Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Babylon ❯ Volume Two, Chapter Five: Gamble ( Chapter 5 )

Gamble

This case came to me eight years ago. A man had gotten himself into serious trouble. You see, he loved to gamble. Too much if you know what I'm saying. Anyway, it's how he got into trouble. Before he knew it, Toshi was drowning in debt. It got so bad that it got the attention of the yakuza. This case became his wake-up call.

Toshi shifted in his seat as he fidgeted with his hands. I waited for him to talk.

“I fucked up,” he said.

“Okay…” I said. Toshi lifted his head.

“It wasn't supposed to end up like this. It was just one more game. I thought I had it. I thought I had it.”

“What happened?”

“I love to play cards.”

“Okay.”

“I would play occasionally. It started in college. Fun and harmless, right?” He shivered as he dug for the words. I took more notes. Toshi stretched his neck from side to side.

“I won a few times. It felt great, you know? I couldn't stop playing. Before I knew it, I lost so much money.”

“But you couldn't stop playing?”

Toshi shook his head. He pressed his lips together. Best not to force it out of him. It never ends well.

“It got so bad. This last game almost cost my life.”

I glanced up from my notes. “What happened?”

His eyes shifted back and forth. Toshi shifted in his chair again.

“I got an invitation to a high-stakes poker game from an anonymous text. How could I say no? I know it was a stupid idea. But the pay was so big. I could've canceled my debt with it. I had to take that chance.” You can see where this is going, yeah? I did. To make a long story short, Toshi lost even more money. The next day, he got a knock on the door.

“Some men in black suits grabbed and dragged me into the black limo,” Toshi added. “Their boss was waiting for me.” He started trembling.

“Those eyes. Even the devil would be scared of those eyes. Q-san (I'm going to step in here and say that's not his real name. I used an alias here. Back to the story.) said I had ten days to pay back my debts or else I would lose everything.” He trembled after saying that. I pictured the worst.

“So what did you do?”

“Q-san gave me an offer to cancel my debt. I would have to pick up something from a boat just off from the coast.” Toshi let out a dry laugh.

“Better than nothing and dying in a ditch somewhere. I took the job.” Toshi frowned.

“I was an idiot!” He looked up from rubbing his forehead. Perhaps he was hoping that I was judging him. I said nothing. Toshi sighed and started talking again.

“So, there I was. In the early hours of the morning at the dock. I was going to get on a boat, get the package, and make the delivery. Sounded easy, right?” He let off a dry laugh.

“I didn't see the red flags. First, I felt a gun pressed to my back.”

“A gun?”

“Yes! I thought this was it. I'm going to die here. This was a set-up. I closed my eyes and started to pray. `Freeze!' I heard behind me. I was about to turn my head.

“`Don't move!' That voice scared me. I thought I was going to wet myself. I begged for my life. I didn't want to die. Then…” His face looked red.

“He laughed at me. That bastard! He… laughed at me! I was confused. I managed to look out of the control of my eye. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. It was a cop. A fucking cop!” Toshi started laughing.

“Could things get any worse?”

“Could they?”

“Oh, you have no idea!”

“Tell me.

Toshi snorted. He rolled his head back. I waited as I finished up the last set of notes. He puffed up his cheeks.

“I would've been fine if he was a normal cop. But no! He was on Q-san's payroll!” Toshi snorted.

“Just my luck! I'm about to take on a potentially dangerous job with a dirty cop.”

“Do what now?”

“Oh yes. I panicked and tried to talk my way out of being shot. I had no choice but to tell the truth. It all came pouring out. I couldn't shut up. What choice did I have? I didn't want to die. And then he said, `I know.'

“I was confused. He laughed and lowered his gun. The pig said he was there to help me. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was joking, right? Nope! He was on Q-san's payroll.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. We waited until about three in the morning. A small cargo boat pulled into the harbor. This was it. Freedom from my debts! Just needed not to get shot by Bob.”

Bob isn't the crooked cop's real name as you can guess.

“So we get on the boat. I had to go in the very back to get the package in question. Bob had his gun out the whole time. He followed close behind. It didn't matter. I was almost free.

“I was looking for section E29. It took a while but I found it. And do you know what the boss sent me to pick up?”

“What?”

Toshi's right eye started to twitch. His veins started popping out.

“A fucking cassowary! That… That thing was a beast! It's claws could've killed me! How the hell was I supposed to get that off the boat?!”

“How did you?”

He sighed. “Bob had a team on the ground with him.”

“Oh.”

“He called them up once we secured that demon bird. I had to calm it down while it tried to attack the cage. I have the scars to prove it.” Toshi sighed again.

“Anyway, the team helped to load the bird onto the truck at the dock. I got stuck riding next to Satan's peacock, trying to calm it down the whole way.

“We made it to Q-san's place. He cooed and made kissy faces while talking to the evil bird like it was a puppy. And that was it. My debt was cleared and from and I got the hell out!”

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Did Toshi stop gambling after that? Nope. He slowed down for a bit but went right back to his old tricks. Where is he now? I have no idea.

Fifth Shot