skygold watch on him, and he hadn't sold it yet when the situation was this serious?
Mr. Vernon suddenly seed to regain his energy at the ntion of the wristwatch.
"My salary is due next week! I can pay the money! Seventy thousand, eighty thousand, whatever the amount is! Don't be so unreasonable!"
"You're the one being unreasonable here," Aemon growled as he slapped him from behind again.
"It's my lucky watch! I've won more bets than I can count with it! Please, try to understand-"
Are all addicts this delusional? Euri felt pity towards this pathetic fellow. His parents didn't seem so bad in comparison. They still had their wits with them, at least.
At Aemon's signal, Euri made his way to the bedroom and discovered the treasure on the fra of the bed. Black markers and hands, silver dial and lugs, shed with a dull gold casing—a little tacky, but a beauty indeed!
Grabbing it, he walked out of the bedroom in a good mood. The hard part was over now. Money was in their hands. He didn't have to sit and watch his associates tornt helpless idiots.
But when he stepped past the doorfra, the picture that greeted him in the living room disoriented his expectant gaze.
Aemon's body was draped over the couch like a towel spread to be dried. Vernon was pressing down on Jason on the floor in a chokehold, punching his face into pulp, and Jason was jamming the buzzing baton into Vernon's guts like a madman.
Yet the outco of getting punched by 30,000 voltage zaps didn't appear. Vernon's face was twisted into a furious sneer.
"You guys would make so terrible gamblers. Never trust the cards that co from a dealer's hand, fool."
How the hell did such a fight happen so suddenly, so silenty?!
By the ti Euri had recovered from shock, Jason's struggles had weakened. Vernon paid his awkward flailing no more attention and stood up, now facing Euri, fists bloody, suit torn, eyes rabid red.
The mountain of a man stretched out his wet hand and gestured at Euri.
"Put that watch down."
Euri had no problem complying with that.
"And kneel for your punishnt."
That, Euri did not wish to do.
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