101 CHAPTER 100-THE GREAT CRUX

"You did a nice job back there," Chris whispered as he hurried up to them.

"And you nearly got us kill, twice," Pinna grunted. 

They had taken the red door as the tattooed waitress had instructed and had broken away from the people who were dancing and smoking into a hallway that was quite calm and less stuffy. The reflection of the white lights on the marble seemed to add more poise to the luxury that polished the yellow wall. About three portraits hung on the wall, displaying a dark-skinned man who Matt guessed might be Chris's uncle. He was in the Keeper's uniform in one of the pictures. Another showed him, posing with some medal, which looked a lot like a crescent medallion of the convent court. The last one showed a younger version. He was holding a line and hook in a fishing boat and beside him was another man, who looked different but had the same bright coppery eyes as Chris's uncle. For a pub, one would have expected something less homely. But as Chris had said, this place had been his uncle's niche for a long time.

"Who is that?" Pinna pointed to the other man, smiling beside Chris's uncle.

"Oh, that's my dad, actually." 

Matt frowned. The man's face was a triangle and his long, deep-set nose appeared to be caused by days of starvation or hardship. His lanky figure posed behind his brother who was everything he was not, in appearance and in size. The only unique thing that depicted them as brothers was the eyes, just those coppery rich eyes that were gleaming. He didn't even have any resemblance with Chris—but for the bright eyes which almost looked like Chris's bright gray—, there was no phenotypical father to son trait, not in body size and certainly not in looks.

"He looks…different," Matt said.

"I get that a lot," Was the only thing Chris said as he landed three soft knocks on the door. They waited for about a minute or two, before the door flung by some skinny looking girl.

"Hi," Chris said and walked in first. Pinna followed behind him, after giving the girl on the door some 'don't mess with me, looks'. Matt followed behind them. The stench of cigarettes swerving in the air made his stomach churn. He hated the smell of tobacco, and sometimes he wonders why people would spend their hard-earned money on them. The government had wanted to ban it some years back, but the bill had been reverted because even General Zack himself was an addict. Tobacco had been legalized afterward, and the current covenant courts were seen at a point in time, giving out free packets to the members of the Keepers. 

Matt's frown deepened as he followed Chris and Pinna deeper into the room. Room? No, it was no room. It had been arranged like a bar and held some sofa on the edges, but it was no room. It was a hall and a big one. Men and women alike went about their business, with computer screens blending with the blue lights hanging on the white ceilings. At least there were three hundred people or more, setting on the desk and typing on the blinking screens. Some were tending calls and laughing at the hologram image on their desk. Each of them wore a dark uniform, and in their breast pocket was the Glut-Hunters badge.

"Hmm, look what we have here, the prodigal son has returned." A man was saying as he walked up to them. It was the same man from the portrait in the hallway, a much older version of himself. The eyes were unchanging though, despite the hands of old age that was taking its tour on him.

"Good evening to you too, sir." Chris smiled and extended his hands to the man. He looked down at the hand, but instead of taking them, he burst out with laughter. The two companions standing behind him, also laughed even though they seemed not to know the cause of the laughter.

"You are so foolish, Christian." The older man's laughter suddenly ceased almost in unison with that of his companions, "So you think after all that you and your father did to me, you can just walk in here and have me shake hands with you?" 

"Oh about that," Chris stroked his jaw, even though there were no hairs forming or would try to form in a long while, "We are here to discuss business. I am sure you know how to separate the two" He said, sending a disturbing look at Pinna and Matt.

"Hmm" Chris's uncle nodded. The expression did not show. If he was impressed with what Chris had said, then he hid them very well. "You have the guts, my boy. I must give you the credit for that. Anyway, let's talk about business." 

"Yeah, business," Chris smiled as if he had predicted the older man's reaction long before they got there. "These are my friends, Matt and Pinna." He gestured, "And guys, this is my uncle, Fabian Crux. He calls himself the Great Crux"

"It is not a claim, that's reality," The man said and lighted his cigarette. Matt snorted with irritation.

"Whatever. We would like to discuss something important with you."

Matt bit the edges of his lips as the conversation between the people began to fade in his ears. What actually occupied his mind at the moment was how they were going to go about with their plan and succeed. The whole place was fortified. There were guards stationed here and there in the hall. Even if they succeed and manage to kidnap the man against all odds, how were they supposed to get out with him without attracting the eyes of the people on the other side of the room? Pinna had said the mission was suicide. Maybe it was time he believes her. There was no way they were going to succeed without getting their brains fried with hot electric balls.

"This is not a place for discussion. Say what you want already. Who do you want to kill? You wretched father?" Fabian asked.

"My father died three years ago" Chris hissed, "And you never attended the funeral."

"Oh, my bad," Fabian's brow widen with mockery, "I could have, but you see, I was busy making plots on how to strangle him myself. I should have been the one to kill him. He shouldn't have died by accident."

"You can go to the cemetery and settle the dispute with him. Go with a shovel too, so that after killing him a second time, you can commerce the funeral and bury him back yourself."

Pinna threw a confused look at Matt, and he caught it right before she could look away. The two men that were standing behind Fabian also looked confused. They had not seen their boss so insecure before; it was obvious from the crease that furrowed their brow and the embarrassment that was beginning to make them glow.

The rants of Chris and Fabian continued to increase, making the people in the hall to lift their heads from what they were doing to their direction. The two men were acting like some two chicken arguing over who would take a worm to the hen. Matt had not seen adults behave like babies in a long while. They reminded him much of his two brothers, Kyle and Tim, who argue almost in everything. Chris's face was heated with hate and anger, so were Fabian's. If the two had their way, they were sure to devour each other apart. Whatever be the reason behind their quarrel, really has a strong root.

"If you wanted him dead, why send one of your imps to do it for you. Why didn't you do it yourself?"

"What?" Fabian shouted, and every eye in the hall turned in his direction. He didn't seem to notice though. "Wait, you mean, Masky, my one, and only devilish brother were murdered?"

"Like you care," Chris hissed and raked his dark hair with regrets, "Masky?" he heaved, "Dad hated that name. He hated that you were the one fond of calling him that. He always said the name sounded like a name given to a dog."

"What happened, Christy? Talk to me. Who was the idiot that was brave enough to mess around with the Roland family?"

"I don't know. I wish I knew."

The sadness on Chris's face sent a chill down Matt's spine. He had been with the boy for how long, two, and a half years? Yet the boy had never told him that his father was murdered. He never mentioned it, not until this moment.

"No one messes with the Roland family." The fire in Fabian's eyes was beginning to burn now. It was hard to say which of the two angered him. Was it the need to kill his brother himself, or the regrets that some else had killed his brother instead?

"Please." Chris wiped the tears. "We came here to discuss business."